Handy Tool Guide

Digital Trends have published a review of the TeleNav Shotgun internet-connected GPS navigation device. 'The Shotgun is a slim and portable device not unlike a smartphone, measuring 4.9L x 3.1W x 0.75H inches and weighing just .27 pounds. The 4.3-inch display (measured diagonally) has a sharp and clear resolution of 480x272 pixels, and it's a touch-screen with large, easy-to-find buttons. There's also a 3.5mm audio jack – for connecting the device to your car stereo, if you own a newer vehicle with an audio-in jack – and the system comes with a 12v charger and mounting bracket.'

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Trusted Reviews have published a review of the Navman S100 portable navigator. 'The S100 itself is probably the sleekest sat-nav design yet, again clearly with more than a small nod towards Apple. The body is made from brushed aluminium, and is thinner than you would expect for a device with a 4.3in widescreen. However, although the S100 itself is a design tour-de-force, Navman hasn't focused its renewed flair on other aspects of its functionality. The car adapter power connection still uses USB, and must be attached prior to slipping the S100 into its screen mount. The cradle feels flimsy, and it's fairly easy to miss the notches either side which secure the device in place. It's a shame Navman didn't round off the S100 with the kind of cradle found in top-end Garmin and now TomTom devices, where you can simply slip the sat-nav on its mount and head off.'

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PC Magazine have published a review of the Magellan Maestro 4350 GPS navigator. 'At first glance, the 4350 looks the same as the old 4250. It measures 3.27 by 4.88 by 0.70 inches (HWD) and weighs in at 7.2 ounces (205 grams). Magellan has, however, improved the mounting bracket, by adding a ball-and-socket mechanism that lets you easily adjust the device to the right viewing angle. But you still have to plug the power and the FM traffic antenna into the side of the unit itself, which means you need to connect and disconnect them every time you remove the device from your dashboard. It's inconvenient not having those connections made through the bracket.'

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The Register Hardware have published a review of the Zoombak GPS car and family locator. 'The locator is a small black box about the size of a largish matchbox. It’s made of hard plastic, water resistant and claimed to be able to operate at extremes of temperature. There’s really not much to the Zoombak, save a small rubber button for switching it on and off, and a rubber lug that hides the battery charging port. When the Zoombak is operating, a small green light flashes on and off at the front. The light turns to amber when the battery power is running low.'

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PC Magazine have published a review of the Navigon 2200T GPS navigator. 'In many ways, the 2200T is quite similar to the Navigon 2100 max we reviewed in August. The 2100 max was marred by poor route calculation times, and it was slow to display the turn-by-turn list view. Navigon has addressed both issues in the new 2200T. A route that took close to 80 seconds to calculate on the 2100 max was calculated by the 2200T in about 8 seconds—a massive improvement. Similarly, the corresponding list view display time was cut from 56 seconds to just over 5 seconds. The 2200T ranks right up with the fastest devices on the market. Text-to-speech voice quality was good, and running next to a Garmin nüvi on my road tests, it generated the same routes on my test routes as the nüvi.'

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CNET have published a review of the JVC KW-NX7000 GPS navigation receiver. 'The faceplate of the KW-NX7000 is dominated by a huge 7-inch motorized touch-panel display. Just below the screen is a row of buttons for power/attenuate, volume control, map, display, skip forward/back, and open. The motorized display is detachable, a feature that we don't usually see with these big screen, dual DIN systems. Hidden behind the screen, you'll find the single-CD slot and two SD card slots, one of which is blocked by a plastic cover and is home to the flash memory card containing the map data for the navigation system.'

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Trusted Reviews have published a review of the Navman S30 3D portable satellite navigator. 'Once your destination is chosen, the S30 3D’s true strengths shine through. The navigation interface is well designed and relatively intuitive. Details of your next turning are clearly displayed on the top left, whilst the top right provides a choice of five readouts, including distance to destination, time to destination, current speed, estimated arrival time and current time. The display will also switch automatically between day and night modes depending on the current time. However, the screen does feel a little cluttered, leaving little room for the central map area.'

