GPS Blog

Garmin's New Forerunner Is King of Wrist-Mounted Trainers

2009-05-30T23:57:00.005-04:00

Garmin's newest wrist-top fitness watch is a 50-megaton blast forward that combines the best of the company's past two Forerunner models — the 305 and 405 — but easily laps both on almost all counts. Like its predecessors, the 310XT uses GPS to track your runs and rides, but it adds so much more to the equation that it feels like a breakthrough device rather than an upgrade.

Triathletes in particular will love this watch — it's certainly the best triathlon timekeeper we've yet tested. Not only does it sync up with your ANT+ power meter to display watts as you roll along on the bike, but the auto-multisport mode also lets you switch from one sport to the next by hitting the lap button, and it times your transitions to boot. And this wrist mounted wonder isn't some aqua-phobic wussy either: The new waterproof body can stand up to steady dunking, you can also take it swimming, kayaking, surfing and rowing without fear of turning it into a brick.

Garmin has shrunk the guts of this baby enough that it looks almost like a standard, if very odd, watch. Metrosexuals might give it a pass, but soul-sucking hipsters could probably get away with wearing it in public.

Setup is dead simple. When you first fire it up the watch walks you though a series of questions, and inputs all of your basic data. We did have a bit of trouble getting it to recognize our heart-rate strap initially, but resolved that within a few minutes without having to make a call to tech support or engage in an extraordinary amount of cursing.

In addition to the heart rate monitors and power meters, it will also sync up with Garmin cadence sensors to track your bike crank's RPMs, and to footpods if you want to measure your running cadence on a treadmill or the trail. If you fancy racing in both on road and Xterra events, you'll be pleased with the multiple presets for different bikes, allowing you to have one weight setup for your mountain bike and another for your road rig. Overall the interface is easy to use and intuitive, although it takes a little more tinkering and RTFMing than other Forerunner models.

When it comes to performance tracking, the new 310XT is so strong we expected it to fail a drug test. It tracks just about every fraction of workout data you'll need to know, gives you instant feedback and keeps a history file on the watch that can also upload to Garmin Connect (more on that in a bit). Power, calories, heart rate, speed, distance, elevation: You name it, they're all there. It can also help make your workouts more effective. You can easily set up custom interval workouts right in the watch. A vibrating alarm lets you know when you've gone certain distances or drop out of heart rate or speed zones. The tactile feedback is fantastic, not only because it keeps you from having to glance at the watch, but also because it means you can wear headphones and still stay informed, or receive alerts on a group run without bugging your pals.

But when you do want to peep, you can customize the display with up to four data fields for each screen, and swap between multiple screen presets so you can keep your top tier data like speed, heart rate, time and distance on one screen. Then swap to another for secondary metrics like elevation, grade and calories burned.

Because each sport supports up for four screens, this means you can keep track of at least 16 metrics for each sport — making you the biggest nerd in the race if not the fastest competitor. New features like in-watch heart rate graphing, power tracking, and nautical speed and distance tracking are also impressive.

The watch can be charged up either with a wall plug, or by connecting it to your computer's USB port. A progressive meter indicates the amount of charge when the watch is turned off — a nice feature that lets you know if you've got enough juice to hit the road for a few hours or not. Garmin claims the watch will take you through a heart-stopping 20 hours of training on a single charge. We were too pooped to work out that long, but we did manage to squeak in more than six hours of activity with a lot of button pushing and still left the battery 64 percent full.

One thing we couldn't test was what happens when you get home. This Forerunner is designed to wirelessly sync your workouts with the Garmin Connect website. However, we couldn't test data uploading as the Garmin Connect website isn't set up to receive data from 310XT model Forerunners yet (unless you're behind the Garmin corporate firewall, that is). We'll check back when it's up and running, and update this review as necessary to reflect that.

This Forerunner is the king of training tools, and among the best heart-rate, speed and distance tracking wrist tops we've seen in the past several years. Having said that, for elite and pro level athletes, it doesn't offer the kind of complex heart rate monitoring and stride feedback available on the Polar RS800CX, which we recently reviewed. But for most athletes simply seeking a personal best, the Forerunner 310XT will take you there in stride.

