Their new sat navs integrate some of the most advanced features you will see in GPS technology today and they’re all integrated into the same elegant, slim and pocketable design tomtom are famous for.

Some of the new features of the TomTom GO 520 and TomTom GO 720 (pictured) include:

Speech recognition - Simply tell your sat nav where you want to go, and thanks to its speech recognition feature, it’ll take you straight there without having to type a letter.

TomTom Map Share - This is possibly the best new feature from TomTom! Utilising their huge community of TomTom users, TomTom Map Share enables users to correct map errors in the mapping data and then share it with the rest of the tomtom community - daily, automatically and easily via TomTom HOME. Meaning you can always have access to the most recent maps!

Text-to-speech - Tomtom’s new device can now announce street names, as well as sms messages and traffic messages - Letting you keep your hands firmly on the wheel!

Hands-free calling - Via Bluetooth, lets you take a call with just a tap of the screen, or with speech recognition just by saying “yes”.

Built-in FM Transmitter - Transmit the TomTom GO 520 through your car stereo, as well as your MP3 player. Volume automatically adjusts so you can enjoy your music knowing your sat nav will interpose when required.

Help Me! - Need to phone roadside assistance? Need medical help - your TomTom is at hand!

As well as all these new features, the TomTom GO 520 and Go 720 also integrate the usual user-friendly features to help make driving less stressful, including optional live traffic updates, preinstalled map data, high sensitivity GPS chipset and the ability to record your own voice instructions!

The differnce between the TomTom GO 520 and the TomTom Go 720 is the map data - the 720 has maps of Western Europe pre-installed while the 520 has maps of UK and Ireland.

The TomTom GO 520 will be available mid-July for £299.95 Inc. VAT.

The TomTom GO 720 will also be available mid-july for £319.95 inc. VAT. Preorder now!

Europe has delved into the world of GPS navigation that had so far been the domain of the United States. Galileo is the project name for the European satellite navigation system that unlike the United States’ program, is designed specifically for commercial and civilian use. Galileo relies on a network of 30 satellites and ground stations provide the means for satellite radio navigation. The Galileo system is aimed at complementing the current GPS system and enabling a higher degree of navigational accuracy for the general population. Its creators claim that Galileo will enhance accuracy to within one meter, opening the door to a raft of new possibilities for GPS says http://www.buyingagps.com . The new system will require a new receiver although the Europeans say that the device will be small and cheap as it is squarely aimed at the consumer market.
Although the technology is clearly just a variant of an existing model, the future looks promising for Galileo. Already there is talk of applications for the blind, law-enforcement, customs services, the justice system, transport and logistics and also search and rescue. If nothing else this technology may just make it that bit easier for die hard fishermen who have been such stalwarts of GPS!

About The Author

Steve Joseph is a regular contributor to http://www.incargpsworld.com and permission to reproduce this article is given on the basis that all links remain active and in tact.

Ask anyone in a metro area who has bought a new car with one of those cool GPS upgrades for their SUV or new sports car. We have had our customers complain (customers of the carwash business, which is my profession). Oh they love the gadget, but they are under whelmed by the lack of data and streets, which are not listed. You see we have been seeing incredible suburban growth in many cities. Places near large DMA metros are a problem out in the middle class suburbs. In many areas such as outside Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Nashville, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Columbus, Cleveland, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, DC Subs, etc. And in NJ, NC, NV, OH lots of other fast growing growth pockets.

When GPS devises for cars first hit the scenes at the CES and SEMA shows in 1996, they became increasingly more popular, powerful and better data. But like VHS and Beta, Apple and IBM, competition became increasingly greater causing much consolidation in the industry along with patent fights. Much of the technology was former Defense Contractors peddling their wares through subsidiary consumer level companies. But the tight market remained due to the costs. Meanwhile companies like DeLorme and others tried to flood the market with low priced GPS units, which made things even more competitive. And the bugs were not fully out of the system yet. Someday all cars will drive themselves and people can watch TV, do video conferencing and use their transportation as a portable office or entertainment system while they are being driven to the location they have punched into their computer. Some things will have to occur before this is a reality of course. But eventually your dexterity skills to actually pilot a car will be worthless and un-needed.

