NaviGadget

MOTONAV GC550

Aug 10, 2009 gps navigation, motorola 4 Comments

Motorola is about to add a new GPS navigation system to their limited Motonav series. It is called MOTONAV GC550 and it just made it through FCC.

As we suspected back in April the new GC550 will be 3G connected, as opposed to their older entry models TN20 and TN30.

Some of the features of the new GC550 will be:

• 3D maps
• voice commands
• Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calls
• microSD card slot
• Google local search
• weather, traffic, and flight updates

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(decent) gps navigation systems $200 or less

Jul 5, 2008 garmin, gps navigation, magellan, navigon, tomtom 7 Comments

Here we have a (possibly incomplete) list of GPS navigation system for $200 or less. We decided to stick with most common brands. Let us know if we’re missing any.

tomtom one 130 – $150
tomtom one 3rd edition – $148
tomtom one 130s – $199

garmin streetpilot c550 – $188
garmin streetpilot c530 – $180
garmin streetpilot c340 – $156
garmin streetpilot c330 – $127
garmin nuvi 250 – $189
garmin nuvi 200W – $198
garmin nuvi 200 – $161

magellan roadmate 1412 – $189
magellan roadmate 1200 – $139
magellan maestro 3100 – $104
magellan maestro 3200 – $101
magellan maestro 3250 – $186
magellan maestro 3100 – $144
magellan maestro 4000 – $155
magellan maestro 4200 – $188
magellan maestro 4210 – $181

navigon 2100 – $118
navigon 5100 – $199

mio moov 310 – $196
mio moov 300 – $180
mio moov 200 – $141

the ultimate nuvi comparison table

Jan 20, 2008 garmin, gps navigation 32 Comments

There are 25 26 31 32 different nuvi’s out there and it can be slightly confusing to pick one. So we put together THE ULTIMATE NUVI COMPARISON TABLE.

Here are some abbreviations we used to make everything fit:

• disp: display size
• batt: battery life
• T2S: text-to-speech for pronouncing street names
• NA: North America
• BT: bluetooth
• voice comm: voice commands for speech recognition
• rmt: remote controller
• FM: FM transmitter for using your car’s audio system

Let us know if you think we got something wrong.

UPDATE: (Jan 23) We had forgot about nuvi 200 which is now added to the bottom.

more black friday GPS deals – Best Buy

Nov 19, 2007 garmin, gps navigation, tomtom 3 Comments

Here are the black friday ads from Best Buy for GPS navigation systems. We’ve got three from Garmin and one from TomTom.

First one is Garmin Nuvi 200. You can pick one up for $170 on Black Friday. Currently nuvi 200 sells for $212 on Amazon. Nuvi 200 is an entry level device with the most basic features.

nüvi 200 comes preloaded with City Navigator NT map data for the continental U.S., Hawaii and Puerto Rico (no Alaska or Canada detail). Simply touch the color sunlight-readable screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. In addition, nüvi 200 accepts custom points of interest (POIs) such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.

Next one is Garmin Nuvi 660. Best Buy wants to sell these for $400 each. Amazon price for the 660 right now is $512. So it does sound like a good deal.

The marketing point of the new 660 is its 4.3″ wide screen giving you lots more screen space than the older 360. You also get hands free calling that integrate Bluetooth with a microphone and a speaker to let you make hands-free calls. You can dial the number with the nüvi’s touch screen keypad to make a call on a compatible Bluetooth phone. To answer calls, just tap nüvi’s screen and speak directly into its built in microphone. FM TMC traffic receiver comes standard on the nüvi 660 by which you can receive alerts about traffic jams and constructions. Nüvi 660 will detour you around the congested area. You may also find the wireless FM Audio Transmission to be useful through which you can transmit audio, voice prompts, MP3s and audio books.

Lately it is all about nuvi’s with Garmin but don’t forget about the older StreetPilot models. On Black Friday you can pick up the featured packed StreetPilot c550 for $330. But Amazon already sells the c550 for $330 though. No need to get up early in the morning for this one.

StreetPilot c550 comes with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including POI database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. In addition, the c550 accepts custom POIs, such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs. The c550 integrates Bluetooth with a built-in microphone and speaker, so you can pair it with your Bluetooth phone and talk hands-free. c550’s integrated traffic receiver notifies you of upcoming traffic delays too.

There is word out there that “LE” stands for “light edition”. BestBuy will offer TomTom ONE LE for only $120 on Black Friday. TomTom ONE LE is a bit tricky to compare but this article may help you understand its features better.

…similar to the ONE 2nd Edition, but without Bluetooth and an SD card. So it appears to be like the hardware of the ONE 3rd Edition, but with full NavCore 7 rather than just NavCore 7 Lite…

The bluetooth is only for traffic and weather. You can just directly go to Best Buy’s page for TomTom ONE LE for the specs.

Garmin C510 hack to add text-to-speech function

Mar 28, 2007 garmin, gps navigation, hacks 12 Comments

If you own one of these Garmin C510’s (or C530’s) you must have realized that it doesn’t speak street names (a.k.a “text-to-speech”) – but this is a standard feature on the C550 and C580. Well, this advanced Garmin user (Phillip Hornby) has posted full instructions on how to hack into the C510 – download the sound files from Garmin after deleting some unnecessary files, and do a permanent install so your changes stick.

