Contest

PhotoTrackr Mini Contest

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Almost three years ago I got my first GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr. This is a product that I have totally enjoyed. Now I have been able to test out GiSTEQ’s great new product: The GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Mini for a couple of months.

PhotoTrackr-Mini

In the time since then I have used my PhotoTrackr all over the place. I love it because I like having a geotagged record of my trips and travels as well as my photos.

Some info that you need to know (From the GiSTEQ Site):

“Photo Geotagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to photographs. These data usually consist of latitude and longitude coordinates, as well as altitude, and place names. Photo Geocoding refers to the process of adding non-coordinate based geographical identifiers, such as a street address, to the photographs.

“GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr is a photo tracking solution that integrates digital photo with location information for online digital mapping and photo sharing. It also provides trip recording and playback function. If you are a sports enthusiast, you can also get the SportTracks upgrade to track your exercise progress with PhotoTrackr.”

FEATURES

  • Share your photos with family and friends with location mapping in PhotoTrackr™ software. (With integrated Google Maps.)
  • Integrated with Flickr™ / locr / Picasa Web Album / SmugMug for easy online photo sharing.
  • Keep track of your digital photos with satellite precision.
  • Display or playback trip routes with the PhotoTrackr software.
  • Compatible with ALL digital cameras
  • Light weight & low power consumption.
  • Compatible with Mac
  • Automated photo slideshow function.
  • Geo-tagged function enables image-sharing in 3rd party Geo-photo sharing websites.
  • Capable of writing GPS info to the pictures and exporting NMEA and GPX info from the GPS log files
  • Google Earth support (PhotoTrackr program is able to export GPS log files and pictures to google earth format)
  • Multi-language support (PhotoTrackr software now supports Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.)
  • Support RAW (Windows|Mac) format – optional upgrade
  • Built-in Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
  • SportTracks Support – optional upgrade
  • Battery Life: Operation Time: 17 hours in continuous mode
  • Dimension: 3.05 (L) x 1.10 (W) x 0.70 (H) inch
  • Weight: 0.53oz including battery

So those are the features of the GiSTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™ device and software. I have started a few groups to help as resources for other users of the GiSTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™. You can go there to see photos that have been geotagged by the GiSTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™ as well as learn more about the product.

Here are the groups.

GiSTEQ has their own forum for user support as well.

Here are some of my photowalks while using the GiSTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™.

Here are my photos that are tagged with the words GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr

I also added my photowalks to Zooomr. The thing about the GiSTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™ and Zooomr is that once you add the GPS data to your images and upload them to Zooomr they are automatically geotagged. Support for Zooomr is not officially specified but it is something that works.

Follow these steps..
1. – Edit your images
2. – Import your images into the GiSTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™ Software and add GPS data.
3. – Upload your images to Zooomr.

Here are my two Zooomr smartsets.
Falmouth Photowalk
Falmouth PhotoBlading

My Review of the PhotoTrackr Mini

The PhotoTrackr Mini makes some vast improvements over the original PhotoTrackr. For one thing the Mini has a built in USB so that it can recharge via the USB port in your computer so there is no need to bring any additional wires. You can also pop it into the USB car charger or a USB wall charger. It is very easy to keep this product powered. The other improvement is the size. The mini is smaller and lighter than the original. It is a perfect size to pop in your camera bag or in your shirt pocket. Portability is a great benefit of this product.

The software interface has also been improved and is much easier. There is MAC support as well. With the software each of your photo trips can be organized so that at any time you can look back over where you have been. Support for additional online services have been added. There is support now for Locr, Picasa, Flickr, SmugMug and AtlasPost. I’ve been using Picasa a lot because I went and bought tons of space on it. Also I discovered today that if I upload my photo from the PhotoTrackr software to Picasa and it is geotagged then I can then pass that photo directly to Panoramio which is a geotagging community by Google.

Here is what the Software interface looks like.

Across the top of the page are all the buttons you need in order to do everything. The software interface is very simple to use.

Geotag Wizard: This button walks you through step by step how to synchronize the PhotoTrackr Mini’s time and your Camera’s time. Then also download your trip record and geotag your images. This is a very easy way to do the simplest things with the trackr, it is easy.