First the satellites will need to be laser aligned and use multiple satellites to get absolute locations of ground items and vehicles. The cars will need to have additional anti collision devises made up of networked sonar and optic flow sensors. All of which are now available and the technology is getting better and better. Many military applications today will be civilian tomorrow. Just like Radar, Microwave ovens, Nuclear Energy, Cellular Phones, Satellite Communication and Jet Aircraft in Commercial Aviation. The flow of transportation will be brought to the next generation to serve man better.

For the time being the incremental changes in these technologies has hit a slight road block even though Honda, GM, Ford, Mercedes, Daimler Chrysler and Toyota have invested billions in anti-collision and safety devices which they will add comfort and desirable options which they can sell to customers as upgrades. Smart Car Technologies can add Thousands of Dollars to the price of a car and consumers are glad to pay for them. A factory GPS system with display can cost up to $6,000.00 and they sell a lot of them on the higher end cars. It is a high profit item upgrade, although there are some, which only cost $1000. And if you wish to compare these, some are very incredible with many features;

http://www.gpsnuts.com/myGPS/GPS/review%20…he%20review.htm .

There are many companies, which sell after market computer assist items. These companies are doing quite well and the systems work great. The big issue is just because you have a super duper incredible GPS system, does not mean the street you are looking for is even on the map yet. In other words it is like using an old map. If you are a studier of maps like I happen to be, you will see the problem with older maps. Even some companies keep printing old map data year after year without adding in new on ramps, city streets, infrastructure freeway improvements and ring-roads, it is aggravating for those from out of town. Even more aggravating looking for an address or street in a new housing tract, which you can see but the devise insists, does not exist? Then there are problems in areas like Cape Coral, FL and Tehachapi, CA or El Paso, TX and Knoxville, TN where the roads have been scraped and ready to put in or put in but do not connect or have nothing there yet. Of course it is very aggravating to see a road and try to go down it and find it is a dirt road that connects to nothing yet or an entire sub-division that does not exist? Is it a Mirage? If so where is the white Tiger Show?

Jack Dangermond of ESRI had set up entire networks of software makers who developed data for their awesome software products for GPS and GIS needs. Used by government, military, utility companies, transportation companies, private companies with GPS units to sell to the public, First Responders and school districts for buses. After the Dot Com crash those software companies were among some of the survivors, but had significantly cut costs. Thus without the proper data the GPS systems bought by the upper, upper-middle and middle class for their cars were not always good enough to support the price point for the newest technology. This is especially upsetting since the upper, upper-middle and middle class citizens who pay the most taxes live in the suburbs for the most part. The chances of a middle class American; who bought a home during the 3 years last housing boom; not being able to find their house or street on their new GPS devise is a higher probability then them actually finding it. We interviewed one man who bought a new Nissan Sports car.

Who lives in a newer developed area in the higher end Las Vegas, Clark County Suburbs, which only had the main streets on his GPS and had huge blank spots on his device? Some GPS devices allow the user to choose a satellite vendor and data vendor and software, but many of the Factory units do not. People think they are getting something really good and then find they cannot use it to navigate, which would really piss you off considering you may have paid as much as $6,000 for the unit. Even more dangerous is the information we learned from an EMT ambulance driver in Dallas area who told us of looking for streets for 15-20 minutes after battling through suburban gridlock to get to where they thought it might be. 3G cell phone technology may assist for those using cell phones to call in data to the dispatches. For all the training we are doing across this nation for first responders and on-going education of police, fire, Hazmat, etc. it appears that we have forgotten the problems of the system. Any time you build a system to serve humankind you must make it simple and make it work, that should be the first, the very first priority, then you can fix all the other issues.

