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Go where you want to go: Get directions right in the palm of your hand
(Newsday (Melville, NY) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Aug. 28--The
world may seem flat, but that doesn't mean one's sense of direction has
to be. With navigation systems becoming a staple of modern
transportation, soon most people will eye their daily commutes and
weekenders on three-dimensional grids.
It's hard to imagine that until a few years ago, road maps were
the best that cartographers could offer consumers. Across dashboards,
the geographic masses unfolded like accordions, failing to compensate
for rerouted roadways and never, ever offering dining suggestions. What
an archaic hassle.
The advent of Earth-orbiting global positioning satellites, or
GPS, changed all that. Originally a tool of the U.S. military,
navigation systems using GPS were expanded for public use by President
Bill Clinton in 1996. Today, most carmakers offer in-dash GPS receivers
with touch screens as an option, but the aftermarket for portable units
also is booming.
In an increasingly surveilled and digitally charted
world, don't let the powers that be do all the sightseeing. See for
yourself. Here are a few GPS systems we've sampled on the road.
Magellan Maestro 4050 + TrafficKit ($699 list, $568 retail). Most
GPS systems talk to you, but this is the only one that truly listens.
The Maestro 4050 uses voice-recognition technology so you don't have to
take your hands off the wheel. As of now, there are only nine workable
commands, including "Go Home," "Nearest Coffee" and "Roadside
Assistance," but expect updates in the near future. Nearest volcano,
anyone?
The device also incorporates the AAA TourBook, an immense travel
database. Detailed listings (including hours of operation and parking
information) for restaurants, gas stations and millions of other points
of interest come packaged.
Once installed on the mounting cradle, the bulky antenna included
in the box adds real-time traffic reports to the mapping interface. The
implementation here is sluggish and not always accurate. In busy
transit, not every congested spot registers onscreen.
Garmin nüvi 650 ($642.84 list, $434 retail). Rectangular, slim and
smooth, Garmin has breathed a respectable dose of practicality into the
exterior design of the 650. It can be easily couched in an average-size
palm, but its bright, primary-colored wide-screen display really shines
on the windshield, where it remains readable, even in harsh sunlight.
The text-to-speech function is a mixed bag. From the small
speakers at the back, detailed directions are spoken aloud (including
street names). If you decide to make an unscheduled detour, the voice
tells you (in a slightly peeved tone) that it is "recalculating" and
proceeds to direct you to backpedal until you return to the original
path. Coupled with that objection, you can't plot out multiple
destinations on one map, which disrupts the spontaneity and flexibility
of road trips. In lieu of that ability, however, you can mark off
points of interest on the map.
Pioneer AVIC-S2 ($400 list, $296.95 retail). Relatively new to the
portable GPS market, Pioneer has stayed within its bounds, offering
affordable quaintness that can only otherwise be found on TomTom's
underwhelming product line. With AVIC-S2, the follow-up to last year's
under-the-radar S1, you get what you pay for, namely, a lightweight box
that will get you where you're going while offering the occasional
bell, whistle and thistle.
One nicety is the external volume control, which is a rare
offering on portable GPS devices of any price level. It certainly helps
to silence the robotic navigating voice, which seems to cut in every
fifth second. The AVIC-S2 also boasts a Bluetooth wireless connection,
enabling hands-free calling on a glorified speakerphone.
In addition to the 3.5-inch touch screen's lagging response time,
users may find it too tiny for reclined bucket-seat viewing. The
vaguely backlit screen may force some to lean forward and squint when
dusk bears down on the evening commute.
Waiting for sophisticated mapping features to trickle down into
the price-friendly GPS market can be tedious. Until they do,
cost-conscious consumers can find a storehouse of mapping products on
the Web. Google Maps, culturally ubiquitous and ever-evolving, has now
been outfitted for most cellular and smart phones. Not unlike its Big
Brother counterpart on the Web, the mobile Google Maps is both
quick-to-the-touch and powerful, offering two types of aerial vantage
points -- color-coded graphical representations and photo-realistic
points-of-view snapped from year-old satellite images. An updated
traffic report can even be overlaid on maps to help drivers avert
bottlenecks and accident-scene rubbernecks. Free for download at
google.com/gmm.
Google also offers a slimmed-down, unadvertised version of its
search engine for travelers. Simply compose an SMS text message with
keywords or other queries in the body, send it to "GOOGLE," or 466453,
and receive results in seconds. It even works for driving directions
and business listings. For example, type "Jones Beach, Skaneateles NY
'to' 123 Fake St., New York NY" and Google's algorithms will crunch
numbers and bounce back turn-by-turn directions.
If you're already rumbling across the open road, we recommend
keeping your hands off the keyboard. Not only is it dangerous, but it's
also unnecessary, thanks to Dial Directions, a new venture that has
tightened the accuracy of speech-recognition software to make mapping
easier than ever. Call DIR-ECT-TION (    347-328-4667 ),
slowly speak your location and intended destination and instantly
receive a text message with easily readable directions culled from
MapQuest.com. Service is currently available in San Francisco, New York
and Los Angeles; the company says it plans to expand coverage soon. For
more information, visit, dialdirections.com.
To see more of Newsday, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsday.com
Copyright (c) 2007, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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