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IT Reviews have published a review of the rugged GETAC PS535E GPS PDA. 'Exterior ports are deliberately kept to a minimum, featuring an SD/MMC slot, a headphone jack, power input, USB 2.0 and a concealed on/off switch. All the action, of course, happens via the 3.5-inch TFT-LCD touch screen display, which makes use of the company's proprietary Sunlight Readable Display technology to boost brightness in sunny conditions. The control pad beneath the display contains a rapid on/off button plus quick links to the Start Menu, Contacts and the GPS application. In the middle of the control pad is a navigation stick which we found quite stiff to use, so you'd do best most of the time to stick to the stylus. At the back of the unit are a handy car antenna connector and a speaker.'

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The Gadgeteer have published a review of the Mio DigiWalker C230 GPS portable navigator. 'Overall, the hardware is really very nice. The touch screen is quite responsive and doesn't smudge too easily. The unit feels sturdy. The battery lasts around four hours, and takes awhile to charge if it's powered up and running while charging. However, I imagine the battery life is similar for any GPS - having to maintain a constant satellite connection uses a lot of power, no matter what you do. I really like that it charges via USB (most brands of GPSes I've seen do), since it means that it can be hooked up to a computer without any special cables.'

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A review of the TomTom ONE 3rd Edition Car GPS Navigation System has been posted over at ThinkComputers.org. 'Before you can start using the TomTom One you need to install the software. Installation is pretty simple once you have installed the TomTom software there will probably be an update for the software itself. The newer version of the TomTom software is a lot better and easier to use than the older version that actually comes with the TomTom One.

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The Register Hardware have published a review of the TomTom GO 530 portable navigator. 'Bearing a close resemblance to the 520, the GO 530 is the entry-level unit in the new TomTom 30 range, which has now replaced the well regarded and popular 20 series. Retaining the trademark TomTom curved, slightly rubberised casing, excellent build quality and 4.3in screen, the GO 530 is a classic case of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The weight stays the same as the 520 as well at 223g.

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PC Magazine have published a review of the Garmin Oregon 400t touchscreen navigator. 'To test the 400t, I took the device on a geocaching (a high-tech treasure hunt) expedition. I created an account at www.geocaching.com and was surprised to discover the number of geocaches within a 5-mile radius of my home. I downloaded about a dozen sites to the 400t. The free membership with the Web site offers only a basic description and location of the geocache. A premium subscription allows you to download more detail, hints, and user log files into the device, eliminating the need to print out the details and take a separate piece of paper with you.

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Trusted Reviews have published a review of the Binatone Carrera C350 navigator. 'For starters it has a huge information bar running down the left hand side of the screen that cannot be removed. This features various status windows showing information such as speed, ETA and journey time and has a bulbous next-turning indicator at the top and a menu button at the bottom. It's a far from ideal use of space - giving a quarter of the screen over permanently to the info bar still seriously cramps the style of a small 320 x 240 pixel, 3.5in TFT such as the one on the C350. Moreover, the interface that lies behind this awkward screen layout is still a little unintuitive and confusing.'

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Trusted Reviews have publsihed a review of the Magellan Maestro 4245 GPS device. 'Amazingly, for a top-end satellite navigation device, the Maestro 4245 doesn't have seven digit postcode lookup. Instead, if you type in a postcode, it'll more often than not require you to enter a street name and house number too. And its navigation and voice instructions aren't particularly polished either. The device seems to randomly lose its GPS lock and then when it reconnects it often gets confused as to where you are and what direction you're travelling in. The screen doesn't update smoothly, so in-town navigation can be hit and miss.'

