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Novogo S700 GPS navigation review

May 11, 2007 gps navigation, reviews 2 Comments

Novogo S700 just got reviewed by PCMag and it only received 3 out of 5. If you read the review you’ll see the product seems to do what it promises, which makes us think that it lost those 2 points due to features it never claimed it had, that being the text-to-speech feature.

Once you familiarize yourself with the menu system, the S700 is simple to use. Unfortunately, this GPS does not support text-to-speech conversion, so it won’t announce street names for you. My test unit also lacked the optional TMC traffic receiver, so I was unable to test the traffic feature. And although I did have the more expensive S700BT Bluetooth model, it was unable to discover my LG VX9900 phone. Routes generated were very similar to those of other units that use TeleAtlas maps, though the specific routes created did vary based on how the Method routing preference slider was set. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to select a specific street to avoid in the turn-by-turn list view.

Novogo is not currently available in the U.S. but expect to see them at stores in the near future selling the S700’s for about $400.

Novogo reveals X series

Mar 20, 2007 gps navigation 7 Comments

At CeBIT in Germany last week, Taiwanese manufacturer Novogo presented a new range of personal navigation devices: X series. These devices will be in supplement to the S700 and S700BT models we featured on Navigadget late last year.

The Novogo X series have a 4.3″ screen, hands free bluetooth kit, RDS/TMC traffic information receiver integrated into the windshield mount kit. The navigation software is from iGO.

We have no information on date or availability just yet. We’ll keep you posted… via

Novogo S700 review

Nov 10, 2006 gps navigation, reviews Leave a comment

The first reviews about Novogo’s S series started surface and the first one is on Novogo S700 from PCW magazine of the UK. It sounds like the reviewers like the GPS navigation capabilities of the device but they don’t necessarily recommend it for there are other brands offering more functions (such MP3 player and bluetooth) for the same or a lower price.

You have full control over elevation, viewing angle, and a number of displays from birds-eye-view to a close-up mode to help negotiate tricky junctions. There’s also an effective smart zoom control that allows you to set a maximum and minimum zoom distances and overhead view configuration, so if you prefer a certain type of display you can set things up just how you like them.

There are no additional features such as an mp3 player or currency/unit converter with the S700, but as a pure GPS device it shouldn’t steer many people wrong. The main problem is that there aren’t really many reasons to recommend this unit over cheaper alternatives.

In case you wondering Novogo S700 costs £270 ($515) where as a Navman F20 costs about £168 ($320 ).

Novogo S700, S700BT, S900BT

Oct 31, 2006 gps navigation 3 Comments

We’ve had couple of posts about the new Novogo S series. Just recently Novogo made the S series official by putting the new models up on their website. They introduced three new models: S700, S700BT, and S900BT. They look exactly the same from the outiside measuring 115 x 81 x 34 mm and a weighing merely 240 grams. Also common on all three models is the 3.5″ anti-glare touch screen LCD, SiRF Star III GPS receiver, and the rechargeable 1800mAh Li-Ion battery.

The difference is models with BT at the end include bluetooth hands-free functionality. Also the 900BT comes with an RDS/TMC traffic receiver which is optional on the 700 and the 700BT.

All S series uses an Intel processor running at 400MHz and come with an SD card whose size depends on what kind of maps you are getting. For I/O you also get a mini-USB port which you can connect to your home computer with.

A neat feature on all the devices is based on the time and position given by the GPS device, NOVOGO S series can calculate when the sun rises and sets at your current location and changes the day and night colors automatically.

Also for certain regions the S series can provide speed limit warning which already includes the information regarding the speed restrictions of most roads. This feature is able to warn you if you exceed the current limit and save you from driving too fast and speeding tickets. You can also customize the parameters used by the speed warning.

Live pics of the new Novogo S Series

Jun 9, 2006 gps navigation Leave a comment

Aving was able to capture some images of the new Novogo S Series. Since the site is Korean and most auto-translators spit out things like “the blue thwu su Haen who leads cu phu li use you who are possible” we’re not even going to bother. But we did copy down the specs for you:

• 3.5″ color TFT LCD (320×240) with touch screen function
• 64 MB SDRAM memory
• Removable, rechargable Li-ion battery
• Support for SD memory card
• Built in the newest SiRF Star III 20 Channel GPS Receiver, external 2nd antenna via MMCX connector
• Built in loud speaker, microphone
• Universal AC adapter and cigarette lighter charger
• Mini USB cable to connect with PC
• (Optional) Built in FREE real time TMC (Traffic Message Channel)
• Hands free calling via Bluetooth connection with mobile phone

more pics when you continue
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new Novogo’s to include SiRF III chip, bluetooth, and TMC support

May 29, 2006 bluetooth, gps navigation Leave a comment

The Taiwanese company Novogo revealed some information on the next PND to come from the mark which will be in a few days officially presented at the time of the living room Computex 2006 of Taipei.

