Cool toys and Gadgets

Section: Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation, Lifestyle, Transportation, Reviews, Features

Gadgetell Quick Review: Navigon 2200T

Cool:

• Low Price(about 200 bucks)
• Good mounting hardware
• Reality view and Lane Assistant Pro feature is really helpful
• Speed warning
• Small size
• Lifetime traffic service

Uncool:

• Sometimes difficult to navigate the screens
• Traffic alerts not factored into initial route plans, but instead notifies you there is a problem and gives rerouting options
• Limited voice selections

The Crux:

Overall, if you can get past some quirks, the 2200T is a very good GPS and the lifetime traffic service makes it a stand out device for the low price.

This is a guest review by Robert Borgesi.  Rob co-hosts the website review program, “ChannelFlip Web” with Iyaz Akhtar on ChannelFlip.com.  Additionally, Rob is a tech enthusiast with years of computer building experience.

Overview

The Navigon 2200T features a 3.5-inch touch screen in a thin form factor and comes with free traffic updates for life.  Navigon products feature the “Reality View Pro” which displays highway signs as they appear in real life to make navigation simpler.  The Navigon 2200T comes with mounting hardware and a car charger. 

Out of the box

This GPS has a low price at about 200 bucks.  The 2200T is a very compact device.  While it has a large and easy to read 3.5-inch screen, the whole device can easily fit in your pocket. 

The mounting arm is quite good.  It is easily adjustable, sticks to the window well, and it stays where you put it. 

Using the 2200T

The Reality View and Lane Assistant Pro feature shows 3-D exits and close-ups of turns which allow you to see the road as it looks in real life and tells you which lane to be in.  The Navigon 2200T also gives you speed warnings which tell you when you are over the speed limit and can be set to warn you when you are over the speed limit by 1, 5, 10, 15, or 20 mph.  More importantly, the warnings can be disabled all together.

This model comes with lifetime traffic service which give you traffic alerts without having to pay fees. 

Long term testing

Over the course of using the Navigon 2200T there were a few things that stood out.  First of all, navigating the screens was not intuitive and took a lot of getting used to.  You have to enter location, then press “navigate” more than once before you finally get to the actual navigation.  Also, it was difficult to figure out how to cancel or change navigation once you have started and get back to the home page.

Define: “Local”

Another issue I had while using this device was with the Points of Interest.  I was only 20 miles from a major international airport and when I asked to navigate to an airport close to me; the airport was not listed until I was within 5 miles of it.  I guess I didn’t know “local” meant within walking distance.

Avoiding Traffic

One feature I found very helpful was the traffic alerts.  There was a huge accident on one of the major highways I was traveling on and the Navigon informed me of the problem and rerouted me around the accident saving me hours of sitting in traffic.

Wrap Up

So overall, for a low cost, you get a very functional GPS unit with a few quirks that may turn some people off.  However, the benefit of lifetime traffic service set it apart from comparable GPS units and makes it worth buying.

Product Page: [Navigon 2200T]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation, Reviews, Features

Gadgetell Quick Review:

What is it?

The TeleNav Shotgun is the first stand alone GPS unit from TeleNav, known for their on-phone GPS

Pros:

Connected search, superior POI, smart traffic updates,  beautiful screen, Best mounting I’ve seen in some time, future possibilities

Cons:

No ETA, only time to destination and quarterly updates on POI information.

I’ve mentioned before that I use TeleNav on my Windows Mobile phone and am quite happy with it.  For me, it is the simplicity of one device that is always with me, smarter than many stand alone boxes that I love.  I wasn’t sure how this review would go, given that bias.  Would I abandon this box or is there something here that is different enough to make this box stand out?

Well connected

Being a gadget guy, I love being connected.  Having a GPS that isn’t connected these days, just seems dumb.  So, I was keen to see how this feature would get on.  Searching on this unit was super easy for me.  Maybe it is my familiarity with the TeleNav menu tree, but I find most others cumbersome to search for businesses.  Take the local Ikea as an example.  Navigon wants me to enter in the state, city, business type before I can even enter the name.  I hate that.  I want to treat a search like Google—enter in as much or as little as I want and let the data come to me. 

The Shotgun behaves more like Google.  You simply hit “Business” then nearby and you are off and running.  While I hope they continue to get more Google-like in their searches, this one is at the top of my favorites for searches.

What I love the most about this device is I’ve found it to be the most complete and up to date POI database out there.  There isn’t a GPS out there that I found that surpasses TeleNav’s database.  It is that good.  The database is updated four times a year.

Darn that traffic jam

Traffic is no fun.  That is why the Shotgun goes out and checks on traffic every five minutes in route.  One thing that does annoy me about TeleNav’s phone GPS service is the “Checking for traffic” audio that tells me when she is making the call out for traffic. 

One thing I really like is the Shotgun’s ability to touch and drag the map around, so you can check traffic on other roads with ease.  Of course, the unit will suggest reroutes as well.

Bread and butter

As a GPS device, the Shotgun speaks turn by turn directions as well as street names.  As you advance to your turn, the screen counts down the miles, then feet until your turn.  That works pretty well, though I do like Navigon’s graphic of a metered bar graph that lets you know when your turn is instead of relying on your ability to apply yardage to your visual surroundings.

