CAFE GPS

Perfect Handheld GPS : Garmin Colorado 400T

2008-06-14T04:14:00.000-07:00

Best handheld GPS. Garmin's brand new handheld, the Garmin Colorado 400t is truly sophisticated handheld GPS. All of the 400t's innovations make it worth the high price for those who want 3D map viewing, wireless data transfer, paperless geocaching, an iPod-like control wheel and compatibility with the new GPS game Whereigo.

3D map viewing
Handheld 400t preloaded U.S topographic maps, 3D map view and a build-in worldwide basemap. Map detail includies national, state and local parks and forests, along with terrain contours, elevation information, trails, rivers, lakes and points of interest.

Wireless Data Transfer
Garmin Colorado400t gives you advantage to share your waypoints, tracks, routes, posotion and geocaches wirelessly with other Colorado users. Sharing data is easy, just select send to transfer your information to other Colorado units.

Keep you in your Route
Colorado 400t has high-sensitivity, WAAS-enable GPS receiver, it locates your position quickly and precisely, maintains it's GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons. So where ever you are, The Colorado 400t will help you to find your way precisely.

Keep Your Bearings
Best handheld Colorado 400t has a built-in electronic compass, and its barometric altimeter tracks change in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude. You can even use it to plot barometric pressure over time, which can help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions.

Plug in and Go
Just insert your MapSource card with detailed street maps and Colorado 400t provides turn-by-turn directions to your destination. Add select topographic maps to take advantage of Colorado 400t's 3D map view which gives you a better perspective of your elevation. The car slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment, so you don't have to worry with your outdoor activities on land or water.

Garmin Colorado 400t specifications
Unit dimensions (6 x 13.9 x 3.5 cm), display size (3.8 x 6,3 cm), display resolution (240 x 400 pixels), display type (Transvlective color TFT), weight (7,3 oz | 206.9 gr with batteries), battery (2 AA or 2 NiMH batteries | 15 hours battery life), water proof, USB PC interface, High-sensitivity receiver, RoHS version available.

Lets make out door adventure with Colorado 400T.

suorces : Garmin, electronicsleader, consumersearch

HP iPaq rx5900 Travel Companion

2008-05-24T04:11:00.000-07:00

Whether for business, for pleasure, or a little of both, the GPS Nav HP iPAQ Travel Companion helps you make the most of your travels whether they take you around town or around the world. The premier GPS navigation system guides you to virtually anywhere with ease. Everything is pre-installed and ready to use. Just turn it on and go. The thin, stylish design fits simply in the car and is easy to take with you wherever you travel. Plus, your HP iPAQ Travel Companion is full-function Windows Mobile 5.0 handheld.

Take your office with you and stay connected with integrated 802.11b/g wireless LAN and Bluetooth wireless technologies to the people and information that is important to you. When you want to relax you can listen to your favorite music, view your photos and videos, surf the web, or play games. Navigate, stay connected, and be entertained wherever you travel with the HP iPAQ Travel Companion.

The sleek and travel-friendly HP iPaq rx5900 Travel Companion offers integrated GPS, TomTom Navigator software, and useful travel tools. The Windows Mobile handheld also has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Review:

A complete navigation system

The handheld is equipped with a SiRFstarIII GPS receiver and comes loaded with maps of North America and TomTom Navigator 6 software. t supports text- and voice-guided driving directions (no text-to-speech functionality), automatic route recalculation, and a points-of-interest database. To get started, you enter your destination by address, city center, or intersection, then instruct the device to calculate directions based on a number of criteria, such as the quickest or shortest route, by avoiding toll roads, the required arrival time, and more. There's also an option to plan a walking route, which is great since the rx5900 is so portable.

Thin, stylish design

The GPS HP iPaq rx5900 Travel Companion is a sleek device, both as a portable nav system and a PDA. The travel-friendly handheld measures just 4.7 by 3 by 0.6 inches and weighs 5.9 ounces, making it easily portable between your car and for use on foot. We really like its streamlined look and attractive silver casing and burnt-orange accents. In general, the device had a solid construction, but the glossy coating made it quite slippery in the hand.

