Low- and mid-range handsets are the bread and butter of a wireless carrier’s business, so it’s great to see mainstream phones getting trick features like A-GPS (Assisted Global Positioning Service). Alltel has picked up the LG AX380 as the LG Wave to pull double duty as a GPS phone and music phone. The A-GPS phone works with Alltel’s network to serve up driving directions for the navigationally-challenged. And, the dedicated touch-sensitive music controls, 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, microSD slot, and EVDO radio put the LG Wave AX380 at the higher-end of the middle road.

$80 (and a 2-year contract) will get you an LG Wave of your very own. Or, for $250, you can side-step that Alltel service contract.

The answer to that question is, like many in life: it depends. There are many individual factors. What is perfect for one person is not perfect for someone else. Factors to consider are the price, receiver, and quality of routes.

TomTom One is a good GPS. It has the modern receiver. The price is the best among the top 3 sellers. It does have two drawbacks compare to a Garmin or Magellan. First it tends to be less intuitive and more importantly the routes are less accurate. I read reviews that say their TomTom seems to be off by as much as a a mile. But you can upload corrections to the unit from your computer and add points of interest.

Magellan is a very good unit. Its routes are as accurate as anyones. Most of the models have the modern receiver. The price runs between Garmin and TomTom. My concern with Magellan is the quality of the units. They recently pulled a few of the units of the market due to persistent bugs. I would definitely check customer feed back and any particular models I consider. They are a good buy for the money. Their best units are as good as anyone's.

Garmin is considered by most to be the best overall GPS manufacturer. It route mappings are the most accurate. Reviewers like the how easy the menus are to figure out. Garmin GPSs are well made and dependable. Their only draw back is the price. If you can afford the extra money you will probably want a Garmin.

Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom all make good units. They also make units in different price ranges, with varying bells and whistles. Garmin is the best if money is not a concern. Magellan is considered to be a close second. Magellan is also generally priced cheaper than Garmin. The routes are as good as Garmin, but quality may be a concern.

TomTom is the cheapest. The routes tend to be less accurate than Garmin or Magellan. If money is a concern it will get the job done.

Like I said the best auto GPS depends on many factors. You need to consider you price range, the features you need, and the quality of the units in your price range. Be sure to check customer reviews on any units you are considering.

Installation Instructions

1. As with any software update, you should always create a backup of the data on your device before beginning. Please see the information provided in the user manual for your device for more information.

2. To import your existing saved settings/waypoints/routes/tracks after you have updated to the latest version, you will need to export them to the SD card at this time. Select Tools->Manage My Data then select the Manage option. Select Export GPX. This will create a file on the SD card that contains all of your saved information. Select Done and Exit the application when this is complete.

3. Copy the following file from the SD card to a safe location (this file will be used to import your saved information later):
(SD card)\Garmin\GPX\CURRENT.GPX
After copying this file, delete the file from the SD card.

4. Insert the SD card into your card reader. (Applicable for most Symbian OS devices - some Nokia phones offer 'Data Transfer' mode when connected to the PC and will allow the phone to act like a USB card reader.)

5. To begin the SD card setup, select the 'Download' link found on this web page.

6. Select to 'Run' or 'Save' the file. Selecting 'Run' will immediately launch the install program. Selecting 'Save', will save the file to your PC and require you to launch the install program from the saved location.

7. If you receive an error copying the files to the destination SD card, you will need to manually browse the card to remove the following two files:
(SD card)\Garmin\Apps\Symbian\res\GarminMobileXT.SIS
(SD card)\private\10202dce\GarminMobileXT_PA.SIS
Rerun the file downloaded from the link on this web page (Step 5).

8. Follow the directions provided when running the downloaded program and directions provided on the device display to complete the application update. Insert the SD card into the phone (if necessary).
IMPORTANT: If the installation/update does not occur automatically upon insertion of the SD card into your device, browse to the SD card root directory and manually run the GarminMobileXT.SIS file. You can verify the present version of the application by going to the Tools -> Settings -> About page.

