Even the most basic digital camera stores the date and time a photo was taken. Now the Sony GPS-CS1 gives photographers a way to record where they took their snapshots as well. Unlike some other devices that help with geotagging, as the process is known, Sony’s device is independent of the camera and has a clip for hanging it on a backpack or belt loop.

When switched on, the device automatically saves the G.P.S. coordinates of the photographer’s wanderings for up to 14 hours. Back at a computer, software supplied with the unit matches up the G.P.S. data with downloaded photos by using their date and time data. A separate piece of software can then plot the location of a photo shoot using Google Maps.