Sunday, March 18, 2012

Mio Moov 310 review

Mio_moov_310_review

I’ve been testing the Mio Moov 310 recently, one of the first four models in the new Moov series just introduced by Mio. This product line has a completely new interface, created thanks to Mio’s purchase of Navman. As a result, I will go into the interface in some detail in this review. First though, let’s look at  what distinguishes these four models from each other.

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Garmin Colorado 400c review

Garmin_colorado_400c

UPDATE: I’m recommending the new touch-screen Garmin Oregon series instead of the Colorado. It has a superior interface, along with almost all the other good things found on the Colorado. Read my hands-on review of the Oregon 400t for more information.

UPDATE 2: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

The Garmin Colorado 400c is the marine version of Garmin’s newest handheld GPS series. As such, it includes BlueChart® g2 coastal charts and a worldwide basemap with aerial imagery. The map detail includes includes shorelines, depth contours, navaids, harbors, marinas, port plans and coastal roads for the U.S. and Bahamas.

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New Internet content for Dash Express

Dash_express_weather_3

Dash Navigation is announcing today that they are opening their API to third party developers. Bringing Internet-based content to your car, the first five “DashApps” are:

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Garmin handheld shortcuts to OK

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No matter what type of Garmin handheld you have, setting a waypoint name is a pain. All that scrolling for every character, then back to "OK." Then you have to scroll to "OK" again to save the waypoint. The Colorado has eliminated this but the consensus seems to be that it still takes longer to create a waypoint using the rock n’ roller scroll wheel.

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Garmin Colorado RAM bike mount

Coloradorammounttop

Earlier this spring I wrote about Garmin’s bike mount for the Colorado handheld. I wasn’t too pleased with the zip tie mounting system, though once I moved it to the handlebar stem it was much more stable. But a stem mount means the angle isn’t adjustable, and visibility was quite poor.

Fortunately, a RAM mount has finally been released for the Colorado, and I couldn’t wait to try it out. What I ended up with is pictured above. But don’t go ordering one till you read the rest of the story.

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Dash Express review

Dash_express_review

UPDATES:

I’ve had the Dash Express for over a month now and have been enjoying testing it out. The Dash is a revolutionary new type of GPS navigation device that brings Internet search to your car along with crowdsourced live traffic. The cellular connection built in to every Dash unit sends anonymous location data to Dash servers. This data is then translated to traffic flow speeds that are updated on all Dash units every 15 minutes. If there are enough Dash users on the road in your area, you will receive traffic data superior to that offered by any other GPS device available in North America.

In this review, we’ll look at the Dash service plan, their hardware, interface, how well the crowdsourced traffic feature works, the unit’s Internet search capabilities, and how the Dash Express compares to other GPS navigators in terms of features. I’ll conclude with a list of pros and cons, as well as  a recommendation on who should consider purchasing a Dash Express.

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Consumer Reports rates Garmin nuvi 760 tops

Garmin_nuvi_760

Consumer Reports has released the results of their latest GPS tests, and I’ve got the full press release after the jump. I’ve added links to my reviews of the units they mention and recommend.

Overall, I think they did a pretty good job here, much better than in the past when they have rated units introduced years before.

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Garmin Forerunner 405 review

Garmin Forerunner 405 review

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For information on current models, check out our GPS for runners page.

The Garmin Forerunner 405 is a relatively new incarnation of Garmin’s popular GPS training device. Updating the Forerunner 305, the 405 was released for sale just before the 2008 Boston Marathon.

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Garmin Edge 705 review

Garmin_edge_705

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued, replaced by the touchscreen Garmin Edge 800.

The Garmin Edge 705 is a relatively high-end cycling GPS, updating previous Edge units with mapping capabilities, a color screen, wireless data transfer and power monitoring. The Edge 705 comes in a number of configurations:

  • Garmin Edge 705 with heart rate monitor
  • Garmin Edge 705 with heart rate monitor + speed/cadence sensor
  • Garmin Edge 705 with heart rate monitor + speed/cadence sensor + City Navigator maps

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Moagu brings USGS maps to your Garmin handheld

Moagu
Last month, Leszek Pawlowicz of Free Geography Tools hinted at a new project code-named MOAGU. He may ascribe a different meaning to the acronym for legal reasons, but let’s call it what it is — MOAGU is the mother of all Garmin utilities. What Leszek has created is a utility that will place a USGS topo map on your Garmin GPS. Actually, it will put any scanned, georeferenced map on your Garmin. It won’t work on just any Garmin mapping handheld yet; I haven’t been able to get the maps on my Colorado 300, though I’m hoping some of our more technically inclined readers can figure that one out.

I have used it on my Garmin 60CSx and I have to say that Moagu rocks! This really is revolutionary. Handheld users have been asking for 1:24,000 scale USGS maps for their GPS units for years. The DeLorme PN-20 and Magellan Triton series have implemented this, more or less successfully (respectively), but we haven’t had an easy solution for Garmin devices until now.

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