Garmin GPSMAP 640

2008-10-05T01:13:00.001-04:00

GPSMAP 640 is the latest dual purpose GPS navigation system from Garmin for both the land and the sea.

GPSMAP 640 is portable and rugged, and has a waterproof (IPX7) 5.2″ WVGA touchscreen display with 800×480 pixels resolution. It comes preloaded with maps of North America and worldwide shaded relief mapping in addition to detailed U.S. coastal BlueChartg2 charts.

GPSMAP 640 is smart enough to automatically start up in marine mode when placed in its included marine mount. Also with the optional BlueChart g2 Vision technology, the GPSMAP 640 can provide a 3-D "mariner's eye view," for a navigation perspective above the waterline, and a "fish eye view" for an underwater 3D bathymetric contour perspective.

Mariners will also benefit from the auto guidance technology the g2 Vision data card enables that suggests the best navigational route. In addition, photo references give detail aerial views of points of interest (POI) such as ports, marinas, waterways and landmarks.

GPSMAP 640 also has support for XM WX Satellite Weather with the GXM 40 antenna which can display the information directly on the screen. With GXM 40 you'll have access to more than 20 different types of weather attributes, nearly 200 channels of commercial-free music, news, sports talk and entertainment with XM Satellite Radio, and XM NavTraffic to avoid traffic.

GPSMAP 640 will go for $1200 when it first comes out.

Using Google Maps with your Garmin GPS Device

2008-08-30T23:06:00.001-04:00

Did you know that you can send Google Map information directly to your Garmin GPS device? In this video, you will see how.

Lenovo GPS phone

2008-08-16T12:48:00.000-04:00

Who knew Lenovo did GPS phones? This one we have is apparently Lenovo P990 and is available in Asia. Now you know that Lenovo doesn't only make great business-class computers, they are also in the handset business with the Lenovo P990 being the latest handset to be released in Asia.

Lenovo P990 supports GSM900 and GSM1800 networks, has a 3″ screen with 240×320 resolution, utilizes a 3 core CPU and its memory can be expanded with microSD cards. In addition there's the SiRF Star III GPS receiver, 2MP digital camera and a powerful 1450mAh battery. This is a GPS-enabled slider phone, and it comes with the following specifications:

* GSM 900/1800
* 3" display
* SiRFStar III GPS chipset
* 240 x 320 resolution
* 3-core CPU
* microSD memory card slot
* 2 megapixel camera

We still know very little about this phone but if you're from China and reading this maybe you can share some details with us.

New Garmin Oregon Series

2008-07-19T19:16:00.003-04:00

Just 4 months after Colorados, Garmin announces new handheld GPS-s OREGON.

The new boxes are a little smaller and lighter than the Colorado series, with a rugged, waterproof casing, 3-inch 240 X 400 sunlight readable touchscreens, customizable user profiles, and the ability to transfer waypoints, tracks, routes, and geocaches between units. We're assuming pricing will change when these things get real, but for now the 200 is listed at $420 and the 400C is listed at $558. It's not exactly clear what the specific differences between the line is, except that the 400 will come in several flavors, with the 400C variant sporting BlueChart g2 marine maps for the coastal US and Bahamas. Hopefully we'll get some more details soon, as these bad boys seem ready to go.

Garmin Nuvifone

2008-07-07T12:10:00.008-04:00

Garmin's recently (and abruptly) announced handset obviously marks the firm's first solo foray into the cellphone arena, and according to Cliff Pemble, the firm's president and COO, it's the "breakthrough product that cellphone and GPS users around the world have been longing for." That being said, the unit will feature a 3.5-inch touchscreen with a trio of primary icons -- Call, Search and View Map -- along with an internet browser, HSDPA support and preloaded maps of North America and / or Eastern and Western Europe. Furthermore, it houses "millions" of POIs, doles out turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions and becomes Garmin's first device to include Google's local search capability. As for pricing and availability? We're looking at a Q3 2008 release, but we'll have to wait things out before finding out a price and who exactly will be carrying it.