Photo Management: This is basically the home button, this puts you back on the page where all the photos are. If you go to the trip records routine then you push the Photo Management button to go back to the home page of the software.

Trip Records: If you roll over this button you can go to routines to download trip records, view trip records, Waypoints Managment, Import trip info and export trip info. Sometimes you just want to take a look at the map of your trip. For me because I have the PhotoTrackr software from my previous versions and prior trips on other computers. I can take those old log files and import my old trips so they can all be in the same place.

User Management: You can track multiple users and trackrs with the same software. Suppose that you have a photography club and everyone in the club has the PhotoTrackr Mini and you want to import everyone’s trips you can manage these multiple users in one place.

Settings: With this tab you can determine which Photo Sharing Website you want to use as well as add in your Google Map API and which unit of measure you want as well as your language and your default hardware ports.

My Online Photo: This links out to the Photo Sharing Website that you decide to use in the settings folder.

About: With this button you can get to the help functions as well as GiSTEQ website. There is also a link to the upgrade site for the Pro version of the software (with the pro version you can use this software and device with RAW files.)

On the main page of the software you have your section where you can choose different trips as well as view the images and the map. The map is a Google Map and as you click on your photos you move right to that spot on the map. Here is an example of the map.

In the photo section of the software you can define the title and description of each photo before it is uploaded. You can also rotate images quickly and easily and view all of your images in a slideshow along with where that photo was taken.

On the sidebar you can choose form the different image groups as well as the Trip Records that you may have. You can name each set and each trip record as you choose so you can find them as quickly as you need them.

I use my PhotoTrackr Mini with Picasa and when I upload my images to Picasa as I click on each image I see a little map on the right hand side of the screen. You can click on View on Map and also View on Google Earth. Such very cool features.

The PhotoTrackr Mini is a great photo accessory. I love having one and because I love the product so very much I asked GiSTEQ if I could have 5 of them, one for me and 4 to give away to YOU. Yes I figure that my readers are interested in this product because my original PhotoTrackr review in 2007 is one of my most highly visited posts ever so I know people who are interested in Geotagging are coming here and if one of you really wants this product then this is the contest for you.

GIVEAWAY

MAIN RULE – Check out GiSTEQ.com and their geotagging products and tell me why in a comment you could use a GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Mini. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in header) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
1 Extra Entry – Follow @GiSTEQ on Twitter.
1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – “RT @BenSpark is giving away 4 @GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Minis. Check it out here http://bit.ly/aKUsrC“. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link a separate comment.
2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.
This giveaway will run through midnight on April 30, with winners being announced the morning of May 1. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

42 thoughts on “PhotoTrackr Mini Contest”

  1. I love the idea of this product, especially with the number of pictures that I take. I love the fact that it allows you to completely track where the pictures were taken and that it is compatible to all digital cameras! I also like the fact that when you are sharing photos the people that you are sharing with can actually see where you were and you do not have to rely on your own explanation!
    .-= Look at what Dad of Divas wrote blog ..Book Review – Sugarmilk: What One Dad Drinks When He Can’t Afford Vodka =-.

  6. Pingback: Tweets that mention PhotoTrackr Mini Contest | Blog Consultant, Photo-A-Day Photographer & Daddy Blogger - BenSpark.com -- Topsy.com

  8. Drew,
    I do alot of bush walking and running around the coutryside with a camera. I often get comments and queries about where I took my photos. it’d be great to phototag my shots and that gizmo just seems way too cool not to have!

    As a matter of fact, I’m off now, in the rain, to do a walk.

    cheers
    dale

  11. Nice unobtrusive product. I’d love to use it to remember newly discovered fishing/photography spots.

  12. Hi ben,

    I think this stuff is very good because it can be used not just for photos only, price is not too expensive if i track in here https://benspark.com/gisteq-phototrackr, mutipurpose and multi function, i would love to tweet “RT @BenSpark is giving away 4 @GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Minis. Check it out here http://bit.ly/aKUsrC“ but this link is invalid bit.ly/aKUsrC, ben. (nothing found bla…bla.. ) Please fix it and i’ll tweet it.
    .-= Look at what Anto wrote blog ..Your First Steps In Electronic Commerce. =-.

