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Tom Tom Adds Voice Navigation by Homer Simpson (Straightline)
I knew we should have taken that left at Albuquerque.
Neat but likely annoying once the novelty wears off, plus do those voices include text-to-speech? If not then I'd never use it.
You be wrong.
Typically voices for a TomTom are about $10 one time. There are other user done voices that many times are free.
AFAIK, none of the TomTom novelty voices does text to speech - only the computer generated voices.
It would cost a whole lot more for the celebrity to speak every possible word and probably take lots of memory space.
Funny thing is I like the Australian voice vs. the American or British one when it comes to computer-generated text-to-speech voices on my Garmin. Nice to have choices.
"New Jersey was one of the first states to outlaw handheld mobile phone use while driving, and now a state legislator wants to ban using a navigation system while a vehicle is in motion. According to the Daily Record, Democratic Assemblyman Harvey Smith of Jersey City has introduced a bill that would make it a violation for a driver to enter a destination into a navigation system while a car is in motion, other than via voice activation. The fine would be $100 for each infraction."
Car Tech Tuesdays: NJ Lawmaker Seeks Ban on Using Nav Systems While Driving (Edmunds Daily)
I bet that becomes a hot seller pretty soon.
Have fun enforcing that one. So are they going to see you select a POI? Does that count? Or changing the zoom level? Or selecting an iPod track using a GPS with iPod support (or any MP3 for that matter)?
So its a poorly written un-enforceable law that isn't going anywhere. They would me much better off passing a law on the units themselves that lock out non-voice destination entry while driving, like Toyota, BMW, Ford, Nissan...
Telematics: In 2002, voluntary safety guidelines to enhance driver focus when using telematics were developed by the Alliance, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Consumer Electronics Association, AAA, the National Safety Council, AIAM and the Truck Manufacturers Association.
Auto Alliance
Gee, one device will enable you to get busted for inputting a POI, texting and talking on the cell. :shades:
I can override my Toyota Sequoia NAV so my wife can input addresses while moving. I hate that lockout feature. If NJ is no better at enforcing the NAV law than CA the Cell phone law, it is just more wasted paper.
Do you have a pre-07 or do you have "lockpick?" Toyota got in a spot of trouble for that "diagnostic mode" and its gone now. I think you need to have a USB key or something in the back to make that work.
The way those lockouts work is it reads the VSS, and that is reasonably easy to interrupt going to the device. The more recent ones pull speed from the GPS itself, which is more of a challenge to defeat.
You go into diagnostics and hit over ride. That lets you do anything until you shut the vehicle off. Then you have to do the little ritual. Another complaint. You want to go from San Diego to Phoenix you have to reload the different areas. No inputting an address in Albuquerque and have it take you there. Over all I am not that impressed with NAV. I will not leave home without my AAA maps.
An update DVD would probably cost more like $2-300.
In fact, if all those things really work, it would be among the very best.
Garmin and Tom Tom should be afraid. Very afraid.
Now, if only my work wouldn't have an exclusive deal with T-Mobile, maybe I could get one....
New Audi System, BMW Adds Real-Time Updates (Straightline)
Free, mandatory GPS software available now (Garmin)
I applaud Garmin's new "update for life" subscription, but I wonder whether I'd be better off saving the money and putting it towards buying a newer nav unit with a larger screen. I have a nuvi 360 with a 3.5" screen, and the newer units with the larger screen look... nicer.
Amen. They're only ranked 3rd in DC for coverage, behind Verizon and T-Mobile.
I hear you on the upgrades, too. I have 2010 maps on my new one, but my wife's C340 and my 200w have 2008 maps, and I'm not sure I'd invest in those cheaper ones. In fact I think I can find a new 200w for nearly the same cost. The c340 has a small screen, so I could get a similar 255 for also the same cost, and in both cases I'd have a warranty.
It's worth it if you buy a high-end model, though. In that case you're likely to keep it for a long time.
"It's hard to understand how they managed it. I mean, Capri is an island," said Giovanni Medici, a spokesman for Carpi regional government, said today.
