Sunday, March 18, 2012

Archives for January 2011

Garmin nuvi 2300 series hits the market

Garmin nuvi 2300LM

UPDATE: Read my hands on review of the Garmin nuvi 2350LMT. I also have resource pages up for the nuvi 2300LM, 2350, 2350LMT, 2350LT, 2360LT, 2360LMT and 2370LT.

They’re finally here. I don’t know what kind of supply chain delay Garmin had in getting these out, but the nuvi 2300 series has hit the market, a couple of months later than anticipated. These models have been eagerly awaited, as most include many of the top of the line features from the 3700 series without the astronomical price. That includes trafficTrends, Garmin’s historical road speed database for improved routing and myTrends, allowing the device to learn your preferred routes. Plus a new feature – the ability to correct speed limits. Follow the jump link for sources and a summary of the differences between models.

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Magellan eXplorist 710 review

Magellan eXplorist 710

Magellan reinvents the handheld GPS interface

The Magellan eXplorist 710 is the top of the line unit in Magellan’s new eXplorist x10 series, offering a preloaded topo map and turn-by-turn directions, allowing it to serve as a dual-purpose unit. It also includes a barometric altimeter and tri-axial electronic compass.

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nu Feature: Customize main menu on nuvi 2400 series

customized-main-menuGarmin has found another way to utilize all that real estate on 5” screens, adding customizable main menus to the nuvi 2400 series. I set up an example this morning, pictured above.

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STM debuts single-chip for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS

STM-Teseo-IIST Microelectronics has announced the Teseo II chipset family, the first capable of receiving GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS signals.

As GLONASS and Galileo begin to offer global coverage, the use of multiple-positioning systems promises improved performance in difficult environments such as urban canyons, as well as greater accuracy.

Samples of the first chipset in the Teseo II family, the STA8088EX, are available now, with volume production scheduled for Q3 2011.

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nu Feature: Speed limit adjustment on nuvi 2xxx series

Set-speed-limitNo, you can’t change the legal speed limit, but if your GPS has it wrong, you can now fix it. This is a new feature on the Garmin nuvi 2xxx series. Simply tap the speed limit icon to get the screen above.

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Lowrance opens up to third-party map developers

Cartography-ToolkitNavico, a marine electronics company which owns Lowrance, has announced a cartography toolkit for third-party map developers. The handheld Lowrance Endura series is among those supported, and the toolkit also supports raster imagery.

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The state of live traffic reporting in the US

Traffic jamA GpsPasSion forum member has posted an excellent piece on the state of live traffic reporting in the US, with historical background, a look at the various ways traffic is reported, and even a ranking of number of probes for the key players. Google tops the list BTW, thanks to their Android coverage. There are a couple of pieces missing (NAVTEQ sources, iPhone probe data sent back to Apple – and no, I don’t have the answers to those), but overall this is the best summary of its sort I’ve seen. There are a few shoes left to drop – Apple’s predicted mapping solution, the fact that Garmin will soon have a lot of probe data as their mobile apps take off, and (as the article notes) RIMs massive network of probes.

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HD Traffic comes to US with Tom Tom GO 2535 M LIVE

TomTom GO 2505 M LIVE

UPDATE: It looks like they’ve changed the model number on this one from the 2505 M LIVE to the 2535 M LIVE.

UPDATE 2: Read my hands on review of the TomTom GO 2535M LIVE.

TomTom is finally bringing HD Traffic to the US with the TomTom GO 2505 M LIVE. The company claims this is a killer app, a game changer. Why? They say that three things make it better than current live traffic options:

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TomTom VIA series announced for US

TomTom VIA series

UPDATE: Read my hands on review of the TomTom VIA 1535TM. I’ve also posted resource pages with links to reviews for the VIA 1405TM, 1435TM, 1505M and 1505TM.

TomTom is brining its VIA series to the US, a mid-range successor to the XL and XXL product lines. Already available in Europe, the VIA series features a new hardware design, with an integrated (inseparable) Easy Port mount, resulting in a thinner, more pocketable profile. The series will feature the new Webkit-based interface found on the GO 2000 line. Also notable – some models will be the first mid-range, non-GO units to feature Bluetooth and voice command. What you won’t find on the VIA series is the 2500’s capacitive touch screen or HD Traffic.

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Magellan eXplorist 310 announced

Magellan_eXplorist 310

UPDATE: See my hands on Magellan eXplorist 310 review.

The Magellan eXplorist 310 has been announced ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show, bringing an entry-level model to the new eXplorist handheld GPS line. The 310 utilizes the same hardware as the eXplorist GC, which has a smaller, non-touch screen as opposed to the eXplorist 510, 610 and 710. As an aside, I’ll have a hands on review of the eXplorist 710 posted in the next few weeks.

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