This review looks at the GrooveTransmit FM transmitter from Cygnett. This small gadget allows you to play your iPod or other MP3 player through your car FM stereo.

Main Features

• Play your iPod or iPhone music and audio books through your car FM stereo
• Easy auto-tuning technology finds the best FM frequency for optimum sound
• Strong & flexible gooseneck cradle for secure & adjustable positioning
• Automatically charges and connects iPods and iPhones – no batteries required
• LCD display for easy night viewing
• Plug in other MP3 Players or Mobile Phones via 3.5mm Audio in Socket
• Stores up to 4 of your most used Channels
• Wide transmission range (88.1 – 107.9MHz)

Box Contents

This is what the box looks like.

Opening the box reveals the following:

• Cradle
• Gooseneck for plugging into cigarette lighter socket
• Audio cable
• Quick start guide

Installation

Setup of the GrooveTransmit firstly involves adjusting the cradle to match the size of your iPod or other MP3 player.  The cradle looks like this.

On each side of the cradle are up and down arrows which can be used to select an FM frequency.  There is also an auto-tune feature where it will automatically select an available FM frequency on your car stereo.

There are 4 preset buttons for storing favourite frequencies.  These can come in useful when driving along if a radio station starts to interfere with the transmission, you can switch to another preset frequency.

At the bottom of the cradle is an audio in socket, using the supplied audio cable you plug your iPod or other MP3 player into the cradle.

At the top of cradle are two small foam pads for keeping your iPod or MP3 player in place.  These foam pads retract out as follows to accommodate different sizes of MP3 player.

In the centre of a cradle is a small circular pad which is adjusted from the back of the cradle.  This is used to further hold the MP3 player in place.

The back of the cradle looks as follows.  There is a small release button for adjusting the foam pads on the front of the cradle.  There is also a small turn button for adjusting the circular centre pad mentioned above.

At the bottom of the cradle is a slide in socket for connecting the gooseneck.

Setup of the GrooveTransmit was so far so good with our iPod held firmly in place.  Installation in the car was another matter though.

The first problem we found is that the gooseneck was too big for our cigarette lighter socket.  We found it a very tight fit, in fact when we tried to remove the gooseneck it literally pulled out the cigarette lighter socket with it.

We’ve tested numerous other gadgets in the same car, such as sat nav devices, and never encountered this type of problem before.

The second issue to bear in mind is that device is not really suited for vehicles where the cigarette lighter socket is next to the gear stick.

In our car it was very difficult to change gear with the GrooveTransmit in place.  We tried moving the GrooveTransmit in various different angles but could not find a decent position where you could safely operate the gear stick.

This device is best suited for vehicles where the cigarette lighter socket is positioned on the dashboard, as shown below.

Even though this device wasn’t suited for our vehicle, we were still able to test it out.

The auto-tune feature worked first time.  The GrooveTransmit selected an available frequency, we tuned our car FM stereo to the same frequency and we were then able to listen to our iPod.  Sound quality was excellent with no interference.

Summary

This is an interesting looking device that works well, but if the cigarette lighter socket in your vehicle is anywhere near the gear stick then we’d recommend not buying it.

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The Luna 2 marks our 3rd outing into the world of Edifier speaker systems, having previously reviewed the Luna 5 and MP300.

The Luna 2 are a set of USB speakers for connecting to a desktop PC system.  They also include 3.5mm stereo and optical fibre inputs which means you can connect other devices to the speakers like an MP3 player.

First Impressions

Having previously reviewed the Luna 5 and MP300 speaker systems we knew that Edifier has a flair for designing speakers that make a statement and stand out from the crowd.

The Luna 2 continues this trend, resembling the looks of its larger sibling the Luna 5.

Out of the box the Luna 2 speakers looked good, they were solid and well constructed.  Weighing 2kg each they are certainly the heaviest desktop PC speakers we’ve used.

The speakers have dimensions of 194 (w) x 195 (h) x 118 (d) mm, so they are quite chunky, but fitted well on our desk either side of our LCD monitor.

The rear of the speakers provide a USB port for connecting to your PC, as well as a Line In socket for plugging in an MP3 player.

The speakers pack a punch too with a Class D amplifier producing 50W of power.  This kind of power is probably too much when sitting right in front of the speakers, but they’re good if you want to setup a music system from your PC.

We found the sound as good as the Luna 5 we’ve previously reviewed.  We hooked up an iPod and cranked the volume up and let it bang out a couple of hours of solid dance music and it didn’t disappoint, although again the Cygnett Unison speakers we’ve previously reviewed produce a better performance in the bass department.

The Luna 2 has an interesting set of controls when playing music via a media player on your PC.  You can swipe your hand from left to right over the volume controls and it will fast forward to the next track, swipe your hand the other way and you can rewind to the previous track.  If you place your hand over the controls for a few seconds you can also turn the speakers on and off.

We found this control setup interesting but thought it was more of a gimmick, we’re not sure people would find it really useful.  It’s nice to see a company experimenting in this area though and trying to produce a device that is a bit different.

Summary

The Luna 2 continue the trend of other Edifier products.  They look great and deliver very good sound overall.  Our only concern is the price.  The cheapest we’ve seen them available is around £200.  At this price it could encourage buyers to look for cheaper alternatives.

If you’ve got the cash and want some powerful desktop speakers then these are worthy of a closer look.

Technical Specifications

• USB 2.0 PC speaker
• CapSense touch-sensitive user controls
• Input Type: USB, 3.5mm stereo or optical fibre
• Solid cast alloy in the base
• Class D 50W amplifier
• Total Power Output : RMS 30W x 2
• Dimensions: 194 (w) x 195 (h) x 118 (d) mm
• Net Weight: 4.0kg

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For the last few weeks we’ve been testing out the Ricoh CX1 digital camera which is one of the new additions to the Ricoh camera range.

Features

The key features of the Ricoh CX1 are as follows.