In case that wasn't enough, here's an overview of the rest of the features:

* "Where am I?" - spits out precise longitude / latitude coordinates at a moment's notice
* Helps drivers remember where they parked by marking the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount
* Garmin Online - an online service offering constantly updated information such as real-time traffic, fuel prices, stock prices, sports scores, news reports, local events and weather forecasts
* Built-in camera (megapixels currently unknown; captures video as well) that automatically tags photos with exact longitude / latitude. This allows the user to navigate back to the location or email the image to a recipient who can navigate directly to its location.
* Provides direct access to millions of geo-located landmark and sightseeing photographs available through Google's Panaramio picture sharing site
* Integrated media player to handle MP3, MPEG4 and AAC files
* Just in case you missed it: Q3 2008 release; price and "sales partners" will be announced "in the future"

Google's new technology could enable location-finding services on cell phones that lack GPS.

2008-03-28T23:08:00.001-04:00

As more mobile phones tap into the Internet, people increasingly turn to
them for location-centric services like getting directions and finding
nearby restaurants. While Global Positioning System (GPS) technology
provides excellent accuracy, only a fraction of phones have this
capability. What's more, GPS coverage is spotty in dense urban
environments, and in-phone receivers can be slow and drain a phone's
battery.

To sidestep this problem, last week Google added a new feature, called
My Location, to its Web-based mapping service. My Location collects
information from the nearest cell-phone tower to estimate a person's
location within a distance of about 1,000 meters. This resolution is
obviously not sufficient for driving directions, but it can be fine for
searching for a restaurant or a store. "A common use of Google Maps is
to search nearby," says Steve Lee, product manager for Google Maps, who
likened the approach to searching for something within an urban zip
code, but without knowing that code. "In a new city, you might not know
the zip code, or even if you know it, it takes time to enter it and then
to zoom in and pan around the map."

Many phones support software that is able to read the unique
identification of a cell-phone tower and the coverage area that
surrounds it is usually split into three regions. Lee explains that My
Location uses such software to learn which tower is serving the
phone--and which coverage area the cell phone is operating in. Google
also uses data from cell phones in the area that do have GPS to help
estimate the locations of the devices without it. In this way, Google
adds geographic information to the cell-phone tower's identifiers that
the company stores in a database.

Another approach is used by a startup called Plazes. This Swiss
location-tracking service has, over the past few years, established a
relatively small database of Wi-Fi hot spots around the world, manually
geotagged by Plazes users. Now, in a relatively large city, it's
possible to log on to Plazes using a Wi-Fi connection, and have the
software guess where you are because previous users have logged the
Wi-Fi hot spots' location, which can be an address or a business name.

In addition, researchers at Intel and the University of Washington
developed research software that uses a combination of Wi-Fi and
cell-phone tower radios to pinpoint a person's device. The now-complete
project, called Place Lab, takes advantage of any radio a person is
using, whether it's Wi-Fi on her handheld or laptop, or a cellular
signal from her phone, to triangulate location.

Google expects that over time, My Location's accuracy will improve. As
the database grows, says Lee, the service will become more accurate. It
will never be as accurate as GPS, but he expects that it could
eventually find a person within a couple hundred meters. And even at
that level of accuracy, there's still a lot of searching that Google can
do. "Search is really important," he says. "This product is searching
based on a map, but there are other types of local searching and
advertising and other products that can be made relevant" with the
technology, Lee says.

A few years ago, the Federal Communication Commission required
cell-phone companies to find a way to locate people making 911 calls so
that rescue workers could find them. The approach that most cellular
providers take is to use triangulation, which works if a person's phone
is visible to two or more cell-phone towers. But while a cellular
carrier can use information from any of its towers, Google and other
companies can't. The software available to them on a cell phone only has
access to the tower that the phone is using at any given time, not to
any neighboring towers.