Full Windows Mobile 5.0 handheld

Stay productive with full Windows Mobile 5 technology. Synchronize your Outlook calendar, contacts, and email so you can take them with you. Includes pocket versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Stay Connected

Access the Internet, email and corporate data and stay connected on the go, at the airport, hotel, or coffee shop with this handheld GPS. Integrated 802.11 b/g wireless LAN (rx5900 models only), and Bluetooth v2.0 wireless technologies.

More than GPS, your Travel Companion

The GPS iPaq rx5900 handled its PDA and entertainment duties well. As we mentioned before, we had no problems transferring or opening Office documents. The device also detected our test Wi-Fi access point immediately, and we were able to connect to the Web without a problem with relatively quick download times. Music and video playback were excellent with clear sound and fairly good picture quality. However, if you're listening to your tunes via the built-in speakers, take care not to place the device with the speaker side down. We also plugged in a pair of Shure E3 earbuds, and sound was even better. Enjoy your music, view and share your pictures, videos, and play games. We did, however, notice a slight lag in performance when we had numerous apps open.

Clearly, battery life is a key factor for a mobile device like the rx5900. In CNET Labs performance tests, where we looped a video clip with all wireless radios off and backlight set to midlevel, the HP iPaq rx5900 1,700 mAh lithium-ion battery lasted for 4 hours of constant use, falling behind the Asus MyPal A636, the Garmin Nuvi 350, and the Pharos Traveler GPS 525. We also noticed that using any of the wireless options really took a toll on the cell; after a day and a half of use, we were running for the nearest electrical outlet. That said, if you're using as an in-car GPS device, battery life is less of an issue, since you can keep the unit juiced with the included car charger.

source : reviews.cnet.com, hp.com

Garmin Nuvi 660 : GPS NAV

2008-05-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

The nuvi 660 is Garmin's latest, and most expensive, consumer GPS, and builds on Garmin's highly popular Nuvi product line. The 660 sports a 4.3-inch wide-screen, SiRF, NAVTEQ maps, built-in FM transmitter, MP3 player, photo viewer, and much more.

At 4.9x2.9by0.9 inches and 6.2 ounces, the Garmin Nuvi 660 is slightly bigger and heavier than its GPS NAV predecessor but it's still an ultraportable and sleek device that you can use in and out of the car. Plus, the extra size is for a good reason. The Nuvi 660 now boasts a larger, 4.3-inch display compared to the Nuvi 350's 3.5-inch screen.

The touch screen has an impressive 480x272 pixel resolution that made maps look extrasharp and colorful. It's also still readable in direct sunlight. With everything handled via the touch screen, the GPS Nuvi 660 can have a minimalist design, which we like.

There's a sole power on/off button on the top of the GPS unit, while there's an SD expansion slot, a mini USB port, and a headphone jack on the right spine. Finally, there is a flip-up patch antenna on the back that stores flush with the unit's surface in its closed state, so it doesn't add any extra bulk. Our only wish would be for external volume controls, but if you give the power button a quick press, it brings up a Quick Settings page where you can adjust the sound and screen brightness.

Bluetooth wireless technology allows hands-free calling capability when this GPS paired with your compatible phone. Just tap the screen to dial or answer a call, then speak into the nüvi 660’s built-in microphone. Voice dial available on phones that support voice tags and Bluetooth. Navigation maps are available in 2D and 3D view with day and night colors, and you can change your view so that either north or the direction in which you're driving is always at the top of your screen.

Plus and minus icons on the map screen allow you to zoom in and out, and there's also a trip information page that displays your speed, direction, trip time, and so forth. Finally, the Nuvi 660 has a comprehensive POI database with all the major categories and more specific ones; you can even search for restaurants by type of cuisine.

In a test-drive in San Francisco, and the GPS Garmin nuvi 660 performed wonderfully. The unit so impressed by acquiring a satellite fix in less than a minute, and subsequent starts were much faster. The system precisely tracked the location around the city running routine errands. The directions were accurate, and automatic route recalculation was also prompt after we got off track.

sources : reviews.cnet.com, gps magazines, garmin.