GPS Tracklog

TomTom Route Planner

TomTom has announced a beta Route Planner. Participants will be able to go to the website and create a route based on traffic conditions at the time of day they input, doing what can already be done with Google Maps, albeit with better data in countries with HD traffic. Currently that's limited to the Netherlands and the U.K.; hopefully, we'll see HD traffic in the U.S. in 2009. My impression is that it appears to be as much a PR tool as anything, showing people what great routing data TomTom has.

TomTom ONE 125 review

The TomTom ONE 125 turned out to be one of this year's Black Friday stars. Aggressively priced, the ONE 125 is identical to the TomTom ONE 130, except that it only includes maps of the U.S., and not Canada too (as found on the 130).

Should I buy a refurbished or older GPS?

I'm seeing more refurbished GPS receivers advertised for sale these days. In many consumer electronics categories, such devices can be a good deal. But buying a refurbished GPS carries a special risk. Occasionally, some of these units come with outdated maps. Since there is no way to tell until you fire up the unit and look at the map version, I suggest you check the store's restocking / return policy if you go this route.

Navigating thru a winter wonderland

There's a confusing enough array of GPS units on the market, but around the holidays the major manufacturers start throwing out units you've never heard of and have never seen reviewed. Some are exclusive to one retailer, while others are bargain-basement stripped down devices. Here's what the major manufacturers have on tap for the holidays this year...

TomTom GO 630 announced

RadioShack has landed yet another exclusive deal for the holidays; this time it's the TomTom GO 630. The 4.3" navigator sports many of the same features found on the popular TomTom GO 730 -- IQ Routes™, Advanced Lane Guidance, Voice Address input, TomTom MapShare™, text-to-speech and Bluetooth for handsfree calling.

What appears to be missing is an FM transmitter and MP3 player. And the Radio Shack specs page cites just 3 million POIs; I suspect that's a bit less than most TomTom units.

The TomTom GO 630 lists for $399.99 and is available immediately.

Via Club TomTom.

TomTom XL 330 review

The TomTom XL 330 updates the TomTom ONE XL with a new design that includes a built-in mount, dubbed the EasyPort^TM, that stows on the back of the device. Other than the form factor and re-designed speaker though, this new entry level model is almost identical to its older sibling.

TomTom ONE XL II

The TomTom ONE XL II has cleared the FCC and we're expecting this model to be on store shelves for the holiday season. We don't know much about it at this point, but it appears to update the TomTom ONE XL-S with Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use, becoming the first member of the TomTom ONE family with this feature.

TomTom GO 940 LIVE with Google search

Rumors are flying around the Web about the TomTom GO 940 LIVE, which appears to integrate Dash-like HD traffic and Google local search. Look for a formal announcement next week at IFA in Berlin. Will we see this model in the U.S.? Well, we know that both the HD receiver (pictured below) and a new TomTom unit have both cleared the FCC, which is a pretty good sign.

TomTom PRO 4000 and 8000

TomTom has announced the PRO series, consisting of the TomTom PRO 4000 and TomTom PRO 8000. These appear to be the TomTom XL 330-S and TomTom GO 730, with a few bonuses thrown in:

TomTom ONE 130-S review

The TomTom ONE 130-S updates the TomTom ONE 3rd edition, with a new design that features a built-in mount called the EasyPort^TM, that stows on the back of the device.