SPOT gets smaller and adds features
The second-generation SPOT announcement highlighted a smaller satellite tracking device with improved reception and power delivery.
SPOT was presented as a way to share a GPS position during outdoor activities. Friends and family could follow progress through Google Maps, while an emergency-alert function could send the user’s position to support a rescue response.
The second-generation model announced in 2010 was considerably smaller and less cumbersome to carry. It also promised faster satellite connection and reception in difficult terrain, with more efficient power delivery from its revised battery arrangement.
The device was aimed at people spending time outdoors on land or water who wanted position tracking and a way to send an emergency alert. The announcement emphasized that providing GPS coordinates could help rescuers locate the user; it did not report a field test of emergency performance.
The recommended price was SEK 2,100, with distribution through well-stocked outdoor retailers in Sweden.
The original article expressed the hope of publishing a detailed SPOT review later.
