If you need something to find your way across the country, or get instant traffic report in the city so you could get out of the jam, Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS is the navigator for you.
With a 3.5 inch display, the navigator is equipped with a touch screen to make navigation a piece of cake. Dual integrated speakers were installed at the sides for high quality voice prompt. Other than that, you choose between a three-dimensional mapping perspective and 2D overhead view while navigating. This GPS comes with Garmin City Select NT Version 8 street data of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also has an optional real time traffic information capability.
All the GPS navigators now feature 2D or 3D maps to help users navigate. But what if you are really bad at maps to begin with? Sometimes even those good at maps find the GPS instructions a little hard to follow. Someone from TomTom must have realized this problem as it seems that a patent has been filed last December depicting a solution which shows a navigation system using camera input to help users visualize the turning on the road as the user sees it.
Currently users are only shown maps with lines indicating where the roads are. What the patent proposes is to have a built-in camera capture the roads ahead and using a smart image recognition system which is able to distinguish streets, intersections and turns, provide the course on the road shown from the camera input. I am sure many of you are sitting at the edge of your seats now anticipating the day TomTom announces this breakthrough.
What do you make of this device that looks like a smoke pipe and it actually plugs into a cigarette lighter? It has absolutely nothing to do with smoking but is actually a cigarette lighter port powered GPS receiver. This is the Holux GR-239 which is a Bluetooth-enabled GPS receiver that transmits GPS data to your other Bluetooth equipped devices. No, problem if you don’t have Bluetooth though, as it also allows the feeding of signal through USB as well.
It is another GPS device which runs on SiRF Star III chipset and is able to track up to 20 satellites at the same time. It also gives you the option of using the GPS antenna if needed. Before you go rush of to search for this device, the Holux GR-239 is only available in the U.K. at the moment. It is retailing for £60 which is slightly on the steep side.
The past few weeks or so have seen a heated discussion on whether Apple is going to have GPS on their iPhone or whether Apple has hit up a contract to supply Mercedes with their first onboard GPS navigators. Now Arik Hesseldahl, of Business Week has decided to give his two cents on this issue and perhaps making some interesting points.
This first fact which he pointed out was regarding the launch of the iPhone which runs a full OS X that has a possibility of being ported to various other devices. This indicates the possibility that the OS X in the iPhone is a stepping stone to bigger functions such as in the car. Secondly, he implies that only Apple is able to handle the complexity of a seamless and intuitive interface with the combination of climate control, audio control and general car feedback already put into place. There are quite a number of good points which he has made, but I guess we can only wait and see if he is right.
Seems Apple is doing their best to take over the market with its widening of products range. As it launches its iPhone, further report from German magazine “Focus”, indicates that rumors of their intention to dip their feet into the automobile GPS navigations system are true. According to the magazine, Apple will start its partnership with Mercedes by equipping their vehicles exclusively with Navigation Systems from their design-laboratories in 2009 with other car manufacturers following suit within a 6 month period.
So how many of you are scratching your heads wondering if this news is true just as rumors of the iPhone containing a GPS feature is being shot-down time and again. Some might wonder if putting GPS on the iPhone is a logical step in that direction. Perhaps we should just sit back and watch as 2009 is still sometime away and anything could happen. As of now, wait and see what the launch of the iPhone on June 29 will reveal about the iPhone.
Looks like people are putting so many things in their car these days that someone has decided to come up with a rearview mirror type mountable GPS navigation device in the form of Rexon Technology’s WP-888. So some might ask, “Where is the mirror in this?”. What with the GPS system running while one is trying to navigate the streets looking at the maps on the GPS screen. Perhaps rearview mirrors are over rated. But if you do really need one, especially if your reverse parking skills are lacking; a rear-view camera can be added.
Rear-view mirror’s aside, the WP-888 which is intended more as a GPS navigation device than a rear reflection device runs on a ARM 276MHz processor with a Windows CE 5.0 OS. The display unit is a digital TFT which measures 3.5” where maps for most portable navigation device from SD cards can be viewed. Control of the device is handled through a RF enabled remote touch panel.
For all those Ferrari enthusiasts out there, now you can own another piece of merchandise that can not only show you are their loyal fan but help you navigate perhaps to the Ferrari headquarters as well.
Acer, which is the official supplier of computing equipment to the Scuderia Ferrari racing team is planning to add another item to its Ferrari range of devices which is a PDA with GPS functionality. It has trademark candy-apple red trimmings and the Ferrari logo on the top left corner and offers a selection of wallpapers featuring Ferrari cars.
Not only that, it even has a collection of special sound effects such as the roaring engine of a Ferrari. Looks and sounds aside, this baby run on the Windows Mobile Software with memory storage in the form of an SD card and includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other than that the navigation software used is the ALK CoPilot version 6. It is slotted to hit the European shelves in the third quarter of 2007.
A new entry level GPS device has just been launched by Mio. It serves well since there is a large consumer market for affordable portable navigation system. The C220 is more or less an improved version of C250 which costs 170 pounds.
The new C220 is marketed at a competitive price tag of 129.99 pounds. This device will be looking at a market for the second GPS device for the family. The popularity of C250 makes them realize the blossoming market for low cost GPS products.
As with all GPS navigation products, it comes installed with maps and turn to turn voice navigation. The screen is a 3.5 inch touch screen LCD with anti glare. SiRFStar III GPS receiver is very common among GPS navigation systems and this device is no different. The sale of this device is expected to be good, judging from sales of its previous model.
Novatel Wireless Inc. just demonstrated an Internet Based GPS on a notebook running on QUALCOMM’s gpsONEXTRA Assistance technology. This technology is part of the gpsOne solution on selected Mobile Station Modem chipsets providing enhanced operation for Standalone GPS users.
HSDPA network users can now enjoy a fast GPS solution enabling all OEM notebooks to use Novatel GPS WorldService. Novatel’s sixth protocol is completed with QUALCOMM gpsONEXTRA Assistance. It completes the gap between standalone GPS and high speed carrier. It is the ideal solution to improve GPS performance for customers who needs the boost.
Things are looking brighter for GPS users with improved GPS speed with this new service. Now there will not be any more headaches while waiting to receive GPS data information via their network. If you would like to have more information about this service, you can just drop by http://www.novatelwireless.com for more information about it.
Mio C520 Digiwalker is one of the two products which Mio Technology previewed at CES Event this year. Mio C520 Digiwalker is the perfect companion who are conscious about fashion & style.
Mio C520 Digiwalker is the latest innovation from the Mio group with enhanced displays, bluetooth support, full screen map view/split-screen view. The elegance of Mio’s design in terms of usability, compatibility, style seems to be pretty much clear with the evolution of Mio C520 Digiwalker .
Other features include text-to-speech functionality, making most out of advances in wireless technology, option to see all the upcoming intersections or interest locations as specified by the user.
Mio C520 Digiwalker is priced at $ 399.95 in US.
