Hasta La Gadget!

We can’t quite figure it out, but it seems the navigation makers in North America just can’t muster the courage to develop something such as this for our market. We could very well be wrong here, but seriously, is there no pent-up demand for a TV tuning GPS system with a spacious 7-inch display here in the US / Canada / Mexico? Anywho, the South Koreans are scoring once more with the downright beautiful Thinkware iNAVI ES300, which arrives with a sweet side-panel control system, integrated battery, 2GB / 4GB / 8GB of internal storage, 3D maps and a DMB tuner. Oh, and this is considered “low-end” by its standards. Those in the right places can snag one soon for ₩329,000 ($263), ₩379,000 ($303) or ₩429,000 ($343) from least capacious to most.

[Via NaviGadget]

Filed under: GPS

Thinkware’s iNAVI ES300 navigator reeks of win originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In theory, we’ve no qualms with TomTom’s LIVE services. Sure, they’re over-hyped, overpriced and generally slow to react, but they’re definitely nice extras on an otherwise vanilla PND. That said, we simply can’t (and won’t, ever) justify the crazy monthly rates for having access to basic information that even a dumb smartphone could find. Nevertheless, TomTom’s doing its darnedest to push those very services to the masses by trickling ’em down from the GO 740 LIVE to its popular XL model. Folks across the pond can pick one up next month for €219 ($301) or €249 ($342) depending on whether you need a regional model or one with 42 European nations, but you’ll still be asked to shell out €9.95 ($14) per month if you want those LIVE services.

Filed under: GPS

TomTom brings costly connected services to mid-range XL LIVE originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 11:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We haven’t seen anything new from Mio in the U.S. since parent company MiTAC purchased Magellan in December, 2008. Last we heard, in fact, was in April, when the company responded to a GPS Business News article that it was leaving the U.S. market by insisting that no, it wasn’t. Today we see proof of that, as Mio releases two new navigators for North America.

The Mio Moov S401 will offer a 4.3-inch screen, a 4 million POI database, and list for $179.99; the Mio Moov S501 will have a 4.7-inch screen, a 12 million POI database, and go for $199.99. Both will offer the company’s new Spirit software which is designed to make search and navigation simple. These two can navigate to geo-tagged photos and will support keyword POI search, for when you don’t know a destination’s exact name.

These look like smart additions to the lineup, offering big screens and useful features at bargain prices. Buyers have shown they’re mostly interested in low-cost GPS navigators. While the U.S. market has grown increasingly competitive (Navigon just pulled out of the U.S. due to shrinking margins) we predict these units will find plenty of buyers when they’re released in June.

Did you seriously shell out to have ARGONAUT plastered on your license plate? Oh, yeah? Listen up. Garmin has just pushed out a new duo of navigators aimed squarely at you, the Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t. Both of the touchscreen-based devices boast a 3.2 megapixel camera, a 3-axis compass, waterproof chassis, 850MB of internal storage and USB connectivity. Each unit packs a 3-inch, sunlight-readable display, two precharged AA NiMH batteries, loads of waypoint storage and the ability to route you while on the road, on the trail or in the wild. The standard 550 is set to arrive with a worldwide basemap in shaded relief for $499.99, while the 550t comes with preloaded topography maps for the entire US for $599.99. The full release is after the break.

Continue reading Garmin launches Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t outdoor navigators

Filed under: GPS

Garmin launches Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t outdoor navigators originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 May 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know, it’s a little late here on the east coast to be “thinking clearly,” but we (and David) are pleading with you to pull it together in order to contribute. Afterwards, you and your freshened mind can shoot us a question to ask at engadget dawt com.

“I know, it’s a really boring question, but the last time this was asked was 2 years ago. I’m looking for a 4.3-inch GPS unit with decent battery life (so I can walk around with it as well as use it in my car), Bluetooth for making wireless calls, and good voice-recognition. Traffic updates would be a plus, too. I don’t care too much about multimedia functions. Is there anything out there that fits the bill? I hope to hear some advice from the community!”

As do we David, as do we. So, what’s the verdict here, folks? Are connected units worth the monthly surcharge? Sound off below!

Filed under: Ask Engadget, GPS

Ask Engadget: Best 4.3-inch GPS unit? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 May 2009 02:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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