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Laptop Magazine have published a review of the Magellan RoadMate 1200 portable navigator. ‘The RoadMate offers an especially small POI database of only 1.3 million entries. Its limitations showed themselves frequently in our testing, such as when it couldn’t find a Target store that had been around for three years—or when it did find an Italian restaurant that’s been gone even longer. The POI and address interfaces have a helpful QuickSpell feature, though, which makes text input faster by autocompleting your entries or graying out unneeded keys on the screen. Other than POIs, a trip-planning feature lets you create a route with multiple stops and edit existing routes.’

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Digital Trends have published a review of the TomTom GO 920 T GPS system. ‘The unit features a widescreen 4.3-inch display that runs at a resolution of 480x272. It includes 4GB of internal memory, a rather large figure that’s required since it includes maps of the United States as well as Canada and Europe. Units also feature an SD slot so you can add more storage if you like. What’s more, systems additionally boast what TomTom calls Enhanced Position Technology to more accurately figure out your location when you go into tunnels or areas far from satellite towers.

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PC Magazine have published a review of the Merax Photo Finder GPS which keeps a log of everywhere you go; time, date and geographical information and embeds the information into the photos you take with your digital camera. ‘The Merax Photo Finder GPS measures 3.05 x 1.82 x 0.95 inches and weighs in at 2.5 ounces (70g). Unlike the ATP Photo Finder, which runs on AAA batteries, the Merax device is powered by an 1,100-mAH rechargeable lithium ion battery that provides 32 hours of tracking in continuous mode or up to 2,000 hours in standby mode. The 16-channel GPS receiver chipset is from Nemerix and has a rated sensitivity of -152 dBm (decibels below 1 milliwatt).

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A review of the HP - iPAQ 314 Travel Companion GPS device has been posted over at IT Reviews. ‘The device is attractively designed with a gunmetal finish and a slim and light build, and comes supplied with a car kit, AC charger and a leather carry case. When you start it up you'll be able to choose your entertainment; namely video, music or photo playback and a range of supplied games.

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PC Magazine have published a review of the ATP Photo Finder. 'Here's how the Photo Finder works: First, you set the time in your camera to UTC, or Coordinated Universal Time (formerly known as Greenwich Mean Time). Next, turn on the Photo Finder and let it acquire satellites—just as a typical GPS device would. The same rules of reception apply: You need a clear view of the sky in order to get an accurate signal. Once the Photo Finder is tracking enough satellites, its LCD will show the current time, latitude, and longitude. Then simply take the Photo Finder with you and make sure that it is tracking satellites as you shoot your photos.

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PC World have published a review of the Mio Moov-310 GPS Navigation System. ‘The Moov comes with only the basics, making for painless and straightforward setup. Along with the unit, you get an in-car charger, a car mount, a USB cable for connecting to a PC, an FM antenna for traffic information, and a software and documentation CD. Although it's inexpensive, the Moov doesn't look or feel cheap; it's much sleeker than similar-size GPS units such as the LG LN790. Its bright 4.3-inch-wide touch screen is easy to see while driving.

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CNET have published a review of the Eclipse AVN6620 DVD all-in-one in-car device which features a full array of entertainment options and a comprehensive navigation system. 'Squeezing the maximum possible real estate out of a double-DIN system, the AVN6620 features a 7-inch wide-screen, touch-screen display. Along the bottom of the screen, a number of simple backlit hard buttons provide easy access to most of the system's top-line feature menus, including dedicated buttons for navigation and AV menus, as well as a very useful generic Menu button, which gives drivers one-touch access to destination entry, media source, and system settings. One niggle we have with these hard buttons, however, is the relative obscurity of the volume controls, which can be difficult to locate while driving along with one eye on the road.'

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PC Magazine have published a review of the Mio Moov 200 Portable GPS navigation device. ‘Measuring 3.3 by 4.9 by 0.7 inches (HWD), the Moov 200 weighs in at 5 ounces. It's on a par with the thinnest devices on the market, such as the Magellan Maestro 4250 and HP iPAQ 310. In the package you get a standard suction-cup mount, a DC power-connector cable, an adhesive disk for dashboard mounting, a printed quick-start guide, and a USB cable. The included CD contains a user manual as well as the MioMore desktop application, which lets you install new maps as updates become available and add new voices onto the device.