• 9.29 megapixels
• 7.1x zoom lens featuring a focal length in 35mm format equivalent to 28-200mm
• Movie mode
• Vibration reduction function
• Face recognition
• Macro shooting at 1cm
• Continuous 4fps shooting mode
• Dynamic range double shot function
• Multi-pattern auto white balance
• Multi-Target AF
• Easy mode for beginners
• 3 inch LCD display
• Edit pictures directly on camera

Looks

Out of the box the Ricoh CX1 looks well constructed and feels solidly built.  It looks like the type of camera that could survive a few knocks.  It is compact too measuring just over 101mm wide and 28mm wide, just about the right size to fit in your hand.  Weighing in at only 180g it is also light and easy to carry around.

The top of the camera features a function dial where you can select various shooting modes, power and shutter release buttons and a small microphone. 

The side of camera holds a small plastic flap, which when pulled back reveals a USB port and AV output terminal.  There are two eyelets for attaching a camera strap.

On the underside of the camera is a sliding flap which tucked underneath holds a rechargeable battery and SD card.  There is also a tripod screw hole.

The rear of the camera contains a 3 inch LCD screen.  There is also a small joystick control which allows you to perform functions like toggling macro mode and changing the flash settings.  There are also playback, menu, self-timer/delete and function buttons.  A small speaker is located at the bottom right of the camera.

Usability

Overall the Ricoh CX1 seems well designed with just enough buttons to perform most common actions, but not too many to baffle beginners.

Time taken to switch the camera on and off is pretty quick, useful if you want to quickly snap a photo.  Time taken to focus was fast too.

There are a few touches we like, including the image auto-rotate feature.  If you view a photo in landscape and then rotate the camera 90 degrees, the photo will automatically shift into a portrait position.

When viewing photos there is an option to delete either a single photo or multiple photos, you can also delete photos within a given range by selecting a start and end photo.  This can be useful for deleting multiple photos in a single batch.

The Ricoh CX1 includes a built-in spirit level which is designed to help you take level photos, rather than the camera pointing up or down.  A visual display on the LCD screen indicates when the camera is level.  We’re not convinced this is a useful feature, or that people will take much notice of this, but it is there if you need it.

The small joystick button on the back of the camera allows you to perform various functions:

• Exposure compensation – this option allows you to compensate for photos that are either over or under exposed.  You can dial in between +2.0 and –2.0 to increase or decrease the exposure.  There is also a very useful histogram displayed on the screen.

  Anyone who has used a DSLR camera is probably already aware of the histogram but it is nice to see it appearing in a point and click camera like the Ricoh CX1. 

  The histogram is basically a graph on the screen which you can use to determine if a photo is under or over exposed.  You can then use this to adjust the exposure for your next photo.

• White Balance – here you can use one of the preset WB modes: auto, outdoors, cloudy, incandescent lamp, fluorescent lamp or manual.
• ISO – you can select IS0 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600.
• Image Quality – you can select various sizes for your photos, from VGA up to 9 megapixels.
• Focus – you can choose between AE/AF, AF, AE and Off.  There is also a crosshair on the LCD screen which you can move with the joystick.  This enables you to tell the camera which part of an image to focus on.  Quite a useful feature if the camera won’t focus on the area you want.

There is a button on the back of the camera for viewing photos.

There is a display button which you can use to view more information about a photo.  Pressing this button will display the exposure histogram, focal length, f-stop, shutter speed, ISO, flash mode and the date and time the photo was taken.  Pressing the display button again allows you to view white saturation.

We liked this information screen and thought it was well designed, providing a quite overview of the photo metadata.

The camera supports an “easy” mode for simple point and click photos, plus there are manual options where you can customise some of the camera settings.  These are obviously not on a par with the manual controls offered by a DSLR, but they do at least offer you some flexibility in getting the picture results you want.

Picture Quality

The lens supports a 35mm equivalent focal range of 28-200mm which should satisfy most people.  There is also a digital zoom which can take you up to 960mm although it is quite fiddly to use.  It also has a decent 1cm macro mode too.

Macro mode delivered some pleasing results with an excellent level of detail, even picking up the tiny indentations of an individual key on a computer keyboard as in this example.

Picture quality at both the 28mm and 200mm of the focal range was pretty good and seemed on par with other point and click photos we’ve used.

These two examples show photos at 28mm and 200mm respectively.  These were taken out of the box using the default settings.

Noise was noticeable in low light conditions, and at the longer focal range the flash struggled to compensate.  Although to be fair our test photos were merely point and click photos taken at the default ISO-200, hardly an ideal setting for low light.  So it is worth experimenting with the settings to get better results.

These two photo show picture quality with and without the flash.

Summary

The Ricoh CX1 looks solidly built, has a decent set of features and on the whole is pretty easy to use.  Picture quality out of the box is pretty good too and if you’re prepared to spend some time tweaking the settings then you can be rewarded with good results.  Overall this is a pretty good camera with some nice touches.

We feel it is a little on the expensive side though for a point and shoot camera with prices around £270.  At this price range it could encourage buyers to seek cheaper alternatives.

Buy the Ricoh CX1 from Amazon.

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Detailed Specifications

• External Dimensions
  101.5 mm (W) x 58.3 mm (H) x 27.9 mm (D)
• Weight
  Approx. 180 g (excluding battery, SD memory card, strap), Accessories approx. 23 g (battery, strap)
• Number of pixels
  9.29 megapixels
• Image Sensor
  1/2.3-inch CMOS
• Interface
  USB 2.0 (High-Speed USB)
• Lens Focal length
  f=4.95-35.4 mm (equivalent to 28-200 mm for 35 mm film cameras. With Step Zoom set, option of seven fixed lengths: 28 mm, 35 mm, 50 mm, 85 mm, 105 mm, 135 mm, and 200 mm)
• f-aperture
  F3.3 (Wide) – F5.2 (Telephoto)
• Zoom Magnification
  Optical: 7.1x zoom (equivalent to 28-200 mm focal length for 35 mm cameras)
  Digital: 4.8x up to 34.1x (equivalent to 960 mm) when used with optical zoom
• ISO Sensitivity (Standard Output Sensitivity)
  AUTO, AUTO-HI, ISO80 / ISO100 / ISO200 / ISO400 / ISO800 / ISO1600
• White Balance Mode
  AUTO / Multi-Pattern AUTO / Outdoors / Cloudy / Incandescent / Incandescent 2 / Fluorescent / Manual, White Balance Bracket Function
• Flash
  Built-in flash mode
  Auto (during low light and when the subject is backlit), Red-eye-Reduction, Flash On, Slow Synchro, Flash Off

