Jalopnik: Nuvi

How Much Is Too Much For GPS? How About A G?

Travis Hudson — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Garmin's ever-expanding line of GPS navigation units is getting an expensive new addition. The Garmin Nuvi 880 is now available for pre-order at Amazon for a ridiculous, ball-busting $1,000. You're probably telling yourself that a GPS system had better be able to read your mind and make coffee to be worth $1,000, right? Well, it can't quite do either, but it does have an extensive list of features and abilities. Full list after the jump.

Text-to-speech

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) capability (screen control)

Bluetooth wireless technology (pair with phone or headset)

FM transmitter

Picture navigation: routing to a geocoded point in JPEG files

Included traffic receiver via MSN Direct receiver for North America

Last position: The unit automatically marks your position when you remove it from the windshield mount, so you can navigate with the Nüvi on foot and find your way back to your vehicle

Location and Text messages

Instant on

Web drop: create favorites in a PC browser and send to Nuvi via USB (.gps files)

Route planning with via points

USB 2.0, high-speed connectivity and mass storage

SD card slot

MCX connector (external antenna)

Digital Elevation Maps (DEM)

Embedded Linux (OS)

Replaceable battery, high-capacity Lithium-ion (up to 5 hours use)

In addition to this extensive list, the 880 also has a 4.3-inch screen to go along with its most-touted feature: speech recognition, which can be activated with the remote. [Amazon via Navigadget]

Garmin Nuviphone: What Does It Mean For The GPS Biz?

Travis Hudson — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:45:00 EST

Just when I thought Garmin was too busy releasing a relentless number of GPS navigation systems, they come out of nowhere with the Nuviphone, a full-blown cellphone based around a GPS core that's set for a third quarter release this year. No word on the carrier or price. With a variety of carriers and manufacturers marketing their own gimpy solutions to GPS on cellphones, what does this phone mean for the industry? Quite a bit, actually.

Garmin is a big name brand in the GPS navigation industry. Arguably, they're the top dog. And when they make a big change, like this one, everyone will take note.

The Nuviphone is another iPhone competitor, but the difference here is that the Nuviphone features full blown GPS and not the triangulation and location-based mumbo-jumbo that the iPhone and many other cellphone manufacturers put out there.

The Nuviphone still has a long way to go, but a release of this magnitude—i.e., a cellphone that one can truly dock in a car and be used for navigation—will ripple throughout the industry and hopefully force other manufacturers to take note and include TRUE GPS (worthy of use in cars for navigation) into cellphones.

The phone itself is the whole enchilada, as far as features go. And in addition to the GPS navigation, the phone includes Google local search and Garmin online services (traffic, weather, fuel prices, etc) that links up with the core navigation system. [Garmin via Giz]

Garmin, MSN Eliminate Unnecessary Address Entry on GPS Units

Travis Hudson — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:30:00 EST

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]

The Ultimate Garmin Nuvi Shopping Guide

Travis Hudson — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:30:00 EST

One of the biggest gripes about aftermarket GPS navigation systems is that there are simply too many choices. Seriously, do you really need to release a new model because it has microSD expandability rather than mere SD? Cut out the gadget diarrhea already. Enter Navigadget, performing a valuable service by breaking down all of the Garmin Nuvi GPS systems in a handy and convenient chart. It covers price, display size, battery life, text-to-speech ability, map choices, Bluetooth, MP3 player, remote control, voice communication, MSN direct, FM transmission and type of memory card slot. This is great, and I'll be the first to give Garmin top honors in the GPS realm, but as the chart suggests, the sheer number of options is a bit much. [Navigadget]

Garmin Nuvi 5000 Belongs in a Museum

Travis Hudson — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST

It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it? Look at her, the Garmin Nuvi 5000; she's just so beautiful and elegant and deserves a spot on the dashboard of only the most elite luxury vehicles. Right? The Nuvi 5000 is Garmin's latest heavy hitting GPS navigation system announced at the CES show this week.

The new nav unit measures in with a 5.2-inch screen and will include the usual array of features. One extra special ability is the video input so you can plug anything into it and see it displayed on the big and bright screen, including items such as backup cameras.

It does lack a battery, so it will always have to be juiced, but it's okay Nuvi 5000 baby, I still love you. [Navigadget]
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