11 GPS Gadgets For Your Car

No longer out-of reach multi-thousand-dollar frills built into luxury cars, add-on GPS units can cost as little as a fill-up for a large SUV today (well, during an especially expensive week at the pumps.)

Now, you’ve got no excuse for picking one of these up. While you’re at it, here are some of the coolest gizmos you can add to truly trick-out your automotive navigation system:

Traffic-jam pre-warning system
This sort of technology has been in the works since about 2005. More than just a constantly-refreshed file of construction sites to avoid, traffic reporting on your GPS actually tracks how fast your car is going, relative to the speed limit. Currently only available in parts of California, once enough devices come loaded with this software, the data from a reliable sample of GPS receivers can be fed to your car to show you where traffic is bunched-up (instead of just telling you, as with current systems) before you’re stuck in the midst of it.
http://www.brighthub.com/electronics/gps/articles/47757.aspx

Car GPS iPhone app
iPhone owners won’t have to worry about buying a car GPS if they don’t want to now: The Motion-X GPS Drive is an iPhone app that blows away pretty much every other car-mounted GPS for initial outlay: $3/month or $25/year.
http://www.navigadget.com/index.php/2009/10/07/motion-x-gps-drive-review

What are those stars out the window?
Ever wondered that while on a road trip down a dark country highway on a clear night? Assuming you’re not the driver, you can flip on Celestron’s Sky Scout personal planetarium from the heated/air-conditioned comfort of the passenger seat and get treated to a paragraph or two about that cozy little nook of the Milky Way you’re gazing at through the glass. For those who prefer, a recorded voice can impart the same information through a pair of earphones. You can even select an object in the sky you’d like to find and LED arrows in the viewer will point you in the right direction (bet you wish you opted for that moon roof…)
http://www.telescopes.ca/telescopes/RENDER/5/2028/3065/14514.html

Knight Rider theme car GPS
You had us at: “Hello Michael, where would you like to go today?” In addition to turning your car into a half-baked copy of the Trans Am from the popular 80s Hasselhoff action drama, this device – by Mio GPS – turns out to be a pretty decent navigation unit. (Sadly, no “Turbo boost” command in the set of menus voiced by actor William Daniels who played K.I.T.T.)
http://knightrideronline.com/news/2008/06/mio_knight_rider_gps_has_voice.php

Fake car-mounted GPS hurls insults, wisecracks
No directions, no data, no computer: This GPS actually does nothing but make jokes and witty comments as you drive to your destination. Motion-activated, the unit will hurl a few choice annoyances your way, from kid-friendly G-rated quips to R-rated sentences best left to people who buy this as a gift for someone else (or themselves.)
http://www.thingsyouneverknew.com/product/whatsnew/gag+gps+system.do?search=basic&keyword=gps&sortby=newArrivals&page=1&WT.svl=68626

Analyse your corporate fleet’s driving
Individuals or companies can use the handy GPS-based Trackstick Pro to find out how to cut back on gas or improve delivery time and response times for emergency services. The device can also help companies record and validate vehicle, shipping, or trucking routes by visualizing ground and air transportation, times and speed with via satellite-mapped waypoints and Google Earth.
http://www.escience.ca/genSci/RENDER/1011/2028/3075/13089.html

Green your driving
Garmin’s free ecoRoute software is included in new Garmin Nüvi models and with software updates for older compatible units. The program helps you find more fuel efficient routes, track your fuel usage…and spend more time in your car…for better or worse.
http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/us/services/ecoRoute

Electronic GPS/SMS tracker
Available through several a reputable direct-from-China Canadian retailers, you can use this handy device to track your car (driven with or without your knowledge) from a remote location, using ordinary GSM SMS messages.
http://www.chinavasion.com/product_info.php/pName/gps-tracker-with-sms-message/

Cupholder GPS mount
Keep your GPS away from your precious window space but close enough to still see while driving. Also a theft deterrent and quick way for your co-pilot to take over as the navigator.
http://astore.amazon.com/navigadget-20/detail/B001BKXXG6

Possibly the cheapest legit GPS – car or otherwise - on the market
In an age where the latest GPS devices run hundreds of dollars, feature photorealistic terrain, and even play music, Bushnell’s modest mini entry stands out for its elegant simplicity…and its price (as little as $50 US). The unit is designed to do one thing: get you from Point A to Point B.
http://geocartablog.com/?cat=30

Best steering-wheel activated voice-command GPS
The Garmin Nuvi 880 or the earlier Nuvi 780 has taken top place at http://cargpsreviews.net/ and Amazon as well. It offers solid features and has been consistently regarded as the best overall automotive GPS. What’s more, it features an ingenious steering-wheel-activated voice command function (which – for the most part – actually understands your voice.)
http://reviews.cnet.com/car-gps-navigation/garmin-nuvi-880/4505-3430_7-32815498.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody

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