pnd

Editor's note: You snooze, you lose. Woot.com is no longer offering the TomTom XL 340S deal.

Remember the TomTom XL 340S? Neither do I, but none too long ago we took a look at this neat little portable navigation device and found it to be pretty good--3.5 stars good, in fact. And while its $149.99 price tag isn't too tough on the ol' pockets, who wouldn't like to save a few bucks?

Well, if you pop over to deal-a-day site Woot.com, then you can order a TomTom XL 340S for $109.99 (plus $… Read more

The Start is TomTom's newest entry-level car navigation device for the European market. Featuring a smallish 3.5-inch color touch screen and a fixed version of TomTom's (normally removable) EasyPort mounting system, the Start is aiming to be a low-cost, pocketable device.

The shape isn't the only thing that's been simplified. The menu's home screen has been simplified to two buttons, "Plan route" and "Browse map." No word has been given on if or how more-advanced menu options will fit into this scheme, but hopefully this reorganization will make the Start'… Read more

So, you're looking at picking up one of those newfangled TomTom GPS what's-its, but the XL 340S' 4.3-inch color wide screen is just too small for you to read. Well, you're in luck because TomTom has just announced an even larger line of portable nav devices, the XXL series.

The new TomTom XXL 530S and 540S both feature a larger 5-inch touch screen, IQ Routes and TomTom MapShare technologies, US and Canadian maps, and TomTom's EasyPort integrated suction cup mount.

Drop an extra 30 bones on the 540S to add advanced lane guidance, as well … Read more

TomTom unveiled the successor to its GO 740 Live connected PND, and it's called the GO 750 Live. Like any good sequel, this one adds more characters to the mix in the form of two additional Live models, the GO 950 Live and the GO 550 Live.

All three Live models will feature a wireless data connection for receiving traffic data, fuel prices, and performing Google Local Searches. Additionally, the three models will also all feature TomTom's IQ Routes technology and the free MapShare service for user-generated map updates. An Eco Route option has been added to the … Read more

3D TV? Augmented reality in your contacts? The world is getting awesome. Unless you have an Xbox 360. But it's birthday season too. fourty years ago today, the first bits were sent over the nascent Internet. One year ago today, Google gave out comic books to announce Google Chrome.

Happy 40th birthday, Internet http://www.boingboing.net/2009/09/02/happy-40th-birthday.html‘

Google Chrome turns one http://www.pcworld.com/article/171301/google_chrome_turns_one_a_few_questions_and_answers.html

Gmail outage causes sky to burn, rivers … Read more

Not too long ago, we were getting excited about getting our hands on Navigon's three upcoming GPS devices. However, this morning we receive news that the German manufacturer of portable navigation devices is withdrawing from the North American market. We were so close!

Citing "difficult economic environment and the aggressive pricing," CEO Egon Minar announced this morning that Navigon is downsizing its Chicago office and stepping out of the American market.

What this essentially means is that Navigon just can't compete in the TomTom/Garmin price war that has resulted in sub-$100 devices that American … Read more

On Tuesday, Alpine Electronics announced that it is now shipping its latest in-car GPS, the Alpine PND-K3msn. The device offers a lot of the same navigation features as the Alpine PND-K3, including text-to-speech functionality, integrated Bluetooth, and highway junction view. The main difference between the two models is the addition of MSN Direct services.

MSN Direct brings real-time information to the PND-K3msn, such as real-time traffic, weather forecasts, gas prices, and movie times. There's also a "Send to GPS" feature that lets you find addresses and businesses from your PC on Live Search maps and then send … Read more

Perhaps seeing the error of its ways or facing slow sales, Alpine Electronics announced on Wednesday that it has reduced the price of its Alpine PND-K3 GPS from $349.95 to $199.95.

"When we first introduced the PND-K3, the pricing was competitive for the market and for the device's robust feature offering. As the marketplace has changed in the last few months, we are adjusting the price to meet consumer demand for a full-featured product at a better value," said Stephen Witt, vice president of marketing.

Frankly, we thought the price of the PND-K3 was too … Read more

Ladies and gents, we have a new low! Buy.com has the Magellan RoadMate 2200T GPS for $59.99 shipped (after a $30 mail-in rebate). It's a refurbished unit, but it's also the least-expensive navigation system I've seen yet.

Needless to say, this model is a couple years old, so don't expect a lot of bells and whistles. It does offer text-to-speech, music and photo players, an optional traffic-monitoring kit, and a "smart detour" feature. Hmmm. Come to think of it, you get some bells and whistles, after all. It's even waterproof!