With that said we interviewed a lady recently one evening who had a hell of a long day working for the Metro Police Departments Central Nervous System. The communications center and dispatch is to what we are referring. Although she was unaware of the problem at the center for bad data or missing data in the system, she could not say how they were able to get the information. Luckily serving a metro area they are probably connected to the planning departments computer, which they should be. And if the police department has the new data and no problem in this case, why have the software vendors not been able to access the data? It is a safety issue if someone with a GPS system pulls out a map and tries to read it while driving in an area they are not familiar with. It is guaranteed that in the history of the automobile in this country more people have been in serious traffic accidents from trying to read maps, than talking on cell phones, although cell phones no doubt a contributing factor in many lesser accidents will eventually pass this figure. Where the streets are, well frankly I cannot understand the need to keep this a secret unless it is the layout of Area 51, Prison, Power plant, Pentagon grounds, Military Bases, etc. If the emergency first responders divisions and contractors would share the data, there might be less accidents and they maybe able to get some assistance from the public being the eyes and ears

http://www.lancewinslow.org/nmwp.shtml

and also perhaps they could in fact use the idea of Smart Virtual Mobile Communities or FlashMob scenarios since budgets are strapped as the National Security “Red-Orange-Yellow-High-Risk-Danger-Days” come with high frequency, more police and first responders are on duty and that costs money. Without significant inflows the coverage of the Grid of a city is in jeopardy of slower response times. Fast response times are the easiest way to keep the peace, everyone, which gets away can cause problems another day and of course in case of International Terrorist Attacks.

It is essential to have the data for these devises and everyone is better served when communication flows. GPS units provide that and the data should be readily available and probably it is best to have the cities using the same formats as first responders and the same data can be used for utilities, consumers, military and even census data or academia studying urban sprawl and growth rates to have infrastructures ready during expansion. Things like water and energy, which has obviously been a major focus here.

There needs to be a nationwide coordinated effort to see that such data is filtered into the private sector, because as it stand the companies have been hammered in the industry and cannot perform the services to bring this stuff to market. Communication is important for government and citizen a like, increased efficiencies in business will save the government money and provide additional tax base and funds on the income of such businesses utilizing such data, as well as save money and time for all the government services discussed above. If we want a screaming economy we ought to be thinking how we can streamline and accelerate the flow of information to increase efficiencies and allow a small portion of the gain from the expanded pie to continue the growth. In other words, we make it easier for the Florist to deliver, the school buses to pick up more kids per hour and the soccer mom to take more kids to practice and still have time left to shop all of which serves man. The digital GIS divide is as important for our economy as the Digital Internet Divide. Kids in sports do less drugs, become more competitive, have higher work ethics and soccer moms can help keep the retail economy going. Every time you ease the flow, more things are possible. The exponential increase in American productivity is needed to offset the time lost in traffic and congestion. GIS-GPS systems can help in any emergency or simply driving around town getting things done to check off one’s list for the day.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Navigating using maps can be very frustrating especially if you are doing so while driving your car. This becomes even stressful when you are driving all alone in a strange territory. Sometimes, however, having someone with you won’t help either, because more often than not, your companion would end up confusing you more than helping you navigate the road.

But traveling need not always be this difficult. It doesn’t even have to be stressful. If you think it is the map that is causing you your problems, then better get away with it and throw it outside your vehicle’s window. Instead, go get a new car GPS receiver and use it instead of the map.

Car GPS Devices

Simply said, a car GPS device is a GPS receiver especially designed for cars and their navigation systems. Like all other types of GPS receivers, car GPS devices can also receive signals from GPS satellites and can use the information carried by these signals to determine its current location. But because they are meant to be used on moving vehicles, they must be stuffed with features specific to vehicle navigations systems.

In particular, car GPS devices must be able to give you the best possible route toward a particular destination. It must also be able to recalculate your route in case you miss a particular route instruction. It must also have a text and/or voice system for giving directions. Other basic features that all car GPS devices must have are:

• Map storage system

• Screen or display that can handle images of more than 320×240 pixels in size at a resolution and brightness suitable for driving.

