About.com GPS

TomTom Adds GPS-equipped Car Kit for iPod Touch

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:31:17 +0000

Just a few short weeks ago, there were no GPS options for Apple's iPod Touch music-and-apps touchscreen device. Then Dual Electronics announced a GPS cradle for the Touch, and TomTom followed soon after with its new Car Kit for the Touch, shown here. The $99 Car Kit,�to be available soon in the U.S., has a built-in GPS chip, charging dock, built-in speaker, and audio jack. The Car Kit mounts your Touch on the dashboard or windshield while it runs the $99�TomTom for iPhone turn-by-turn navigation app, which is now iPod Touch-compatible. The Touch will make a good navigation device paired with TomTom's software,�since you�download all maps and a points-of-interest database with the app. The Touch lacks always-on�connectivity (when you're out of WiFi range, for example), limiting it to GPS apps that don't need a constant�Internet connection.�Image � TomTom

TomTom Adds GPS-equipped Car Kit for iPod Touch originally appeared on About.com GPS on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 22:31:17.

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TomTom XXL 530S Car GPS Makes Room for More with a 5-inch Touchscreen

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:56:03 +0000

Screen size is one of the advantages of a dedicated GPS device over smartphone navigation apps. TomTom plays the screen size card to the max with its new, two-model XXL line. I road test, rate and review the TomTom XXL 530S, which features a 5-inch (diagonal) touchscreen. Image � TomTom

TomTom XXL 530S Car GPS Makes Room for More with a 5-inch Touchscreen originally appeared on About.com GPS on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 17:56:03.

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Magellan Launches $79 RoadMate for iPhone Turn-by-turn Navigation

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:28:40 +0000

Magellan, the number three car GPS maker for the U.S. market, just jumped into the iPhone turn-by-turn navigation fray with its RoadMate 2010 North America for iPhone 3G and 3GS (intro price: $79.99). The new RoadMate features true text-to-speech directions, a customizable, one-touch favorites menu, lane assist, 3D landmarks, and in-app music control. RoadMate 2010 stores its NavTeq�maps and points-of-interest database�on the iPhone, so it is a 1.36 GB file. Check your available storage before you buy. Magellan will also be introducing a new car kit/windshield mount ($129) in December that includes a supplemental GPS chip, a speaker, and Bluetooth for hands-free calling. Image � Magellan

Magellan Launches $79 RoadMate for iPhone Turn-by-turn Navigation originally appeared on About.com GPS on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 19:28:40.

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Smartphone Turn-by-turn Navigation vs. Dedicated GPS: Five Factors to Help You Decide

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:45:12 +0000

Smartphone turn-by-turn�GPS navigation has quickly grown into a robust product category with lots of options for consumers. Should you invest in a smartphone navigation package, or go for a dedicated GPS device from a leading manufacturer, such as Garmin or TomTom? Here, we list the pros and cons for each technology, and provide you with five factors to help you decide.

Smartphone Turn-by-turn Navigation vs. Dedicated GPS: Five Factors to Help You Decide originally appeared on About.com GPS on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 17:45:12.

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First Test Drive: TomTom for iPhone Car Kit Windshield Mount

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:24:05 +0000

Since iPhone nav apps for turn-by-turn navigation first hit the market, I've contended that they're not of much use without a charging windshield mount. There are a number of mounts on the market, but TomTom promised to exceed them all with a dedicated mount including a built-in supplemental GPS chip, speaker, charger port,�audio line-out jack, and more. I've taken some test drives with the new TomTom Car Kit, and it delivers on the promise of superior performance. Read on for the test drive/review. Image � TomTom

First Test Drive: TomTom for iPhone Car Kit Windshield Mount originally appeared on About.com GPS on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 17:24:05.

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New GPS + Turn-by-turn Navigation Solutions for the Apple iPod Touch

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:03:30 +0000

I lamented the lack of built-in GPS with the introduction of the last two versions of Apple's iPod Touch, but understood Apple's reasoning. Many GPS apps won't work properly without the "always online" connectivity of an iPhone.

