Insta GPS

GolfBuddy is another Golf GPS system, which also boasts of improving your Golf game. While, I looked at the dimensions that is 5.3cm X 8.2cm X 2.6cm, with the weight just 85gr (without the batteries), I got to realize that GolfBuddy Designers have undoubtedly concentrated on the portability, which really too limits the screen actual estate. Thus the unit boasts of sporting a 128X64 pixel / Mono LCD which, as a matter of fact, from the pictures looks to be more than enough. Similar to the majority of GPS Golf aids, the new GolfBuddy is touted to calculate for the golfers the distances to the front, back and center of the Green plus yardage to custom points comprising hazards, bunkers as well as lay-up points.

Apart from all that the unit sports an 8 channel GPS receiver that as maintained by the maker claims to offer an accurateness of 1~3 Yard 90 per cent of the time. GolfBuddy is also capable of holding info for up to 60 golf courses that can be transferred by you to the device from your computer by making use of a serial cable. And if you want to download the course data, you will have to visit to the company’s site only if you one of the yearly subscriptions have been bought by you, and the price rage starts from $24.95/yr to $54.95/yr. The unit at present can be availed in the USA from GolfBuddy’s site paying $274.99. Besides the unit inside the box you will be provided with a belt clip a data cable and the manual.

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Debuting in the GPS market, IO Gear, the leading peripheral manufacturer, has announced to come up with its latest GBGPS201, a kit, which is touted to be integrated with a bluetooth GPS receiver and navigation software, plus additional accessories like chargers and carrying case. The company maintains that the built-in map data covers the U.S. and Canada, with comprehensive street names. In addition the navigation software boasts of supplying directions in text, graphic and voice. The MSRP for the kit is $300, however the IOGear GPS kit can be picked up from Amazon for just $125. A good deal indeed!

IOGear GPS kit also makes available for trip recording & playback. Further sports are comprised with speed detection, trip time estimation, and trip demonstration. It is not included with the mAh capability of the battery, but it is claimed to last upto 25 hours. The company has also not provided info about whose maps is to be used or what type of GPS chip the kit is built-in with. So, ahead of making purchase of IOGear Bluetooth GPS kit, ensure to go through the reviews on Amazon.

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AvMap and Quantum Company collaboratively showcased a specialized handheld multimedia player known as the QTM 1000 VOR, at the 3GSM World Conference in Barcelona, recently. The QTM 1000 is a mobile device with TV receiver, which is touted to give support to DVB-H as well a GPS receiver.

The multi-functional QTM 1000 VOR is claimed to deal with 6-8 TV channels worth of bandwidth, alongside enabling you to watch one channel whilst recording a new one. The QTM 1000 also boasts of making it possible to watch images or listen in to MP3 files that can be brought on SD memory cards by you.

Check below some more specs and sports of QTM 1000 VOR:

(1) TFT screen measures 4.3 inches (10.9 cm) supports 16M colors and 25 images per seconds
(2) Maps of Italy provided by TeleAtlas
(3) Integrated SiRF III GPS Receiver
(4) SD expansion port
(5) USIM/UICC reader

QTM 1000 VOR is likely to be availed in Italy in April 2007 for around 400€ with subscription to H3G; the local operator of DVB/H.

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Today, as usual when I grabbed my chair to write about the GPS products, I chanced upon to find a little information about Mio’s latest forthcoming handheld Car Navigation System known as Mio C220. Even via the related links, which were provided in the http://www.gpsgazette.com/, I could not find more info about the device, but for ‘Image Coming Soon’ written on the linked page. However through all that I came to know that the latest product is expected to be sold with the price tag of $270.

Even if it is simply a misspelling of the Mio C250, then we will have to wait for the time when the product is brought to us, and if you really would like to get confirmed about the product info, then here are the links given on compsource and amazon, where you can make sure the existence of the info provided by gpsgazette.com.

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Benefon is soon coming up to hit the GPS market with its three latest WiFi-based 2.75G and 3.5G WM6 Smartphones with interesting sports and obviously with interesting names that is; TWIG Talisman, TWIG Totem, and TWIG Monolith. Though I could not find pictures of the upcoming device, but the latest devices are likely to be shipped in June 2007. Now when I have mentioned the word ‘interesting,’ you must be curious to know about their interesting sports and specs, so let’s check them out one-by-one:

TWIG Talisman

As maintained by the press release, this is touted to be a Tri-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE device that is supposed to be sprinting Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 and give support to Microsoft Outlook Mobile for instantaneous access to email, calendar, task and contact functions. As per the press release, the TWIG Talisman will be integrate a conventional numeric keypad and a 2.6′ touch-screen. Besides this will also be built-in with SiRF Star III GPS chip and Benefon’s latest Windows navigation. The location search solution will endow users with turn-by-turn voice guided directions. Last but not the least the TWIG Talisman sports a 2 MP digital camera and Bluetooth 1.2

TWIG Totem

Now let’s find out the glaring features of TWIG Totem, which, according to the press release, ‘is a lightweight and strong mobile device, which is claimed to come with a complete series of PDA sports like Microsoft Office Mobile for reading and editing Word and Excel documents, integrated with Benefon’s strong Windows navigation system for real-time turn by turn navigation and access to location related info. Besides, the Twig Totem also sports touch screen and numeric keypad inputs, a built-in SiRF Star III GPS chip, 3 mega pixel camera and Bluetooth 2.0.

