Globalsat's GH-625M GPS Watch

For weeks now we at gps navigation watch have had the opportunity to test the GH-625M GPS Watch developed by Globalsat and we are ready to give our judgment. The GH-625M have a new design and a form factor that makes it a really sleek device. Its still a little too large to be worn as an ordinary watch much like the Garmin Forerunner 405 which we have reviewed on this site in the past. The GH-625M is very comfortable to put on like a watch and does not interfere with your activity or hinder you in anyway. It also comes with a bicycle attachment that enables you to securely attach the device to your bicycle during cycling activity. The GH-625M comes with a wireless heart rate monitor which when strapped on to your chest will remotely send information about your heart rate to the device. Below is a picture of the GH-625M we received for testing. One very important issue when it comes to handheld or strap on devices like the GH-625M is that of the battery life, nobody want to stop at the middle of an activity to go and plug up a device. So one of the important thing we wanted to test is how long will the GH-625M battery last. We are happy to report that the GH-625M have an impressive average battery live of about 10 hours in continuous use. Enough time for you to complete whatever activity you are doing. The GH-625M also have a very rigid design to avoid damage by occasional dropping and its waterproofed. The GH-625M let you monitor all aspect of your exercise / sport activity which include but not limited to, distance travel, speed, heart rate, calories, location, duratio and laps. All these information can be displayed on dedicated screens for you to see while exercising and are also stored in the device internal memory. You can transfer all the stored information to the computer for further viewing or analysis using USB interface. Another realy cool feature of this device is that it comes with a GS-Sport Training Gym Software that you install on your computer and this software let you view in a very compact and beautiful format all the information collected by the device. You can view your path on a map integrated with google earth, view your distance travel, laps, calories, hearth rate etc. You can completely analyze and be able to control every aspect of your exercising. The image below shows the output from GS-Sport Training Gym for one of our tests. (click on image to enlarge) In conclusion, the GH-625M is a fully-sealed, waterproof and large LCD wrist watch device with GPS capability that enables you to take complete control of your activities from start to finish. It is highly recommended for a broad range of outdoor activities such as Jogging, Running, Biking, Snow skating e.t.c.

Reviewing the Lightweight Plenio VXA-3000

The Plenio VXA-3000 is a slim, lightweight portable GPS navigation system which also boasts a built-in media player that provides access to a number of multimedia functions such as picture viewing, playing videos, games and music. Couple this with the wireless FM transmitter, and you can enjoy video and music files stored on your SD card over your vehicle stereo speakers– just set your FM radio to a predetermined frequency. In terms of dimensions, the Lightweight Plenio measures 7.5 x 1.5 x 4.9 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 1.2 pounds. It comes with a SD card pre-loaded with a map of the entire United States, and an integrated flip up GPS antenna for clean, easy setup and installation. It offers turn-by-turn voice guidance available in several languages; automatic re-routing and smart detour navigation options help minimize delays while traveling. Other convenient, time-saving features of the handy VXA-3000 include the excellent response speed, and accurate and responsive GPS receiver coupled with real-time rendered maps, resulting in virtually no delay between the actual and displayed position.

Eclipse AVN20D Offering Full DVD Based Navigation

The Eclipse AVN20D is now available at a very cheap price, it comes with some resourceful features including a full DVD based navigation. The included DVD runs on a dual disc drive, the purpose of this is to enable one drive bay to hold the DVD Rom disc for navigation, while the second drive holds CD's. Unlike in the traditional DVD navigation units that have only one slot which requires the user to remove the navigation disc to play a CD, the dual disc drive has the advantage of allowing users to freely change and play music while keeping the navigation disc in the unit. Locating your favorite spots such as the nearest restaurant, gas station, or rest stop is quite easy with the DVD based Navigation 5 million points of interest. This ensures that you are always in touch when you are on the go. In addition to high quality sound, this Navigation receiver also comes with built-in 9 band EQ and 160 Watt amplifier. Optional Eclipse CRD-2 Auxiliary Audio/Video Input Cable (sold separately) allows you to connect a remote-mount DVD player or other audio/video input like an Xbox360, PS3, iPod, flip-down monitor, etc.