"It's the first time something like this has happened."
The middle-aged couple, who were not identified, only discovered their error when they asked staff in the local tourist office on Saturday how to drive to the island's famous "Blue Grotto".
"They were surprised, but not angry," Mr Medici said.
"They got back in the car and started driving south."
The picturesque island of Capri, famed as a romantic holiday destination, lies in the Gulf of Naples in southern Italy and has been a resort since Roman times.
Carpi is a busy industrial town in the province of Emilia Romagna, at the other end of Italy.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25851440-401,00.html
My unit doesn't handle "choose alternate routes" very readily. For touroids like us, a blue highways version would be great (of course, there don't seem to be many blue highways left in much of California - even long stretches of Highway 1 are like freeways now).
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I think they are dropping it and offering new models with voice recognition and/or bigger screens.
Garmin finally lost a GPS comparo - C&D seemed to like a Magellan model better (though they did complement the Garmin).
But then CR comes out with yet another comparo and Garmin once again takes the top spot, with the new model that accepts voice commands.
"Though loaded to the gills with the latest in-car technology, the coolest and most consumer friendly aspect of the new Pioneer AVIC-Z110 navigation receiver is no doubt its customizable "Home" page."
I tried our NAV today on a simple location. It took me 2 miles out of the way. My wife kept telling me it was wrong as she knows they area very well. What a POC Toyota puts in their vehicles. Plus it never learns the right route. Totally useless NAV. I will stick with AAA maps when we take our cross country trip this fall.
When I considered an OE Toyota Navi for my Sienna that's what people recommended.
Still, Costco has my Garmin Nuvi 260w for just $150 now....the 265wt for $220, and that's with traffic info.
Still, a standalone GPS can--and this may be the genre's salvation--provide a larger, more readable screen than the iPhone. It can also provide real (not touch screen) buttons for some functions"
TomTom For iPhone Spells An End To Standalone GPS (PC World)
I'm confident about that because I did just that when I got my 2nd one, a c340. It had v2006 maps, and I was eligible for v2007 at the time. v2008 maps were out and they were nice enough to give me those instead.
Kudos for Garmin service - you can get the latest maps on any new device you buy from them even if they're not pre-loaded.
I paid $429 + shipping. Most places seem to be selling it for ~ $500.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=36082&ra=true
Bob
The 1490T came yesterday. I finally started playing with it today.
It has Bluetooth, and my first few calls came in load and clear. So far I'm really happy with that.
One question/problem I'm having is storing other phone numbers. I don't know how to do that, or even know if the unit is capable of storing other phone numbers? I've got my home number stored, so there's no problem there; but I want to store other numbers, that's the problem.
Also, at the bottom of the screen, after you start the car and "agree to...," there are a bunch of icons, one being a "stop" sign. Somehow I deleted that icon and the one next to it (I don't even remember what it is?). How do I get them to show again?
Finally, there is a "voice call" feature. I haven't figured that out yet.
The instructions on how to use this unit are very poor. There's a "quick start" folder, but that's it. Nothing detailed...
Bob
I always thought the idea was that you could call the entires in the POI (points-of-interest) database.
For example, you search for Food, find a restaurant, then you can call the number to make a reservation.
The Stop sign only appears if you are actively navigating. The other button is for a Detour. So that's not broken, it only appears while in active use.
I may need to get together with you, to help me figure this thing out.
Bob
Tomorrow we leave for yet another road trip to the beach.
Have you been able to use the traffic feature yet?
Let me borrow it for the weekend?
Just kidding about that last part. Sort of.
As to borrowing it, let me play with it first. Once I get more comfortable with it, no problem. I'm planning on using it next Tuesday when I help move Mairen to Ocean Pines.
Bob
That trip to the eastern shore should be a pretty good first test, especially if you drive where it would have traffic information.
It won't on the Eastern Shore, that's for sure.
I purchased my first GPS back in May this year. It's really been a big help, and I really like the features it has. (Bluetooth, Photos, Videos, MP3 music, etc.) I was just wondering how others like their's and how it compares to other GPS units. Thanks