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GPS stands for Global Positioning System. A system of satellites maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense transmits low-power radio signals that allow anyone with a GPS receiver to find their location on a map.

Strangely enough, the GPS system predates the personal computer. The government built the satellite navigation system to support military objectives, a common start to many advanced technologies.

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• CoPilot Live
• TomTom

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GPS can be used anywhere you have a line of sight with the satellites—so it won't work if you're in a cave, in your cubicle, or some other enclosed space without a clear view of the sky.

Airplanes use GPS to navigate, recreational boaters love it, and scientists use it in some extremely clever ways. I'll talk about that later in the article. First, I'm going to tell you about using GPS on the mobile device you already own. If you're shopping for a Windows Mobile powered device, and want to use GPS, read on to help you decide which device to purchase!

Both of the devices I used to test GPS are Bluetooth-enabled, so I didn't need to add extra cables to connect my devices with the GPS receiver. If you have an older device without Bluetooth, you can still use GPS by purchasing a bundle that includes serial cables to connect the two hardware pieces. Make sure you get the right GPS receiver for your device.

I tested the Pharos GPS Navigator. It comes as a 'bundle' with a GPS receiver and Ostia mapping software. One of the things I liked about the Pharos Web site was that you could look for a GPS solution by device type.

First, I loaded the software onto my Pocket PC. Then I put my Pocket PC into the cradle and synced it to my desktop computer. I downloaded the maps for my area, putting them on my storage card. The bundle comes with the software that connects the GPS signals with the maps. It also comes with the maps you need for your area.

Since I was house hunting, it was an excellent time to try GPS. I typed in each house address as we drove, though I could have set up a multi-stop route as well. The program gave us turn-by-turn directions. When my husband decided to ignore the GPS directions and took his own 'scenic route,' the program warned us we were off-route a few times, but quickly plotted a new course based on our detour.

I placed the GPS receiver on the car dashboard. If I had wanted to run around in the woods using GPS, I could have purchased a bundle with a CF adapter. Then I would have pulled the receiver off its docking station, and plugged the whole thing into my CF slot. Not all Pocket PCs have a CF slot however. Getting the bundle with the CF adapter costs about $400 USD, at the time of this writing. (This is in addition to my original Pocket PC cost).

A less expensive alternative is the Pharos CF GPS Navigator, which comes with a CF GPS receiver and the Ostia mapping software. It doesn't include a car mount or a car charger for your Pocket PC, which will last around 5-6 hours on the battery. The cost for this program is about $210 USD at the time of this writing. The disadvantage to not having a car mount is that your device might go flying if you have to take some sharp turns. You could always get some double-sided sticky tape!

I tried out CoPilot Live for my Audiovox 5600 SMT Smartphone. It's also available for Pocket PC and other Windows Mobile Smartphones, though the experience will be slightly different from what I describe in this article. You'll definitely want to use a storage card for your maps. I have a 256K mini-SD storage card in my Smartphone.

The GPS bundle came with just about everything you could need, including a Bluetooth GPS receiver and some sticky pads to make sure it wouldn't fly off the dashboard, a car charger for charging the GPS receiver and the Smartphone at the same time using the 'cigarette lighter,' and mapping software.

I had a little problem downloading the map data. It seemed as though it wanted me to download to a card reader, but it was really downloading to the hard drive on my computer. Once I got past that small documentation glitch, it all worked fine. ALK recommends using a memory card reader, as it’s the fastest way to transfer large amounts of data. Some versions of CoPilot Live come with a self-installing QuickStart memory card, which is the easiest way to download the data.

The CoPilot live voice is loud and friendly. "Welcome to CoPilot Live" booms out at you when you open the program. CoPilot has several cool features. In addition to being able to plug in an address and get turn-by-turn directions, it allows you to select Points of Interest, such as restaurants, malls, gas stations, banks, rest stops, and airports, and get directions without knowing the address. You can also get alerts when you pass points of interest.

If you were traveling on business, and weren't sure of the airport address, this feature could keep you from missing your plane. I turned on the alerts for restaurants and got regular 'ting, ting' alerts as I drove along the freeway.

The interface makes it easy to input multiple stops. If you need to get from your hotel to your client's office, then to a restaurant, then to another office, and back to your hotel, you could input the addresses before you get in the car and be set for the day.

You have multiple options to set up the UI. For instance, you can have the directional arrow go in the direction you're heading, or keep north always at the top of the map.

One of my co-workers told me he uses CoPilot live for business trips and found it essential. He's also loaned his Smartphone to visiting friends so that they can sightsee during the day while he works.

I found it amazing that I could get GPS on my phone—especially considering that I can also read and send e-mail, listen to music, watch videos, send text messages, write to-do lists, look at a weather report and browse the Internet.

If you want a low-cost GPS solution, and don't mind not having voice directions—for instance, if you always have someone in the passenger seat who can call out directions—you can use Pocket Streets with a separately purchased GPS receiver. Streets & Trips comes with Pocket Streets. After you download the maps onto your device, you can use your Pocket PC or Smartphone with a GPS receiver to see where you are on a map. It won't route you or give you turn-by-turn directions, but it will help keep you from getting lost, and has points of interest so you can find nearby restaurants, banks, shopping malls, and more.