  Built-in flash range
  Approx. 20 cm – 3.0 m (Wide), approx. 25 cm – 2.0 m (Telephoto) (ISO Auto/ISO 400, from the front of the lens)

  Flash compensation
  +/-2.0EV (1/3EV Steps)

• Shooting Mode
  Auto Shooting Mode / Easy Shooting Mode / Dynamic Range Double Shot Mode / Continuous Shooting Modes (Continuous, M-Continuous Plus, Ultra-High-Speed Continuous) / Scene Modes (Portrait / Face / Sports / Night Portrait / Landscape / Nightscape / High Sensitivity / Zoom Macro / Skew Correction / Text) / My Setting Mode / Movie Mode

© Dean Taplin - Gadget reviews from Technical Itch.

The MP300 are the second set of speakers we’ve reviewed from Edifier, having previously reviewed the Luna 5.

The MP300 is a set of portable 2.1 speakers suitable for a laptop, notebook or MP3 player.  It comes with a slim subwoofer, 2 satellite speakers and a protective carry case.

Technical Specifications

• Total Power Output: L/R: RMS 3.5W x 2
• SW: RMS 15W
• Frequency Response: L/R 230Hz-20 KHz
• SW 45Hz-200Hz
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >=85dBA
• Input Ports: 3.5 mm stereo line in
• Bass Unit: 2” woofer, Magnetically Shielded, 4 ohm
• Tweeter: 1.5” Magnetically Shielded, 4 ohm
• Input Voltage: DC 12V (positive inside/negative outside)

First Impressions

Out of the box the MP300 looked a stylish set of speakers.  It comprises a brushed metal aluminium tube 9 watt subwoofer, two globe shaped satellite speakers with metal weave speaker grille, protective carry case, power supply and audio cables.

The subwoofer had a nice solid feel to it and looked well built.  Both speakers are lightweight, with one featuring an on/off button and volume controls.

Setup was straightforward.  You just connect the MP300 to your laptop or notebook, position the speakers as you want, then plug into the power supply.  Once setup the speakers looked nice.

Using our laptop we noticed a definite improvement in sound quality over the built-in speakers on the laptop.  Audio was clearer with the subwoofer delivering a deeper bass.  We got similar results using a notebook too.

The speakers are not overly powerful though, and once we hooked them up to an iPod the lack of power was noticeable.  These speakers are not really a match for a pair of dedicated iPod speakers like the Luna 5 or Cygnett i-X5.  There is no docking cradle either to charge your iPod.

The MP300 also comes with a sturdy zip-up protective carry case so you can transport the speakers around with you.

Summary

After reviewing the Luna 5 and now the MP300, it is clear Edifier like to produce audio equipment that is stylish and stands out from the crowd.

We personally wouldn’t recommend the MP300 as a set of iPod speakers unless you’re on a really tight budget, they lack sufficient power and bass.

But for laptop or notebook users who want a better audio experience than the built-in speakers that a laptop or notebook provides, the MP300 would be a good choice, and with prices around £50 they are not bad value either.

Buy the Edifier MP300 2.1 portable speaker system from Amazon.

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The Luna 5 marks our second outing into the iPod speaker market, having previously reviewed the Cygnett i-X5 speakers.

Before delving into the review this is how the specifications stack up.

Technical Specifications

• Suitable for iPod, iPhone and MP3 players, charges iPod when docked

• Five driver speaker system.  Magnetically shielded 14.6cm woofer, two 7cm midrange drivers and two 6.3cm tweeters

• Total power output: 55W

• Digital FM radio tuner with preset stations

• Aux input for MP3 players

• Remote control with full function iPod control and navigation

• Headphone Jack

• Integrated Amplifier

• Dimensions:  24.5 cm(D) x 39cm (H) x 40cm (W)

• Weight: 5.4kg

First Impressions

Out of the box the Luna 5 speakers felt solid and well built.  The large round speaker with a dark black shiny exterior is certainly different from other speaker systems we’ve reviewed.  Setup in the office it certainly grabbed our attention.

The Luna 5 speakers are pretty big too, measuring 39cm tall and 40cm wide.  If you want some speakers that will get noticed in your living room then these are a good choice, but for a smaller place like a bedroom then make sure you have enough space for the speakers first.

Installation was a hassle free process.  Simply plug the speakers into the mains, slot the appropriate plastic adapter into the dock that matches your iPod, slot the iPod into the dock and away you go.  The dock will also charge your iPod. The dock is also compatible with an iPhone.

The Luna 5 includes a decent sized remote control which you can use to fully control your iPod.  We found the remote easy to use and much better built than the one supplied with the Cygnett i-X5 speakers we reviewed.

With the volume cranked up the Luna 5 speakers performed well with no noticeable distortion.  The 14.6cm woofer, two 7cm mid-range drivers and two 6.3cm tweeters delivered a pleasant sound.

The speakers are not quite as powerful or produce the deep bass we experienced when reviewing the Cygnett i-X5 speakers, but unless you’re going to crank the volume right up you probably won’t notice.  For day to day listening the Luna 5 should serve you well.

It may not be the best kid on the block with regard to bass, but it does include an integrated FM radio tuner which was a nice addition.  We would like to see some improvements in this area though. 

The radio controls can be a bit fiddly to use, programming in the presets is not very intuitive, but once setup the radio worked fine.  Signal strength for our nearest local radio station was good, although it did not tune into as many stations as we were expecting, so if you live in an area with iffy reception it may struggle.

The LCD display is very basic too looking more like a device built in the 1980s, perhaps that was a deliberate design move on the part of Edifier.

The radio also lacks an RDS tuner which means it is unable to display the name of the radio station you’re listening to. With only a number on the LCD display giving us a visual clue to what radio station was tuned in, it was a bit of shame.

