Review TomTom’s Start is essentially the satnav specialist’s new low-end model. Rather than say so, though, it’s not pitching the product on price but for its simplicity. It’s a device designed to get you from A to B and nothing more.
TomTom’s Start: cuts to the chase with a simple, straightforward UI
But it’s also being described by the company as “the satnav designed for people who still think they prefer reading maps”, implying this is the gadget that will finally get the doubters to leave their Readers’ Digest Book of the Road at home.
The Start certainly lacks a lot of the clever stuff electronics can do that paper can’t. There are no traffic updates, fuel price and local services searching here because it doesn’t support TomTom’s Live offering. Likewise, there’s no lane guidance beyond broad ‘keep to the left’ instructions. It does incorporate TomTom’s iQ Routes system, which is designed to apply to route planning an understanding of what roads get busy and when they do so, the better to steer you onto quieter, faster roads.
The Start is really about route planning pure and simple, which is why it presents you with just two, large icons: “Plan Route” and “Browse Map”. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Forgotten where you parked your car? Lost your hotel, tent or even family and friends? For the terminally disorientated, the Ecco Personal Pocket GPS Locator is designed to put you back on track. Indeed, this hi-tech key fob proves to be more than just the novelty item that it first appears.
IDC Ecco: for keys that have lost their car
Designed for rough handling, a rugged, hard black plastic exterior protects the inner workings and a robust metal loop provides the means to attach it to a key ring or belt loop. The whole unit is a little on the big side for a key fob, but it doesn’t feel too heavy in the pocket.
The unit works by connecting to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the little beastie is capable of tracking up to 32 satellites and can operate over a distance of 9999 miles. Charging options are versatile enough, hooking up to anything that will provide juice using a USB port. There’s also mains power, a 12V vehicle charger option, and a 5V auxiliary power pack available. Thoughtfully, the low battery warning doesn’t wait until the unit is nearly drained but kicks in when it is about 25 per cent empty. Read the rest of this entry »
iPhone App Review Apple added a true GPS pick-up to the iPhone more than a year ago, but it’s taken that long for TomTom to release an application to make use of it. Even now, it’s not a complete offering. The software is there, but the car kit – once the sort of add-on bundled with applications, but now sold separately – isn’t available and its release has just been put back to October.
We were going to hold back on our review of TomTom’s iPhone application until the mount was ready for testing. But we’ve been using the app anyway, and have managed fairly well without the Peripheral.
TomTom’s TomTom for iPhone: does the basics well
Credit for that has to go to the GPS chippery within the iPhone 3GS we used to test TomTom’s software. Mounts are handy for two reasons: to put the screen within easy reach of fingers and eyeballs, and to ensure the GPS receiver can get the best signal.
We were forced to put the iPhone in a cupholder between the gear lever and the car’s ciggie lighter. Even down here, with only a sliver of windscreen above it roof level, the 3GS was able to feed TomTom the location information the app needs to keep us on the right track. Read the rest of this entry »
Review As part of Garmin’s recently refreshed in-car satnav range, the Nüvi 1340T will be the one satnav you won’t want to leave stuck to your dashboard. With an easily portable slimline design, the Nüvi 1340T features a pedestrian mode that includes the ability to hold your hand on London’s underground network.
Slimline navigator: Garmin’s Nüvi 1340T
The 4.3in widescreen display has a resolution of 480 x 272, while the chassis weighs 160g and measures 12.2cm wide, 7.5cm tall and just 1.6cm thick. There’s only one physical button on the device, namely the power button. A micro SD card slot sits on the left side, but with a whopping 4GB of internal storage – and only just over half used – it’s unlikely you’ll need to use it. Look carefully and you’ll notice a mic on the left side, however with no Bluetooth or voice recognition functionality it’s a totally redundant feature on the 1340T. Read the rest of this entry »
Review It’s been less than a year since the original HTC Touch Diamond impressed us all with its diminutive size, usability and impressive features list, all of which put it firmly in iPhone bothering territory.
HTC’s Touch Diamond 2: uses Windows Mobile, but it’s well hidden
But with a 5Mp Camera, improved touchscreen and build quality, longer battery life, larger memory, updated TouchFlo 3D interface and a host of other minor improvements, the new Touch Diamond 2 is superior in just about every way. Read the rest of this entry »
