Gadgets, direct, garmin, garmin nuvi, gps, msn, msn direct, navigation, nuvi

Garmin, MSN Eliminate Unnecessary Address Entry on GPS Units

Garmin is taking steps in the right direction with a new service it recently announced. Everyone who has used a GPS navigation knows that entering addresses is pretty painstaking, so this new service—a collaboration between Garmin and MSN Direct—tries to eliminate that requirement altogether. It seems the service is pretty simple: beaming directions from a computer using Microsoft Live Search Maps directly to a compatible Garmin GPS unit. But the method they used to get to that point is an interesting one.

Back in 2003, Microsoft introduced Spot, an information service that operated on the FM frequency band. There functioned using watches that could receive weather info, sports scores, etc. Spot has taken on a new identity as MSN Direct now provides a direct method of communication between your PC and compatible GPS receiver or other gadgets.

It sends the directions and addresses to your GPS receiver over the FM frequency. The current two compatible GPS receivers are the Garmin nuvi 880 and 780. An additional MSN Direct receiver is also required for your GPS unit, a $50 per year operation cost. So by no means is being lazy cheap, but it sure as hell is convenient. [Navigadget]

4:30 PM on Fri Jan 25 2008
By Travis Hudson
1,762 views
10 comments

Comments

Igor at 05:03 PM on 01/25/08
Reply by Email
*

WOW that is dumb, expensive and too complicated all at once ..

TomTom and Google in the meantime simply have a link that starts your TomTom Home application and uploads the new location into your connected GPS .. backwards compatible, instantaneous, and no need to pay for MS Spot.

Igor
ElChupacabura at 05:05 PM on 01/25/08
Reply by Email
*

Ever heard of a USB cable! My god talk about making this process as complicated as possible.
mowges at 05:23 PM on 01/25/08
Reply by Email
*

ignore the short sighted people above, there are many possibilities with this in the long term such as friends or family from home sending the address to you or sending new outlook calendar alerts to you with addresses for sales people...
eltonito at 05:35 PM on 01/25/08
Reply by Email
*

@ElChupacabura: Or Bluetooth maybe?
squablow at 05:50 PM on 01/25/08
Reply by Email
*

$50 a year to save 45 seconds of touch-screen typing time? I don't get it. Garmin needs to spend more time keeping their maps up to date and less time coming up with stupid stuff that no one is looking for.
fastm3driver at 05:50 PM on 01/25/08
Reply by Email
*

Wow like my 4 year old ique from the same company.
Funny it's still small than any of the Nuvi's and does way more. sad
ecobore at 06:29 PM on 01/25/08
Reply by Email
*

TomTom/Google solution is typically much simpler and doesn't involve hideous MSerf!
wheels OF satan! at 02:31 AM on 01/26/08
Reply by Email
*

does the blue-screen-of-death cost extra too? or does microsoft/msn throw that in for freeee?
Toretto at 06:46 AM on 01/26/08
Reply by Email
*

I bought the Nuvi 680 because the TomTom/Google service cost a lot more. You need a data plan on your cell phone to get that data.

I admit, I'm not using the Live feature. But gas prices and traffic data is worth the $50 a year. I don't regret getting the Nuvi. Awesome.
drewheyman at 12:24 PM on 01/28/08
Reply by Email
*

@Toretto:
whenever the crew of the good ship SS Blue Triangle fly off the red route, they will beg, nay plead - to get updated directions beamed to them over the FM band before they are lost forever!

They would also accept the AM band, but they are not sure how much staticy farm reports and talk radio would help.