I’ve really started taking more and more pictures lately. Instead of just keeping them stored locally on my personal computers I’ve started uploading them to a variety of websites. I hadn’t thought much about it but recently read the article "Beware of GPS danger in your photos" by Kim Komando.

The article talks about the potential risk of posting photos to public services when the photo information, or EXIF data may contain geographic location information of where and when the photo was taken. Some cameras can now tag these photos automatically and there are other 3rd party apps and gadgets that will also give you this information. There’s even a fairly low-tech way of doing it.

The question is whether or not you really want to share this information. Imagine being able to be tracked by location and time of your exact movements and locations at various times. I’m not too personally concerned over this, but I can imagine various circumstances where it might be an issue for people.

Kim Komando’s article provides instructions on how to edit the EXIF data on your photos and goes into some other details. My suggestion is to just be aware of the possibilities and the implications. A pet peeve of mine is when people live in constant fear of what might happen. I think you need to balance that with reality though and relax a little bit in the process.

Image: sxc.hu

A discussion was raised again today about the usefulness and validity of a location based alarm system. Most alarms that we think of our based on a specific time of day. The challenge with that type of alarm is your location, or context of your day may not have been what you planned for it to have been at that time.

What would really be helpful is to be reminded of something you needed to do when you were at a specific location, regardless of what time it was. For instance, the next time I’m around the corner of 71st and I-465, I need to pick up my dry cleaning.

This type of alarm system could be implemented with the technology we have already at our disposal. Phones with GPS in them, cars with GPS or handheld GPS receivers.

The other potential application would be to use the cellular network itself to set reminders. For instance, you could set a reminder on your phone to occur the next time it was within range and of the same cell tower you’re hitting at the moment for your signal.

The other perhaps useful feature there would be to have two phones, synch with each other. The next time they’re within range of each other, announce the reminder to both parties, or perhaps even immediately initiate a call between the two phones.  The application of this would be, “Next time I’m with Mark remind me that I owe him $20 for lunch last week.”

Image: flickr user brucebeh and Google Local map underlay

Kermit the Frog sang a sad, sad song when I was a kid. “It’s not easy being green,” he said, and unfortunately those words ring true with a lot of people when they think about making environmentally-friendly life changes. The thing is … today, being green can be a very easy thing to do.

The question is, how easy? For every beneficial product on the market, it seems there are ten or more trying to take your money and offering nothing but a chance to add more to the landfills.

Let’s take a look at some of the latest, greatest auto gadgets that help keep pollution down (that really work)…

1) Solar Auto Coolers - STINKERS!

With summer coming, I know people are going to be focused on keeping their cars cool during the day. Not everyone has the benefit of a parking lot with plenty of shade. This “As Seen on TV” special, the Solar Auto Cool, G-Tech Solar Auto Fan, and other similar devices don’t work. If in direct sunlight, they move the air around in your car but they do not create any sort of breeze, they do not cool your car (and they do not work on cloudy days or on cars with tinted windows). Plus, well, you’re in direct sunlight. Some people will have to park there regardless, but what sense does it make to do it on purpose??

Instead?

* Use a sun shade. Heatshields, for instance, can reduce your car’s temperature by 40 degrees F (25 degrees C) and can be ordered for the front, side or rear windows on a number of vehicles.

* Crack windows that are diagonal from one another.

* Have your windows professionally tinted to block UV rays, like Llumar UVShield, the only window film to have the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation. It’ll lower temps in your car AND protect your skin from harmful rays.

* Try to park in the shade, when possible. (Or, if you have a small car, near an SUV. :p )

* Don’t drive to work! If your car is just going to be sitting in the sun getting sticky and hot, leave it at home in the garage and carpool, use public transportation, or try walking or biking to work.

2) Waterless Car Wash - SWEET!

There are a number of waterless car wash supplies available that are also fun, and easy to use. Oh, how I (barely) remember the days before the electric car wash, when we’d go outside and scrub my cousin’s Jeep wheels to removable top. You can experience those fun, summer days all over again (or talk some kid into doing it on your behalf) while using as little as two gallons of water. In comparison, an automatic carwash wastes hundreds per wash!

