Okay, yeah, you got your iPhone or Android phone, and it works pretty durn good from a GPS perspective.  Not only that, but there’s lots of apps out there that give you turn-by-turn instructions and whatever else you’re looking for when you’re navigating around, right?

Well, not so much if you’re up the side of a mountain, or tramping through wilderness somewhere.  That’s where a product like Magellan’s eXplorist family of outdoor GPS’s may come in handy.  They’re ruggedized, weatherized, and maybe even toddler proof.  And they’re introducing a new one at CES.  Here’s what Magellan has to say about it:

Magellan is excited to introduce the latest model in its eXplorist family of outdoor GPSs

Telenav has just launched Scout, an iPhone app which they are calling the “first daily personal navigator that seamlessly works across the web, smartphones, and in-car systems – offering users an easy and consistent experience no matter where they are. As Telenav explains,

Most people still start their searches from their home or office. In fact, according to the same Telenav survey, 75 percent of respondents prefer to use a personal computer over other options to begin their search for local businesses, and 65 percent turn to a personal computer rather than a mobile device to find navigation information.

To ensure Scout users have a rich online experience, Telenav is launching

Garmin, who seem to be going like gangbusters lately (including the addition of Navigon to their lineup last year) have released a preview of what they are showing at CES this week.  In their press release they are announcing some new and update products including:

- Garmin Smartphone Link is the first Android app that provides live services to a PND utilizing the smartphone’s data connection.

- The new nüvi® 3500 series: Garmin’s newest flagship personal navigation devices and the company’s first GPS navigators that combine the ultra-thin form factor with a large, 5-inch glass display.

- Garmin® Approach™ G6 GPS takes golf to a whole new level with

(image courtesy Cheezburger.com)

I’ve reviewed quite a few run-tracking apps for Gear Diary, and just about everyone of them has had some margin of error. Some of them have been minor, and others have just been mind-blowingly egregious. My personal favorite is when RunKeeper for Android told me a 1.5-mile run had been a 7 mile run. Apparently I broke several world records in my first month of running! All joking aside, it’s a common issue for people to comment that a race is short, or long, based on their Garmin or iPhone returning a different distance than the race was supposed to be.

Apparently the folks at the Hampton Half-Marathon were really… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

When we needed a new car last week one thing was clear- I wanted to lease one with all the technological bells and whistles I could find. After all, I’ve been whining and complaining about not having integrated Bluetooth and navigation in my car and my mechanic, and Elana, had been hearing a refrain of “Is it time yet?” for months. So I now have Bluetooth, navigation, destination assistance with real human beings on the other end of the call and impact/emergency detection. Had we not needed a new car however I would most likely have been putting one of OnStar’s FMV systems in my old car. I took a look at one last month… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Even though I rarely shop, I am an admitted Black Friday participant. I  usually have a playoff football game that Friday night but I almost always wake up early in the morning and head out. Why not hit a store or two, find a possible deal and watch people be crazy? The entertainment value alone is worth the loss of sleep. An area often overlooked on these big shopping days are deals in the iTunes App Store. Here’s a good one.

One of my favorite location based applications, Localscope will be on sale for half price from Black Friday until Cyber Monday. For more information on the app, read my initial review here

Just in time for the huge travel weekend that is Thanksgiving, Garmin has released an update for its StreetPilot Onboard iPhone navigation app. The new version of the app includes the ability to show real-time photos from traffic cameras. As the Garmin release explains,

This functionality can help holiday travelers get to their destination faster by giving them the ability to literally see traffic conditions ahead of time. The update also includes live weather information, the option to share points of interest via Facebook and SMS as well as other improvements.

The update is a free download to current app users. The photoLive Traffic Cameras feature is an in app purchase of $9.99.

And there… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Like many of you, I use my phone for everything! One area I have had mixed results is in GPS turn by turn navigation. The apps tend to be on the pricey side, and they just usually do not have the same feature set found in a stand alone unit. I love my Garmin Nuvi and use it often, but there are times it is not with me and I need another option. I have tried several app options on my iPhone, but have not been satisfied with the lack of features and the terrible sounding voices. Dynavix promises to bring plenty of features and extras and even better voices to the iPhone with… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: If you don’t want to give your loved one something tangible this year, why not give them a subscription to a service that will enhance their life? Here are a few suggestions for subscriptions services we love and use on a regular basis …

Tripit: Judie loves it and uses it all the time. Judie turned Dan on to it, and he’s now an evangelist for it as well. Tripit is a great way to monitor your travels, keep all in your information in one place, and, with a pro subscription, get real-time updates when your travel plans change. In fact, you may even know about a gate change before it’s announced at the airport! We find the service invaluable and especially love the new Pro feature that constantly scans your email for reservations and trip updates so you don’t even have to send the documents to the service.

TripIt Pro is just $49 a year.

 … Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not hella big on navigation software (and hardware).  I find that turn-by-turn, voice-activated stuff to simply be confusing, particularly when I’m driving around cities that I already know, but am just looking for a new address.  (Maybe I need something like Siri, where I can say, “Siri, what part of town is St. Michael’s High School in?”, and have Siri say, “St. Michael’s High School is over off of 360, near where it meets Bee Caves Road”, or something like that.)

But I’m in the minority–the turn-by-turn navigation world is hugely helpful to a ton of people, no question.  Sami was extremely upset when our Honda’s GPS was down… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I have to make a quick trip up to Boston to see a few people. I was hoping to take the train but the schedule just doesn’t work. The same was true for flights. As a result, I’ll be driving to Boston shortly and then, later tonight, making my way back home. The trip is long enough on its own without my taking any wrong turns so I want/need a good GPS program. I looked at all my options and decided to go with TeleNav’s offering.

The app now comes with voice-guidance and, thanks to competition in the GPS app market… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Yes, it is time to announce the winner of the You CAN Get There from Here, Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM Giveaway but before we do, here’s a reminder that we already have some great contests going.

There is the Gear Diary at 5 Giveaway: Trick Out Your iPhone 4

and the

Gear Diary at 5: Sena’s Got Your iPad 2 Covered Contest.

And now to announce the winner of the GPS…

The GPS is going to our reader… david marlowe

Congrats david marlowe. You have 24 hours to send us an email with contact information… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

We’ve got winners! Three awesome laptop bags, lightly used review samples, were up for grabs and today we are announcing who is getting them. But before we get to that here’s a bit of a reminder.

We’ve got two other contest currently running.

There’s the “Gear Diary at 5: You CAN Get There from Here, Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM Giveaway“. Check it out and enter here.

And then there is the “Gear Diary at 5: Win a Sceptre 24″ HDTV / DVD Combo AND

Okay, we’re going to keep this going. Right now we still have the Gear Diary at 5 Giveaway: It’s In the Bag contest for three awesome laptop bags running. It will end tomorrow, but there is still time to enter. You can find it here.

In addition, we’ve got the contest for giving away the Spectre TV/DVD combination that’s also running. You can enter the contest to win the TV/DVD player right here.

Let’s add yet another contest giveaway into the mix.

We’re giving away a Magellan RoadMate GPS!!!

It had become a running joke in the family.

“Dan, did you FourSquare here?”
“Dan, still one day away from being mayor?”
“Dan, when you can’t even become mayor of your own house what does that tell you?”
“Dan, you know the ‘no fly’ list? I think FourSquare has you on the ‘no mayor’ list.”

Yes, I was one day away from becoming the FourSquare mayor at well over a dozen venues. Despite this I had only actually become major once and then it was only for one day. And to add insult to injury THAT location was a tram stop in Vegas during CES 2010.

Yes, it seemed I was a FourSquare pariah.

Turns out… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...