9. Exit the application (if necessary). Copy the CURRENT.GPX file saved in Step 2 to SD card location: \Garmin\GPX\CURRENT.GPX
Replace the existing file on the SD card if necessary.

10. Start the application. The import of the data should happen automatically. If it does not, select Tools->Manage My Data then select the Manage option. Select Import GPX. Your saved application data should now be available.

11. You will need to keep the SD card inserted in your device for the voice, help and basemap files. This SD card can also be used to hold your detailed maps.

GPS (Global Positioning Systems) have been around for quite some time now. Its first use was with the military, but they have more recently been associated with civilian navigation devices. The latter is the topic of this discussion.

There are three components necessary for the success of a Global Positioning System. Those components are made up of 24 satellites, GPS Receivers, and ground stations. Each component must work in harmony or there will be inaccurate readings. A brief description of each and their functionality follows.

* GPS Receivers act just as their name indicates. They receive information from the chosen satellites using radio waves to calculate their exact location. Once this information has been received, feedback is provided to the user.

* Ground stations have a two-fold operation. The first is to ensure the health of the satellite. The second is to respond to the satellite with its exact location. This location is very important as it is used to later determine the exact coordinates of a GPS device.

* Satellites determine the coordinates of a GPS device using trilateration. Basically, three satellites use radio signals to determine the total distance from the GPS device. This can become very complicated because of a variety of interference possibilities. Therefore, most civilian GPS systems use additional satellites to increase accuracy.

GPS systems continue to grow in popularity. There is a belief they will one day be as common as the telephone or television. There is also a belief that the high popularity will help to push builders into furthering the technology with improvements much in the same way as the cellular phone in recent years.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed by the US Department of Defense for military use. The device serves the military for air and sea navigation throughout the world for tracking and navigation purposes. On top of military applications, many are finding that there are commercial uses for the GPS. GPS units today are now indispensable units for even average people.

Navigation

Perhaps the most popular form of GPS is in cars. Brands such as Garmin, TomTom and Megellan dominate the industry. So why are GPS units popular with cars? Of course, you get the benefits of knowing where you are at in a region or location. However, with voice navigation, GPS units can tell you where to turn or provide you with alternative routes to get to a destination. All of this is done through the convenience of voice navigation that allows you to concentrate on driving, not on a LCD screen in a car. Moreover, car GPS units can help with efficiently getting you to the right place, which can save your gas consumption.

There are plenty of other navigation applications. For boat owners, GPS units can aid one’s navigation through large bodies of water such as lakes and oceans. Another application is that it can allow you to mark exactly where a person has fallen overboard. This is ideal for emergency situations.

Hikers, too, can determine where they are in a long trail by use of the GPS unit. One can load maps in a GPS that can show where in the trail they are at and how close to other locations such as roads or buildings. Waypoints (points of interest) can also be entered in the map so that you will know how far you are from a specific waypoint.

Interestingly, even in commercial flights, individuals are able to locate their current location over land through a GPS device. More airline companies are allowing passengers to use GPS to track their movements over land since it rarely interferes with the plane’s electronic equipment.

Tracking Devices

A GPS can be equipped with a tracking unit. A tracking unit allows another party to track a location of an individual or a vehicle by use of the GPS. Essentially, the tracking information is stored in the tracking unit, which can be transmitted to a central database by satellite or radio modem in the unit. Another party can then pinpoint the person by another GPS unit.

For commercial trucking companies, tracking devices are used to monitor company fleet vehicle locations. This is ideal for supply chain management as one can determine the location of parts or products throughout the world. Today, corporations can benefit from real time applications with global positioning systems.

Concerned parents can also use tracking units to determine where a child or teen is. The tracking system allows them to track every move of the child, even if the parent is on the other side of the state. A parent would simply stick a tracking unit in a car or a child’s bag, thus allowing them to be tracked through the parent’s GPS map. This application is useful for parents of teens who often get in trouble.