Thus in the category of the new PND of Novogo, the company announces to update its range of PND already available on the market with in particular the series T of Novogo, PND allowing to use in option or standard an adapter TMC (information traffic via RDS-FM), which will have from now on a chip GPS SiRFStar III.

Novogo also announces the arrival of a new range of PND of the series S, with a form Factor rounded, a luminous screen and finally a Bluetooth connector industry which will make it possible to use the apparatus of pocket like a simple kit free hands.

Lastly, the Taiwanese company Novogo also announced the arrival of a new PND which has the characteristic to integrate a Tuner TV (DMB-T) in more than one screen of a size of 4 inches, making it possible to sail by GPS or to view tele programs into direct and broadcast with through all Europe.

This PND of series X of Novogo will be revealed officially in the next days at the time of the living room Computex 2006 of Taipei.

auto-translated from French

group test of ten not-so-expensive GPS systems

Apr 11, 2006 gps navigation, reviews Leave a comment

A nice 5 page article from pcw.co.uk comparing 10 GPS systems that will cost you £300 or less.

To summarize Garmin Street Pilot i3 gets the first place, Novogo A30 second, and Tom Tom One gets the third place. Get the summary chart here. (pdf)

One of the most popular options for satellite navigation is the all-in-one solution that you can just plug in and stick on your car’s dashboard, without worrying about linking to the computer or performing a tricky installation.

Devices like these have been around for a while, but were quite expensive; the development of pocket computers has helped commoditise the hardware, while companies like Tom Tom, with its Go range, provided attractive and simple solutions that outshone some of the old-fashioned offerings from traditional GPS manufacturers.

But just how good are these newer devices? We’ve looked at 10 models, ranging in price from around £180 to £300 – our brief was that they cost less than £300, include at least UK street-level navigation and come ready to use, complete with car mounting kits.

There are remarkable similarities between some of them, while others stand out in various ways.

As well as test driving all the units, we’ll explain what you should look for from a GPS device and provide lots of practical hints and tips to help you make the most of the system.

We’ll also help you decide which of the products really is the best one for the kind of driving that you do.

In-car GPS navigation may be one of the top gadgets of the moment, but why would you need it and what exactly can it do for you?

GPS relies on a constellation of satellites operated by the US, constantly transmitting data. A GPS receiver picks up the signals from these and, with the aid of some clever mathematics, is able to work out its own position on the planet.

Add a little intelligence, and it can work out which direction it’s moving in and how fast as, contrary to popular myth, GPS doesn’t track you. It simply allows a receiver to know where it is and the receiver can do what it wants with the information…

Novogo V30 GPS Navigation reviewed

Apr 7, 2006 gps navigation, reviews Leave a comment

UK’s PCW very recently reviewed the latest navigation system from Novogo and gave it only 3 stars out of 5. The only negatives they mention is the not so useful new buttons, poor voice prompt performance, and somewhat reflective screen. I give the V30 an extra star just for the cool green paint.

The V30 GPS from Novogo looks similar to its popular A30 alternative, but features more buttons, including a four-way navigation control, swappable fascias for the style conscious, and voice control.

The package we tested included UK mapping, a car mount, car and mains chargers and a soft case to protect the unit in your bag or glove box.

The software on the system is the same Navigon software as the A30 and has a brightly coloured skin, with good colourful icons. The spoken directions are loud and clear, which helps when driving on motorways.

The main difference between the A30 and this model is the extra keys and the voice commands.

The extra keys, frankly, aren’t that useful. Large Escape and Enter buttons are found in addition to the navigation control, but they didn’t always do what we expected, so you still end up having to tap on the screen, which is frustrating.

We also felt that the screen coating was far too reflective, making it harder to see at times – a removable screen protector could fix this, but shouldn’t really be necessary in our view.

As it stands, you’ll need to site the unit carefully to avoid glare.

Voice command is one of the main features touted for this model. However, it’s actually just a simple tool to add a voice tag to destinations you’ve saved; you can then press the menu button, tap Voice Command and say the destination.

via

Novogo presents the S series

Mar 31, 2006 gps navigation Leave a comment

Novogo is a brand that has recently received quite a bit of press attention because of their Novogo V series that was originally presented at the 2006 CES. At the beginning of March Novogo presented a new line of products at the 2006 CeBIT, the Novogo S series. This new line of products will be powered by an Intel PXA255 processor (400 Mhz) and will have a 3,5 inch touchscreen with a resolution of 240×320 pixels. The models of the S series will have the voice activation feature previously seen at the V series. The GPS chipset used will be the SiRFstar III with an integrated antenna and the maps will be provided by Navteq. The Novogo S series will come in four different flavors the Novogo S30, S50, S70 and S90.

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