Garmin: New features and capabilties for G3X

 

G3X 2-screenThe software update theme continues this week as we address some recent software upgrades to the G3X system. Last month, version 6.40 was released, which includes many new features and capabilities including support for GTS 8xx traffic systems, the option to display the G-meter on PFD, the option to display track-up orientation on the PFD HSI, added support for GNS 480 MapMX data and more. Get this update free from the Garmin website!

Here’s a closer look at what you’ll get with the new G3X software:

The G3X can now interface with the GTS 8XX traffic systems, allowing the G3X to display traffic information for transponder-equipped aircraft in your vicinity. To assist with traffic advisories, aural traffic alerts are possible as well.

Another new feature is MapMX, which is now available when using the GNS 480 as your external GPS navigator. This feature allows the G3X to display a more accurate flight path on the moving map page, including procedure turns and holds.

G3x_track_hsi_2displayYou can also now display the HSI instrument on the PFD in a track-up orientation. Put simply, this feature automatically rotates the HSI to put the aircraft’s ground track at the top, which lets you fly with the course pointer at the top of the instrument regardless of crosswinds. In this screenshot, you can see that a 26-knot direct crosswind is trying to push us off course, but the HSI has rotated to show the ground track at the top; magnetic heading is still available on the heading tape at the top of the display. This handy feature can help reduce the pilot’s workload by taking the guesswork out of wind correction angles, which makes following the desired course a “breeze”.

G3x_g_meter G3x_g_meter_setupFor those who are looking to be a little more adventurous, we’ve added a large, easy-to-read G-meter to the PFD. The range of G values displayed on the gauge can be configured to match your aircraft, and there are indicators to show the maximum positive and negative G’s recorded since last being reset by the pilot.

Google Street View with a Date


The Google Earth Blog noticed that Google Maps Street View images now come with a date telling you when the panoramas were taken.

If you look at the bottom left hand corner of a Street View image you can now view the month and year when the picture was taken.

Another nice little feature I’ve noticed Google Maps testing recently is the highlighting of search results. For a while now when you search for a location in Google it has shown a map with the searched area highlighted. Google have been testing this feature in Google Maps as well.


This feature still seems to be very much in the testing stage. I noticed the feature was working this morning but this afternoon it no longer seems to be working for me.

Finally, in Chrome (but not in Firefox and IE for me) the satellite button in Google Maps now shows the satellite view directly beneath the button.

via:googlemapsmania

The SWF exports of presentations in the Google Documents

Google announcing the deprecation of SWF export functionality for presentations from the Google Documents List API. They are taking this action due to the limited demand for this feature, and in order to focus engineering efforts on other aspects of the API.

Clients currently making the following request to the API are affected by this change.

https://docs.google.com/feeds/download/presentations/Export?docID=1234&exportFormat=swf

We recommend clients currently using SWF exports switch to PDF exports, using the appropriate exportFormat value.

https://docs.google.com/feeds/download/presentations/Export?docID=1234&exportFormat=pdf

They are disabling SWF exports in the coming weeks. Clients attempting to export presentations as SWF after the exports are disabled will receive an HTTP 400 response.

For more information on exporting presentations, see the Google Documents List API documentation. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out in the forums.