• Address book for storing frequently visited addresses and points of interest

• Detachable or external antenna for better GPS visibility

Now, there are a lot of car GPS devices of different kinds and brands available for every type and brand of car there is today. Because of this, you may find it difficult to select the particular car GPS that would perfectly fit your needs, should you want to experience the functionality of one.

In general, however, you’ve got two options should you want to travel with a car GPS device. The first option is to purchase a vehicle with built-in or fixed car GPS system. The other option is to purchase a portable car GPS device suitable for your car.

Buying a Vehicle with a Fixed Car GPS Device

Built-in or fixed car GPS devices can usually be found only on brand new luxury vehicles. As such, you definitely wouldn’t see this option viable if you don’t have the cash to purchase a luxury vehicle. But for those who can easily afford one, this can be the best option because the GPS device is already integrated in the vehicle’s system. This removes all the hassle of installing the car GPS device on the vehicle and loading additional navigation software on the system.

Buying a Portable Car GPS Device

For those who simply can’t afford a new luxury vehicle but still wants to enjoy the functionality of a car GPS system, the viable option for him is to purchase a portable car GPS device. Now, for this type of car GPS device, you are again given two options: a portable car GPS preloaded with maps or a unit that would require you to transfer map data from your PC to the device.

Since the car GPS device needs to have a map in either option, choosing a car GPS unit preloaded with maps would seem to be a wiser choice. But while this type of car GPS device will save you from all the hassles of loading maps to the system, it also costs higher ($1,000-$1,500) than the other option.

The greatest advantage of portable car GPS units that requires map transfers, on the other hand, is their price, which would generally sell at the $500 to $800 range. Installing the system on your car, however, may be quite difficult and laborious.

About The Author

In order to be in a position to choose from the various GPS solutions that are present in the consumer marketplace, it is necessary to have a reasonable understanding of what they can offer, as well as what the user is expecting from the solution.

There are several components that need to be looked at. There is the GPS receiver (or antenna) itself, which plays an important part. Then there is the portion of the system which uses the received information to estimate where the device is located on an internal map.

Then there are the various capabilities for route planning and recording, which vary from unit to unit. Finally, the display portion of each solution type can vary considerably, from limited location information to full color three dimensional maps of the immediate surroundings and advised route.

How it Works
All GPS solutions are based on the same premise, and it is a good idea to at least be aware of the underlying technology so that an informed decision can be made as to which application of the GPS technology is appropriate for the user in question.

GPS receivers use signals from satellites which orbit the Earth at known positions. Each satellite has a unique identification code and sends a signal which the GPS receiver can use to calculate the distance from the device to that satellite.

Much like regular orienteering triangulation, this allows the software to estimate its own position from several (at least 3, preferably 4 or more) signals, by finding the point in space at which the spheres representing the distance from each satellite intersect.

From this location information, the software can then pinpoint the devices location on a map and use the information for a variety of operations, from simply displaying the location, to adjusting a proposed route based on the actual position of the device compared to the desired position.

Applications
There are three broad classes of application - road, hiking and maritime - and each is further subdivided into other types which offer different features depending on the exact use to which they will be put and the environment that they will be operating in.

One important thing to remember is that this technology does not allow the transmission of actual mapping data via the satellites. It is purely concerned with the location of the device.

The first application we shall look at is the in-car (or in-vehicle) GPS. These units need to be reasonably accurate, reliable, and contain details of all the roads, and important addresses (gas stations, railroads etc.) and points of interest for the region in which the device will be operating.

These devices may be part of the in-vehicle entertainment system, which ties them to a single vehicle. Or installed under the dashboard. Obviously the drawback is that they are not able to be removed from the vehicle.

Portable devices suitable for in-vehicle use exist, and offer a great alternative to those which are integrated within a particular vehicle. However, they will not be able to override the in-vehicle entertainment device (CD player, etc.) and so the voice commands might be drowned out by the music.

Then there are portable devices which are designed for general use, which have a limited road database, and reasonable terrain information. They are small enough to be carried in the palm of your hand.

