Gear Diary » Navigation Devices

Telenav Launches Scout, Their Personal Navigator for the Web, Phone and Car

Judie Stanford — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:45:06 +0000

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

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Garmin’s CES News for Android Users, Golfers, Drivers and … You?

Christopher Gavula — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:17 +0000

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 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

New Car? It’s All About the Tech

Dan Cohen — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:30:38 +0000

I needed a car a few weeks ago. That opened the door to my getting some of the neat technology we have seen and reviewed here on the site built into the car. Here was the Gear Diary editors backroom chatter. Judie:

Question: What color? Answer: black Question: 2 or 4 door? Answer: 4 door

Carly:

Question: 2 or all-wheel drive? Answer: all-wheel-drive – between where I live and what I do it is a necessity. Question: hybrid or standard? Answer: Unfortunately standard because hybrid all-wheel drives are rare and the all-wheel-drive kills the gas benefit of the hybrid

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Find Your Way and Be Safer on the Road With OnStar FMV Review

Dan Cohen — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 23:00:16 +0000

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 ...

Oh the Times, They Are aChangin’

Dan Cohen — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:30:38 +0000

Here's just one small indicator of how much things have changed over the past few years. One of our cars died and is on its way to the junkyard. Prior to having it shipped off we cleared out the glove box. Buried deep inside with these relics of travels past. Me, "hmmm, New car has nav. I don't think we need these any longer." Elana, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's just put them in the recycling bin." It is a new world and one in which, like phone books, maps are really a thing of the past Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

GPS Review: Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM

Dan Cohen — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:00:08 +0000

Smartphones and tablets are "category killers" that have decimated numerous standalone products. As I have written previously, from one perspective the iPhone and the iPad are like "Rorschach devices". They are "blank slates" (pun totally intentional) that can take the form and function of a wide range of devices depending on whatever software they are currently running. That means that, with the right apps, they can double as a camera and do photo and video editing on the fly. The result has been the demise of the Flip camera and some serious "hurt" on the point-and-shoot camera market. (Once the iPhone 5 and its 8MP sensor is released watch out point-and-shoots!) Similarly, smartphones and Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Satellite Navigation GPS Review: Navigon 40 Plus

Mitchell Oke — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 21:00:02 +0000

The increasing reach of smartphones has called into question the usefulness of many dedicated devices, from music and video players, to compact cameras, and of course the ever-useful GPS. With GPS and turn-by-turn navigation almost standard equipment on Android devices, and the prevalence of iPhones, one could be forgiven for retiring their trusty nav and leaving their destination in the care of their phone. Realising this, several of the top navigation device companies have put their eggs in several baskets, with versions of their software and maps available for smartphones across the globe. A personal favourite of mine is Navigon’s iOS app. It’s clear, easy to use, has excellent mapping display and can harness Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Let’s Make a Deal: Telenav Survey Shows Our Smartphones Aren’t in Play

Dan Cohen — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:45:36 +0000

I hate being predictable. I hate being statistic. But Telenav's new survey basically suggests that I, and I suspect many of you, fall right in line with the data when it comes to out smartphone dependence (read: addiction). The question asked in the survey was, "How willing are you to give up… your smartphone, coffee, shoes etc.". For example,

54% of all respondents would be more willing to give up exercise for a week than their mobile phone. 55% of respondents would be more willing to give up caffeine for a week than their mobile phone, 63% would be more willing to give up chocolate 70% would be willing to forego

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iPhone Accessory Review: Magellan ToughCase for iPhone 3G/3GS and iPod Touch

Christopher Gavula — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 22:00:36 +0000

I'll admit it. I'm tough on my electronic devices - especially my phones. After a couple of years with me the cases are usually scuffed and marked. Amazingly, I've been lucky and not had major problems with screen scratches (even though I do NOT use screen protectors). I think my phones survive, however, because I always make sure I use some kind of protective case as a daily driver. When Magellan offered us the opportunity to review their ToughCase, it seemed right up my smartphone-abuse-laden alley. Not only did it offer a strong rigid case, but also GPS signal improvement, and an extended battery! So let's take a closer look...

