Car Tech - GPS - Latest Articles

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  GPS traffic messaging FAQ

  Traffic messaging for sat nav devices is now available for residents along Australia's eastern seaboard. But what is it? What does it do? Which devices have it? And is it any good?

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  How Navteq mapped Australia

  CNET Australia hitched a ride with Navteq's team of analysts to see how they produce maps, used in GPS devices from Mio, Navman and Navigon, covering our big brown land.

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  Traffic-enabled GPS navigators

  With traffic services now available along the eastern seaboard, traffic-enabled GPS devices are now blooming like flowers in the spring sun. We pick three quality units with traffic messaging bundled.

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  Navman S300t

  Top dog of the S-Series Platinum range, the Navman S300t features built-in traffic info, spoken street names, 3D landmarks, and an iPhone-inspired interface.

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  TomTom XL Traffic (2nd generation)

  Compact, correctable, good looking and easy to use, the TomTom XL is a great portable GPS. For AU$100 more there's this Traffic version with, uhh, traffic messaging built-in.

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  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.

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  Garmin Nuvi 260

  As per the 260W — an easy to use GPS, with great verbal speed and red light camera warnings which, unfortunately, aren't installed by default — but narrower and AU$100 cheaper.

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  Navman S35

  It looks like last year's S30, except it's been given the latest Whereis maps and spoken street names. Unlike the S-Series Platinum models, the S35 soldiers on with the old interface, which is now shared with the Mio Moov range.

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  Navigon 2150max

  This is a great GPS if you have a piano black fetish. For the rest of us, it's just OK. Its good points (Aussie-capable text-to-speech, junction view, extended lane info) are balanced out by an inconsistent interface and unfriendly windshield mount.

More articles »

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  How Navteq mapped Australia

  CNET Australia hitched a ride with Navteq's team of analysts to see how they produce maps, used in GPS devices from Mio, Navman and Navigon, covering our big brown land.

• 

  GPS traffic messaging FAQ

  Traffic messaging for sat nav devices is now available for residents along Australia's eastern seaboard. But what is it? What does it do? Which devices have it? And is it any good?

• 

  Best portable in-car 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.

• 

  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.

• 

  Traffic-enabled GPS navigators

  With traffic services now available along the eastern seaboard, traffic-enabled GPS devices are now blooming like flowers in the spring sun. We pick three quality units with traffic messaging bundled.

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  CNET.com.au's GPS Buying Guide

  Prices for GPS devices 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.

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  Navman S-Series Platinum munches off Jobs' apple

  In the lead up to Christmas, Navman has revamped its GPS line-up with the addition of four new slimline metallic models with a new interface inspired by Apple.

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  Installing speed and red light camera alerts on your Garmin Nuvi

  School zone, speed and red light camera alerts are now de rigueur on portable GPS navigators. While Garmin's Nuvi range has an excellent alerting system, you need to be the Howard Carter of the internet to find them. We show you how, although we make no guarantees about avoiding Tutankhamun's curse.

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  Navigation systems: why they're lame, what they need

  He's said it before, and he'll say it again: In-car navigation systems are a joke. CNET editor at large Brian Cooley thinks they're not that smart, and some of the features are just useless. Yet, he's not giving up hope. Read on to see which three technologies have him excited for the future of in-car navigation.

• 

  Navman S300t

  Top dog of the S-Series Platinum range, the Navman S300t features built-in traffic info, spoken street names, 3D landmarks, and an iPhone-inspired interface.

• 

  TomTom XL Traffic (2nd generation)

  Compact, correctable, good looking and easy to use, the TomTom XL is a great portable GPS. For AU$100 more there's this Traffic version with, uhh, traffic messaging built-in.

• 

  Garmin Nuvi 260

  As per the 260W — an easy to use GPS, with great verbal speed and red light camera warnings which, unfortunately, aren't installed by default — but narrower and AU$100 cheaper.

• 

  Navman S35

  It looks like last year's S30, except it's been given the latest Whereis maps and spoken street names. Unlike the S-Series Platinum models, the S35 soldiers on with the old interface, which is now shared with the Mio Moov range.

• 

  Navigon 2150max

  This is a great GPS if you have a piano black fetish. For the rest of us, it's just OK. Its good points (Aussie-capable text-to-speech, junction view, extended lane info) are balanced out by an inconsistent interface and unfriendly windshield mount.

More reviews »

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  TomTom Go 720

  Don't let its beautiful body tempt you, the TomTom Go 720 is both too pricey and too buggy. The cliche "beauty is only skin deep" is particularly apt here.

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  Garmin Nuvi 760

  If you're in the market for a GPS navigator with an FM transmitter and MP3 playback, not to mention excellent safety camera warnings, the Nuvi 760 is the one to go for.

• Nokia N95

  If you need an all-in-one communications, navigation and imaging device and don't mind charging it every night, Nokia's N95 raises the bar in the mobile world.

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  Garmin Nuvi 260W

  A good, easy to use GPS, with great verbal speed and red light camera warnings which, unfortunately, aren't installed by default.

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  TomTom One 3rd Edition

  TomTom have fiddled at the edges in the upgrade from Slim Edition to 3rd Edition, but the competitive price makes the One a worthy player in the entry-level GPS market.

More popular reviews »

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  TomTom One (4th generation)

  Both the One and XL are great GPS units: compact, correctable, good looking and easy to use. At AU$349 we'd pick the narrow screen One every time though.

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  Mio DigiWalker C320

  Mio's C320 GPS provides a good balance between affordability and features.

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  Mio DigiWalker C520

  Bluetooth, text-to-speech, massive screen and good looks make the C520 a good GPS. Its great price transforms it into a great GPS.

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  Nokia N95

  If you need an all-in-one communications, navigation and imaging device and don't mind charging it every night, Nokia's N95 raises the bar in the mobile world.

More editors' choice »

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  Megaphone Episode 3

  2008/11/21 12:44:31

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  Planet CNET: Watch out for that inflatable car!

  2008/11/19 14:59:11

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  When are the new Pioneer Kuros coming to Australia?

  2008/10/21 17:20:41

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  How Navteq mapped Australia

  CNET Australia hitched a ride with Navteq's team of analysts to see how they produce maps, used in GPS devices from Mio, Navman and Navigon, covering our big brown land.

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  Pumped up: SEMA 2008 preview

  A certain presidential election isn't the only the important thing happening tomorrow in the States, it's also the first day of the 2008 SEMA Show — the biggest event of the year for car customisers in the US.

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