Posts Tagged mobile gps
Magellan RoadMate 3065 Commuter Navigator for the Car
Smartphones with quality GPS apps are in everyone’s pockets these days, so why would a driver need a navigation-specific unit for the car? Honestly, I’m not exactly sure. On a recent trip to Oahu — where my husband and I had to navigate unfamiliar city streets and highways around Honolulu — we likely could have managed with only Google Earth on my husband’s Droid X. But it was helpful to have the Magellan RoadMate 3065 with its big touch screen (i.e. easier to see the map than on a phone screen). Plus, with the RoadMate could continue to navigate the roads while taking phone calls and looking up weather forecasts.
The Magellan RoadMate 3065 is actually designed for workerbees who drive a fair amount to an urban office. Since I work from home and my husband has 10-minute straight-shot drive to his office, the commuter features on this unit won’t help us. However, if you need to get the most current traffic information — any road closures or unusual volume — every morning before you head out the door, they can with the Traffic Wakeup service. Sometimes GPS information is delayed when transmitting to a navigation unit, so you can program the Magellan RoadMate to turn on 30 minutes before your daily commute to and from work, so current data is downloaded.
As I said, the screen on this unit is big — 4.7 inches versus standard 4.3 inches. Even for a non-techie type like me, I was able to figure out how to program addresses and initiate searches for local restaurants from the icon menus. Quickspell, where you start entering a city name, and only those keys that could be used to finished spelling the word, is handy for getting information quickly.
Still more nice features include Highway Lane Assist, where realistic highway signs pop up on the screen as you’re nearing an exit. the brighter one is the exit you want to take; arrows help lead the way (as do the aural directions; though we often turn those off, so we don’t have to listen to the computer-generated voice). Typical to most GPS units, this one lets you know how long it will take to get to your destination; I appreciate the ETA display in the corner of the screen.
One service we haven’t used yet is the built-in AAA Tour Book, where restaurants, hotels and attractions are given AAA ratings and descriptions to help you decide what to do, where to stay and where to eat in a new-to-you destination.
Directions suggest you mount the Magellan RoadMate on the windshield, to best receive GPS satellite information. But we couldn’t get the suction to stick below our rear-view mirror, nor on the dashboard at all. (I like my mother-in-law’s Garmin, which has a beanbag-type mount that rests on her dashboard.) We ended up just stashing the unit between the front seats of our rental car, or I held it in my hand. Not terribly convenient, but it worked.
The Magellan RoadMate 3065 retails for$219.99 on the Magellan online store, but I’d surf around for a better price: paying $149.99 on Amazon.com is a lot more palatable. Loaded maps on this unit are for the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico; download Europe maps for an additional $99.
Related post: Magellan eXplorist GC for Geoaching.
Posted by Kara in General Gear on June 2nd, 2011
Magellan eXplorist GC for Geocaching
As I kid, I used to love it when my mom set up “treasure hunts” for me: she’d give me a note that said “Go to the mailbox,” and from there, I’d find a note that said “Go to the refrigerator” then “Go to the washing machine,” ultimately leading me to a “treasure.” I’ve created these hunts for my kids, and sometimes they are more elaborate with puzzle clues (in rhyme!) for birthday parties.
So, it’s no wonder my family has fallen in love with geocaching, where GPS coordinates and digital maps, not handwritten notes, lead us to treasure. While anyone with a GPS unit — that is, a handheld device with Global Positioning Service — can geocache, I highly, highly recommend the Magellan eXplorist GC, which is solely dedicated to geocaching adventures.
Everything you ever wanted to know about geocaching can be found at Geocaching.com. But, in brief, geocachers all over the world have hidden boxes (Tupperware, ammo boxes or other weatherproof containers), recorded their GPS coordinates and listed the “hides” on the Geocaching.com website. Users who want to find caches in their area — or on their travels — can search for hidden caches via address, zip code, city or country, and then enter those coordinates into a GPS device to help lead them to the “treasure.” Caches are hidden in urban locations, as well as remote spots that require a hike.
Traditional caches have little trinkets in them — stickers, bouncy balls, seashells, etc. — and if you take a small item, you are expected to leave a small item. Some caches just have noebooks and pens (logbooks) in them. Some caches are teeny, tiny nano-caches, that are no bigger than a thimble, that only contained a small rolled-up log; these are BYOP (bring your own pen) caches, which are typically described as such on Geocaching.com.
I love the Magellan eXplorist GC because it’s built for beginners like me. When I browse Geocaching.com and I find a cache I’d like to seek, I simply click “Send to GPS” while my device is linked to my laptop via USB cord. All of the caches have names, usually punny or otherwise clever ones (geocachers are a funny bunch!), so I’ll search for its name, hit “Go” and my eXplorist will tell me how far I am from the cache.
The eXplorist comes pre-loaded with popular caches, but the closest pre-loaded one was in Utah (I live in Colorado). So, I had to download a bunch of local ones to test out. I’ve been downloading them from home one at a time before heading out to geocache, but I think I’ll download all the hundreds of geocaches in my valley (a 40-mile stretch) so that my family and I can “geocache on the fly” whenever we’re looking for a last-minute afternoon or weekend adventure.
