Gizmodo 
Enter your username and password.
Tip your editors:
Editorial Director:
Brian Lam | | Twitter
Editor:
Jason Chen
| AIM | Twitter
Features Editor:
Wilson Rothman
| Twitter
Senior Contributing Editors:
Jesus Diaz
| AIM | Twitter
Mark Wilson, Reviews
| AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editors:
Matt Buchanan
| AIM | Twitter
Adam Frucci
| Twitter
Sean Fallon
| Twitter
Jack Loftus
| Twitter
John Herrman
| Twitter
Dan Nosowitz
Chris Mascari
Kat Hannaford
| Twitter
Rosa Golijan
| Twitter
Chris Jacob
Columnist:
Brendan I. Koerner
Interns:
Don Nguyen
Kyle VanHemert
Comment Account Questions:
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
09/16/09
I got Navigon when it was $69, so I'll be getting a full-featured GPS device with traffic for less than $100. Nothing to complain about here! It works flawlessly (better than my 3 year old Magellan), and they keep adding asked-for features. I'm very impressed with the programmers and the company.
09/16/09
I really, really love the Navigon app. The new text-to-speech is good (and hilarious at times). Even at $115.00 it's a winner.
Now I just need to power the thing while using it... it really sucks the juice. On a 100% full iPhone I got 2.5 hours until it showed 20% remaining. Not too bad considering the screen, audio, GPS, and cellular are all in use (if you get any calls).
Also, in my car I simply put the iPhone at the base of my dash where the coin pocket is, the GPS has great signal and works fine from there... don't think I'd use a windshield mount since the voice directions are so crystal clear. Just need a USB iPhone charger and I'm good.
09/16/09
Anyway, if you expect to use any GPS app, plan on having a car charger.
09/16/09
09/16/09
TomTom definitely has some benefits over Navigon though like it gets better GPS signal, loading time is significantly faster, and it's user interface is absolutely amazing.
But where Navigon makes up for all of this is user options. Lane Assistant and Reality View Pro are extremely helpful, and its voice announcements are far better.
It's going to come down to who spends more time updating and changing their app and, well Navigon is the first to do this, so it gets my vote.
09/16/09
09/16/09
09/16/09
09/16/09
09/16/09
09/16/09
09/16/09
09/17/09
09/16/09
09/16/09
In light of that, $25, or $125, doesn't seem like that much.
09/16/09
09/16/09
09/08/09
09/08/09
[www.rainydaymagazine.com]
It does slide in and out....
09/08/09
09/08/09
07/30/09
The ads are a trade-off for the traffic updates, which can be turned off - if you disable traffic, you won't see the ads any more either. In my experience, at least in my area, the traffic is pretty much useless so I turned it off. Most of the time, by the time the GPS gets the update and indicates traffic ahead, you're already in it.
07/30/09
From what I know about GPS's (admittedly, not all that much, except I love my Nuvi), I could see room for improvement in terms of real time traffic updates, GPS's that learn your preferences, better route planning and tracking linked to better computer syncing, smarter navigation, and better graphics.
07/29/09
To say something along the lines of "this is as good as it gets, there just can't be any more improvements or developments" is just nuts for Anyone to say, and it's being said by a Gizmodo author?!?!
I thought the whole point of this site was the progression, development, refinement, and advancement of the gadgetry world.
To say that Anything couldn't be improved upon At All should carry the mark of heresy around these parts. Off with his head!
I could think of a dozen ways to improve the PND space, and that's just off the top of my head. Game changing ideas, like device-to-device communication; auto-updating maps; voice control; integration with cell phones for on-demand data; photo-realistic satellite map imagery with real-time local cloud-cover data.....
There's no end to the types of innovations they could still make with these things. IMO, they're just getting started. But it seems that poor Wilson's GPS has told him that it's all just a dead-end road. I look forward to his next piece entitled: "640K should be enough memory for anybody's GPS."
07/30/09
07/30/09
I am leaving until I see a post on it!
07/30/09
Uh, you guys just did a review on both a HDD-based music player and a cameraphone yesterday:
"Series Walkman Review: Why, Sony? Why?"
http://gizmodo.com/5325036
"Apparent Nokia N97 Mini Shrinks by Shedding Useless D-Pad"
http://gizmodo.com/5325856
And a review for an FM transmitter back in June:
"Belkin's TuneCast GPS-Assisted FM Transmitter Is Like Putting a DVR Into a VHS Player"
http://gizmodo.com/5278881
You do actually read the site you write for, yes?
Apparently the other "as good as it gets" areas of technology you mention are chugging along with new developments.
Mark my words, we're nowhere near 'equilibrium' on these devices, and I'll bet we see more GPS devices on Giz in the future.
I'll keep this thread updated as you guys review more in the future.
08/04/09
[gizmodo.com]
08/26/09
09/03/09
09/14/09
07/29/09
Shouldn't this device be free? Or the map updates, at least? Or at least heavily subsidized, in either case? Isn't that the entire point of an "ad supported" business model? Or is this just Garmin exploiting its customers without giving them anything in return?