GPS, or Global Positioning System has been operational since December 1993, but its history lies much further back to the 1940s when ground based navigation systems such as Decca Navigator began. This, while it planted the seed of inspiration would not take another step forward until the 1957 launch of the first Sputnik by the Soviet union showed that satellites were a possibility.
In the beginning the system was only intended for military use, but that changed in 1983 when a Soviet interceptor plane shot down a civilian aircraft in restricted Soviet space killing all on board, after the craft had mistakenly wandered off course. This was something that GPS could have prevented, and so President Reagan soon announced that GPS would be available for all once it was complete.
GPS is a satellite controlled navigation system that is used by the military and general public alike. For the general public it is a useful tool, a step forward from the one dimensional and none interactive maps that some people find difficult to read and follow. There are many different brands of GPS receivers, and they each offer different features, some of which may not even be related to GPS.
Prices for GPS devices start at around $100 for a basic device that is monochrome and hand held, and increase to more than $2000 for a larger, colour device with a greater number of features. At it's most basic however, GPS is not a stand alone, or navigation aid.
The lower level devices would be a hand-held GPS navigation tool, such that might include preloaded maps of the country of purchase, be waterproof and have a backlit LCD screen. Or for similar pricing a basic GPS device with colour screen, voice guidance to tell you when to take what turns and onto what streets, the power to add new maps, and may have a choice of languages and choice of the voice that the GPS uses.
At around $200 you add in features such as a touch screen to your GPS device for inputting addresses and accessing menus as well as blue tooth capability. Another step up and you see features such as AAA tour books added in and automatic redirect; and important feature for a GPS navigator because you can never be sure when you will miss a turn and need to get back on track via an alternative route.
At the top end, GPS devices include such things as voice recognition, allowing you to speak your start and end points, and any points of interest in best. They might also include non-GPS features like DVD players, iPod docks and even give you traffic updates.
Though many people do not realise it, GPS receivers have been present for some time in many cell phones, and allow the phone to be traced precisely, when the police request such information. In this way GPS has been used to help find missing people, and attempts have been made to use it to help the victims of kidnapping.
History of GPS (global Positioning System)
Nextar W3-01 3.5-Inch Touch Screen GPS Vehicle Navigator
Cheap Gps Navigation,
Nextar W3-01 3.5-Inch Touch Screen GPS Vehicle Navigator
From Nextar
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #2155 in Consumer Electronics
- Brand: Nextar
- Model: W3-01
Features
- Vehicle GPS navigator with 3.5-inch touchscreen display
- Offers voice-guided directions with turn-by-turn voice prompts
- Built-in maps of all 50 U.S. states, with 1.6 million points of interest
- Secure Digital card slot for added memory; built-in MP3 player
- Measures 5.19 x 2.99 x 1.2 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Product Description
Never miss a turn again with the Nextar W3-01 GPS navigator. Preloaded with maps of the 50 U.S. states and equipped with 1.6 million points of interest--including gas stations, restaurants, movie theaters, and more--the W3-01 makes it easy to get just about anywhere. Simply enter information on the navigator's 3.5-inch touchscreen display and let the voice prompts guide you to the destination. The navigator is also notably versatile, with both 2D and 3D viewing modes, along with a night mode feature that adds light to the screen for easier viewing. And should you make a wrong turn or take a detour, the navigator automatically recalculates the route and gives you new directions.
 The navigator sits at an easy-to-read angle on your dashboard. |
Customer Reviews
Never lost..
Its stock voice is pleasant.. Screen image is clear and crisp..
We've used ours driving from Chicago to Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and the whole way to Vermont! We were never lost..
One complaint ~ the car adaptor got broken after plugging & unplugging under normal usage..
Would purchase again if I needed to..
So far, first rate
This is easy to use. I set it up to take me on major routes to my destination. This will occasionally take you a little out of your way, but probably not a longer time period. It is so much less expensive than most GPS's I worried that it would be hard to use. It has a feature for music that I don't use and can't imagine why I would -- maybe for exercise walking? The screen is easy to see, and the voice directions make it safe to use also. I liked it so well that I have bought another as a gift.
The disadvantage is that the instructions say not to start the car with it plugged in, and it can only be charged in the car. It is easy to forget to plug it in after starting the car so it might need charging at just the wrong moment. And it is easy to forget to unplug it before turning off the engine. Also the charger plug is so short that it is stretched tight and comes unplugged easily. The web site does not have any accessories that will charge it at home.