Some devices are sold with integrated GPS. One of the most popular is the Garmin iQue M5 Pocket PC. The device has all the function of a regular Pocket PC, but also has integrated GPS. Just flip up the built-in GPS antenna to get a fix on your position. You can get voice prompted turn-by-turn directions. It comes with all the maps you need for North and South America. The retail price for this device was about $750 USD at the time of this writing.

Another device with integrated GPS is the Mio168 GPS Pocket PC. This device is especially popular in Europe. It's one of the most popular integrated devices. One of the cool things about having an integrated device is that you don't have anything extra to carry. It's an all in one.

If you want a GPS device that is easy to use, and doesn't do anything but mapping, you could purchase the Pharos EZ Road Pocket GPS Navigator. It's a Windows Embedded device dedicated to one function—GPS. The EZ Road Pocket Navigator is great for people who need a GPS device to keep them from getting lost, but are all thumbs when it comes to technology.

One of the other features I like in the mapping software is the ability to find nearby restaurants, banks, and other points of interest. When I was using the device to house hunt, we needed to take a break to discuss our search.

None of us knew the area that well, so I used the points of interest feature to find a coffee shop. We followed the directions the device gave us and were soon chatting over a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, I couldn't set it to find the perfect house at the perfect price.

There are more ways to use GPS then simply finding your way around. Scientists have been using GPS to study volcanoes. Rock climbers post the coordinates of their favorite climbing spots for other climbers to find using GPS. Emergency medical personnel use GPS receivers to determine the nearest available police car, ambulance, or fire truck to send to an emergency.

The most common use of GPS in business is for delivery or fleet vehicles. Owners can track where their drivers are, how long they take to complete their deliveries, and route them to roads less traveled during construction or traffic jams.

Almost every real estate agent has a GPS device. If you travel a lot on business, it's definitely worth getting GPS. If you get lost going to the grocery store, ditto. If you're going on a road trip, it would come in handy.

How many people looked for the pot of gold under the rainbow when they were a kid? Or put on pirate eye patches made of construction paper and searched for buried treasure? Geocaching is a grown-up, high-tech way to relive those fun days.

Geocaching is a niche 'sport' that connects strangers to each other through technology. I love it when I see people finding ways to disprove the myth that technology isolates people.

Geocachers are starting to use Pocket PCs to navigate to their caches, along with other software.

The basics of geocaching: One person hides a small cache (pronounced cash) of goodies or white elephants (otherwise known as awful gifts someone gave you). Then they post the coordinates, called waypoints, on the Internet. Geocachers don't bury their caches—they're always above ground to keep the environment safe.

Geocachers are supposed to find the cache, take something out and put something back in. I've seen movie caches, red plastic monkey caches, money caches, books—if you can think of it, you can cache it.

To geocache using your Pocket PC, you'll need some extra software. You'll be better off using a GPS receiver that fits into your CF or SDIO card slots or an integrated device. You don't want to juggle more than one device while hiking through the woods.

You'll use the traditional GPS mapping software to find the general location, then geocaching software to hone in on the cache. Oh, just for fun, most geocaches are disguised to look like rocks, pinecones, logs, soda cans, or something else innocuous.

People have reported meeting the love of their lives while geocaching. Families can bond over this activity—as well as learn a thing or two. But don't tell the kids that. There are also nasty types that steal caches, ruining the fun. When this happens, it's called 'being muggled.' Non-geocachers are 'muggles,' coincidentally the name of non-wizards in the Harry Potter book series.

For more information on this truly geeky activity, read the bulletin boards on the Geocaching Web site.

Was having GPS useful? You bet. Even though I had to get used to how it gave directions, 'bear right' sometimes meant the road would curve to the right, and sometimes meant I was supposed to exit the freeway, it was still better than trying to read a map while traveling at 60 miles an hour. I also liked being able to look up restaurants and gas stations and then getting voice directions. Much better than trying to stop and ask a complete stranger, who might not know anyway. And even though I was testing it in my hometown, it still helped. If I was traveling in a strange town on business or vacation, it would be essential. I don't have one of those 'internal' compasses that some people seem to possess!

I quickly learned some tricks too. Since GPS receivers take a minute to get a fix, it's best not to jump in your car and take off immediately. If you're on a trip with multiple stops, keep the device turned on between stops so that you won't have to get a new fix each time. Do this only if you have the car charger or your battery might fail on you. Make sure you stick the GPS receiver on the dashboard with some sticky tape—unless you always drive at 20 miles an hour and never, ever take a sharp corner. Watch your battery when you're using GPS on your Pocket PC or Smartphone.

Which GPS bundle should you get? I asked around the office, where everyone has a Windows Mobile powered device, and many use GPS, and found that there were as many favorite devices as people. Just about anyway. Buying a GPS bundle is a lot like buying a house, it just depends on what your needs are. Get your hands on some, read the newsgroups, ask questions, and then try one out if possible. I liked all the devices I tried, but since I already own a Pocket PC and a Smartphone, I'd chose one of those solutions over a dedicated device.