According to a new report from J.D. Powers, owners of vehicles with factory-installed navigation devices are using portable navigation devices (PND) and smartphones as their primary navigation choice. The study by J.D. Powers set out to rank customer satisfaction of these units and found a large number of owners opting to use something else to more »

These days if you’re introducing a GPS, you’ve got to have a hook. Satsports is bringing its Satsports GPS to North America and wants it to be the GPS for all sports. It runs Windows CE 5.0, has an internal speaker, some built in memory with 256MB or storage, Micro SD slot for real storage, weighs 125g, and has a 2.7-inch QVGA screen (320 x 240). This GPS also has apps made for golfers, runners, street nav, and skiing.

What do these apps do? “Pocket Caddy” lets you see golf courses in a fly over mode so you can see the hole before you hit the ball. It will even tell you yardages so you can figure out how hard to swing. You can also record data like what kind of club you used so you can learn from your mistakes.

“Satski” gives you ski maps, real time data on speed, and rescue services data. “Satsports Log” will probably have the most wide appeal as it it is for cyclers, runners, and hikers. You can find out altitude, distance, and speed. Data for both Satsports Log and Satski are sycnable to your computer.

Here comes the Magellan RoadMate 1700, the 7-inch touch screen WVGA GPS device. With that giant touch screen, you’ll get Roadside Assistance, AAA TourBook, and maps of Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States. The RoadMate also has a video-in jack so you can connect whatever device you would like to the large 7-inch screen. more »

Magellan’s Triton line of GPSs are getting upgraded with new software. The Triton gets more maps with more details. Since the Triton is designed to be a handheld, outdoorsy GPS, details are key. Magellan claims that it has made the Triton easier to use. The new software update is free at Magellan’s site. The user more »

Yesterday, AT&T launched a new app into the Apple App Store and we’re sure the shot was felt at Garmin HQ. The app, AT&T Navigator finally brings the promise of GPS navigation to the iPhone. Now, iPhone owners can navigate themselves hither and yon simply by opening the app and picking a destination. The question remains: will on the phone GPS kill off stand alone units?

Easy, simple navigation

AT&T Navigator is based on TeleNav’s technology and in my use of the product for the past day, it seems to work well. Navigation is done only in portrait (though TeleNav says that could change in future releases) with big clear directions, unobtrusive onscreen instructions and surprisingly loud verbal guidance. The product continues the smart TeleNav way of easily entering in information that, to me, is miles ahead of the competition.

The Japanese based Sanyo has recently introduced two new in-dash navigation systems that look to lead the Gorilla GPS lineup. The two GPS models include the NVA-GS1609FT and the NVA-GS1409DT, both of which feature similar specs, but the main difference is the fact that the NVA-GS1609 boasts 16GB of storage, while the other features only 8GB of storage.

In terms of screen size, both GPSs sport 7-inch LCD touch screens, with 480×240 resolution. For the 16GB device, half of its SSD hard drive will specifically hold maps and other navigation information, while the other 8GB allow it to store ripped CD music as well as play DVDs. In addition, AAC, WMA, and MP3 file formats are supported, and it even comes with a 1Seg B-CAS tuner.

Now, when driving, it is important to know the traffic conditions. The tuner allows the driver to watch live video broadcasts which can help keep the driver updated on local and distant road conditions. Not to mention the ability to watch a few shows during down time.

You may have heard that Navigon, a GPS maker, is pulling out of the North American market. That’s quite the shame because their products were pretty good. Plenty of Navigon units (including some low priced ones) had traffic updates for life. But what happens now that Navigon has quit this market? No problem. You’re still more »

That headline get your attention? A new bill may give the President the power to mess up the Internet. I wonder if this has anything to do with his BlackBerry. Also, goofing off can save the economy if done right. Plus, GPSs have warnings for a reason, so try to use some common sense.

I have recently had the opportunity to spend some quality time with the Clarion MiND, a mobile Internet navigation device. The MiND is a mixture of mobile Internet device (MID) and a standalone GPS unit. It was almost like having a standalone GPS device (think Navigon) and Internet Tablet (think Nokia N810) rolled into one. The MiND offers a wide variety of features and for what it is, has a pretty decent set of specs. Keep reading for an in-depth review.

Garmin has introduced a new application for owners of their navigational systems. BaseCamp will allow users of the program to easily transfer information about their trip between a computer and select Garmin outdoor GPS systems. With this utility, you can manage your trips by recording different tracks, routes and waypoints.

This application is ideal for hikers and outdoorsman that rely on Garmin devices to navigate while on their outdoor adventures. With BaseCamp, the user will be able to pull up 24K and 100K topographical maps in either 2D or 3D. In addition, maps can be rotated in all directions instead of merely pointing northwards and the current elevation level.