GPS reviews, news, tips, tricks and deals
Goodbye MapSource, hello BaseCamp. Alas, Garmin has stopped development on their MapSource mapping program – no further releases are planned. A Garmin developer let the cat out of the bag yesterday in a post on the Garmin forum…
…MapSource has not been worked on in quite a while, and there will be no new releases of that software. You are of course welcome to keep using MapSource, we will keep it on the website for the foreseeable future.
Magellan has rolled out a new aerial imagery subscription program for their eXplorist and Triton lines. Like the DeLorme and Garmin services, this one will utilize DigitalGlobe imagery and runs $29.99 per year.
UPDATE: I’ve posted my full hands on review of the Garmin Montana 600. I’ve also got pages up for the Montana 650 and 650t.
I’ve had a Garmin Montana 600
Recalculating! Garmin has done a course correction with their iPhone app, rolling out a version with onboard maps, eight months after the release of their original StreetPilot app that used offboard maps. Considering AT&T’s reception problems in many areas, it’s probably a smart move.
Garmin has finally pulled the plug on the venerable GPSMAP 60CSx, officially discontinuing it. Long considered the gold standard, the 60CSx had started looking a bit long in the tooth over the past year or two, missing now standard features such as paperless geocaching.
Garmin BirdsEye Satellite Imagery is a $29.99 annual subscription plan (though downloaded imagery does not expire) that allows you to transfer satellite imagery to compatible Garmin devices. At this point, the following series are compatible:
UPDATE: I’ve added a response from Magellan.
The Magellan RoadMate 5175T-LM
Google has quietly dropped their “in traffic” time estimates from Google Maps. When you set up a route in the past, you would usually see two time estimates, including one showing the estimated time “in traffic.” Traffic conditions are still shown, and you can still change the time of day to visually see the impact on traffic, as shown above. But this won’t change the estimated travel time.
UPDATE: Here’s a Garmin Lifetime Updater FAQ.
Here’s a nice surprise – Garmin is taking the hassle out of downloading lifetime map updates. A Garmin Lifetime Updater showed up on their website today, which automatically downloads updates to your computer and notifies you when they are ready to install. Here’s a few notes on the app:
The TomTom GO 2535M LIVE
