You can text the globe with DeLorme inReach

I'm baffled why DeLorme sent me a press release, dated today, for a product announced weeks ago -- and after business hours on the East Coast, when there presumably is no one left in the office to talk about it. Buy, hey, I'm from Maine, and so is DeLorme. That's good enough for a quickie post.

If you're an athlegeek -- climber, hiker, sailer, snowboarder, surfer or any other wayfarer -- inReach could be for you. DeLorme describes the Satellite and GPS device as a "personal communicator" that delivers "truly global two-way satellite text messaging." DeLorme partnered with Iridium for satellite capabilities, providing communications to the many places where there is no cellular coverage and where satellite telephony is too costly, or simply unnecessary. So when you reach the summit, pull that core sample from Antarctic ice or rescue that child from the earthquake's ruble, you can text mom and tell her -- or anyone else.

For people still questioning the utility of Android, inReach runs the operating system and can pair with Android smartphones (or DeLorme's Earthmate PN-60w GPS). And you thought iOS ruled the world of apps. DeLorme's Chip Noble comes off as being defensive about iOS in a blog post. "DeLorme has not taken an anti-Apple position, being a smaller company we've needed to focus our development efforts on a single platform for our initial release", he writes. Wow, is the Apple lobby of bloggers and fanboys that powerful?

Popular convention says that smaller developers embrace iOS, because of the hugely App Store. Yeah, but it's not like Apple will license iOS for third-party devices. Google's open-source operating system is a good choice for DeLorme, and so supporting Android handsets makes loads of sense. Say, Chris, be a Down Easter. I have to worry about offending everybody's aunt, uncle and pooch out here in California. You shouldn't have to.

Back to inReach features -- pairing with an Android phone "allows you to type up to 160 characters and send your message to friends and family using either email or SMS text message addresses", Noble explains in another blog post.

He continues: "Communicate important information, change your plans, or just check in to let everyone know that you are okay. Send your message to Twitter and Facebook or a shared map to let them watch your progress and send you a message." There are SOS and location capabilities, which also utilize DeLorme maps.

The handheld communicator is 4.78 inches wide (with antenna), 2.85 inches high and 1.73 inches deep -- and it's waterproof! The device is coming in October, which is way too long away. Hey, DeLorme, you best read my earlier-in-the-day post "The real reason Nokia can't beat Apple" for a primer on why it's bad to announce months before releasing a hot, new product.

Official price is $249.95, and a monthly subscription is required to use the full range of features. Noble says the plans start at $9.95 but isn't more specific about all their costs or range of features. But "all plans require a one year contract".

I had been wondering about DeLorme recently, so there's something psychic about the unexpected press release. I remember the Yarmouth, Maine, company from the 1990s for its mapping software and had wondered if it survived Google giving away valuable maps for free -- no CDs/DVDs required. Well, hell, not even the Google free economy can kill the Down East spirit. Where I'm from, Yarmouth is down south. My hometown is about 300 miles north of the coastal city.