G-FI

G-Fi GPS

Geolocation is where it's at, as the kids would say, but can that really be true and how do you get your gadgets that aren't GPS-enabled to give you a geolocation? One device is hoping to solve that and help you find yourself at the same time. The PosiMotion G-Fi is a small black box that is independently powered via an in-built rechargeable battery, that when turned on, creates a mini Wi-Fi network for any Wi-Fi enabled device to connect to.

Once connected (the range is pretty good) it then shares its GPS signal with your device allowing you to either boost or provide a GPS signal to anything you want such as the iPod touch, Apple iPad or your laptop.

What that means is that for around $99 (£60) plus the cost of a GPS software package (£25 from CoPilot or £29.99 from PosiMotion) you can turn your iPod touch into a full-blown GPS satnav unit.

In practice and it's as easy as it sounds with the G-Fi turning on and finding a GPS signal virtually instantly.

There are three status lights on the front of the unit letting you know what's what (Wi-Fi, GPS, and Power), and all that's left for you to do is connect via the Wi-Fi settings on your machine or gadget.

Once connected, you can then run GPS software or geotag photos and beyond it just working straight out of the box, there isn't much to the unit. We tested it with a laptop and some HTML 5, an iPod touch and an iPhone. In all cases the G-Fi worked seamlessly either giving us a GPS signal for the first time (in the iPod touch) or helping boost the accuracy of the GPS signal (in the iPhone). It noticeably helped with TomTom on the iPhone for example in our tests allowing for more accurate positioning.

Verdict

There isn't much to the G-Fi. You charge it up, turn it on, and connect to it over Wi-Fi. It then gives you a GPS signal back. It really is that simple. With zero setup and zero install hassles, if you are looking to improve or give GPS to a Wi-Fi enabled device this is the gadget to do it with.

Where this wins over on the TomTom for iPhone docking cradle for example is that it's not dedicated to that one device. You'll be able to use it elsewhere in your gadget life, something that might not seem important now, but will future-proof yourself.