However, a recent trend has seen PDA manufacturers attaching a GPS antenna, and providing sophisticated software and maps which use the power of the PDA to give an excellent solution. They might not be rugged, but they do provide a very good base for both in-vehicle and general navigation.

Rather than having a direct connection, many PDA - based GPS solutions use Bluetooth as a means to communicate with the GPS receiver. This makes them more easily installed in, and transported from, vehicles.

Finally, maritime units need very specific features, not least being that they should be waterproof, and containing additional information that can be plotted on nautical charts. Their maps are also very specific, giving undersea elevations as well as navigable channel information.

This includes devices such as fishfinders, which build other fishing related features into the basic GPS unit. A fishfinder is very useful for positioning, tracking and helping the fishing enthusiast to locate schools of fish at sea.

Associated technologies such as GPS Tracking have also evolved, where the user wears a watch which relays their position via radio to a central control center. This tracking information is then used in conjunction with an alert system to track anything from vehicles to people.

Updates & Mapping
When choosing a GPS, it is important to bear in mind that each type will be updated in a different way. For example, dedicated in-vehicle units tend to be updated via a CD, which has to be purchased from the road map data supplier.

Those which are attached to a PDA, as well as most handheld dedicated GPS devices, are usually updated via a PC. They also need maps, but said maps can usually be acquired at a much lower price than the dedicated branded ones needed for other systems.

Being able to update the device easily and at a reasonable cost is a very important part of the decision process; unlike other consumer devices that you purchase, the cost of ownership of a GPS unit is proportional to its usefulness.

The less you spend on maintaining it, the less useful it becomes since the road networks are always changing. This is perhaps less important for devices aimed at hiking and orienteering, but could be a factor in deciding whether a multi-function device is better than one dedicated to a specific use.

Specific software vendors have solutions for preparing maps which can be uploaded into the GPS unit. For example, many are based around the mapsource system which permits users to define their own maps, perhaps scanned from a real one, in order to get the most out of their GPS.

Accuracy & Portability
If accuracy is paramount, then it is also important to choose a unit that is equipped with a WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capability assuming it is available in the region the unit is being used.

This is a satellite service which provides additional correction information to the GPS receiver which enables it in order to increase its accuracy.

WAAS equipped devices might be especially useful for road users and those involved in either door-to-door selling, or providing a service which requires them to be able to pinpoint their position right down to a few feet.

On the other hand, it is useless to purchase a WAAS capable system if the service is not available in the area in which the device is to be used.

If portability is a key part of the decision process, then it will usually be a trade-off against accuracy, whether that accuracy stems from poor GPS signal acquisition, or less powerful software coupled with a less detailed map.

The Choice
In the end, the choice is reasonably straightforward – buy the most expensive GPS that fits your needs; if price is a deciding factor, then buy the most expensive one you can afford which fits your needs.

Try to think about the following:

Portability
Features
Mapping and Updating
Environmental Features
Portability is affected by weight and size, as well as the antenna. This could have an effect on the features that the device offers – clearly if the screen is tiny, and the whole unit is about the size of a cell phone, then some advanced features will not be fitted.

The mapping and updating capabilities are also important. Should it be able to accept any old map from a PC, or is it enough that the unit is replaced after 5 years? Technology moves almost as fast as the roads are updated, so this could be an option.

Finally, are there any specific environmental options that are needed, such as waterproofing, rugged shock-proof design, or other features that make one device more attractive than another?

Answering these questions will help determine what type of GPS receiver that is right for you, and at the right price.

About the Author:

Guy Lecky Thompson is a successful freelance writer offering guidance and suggestions for consumers regarding GPS tracking, GPS, GPS maps and tracking devices. His many articles give information and tips to help people save money and make smarter decisions

I took a look at some of the online offers for free GPS software and found, like many “free” offers there were often limits and provisos involved. Often the freeware is a scaled–down version of purchasable products. Sometimes the free product has restricted functionality with features disabled, other products are trial–based and are disabled after a certain time (hours or days or use).

