Hi Ian!
I've spent some time recently thinking about this, and have come up with a different angle you may wish to consider; it is one I am testing now, and combines GPS data logging with photography in one device and is not subscription-dependent.
Sony make a couple cameras (DSC-HX20 and HX-30; the latter adds wi-fi offloads) that offer GPS data logging. Their power requirements are amazingly small (320 shots CPM, but as many as 600 in practical use according to forum reports), and the GPS logs can be recorded for up to 24 hours at a time. The cameras recharge the batteries in-place via a small USB port, so would be ideal for recharging from a dynohub/charger combo. The video capabilities of this small travel zoom are fantastic with a 20x optical zoom and AVCHD format to keep video file sizes low. The still-photo capability is less good, with marked smearing as a signature of Sony's internal digital processing and noise control, but certainly fine for web-posting and non-cropped 8x10 or smaller prints unless you're a "pixel peeper" who enjoys looking at the results with 100% magnification. It is not a digital SLR and is not meant to be.
One benefit of the camera for cycle-tourists who also plan to blog is the ability to take full-resolution stills while filming video, the multi-level built-in HDR function, and the "sweep panorama" mode, where all one has to do is hold the shutter release while panning. Normally, I prefer to do my post-processing at home, but if one intends to upload photos and videos along the way, it is extremely convenient to have more of these functions available in-camera. As a practical matter, it is easier to upload a camera-finished pano or HDR rather than spending time on a take-along computer while trying to eat dinner at a McDonald's or amidst the noise and bustle of an Internet cafe. Or worse, waiting till one returns home to try and edit and update a blog or website that s no longer current.
The Sony desktop software displays the data logs/cumulative tracks directly on a map, or it can be exported to various apps that can handle the data, like GoogleMaps' GoogleEarth's KML format or Garmin's MapSource/BaseCamp mapping/tracking duo. The resulting overlay can then be easily screenshot and ported to a website or inserted as a video still as desired.
With more and more travel-zoom digicams offering GPS tagging, that can be a great way to follow a track. The Panasonic Lumix TX-30 as Pete (Il Padrone) has falls in this category, but doesn't do the continuous logging in the same way as Sony's latest offering. One can still map the shots and get a good indication of one's journey-on-map in that way and the points can strung together for a similar effect.
I'm not shy about taking different approaches to these problems and I'm careful with money (leaves more available for actual touring), Ian, so keep that in mind when you read the above and what follows...
I just got a killer deal (USD$228) on a small netbook (HP Mini 1104) that is remarkably capable, thanks to its 2GB of memory and 320GB hard drive with freefall head-parking, and have loaded my mapping software and some light photo-editing software on it, along with a lightweight word-processor. I've converted, slimmed, and portablized all my apps, so none install to the registry to keep it lean and mean, and I have real-time process-taming to ensure it stays capable. I've set it up with my usual virtualization software in Windows7 Pro and separate staged data partitions so a simple restart clears the entire C: drive and any malware that has downloaded to it past my security measures. It dual boots into one of my custom Linux distros, where it *really* flies. Even plays true HD video and no problems with Flash content. Movies can be pre-ripped to .ISO files that are mounted on virtual DVD drives I've made or played direct as DIVx files; nice for the odd bit of entertainment if I'm stuck at a motel with the usual bad TV. I've wrung out the battery and found I can expect a realistic 9.5 hours' use so this will be my journaling tool while touring (beats a tablet for my on-road content-creation -- no apps to buy, the 10.1" non-glare screen protects itself when folded, and there's a 93% full-size built-in keyboard; the lot weighs less than a tablet modded to those specs and is much smaller overall). It has an outstanding 802.11 a/b/g wifi with Bluetooth 3.0+HS combo for cloud storage uploads when local wi-fi can be acquired. Comes with a webcam and built-in mick and jacks for headphines and mic and Skypes very nicely.
Throw in a spare battery and I have about 18 hours' use before a recharge is needed -- plenty of use for 45-minute evening camp-journal write-ups and photo downloads before going to sleep. The occasional motel every couple weeks should do for recharging the netbook, and I am working on a hack to tap the spare battery for USB recharging of my other goodies (though the bike and/or trailer charging systems will keep me independent of the grid/mains for all my other gadget charging).
It is a cheap, practical solution that would not mean the end of the word if something happened to it. At 1/3 the cost of the "big" iPad with 5x more storage, a card reader and direct USB porting, direct FTP up/downloads, no app cost, Flash capability and built-in keyboard, I can overlook the lack of Apple's outstanding Retina display, larger screen, and touch-screen interface. I can add a USB-powered DVD writer for 180g/USD$20 more, and store a DVD-RW in it to offload and mail home photos or video as a secure means for backup.
Combine that with the Sony HX-20, and you have a pretty complete solution for not too much money. I'm testing now, and we'll see how it goes in practice. Sometimes, manufacturers over-promise and under-deliver so the results should be interesting. Anyway, it's a thought and a different approach. I'm working on more.
All the best,
Dan.
[UPDATE: The Sony camera looks very capable, but my early tests show it is not a great camera if one likes to crop-and-enlarge, as I frequently do. Anything above 8x10in equivalent enlargements shows clear evidence of Sony's processing algorithms and lot of pixel-smearing (watercolor-look to any and all fine detail). Tomorrow will see daylight tests at more reasonable ISOs, but at present, the results are disappointing for my use, even given its travel-zoom market niche and small image sensor, as one would expect. Stay tuned for more as I wring it out. -- Dan.]