Summary

The Luna 5 speakers sport an interesting shape that is designed to grab your attention.  The speakers are big, well built and produce good sound overall, maybe not the best in the bass department, but more than acceptable for day to day use.  With prices currently around the £150 mark it is not a bad price.

If you’re looking for some speakers that stand out from the crowd then take a closer look.

Buy the Edifier Luna 5 speakers from Amazon.

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This review looks at the TomTom Go 740 Live. The 740 Live is positioned at the top-end of the TomTom navigation range, offering LIVE services like HD traffic and Google search, intelligent routing using IQ technology, voice control and lane guidance.

Technical Specifications

Before we delve into the review this is how the specifications stack up:

• GPRS connectivity inside, including 3 months LIVE services in the United Kingdom
• 4.3" widescreen 16:9 format LCD (WQVGA: 480 x 272 pixels)
• 2GB internal flash memory
• microSD card socket compatible with microSD cards
• High sensitivity GPS receiver
• Bluetooth®
• Battery (up to 3 hours autonomous operation)
• Optimised integrated microphone and speaker for high quality hands-free functionality
• Dimensions: 127×85x23mm
• Weight: 224 grams

Box Contents

This is what you get in the box:

• TomTom Go 740 Live
• Suction cup
• Docking station with USB cable
• 12-24V cigarette lighter adapter suitable for cars and trucks
• CD ROM containing TomTom Home software and user manual
• Quick start guide

First Impressions

Everything is packaged and presented well in the box. Out of the box the 740 Live is a nice looking piece of hardware. It looks robust and well constructed. It feels a little bit chunkier than some of the other sat nav systems we’ve reviewed, but not overly so, and easily fits in the palm of your hand.

A docking station is included for connecting the 740 Live to your computer. You can leave the docking station connected to your computer and plug in the 740 Live as and when you need to. This is the first system we’ve reviewed which includes a docking cradle so we thought this was nice touch by TomTom.

No protective carry case is included which when you consider the price tag is a shame.

Installation

Car installation was a hassle-free process. The suction cup is pressed against the windscreen and the centre section of the suction cup is twisted to apply the suction. Once attached it is held firmly in place.

The cradle itself is well designed, sporting a design similar to those seen on other sat nav systems, you can twist and turn to get the cradle into the desired position. Attaching and detaching the 740 Live to the cradle is pretty simple too.

The cigarette lighter adapter supports both 12V and 24V meaning it is suitable for both cars and trucks.

Maps

The 740 Live covers the UK, Ireland and Europe.  Map coverage in most countries is 99%, Estonia and Latvia have 72% and 61% respectively, whilst Slovenia has 47% and Croatia 43%.

The full list of map coverage is as follows:

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Vatican City. Also including the connecting roads of Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Menu System

The main menu consists of 3 screens, from which you can perform all the functions you need to operate the system. Many of the options on the main menu then have further sub-menus allowing you to tweak and customise the system.

At first glance the system can appear a little daunting to use, especially when you start drilling down into the sub-menus. For example, if you select the ‘Change Preferences’ option, you are then presented with a further 8 screens.  We feel the 740 Live is more geared towards a power user. There are literally dozens of menu screens available, far more than we’ve seen on other sat nav systems like Garmin or Navman. We’re not even sure we saw every screen ourselves.

You will therefore need time to familiarise yourself with the system. If you want a plain and simple sat nav with just a few menu options then this is probably not the system for you, although there are ways to hide a lot of the menu screens to provide a simpler looking user interface.  If you navigate to preferences screen 8 you can select ‘Show fewer menu options’.

If on the other hand you’re the kind of person who wants to tweak and customise every possible option, then the 740 Live could be well suited for you.

Navigation

The 740 Live provides all the normal navigation options, such as navigating to an address, Point of Interest (POI) or a recent destination.  You can also speak the address which in our tests worked surprisingly well.  There is also a Google button which allows you to search for business listings.

Once a destination has been input you can then review the route, either as text or images.  There is also a route demo which you can run at various speeds.

The 740 Live uses IQ routing technology. The idea behind this is to build some intelligence into the calculations when planning a route.

Traditional sat nav systems use the maximum speed limits for a given road to determine expected arrival time. Depending on the time of day, rush hour versus off-peak, these calculations may not always be accurate. You will tend to drive a lot slower during peak times, but traditional sat nav systems have no way of building this into the route calculations.

IQ technology works by collecting trip data from every single TomTom user. Whenever a TomTom is connected to the TomTom HOME software the sat nav trip data is sent to TomTom. This data can then be used to see how long a particular journey took at a given time of day. Once this data is collected from thousands of different users it can be used to analyze journey patterns and provide more accurate route planning.

Trip data is sent to TomTom anonymously, but if you have any privacy concerns then you can disable this feature.

We tested the 740 Live on several routes, both motorway and urban driving. Overall we thought it was an excellent navigator.  The route selection was good, the maps overall were easy to read and the lane assist worked well, estimated time of arrival was accurate too.  When approaching a motorway junction the status bar will show you what lane to get into, it also displays the motorway junction number at the top of the screen.

We felt too much information is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the screen, at first glance it can look confusing.  There are various options to customise the status bar though, so if you want to see a compass rather than time remaining for example, you can do that.

If you want to navigate to multiple destinations, then you can setup an itinerary.

The 740 Live also supports voice recognition.  The system is pre-programmed with a set of phrases which are linked to common tasks a user may perform, if you press the microphone icon on the screen and speak one of these phrases, for example “Start Itinerary”, then the action is performed.  This saves a user having to navigate through several screens to get to the option they need.

The voice recognition worked well in our tests, of course you need to try and remember what phrases are programmed into the TomTom, but if you can remember a few phrases it could come in useful.

Live Services

TomTom LIVE is a set of services that provide the following:

• HD Traffic
• Google search
• Local fuel prices
• Safety cameras
• TomTom weather
• TomTom buddies

These services are provided free of charge for the first 3 months, thereafter you will have to pay a flat monthly fee of £7.99.  Unless you’re a regular road user you may find these ongoing costs expensive, especially when you consider the selling price for these systems.