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PC Magazine have published a review of the Dash Express portable navigation system. ‘The Dash Express measures a sizable 4.1 by 4.8 by 2.8 inches (HWD) and weighs in at a beefy 13.5 ounces. Despite having a built-in rechargeable battery for portable operation, it's clearly designed to take permanent residence on your dashboard. In fact, the included 3.3-inch suction cup is the largest I've seen bundled with a GPS, but it does create a solid mount. The bracket has a metal ball-and-socket mechanism, which lets you easily position the Dash Express for the best viewing angle. Power is supplied through the bracket, so you can remove the unit without having to unplug it. For vehicles with a steeply sloped windshield, a bracket extension is included. Also in the box: an AC adapter, a USB cable, a protective pouch, a quick start guide, and an installation guide.’

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PC Magazine have published a review of the Pharos Drive GPS 250 navigation system. ‘The GPS 250 comes equipped with a widescreen 4.3-inch, 480-by-272-pixel display and runs navigation software on top of Windows CE 4.2. The device, built around a 266-MHz Freescale MX21 processor, is equipped with 8MB of ROM and 64MB of SDRAM. Powered by a 1,200-mAh lithium-polymer battery that's good for about 5 to 7 hours of operation, the GPS 250 measures 3.3 by 4.8 by 1 inches (HWD) and weighs 7.4 ounces. At an inch thick, the 250 isn't exactly svelte; the thinnest units on the market, like the Garmin nüvi 760 and the Mio DigiWalker C520, are a full quarter inch thinner.’

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Computeractive have published a review of the compact Route 66 Mini satellite navigation. 'The new Mini attempts to combine both elements, combining a GPS satellite navigation unit with software that allows the user to download extras such as maps and travel guides from the Route 66 website, which can be installed on the device. It’s a nice idea, but the software side of things has a few problems. The device itself works perfectly well. Before using it for the first time it needs to be charged for a few hours, but it comes with an in-car charger as well as a USB cable for PC connection, so it can be charged in the car or indoors. Once that’s done you just turn it on and let it locate your position (preferably using it outdoors or in your car, as like most similar devices it can’t pick up locations very well if it is indoors).'

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A review of the Blaupunkt TravelPilot Lucca 3.5 satellite navigation device has been posted over at Trusted Reviews. 'Blaupunkt, more famous for its car stereos than navigation systems, has chosen this very route for its new TravelPilot Lucca 3.5 system; and it's the third product I've looked at for TrustedReviews over the past few months to use a very similar software front end. That's no bad thing. After all, the Panasonic Strada CN-GP50N employed the very same tactic to good effect this time last month. But you still have to put all the elements together, and Blaupunkt has made a bit of a pig's ear out of a silk purse with this one.

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CNET have published a review of the Magellan Maestro 4250 portable car GPS navigation system. 'At 3.2 inches high by 4.8 inches wide by 0.7 inch deep and 6.8 ounces, the Magellan Maestro 4250 is more compact and lighter than the Magellan Maestro 4040. While the difference in size isn't significant, we definitely noticed that the Maestro 4250 felt less clunky and the slimmer design makes it that much more portable and easier to slip into a bag during travels. We also like that the company throws in a soft carrying case to protect the screen and case.

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PC Magazine have published a review of the ViaMichelin X-970 GPS navigation device. ‘The X-970 uses the same ball-and-socket mounting bracket found on the X-930. Rather than a traditional lever to tighten the suction cup to the windshield, this mounting bracket has a knob that you twist to tighten. It's a bit more of a hassle than a lever, but once the bracket is in place, you're not likely to remove it. It has connections that pass power to the X-970 and enable you to leave the bracket connected to your power accessory jack.

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