Excellent value GPS Navigator
Excellent product easy to set up and use, we love it and wouldn't be without it
| List Price: | $299.99 |
| Price: | $104.82 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details |
Dont Get Lost Shopping for GPS Navigation Devices
Searching through GPS navigation devices is easiest when you begin with the basics. Before you get all strung out and confused with too many details, start with the broad, general key points of each potential GPS device, then you can work your way through the dozens of tiny options and features that GPS navigation devices have to offer.
Whether you are looking for a hand held GPS device or an auto GPS unit, the size should be one of the first things you consider. GPS navigation devices that are too small have screens that are too small, and they can be difficult to read. On the other hand, the larger the unit is, usually the heavier it becomes, and it can end up getting in your way more than it shows you your way. Make sure you narrow down your choices to units that are comfortably sized for your use. Of course, probably the single biggest factor in deciding on GPS navigation devices is price.
Depending on what features and abilities you want, prices range anywhere from a couple hundred dollars up to a few thousand dollars. Before you walk into a store, have a price range already in mind that you are comfortable with, and stick to that.
Many people find that GPS navigation devices with pre loaded maps are useful, and be sure to find a unit with a strong receiver that will prove the units reliability and dependability to you. Many devices can warn you of points of interest such as tolls, construction, and traffic as well as other things like landmarks, restaurants, and even ATMs. Once you decide how important the points of interest feature is to you, you should think about how much more money you are willing to spend for features like built in cameras and mp3 player capabilities. If you honestly do not see yourself needing things like that, be sure to weed out the ones that have the features, because you will be paying extra for them.
If you are in the market for an auto GPS navigation device, first of all, keep in mind that you will be driving in all kinds of weather and times of the day. A bright screen with an anti glare feature is almost required these days. Wide displays also make the maps and information easier to view and interpret, keeping your eyes on the road more often, as they should be.
Make sure when you are shopping for a GPS unit that you look at the unit screen from a distance, so you can see whether or not you can clearly read it.
Some of the more optional features that people do enjoy are a variety of route options, a large points of interest database, or the option to add your own points of interest in, and even text to speech conversion capabilities.
Many people love the fact that their GPS navigation device speaks directions to them. And finally, just for fun, many devices in all price ranges have added fun things purely for your entertainment, such as the option to change the sound of the devices voice. You can choose a man, a woman, and even a celebrity voice to tell you where to go.
Portable GPS Units, Key To Finding Your Way
The early handheld or portable GPS units were designed for military personnel. They tended to be bulkier and somewhat cumbersome to use. Now that GPS technology has been made available to civilians, the GPS units themselves have improved in one essential area of design: portability. The new portable GPS units allow consumers to have as much GPS power as soldiers have and in some cases have more features. This article will discuss the three types of portable GPS units available on the market: GPS units used exclusively for tracking purposes, GPS units designed for navigation and portable GPS units which can be used for both.
Portable GPS units designed for tracking are available in a variety of forms. The first are known as GPS auto trackers. The portable version of GPS auto trackers are usually battery-operated and can be conveniently put in the car's glove compartment. The next type of portable GPS unit with tracking capabilities are personal GPS systems. They can be a small device that looks like a cell-phone, (which can be placed in one's pocket, purse or backpack), built in special GPS watches or even in tennis shoes. These systems can be used to track loved ones, (especially children), or for exercise performance purposes. The latter is done by allowing a person to track how far and fast they might have walked or jogged. Finally, there are GPS units that can track expensive personal belongings, such as laptops. These types of portable GPS units can be placed in a USB or flash card slot.
On the other end of the spectrum are portable GPS units designed for navigation, also known as GPS navigators. GPS navigators can either be handheld or designed for use in a car. Handheld GPS navigators look similar to a cell phone. The graphics can either be in color or in black or white. GPS navigators designed for the car are generally rectangular and can be connected to the windshield by suction cups. Both types of GPS navigators allow a person to obtain directions and maps as they are on the road. Sophisticated portable GPS navigators communicate directions through a computer-generated voice.
Combination portable GPS units are designed for both navigational and tracking capabilities. An example can be seen through GPS-enabled cell phones. The downside to these at least in comparison to GPS navigators is that they only work in areas that have that particular cell phone company's coverage. If the area does not have coverage, the cell phone GPS won't work well. However the portable GPS units navigation capabilities are not affected by poor cell phone coverage.
Portable GPS units can be used for tracking, navigation or a combination of the two. Indeed, these GPS units offer quite a bit of GPS power, considering their reduced size. With a device that is small enough to fit in one's pocket, people are offered two things: the ability to get to their chosen destination on time or the ability to keep a 'virtual' eye on expensive possessions or loved ones. Price-wise portable GPS units with the tracking capability will be a bit more expensive, but in the long run when one is ensured that everything and everyone most dear to them is where they are supposed to be, it won't take long to realize the money would be well-spent.