HD Traffic

HD Traffic is similar in purpose to traffic modules seen on other sat nav systems, the idea is to warn users of upcoming traffic problems.  But whereas other sat nav systems we’ve reviewed use TMC (Traffic Management Channel) to broadcast traffic data to a sat nav via conventional FM-RDS radio stations, TomTom has taken this a step further.

TomTom collects data from Vodafone’s GSM network to track how mobile phones in cars are moving all over the country.  This can then be used to calculate how fast cars are moving.  The idea is that during a traffic jam, cars will be moving more slowly, and therefore the mobile phones in those cars are moving slowly too.  This can then be used to warn other TomTom users in the same area.  Some people may be concerned about privacy issues, but TomTom are only collecting GSM data rather than physically tapping into your phone to snoop on you.

Traffic data from 3rd parties such as government agencies and conventional traffic providers is also collected to try and provide a comprehensive traffic picture as possible.

Here is an example traffic map.  It is not the easiest thing to understand.  We thought the icons were too small to figure out what was going on.

During our tests we did not encounter any traffic hold-ups so it is difficult for us to tell how good HD traffic really is, but it sounds impressive in theory.  You can also browse traffic between your home and work office which regular commuters may find useful.

Google Search

Using Google Search you can lookup local business listings. Search results provide you with the option to navigate to a given destination.  We used this feature several times to lookup hotels and restaurants and it worked really well.  Just bear in mind you can only lookup business listings.

Local Fuel Prices

The idea here is to show you the cheapest fuel in your area and therefore help you save money.  In our tests this worked well.

Safety Cameras

The 740 Live will detect mobile and fixes safety cameras as well as warnings of accident blackspots.  In our tests it did a pretty good job.  In this example it is warning of a possible mobile safety camera positioned over a motorway bridge.

TomTom Weather

Some people may regard this as a gimmick, but the 740 Live can also provide the local weather in your area.  A weather report is displayed on the screen and a human voice (not a computer automated one) will read out the weather for you.

TomTom Buddies

Using the buddies feature you can see where your other TomTom friends are on the map, send them messages and share favourite locations.  We didn’t get a chance to test this feature out, but we’ve seen it used before on other sat nav systems and it is a nice idea.

Bluetooth

The 740 Live supports bluetooth hands-free calling as well as SMS support, which means you can control your mobile phone via the 740 Live.  You can download your phone address book onto the sat nav, as well as call a Point of Interest.  We experienced no issues, although we only tested this feature for a couple of days so can’t guarantee it will work flawlessly.

Points of Interest (POI)

The POI database did a reasonable job but it was let down with regards to accuracy.  We looked up several hotels and on each occasion the location provided by the 740 Live was inaccurate, not just by a few yards but a couple of hundred yards away on the wrong street.  We used the TomTom Map Share correction feature to notify TomTom of this problem, but we didn’t have much confidence in the POI being able to navigate us correctly to a destination after this.  We preferred to use the Google Live Search which gave us more accurate results.

TomTom HOME

The 740 Live includes the TomTom HOME software to install on your computer.  This software allows you to perform tasks like update the software on your 740 Live, share map corrections, download additional voices, and backup or restore your TomTom.  We found the software easy to install, simple to use and reported no issues.

Final Thoughts

There were some aspects of the device we simply ran out of time to review.  These included the ‘Where Am I’ feature, document reader, photo gallery and iPod control.  TomTom have certainly packed a lot into this device but we wonder how much of this will actually get used by a typical user.

Summary

Overall the TomTom Go 740 Live is an excellent navigation device.  It has a wealth of features and options that should keep most users happy. These do come at a price though, this system costs a lot of money, and to get the most out of it you will need to pay the monthly subscription too, otherwise you will lose the LIVE services, so unless you’re a regular road user you will not get your money’s worth.

It can be a complex system at first glance and will take a while to get used to.  There are a vast array of menu options available and some aspects of the device, like HD Traffic can be difficult to understand.  We feel it is aimed at a power user, someone who is already familiar with sat nav systems and wants to upgrade to something more expensive with more features.  We don’t think it would be suitable for a novice user looking to buy their first sat nav.

From a navigational viewpoint it put in a stellar performance, although the Points of Interest (POI) was disappointing and wasn’t a match for the Garmin in this department.

If you drive frequently, have the cash and don’t mind paying the ongoing monthly subs, then this is a system worthy of a place on your sat nav shortlist.

Buy the TomTom Go 740 Live from Lemon Digital

Buy the TomTom Go 740 Live from Amazon

© Dean Taplin - Gadget reviews from Technical Itch.

Garmin announced today a new model in the Nuvi range. The Nuvi 1490T is aimed at the higher end of the Nuvi range. It will offer a 5-inch display with route planning, lane assist, lifetime traffic alerts, bluetooth hands-free calling, pedestrian navigation, photo navigation and ecoRoute.

It will also support downloading of CityXplorer content (when available). This will allow you to navigate city public transit systems for selected cities, such as bus and rail transportation.

The 1490T will come preloaded with either North American or European maps. It will be 25% slimmer than most Nuvi models already in the market. It is expected to be available in July 2009. Prices in the US are expected to be around $499, so in the UK we can expect to see prices in excess of £300.

News of the 1490T release comes hot on the heels of the Nuvi 1200 and 1300 models. We’ll be hoping to review all these models later this year.

Further details should be available during the Gadget Show Live exhibition at the Birmingham NEC during 17-19th April.

© Dean Taplin - Gadget reviews from Technical Itch.

This review looks at the Garmin Nuvi 775T which is an update to the Garmin Nuvi 770 review we published last year.

The Nuvi 775T has the same core set of features and mapping as the original Nuvi 770, but with a few extra features and enhancements. These new features include lane assist to help you navigate complex motorway junctions, 3D building view, photo navigation, ecoRoute, and increased memory.

Since the navigation is essentially the same as the original Nuvi 770 we will just cover the differences between these two models.