You can read reviews of the top waterless car washes here, but if you decide to go this route, you can make an even bigger difference using “green” supplies like recycled water buckets (with a variety of uses) and microfiber cloths. (Read “Are Microfiber Cltohes Eco-Friendly?”)

3) Fuel Additives - STINKERS!

I’ve seen pills, solutions and powders people can add to their fuel tank to increase the miles they get per gallon (or to decrease their emissions ratings) but I’ve yet to see one with convincing evidence that they work. Some have been proven to damage cars, enough to have the government step in and do something about them.

I know people use these and feel they get good enough results to recommend them to someone else, too. I apologize in advance if this irks any readers, but personally, I don’t feel comfortable enough with them yet to put them in my tank. I’m open to convincing. :)

Part of me wonders if there is a placebo effect happening, where by putting the additives in their tanks, they expect to see better mileage and either drive in a way to conserve gas or notice what they’re really using more. Regardless, anything drawing your attention to your usage could make you more conscientious about conserving.

Instead?

* Practice routine maintenance on your car. Clogged filters and worn parts can affect both fuel efficiency and emissions.

* Tweak your driving techniques. If you want to really save, look into hypermiling, but if that’s too extreme, start slow by starting slow when you take off. Punching the accelerator is the number one way we waste gas while we drive.

* Try using a program that monitors your gas mileage, like Gas v1.1.5 (Mac), GasDandy/GasDandyMETRIC (PC), pFuel (Palm), GasGauge (iPhone) etc.

In addition, some websites offer gas mileage tickers you can add to your signature. Check out this one over at GreenHybrid.com (you don’t really need a hybrid to take part in the site).

4) GPS Systems - SWEET!

I have to admit, the kids joke that it’s not a roadtrip unless mom gets lost at least once. Why don’t I have a GPS?? They’re helpful in more ways then one. Along with keeping you pointed in the right direction, they help you save gas by not having to backtrack.

I posted on the best aftermarket navigation systems awhile back, and I’m sure more options have popped up since then. You don’t need OnStar, and you don’t need to spend an extra $3000 on your new car to get quality GPS software. In fact, here are a few models that are both cheaper and more user friendly.

5) Nitrogen-filled Tires - YMMV!

There’s been a lot of hype lately about filling your tires with Nitrogen vs. regular air. Tons of products on the market, too, and just as many crazy scientific spoofs to back them up.

What’s true about Nitrogen?

Nitrogen is used in aircraft and race car tires. It is more stable than regular air, leaks more slowly through rubber, is less sensitive to changes in temperature, and less corrosive to rubber. All that said, for the average driver, none of these things really matter.

Drivers of large trucks, RVs, those kinds of vehicles … they benefit from the corrosion protection and pressure stability. They should probably go through the trouble of going to a station that offers Nitrogen fill (the kind that purges your tire of regular air first, or its no use at all). Other drivers probably won’t see the extra expense pay off … though it won’t hurt your car either.

Instead?

* If you drive an older car, use LED tire pressure alert caps or regularly check the pressure on your tires. Newer cars come with this feature. Under-inflation not only wastes gas (up to 5 cents per gallon), it’s also the number one cause of failure.

* Follow proper tire maintenance. Rotate your tires at least every 8000 miles (or at every other oil change). If you buy your tires from a local shop, you might be eligible for free rotations throughout the life of the tires. It pays to ask. ;)

* Repair what needs fixing. Blowing a tire can be a frightening, frustrating experience. And it will happen at the worst possible time. For me? I was running something to my grandma’s “real quick” in my PJ’s .. with slippers and no - you know - brassiere. Ladies, this is not the state you want to be in while you’re changing a flat! (Though you will get plenty of offers for “help”.)

If you can’t afford a new set of tires, or even one new tire, you might be surprised by the cost of patching or buying another used one. There’s a shop here that will patch a flat for $5.

There are many ways we can lessen our impact on the planet that are easy, inexpensive … and sometimes? Fun. Those air cap alerts are so cute! GPS units help you explore on the go, and new technologies like tinting can save gas, protect your skin AND look hella cool. Don’t be afraid to go “green” because you’re not sure you can follow through. There are tons of new eco-gadgets out there for the taking!