Although the tracking applications do have benefits, there is a growing concern about privacy. Before buying a tracking unit for the GPS, consider how it will impact someone’s privacy.

More people are now buying GPS units for commercial or individual use. Although the applications explained here are more of the common uses of a GPS, there are plenty of other applications that can benefit your lifestyle.

Let's start with the most important for kid cell phones. Times On Line's article "Mobile phones tumor risk to young children" on January 12, 2005 contained a clear warning: "Children under the age of eight should not use mobile phones, parents were advised last night after an authoritative report linked heavy use to ear and brain tumors and concluded that the risks had been underestimated by most scientists. Professor Sir William Stewart, chairman of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), said that evidence of potentially harmful effects had become more persuasive over the past five years."

And although there still is no scientific evidence that cell phones pose a risk to our brains, more and more sources warn us to be extremely prudent with the use of cell phones, especially by young children.

But they are very handy for children to let their parents know about, say, school scheduling changes and they reassure parents that they can reach their kids at any time. These contacts can easily be limited to a maximum of one or two minutes per week and this way a cell phone for kids could maybe be justified.

It does not help you much if you can tell some-one over the cell phone that you are in trouble, but you can not explain where you are. This is rapidly changing with cell phones with incorporated GPS receiver, called GPS phones. These two techniques are so complementary to each other, that they should always go together. ‘Where are you?’ is the most asked question over cell phones.

With a GPS phone you can tell your exact location and with the right service of the phone operator you can even project your position on a map in your friend’s cell phone. The service will tell you where you could meet and by which route to get there. This exists today (early March 2004).

Satellite phone + GSM + GPS

The Thuraya Hughes 7101 can be used as a Satellite only, GSM 900 only, or auto switching between the two, subject to the type of airtime package chosen. Satellite coverage for North and Central Africa, Middle East, India, Central Asia and Europe. You can use your SIM card in this GPS phone, which offers voice, data, fax and GPS location determination. You can store 25 GPS positions and transmit GPS locations via SMS.

GPS receiver + dual-band GSM (900/1800 MHz) + Organizer + WAP 1.2.1 MiniBrowser

We are talking about the Garmin NavTalk GSM for Europe and South Africa. It is the only dual-band phone that offers GPS mapping with automatic routing and voice-prompted turn-by-turn guidance. Comes with MapSource City Select on CD-ROM. POIs can be downloaded via the GSM. Your locations can be transmitted on a one-time basis, user-initiated, or continual updates through SMS. You have the ability to request location transmission from another NavTalk GSM. Transfer of waypoints is easy, using SMS. 5 Routes with up to 50 points per route can be saved as well as 500 waypoints with name and graphic symbol. The track log can contain 4000 points. There is a standard MCX-type connector for an optional external antenna and a RS-232 interface with NMEA 0183, RTCM 104 DGPS and proprietary Garmin data formats. The 132 x 160 pixel screen can display 10 lines of text. The GSM is unlocked. You only have to put in your own SIM card.

Dual-band GSM (900/1800 MHz) + GPS receiver + Organizer + Emergency Button

Here we are talking about the Benefon Esc! NT2002 for Europe. The GSM can be equipped with an optional cross-country antenna. The device is splash-proof (IPX4) and its casing is reinforced with stainless steel. Features predictive T9 text input for fast and easy text messages and notes. The Esc! tracks other users of Benefon Esc!, locates them on the map and can even guide you to them. The system connects to the Genimap Mobile Maps service for easy downloading of maps using any PC with web browser. Road maps, city maps, nautical charts and topographical maps from around Europe. The Emergency Button sends up to five SOS messages with your location and opens a voice connection to a predefined emergency number. The 100 x 160 pixel screen can display 15 rows of text. External NMEA 0183 interface. The external active GPS antenna comes from SiRF. Emergency 112 call is possible without SIM card or while phone is locked. Can be saved to the phone: 50 calendar and 6 notepad entries, 300 waypoints, 30 routes with each 30 waypoints, and 30 friends on a Friend Find list.