But that hasn't stopped user demand for iPod Touch GPS, and two companies recently announced GPS solutions for the Touch. The biggest news comes from a partnership of Florida-based gadget maker, Dual Electronics, and digital map maker Navteq. Dual's new, $179, XGSP300 GPS cradle for the Touch (to be available in "late November" 2009), pairs with a free NavAtlas app (not yet available in the App Store) to provide turn-by-turn directions, complete with text-to-speech, and on-board maps for the Touch. Also coming up from Dual is a car windshield mount and charging cable. This is an impressive package, and I like the fact that the GPS cradle doubles as a charge extender and speaker. Navteq will provide high-quality maps and directions, also. Check out Dual's XGSP300 site for more details and a video.

In another iPod Touch GPS announcement, PosiMotion has launched a new app called Navmii ($32.99, UK only so far, other maps "coming soon") that works with a G-Fi mobile GPS/router device. Image � Dual

New GPS + Turn-by-turn Navigation Solutions for the Apple iPod Touch originally appeared on About.com GPS on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 11:03:30.

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Navigon Adds 'Traffic Live' to iPhone Turn-by-turn App

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:00:52 +0000

Germany-based Navigon International pulled out of the North�American�GPS hardware market last year to focus on offering a "MobileNavigator" iPhone turn-by-turn navigation�app. The app, which sells for $89.99 (North America version) has been well-received, but lacked real-time traffic detection and avoidance. That's been corrected in the just-released version 1.3.0 with the introduction of Navigon Traffic Live. Real-time traffic is selling as a $24.99 in-app purchase (limited-time intro price: $19.99). There will be no monthly fee in addition to the initial cost for traffic. Traffic Live includes on-screen alerts, color-coded traffic flow, and alternate routes. It also crowdsources traffic by gathering speed data anonymously�from other Navigon users who have opted in. Image � Navigon

Navigon Adds 'Traffic Live' to iPhone Turn-by-turn App originally appeared on About.com GPS on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 01:00:52.

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Review: Dell Mini 10 Netbook with Built-in GPS

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:44:30 +0000

GPS capability is being added to�an increasing number of devices, but is still rare in laptop and netbook computers. Dell offers a built-in GPS chip option in its Mini 10 netbook computer with its $499 "Travel Mini" version. What does GPS bring to the table, and is it worth having? I tried out and traveled with a Mini 10 to find out. Image � Dell

Review: Dell Mini 10 Netbook with Built-in GPS originally appeared on About.com GPS on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 13:44:30.

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Garmin Quarterly Report Highlights Trends, Smartphone Competition

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:06:44 +0000

Conference calls for company quarterly reports are usually dull,�but this week, Garmin's call highlighted the state of the GPS market in these turbulent times, and shed some light on the company's approach to the emerging competitive threat from smartphones. Sales in the automotive and aviation segments decreased in the third quarter, but sales of fitness GPS devices, such as the Garmin Forerunner and Edge, increased 11 percent, a real bright spot for the company. Garmin representatives laid out their case for dedicated personal navigation devices over smartphones, and said there is no Garmin standalone smartphone app�in the works. Read on for more. Image � Garmin

Garmin Quarterly Report Highlights Trends, Smartphone Competition originally appeared on About.com GPS on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 01:06:44.

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New Garmin Aera 'Flying Nuvi' GPS Goes from Plane to Car

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:07:28 +0000

GPS has transformed private aviation, putting powerful navigation, airport, and safety information at the pilot's fingertips. Garmin makes the most popular portable aviation GPS models by far, and this week introduces a brand new series that looks much like the�well-known nuvi car line, but is fully loaded for aviation use as well. The aera series (models 500, 510, 550, 560) may be used in a plane, or for�auto travel.� Very handy for the pilot, and it cuts down on the amount of equipment needed for a plane-car trip. Pilots will want to get into the technical specs for these new models, which range in price from $875 to $2,199. Image � Garmin

New Garmin Aera 'Flying Nuvi' GPS Goes from Plane to Car originally appeared on About.com GPS on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 00:07:28.

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