  13. I’d love to use a GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Mini because I love sharing photos, especially from when we can go on a cruise, etc. This feature would allow me to know exactly where were were and at what time! Now how cool is that? I love the idea and since I already love sharing with others, this is just icing on my cake.
    .-= Look at what Kim wrote blog ..My Awesome iPhone =-.

  17. This is a great contest! I’d like to enter!

    I’m OCD about geo-tagging my photos when I put them up on Flickr. Just go to my Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/trishalyn/ and you’ll see, they’re all geo-tagged. The GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Mini would be excellent for me to add to my bag, especially when traveling or when the sudden urge to take a picture happens and when I look at them later, I don’t remember where I took the photo!

    I already follow you on Twitter and subscribe via RSS. I just followed GiSTEQ on Twitter as well. I re-tweeted it as well @ http://twitter.com/TrishaLyn/status/12071439226. I’ll also post something on TrishaLyn.com shortly about the contest.
    .-= Look at what Trisha Lyn Fawver wrote blog ..Citrix Online Appoints Mediasmith as Media Agency for Digital and Print Advertising =-.

  18. Pingback: PhotoTrackr Mini Contest | Blog Consultant, Photo-A-Day Photographer & Daddy Blogger - BenSpark.com

  19. I could use a GiSTEQ Photo Tracker when scouting out new epic bike ride routes. Since I do not have a Garmin cycling computer, the Photo Tracker provides (at least) two excellent solutions: first, I could geotag pictures for various points of interest; second, the photo tracker software would also let me map my ride as well. Pretty cool for folks that love the outdoors.

  20. The GiSTEQ tracker would be cool then I could sort my photos by where I took them. Currently I have a huge amount of photos but no organization. I can’t even tell Banff from Jackson Hole unless I look at the date of check the status of my A’s hairline. He has way less hair in Jackson Hole.

    Put me down for one entry. That is all it takes to win right?
    .-= Look at what Andy wrote blog ..The Chicken Chase is coming =-.

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  22. The size of this is really nice! I already take my camera EVERYWHERE, and this would allow me to really know where “EVERYWHERE” really is! I currently geo-tag (usually) by locating directly on Google Earth — my old hand-held “geocaching” GPS certainly doesn’t last 17 hours nor as convenient to carry. We could really use this in our travels this summer!

  23. Email subscription submitted; since I don’t tweet, I guess I don’t get those three entries …

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  26. I like that the Phototrackr mini works with all digital cameras. When I travel, I take several digital cameras with me and I currently have the Geomet’r GNC-25 GPS and it only works my Nikon D-300. My Nikon D-60 and Minolta A2 cannot receive and add the GPS data to the photos I take with them.

    A small and more versatile camera GPS unit is a dream for me.

  27. I have been waiting for the technology to get to something like this. I tried to do this starting about 2-3 years ago but using a handheld Garmin Vista CX. The problems were legion ranging from battery life, portability/size, only being able to have one track log at a time, syncing up afterwards etc. This looks like even if it only addresses one of those issues (size) it would be a significant improvement.

  29. I would love to win this phototracker mini so that when I share my pictures with my family… and I have them all over the world, they will be able to see at a glance where I was when they were taken. What a wonderful way to track your trips for my scrapbooking too!
    .-= Look at what BrendaLea wrote blog ..ShoeMall’s Summer Sandal Giveaway =-.

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  35. Hey Drew,
    Thanks for considering me for the PhotoTrackr Lite.

    I could use a GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Mini for geo-tagging my photographs.

    Not only that, I need to log my workouts, and the GPX track file would be perfect for my health log.

    Thanks,

    Jim Moore

  36. Being a gadget guy, and an aspiring photographer, this would give me even more reason to get out and shoot! As others have said, it would also be useful for categorizing my photos, as well as being able to highlight locations that others might like to use.

  37. I am a teacher. I teacher 7th and 8th grade math. Every year, I take my 8th grade students to Washington D.C. This year we started a mapping project because my students are terrible with geography. I looked into the PhotoTrackr Mini because I thought if I geotagged my photos and then shared these maps with my students after the trip then they would have a better understanding of where they were. It would also allow me to share the photos easier with the parents and they could see the route the train took. So this is why I hope to win one for educational purposes.

    Kurt

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