Another thing I like about TeleNav is its audio notifications.  The “dings” let you know you’ve moved off your suggested route and the unit is working on a reroute.  Other units don’t give you notification they are changing your directions and just show you the next move.  The immediate notification the Shotgun provides is quite handy and lets me know where that turn I missed is instead of having to guess at it again at tricky intersections.

The screen deserves special mention here, it is top notch.  Bright colors, clear display, and simple on screen keyboard make it pretty simple to use.  I found the sensitivity to be good and had the usual spelling issues I always do on GPS devices. 

I found the Shotgun less needy than the phone GPS.  GPS makers have to decide how needy their drivers are.  Do drivers want to be updated you are on the right road every 5 minutes or 10?  How long is too long without any notifications?  Is “turn onto highway entrance ramp” enough to imply get on the highway or does a “merge onto highway” needed when you have no other option?  The Shotgun did an excellent job at allaying my misguided fears while the phone steps over this line and updates me too much sometimes.  That is a fine and personal line, I am sure of that.

Make no mistake, the Shotgun performs basic GPS functions well as well as any other out there.

Future plans

While many units have current gas prices (which I always find out of date with today’s volatility in gas prices), TeleNav is working on some fun things that will integrate into Shotgun, making it an even more feature rich device.  They are looking to add in simple things like weather and restaurant reviews, as well as functional things like address share and commuter alerts.  There is much they are working on.

Costs

While the unit costs $299, the connectivity fee is as much as $11.99 per month.  To sweeten the deal on Cyber Monday:

Customers who purchase a TeleNav Shotgun on Cyber Monday, December 1, and use Cyber Monday coupon code ‘sgcybermonday’ (case sensitive) will automatically receive six free months of TeleNav Connected Service - three more than they would normally receive if they purchase the TeleNav Shotgun on another date or without using the Cyber Monday coupon code.

So, am I a convert?

If any box was going to do it, it was this one.  While the Shotgun works as well as (if not better) than my cell phone version, I still like having it on my phone.  Natesh Sood (Gadgetell’s GPS expert) tells me I am an odd duck for this line of reasoning, but the fact remains there is no chance of someone smashing my windows to steal my GPS.  I don’t leave my phone behind and therefore always have GPS with me.  Obviously, I am one of the few that feels this way as GPS unit proliferation is at an all time high.  If I were to get a stand alone, it would be the Shotgun.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Target Customers: Design and Eco conscious homeowners.

Motorola has launched highly stylish digital cordless phones for design conscious homeowners. Created by its award winning design team, the latest D10 and D11 range of phones are easy to use. An eco-conscious homeowner is going to love the phones for sure as they automatically adjust to optimize output. Users can activate the intelligent ‘eco mode,’ which uses less battery power and augments talk-time. To top that, the materials used in the phones are 20% recycled, thereby helping to reduce the carbon footprint. Both the ultra-slim handsets feature ‘easy-to-read’ backlit displays, polyphonic ringtones, hands-free speakerphone and 100-entry phonebooks.

(more...)

Here is the lightweight neoprene camera case that features a built-in ultra-slim tripod. You just need to unwrap the case, unfold the legs, and then the tripod is ready to use. It is able to mount your digicam via its screw-in tripod socket and stays put permanently. You can even rotate the tripod to gain access to your digital camera’s battery or memory card slot. If you are interested, you can purchase this Wrap-Up Tripod for £19.95. [GeekAlerts]

ShareThis

Section: Gadgets / Other

This year, many Black Friday shoppers will be greeted with near-freezing temperatures but some deal seekers will remain warm and toasty.  How so?  These shoppers are choosing to wait out Black Friday and their limited quantities, cat fighting other shoppers and long lines in the dark for the comfort of their favorite chair and broadband connection.

Known as Cyber Monday, websites are popping up to direct shoppers to the latest deals.  One such site, cybermondays.com is pointing to many deals from big names.  Some deals are duds, such as Apple’s free iPod engraving - which you can get without being prompted by this site.  Currently, the sites top listed deal is from HP, with free shipping on orders over $59.99.  However, I went over to HP and was able to get free shipping on my own.  So maybe the site is just alerting you to merchants that offer such a deal.

The site promises to have hourly deals on Cyber Monday, and that may have some value.

On the day of Cyber Monday there will be hourly specials and exclusives from your favorite online retailers. Sneak peeks of the hourly deals will be shared via email alerts so make sure to sign up for special savings and the latest offers.

So, who’s interested in web deals?  Shopzilla conducted a survey to out the obvious:

In fact, more than 8 out of 10 shoppers will be on the look-out for discounts, 69% will be searching for free shipping, 53% will scour the web for one-day promotions and 32% will keep their eyes open for buy-one-get-one-free promotions, according to Shopzilla.

I’d like to have a conversation with the 2 out of 10 that were not looking for discounts, but something tells me Shopzilla will cite privacy concerns over leaking those names to me.  Sounds fishy for sure.

