Apart from the 4.3" wide-screen display, FM transmitter, Text-to-Speech, MSN Direct, and Bluetooth, Garmin is sweetening the pot with some fancy new features not previously seen on Garmin's models: All three models (nuvi 750, 760, & 770) will support multi-destination routing, choice of routing method (fastest time, distance, pedestrian, etc.), and "Where am I" and "Where did I park my car" features.

But that's just the beginning. Garmin's new GPS will finally let you store up to ten routes for multiple destinations. So you can tell the GPS how you want to get to your destination. Hit the jump for all the juicy details.

Continue reading "Garmin's New nuvi 700's Do Multi-Destination Routing, has "Dude, Where's My Car" Function" »

Posted by Ken at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)

Anyone who'se tried to buy maps from TomTom's web store recently may have noticed that the site is down.

Several readers emailed us with reports of trying to buy additional maps online, only to find TomTom's "Our Apologies!" page instead. According to TomTom's customer support, the site has actually been down for almost two weeks with no fix in sight.

Continue reading "TomTom's U.S. Shopping Site Outage: 11 Days (and counting)" »

Posted by Fletch at 6:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

What a year it's been for GPSmagazine.com. A little more than a year since we launched, and already the site is a top-ranked destination for all things GPS. That means we're growing fast, and need to hire on a part-time editor to write news articles and review GPS products.

Read on to see job details and how to apply.

Continue reading "We're Hiring A Part Time Editor" »

Posted by Fletch at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

After almost 4 months of waiting, Magellan has finally updated the Maestro 4040's software to version 2.24, making the 4040 consistent with the rest of the Maestro product line.

Looks like 2.24 is a major update that resolves many of the complaints I had when I first reviewed the Maestro 4040 back in April '07, and makes the 4040's map screen and user interface look like the Maestro 4050 and 3140.

Continue reading "Magellan (Finally) Updates the Maestro 4040, Releases Firmware 2.24" »

Posted by Fletch at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

TomTom has officially released its motorcycle-friendly "Rider 2nd Edition", a waterproof, vibration-proof, rugged GPS that includes a Bluetooth headset for in-helmet spoken instructions.

Continue reading "TomTom Rider 2nd Edition Hits US Shores" »

Posted by Fletch at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

TomTom has released version 2.0 of their HOME application, TomTom's desktop software designed to manage and update TomTom's GPS devices.

Continue reading "TomTom Releases HOME 2.0" »

Posted by Fletch at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

STMicroelectronics has announced that its GPS chipset will be used on various Garmin PNDs and handheld units, replacing SiRF's ubiquitous (and expensive) Star III receiver currently used on all Garmin's models.

No official word on which units will get the ST receiver and which ones will keep SiRF, but it's probably a safe bet that STM's receiver will be used on the cheaper nuvi 200-series models, while the 600-series will keep using SiRF's high-end Star III.

Continue reading "Garmin To Replace SiRF With STMicro on Some GPS Models" »

Posted by Fletch at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Whether you want to avoid the dreaded "ring-around-the-windshield" problem, don't want to alert would-be thieves to your precious GPS stowed in the car, or local laws prohibit mounting anything in the windshield, a friction mount may be just the solution you've been looking for.

Continue reading "Don't Like the Windshield Mount? Try A Friction Mount!" »

Posted by Fletch at 4:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (47)

Sprint has released FamilyWatchdog, a free service that lets Sprint customers see registered sex offenders displayed on a map. Customers can input any address, or search based on their phone's current location.

The maps will display the home and work addresses of offenders, as well as photographs, descriptions and conviction details of said degenerates offenders.

Continue reading "Sprint's FamilyWatchdog Service Maps Sex Offenders, Locates Kids" »

Posted by Fletch at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

According to a new report published by Canalys for GPS Business News, Garmin sold more GPS units in the second quarter of 2007 than TomTom. Total GPS sales were up 123.5% with 7.4 million units sold during Q2.

Continue reading "Report: Garmin Outselling TomTom" »

Posted by Fletch at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)