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Christmas gift guide

We've got round-ups of the best products in each category to help you make the right choice for every person on your list. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays from the CNET Australia team.

TomTom iPhone car kit

Featuring a built-in GPS receiver, microphone, speaker and charger, TomTom's iPhone car kit has certainly been a long time coming, but it's finally here.

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Articles

  • Dyson Air Multiplier unboxing

    We unbox the Dyson Air Multiplier and give it a quick run through to see if this bladeless fan lives up to the hype.

  • Carbon fibre explained

    Hot cars often sprout bits of carbon fibre on their bonnets, wings and dashboards, but what is this enchanting material? How is it made? And is it all it's cracked up to be?

  • Best large-screen GPS navigators

    For the last several years, GPS units have come in two sizes: 3.5-inch and 4.3-inch. Fast forward to 2009 and larger sizes are now not only common, but affordable too.

  • Best in-car Bluetooth hands-free kits

    It's illegal to hold a mobile phone and drive; we pick the best Bluetooth hands-free car kits, so you can inform friends that you'll be late or chat about what so-and-so is doing with you-know-who and not be nabbed by the boys and gals in blue.

  • Best FM transmitters for the car

    Not all iPod FM transmitters are created equal — some have dodgy cradles that fling your iPod around the cabin, others roll over at the first sign of interference. We pick three of the best, so you have your tunes everywhere you drive.

  • Best tech at SEMA 2009

    The 2009 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show in Las Vegas is more than just hot cars, crazy paint schemes and ridiculously low rides, there's also plenty of high-tech aftermarket equipment around.

  • Best budget GPS navigators

    With the words crisis and meltdown being a regular feature in newspaper headlines, we investigate some of the cheaper GPS options out there.

  • Best portable GPS navigators

    All brand name GPS units will get you safely from A to B, but some do it better than others. We nominate a clutch of navigators we'd junk our Gregory's or Melway for.

  • GPS buyer's guide

    Prices for GPS devices and apps have come down in the last year and many of us are looking at jumping on the bandwagon. We take a look at how it works, why you should (or shouldn't) buy a GPS, as well as key features to look out for.

  • Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation coming soon

    Google Maps with built-in turn-by-turn navigation is coming soon, but so far this has only been confirmed for phones running the new Android 2.0 platform.

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Reviews

  • Uniden Trax 5000

    The Trax 5000 is not without its faults but its size and legibility make a compelling case.

    Specs: 5 inch

  • Uniden BTSC1500

    It tries to pack a few too many features on to the one button, but otherwise the BTSC1500 makes for a good in-car companion.

  • Sony Ericsson HCB-105

    If you never plan to share it and will never use it in a loud vehicle, the HCB-105 is a good sounding, simple to use choice. Everyone else should look elsewhere.

    Specs: Speakerphone

  • Cygnett GrooveTransmit

    It mightn't offer the best fidelity, but the GrooveTransmit is a handy, non-invasive way of getting your MP3 collection to play through the car stereo.

  • Garmin Nuvi 1390

    It mightn't offer the bigger bang for buck, but the 1390 is a solid and dependable choice. We particularly like its comprehensive lane guidance and easy-to-use interface.

    Specs: 4.3 inch, Bluetooth , Yes , Yes

  • Navman MY500XT

    Improved, but still deeply flawed. We'd suggest checking out the lesser fruit from the Navman tree first.

    Specs: GPS navigation device , 4.7 inch, Bluetooth , Yes

  • Rolls-Royce Ghost

    Start saving your pennies now, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is fast, cosseting and very attractive.

  • Sygic Mobile Maps for iPhone

    With its latest update, Mobile Maps has become our favourite iPhone nav app, but we still have reservations about using the iPhone as a GPS navigator.

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The Explain Series

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Round-ups