To get started with InstaMapper’s free GPS tracking service you just have to download the software and create an account – they only ask for a username, password and valid email address – NOT a bunch of other private information so you can be sure of your privacy.

The Instamapper Free GPS Tracking Service also also allows you to embed a map with your current location on a blog, web page, or Facebook profile too. We have to give it a thumbs up for functionality and cost (absolutely free).

InstaMapper has Been Tested on the Following Phones:

Apple iPhone 3G
Sony Ericsson E10i XPERIA Mini – GSM Quadband Android Phone
HTC Wildfire A3333 Smartphone – Android OS, 5MP Camera, Wi-Fi, and Touch Screen
HTC Legend A6363 Unlocked GSM Android Based Smartphone

Download InstaMapper and try it out.

Enabling this function is easy. Just go to System Preferences and click on the “Date and Time” section. Under the Time Zone tab, check the “Set time zone automatically by location” option. The map should turn grey, and your Mac will start automatically determining your current location using the CoreLocation service.

I’m sure it won’t take long before they are, but Mac’s aren’t yet being sold with a built in GPS chips. Your Mac won’t have GPS functionality unless you add it. However, the CoreLocation service will use your computer’s visible Wi-Fi networks and check them against a database of the WiFi’s registered locations.

If you’ve connected a GPS device to your Mac and it Snow Leopard recognizes it, the CoreLocation service should automatically use your GPS to determine its location. With the GPS connected you can pretty much take your computer anywhere in the world and OS X will automatically adjust your time to the local time for you.

When the CoreLocation service is using WiFi networks to determine your location you’re going to be a lot more limited on where you get this automatic functionality.

Other applications can use CoreLocation service through OS X too. We wrote about Google Latitude earlier (Google Latitude – It’s a GPS Without a GPS – Sort Of) and it will ask for access to your Mac’s CoreLocation service so you can share your location with your friends.

For security, an application will always ask permission to access to your location information. If you like, you can completely disable the CoreLocation service by going to the Security section of System Preferences and checking the “Disable Location Services” checkbox under the General tab.

I’ve been thinking of so many ways that this new device could be used. When it’s available it’s going to come at a really reasonable price – just $500!

So I looked into this device a little more and I noticed that it comes with assisted GPS, this made me really happy. This means there’s a possibility to throw out the old handheld GPS (or maybe keep it for when you need it) and use the iPad as your navigational GPS.

All we need is some software and we’re ready to go!

I already have plans to black out the front window on my car so that I can duct tape my iPad to the inside of the front windshield. I want to see how accurate it really is! No, I’m kidding, but I think that the bigger the screen for a navigational GPS the better and the iPad might be a great replacement than what’s available on the market today.

Magellan (average consumer Magellan that is) has also made their way into the software market and puts out Navigation software for the iPhone and it doesn’t look all that bad.

One thing I do like about their software are the 3D landmarks, which are really cool and really help you find your way without having to look too hard at street signs as you’re driving by them. So the 3D landmarks are great – when they’re available.

I like the address book integration in the Magellan iPhone GPS software too. This allows you to easily enter info into your iPhone address book and then quickly access it through your GPS software later on when you need it without the need to enter it again.

The Highway Lane Assist and Find Your Car are pretty good too even if you don’t really need them.

For those of us that use our devices for real multitasking, there’s even Music Control built into the Magellan iPhone GPS software too.

You can find Magellan’s GPS software, Magellan RoadMate in the iPhone store.

Alright Magellan, this is getting better, but I still haven’t forgiven you for the Pro GPS stuff you pulled on me so you’re going to have to keep moving and improving. When it comes to your electronic devices Magellan – can you please come up with something that’s actually innovative as well, instead of just the same as everybody else has!

There’s been a lot of rumors going around that “turn by turn” navigational software will become available for the iPhone very soon – but so far everything is still rumors.

The Dutch company TomTom says they are coming out with turn by turn software for the iPhone but no date or details have been released so far. While TomTom makes great navigational software it’s all wait and see when it comes to TomTom living up to Apple Style and I’d give Garmin a better kick at being able to develop a user interface that still “feels like an iPhone”.

I may be a little bit biased here but what I would really like to see is behemoth Google step up to the plate and develop a navigational system that works with Google Earth. For them to do this they’d have to be making some big changes though and I’m sure they’re much too busy on other projects to be working on a little one like this.

As a consumer all we can do is wait for it. If you ask me – we’ve already been waiting WAY too long!

My goal was not to find out which GPS devices could with a whole bunch of tweaking and 3rd party software possibly be hooked up to a Mac and have some type of support. I wanted to see which manufacturers put the time in to produce their own software that slips right into the system without any fiddling around.

This OEM type of support for a less popular operating system really represents who’s working hard to keep their market share and their users happy.

The results were no less than what I expected with OEM support for Mac OS X on TomTom and Garmin devices and with Magellan and Mio being left out in the cold totally unsupported.

Garmin devices have a small, powerful suite of software to use – all beautifully integrated with the Mac operating system. Bobcat, MapInstall, POI Loader, Connect and the Communicator Plugin for other software and services like Google Maps, Mapquest and Geocaching.com allow you to do everything you’d expect and more from your Garmin GPS device and a Mac based system. All their OS X software is available on the Garmin Mac OS X Software Page.

Although TomTom devices also have OEM support for Mac OS X the software seems to be a bit more of a storefront to help them sell more services to you. The TomTom software however is fully functional and allows you to do all the things you need to do with your device like adding points of interest, doing backups, changing voices and updating your maps.

With the software storefront you can also purchase subscriptions to their ‘safety camera’ updating service and their traffic service – both of which will for sure save you time and money.

You can download their Mac OS X software from the TomTom Plus Services web site.

Not that it’s a super-surprise to me – but Magellan doesn’t have OEM support for Mac OS X and the Magellan devices.

You can see from my interaction with the Magellan uber-cool Ask Maggie Web Support System that no Mac software support is available.

I do find it kind of funny though that Maggie decided to ask me if the ‘solution’ provided was helpful or not. Even though Maggie ever so thoughtfully provided a link to the front page of the Apple web site I’m going to have to say “No her SOLUTION was not very helpful”.

Mio was the least supported – Yes… even less than Magellan without even confirmation in a search on their web site that Mac support was not available.

With the type of support that Garmin and TomTom offer their users you can see why they are the real front-runners in the GPS market. You can expect them to hold on to this position because they’re going to work hard on the development of their devices to expand their user-base and keep you happy.