Recently at the market there are four major types of GPS receivers - the Standalone GPS receivers, Bluetooth GPS receivers, CompactFlash GPS expansion cards and Combo devices. In this article we give you one very quick to read but good for novice or future becoming GPS users guide.

Standalone GPS receiver

Standalone GPS receivers come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit different budgets from the basic monochrome screen ones to full-colour handheld and car navigation systems. There are quite a number of manufacturers in the market, but the more well-known ones are Magellan and Garmin, and they produce a bewildering array of standalone receivers, even down to wristwatch-sized ones specifically meant to monitor activities like jogging and cycling. Some issues to consider when buying a standalone GPS receiver is how much built-in memory it has - normally 1MB to 4MB of internal memory is not a good idea if you’re planning to load a lot of maps into the receiver as most maps tend to take up about 2MB to 5MB. High-end models also feature barometric pressure sensors and even digital compasses to augment the information provided by the GPS unit. Most standalone GPS units are also built to be very tough and water resistant which makes them ideal for hiking and water activities like sailing. more…

Garmin nuvi 360 bluetooth portable GPS navigator and personal travel sssistant is a GPS navigator, personal translator, multi-media entertainer and tour guide all wrapped into one. In addition to all the advanced features of the Garmin nuvi 360 - including automatic routing, turn-by-turn voice directions, an MP3 player and audio book player, JPEG picture viewer, and much more - this pocket-sized personal travel assistant comes with hands-free Bluetooth wireless technology, making it the hands-down go-anywhere travel companion.

Make Hands-Free Calls
The nuvi 360 integrates wireless technology with a microphone and speaker that lets you make hands-free mobile phone calls using your compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone. In addition, you can easily look-up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or from your phone’s call history log.

Navigation and Entertainment with Ease
For starters, the nuvi 360 includes a high-sensitivity integrated GPS receiver that offers exceptional performance and reception. A built-in Travel Kit that includes sample MP3s and audio books will get you started with entertainment, and with the unit’s SD memory card expansion slot you can add optional software, such as language and travel guides. A USB port is also included for loading and updating data. The unit also features Garmin Lock - an advanced anti-theft feature that disables the unit from performing any functions until you type in a specific four-digit PIN or take the unit to a predetermined location. A built-in lithium ion battery will give you up to eight hours of power, and an included 12/24 volt adapter cable will let you run the navigator off your vehicle’s power. An AC battery charger is also included.

Garmin GPS navigation systems are one of the most reliable and dependable navigation devices today. The Garmin Foretrex 201 is the most sophisticated of the Garmin Handheld GPS units of it’s kind. It is very much different than its fore runner, as it is so lightweight, that it is much lighter than many watches. It only weights 2. 75 oz.

This GPS unit uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery, so you do not need to worry about the battery running down. It actually has a 15 hour battery life. The great thing about the Foretrex 201 is that it easily mounts on your wrist just like your wrist watch. Its size is 3.3 inch X 1.7 inch x 0.7 inch (8.4 x 4.3 x 1.8 cm). The black and white LCD screen is 1.4 inch x 0.92 inch (3.6 x 2.3cm), which uses 100 x 64 pixels screen resolution.

If you are in a party and the other party members have another Garmin Handheld GPS receivers, they can pinpoint your exact location. The screen shows a small dotted line, right to where you are. So they can all ways keep track of you. Plus if you were to get lost in your surrounding all you have to do is to use the TracBack feature that is always there and the screen will show you the way back to your beginning.

If you are in a competition of some kind, you can set the timer to count down. The screen has a large number display which is great for looking at any data with a quick glance. The waterproof Garmin Foretrex 201 is tough to beat, and a must have on any type of outing. However, it does not float. It has a high sensitivity receiver, so you should have no trouble at all picking up other party members.

It is programmable, ( up to 500 locations can be added) so you can input your favorite waypoints and other points of interest. It can not only connect to your computer, using a serial cable. It has a trip computer already built in. This trip computer allows you to input all the current fishing and hunting maps that are available online, and if you are farther away than the location on the map, other Garmin Handheld GPS systems will still pick up your location. You can also input the location of your camp and where your vehicle is parked.

Once you get the box that the Garmin Foretrex 201 comes in, do not throw the owner’s manual or the quick start guide away; they will be very helpful in the future. As far as Garmin Handheld GPS accessories are concerned such as holsters and clips, as well as adapters; you will have to purchase them separately.