Regardless of my views, the economy seems to be forcing many retailers hands this year.  Many Black Friday deals were available early this year online.  BFads.net cited many such examples of retailers not wanting to hold out until Black Friday to cash in.  Places like 6ave.com and Walmart.com are already offering pre-sales.

Cyber Monday site: [cybermonday] Shopzilla survey: [businesswire]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

This portable toy blaster can pack and launch softball-sized snowballs, making you the new undisputed king of the snowball fight. It will give you “rapid, long-range assaults during neighborhood snowball confrontations.” Just place the snow in the forming chamber, close the lid, and you’ve got three perfectly spherical snowballs.

To shoot, place one snowball in the muzzle, aim the launcher, and pull back the slingshot mechanism. It’s powered by elastomers (Fancy talk for slingshot rubber?) and made of durable, cold-resistant plastic. You even get targets for shooting practice. Boy are your friends gonna hurt! The 50′ Snowball Launcher is available for $29.95.

[Hammacher] VIA [Geek Alerts]

The Navigon 7210 is a reasonably priced sat-nav that retains many of its predecessors' key features while adding on a number of its own, such as 3D navigation, direct help options and safety alerts, not to mention improved design. While it's not cheap, it's Navigon's mid-range option and is definitely worth a look

Manage inventory accuracy, FIFO, traceability, stock movements, with Email Alert, Barcode, and Screen DIY for Business & warehouse.
Chronos e-StockCard comes in a joint of compact version of Warehouse Management System (WMS) as well. It assists the storekeepers to Put and Pick their goods in a more efficient and accurate manner. Nevertheless, it is capable in assisting the operator to manage their inventory easily.

Easy to Use:

* Get started in minutes
* Simple yet effective User-Graphic-Interface (GUI)
* Easy and Effective recording goods IN and OUT

Easy to Add Settings “On-the-Fly”:

* Able to add new settings during transaction Item Code, UOM etc
* Pre-built with many common settings
* 2D/3D view for Location/Racking design

Increase Profits:

* Powerful Inventory Analysis reports with 80/20 rules incorporated
* Increase inventory accuracy and accountability
* Maximize space utilization
* Improve Shelf-life control “First-In-First-Out” approach
* Achieve higher inventory turn.

Increase Operation Efficiency:

* Get real time inventory info at a glance
* Track each items anywhere, anytime
* Alert you via email for inventory abnormalities
* Get the right Item / Location in seconds
* Reserve important items without physical quarantine them
* Integrated Barcode system to minimize errors

User Configurable settings to suit your own processes:

* Screen layout DIY (Do-it-yourself)
* Barcode label format DIY
* Easy report customization
* Export report data into multiple formats (Excel, Words, HTML, PDF, Text, RTF etc)
* Set multiple Alerts based on needs

More Features:

* Multi-company identities
* Multi-UOM conversion
* Stand-Alone version
* Concurrent access with Network version
* Expandable SQL database
* Easy data archive and restore with step-by-step wizards
* Easy Import/Export data with step-by-step wizards

Note: The free edition is limited to 100 items and Standalone version.

Requirements: Win 2000 (SP4), Win XP (SP2), Win Vista
Homepage
Download(160.87MB )

NetWorx is a simple and free, yet powerful tool that helps you objectively evaluate your bandwidth situation. You can use it to collect bandwidth usage data and measure the speed of your Internet or any other network connection. NetWorx can help you identify possible sources of network problems, ensure that you do not exceed the bandwidth limits specified by your ISP, or track down suspicious network activity characteristic of Trojan horses and hacker attacks.

The program allows you to monitor all your network connections or a specific network connection (such as Ethernet or PPP) only. The software also features a system of highly customizable visual and sound alerts. You can set it up to alert you when the network connection is down or when some suspicious activity, such as unusually heavy data flow, occurs. It can also automatically disconnect all dialup connections and shut down the system.

The incoming and outgoing traffic is represented on a line chart and logged to a file, so that you can always view statistics about your daily, weekly and monthly bandwidth usage and dialup duration. The reports can be exported to a variety of formats, such as HTML, MS Word and Excel, for further analysis.

Features:

* Clear graphic and/or numeric display.
* Usage reports with export to a variety of file formats, including Excel, MS Word and HTML.
* Permits close supervision of uploads and downloads.
* Works with dial-up, ISDN, cable modems, ADSL, Ethernet cards, and more.
* Includes network information & testing tools with advanced netstat that displays applications using your Internet connection.
* Scalable to your own modem download capabilities.
* Option to notify user or disconnect from the Internet automatically when network activity exceeds a certain level.
* Speed meter to accurately time downloads and report the average transfer rates.
* Absolutely free and does not contain any adware/spyware/malware.

With NetWorx You Can:

* Find out and monitor how fast your Internet connection is.
* Find out and monitor how much Internet traffic you consume.
* Verify whether your ISP charges your Internet usage fairly.
* Detect a suspicious network activity on your computer.
* Perform simple network tests such as ping and trace route.
* Be notified about excessive Internet usage.
Homepage
Download(776KB )

• NetLimiter 2.0.81 Pro (Internet Utility)
• PRTG - Paessler Router Traffic Grapher 7.0.4.1045
• Safety.Net