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Review: Rightway 550 GPS Keeps You On Track Without Breaking Your Wallet

Francis Scardino — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:00:36 +0000

Image courtesy of Rightway

Portable GPS units are a dime a dozen these days; I think I even saw them for sale the last time I ran in to the local 7-11 for a slurpee. A few years ago I remember the GPS boom with the 3.5" TomTom's flying on the shelves on Black Friday and for Christmas, but I can tell you most of the time you get what you pay for. Some of the flagship units from Garmin, TomTom, and Magellan can easily cost you $500 or more on today's market. But if you're in the market for a new personal Nav device, and your cell phone navigator just isn't cutting it, then RightWay Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Navigon 6300 Sat Nav

Mitchell Oke — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:00:53 +0000

Navigon’s latest entry into the increasingly crowded sat-nav market looks to be a cracker with a 4.3” display, Bluetooth hands-free phone and a sleek design that makes it easy to hide away when not in use. In my two week test of the Navigon 6300, it really impressed!

Out of the box you get everything you need to get up and running in the car. A very secure windshield mount is fully adjustable to achieve the best viewing angle, no matter what car you are mounting it in, and the power adaptor has a sufficiently long cord should your lighter socket be in an awkward position.

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Rightway GPS Announces the RightWay 550 GPS Navigator, a Low Cost GPS with High Value Specs

Francis Scardino — Thu, 06 May 2010 10:30:08 +0000

Image courtesy of Rightway GPS

It's hard to find a vehicle now days that doesn't have a GPS mounted to the dash or windshield. Sometimes I wonder how we even made it anywhere before cheap consumer based GPS units stocked the shelves of Best Buy. Well RightWay GPS has announced a new addition to the family, the Rightway 550 Navigator. Rightway Navigation units are full featured NAV systems available at a much lower cost of their higher end competitors. The 550 is powered by CoPilot v8, and navigates using a SiRF Atlas IV GPS chipset. Windows CE 6.0 is stuffed under the hood along with 128MB of Ram, and a 4.3" widescreen. The RW Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Nokia Announces: Free Ovi Maps with Navigation

Joel McLaughlin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:44:58 +0000

Image from Mobilecrunch

I was reading through Techcrunch/Mobilecrunch this morning and came across Nokia's announcement first unveiled in the UK that Nokia is launching free Ovi Maps with Navigation. A US announcement is scheduled for later today according to Mobilecrunch. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Motorola’s future is BLURry, flashy phones and other good stuff at CES

Francis Scardino — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:40:07 +0000

Photo courtesy of Slashgear

Motorola brings a whole new lineup to CES with some new phones and accessories. Their biggest announcement comes to us as the Motorola Backflip with MOTOBLUR. This new Multimedia powerhouse brings all the latest features in an Android smartphone with the addition of the MOTOBLUR content delivery service. MOTOBLUR organizes all your favorite friends, feeds and messages and streams them to live widgets for immediate reply, so you can focus more on the information thats coming rather than who is sending it. It only takes a few simple clicks to update your status on your favorite social media site right from "happenings" widget on your homescreen. More after the break. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Sygic Mobile Maps North America Gets an Update

Christopher Gavula — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:18:21 +0000

Since its initial release, I've been suggesting that people watch the Mobile Maps products from Sygic. They had an interesting approach to navigation software and they seem very committed to making their products better. Now they've released Mobile Maps North America version 8.01 and refreshed the look and feel of parts of the app. Lets look at it it a little closer... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Quick Google News roundup

Amy Zunk — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:55:28 +0000

Its time once again for a Google news round up! All the Google news, condensed in one place!

There is a Google press event on January 5th. Supposedly, this will address all the questions surrounding the Nexus One phone and Google's Android strategy going into 2010.
Nexus One news: According to Engadget-- pricing is $179.99 subsidized from T-Mobile, $529.99 unsubsidized. Availability is said to be January 5th, same day as the press event.
Nexus One news: Terms of Service have been leaked. You can read them here.
Google is getting "caffienated". Codename Caffiene is a new way to index the Internet. Google has been testing

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Is GPS Becoming Information Overload?