Satellite Navigation System as Our Travel Guide
If the mobile phone ushered in a new era of super fast communication link with our near and dear, the satellite navigation system is an even more refined device to check the whereabouts and ensure the safety of our near and dear ones. Even if the world does seem to have shrunk because of the communication network established in the remotest corner of the world, still there are places which seem remote and inaccessible even to a mobile phone. The satellite navigation system is a sophisticated device which helps the weary traveler to stay in course and not lose his bearings in alien or even unfamiliar territory. In earlier times the compass helped the sailor on the sea and the traveller on land to navigate unfamiliar territory. The satellite navigator today does this and even more.
The satellite navigation system has turned out as the best information source for the travellers. There are integrated with latest communication systems for easy navigation even in the unknown parts of the world.
One need not be in a dense African jungle to lose one's bearings. This can happen very well in any concrete jungle of today. The satellite navigation system helps us in steering our route carefully and undertaking the journey with meticulous care. It is a small device and depending on where we wish to place it, we can opt for a small pocket device or fit it into the vehicle we are travelling. It has an inbuilt map both in two dimensions and three dimensions and the entire area can be carefully charted on it. The dimensions make it easier for us to visualize the place and accordingly prepare for it.
If the journey itself is long and arduous, the device can find the shortest and easiest route. Similarly if there is any kind of trouble en route, the traveller is forewarned so that he can choose a safer route to the destination. It has a small touch screen which can be operated by lightly pressing on the icons and the voice guide will instruct the driver to follow the right trail. With a built in camera and chip set receiver to obtain satellite signals, it is the best security device to carry on our journey especially if there is an element of danger and risk in the kind of terrain one is moving on.
The smaller pocket sized devices are also very accurate and can be carried unobtrusively in our pocket and it is quick to warn us about any kind of danger. Very serious accidents have thus been averted thanks to the timely warning it beeps to the unwary traveler. In addition to other essential features, the ipod control helps to manage the whole unit very effectively. Most devices have more than about 360 languages with nearly 50 different voices to choose from. One can therefore navigate even in an alien country where the native language is not familiar to us. The Satellite navigator delivers us safely to our destination without any problem.
Perfect Driving Gift With a Car GPS Receiver
Perfect Driving Gift with a Car GPS Receiver
The global positioning system, or GPS, was developed by the U.S. government years ago for military purposes. As with most military technology however, it was quickly adapted for civilian use within just a few short years. Nowadays, it's commonplace to see car GPS receivers in new vehicles, and may consumers are purchasing these devices for their current vehicles. By using a global network of satellites above Earth and incredibly accurate microwave signals (which travel at just a slightly lower speed than light through the atmosphere), car GPS devices provide instantaneous readings on location, speed, direction, and current time for any device anywhere on Earth's surface.
Car GPS is cheaper than ever
Car GPS receivers are the perfect gift for family members for birthdays and during the holidays. They aren't too terribly expensive, and anyone at all can use them. car GPS are much quicker and accurate than other tracking devices, such as devices that use radio triangulation, and because of their popularity, new advancements are being made all of the time for them. It doesn't matter if you're in Washington, D.C. or the Amazon - you won't ever get lost if you have a car GPS receiver handy.
Car GPS also come in models that are compatible with cell phones and even handheld video game systems, but only car GPS receivers include the full color displays that make using them as car navigational tools useful.
GPS also incredibly easy to install, and they hook up right to your car for a stable power supply. At the touch of a button, you can easily turn them off if you want to just enjoy the scenery for a change, or don't want them turned on while driving around familiar locations. GPS car receivers are so useful and versatile that most people would enjoy to have them for all of their vehicles.
car GPS don't even come with a monthly fee unless you also choose to have additional features, such as real time traffic updating enabled. These extra features go above and beyond normal map features, and some people will appreciate them, especially in cities, but others may not find much use for them.
It's all about taste, so you don't need to purchase something that you won't find much use or appreciation for. Cheap to purchase and free to own, car GPS receivers are about the most useful driving tools available today.
Many people still use tools like Map Quest and Google Maps to plot a general course, but car GPS receivers are proven themselves masters at navigating.
The best part about GPS system reviews is that they are easily accessible and free online. A number of magazines also include GPS system reviews, but you'll have to spend $5-$10 for them obviously. However, you may prefer that medium over web sites. Either way, you'll be getting information about these products before you make an informed purchase, buying only the features that you need and saving you money. After all, what's the point of buying features if you won't use them?http://astore.amazon.com/portable-vehicle-gps-navigation-20