Success! A cache in an ammo box about 10 miles from our home.
Again, the Magellan eXplorist GC helped make this geocaching novice grow utterly obsessed with the activity within a matter of two weeks. The maps on the handheld device are easy to read (and accurate), even in bright sunlight. It’s very clear when we’re moving correctly towards a cache, or away from it: the arrow turns green when we’re on course! The battery, time and satellite signal are clearly displayed; it uses two AA batteries that should work for 18 hours. With the touch of a couple buttons I can display on the map all nearby caches that are stored in the device. I like clicking “Found” (which is accompanied by a smiley face!) when we’ve had a successful day geocaching. The device is totally waterproof (though I wouldn’t intentionally submerge it in water).
There are dozens of features on my Magellan eXplorist GC that I haven’t even delved into yet, like it can deliver a trip summary — with amount of time it took to search and distance traveled — and I can see my “breadcrumbs” (where I’ve been) on the map screen. I like that I can create my own waypoints — which I did when devising my daughter’s recent birthday party geocaching adventure. Out in our yard, I hid little gifts for her and her guests, recording the location of each hidden item. For each location, I gave it one of the girl’s names, so every girl could find her own treasure. It was a big hit!
The Magellan eXplorist GC’s GPS coordinates have proven quite accurate in our limited caching experiences. Magellan says it can offer three- to five-meter accuracy, and I’d agree that we found our caches within four yards of “ground zero” – or where the GPS was telling us the cache was exactly located.
We’ll take our Magellan eXplorist on all future family vacations and weekend camping trips. I love the idea of this family activity that encourages exploration in the outdoors.
The Magellan eXplorist GC retails for $149.99 on the Magellan website. Check prices at REI and I’ve seen it discounted at Amazon.com.
Shopping around? Another great option for Geocaching GPS units is XGPS150 by Dual.
Posted by Kara in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family on May 17th, 2011
Angel in Disguise: GPS Angel Finds Red Light, Speed Cameras
First, in the interest of full disclosure, I hate red-light cameras.
Some cities put them up in the name of “safety” when they actually mean “give us the money.” Most of their dubious safety claims come from studies funded by the companies that make the cameras and also get a percentage of the fines.
So it’s with great pleasure that I’ve been testing the GPS Angel V4e, a small but effective road companion that uses GPS satellites to plot your location and warn of any red light or speed cameras in the area.
To answer your first question—yes, it’s legal. Some states ban radar detctors, but the GPS Angel doesn’t sniff out radar signals.
It uses a nationwide database of red light and speed cameras and compares it to your location. GPS Angel will flash and beep when you drive within one or two blocks of these cameras.
It’s very small, lightweight and simple to operate. The unit that houses the GPS receiver as well as the database looks like a miniature hockey puck—round, less than three inches in diamaeter and less than an inch high. It only weighs 1.6 ounces.
The receiver can be powered by a lighter plug, or purchased with a snap-on battery for cordless use. The rechargeable lithium battery will last 8-10 hours per charge. It mounts with an adhesive plastic pad that goes on your dashboard near the windshield.
The first time I turned on the test unit, it took less than two minutes for a satellite lock—performance which is just as good as most standalone GPS receivers. Warm starts take much less time.
Taking it out for a spin, GPS Angel found all five red-light cameras close to home. So then I took it to sunny Florida where it performed just as well.
I haven’t taken it to Washington, DC yet. But based on past trips there, it would probably never shut up while driving through urban DC. Those folks in our nation’s capital sure seem concerned about our “safety”—or is it our money.
GPS Angel also alerted on a Texas intersection where there is not a red light or speed camera, but instead has one of those sensor cameras that monitors traffic flow. Many of the commercial databases make that mistake, based on user reports. The company’s website has a form for reporting new cameras or editing cameras which are already on their map. I’m going to report this false alert and am sure they will correct it.
There are thousands of U.S. and Canadian camera locations in the database.
GPS Angel includes a couple of additional features. Pressing a button records a location which can be managed using free software downloadable from the company’s website. Another button records your current speed and the unit will beep if you exceed that speed.
The list price for GPS Angel, without the rechargeable battery, is $99.99. The battery adds $30 to the retail price. Amazon offers discounts on both the battery and non-battery units.
There are only a couple of things I’d suggest to improve GPS Angel. First, I’d like to see a different mount to make it easier to use the unit in different cars, including rent cars when traveling. I’d also like to see the warning beeps stop sooner after going past a red light or speed camera. Once beyond them and traveling away, there’s no more need for warnings.
Can you do the same things with a full GPS unit that also gives turn-by-turn directions? Yes, custom points of interest, including red light and speed cameras, can be added to many standalone GPS units. Most of the reliable databases, though, are not free and there are ongoing fees for subscriptions. For example, Garmin charges $25.99 for an annual subscription for cameras in the U.S. and Canada. But GPS Angel can be updated via the Internet and includes free, unlimited lifetime updates.