An example of limited free GPS software can be found at GPS Utility. The downloadable freeware is limited 100 waypoints and 500 track points. (There are 65,000 of each in the registered version of their program.) The free program gives you a good opportunity to try before you buy, and this is the benefit of most free programs.

There are online sites that list various free GPS software and describe how to use the programs after you download them. Often individuals who have used the programs themselves develop the sites. These are great because they give you an unbiased interpretation of the benefits and disadvantages of the programs before you use them.

Using free GPS software you can download programs that allow you to retrieve and display aerial photos, topographical maps, USGS landmarks. There are programs available that allow you import scanned images and add latitude and longitude points and other data.

Free GPS software downloads are available for PDA units that are capable of communication with GPS receivers. With these downloads you can have a useful navigation assistant, location database manager, and GPS data converter.

Programs to manage GPS waypoint and route files are available for both PC and Mac users. The waypoints and route files can be saved or converted to various formats used by other mapping programs.

If you need to transfer information to and from your GPS receiver and your home computer or laptop there are several free programs that allow you to do so. There are also programs that allow Garmin GPS receivers to “talk” to one another.

Many of the programs listed here are directed at the hiking/trekker community, but there are also free programs available for auto GPS systems and marine navigational systems. I found a couple of marine navigation programs that allow you to download nautical charts and plotters.

There are free GPS software programs that allow you to download street maps that might not be included in your auto–navigation system. If you intend downloading in–vehicle software, make sure that it has audio capacity, an essential safety factor for motorists. One such program offers data for several countries with voice guidance in twelve languages.

Free GPS software is also available for downloading to your cell phone. This is mostly tracking software and can be phone specific. You might want to check with your carrier before downloading anything to your cell phone to make sure that it does not incur extra charges.

As satellites are constantly moving, it is helpful to know the optimal time for data collection in your area. There is free GPS software that includes an almanac to let you know the availability of satellites at any given time.

Some of the free GPS software is brand specific. Programs designed for a Garmin receiver may not work for a Magellan, so check out the specifications carefully, especially if you intend purchasing a registered version after your trial period. Other software works with most brands.

Anne King is a sports and recreation writer in Boise, Idaho. For a list of free GPS software, visit Maps GPS Info.com which also provides practical information on GPS and maps that everyone can use. The website includes product reviews and a maps/GPS glossary.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_King

Keeping track of where you or your vehicle goes is a simple matter with a GPS tracker. Actually, keeping track of where anyone is can be easily accomplished with the right GPS tracker. This is because trackers are now made to fit about anywhere, and so light that they can be worn on the body. In fact, it is possible for you to keep tabs on someone without him or her even knowing about it.

One of the best things about a GPS tracker is that many of them now do not merely show where someone (or something) is right now, but also where it has been. Your teenager may be where she or he is supposed to be now, but what about 15 minutes ago? Was there an unapproved detour? You can keep track of the last few places that your tracking device was without too much trouble at all, even if the tracker is inside a cell phone. The reason that you can keep a GPS tracker history is because these devices are in many ways just like small computers. Additionally, they send information to computers so that the information can be viewed by someone in a different location. So, with the GPS tracker set to record movement, it is easy to get an idea of a person or object’s complete travel path. This can be very useful.

Another bonus of having a GPS tracker that keeps a history is that you can actually take notes on some tracking devices. They allow you to stop at a location and then punch in information on where you happen to be. That way you can review what you have written and remember certain details about a location, good or bad. This is traveling in style, not only showing you where you are, but also allowing you to look back and figure out what you liked and what to avoid in the future.

A GPS tracker can help you know where you are, can help you plot where you are going, and it can also help you keep track of where you have been. And while it is not always necessary to keep track of where you have been, it is nice that you can keep track of where your teen or your car (or both) have been with a GPS tracker.

(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com. This article is about: GPS Tracker

About The Author

Shawn Davis

To learn more about Spy and Surveillance Products visit http://www.spyassociates.com . Read other related articles at http://spyassociates.blogspot.com/.

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