Carly Z — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:00:05 +0000

Do you have a GPS in your car? I do, and sometimes it gets to be too much in traffic; between stop and go, lights, construction, and the sound of my GPS droning away, it can become a bit overwhelming. I've even been known to threaten to throw the yappy thing out the window a few times, when it all becomes too much. According to a Tech.view column in the Economist, it might not be me. Apparently we can only process so much information at once, and beyond that the brain simply cannot take it all in clearly. So as GPS gets more and more complicated, we may not be able to take full Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

TomTom Puts Snoop Dogg On Your GPS, Fo’ Shizzle!

Jason Reese — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:30:29 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Remember how cool it was when you first got your GPS unit? 3D graphics, voice-guided turn by turn directions, the list of features just went on and on. Then, the love affair just continued to dim bit by bit, day by day with that same inhuman voice droning out left and right turns. Then GPS manufacturer TomTom got the idea to incorporate downloadable celebrity voice "skins." Want Homer Simpson to give you directions to the local donut shop? No problem.

Sometimes, though, ol' Homer just isn't who you want helping you along those long road trips. Nope. Sometimes you want to take the drive a little more laid back. OK, a LOT more laid back. Sometimes you'd rather just have the wisdom

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Amber Alert GPS Keeps An Eye On Your Child’s Location

Wayne Schulz — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:45:54 +0000

Amber Alert GPS is a tiny matchbox sized GPS device used to track the movement of your child. According to the manufacturer you slip the GPS into your child's backpack (or other article that stays with them) and can then track their location for up to 24 hours. There's also several interesting features like speed, temperature and remote audio monitoring that are offered as well. For the last few weeks I've been putting this to the test and using it to track my kids. Here's what I found. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Garmin Nuvifone G60 – $99 on contract

Wayne Schulz — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:56 +0000

Amazon has this Garmin Nuvifone G60 available for $99 after the obligatory 2 year service agreement. The phone's primarily for Garmin lovers who prefer the interface of their beloved GPS device over competing smartphone's with similar (free) services. The 3.5-inch anti-glare, resistive touchscreen display is big enough to easily see your maps - and there's 65K colors and 272 x 480 WQVGA resolution. Given that some of the early Droid reviews have given meh reviews to the map feature maybe the Garmin will have a fighting chance competing against free. Garmin Nuvifone G60 via Gearsponsor Logicbuy Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iPhone As A GPS- The Good, The Bad and The Good Again

Dan Cohen — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:55:07 +0000

This is the tale of how I almost stopped using my iPhone as a GPS unit and how the right app and a better idea of how to use it changed my mind. Here is what happened. When the iPhone gained its GPS capabilities I was excited to use is for navigation. Using Google maps worked well enough but certainly was not a replacement for standalone unit. Then a host of new third-party GPS applications began to appear and I became more excited about using the iPhone as my only GPS unit. That didn't last very long. I was heading to a wedding I was officiating in New York when things went more than a bit array. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Garmin Nuvifone G60 for sale on AT&T site – $299 after contract and $100 MIR

Wayne Schulz — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:11:22 +0000

As promised the Garmin Nuvifone G60 is up for sale on the official AT&T site. After 2 year contract this device will set you back $399 less a $100 mail-in-rebate. Just think how happy you'll be to use the built-in Wi-Fi, 3.2 MP camera, voice-guided GPS and touchscreen. Fast forward a week and imagine how pissed you'll be as you realize that pretty much any modern phone on the market offers this (plus apps) for less. Caveat emptor - or at least have some dignity and wait for Amazon to change their "currently unavailable" status and post a reasonable price (like free) for this. It's worth noting that users of the Nuvifone will also be hit up for a $5.99 monthly added service fee so they can view traffic, access white pages info. More after the jump. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

AT&T Announces Garmin Nuvifone G60

LarryGreenberg — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:20:32 +0000

AT&T Wireless has announced, via a press release, the upcoming availability of the Garmin nuvifone G60. The device will be available for purchase starting October 4th and it will be exclusively for AT&T Wireless customers only. Back in April Wayne posted a video demo of the device in action. The nuvifone G60 combines a top notch GPS navigation system, with voice, data and mobile web. It'll come preloaded with maps and tons of points of interest for the North American market as well. The phone also features, 3G, Wifi, a touch screen Qwerty keyboard, 3 MP camera with auto focus, and more. The G60 will sell for $299 with a two Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Magellan Maestro 4040 4.3 inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS – $99