The sheer simplicity of GPS Angel is a big plus. If it helps you avoid even one ticket from a red light or speed camera, it’s worth the investment.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear on May 24th, 2010
Review: CoPilot Live GPS for Smartphones
If you’re still using your cell phone just to make calls, it’s time to say goodbye to the ’90s. And if you’re directionally-challenged like me—and your phone has a GPS—CoPilot Live mobile navigation from ALK Technologies can make your travels easier.
It works on the iPhone, Windows Mobile and Android phones as well as notebooks and netbooks. CoPilot Live will give turn-by-turn directions to just about any destination and also includes an extensive points-of-interest database to help find restaurants, landmarks, gas stations and more.
Using the new Version 8 on my HTC Tilt2 smartphone, I was impressed with the graphics and 3D driving view. The menus are fairly intuitive so there’s little need to break out the manual once the program is set up and running. It does almost everything a typical standalone GPS would do and even more than some. Text-to-speech, which allows CoPilot Live to speak street names instead of just saying “turn now,” is offered as a free upgrade.
Advanced features include adjustable speed-limit alerts, a lane-indicator display and a walking mode that includes foot paths.
The “Live” part of CoPilot goes beyond the points of interest that are stored in the phone memory or on an expansion card. Using the GPS, Live provides location-based services such as weather, traffic, fuel prices and will also show the location of friends who are using the program. It will search for nearby restaurants, hotels and more.
Driving around Texas, I did find an odd glitch with CoPilot Live. When I tried to select one particular street, it was not in the database so I could not set it as a destination. The odd part is when I drove there, the street name showed up on the map. But it still could not be selected as a destination.
CoPilot Live is one of several turn-by-turn solutions available for smartphones and other mobile devices.
Garmin Mobile offers competing solutions for smartphones. Garmin has some nice features, but I just don’t think the company is aggressively pushing the envelope with updates and development for smartphones. Garmin’s own phone, released on the Sprint network, hasn’t been a major hit.
ALK seems more aggressive in pushing the limit and releasing updates for its smartphone programs, which is a good sign for the future.
The downloadable version of CoPilot Live v8 for Windows Mobile is reasonably priced at $29.99, with an extra subscription charge for traffic and fuel-price info. The iPhone version is $19.99. The Android version is available through the Android Market.
A version of CoPilot Live is also in development for the Apple iPad tablet computer. But see my previous thoughts and the comments of our readers on whether the iPad is a useful device for travelers. In my opinion, it’s not.
CoPilot Live can turn many kinds of smartphones into full-featured GPS navigators. And just think of all the time that can save—no longer having to stop and ask for directions.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear on May 18th, 2010
Garmin Mobile: GPS for Smartphones
Much of my work involves flying to cities I’m not familiar with, renting a car and driving to several different places.
I depend on my Garmin Nuvi 650 to get where I need to go. But now my phone (AT&T Fuze) packs virtually the same features as the Nuvi using Garmin Mobile XT for Windows Mobile (a Blackberry version is also available.)
I’m amazed by what Garmin Mobile can do. Turn-by-turn routing with spoken directions is no problem, of course. But I’ve also used it standing at Dupont Square in Washington, DC to see what restaurants are nearby. It can guide you to millions of points of interest—gas stations, stores, airports, attractions, entertainment and much more.
Garmin Mobile XT can also use your cell phone’s data plan to tap into Google Local Search. Or you can download a photo from Panoramio and get directions to where it was taken.
Garmin Online, available at no additional charge when you buy the program, also uses the cell phone data channel to give you weather and traffic information, gas prices and flight status.
I see this is a better solution for smartphones than using the GPS services offered by the phone carriers. You can pay $10 a month for GPS from some carriers, while there are no recurring charges with Garmin.
Another important feature is Garmin Mobile already has the maps on the memory card, without the need to download them. Downloading the maps while driving can bog down the phone and make the mapping sluggish—not a problem with Garmin.
The program and maps come pre-loaded on a 2 gb micro SDHC card. Garmin Mobile XT with North America maps retails for $99.99 if your smartphone has a built-in GPS. Or Garmin also sells the program with an external GPS for $199.99 for Windows Mobile.
The Blackberry version is similarly priced at $99.99 for phones with a built-in GPS. But the Blackberry version with an external GPS is $149.99, cheaper than the Windows Mobile version with the external GPS.
I’m not ready to give up my Nuvi as a GPS for driving. Mounting and powering a phone for use in a car are still a bit awkward. But Garmin Mobile is a full-featured backup and handy when walking.
The ability to download data and incorporate it with the GPS features has intriguing possibilities—-things a standalone GPS would never be able to accomplish.
A new feature I’d really like to see Garmin incorporate would overlay weather-radar data on the street maps. When I’m getting battered in a thunderstorm, I want to see what the weather is like ahead.
The XM satellite versions of weather radar for GPS are just too expensive for casual use. But the information is readily available from the National Weather Service and could be downloaded over the data channel on a smartphone.
That just begins to touch on the possibilities. I’ll be looking for more innovation from Garmin Mobile in the future.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear on May 18th, 2009