Garmin's Colorado line close to official

2008-01-21T21:27:00.001-05:00

Just a day after uncovering what appears to be Garmin's CES 2008 lineup, we've now got reason to believe that the Colorado series is all but official. After first seeing the unit rumored last month, quickly "confirmed" and clarified yet again within the past 24 hours, we're now hearing that the series will boast four different models and will undoubtedly cater to the outdoorsy set. Reportedly, the Colorado will be offered up in four flavors: the 300, 400t, 400i and 400c. The whole lot will tout the firm's new "Rock 'n Roller" input wheel, an SD expansion slot, wireless sharing of waypoints, routes and geocaches, a 400 x 240 resolution display and a battery life of around 15 hours. Word on the street has 'em landing this month and next, and while the 300 is set to launch at $499.99, each of the 400 variants will demand $599.99. Hit the read link for the full spill, and be on the lookout for Garmin to fess up soon enough.

Garmin's new Forerunner 405 puts the 'watch' back in 'GPS watch'

2008-01-20T23:40:00.000-05:00

Starting with the Forerunner 305, Garmin finally started producing GPS-enabled watches that didn't make you look like a total goof while tracking your pace and vitals, but these still weren't timepieces you'd be comfortable wearing to the office or even a bar. Then came the Forerunner 50, which had the perfect watch-like form factor, but unfortunately, no GPS. So fans of this line will be pleased to learn that Garmin has somehow been able to shoehorn a satellite receiver into a casing not much bigger than the 50's and dubbed it the Forerunner 405.

Besides monitoring and logging speed, distance, heart rate and location, the 405 also features a touch-sensitive bezel for controlling its various functions, as well as the same proprietary ANT+Sport wireless syncing technology as the GPS-less 50. Available in either black (pictured above) or green (pictured after the break, along with a video walkthrough), the Forerunner 405 will start at $299.

Rugged Magellan Triton 2000 boasts National Geographic maps

2008-01-03T22:30:00.001-05:00

For those looking for navigational insight whilst trekking, Magellan's Triton 2000 should certainly fit the bill. Boasting a rugged, water submersible exterior, a two-megapixel camera, 2.7-inch QVGA touchscreen, digital compass, a barometer, built-in LED flashlight, and an SD expansion slot, this handheld GPS device even touts the ability to record and attach audio to waypoint files -- you know, so you can keep track of exactly how frantic you're getting as you venture off course.

Furthermore, this gizmo is reportedly the first to offer "full, on-screen compatibility, usage, and display of National Geographic's maps," including its 28 TOPO! outdoor recreation mapping software titles that cover all 50 states. The Triton 2000 is slated to launch in North America next month and in Europe this October, and will retail for a stiff $499, but if you won't be needing all the niceties already mentioned, there's a full line of lesser-spec'd Triton devices on the horizon that are far more budget friendly.

Magellan rolls out 4200, 3200 series Maestro GPS units

2008-01-03T22:30:00.000-05:00

Magellan's let loose a slew of new additions to its Maestro line of GPS units, including three models in the widescreen 4200 series, and four in the lower-end 3200 series. Coming in at the top-end of the lot, the $500 Maestro 4250 unit boasts a 4.3-inch widescreen display, along with support for live traffic information, text-to-speech functionality, voice control, and built-in Bluetooth for some handsfree calling.

The Maestro 4220 and 4200 each sport the same size screen and slim 0.7-inch design but scale back on some of the features like live traffic info and voice control. Leading the pack in the 3200 series, the $400 Maestro 3250 will give you the same live traffic info, text-to-speech and voice control of the 4250, but in a slightly smaller form factor with a non-widescreen 3.5-inch display. Rounding out the line-up the 3200, 3210, and 3220 each pack 3.5-inch displays as well, but with varying amounts of maps and features depending on the model.

GPS for PSP finally goes on sale

2008-01-02T23:09:00.000-05:00

We've rumored, ogled, and previewed, but it's time to get official, folks. The GPS Receiver for the PSP launches Thursday in Japan, for the low price of $60, at least according to Play-Asia.com.