Box Contents

This is what you get in the box:

• Garmin Nuvi 775T
• Preloaded City Navigator® NT maps for North America and Europe (full coverage)
• Vehicle suction cup mount
• FM traffic receiver with vehicle power cable
• Dashboard disk
• USB cable
• Quick start manual

First Impressions

The Nuvi 775T looks very similar to the original Nuvi 770. The only visual difference is the colour scheme. The Nuvi 770 had a silver strip around the edges of the device. The Nuvi 775T has this same strip but it is the same colour as the rest of the device so is less noticeable.

Surprisingly, the Nuvi 775T does not include a free leather carry case which was one of the things we liked about the original Nuvi 770. These cases don’t cost much so it was a shame to see Garmin drop this.

Installation

Setting up the Nuvi 775T is straightforward. Using the provided power cable you plug one end in the cigarette lighter socket and the other end into a small socket on the side of the cradle. This is a good design as it enables you to connect and disconnect the Nuvi from the cradle without worrying about unplugging the power cable each time.

The Nuvi 775T includes built-in traffic. Branching out from the power cable is a thinner cable that you attach to the windscreen using the small suction cups provided. At the end of this cable is a small receiver which is used to send traffic reports to the Nuvi 775T.

Map Coverage

The Nuvi 775T has the same transatlantic maps as the Nuvi 770 covering both Europe and North America.

Memory

The Nuvi 775T has increased memory allowing you to store up to 1000 waypoints and favourite locations, which is twice the amount the Nuvi 770 can hold. This should be ample for most users.

Navigation

The maps looks almost identical to the Nuvi 770, although a few tweaks have been made.

The estimated arrival time has been moved from the bottom left to the bottom right of the screen. This makes room for the current speed to now be displayed in the bottom left of the screen. This is an improvement over the Nuvi 770 where the current speed could only be viewed by selecting the trip information screen, something that is not easy to do whilst driving.

The next turn information has been moved from the bottom right to the top left of the screen, we think this in an improvement over the original Nuvi 770.

One of the criticisms aimed at older Nuvi models, like the 770, is that you could only see the estimated arrival time on the screen. The Nuvi 775T has addressed this concern by providing more options.

If you tap the bottom right of the screen you can choose from a selection of routing data options, these are:

• Estimated time of arrival
• Distance to destination
• Estimated time to destination
• Direction of travel
• Elevation
• Time of Day

These new routing data options are a welcome addition to the Nuvi range and should satisfy most user needs.

The other useful new feature is speed limit displays. In the bottom left of the screen it will display the speed for the road you’re driving along. This can come in really useful if you’re not sure what the speed limit is for a particular stretch of road.

On the whole this worked pretty well. In our tests it displayed the correct speed and was quick to adjust when the speed limit changed. It was not 100% accurate though and a couple of times it got the speed wrong. This is to be expected though, speed limits on roads can occasionally change leaving out of date speed limit information on the Nuvi 775T. We also found on some occasions it did not display the speed limit at all, so don’t expect 100% coverage of ‘A’ roads.

Despite these new features, out on the road though we found the Nuvi 775T a disappointment. We don’t know if we reviewed a dud model or not but it was certainly not up to par with previous Garmin Nuvi systems we’ve tested.

We tested the 775T on the same routes as the 770 and found discrepancies between the two. The 775T on one occasion tried to navigate us into a layby on the opposite side of the road, on another occasion it asked us to turn left, off the main road into a housing estate, when we were clearly meant to continue along the main road.

We also found it had a preference for directing us through city centres when a better route was available. Sometimes this may be unavoidable, but we’d like to see a bit more intelligence built into the navigation so it could try and route us along an alternative route. It is sometimes preferable to take a slightly longer route rather than be stuck in slow urban traffic.

We updated our review unit to the latest firmware but this did not fix the issues we observed, so overall we were left disappointed with the navigation performance.

Safety Cameras

Just like the Nuvi 770, the Nuvi 775T includes safety camera warnings out of the box.

The only difference from the Nuvi 770 is a cosmetic one, the actual warning is now displayed on the map rather than the next turn banner at the top of the screen.

Over time though, new safety cameras will appear on roads across the country, so if you want to keep your Nuvi 775T up-to-date with these new safety cameras you will need to take out a subscription. These subscriptions typically last 1 year and allow you unlimited updates during this time.

There are several subscription options available. You can take out a subscription from Garmin, or another popular option is the Garmin speed camera plugin from SCDB.info.

Traffic Module

The Nuvi 775T includes a built-in traffic module which allows you to be notified of any traffic problems along your route. In our tests we did not encounter any traffic hold-ups so it is difficult for us to assess how accurate the 775T is at providing real-time traffic information, but we did notice differences from the Nuvi 255WT we reviewed last month.

The Nuvi 255WT gives you the ability to search for traffic problems both along your current route and other roads in your area. We couldn’t find any such option on the Nuvi 775T so it seems this area has undergone a redesign. We prefer how the Nuvi 255WT works so we’re not sure why the 775T has been changed.

We’d like to see a more standard approach across the newer Nuvi models so these features have a more consistent look and feel.

Bluetooth

As with the Nuvi 770, the Nuvi 775T can be paired with a mobile phone using bluetooth. This enables you to make hands free calling via the Nuvi, as well as send and receive SMS messages.

Like the navigation though, this was another area which let us down. We found the bluetooth temperamental, sometimes it would work, other times we would make a call but the person at the other end of the line could not hear us. So overall we found the bluetooth pretty unusable.

Photo Navigation

The Nuvi 775T includes the same picture viewer as the Nuvi 770, but the 775T takes this a step further by supporting photo navigation.

Some digital cameras can now automatically add the GPS co-ordinates to the photo metadata whenever you take a photograph. Even for cameras that don’t have this feature, there are software programs available that allow you to edit photos on your PC afterwards and add this location information.

This process of adding location information to the photo metadata is known as geotagging. If you transfer one of these geotagged photos to the Nuvi 775T you can navigate to that location.

It is an interesting idea but we think it is more of a gimmick and is not a feature we used, but it is nice to see Garmin offering features like this for those who may like it.

3D Building View

The Nuvi 775T includes 3D building view. The idea is to make the driving experience on screen more realistic by showing major landmarks in 3D.

