Auto Archives - Page 39 of 48

Garmin nuvi 880 review

June 16, 2008 By Rich Owings 3 Comments

Garminnuvi880review

UPDATE: MSN Direct is ceasing operations on January 1, 2012.

UPDATE 2: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.

Killer app voice recognition makes Garmin nuvi 880 the best GPS on the market

The Garmin nuvi 880 is the top of the line unit in the nuvi 800 series, the first Garmin products to feature voice recognition. And while it may not be the first GPS with this feature, it is far and away the best. It is a breeze to use and makes it much easier and safer to navigate on the go.

Filed Under: Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 880

TomTom GO 730 review

June 9, 2008 By Rich Owings 6 Comments

Tomtom_go_730_review

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 Routes^TM and voice address input. I’ll delve into those a little later in the review. First, the basics…

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, TomTom, TomTom auto GPS Tagged With: TomTom GO 730

TomTom ONE 130 review

June 9, 2008 By Rich Owings 3 Comments

Tomtom_one_130_sideview

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 EasyPort^TM, 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.

Filed Under: GPS Reviews, TomTom auto GPS Tagged With: TomTom ONE 130

Navigon 2100 max review

May 29, 2008 By Rich Owings 2 Comments

Navigon_2100_max_review

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 DirectHelp^TM, 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 View^TM (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.

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Navigon, Navigon auto GPS

Mio Moov 200 review

May 29, 2008 By Rich Owings 1 Comment

Mio_moov_200_front

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.

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Mio, Mio auto GPS

Mio Moov 310 review

May 19, 2008 By Rich Owings 1 Comment

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.

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Mio, Mio auto GPS

New Internet content for Dash Express

May 14, 2008 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

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:

Filed Under: Auto, Dash, Other auto GPS

Dash Express review

May 6, 2008 By Rich Owings 6 Comments

Dash_express_review

UPDATES:

Dash has discontinued manufacture of the Dash Express
The price on the Dash Express has now been reduced to $299.99
Read about how the Dash can now learn your favorite routes

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.

Filed Under: Auto, Dash, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Other auto GPS

Dash changes the GPS competitive landscape

April 1, 2008 By Rich Owings 7 Comments

Dash_express_front_2

The Dash Express, the hot new GPS featuring two-way connectivity, has caused a paradigm shift in the GPS industry. We have yet to see how broadly the Dash will be accepted, though they seem to have had a strong launch, with high initial shipments according to the sales rankings at Amazon (updated hourly).

There are a couple of key components to two-way connectivity:

Internet search – At least two other GPS companies are moving to integrate this into devices in the U.S., as discussed below
Crowd-sourced traffic – For now, Dash is the only manufacturer trying to bring us this feature, providing traffic updates via anonymized cell phone data relayed from other Dash users (though there are companies focusing on this technology that other GPS manufacturers could partner with)

While not a benefit of two-way connectivity, Dash’s built-in wifi will also give them the ability to push large map and firmware updates to the units.

Let’s look at the status of other GPS manufacturers as they move (or don’t move) to implement two-way connectivity:

Filed Under: Auto, Dash, Other auto GPS, The business of GPS

Dash Express first looks – price drop too

March 27, 2008 By Rich Owings 5 Comments

UPDATE: Read our full, hands on, Dash Express review.

Launch day for the Dash Express has finally arrived. I’ve had a unit in hand for a couple of days now, so I’ll give you my first impressions. Before that though, there’s other Dash news today…

Dash Express price drop

Dash has lowered the price of the Dash Express. You can get it now for $399.99 at Amazon. It comes with a three-month subscription to Dash Service. After that, a two-year pre-paid plan is $9.99 a month; a one-year plan is $10.99 per month, while a monthly subscription runs $12.99. Map updates are included in this cost. Clearly you have to factor in the ongoing fees, but I’m glad to see that Dash has brought the price down to an attractive level. This should make it quite competitive with other manufacturer’s high-end models.

Filed Under: Auto, Dash, Hardware, Other auto GPS