No word on how much it'll cost you if you buy it direct from the source, although our previous post suggests a ¥5,000 ($43) price point. PSP News reports that it'll work nicely with a few titles, including "Minna no Golf-jou," "Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops," "Planetarium Creator Ohira Takayuki Kanshuu: Home Star Portable," and "Navigation Soft." How did we ever navigate the world without this GPS antenna perched atop our PSP before?

Garmin® Introduces Forerunner 50

2007-09-27T00:14:00.000-04:00

Garmin introduces Forerunner50 as only sports watch with automatic wireless sync. Forerunner 50 is an affordable, sleek and intelligent way to help runners and walkers track their workouts, automatically store their data and reach their personal fitness goals. The announcement strengthens Garmin’s role as an innovation leader in the fitness world and reinforces the company’s commitment to enriching its customers’ lives.

The principle: You simply call the telephone number of the GPS PRO Dog collar with your handy /mobile phone /cell phone. The GPS receiver of the collar, estimates the position of the dog and sends the coordinates immediately as SMS (Short Message service) over the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) directly on your mobile phone display. The accuracy of the positioning amounts to the average less than 15 meters.

The central element of the Forerunner 50 system is an advanced fitness watch which interfaces wirelessly with other fitness devices such as a heart rate monitor or a foot pod that monitors speed and distance. The system includes a wireless USB ANT™ Stick that plugs into the user’s PC and automatically downloads workout data stored on the watch to a personal computer. No cables are necessary as the Forerunner 50 synchronizes with the computer once it is in close proximity. Depending on the model purchased, the Forerunner 50 accurately monitors and records heart rate or speed and distance or all of the above. The workouts themselves are made easier with the Forerunner 50 as its heart rate monitor and foot pod activate automatically upon movement, removing the need to turn the lightweight accessories on and off.

With this entry-level fitness watch priced at under $100, Garmin broadens its appeal to the millions of consumers who want to burn calories in a cost-effective manner. While the Forerunner 50 processes much of the same data as its GPS-enabled predecessors, those functions are packaged in a very compact device the size of a typical fitness watch. The Forerunner 50 can track and record up to seven hours and 100 laps of detailed exercise data. And because the Forerunner 50 records its data from the heart rate monitor and foot pod, users can exercise indoors — for example, accurately monitoring their heart rate while on a treadmill or tracking how far they walk each day in the office. The foot pod enables the Forerunner 50 to track and record speed, distance, cadence, steps and calories burned. Cycling enthusiasts will enjoy the versatile options of adding a bike speed and cadence sensor and a handy bike mount.

The Forerunner 50 will be sold in a few different combinations, some with the foot pod, some with a heart rate monitor, and all will come with a wireless USB stick so that information can be downloaded wirelessly from the watch to the USB stick and then into your computer.

Track & find your dog with your mobile phone

2007-04-28T20:05:00.000-04:00

The unique GPS PRO Dog collar tracking system is an universal and completly new technology for finding, pursuing or tracking your dog: A GPS receiver and a GSM modem with special software is incorporated into the dog collar. Allows you easily and remotely monitoring the location of your dog via your cell phone/mobile phone anywhere in the world with suitable GSM coverage.

The GPS PRO Dog system works if the satellite antenna on top of the collar/backpack is able to find signals from at least 4 satellites and if the area where the dog is moving is coverd by GSM network (no other phone network service works!!). Figure 1 and 2 shows the GPS PRO Dog collar.

For communication between GPS GSM collar/backpack and mobile phone you have to insert a sim card into the collar/backpack. You can use every SIM card, maybe from a second mobile phone.

Magellan Maestro 4000

2007-04-28T20:01:00.000-04:00

How would you like to save time and effort on the road? What if driving could be more pleasurable and less stressful? Magellan Maestro 4000 makes it easy!