The Plenio VXA 2100 GPS Navigator

The Plenio VXA-2100 offers a crisp, sharp display and clear view to guide you to where you are going with its generous 7-inch wide, touch-screen. With touch screen technology, everyone can use this Plenio VXA 2100 when they drive a car.This device comes with turn-by-turn voice guidance available in several languages. This Plenio VXA 2100 GPS portable system included with digital media player. The Plenio VXA 2100 available in several languages and using automatic re-routing system and smart detour navigation technology options to help its user to help minimize the delays map while traveling. When i comes to entertainment, Plenio VXA-2100 offers multimedia functions such as picture viewing, playing videos, games and music. In addition to this, there is a wireless FM transmitter that can be set a predetermined frequency, and you can enjoy video and music files stored on your SD card over your vehicle stereo speakers. Other outstanding features that make the Plenio VXA-2100 GPS one of the best personal navigation values in the industry include, excellent response speed, accurate and responsive GPS receiver coupled with real-time rendered maps (there is virtually no delay between the actual and displayed position!) and 2D and 3D maps support with day and night-view settings. The Plenio VXA 2100 GPS has a good, solid design that works well for the tasks it was designed for.

Nextar X4B mobile Navigation Device

With the Nextar X4B mobile, you can be sure of getting to your destination right on time and without much troubles. One of the major reasons people buy GPS device is to have a sense of direction and this is exactly what Nextar X4B gives you, you can be sure your days of getting lost are well over with this unit. It comes with a large resolution 4.0" screen that offers great object display and it is readable in sunlight. This GPS that comes along with portable media player function and built-in FM transmitter for playing navigation instructions or multimedia files through the car’s audio system. Playback your favorite MP3s while in Navigation mode and has the ability to play MPEG4 & AVI files while supporting JPG/BMP/GIF formatted pictures. K4 will even pause your music to give you GPS voice prompts. The unit has the entire US for maps and comes with voice prompts in English/Spanish/French. The Maps and 1.6 Million POI fit onto the 2GB built in memory. The Nextar X4B navigation system provides 1.6-million points of interest, including hotels, shopping centers, gas stations, and restaurants. Instant route recalculation is provided in case a driver misses a turn. Digital map data is supplied by NAVTEQ, the preeminent provider of comprehensive digital map information for automotive navigation systems. Other features include storage capability for up to 300 addresses of favorite destinations, 2D and 3D map-viewing modes with built-in compass, a SD card slot for additional memory, and a built-in high-sensitive antenna. It also has the capability to play MP3 files and display JPEG images. A lightweight, built-in rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery supplies power.

Review of Garmin nuvi 200

The Garmin nuvi 200 is a wide screen version of the entry-level nuvi 200. This is still a very basic unit with a screen resolution of 320 x 240 pixels . Like all 200-series nuvis, this GPS navigator has an internal antenna, for a sleeker design than older nuvis that bore the flip-up antenna. At 3.8 inches wide by 2.8 inches high by 0.8 inch deep and 5.2 ounces, the Garmin Nuvi 200 isn't that much bigger than today's latest smart phones or PDAs; in other words, it's pretty compact. It helps that the GPS antenna is now integrated into the device, unlike older Nuvi models like the Garmin Nuvi 350, which had a flip-up antenna. And while the Nuvi 200 is probably a little too bulky to fit into a pants pocket comfortably, you'll have no problem carrying it in a bag, using it on foot, or transporting it between vehicles. It comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs)database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2-D or 3-D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. In addition, nüvi 200 accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs. nüvi 200 also includes many travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. It also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and is compatible with their free Garmin Garage where you can download custom vehicles that show your location on the map. Enhance your travel experience with optional plug-in SD cards such as Garmin Travel Guides for detailed data on attractions. By going to the Garmin site, you can load geocaches onto your GPS unit, and you can use your Garmin unit to find objects that other people have hidden in specific locations. All you simply have to do is create a free Garmin account, type in the location you want to look for geocaches, and then just choose what geocaches you want to load into your GPS unit via USB.

