Talking about GPS devices, let’s check out what Navman F20 has to offer.

* The screen interface is simple, with a 3.5 inch color touchscreen.
* Has got features like “My Home” and “Favorite Journeys” that lets you make trips repeatedly to the same place.
* There’s no built-in traffic information updates, but there is something called T1 traffic unit that gives you real-time traffic updates and rerouting directions.

The Navman has introduced 3D maps into the models S50 and S30 with a widescreen of 4.3 inches. It has got speed and safety camera, real-time traffic information, Bluetooth and so on. The Bluetooth allows you to make hands-free calls.

The S series navigatori gps devices are lightweight, slim and have a bunch of interesting features like the Navpix feature which allows you to upload and download images, and see them in the really wide screen; it provides traffic information and Points Of Interests and has an integrated “SOS” button that guides you to the nearest emergency services like hospital, fuel station, or police station.

Image source:www.en.yorkza.com

Travelling by water around the world is what gives you doses of adventure and dollops of thrills. Sailing on the vast expanse of water is precarious enough to put your life at stake. What is a must for you to keep floating with safety on the surface of water is a marine GPS technology based device. A high-end marine navigator is the best friend of a sailor. Like the Pole Star, it drives sailors to the direction of their destination, keeps them on the track of their choice and prevents them from being lost in the world of unknown waters.

The fishing, boating and marine transport industries have immensely benefitted from the evolution of maritime GPS technology. Some marine navigating devices feature high-tech functionality and cutting-edge configuration. These devices can perform several functions simultaneously to meet your various purposes. They provide spacious storage for map details of a number of watery destinations. Avoid hidden watery dangers by using a GPS-enabled marine navigator to ensure a safe sail on sea.

Some car sat nav manufacturers have product comparison facilities on their websites, but this is not the case with TomTom, at least I wasn’t able to find one when looking the other day.  I was trying to find the difference between the TomTom ONE v3 and the TomTom XL v3 IQ Routes (it’s a very sad life I lead).

In case you are interested (and equally sad), this is what I learned.

The main difference in the ranges is that the ONE range has a 3.5 inch touch screen display compared to the XL units which  have a 4.3 inch one.  However, the XL v3 IQ Routes also has the IQ Routes routing function (obviously), lane guidance and safety camera alerts as standard.  And that accounts for the fact that the XL v3 IQ Routes sells for around £179 and the ONE v3 for about £81.

Image source:www.caraudiogiant.co.uk

A tour across Europe is your long-cherished dream. The dream is still unfulfilled simply because you are unfamiliar to the ways of European countries. With the launch of Alpine PMD-B200P Blackbird, the time has come to give a kick to your plan of travelling all around Europe. It is an evolution of GPS technology in the field of navigation. This tracking device from the line of Alpine offers fast-paced and flawless navigation.

With map details of entire Europe, Alpine PMD-B200P Blackbird leads your feet efficiently to any nook and corner of Europe. It gives a distinct display of locations for emergency services, food and drink, accommodation, fun and entertainment on its 4in LCD touch screen. Its user-friendly interface screen delivers on-screen, easy-to-understand driving instructions and directions. With an all-inclusive menu of features, this Alpine navigator not only tracks the route but also ensures your safety, keeps you alert of road incidents and entertains you with its in-built MP3 music player. Why not carrying it on trips when it is small, slim and sleek enough to fit in your pocket!

Technology is great, so long as it works; but the moment it gives up (for what ever reason) we can have a problem, especially if we have become reliant upon it.

An article in the US Marine Corps Times, today, highlights the concern that the Corps has for the reduction in map reading and orienteering skills of its troops.  In one incident in Iraq, a foot patrol became lost because its GPS went blank and the troops didn’t have a spare battery.  With a map, but no compass, they didn’t know which way to turn (literally).

Now we all know that our lives rarely depend upon our sat navs (unless of course, we drive into a lake when it tells us to).  But what if we are orienteering on Dartmoor, or up in the mountains and the weather goes bad and the GPS goes down?  If we are not adequately prepared, and have and know how use a map and a compass, we could be at risk.

The weather forecasters have promised us a beautiful summer this year, and, unlike politicians, there appears to be some evidence for their optimism.  Certainly we have had some fantastic weekends in May!

Anyway, it seems that motorcycle enthusiasts are getting ready for some serious riding if the rate at which Garmin Zumo 660’s are selling!  Given the spec of these motorbike sat navs, it is hardly surprising that they should be popular.  What is surprising is the number of people who have been waiting for them to be released and who are buying them in conjunction with the Cardo Systems Scala Rider Q2  Bluetooth, helmet mounted headsets.

The eagerly awaited Garmin Zumo 660 sat nav for motorbikes, is only being delivered in small, sporadic numbers.  One supplier had only half the units on order delivered last week (which went straight out the door) and hopes to have the rest later this week.  In the mean time, they are taking orders to put customers on a waiting list.

In the mean time, retailers and customers are both feeling frustrated by the lack of information from Garmin as to when the Zumo 660 will be freely available.

The US Government Accountability Office is forecasting a 20% chance of failure of some part of the Global Positioning System between 2011 and 2012 due to the age of it s satellites.
While there are a number of other Satellite Navigation systems, including the European “Galileo” system, planned to be operational by that time, unless the US military take some pretty swift action, most sat navs on the market today may have problems.
And the moral of the story? Always carry a map.