Wayne Schulz — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:10:48 +0000

Here's a deal on a brand new Magellan automotive GPS. For only $99 (normal price around $300) you'll get this 4.3 inch Magellan 4040 GPS navigation device. There's built-in AAA travel information including member roadside assistance details. Bluetooth capabilities allow you to link your compatible Bluetooth phone to make and receive hands-free phone calls as well as sync numbers and contact information. Traffic information is available as well as voice command (additional fees apply). Magellan 4040 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Technology Helping Us to Breathe Easier, In More Ways Than One

Spencer Rosengarten — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:19:40 +0000

Someday Soon, Inhalers Such As This One May Be "Smarter"

At one of my former jobs, my then-manager once told me that a cousin of his had suddenly died from an asthma attack. Saddened as I was for his loss, I became more concerned about my own wife, who suffers from asthma as well (the adult onset type, or as she likes to call it - "a parting gift from Philip Morris"). According to the Center for Disease Control, as of 2007 Asthma affected over 16 million people in the United States. And the number of cases is increasing. For years, scientists have been researching into the environmental factors that contribute to asthma. But to solve a problem, one must first understand a problem. To do that one needs to have data - LOTS and LOTS of data. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Telenav Shotgun is an all-in-one Internet connected GPS for business travelers

Wayne Schulz — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:51:05 +0000

The following is a review submitted by Nan Palmero - Chief Inspiration Officer at SalesBy5. Telenav, as most of you may know, is the software behind many of the branded GPS applications found on AT&T Navigator and Sprint Navigation. The Telenav Shotgun is their first entrance into the crowded stand alone GPS space. Fortunately, though, Telenav has a few tricks up their sleeve to differentiate their device from the sea of other GPS devices out there. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Nextar Z10 Microprojector

Joel McLaughlin — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:34:09 +0000

One thing that I saw come out of CES was this cool little Z10 projector from Nextar; it literally fits in the palm of your hand. This little projector is capable of 640x480 and is based on LCOS technology. LCOS, or Liquid Crystal on Silicon, is the technology being used in most micro projectors and the small modules being made to add to new cellphones. This allows you to have a very small and pocketable projector. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Garmin StreetPilot 7200 – integrates Howard Stern and big 7″ screen – $249 today only

Wayne Schulz — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:07:31 +0000

Today only you can pick up a refurbished Garmin StreetPilot 7200 which feature a big ass 7" screen (most GPS units from Garmin have 4.3"), integrated XM Radio (antenna and subscription required - extra), integrated XM weather, traffic (you guessed it - extra). Hit the next page for the specs. My recommendation - good deal if you don't mind a big old GPS screen in your face. Probably best for those driving big 18 wheelers or RVs with lots of dash space. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Nextar Introducing Z10 LCOS Projector at CES

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:15:12 +0000

This little guy will be announced by Nextar at CES later this week. Picture provided by Nextar The Nextar Z10 is a LCOS, or Liquid Crystal on Silicon, projector which fits in your pocket. Nextar also is also introducing a 20 inch screen to go along with it. The screen is only 640x480, but may be just the thing you need for a small presentation setup. It will work with your iPod, iPhone, PSP or a DVD player. It also has a slot for a microSD card and can play MP4 videos directly on the projector. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Nextar Folio portable digital photo album frees you from bulky photo books

Wayne Schulz — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:55:14 +0000

Nextar introduces their Folio wallet sized picture album which displays 320 x 240 JPEG images on a 3.5" LCD TFT screen. This is a nice gift for yourself or a relative to eliminate the need to carry bulky photo albums. Load the images to the device's internal 128 MB or 256 MB of storage or add SD, MMC or MS memory cards to further expand storage capacity. The device is powered by an internal rechargeable Lithium Ion batter and an AC recharger is included. Watch for this at Bed Bath and Beyond with a suggested list price of $69.99 for the 256 MB version and a slightly lower price for the 128 MB version. Nextar Continue reading on Gear Diary ...