Get Live Traffic Via Cobra Nav One 4500 Mobile

Cobra's NAV ONE 4500 is a highly portable navigation system that offers relief while driving through the live traffic info available. It is portable and so you can effortlessly move it from car to car. You can even take it with you on a trip, avoiding those premium fees charged by rental car companies. The NAV ONE 4500 can receive real-time traffic information to let you know if construction or an accident is blocking your programmed route, and the system can even reroute you around such an obstacle. Keep in mind that this service requires a paid subscription. The NAV ONE 4500 can also relay the average speed of traffic on the roads ahead, so you can determine traffic congestion before deciding to take a particular route. The unit is large (4.17 by 6.45 by 2.28 inches) and heavy (1.28 pounds), but the 5-inch TFT color touch screen and built-in map drive make it all worthwhile. The backlit display has a 320x240-pixel resolution, and it's bright and easy to read, even in direct sunlight. The touch screen is also very responsive. The use of large, colorful icons makes it easy to navigate through the menu system, where you can create routes, select points of interest (POI), customize settings, and enter commands and addresses via the onscreen keyboard. The NAV ONE 4500 has a 5-inch touchscreen display, and turn-by-turn voice navigation makes getting to your destination easy. The included map database covers the United States and Canada, and it features seven million points of interest. There are even 3-D views of intersections, which can really come in handy in certain situations. The real-time traffic receiver is by far the coolest feature of the Cobra NavOne 4500. An included receiver picks up FM-radio signals from the Clear Channel radio network and overlays traffic conditions on to the map. With this information, you can view trouble areas, such as construction zones, slow-moving roadways, and other traffic incidents before you arrive on the scene. Cobra gives you a free 90-day subscription to the traffic-information network when you purchase the NavOne 4500; after that, it'll cost you $59 a year for the service.

Enjoy Quality Auto Navigation with Sony NVU84

The Sony NV-U84 portable GPS features a brilliant 4.8-inch touchscreen display with a matte-finish gunmetal gray bezel. The device is 5.2 inches wide by 3.1 inches tall and is 0.8 inch thick and it is pre-loaded with maps covering the entire United States, Canada and Puerto Rico as well as over 5 million POIs. During address searches, the device can automatically complete partial entries of states, cities and street names. The 4.8-inch touchscreen features Gesture Command that gives you control via simple, on-screen finger movements, how's that for simplicity! It comes with a SiRF Star III that has an excellent reputation for gaining a GPS satellite lock even in weak reception areas such as under heavy foliage or between tall buildings. For such situations Sony’s Position Plus technology can maintain an estimate of your current position using the combination of an acceleration sensor, a pressure sensor and a gyro sensor. It can provide uninterrupted guidance when devices not so equipped might drop in and out with the satellite acquisition time delaying the restart of navigation directions. Also embedded is a feature Sony termed a Dual View mode which is a vertically split display with a 3-D map view on one side and either dynamic route information (distance to next destination, distance to final destination, next turn instruction etc.) or a 2-D magnification of an upcoming intersection or junction. The 2-D intersection magnification has a simple bar next to it indicating the distance to the next turn. The NV-U84 includes a feature called Position Plus, which uses accelerometers and a barometer to enhance the GPS system's accuracy in tracking vehicle location. Even if the satellite signal is completely lost, as in the case of driving through a long tunnel, the device can continue to track the vehicle's position and speed. When the system is using Position Plus, the position arrow on the map turns orange,notifying the user that they're operating without satellite assistance. The NVU84 includes a text-to-speech which provides extra safety by allowing the driver to confirm they are on track by checking that the street names announced as part of the navigation instructions match the ones they are seeing as they drive. There is a USB port on the left side of the Sony NVU84 for a USB drive to be inserted and JPEG photo files (up to 12 megapixels) uploaded. Slideshow intervals can be adjusted and finger gestures used for control as well. The NV-U84 includes a feature called Position Plus, which uses accelerometers and a barometer to enhance the GPS system's accuracy in tracking vehicle location. Even if the satellite signal is completely lost, as in the case of driving through a long tunnel, the device can continue to track the vehicle's position and speed. When the system is using Position Plus, the position arrow on the map turns orange,notifying the user that they're operating without satellite assistance. Through using route profile settings it is possible to set the Sony NVU84 to avoid the use of ferries, toll roads, and other such conveyances when calculating your route. Up to ten waypoints (or interim destinations) can be set with the best route being calculated which is ideal for a task such as a delivery run or touring a number of tourist sites. So that you can confirm you are satisfied with the plotted route before commencing your journey it is possible to view the entire route. Route calculation conditions can be changed if necessary for a re-calculation or the route simply confirmed. If you want a closer look at your destination you can view a map of its vicinity.