With all the new gadgets that are manufactured for outdoor fun, The Garmin Foretrex 201 is definitely one that everyone should own.

Author: LaZinnia Manley

The advanced GPS device helps a lot to locate the places of visit for the travelers. The new high-tech TomTom ONE XLS is one of the innovative devices in the world of GPS systems. This text-to-speech device is available in a budget price, with a high-resolution wide screen and has a solid construct.

This factory-refurbished device, the TomTom ONE XLS, comes in a standard size with the width of 4.7 inches, depth of 3.4 inches, height of 1.1 inches, and weight of about 7.3 oz. This GPS system is recommended for use in an automotive mode. TomTom ONE XLS supports the advanced USB and Bluetooth Connectivity. Apart from that, the device has an automatic electronic compass and facilities for spoken navigation instructions. The built-in antenna helps the device to stay well connected. The other added features include preinstalled POIs, 2D / 3D map perspective, TomTom PLUS ready via Bluetooth Software, etc. The device includes extensive maps of USA, Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The display type of the device is anti-glare TFT - widescreen with a high resolution of 480 x 272 and diagonal Size of 4.3 inches. The device comes with a touch-screen and multiple color display. The consumer can set the language according to her/his choice, as a wide range of choices are available including Czech, Dutch, Danish, French, German, Polish, Catalan, English, Finnish, Flemish, Italian, Latvian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Estonian, Hungarian, Norwegian, Slovenian, Lithuanian, Portuguese, etc.

With a high level of navigating ease, TomTom ONE XLS has other add-on benefits like Back-On-Track, Quickest route, Avoid toll roads, Fast/short route, etc. The device comes with add on accessories such as the USB cable, Car power adapter and windshield holder, SD Memory Card, and so on. With a long-lasting internal Lithium ion battery, the device is quite handy, portable, and user-friendly. The run time of the battery is at most up to two hours. The operating temperature of the device is 14 °F to 131 °F. The device is easily available in the stores and can be easily ordered online even. Though the device could be better in terms of techniques, like automatic day-night mode and automatic on/off with car ignition, still the device is unique in many respects. The device also has a solid construct and is quite portable.

The unique characteristic of TomTom ONE XLS is the voice direction, which speaks the actual names of the streets as the directions provided while providing the instruction. Say, an ordinary GPS device may say “turn right, quarter miles”, but this device will say “turn right towards XYZ lane, quarter miles”, mentioning the name of the street. This helps the first time visitors to get detailed information of the place and thus helps in recognizing the place.

The device, therefore, is a boon for all those gadget-freak consumers who have a passion for traveling. With so many added features, the device is budget-friendly so that anybody who wants to own a high-tech GPS system can avail it without burning the pocket much.

by Arnold Lee

Ever since Apple announced that they’re cutting $200 from the iPhone’s price and lowering the iPhone 3G down to $199, people have been rumbling about how the increased AT&T data plan price negates any savings you get up front on the phone. Screams of “IT’S NOT ACTUALLY CHEAPER, APPLE IS FOOLING US” have us wondering about how much more you’re really paying over two years compared with the old iPhone or similarly featured 3G smartphones on AT&T and other providers. Here’s what we found.

Over two years, the iPhone 3G will cost $160 more than the original iPhone. This includes the unlimited data plan plus the additional $5 SMS plan you need to get to match the original’s 200 included messages. What the chart doesn’t indicate, in pure dollars, is how much 3G is worth.

Compared with a similar 3G phone on AT&T, the iPhone 3G costs exactly the same over two years as AT&T’s HTC Tilt (minus $100 for the increased initial phone price). Compared to Sprint, you’re coming out slightly behind by $20 because of Sprint’s included unlimited SMS/MMS, but unlimited 3G data still costs the same $30. Verizon’s data and texting plan is also on par with AT&T’s, and you get an extra 50 text messages.

So what can we conclude? Yes, the iPhone 3G will cost you $160 more than the original iPhone over two years. If you don’t need 3G at all (or GPS), you might not need to upgrade if you’ve got an old one. Otherwise, $160 is a small price to pay—for us at least—over the course of two years to drastically increase your email and browsing speeds.

source: gizmodo.com