GPS Addict? Might want to read this...

[Lone Star]

GPS addict? It may be eroding your brain

When it comes to spatial memory, it could be a case of 'use it or lose it,' say researchers

By Joan Raymond

msnbc.com contributor msnbc.com contributor

updated 11/15/2010 8:51:23 AM ET 2010-11-15T13:51:23

Share Print Font: + - Jean Snyder says she isn't afraid of spiders, snakes or even dentists. But she is scared of one little thing: a GPS breakdown.

Snyder's 2005 Honda Odyssey is equipped with GPS, and for the last five years, Snyder hasn't looked at a map, noticed landmarks or even tried new routes to get from point A to point B. Instead, she relies on the disembodied voice of "Jackie," her GPS, to guide her.

"When it comes to finding my way, I've become a GPS zombie," says Snyder, a 47-year-old office manager in Highland Heights, Ohio."I'm sure I'm not doing my brain any favors."

Snyder might be on to something. Three studies by McGill University researchers presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience on Sunday show that the way we navigate the world today may indeed affect just how well our brains function as we age — particularly the hippocampus, which is linked to memory.

Read the rest of the story here

Edited November 15, 2010 by Lone Star

[HERBIE1]

This does not surprise me one bit. I would also add that with the advent of cell phones, speed and voice dialing, people are no longer required to recall things like phone numbers. I have friends and family who have retained the same phone numbers for many years, but now that I either call their cell phones, or simply use my address book/recent call feature, I can no longer recall their numbers from memory.

I have only used GPS in rental cars- nice feature, but I do just fine with Map Quest. I look up a location, print up directions and/or a map if needed, and it's all I really need. I certainly see the benefit for someone who travels to new places frequently- ie a salesman, or a frequent traveler, but it's just not something I worry about. I realize that when I purchase a new car, many models now come with GPS as a standard feature, so eventually I may rely on it in the future.

[tniuqs]

LS:

I don't fit in the little check boxes (yeah no surprise eh )

I use GPS on the ocean, hiking, back country and at work when on Forest Fires or in the Oil-patch to establish accurate LZ.

To the corner store ? nope, to find my way in a city that I am not familiar , I use a map.

cheers

[Richard B the EMT]

Most times, I know the way, or have looked it up on the map, previously to the travel day. There's also turn by turn printouts from Google Map/Google World, or others like them.

Someone mentioned factory/dealer prep GPS units. When I bought my Nissan Quest in July 2009, the GPS would have added $1,500.00 to the vehicle's price. I bought a decent GPS from Costco for a bit less than $200.00, with discount for purchasing it on line.

Basically, I use it for destinations I am uncertain about, or for my annual pilgrimage to the "Pulse Check" convention, running from NYC to Albany, NY.

A sidenote, here. When the Pulse Check was held in Lake George, NY, I found I didn't have an actual street address for the Roaring Brook Ranch and Spa, as their address is a number on "Driveway". If the convention returns to this venue, I'm asking for Latatude/Longditude coordinates, which my GPS can handle.

On a second sidenote, Momma B uses "Access-A-Ride", and they use GPS units. What she tells me, sometimes, the GPS is insistant that the driver, while travelling westbound on Beach Channel Drive, and west of Beach 116th Street, make a northbound right. The issue is, where the GPS insists the driver turn, is a 4 foot high bulkhead wall between the roadway and Jamaica Bay. I can assure you, the vans and sedans Access-A-Ride uses, don't have pontoons for use on water deeper than the vans are high.

[Lone Star]

I have to admit, I've never used a GPS unit. I've never had a vehicle that had it built in...

every time I have to go someplace and I'm not sure about how to get there, I either have a map, or I look it up before going and take 'notes' to get there and back.

I know people that couldn't make it out of their driveway without their GPS....

What's funny as hell, is watching these people try to 'navigate' with a map! Let see....south on I-95 to exit...........107 then make a (turns map) right and go .......ummm...........uhhh.............this far (holds fingers an inch and a half apart)....

I'm sure you get the idea, and can appreciate how hillarious it is to watch.

[TJZ]

I found I used them most for ETAs. Learned the hard fast way not to rely on them in a small town trying to find their hospital. I will stick to the highly informative blue H signs

I once followed GPS out of a little rural hospital with a ruptured spleen patient bleeding out trying to get to a hospital that could handle it. It led me to a dead end with 20 feet of grass and 2 curbs between me and the highway! I had to backtrack 3 blocks... never again

Edited November 17, 2010 by TJZ

[Richard B the EMT]

... never again

You kind of illustrated what I said about the GPS unit(s) used by Access_A-Ride. Thanks.

[tniuqs]

They JUST passed a law here Thank God about frigging time too, 2 days ago I drove by an idiot at 120 km/hr driving with his knees texting with both hands Idiot, Felt like doing the Pit Manoeuvre .

Yea Hoo! No GPS, NO hand held Cell, No Texting, Crackberry roads got safer (I hope)

Cant wait to start recording Licence Numbers and reporting (I have hands free).

I like court when I am not the accused

cheers

[Chief1C]

In August, we actually had a high speed crash, in a 25mph zone.. A guy hit a well casing, a dumpster, a pile of railroad ties, went through a garden, hit two signs and flattened an apple tree, while setting his GPS. Which he had mounted directly in front of him, on the dash. At his stature, I don't see how he could see around it. Lucky he wasn't killed. I was ticketed for having a dash light attached to my windshield, so you would figure a GPS would create a blindspot too? Today, I used that industrial Velcro, and attached the GPS to the underside of my dash. dimmed the screen so I can't see it, and used a double male audio cord to plug it into the iPod jack. That way it can tell me where to go, but I don't have to look at it.

Velcro, duck tape, hot glue... You can fix anything. If only they had duck tape on the Titanic.

Edited November 22, 2010 by 4c6

[EMT155]

I like my GPS, but do not depend on it 24/7. I actually have 2, one that sits in my work bag for distance transports if I'm not 100% where I'm going (and I highly recommend that Magellan RoadMate 2200T) but normally it just sits there with my movements showing. Occasionally, I'll flip it to show direction speed and elevation,etc just to check my speedometer.

That being said.........

Set it before you drive and DON'T stick it in the middle of the freaking windshield. Mine sits in the lower right corner where it doesn't interfere with my ability to see the road in front of me. It also auto dims with ambient light so as not to be distracting at night (My Ipod is brighter at night than my GPS). Like anything else, there are some common sense things that apply to any type of electronics that, unfortunately, the general populace just can't seem to handle. Anyone remember the Megabus crash in Syracuse a few months back? He missed 17 signs (3 with flashing lights and one of those with white strobes) all because he was allegedly fiddling with his GPS. *shrug* I guess you have to adjust to the lowest common denominator instead of going with self responsibility

Jim