If you don't like reading directions, you'll love the Magellan Maestro vehicle navigation system! It's simple to use and ready to guide you to virtually any destination in the 48 contiguous United States. The thin, sophisticated design and attractive, intuitive touch-screen graphics make driving a pleasure. Enter an address or select from 1.5 million preprogrammed points of interest with a few touches of the screen. See your position and route on the 2D or 3D map and let Maestro's friendly voice guide you turn-by-turn, while you enjoy the drive.

Pilot, Plane and GPSMAP 295 Survive Dive Through Alaskan Ice

2006-12-28T21:47:00.000-05:00

He might have been born in Louisiana and raised in Georgia, but Dave Leonard heard his calling coming from far-off Alaska. Growing up, Dave was an avid reader of Jack London books and was intrigued by stories of the North Country and the Yukon. As he grew older, he knew that Alaska was where he was meant to be, and he wrote to several guiding businesses asking if he could come work for them. Ultimately, three days after graduating from high school, he moved there for good.

He worked his way up through the ranks in Alaska, becoming a master guide, a pilot and owner of Mountain Monarchs, a guiding service specializing in big game hunts. It’s not unusual for Dave’s clients to go home with prize grizzly bears, black bears, brown bears, moose, wolves and dall sheep.

While Alaskan laws are very strict about the use of electronic devices during hunting, Dave is able to keep a Garmin eTrex handy for navigational purposes. But even Dave’s 30 years of extensive experience as a master guide and commercial pilot in the far reaches of Alaska couldn’t prepare him for the unexpected turn of events he faced on May 9, 2003.

Here is his story:
I have owned a good number of Garmin products, including the GPS 55, GPS 95, GPS 195 and GPS 295 most recently. I also own several of the Garmin eTrex handhelds. I am a guide in the remote Northwest Arctic of Alaska. We get every kind of weather you can imagine. Occasionally good, but mostly bad. I have come to – daily – trust my life to your products, as they are all reliable, and serve me well. Recently I encountered some bad luck. There was also some good luck though, because I am very lucky to be alive. I had landed on the sea ice and dropped off a passenger in front of Kotzebue, which is where I live part of my year. I was taxiing on skis over to where I could unload my cargo from my super cub when I suddenly broke through the ice, which is unheard of in mid-May in this area. I went through so quickly that if I’d had my seat belt on, I’d have not been able to get out. The ice had me pinned in, as it was jammed against my door. I was in water up to my waist instantly. I had to kick the door open to get out. It took several tries to break through the ice in front of my wing with my shoulder so I could breathe. A local Eskimo threw me a line and – with help from two others – pulled me to more solid ice. The water temperature from the sea would have been around 28 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. I was really cold but really lucky. With help from many people of the Kotzebue community, we actually saved my plane, as well. I am now starting the long, tedious and expensive process of rebuilding it. We had to flip it upside down and hand-pull it to shore. It took 18 strong backs to accomplish this chore. When I was finally able to turn my master switch off, the Garmin 295 was still alive. Thank you for manufacturing the very best navigational products in the industry. I am grateful to so many people – too many to list here – who were willing to not only save my plane, but to risk their lives in doing so. The spirit of Alaska is awesome and it lives on! In Alaska, we depend on our friends in our everyday lives as much as we depend on Garmin navigational products to get us home safely.

Note: In case you were curious, Dave was in full compliance with FAA guidelines and there was nothing out of the ordinary about his sea ice landing, a standard occurrence in Alaska. What was out of the ordinary, however, were the unseasonably warm temperatures resulting in thinner-than-usual ice. In this particular scenario, the GPSMAP 295 may not have saved Dave’s life, but one thing is clear — Dave depends on his Garmin products every day. Besides providing accurate navigation guidance, Garmin units are built to withstand the toughest elements, situations and unexpected surprises. Today, Dave is getting back to business conducting guided adventures in Alaska, New Zealand and Australia. Ultimately, he replaced his original unit with another GPSMAP 295, which he maintains is the finest and most user-friendly piece of navigational equipment he’s ever owned. And thanks to superb technology, Garmin was able to salvage the information saved in Dave’s water-damaged original unit and reload the information onto his new GPSMAP 295. Above all, Dave is most thankful for what he calls his "good karma," and is happy his life was spared, as well as his plane.

