In this era of high technology, of wireless information, GPS, satellites, multi-featured cell phones and user-friendly user interfaces, yes, I bought a compass 
And yes, it also has a thermometer (and if you wonder where in the world it’s 30 degrees in late November, answer is: an overheated room in Tokyo).
I can read a map but I do not own a GPS. And even if I did, it wouldn’t tell me towards which direction I should start walking when getting out of a metro station (unless I walk a little while, see where my new position is, and figure out the north from there). It just feels natural and comfortable to me, when I am in unknown places, to have a slight idea of my environment
Actually a good selection of GPSs now come with compass built right into them and will tell you which direction to start walking.
And if your underground in a metro station and cant get the sats the compass still works. I use the Garmin Etrex series GPS and I’m often in unknown locations with trees overhead that block the sat… the compas is still pointed in the right direction.
http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us/onthetrail/
Additionally several cell phones have GPS’s built into them including full mapping when they can find cellular or wifi data service to work from. I’m pretty sure the iPhone has that feature through google maps.
The Android G1 has a built in compass as well. I can’t say it’s the most impressive bit of kit, but it’s a start.
That’s the most amazing zipper-compass I’ve ever seen. It seems to have a rotating bezel…?!
Nice 3in1 tool !
)
Too bad there isn’t an usb-something with it. (And I don’t see how it is related to ubuntu/gnome, but nice blog and and very nice http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/ btw
@lhb Not very GNOME/Ubuntu related indeed, must have clicked the box by mistake
Removing.