TWIG Monolith

And to end with, here comes the TWIG Monolith, which is touted to be a WiFi phone with built-in with GPS (SiRFStar III) sporting both a numeric keypad and a touchscreen and consisting of a smartphone form factor. Similar to the two above-mentioned units, the latest TWIG Monolith will make use of WM6, Benefon’s latest turn-by-turn Windows navigation system and integrated location search technology. Additional sports are; a 2MP digital camera and Bluetooth 1.2

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Alpine has come with the behind-dash (or in the trunk) GPS navigation system called NVE-N872, which is claimed to be a DVD- enabled system with the capacity of tracking 9 million points of interests (POIs) all through United States-comprising Hawaii–as well Canada, Navteq maps, integrating lane info for the majority of countries freeways.

Freeway Junction allows you to zoom in to freeway interchanges. With a close up view, you can see how many exit lanes there are and determine which lane you need to use.

Apart from all that the NVE-N872 is also integrated with a featured-packed remote, which is said to be consisting of direct buttons for home, speak, traffic, detour, delete destination, display and yes zoom, too. A few of the additional sports are; multi-language capablity (English, Spanish, or French), integrated gyro sensor (helps ‘guess’ vehicle’s direction and speed whilst in tunnels and such), voice command recognition, satellite traffic support and lot more. Something that will be missed by you in any other in-dash navigation system is a sport known as vehicle speed pulse input that allows you to get up close and personal with your car.

With select units that sport PulseTouch, you find blatant feedback exactly from your screen. Different vibrations and pressures simulate what it feels like when you push a real button. You are provided with a unique feel while tapping a button, holding down a button, moving a slider or touching where no screen command exists. A smart layout of buttons, together with their tactile response, makes sure that you can promptly and simply get controls but for even taking a look at the screen. Touch the screen, and feel it touch back.

But one thing that should be kept in mind is that for $1700 you will only be provided with the black box picturized above, but for screen. You will have to make purchase of a comptaible Alpine AV head unit (opt from IVA-D105, IVA-W205, IVA-W200, IVA-D310, TME-M740BT, and TMI-M990) for which you may have to give one more grand or may be more than that.

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According to a report from Dutch research firm TNO, satellite navigation technology has an affirmative influence on road safety. The report claimed to have found out that drivers who do not have a sat nav device on an average have 12% more damage claims to their vehicles and 5% more damage costs.

The report also says that utilization of a GPS device heightens alertness, brings down the strain of the driver and reduces damage claimed on a vehicle by 12 per cent. This was ascribed to the fact that the exercise of a satellite navigation system develops driver behaviour in unfamiliar areas, intensify alertness and reduces stress levels.

GPS can also be a saviour at the petrol pump. As maintained by the report that the use of a GPS device reduces the amount of miles driven by 16% and reduces travel time by 18% percent. Drivers also demonstrated above 50% less inapt actions like overlooking traffic signs, as they can concentrate on driving instead of locating their way, found by the study.

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Magellan is very soon going to unveil a new range of GPS navigation system known as the Maestro. At present the Maestro series is included with Maestro 4000, 4040, and the 4050, which are expected to come with the price tag of around $450, $600, and $800 one after the other. All three products are touted to be built-in with a 4.3″ touch screen, a new streamlined user interface and SiRF Star III GPS receiver.

Check out the differences below:

(1) 4040: Maps of U.S. and Canada, Puerto Rico, bluetooth, optional traffic info, 4.5 million POI.

(2) 4050: Maps of U.S. and Canada, Puerto Rico, bluetooth, traffic info included, 4.5 million POI.
(3) 4000: Maps of continental U.S., no bluetooth, no traffic info, 1.6 million POI.

Magellan Maestro 4000, 4040, and 4050, are all likely to be ushered in at the starting of April 2007.

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Leica Geosystems recently released SiteSmart-Translator, a new software, which is claimed to change many sorts of GPS and total station files for machine automation applications. The software has been developed to import and change design data from virtually any CAD package able to export design files in formats like DWG, DXF and LandXML.

The imported data can afterward be seen by making use of standard 3D viewer commands such like pan, zoom and rotate. Besides, design surface, plan view and centerline files can be seen at the same time. Data is exported by making use of a variety of selectable formats utilized by Leica DigSmart 3D, GradeSmart 3D and onboard System 1200 applications. With the SiteSmart-Translator software, data is obtained in the field quicker.

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Going to be demonstrated at the CeBIT this year, the latest GPS device called RoyalTek staR is touted to be pure entertainment, pure recreation, pure safety and pure innovation. And as maintained by RoyalTek, a designer and manufacturer of GPS-based solutions, this is the ‘ultimate entertainment GPS device.’

Not much could be gathered about the product but as indicated by the announcement, the latest device is touted to be integrated with a 2.2″ LCD screen, a rugged IPX4 ready casing and a few of it’s sports are included with personal positional guidance, waypoint logging, color mapping, track recording, calorie calculation, e-compass, BMI, and distance/speed measuring, star watching and game playing.

The two sports that grabbed my attention are the calorie and BMI calculation. BMI for those who are not aware of Body Mass Index, which is computed by splitting the weight (kgr) by the height (m) squared. So, in order to find is the device (RoyalTek staR) aptly titled, we have to wait unless the CeBIT acquires more information regarding the specs and the sports of the staR.

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