Sunday, March 18, 2012

GolfLogix GPS-8 review

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UPDATE: Check out a new Garmin golf GPS in my Garmin Approach G5 review

The GolfLogix 2008 is the best-selling GPS for golfers. Why is it so popular? For one, it’s made by Garmin, the most popular GPS manufacturer in the world. It’s also built on the high-sensitivity eTrex platform, which translates into great accuracy (the GolfLogix 2007 used an older, less accurate GPS chipset).

As you can see in the image above, the GolfLogix provides your distance to the front, center and back of the green. It also shows up to six hazards per hole, and identifies bunkers, water, lay-ups and carries.

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iPhone GPS – What we know now

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You’ve probably heard by now that Apple unveiled their next-generation iPhone yesterday and that it has GPS. So here’s a little roundup of what this may mean in terms of navigation and competition with personal navigation devices (PNDs) and the forthcoming Garmin nuvifone.

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TomTom GO 730 review

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UPDATE: An even newer model, the TomTom GO 740 LIVE, adds connected services such as Google Local search.

UPDATE 2: This model has been discontinued. For a list of current TomTom models and their features, please see our TomTom comparison chart.

The TomTom GO 730 updates the TomTom GO 720 with several new features — advanced lane guidance (pictured above), IQ RoutesTM and voice address input. I’ll delve into those a little later in the review. First, the basics…

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TomTom ONE 130 review

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UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For a list of current TomTom models and their features, please see our TomTom comparison chart.

The TomTom ONE 130 updates the TomTom ONE 3rd edition, with a new design that includes a built-in mount, dubbed the EasyPortTM, which stows on the back of the device. Other than the form factor, this new entry level model is almost identical to its older sibling.

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Upgrade your maps within 30 days of buying a GPS

UPDATE: Garmin has updated their policy with their nuMaps guarantee, which gives users 60 90 days to register their device. Follow the link for more details.

It appears that TomTom and Garmin have both adopted a formal policy of allowing free map upgrades within 30 days of registering a unit. Wait 31 days and you no longer qualify. Hence, I am recommending that anyone purchasing an auto GPS register their device immediately to see if they qualify for a free upgrade.

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GPS tips and tricks

I’ve written another article for Information Week; this time the subject is GPS tips and tricks.

For those of you coming here via Information Week, welcome! As the tagline says, GPS Tracklog covers GPS news, reviews, tips and tricks. So make yourself at home and look around. If you like what you see, you can subscribe and get posts by email or via an RSS feed.

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Navigon 2100 max review

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NOTE: Navigon has pulled out of the U.S. market and we are no longer recommending their receivers. Check out our auto GPS buyers guide for our current recommendations.

The Navigon 2100 max upgrades the Navigon 2100 with a 4.3" wide screen and DirectHelpTM, which links to nearby services like hospitals, pharmacies and roadside assistance. Like the 2100, the 2100 max features text-to-speech, Lane Assist and Reality ViewTM (pictured above) and maps of the lower 48 United States. Amazon reports that both the 2100 and 2100 max have only 1.3 million POIs, a very low number, but I have not been able to verify that.

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Mio Moov 200 review

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The Mio Moov 200 is the entry level model in Mio’s new Moov series. The Mio Moov 200 has a 3.5” touch screen, comes with over 3.5 million points of interest (POIs), and has text-to-speech, so you’ll get “turn left on Oak Street in 200 feet”, rather than just “turn left in 200 feet.”

Stepping up to the Mio Moov 210 gets you a one-year live traffic subscription, delivered via the Traffic Message Channel (TMC). The 300 and 310 models offer the same features as the 200 and 210, albeit with a wider, 4.3” touch screen.

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World’s largest GPS hoax

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A few days ago, stories started appearing online about an artist who drew a self-portrait with a GPS receiver carried around the globe by DHL. Trouble is, it was all a hoax. Wired does a pretty good job of debunking it, and now the artist has posted a disclaimer saying it was a "fictional work."

Left-handed use of GPS may become California law

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Okay, maybe that’s overstating it a little, but those nanny-state legislators are at it again. If they would just remove the prohibition on GPS windshield mounts, that would be great, but no, they want to limit where you can mount a GPS to "a 5-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield nearest to the driver" or "a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed from the driver."

I’m not even sure where to begin dismantling the problems in this legislation. Let’s start with my somewhat flippant title. Your choice, as a driver with a left-mounted GPS, is to use your left hand or reach across the steering wheel with your right hand. Southpaws rejoice.

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