Here is a quote for some encouragement:

So to continue our example, connect the C510 in its conventional Mass-Storage-Mode and copy the \Garmin\Voice\English_British_Emily.VPM file to \Garmin\Voice\000.NEW. Also copy \Garmin\Voice\English_British.sum to \Garmin\Voice\English_British_Emily.sum.
You need to end up with the following new files in the \Garmin\Voice directory :-
English_British_Emily.vpm This is your new TTS voice file.
000.NEW (they’re zeroes)This is a copy of the file listed above (eg English_Britsh Emily.vpm)
English_British_Emily.sum This is a copy of one of your original .SUM files

Go ahead and give it a try… Come on… via

VIB 10 (vehicle integration box) from Garmin

Jan 4, 2007 garmin, gps navigation Leave a comment

The VIB 10 is a vehicle integration box from Garmin that works with StreetPilot c550 and utilizes your car’s audio system for voice guidance, playing MP3’s, and taking phone calls.

The VIB 10 connects directly to the car’s audio and power systems and is hidden somewhere behind your dash.

It replaces the traffic receiver included with the StreetPilot c550 and does not support traffic services. Stereo playback is only possible through RCA connectors (not included), and use of an AUX function on the head unit.

The VIB 10 kit comes with all the connectors, and a ball mount adapter with a four-hole AMPS pattern for mounting flexibility. The VIB 10 is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2007 and should cost about $150.

StreetPilot c580 with MSN Direct

Jan 4, 2007 garmin, gps navigation Leave a comment

Garmin today also announced StreetPilot c580, an upgraded version of the c550, which incorporates real-time traffic reports, gas prices, weather conditions, and movie times from MSN Direct network.

StreetPilot c580 receive up-to-date traffic incident and flow information for major cities across the United States – time-saving information that drivers will find valuable even when they know how to find their destination. Once a motorist programs a destination into the device, MSN Direct traffic data helps select a route that avoids traffic accidents, road closures, and construction. If conditions change during the trip, the nüvi 680 and StreetPilot c580 will automatically alter the route to minimize trip time.

When you spend $800 on the StreetPilot c580 you’ll get 12 months of free MSN Direct service and after that you can pay $50/year or $130 for a lifetime subscription.

garmin zumo 550 pictorial review

Sep 15, 2006 garmin, gps navigation, on bikes, reviews 1 Comment

A first review of the new Garmin Zumo 550 is up today. It is more like a pictorial review with little text. Here is their first impression:

The zūmo 550 is less impressive than the nüvi 660 with its large bright screen and not being a biker myself I probably won’t be able to put it to much good use. Having said that, the zūmo has a nice “rubbery” feel, think waterproofing, that does recall the TomTom Rider a bit. Unlike TomTom who have the same powerful user interface across their line of GPS systems, Garmin tweak it depending on the planned use, simpliflied on the C550, a bit more advanced on the nüvi range. The zūmo feels closer to the nüvi with the presence of the satellite status screen, but I’m not sure the one-tap 2D/North Up map mode is here too.

via

try StreetPilot c550 for 10 bucks a day from Avis or Budget

Jul 18, 2006 bluetooth, garmin, gps navigation, misc news Leave a comment

Avis and Budget will begin offering Where2 – Garmin StreetPilot c550 – in 125 locations throughout the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Based on Garmin’s popular new StreetPilot c550, Where2 offers Avis and Budget customers an array of navigation features — like a simple user interface, real-time traffic alerts, Bluetooth hands-free calling capability, multiple language and gender voice guidance with spoken street names, 3-dimensional maps, a high-bright display, a high sensitivity GPS receiver, MP3 compatibility and much more. The unit is fully portable and can be used in any Avis or Budget vehicle.

To help ensure travelers make those important appointments on time, Where2 notifies drivers of upcoming traffic snarls, construction tie-ups, and weather delays (where available) and automatically suggests timesaving routes. Traffic information is provided by Clear Channel’s Total Traffic Network and is available in nearly 50 cities across the United States.

For added safety and convenience, Where2 also features Bluetooth wireless capability with an integrated microphone and dual speakers that allow users to place hands-free mobile phone calls when connected to a compatible Bluetooth phone. Customers may also retrieve and dial numbers from their phone’s personal contact list, from the handset’s call history log or from the Where2 navigator’s huge points of interest database.

Where2 is also programmed with all Avis and Budget locations as well as Avis and Budget reservation and roadside assistance contact information, airline contact information for 250 carriers worldwide, and a unique guide to nearby AM/FM radio stations.

Where2 will be available beginning in August. Pricing is $9.95 per day or $49.95 per week.

press release

Magellan RoadMate 860T review

Jul 4, 2006 gps navigation, magellan, software Leave a comment

With the introduction of the Magellan RoadMate 860T ($799 list), the new top-of-the-line model in the company’s 800 Series, Magellan joins its competition in offering live, integrated traffic data that can be used for automatic rerouting around congestion, traffic accidents, lane restrictions, and construction sites. But though it offers a significant upgrade over its predecessor, the 860T still has a ways to go before it can outshine the competition.

The 860T measures 6.3 by 2.2 by 1.4 inches and has a 3.5-inch (diagonal) touch screen. It shares many of the features of the RoadMate 760, but new features and a new key layout fix many of the 760’s problems. For example, the 860T includes a built-in rechargeable battery so it can be used away from the vehicle. In addition to a 2D track up and a 2D North up view, it also has a 3D “bird’s-eye” view—a commonplace feature in most GPSs, but one that’s missing in the 700 series.
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