TomTom Go 730T Review

Satellite navigation manufacturers have been working themselves lame in order to ensure that each comes up with the best device as much as possible. One of the few most intelligent sat nav system on the market today probably is the state of the art TomTom GO 730T. This device combines a number of the latest innovative technologies to ensure an optimal driving experience. The Go 730T comes with daily map updates via the acclaimed TomTom Map Share and also features the new IQ Routes, which calculates routes based on real average speeds, and Advanced Lane Guidance, which gives a more realistic view and enhanced visual instructions of the driver’s surroundings. The TomTom GO 730T also features a number of other updates and improvements, as well an improved design and TMC Traffic receiver, making it the most fully featured GPS device on the market today. Summary of Features IQ Routes Technology Based on real average speeds on the roads, rather than the traditional static measure of maximum speed per road type, the TomTom GO 730T provides a more accurate measure of journey time. By calculating routes based in this manner, your TomTom can select the optimal route, saving significant time and lowering fuel costs. Advanced Lane Guidance A first for the navigation mass market, Advanced Lane Guidance provides drivers with a more realistic view of the road ahead, as well as enhanced visual instructions, ensuring a better representation of the route ahead. TomTom Mapshare TomTom’s unique Map Share technology enhances your navigation experience, because you can now make instant changes directly on your map. You can also receive similar changes made by the entire TomTom community. Besides the 930 model which has some onboard accelerometers and gravity sensors that help it figure out where it's going even if you lose satellite signal for a few minutes, the 730T is the most sensitive device to have come out of TomTom.

Nextar Announces the New Q4-MD Portable Advanced GPS System

Nextar has announced the release of a new portable advanced GPS navigation system that comes bundled with MSN Direct location based services free of charge for 12 months.The Q4-MD sports a 4.3" TFT touch-screen display that provides large, clear, colorful images of maps from all 50 US states and Canada´s 10 provinces and three territories. Equipped with a special automatic night mode, the unit offers additional screen lighting for easier-on-the-eye viewing. There is also an option for voice-guided directions through which you can get clearly audible turn-by-turn voice prompts through a built-in speaker. Road and highway names are clearly pronounced with the advanced text-to-speech technology. English, French, and Spanish languages are fully supported on this device. It offers 1.6-million POI´s (points of interest), including hotels, shopping centers, gas stations, and restaurants; route recalculation is provided in case a driver misses a turn. Tele Atlas is the Digital map provider, which is a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content. With the inclusion of MSN Direct, the Q4-MD provides a unique resource to a wide-range of information. MSN Direct also provides drivers with up-to-the-minute traffic reports, current and three-day weather conditions for a local or national areas and gas-price comparisons for stations nearby. You can also get updated news headlines, stock quotes, and a listing of local events. The Q4-md has an SD Card slot, and it can play back MP3 files and display digital images. Other features include AC/DC Adapter, Car Power Adapter, Suction cup, protection/carry pouch and USB cable.