As with the photo navigation we think it is a bit of a gimmick, but the feature is there for you if you find it useful. We managed to briefly capture the 3D building view in action whilst driving around.

Lane Assist

The Nuvi 775T includes lane assist which is designed to help you navigate complex junctions, helping you get in the correct lane when approaching a major motorway junction.

We ran out of time with our review model and did not get an opportunity to test this feature out, but it looks like it could come in useful.

Garmin ecoRoute

Garmin ecoRoute is designed to save you fuel. You can use it to monitor how much fuel your vehicle is consuming as well as examine your carbon footprint, it addition you can use it to plot the most fuel efficient route to your destination.

If you don’t see ecoRoute on your Nuvi 775T then you need to download the latest Garmin 7×5 firmware.

To use ecoRoute you first need to setup your vehicle profile, this includes the type of fuel you use, fuel cost and the average miles per gallon for your vehicle in urban traffic and cruising speeds.

Once you’ve entered this information you can examine each route you’ve driven and see how much it cost.

There is also a new Less Fuel option under the Route Preference screen. This allow the Nuvi 775T to plot a route to your destination using the least amount of fuel.

Garmin ecoRoute really deserves a whole review on its own, so we intend to go into this area in more detail over the coming months. From what we’ve seen so far it looks like it could come in useful.

Battery

Battery power is estimated at 3 hours, this is less than the 5 hours for the Nuvi 770. This shouldn’t present too many problems to users, but if you intend to use the Nuvi 775T for pedestrian use frequently then you’ll need to ensure 3 hours is sufficient for your needs.

Summary

Overall we found the Garmin Nuvi 775T a disappointment. Garmin have added some useful new features over its predecessor, the Nuvi 770.

These include lane assist, speed limit displays, new route data display options and ecoRoute support, but the basic navigation aspects of the device were not good enough when you consider the high price tag. The bluetooth malfunctioned in our tests too.

Based on our testing the Nuvi 770 is a more reliable performer and a bit cheaper too, so we suggest you save yourself some money and stick with the Nuvi 770 for now until the bugs with the 775T are ironed out. If you don’t need the North American maps then save more money and go for the Nuvi 760.

Buy the Garmin Nuvi 775T from Lemon Digital.

Buy the Garmin Nuvi 775T from Amazon.

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© Dean Taplin - Gadget reviews from Technical Itch.

The Garmin Nuvi 250W review we published back in 2007 continues to be one of our most popular reviews, generating over 400 reader comments and regularly appearing in our best seller list.

Following on from this success, Garmin released new models in 2008 called the Nuvi 255W and Nuvi 255WT. These new models are essentially the same as the original Nuvi 250W but with new features like “Where Am I?”, photo navigation and increased storage for waypoints and favourite locations. The 255WT also includes a traffic module to warn you of any traffic hold-ups on your route.

This review will look at the Nuvi 255WT. Since the navigation is essentially the same as the original Nuvi 250W we will just cover the differences between these two models.

Box Contents

This is what you get in the box:

• Garmin Nuvi 255WT
• Preloaded City Navigator® NT for North America or Europe (full coverage)
• Vehicle suction cup mount
• Vehicle power cable
• TMC Traffic Cable
• Dashboard disk
• Quick start manual

First Impressions

Out of the box the Nuvi 255WT looks almost identical to the Nuvi 250W. It has the same slimline appearance and looks solidly built.

As with the Nuvi 250W, there is no USB cable included which is a shame.

Our other complaint is the position of the USB port on the back of device. When you plug a USB cable into the back of the device (such as when connecting the 255WT to a computer) you can’t lay the 255WT on a flat surface like a desk, since the USB cable is sticking out of the back of the device. We ended up positioning the 255WT on the edge of a desk so the USB cable could run freely.

This is only a minor niggle, but it would have been nice if Garmin had followed the same design as the Nuvi 7xx series which has the USB port on the side of the device.

Map Coverage

As with the Nuvi 250W you get detailed map coverage for UK, Ireland and Western Europe.

Main Screen

The tools menu is accessed by pressing the spanner (wrench) icon from the main screen. The tools menu has been given a face-lift and looks more visually appealing than the Nuvi 250W. Each tool option now has an icon next to it so you can more quickly identify the option you need.

Included in the tools menu is the new “Where Am I?” feature. There is also a “My Data” folder where you can quickly access your favourite locations and trip log. There is also a calculator and unit converter.

As with the Nuvi 250W a picture viewer is included, but the 255WT takes this a step further by supporting photo navigation.

Some digital cameras can now automatically add the GPS co-ordinates whenever you take a photograph. Even for cameras that don’t have this feature, there are software programs available that allow you to edit photos on your PC afterwards and add location information. This process of adding location information to the photo metadata is known as geotagging.

If you transfer one of these geotagged photos to the Nuvi 255WT you can navigate to that location.

It is an interesting idea but we think it is more of a gimmick and is not a feature we used, but it is nice to see Garmin offering features like this for those who may like it.

Memory

The Nuvi 255WT has increased memory allowing you to store up to 1000 waypoints and favourite locations, which is twice the amount the Nuvi 250W can hold. This should be ample for most users.

Where Am I?

This feature allows you to quickly identify your current location. There are quick launch buttons on the right hand side of the screen where you can find nearby hospitals, police stations and fuel. It also shows the nearest address and junction. This could be useful if you breakdown for example, you could tell a recovery vehicle your current location.

If you’re interested in knowing your map co-ordinates and elevation then this information is displayed too. We tested this feature on many occasions and it does a good job of detecting your current location, even down to which house number you’re nearest to.

Navigation

The navigation options are very similar to the Nuvi 250W, allowing you to navigate to an address, point of interest (POI), your home location, a list of favourite or recently found destinations, junctions or a specific set of GPS co-ordinates.

There is an option to navigate to a City, useful if you just want to get to a general city area without entering a specific address, as well as browsing the map to find a destination.

The navigation screen on the Nuvi 255WT differs from the Nuvi 250W. The estimated arrival time has been moved from the bottom left to the bottom right of the screen. This makes room for the current speed to now be displayed in the bottom left of the screen. This is an improvement over the Nuvi 250W where the current speed could only be viewed by selecting the trip information screen, something that is not easy to do whilst driving.