For more ways technology is advancing our fight to preserve Planet Earth, check out this month’s Tech Channel Theme Day posts.

[Image sources: Garmin.com, G-techworld, and PDPhotos.com]

Whenever you buy a brand-new car, it’s easy to get caught up in wanting the best and brightest model. Do you really need the bells & whistles? When it comes to sign on the dotted line, what you need might not really matter. As humans, we can’t escape our propensity to - at times - be ego-driven.

One of the most popular (and expensive, and depending on who you talk to, wasteful) newer features in new car packages is the built-in navigation system. Holding out for nav can boost your bottom line by several thousand dollars, so I thought we’d take a look at a popular new hybrid - the Toyota Prius - and see how owners felt about their built-in systems, and what aftermarket products were recommended.

There are several multiple-page threads at the PriusChat.com Forums which address this topic. I’ve linked to, and summarized them, here:

PriusChat: Does it Get Any Easier?

This thread has a lot of GREAT information to offer for a new Prius driver who is having trouble with their navigation system, which seems to be fairly common. A good chunk of these drivers were drawn to the Prius, and to hybrid ownership, because they enjoy new technology and many are techie-types who shouldn’t really have a problem navigating a navigation system. And many haven’t had problems with previous systems, either built-ins in other models or portable units from Garmin, etc.

Both kathyb and rposton, along with other posters, had wonderful tips in this thread:

• Read the manual backwards and Program backwards. Start with the Region, then City, then Street and then House number.

• If your route disappears (especially in the country) run a Preview. If that doesn’t help you, the directions should still be accurate but they won’t show on the map.

• You can suspend the Nav by pressing Menu, Suspend, and turn it back on by doing those steps in reverse. You can also force the unit to reroute by not taking the directs suggested.

• The Prius Nav reroutes almost instantly, according to a few drivers, in contrast to built-in navigation in other cars.

• For people with regular stops, try inputting the latitute/longitude coordinates into a PDA device (or, you know, writing them down :p) instead of using map markers. The memory seems to fill up pretty fast. rposton saved his map markers for cheap gas stations and other travel essentials.

If you are really having trouble with your Nav system, several posters recommended checking your preferences. There are a myriad of selections that affect how accurate your routes will be (region, for instance, or whether or not you allow for freeway driving) and others which affect how those instructions are delivered. This is probably Toyota’s biggest roadblock - it’s too complicated for the number of features it offers.

Toyota Navigation or after market navigation?

This is where posters get down and dirty about the drawbacks to Toyota Nav (price, surprisingly, not at the top) and which aftermarket models trump the rest. So, without further ado …

Pros of Toyota Nav

• More than anything, Prius drivers appreciate the larger screen of the Toyota’s multifunction display. They also like the protection that comes with a system attached to the car. You don’t have to worry about removing it every night, or risking it being stolen.

• As part of the car, the Nav system is integrated into the steering, and audio comes through the speakers. (These features are available with some aftermarket models.) Toyota Nav also has bluetooth capabilities and can link to certain PDAs and cellphones. (NOT THE IPHONE!)

• The 2009 Toyota Corolla has an updated set-up that supports XM NavTraffic that hopefully will be available for all future models.

Cons of Toyota Nav

• One of the biggest complaints about Toyota’s built-in GPS comes from a lock-out feature while the car is in motion. An overzealous safety feature, Toyota has forgotten that drivers often have passengers who can program these units on the road, and have offered no means for a passenger overriding the lock in order to do so. Newer models can be updated with Coastaltech Lockpick that allows this, but it doesn’t work on older models.

• Toyota Nav system is only available on the most expensive Prius models. You’ll spend much more on the factory GPS than even the higher quality aftermarket versions.

• Because of the number of preference settings, it can be difficult to figure out your most appropriate settings — unreasonable difficult compared to aftermarket products.

• Toyota Nav doesn’t have text-to-speech for the majority of street names, and has insufficient data for certain areas.

So, now that you’ve learned the Pros and Cons of Toyota’s navigation system, what are aftermarket models like? Which ones are the best? Which will help you be a better, safer, more efficient driver and which will lead you into danger, or make you a liability on the road? You’ll have to take a look at this post here, Best GPS Navigation Systems, Garmin - Magellan - Tom Tom and more.