New Garmin GPSs nüvi 660 and 610

2006-09-03T12:23:00.000-04:00

Well, wonder no more, Garmin has officially announced the garmin Nuvi 660. Garmin today announced it has expanded its popular all-in-one Personal Travel Assistant product line. The nuvi 660 incorporates a large, 4.3-inch touchscreen, integrated traffic capabilities, FM transmitter, and a super-bright display. These new attributes are in addition to the GPS navigator, traveler's reference, and digital entertainment features that have made the nuvi a favorite device among travelers.

New Garmin GPS got a 4.3-inch screen, an FM transmitter, and Bluetooth support. The 660 also includes an "integrated traffic receiver" to avoid congestion and road construction, give the driver advance voice notification of upcoming hazards, and appropriately route around it. In the US, this Total Traffic Network is included free for three months, and then will cost $60 for 15 months of service. The FM transmitter will play MP3s and phone calls over the car speakers connected via Bluetooth. In Europe, where the FM transmitter is not available, nüviheads can purchase the nüvi 610 (one of nine regional maps), or buy full European mapping with the 660. The North American version of the 660 comes with complete maps of the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, and, as always, one can load up updated maps and other media via the USB port or SD card slot. Expect it to hit U.S. retailers later this month with an MSRP of $1070.

Pharos Traveler GPS 525

2006-08-31T14:09:00.000-04:00

Pharos Traveler GPS 525. The first Pocket GPS to combine WiFi, Bluetooth and Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 in a small, sleek device. Travel with confidence. Pharos Traveler GPS 525 goes everywhere you do, helping you navigate streets and highways anywhere in the US with confidence. It comes preloaded with the top 50 U.S. metropolitan maps. Pharos Traveler GPS uses GPS satellites and digital street maps to show you where you are, locate points of interest, or set a route to your destination. By combining advanced navigation technology with an integrated wireless Windows Mobile device and VOIP capability, the Pharos Traveler GPS 525 is the first pocket-sized GPS device built expressly for the mobile professional.

On our road tests, we found the GPS 525 fairly simple to use. The only major downside was its small screen, which made it especially hard to tap out letters on the unit's tiny on-screen keyboard. The GPS 525's voice-prompt vocabulary also blurts out cryptic phrases like "in one mile exit highway," or "slight right." Since the Pharos lacks text-to-speech conversion, you'll have to look at the screen to confirm the street name for your turn—something that could have you fumbling for your reading glasses.

The smallest GPS-enabled watch - Casio GPR-100

2006-08-27T11:39:00.000-04:00

GPS receivers are getting smaller and smaller: this one fits on your wrist! Maybe there is some mass conspiracy to tackle an overweight epidemic among humans, or maybe folks these days are running just for the fun it, but regardless of the real agenda, Casio is cashing in on the statistically-driven-jogger craze by unveiling the GPR-100. Similar to other arm-dominating contraptions we've seen, this waterproof wristwatch syncs up with GPS satellites to calculate the time, speed, distance, pace, and averages of your run, while keeping track of your route should you deviate from the beaten path. Hailed as the "world's smallest GPS-enabled watch," the unit combines all the goodness found in your average wristwatch with the swank abilities of GPS in order to better analyze your exercise. You also get a "fully automatic" calendar, stopwatch, alarm, and even a backlight for those late night excursions. The biggest dig on this otherwise fanciful little timepiece is the battery life; the rechargeable LiOn apparently lasts just 2 hours in "normal operation," while legging out 4.3 hours in "low power mode." While this GPS watch will certainly attract less negative attention compared to earlier efforts, the compactness comes at a price -- at a whopping $476, you might be better off evading the GPR-100 entirely this September, and redirecting your energy (and cashflow) towards that tried and true Nike+iPod setup.