The next turn information has been moved from the bottom right to the top left of the screen. In addition, the 255WT displays a car symbol on the left of the screen which indicates it is receiving traffic information.

On the whole we found the navigation as good as the original Nuvi 250W. Our only criticism is the next turn symbol displayed in the top left of the screen. Occasionally the roundabout exit symbol does not match the actual exit on the map.

In the example below we are taking the 2nd exit which is straight across the roundabout, but the next turn symbol in the top left of the screen implies we need to turn right at the roundabout. This only happened a couple of times but it does show that improvements need to made in this area. Our advice is to not rely on the next turn symbol too much, but instead look at the map to know where to turn next.

We also tested the Nuvi 255WT in pedestrian mode. It did a reasonable job of navigating us on foot, but it is far from perfect. The pedestrian mode is essentially the same as vehicle mode except it ignores restrictions like one-way streets, so it is not really design with pedestrians in mind. On a couple of occasions it told us to do a u-turn when in fact the correct route was to carry on walking in the same direction.

Thankfully, Garmin is planning to launch some new pedestrian friendly GPS systems later on in 2009. These are called the Garmin Nuvi 1200 and 1300 respectively so look out for these models.

Safety Cameras

In our tests the Nuvi 255WT did a good job of detecting fixed and mobile cameras. An audible and visual warning is displayed when approaching a safety camera.

The Nuvi 255WT comes with free safety camera warnings out-of-the-box. Just take the Nuvi 255WT out on the road and it will automatically warn you of approaching safety cameras.

Over time though, new safety cameras will appear on roads across the country, so if you want to keep your Nuvi up-to-date with these new safety cameras you will need to take out a subscription. These subscriptions typically last 12 months and allow you unlimited updates during this time.

There are several subscription options available. You can take out a subscription from Garmin.

Another popular option is the Garmin speed camera plugin.

Traffic Module (TMC)

The Nuvi 255WT includes a free traffic module which allows you to be notified of any traffic holds-ups along your route.

You can also do a traffic search which allows you to view any traffic hold-ups, not just on roads along your route. This can be quite useful for seeing at a glance what the traffic situation is like in your area and further afield.

The traffic search will provide a list of roads with traffic hold-ups, a green bar indicates an issue such as slow traffic, whereas a red bar indicates more serious issues such as a road closed.

Below are some example images of the type of traffic information that can be reported from the Traffic Search screen.

In our tests we did not encounter any traffic hold-ups on our routes so it is difficult for us to assess how accurate the 255WT is at providing real-time traffic information, but from our limited testing it seems like it may come in useful.

Points of Interest (POI)

The 255WT uses the same POI database as the Nuvi 250W meaning you have access to over 6 million POI. We’ve always been impressed with the amount of local information provided, whether it be local restaurants, fuel stations or shopping centres. The 255WT performed well in this area.

Settings

There are a couple of minor differences in the settings screen from the original Nuvi 250W. One of these is the option to use a QWERTY style on-screen keyboard. Although only a minor point it is good to see this option available.

The remaining settings are very similar to the Nuvi 250W.

Battery

Battery power is estimated at 4 hours, this is less than the 5 hours for the Nuvi 250W. This shouldn’t be a problem for most people, but bear this in mind if you intend to use the 255WT frequently in pedestrian mode.

Summary

Overall the Nuvi 255WT does a good job of building on the success of the Nuvi 250W. We like the addition of a traffic module and the “Where Am I?” feature. The on-screen menus have also been given a face-lift making the system more visually appealing.

There is a minor bug with the next turn feature, but apart from that we didn’t run into any major issues. Hopefully a future firmware release will fix this.

If you’re on a tight budget then the original Nuvi 250W still represents a good buy, but if want the new features and don’t mind spending a bit extra, then the Nuvi 255WT is a nice system. For those that don’t want a traffic module there is also the slightly cheaper Garmin Nuvi 255W.

Buy the Garmin Nuvi 255WT from Lemon Digital.

Buy the Garmin Nuvi 255WT from Amazon.

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We thought we’d give a quick taster of some upcoming sat nav reviews here on Technical Itch. We’ve recently got three new Garmin Nuvi systems in the office – the 255WT, 775T and 865T plus a TomTom Go 740 Live. We will be road testing these systems over the coming weeks so look out for these reviews when published.

Here is a quick summary of what these systems offer.

Garmin Nuvi 255WT

The Garmin Nuvi 250W review we published back in 2007 continues to be one of our most popular reviews, generating over 400 reader comments and regularly being in our best seller list.

Following on from the success of the 250W, Garmin released updated models in 2008 called the 255W and 255WT. These new models are essentially the same as the original 250W but with new features like “Where Am I?”, photo navigation and increased storage for waypoints and favourite locations. The 255WT also includes a traffic module to warn you of any traffic hold-ups on your route.

Read the full review.

Garmin Nuvi 775T

The Nuvi 775T is an update to the Nuvi 770 review we published last year. The 775T has the new lane-assist feature which is appearing on more Garmin systems these days. Lane-assist is designed to help you get in the right lane when approaching complex junctions. It also includes 3D city view, photo navigation and increased storage for waypoints and favourite locations.

Read the full review.

Garmin Nuvi 865T

The Nuvi 865T is one of the flagship models from Garmin featuring a full menu voice-controlled system so you can operate the system using your voice alone, rather than touching the screen. The reviews we’ve read of this system so far have rated the voice recognition highly so we look forward to testing it out. The 865T also includes lane-assist and photo navigation.

We’re waiting to road test this system currently.

TomTom Go 740 Live

Having reviewed plenty of Garmin systems we are looking forward to seeing how the TomTom fares against the Garmin. The TomTom GO 740 boasts a good feature set including lane guidance, a voice controlled system and real-time connection to things like traffic and fuel prices.

Read the full review.

What Next?

3 down, 1 to go. We’re just waiting to get hold of a Garmin Nuvi 865T now, we’ll then start road testing.

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© Dean Taplin - Gadget reviews from Technical Itch.