Garmin

Getting from points alpha to bravo is cool. Getting there without going through a mind-numbing traffic jam is just the cat's pajamas!

These days, any old portable navigation device can accomplish the former, but the best differentiate themselves with their almost omniscient awareness of the roads between where you are and where you're going. A good traffic monitoring system can not only save you time, but can also help save you money at the pump and reduce your environmental impact by reducing the amount of fuel wasted idling.

With that in mind, I've rounded up a selection of the portable navigation devices with the best implementation of traffic data and avoidance technology, and even a few quirkier implementations of the tech below for your perusal. … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Garmin's no stranger to connected portable navigation devices (PNDs), but its newest top-of-the-line model connects to the Internet using the connection that you've already got in your pocket.

Previous generations of Garmin's connected PNDs utilized an internal GSM antenna to connect to the NuLink service. The new Nuvi 3590LMT is able to connect via Bluetooth to an Android phone running its Garmin Smartphone Link app, gaining access to Garmin's live services such as traffic information, traffic camera images, weather, and fuel prices to its navigation device, utilizing the smartphone's mobile data plan. The free … Read more

Sometimes, you don't want a ton of bells and whistles on your GPS device. Sometimes, you just want to reliably and cheaply get from point Alpha to Bravo.

Enter Garmin's Essentials series of Nuvi GPS navigators. Specifically, we're taking a look at the largest model in the entry-level Essentials series: the 5-inch Garmin Nuvi 50.

There aren't many surprises here where design is concerned. If you've handled a Garmin Nuvi in the last half decade, you'll know exactly what to expect from the 50. The icons are all where you'd expect them to … Read more

If you tend to get lost whilst out for walkies wearing the wrong trousers, this week's giveaway could help point you in the right direction. The prize? A Garmin Nuvi 1300 GPS unit and downloadable Wallace & Gromit voice skin. It'll guarantee you a grand day out.

The new voice skin features Wallace and his ever-faithful canine pal Gromit offering turn-by-turn directions such as "Are we nearly there yet? Only Gromit's got his Tai-Chi class later, an' I'm ready for me tea" and "Well would you believe it, we have reached our destination, ha, ha, crack open the Caerphilly." All the while, you'll see the pair's infamous van driving across the on-screen map.

The Garmin Nuvi 1300 GPS unit normally costs $110, with the W&G voice skin going for $12.99, but you have a chance to get both for less than the cost of a nice slice of Wensleydale (i.e. free).

So how do you try to win this week's prize? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test (administered in a British accent, of course). … Read more

It's always a good idea to have a premium navigation app on your phone when traveling, one that you can use without a cellular connection.

The problem is most of these apps are rather expensive, with price tags around $30 or more. This makes the app not a very good investment if you just want to use it a few times. This is the problem Garmin is trying to solve with its new GPS app for the iPhone.

The company announced today the StreetPilot OnDemand app for iOS devices. This is a full navigation app with offline maps that … Read more

In this episode of Roadside Assistance, we decide whether aftermarket is the way to go for car audio, come up with an alternative for HDD-based audio storage, and take a look at a potential revenue stream for the Ford Focus Electric.

• LOLcars (photos)

Last month Darth Vader found his way into Garmin GPS devices, and now Yoda gets his turn, offering some balance against the dark side of the Force.

The Yoda voice skin, which can be found at Spot It Out's GPS App Shop, gives directions for upcoming turns using Yoda's odd speech patterns, although the voice actor is no Frank Oz.

It also fills in with some Obi Wan Kenobi voice clips from the movies, along with sound effects. The coolest thing is the music score, coming on when you arrive at your destination.

Locutio Voice Technologies, which produced … Read more

If you're a Star Wars geek who happens to get lost a lot, it's a good thing you found your way to this week's Crave giveaway. The prize is a Garmin Nuvi 255WT GPS unit preloaded with Garmin's newly released Darth Vader VoiceSkin.

That means the dark lord will be steering you around town with such directions as "Turn around when possible. I find your lack of faith disturbing," and "In 100 yards, take the exit left, and do not fail me this time!" Does your fancy-shmancy in-car nav system talk to you like that? We didn't think so. (Hear samples of the menacing commands here.)

Normally, the Garmin Nuvi 255WT GPS unit with a preloaded Darth Vader VoiceSkin would cost around $125.99, but you have the chance to snag it gratis.

So how do you try to win this week's prize? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test (in Bocce, of course). … Read more

It's official: Garmin now owns Navigon AG. You'll likely recognize Garmin as the manufacturer of the Nuvi and Zumi lines of portable navigation devices and Navigon as the creator of navigation apps for iOS and Android. Garmin announced that it had signed an agreement to purchase Navigon back in mid-June and today announced that the acquisition has been completed for an undisclosed amount.

In absorbing Navigon, Garmin stated that it was "also acquiring one of the top-selling navigation applications for the iPhone and Android platforms." This is important because the portable navigation devices have been losing … Read more