Satellite navigation

For those of us testing dozens of in-car navigation and infotainment systems each year, J.D. Power's 2011 U.S. Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study comes as no surprise. According to owners surveyed in the study, simplicity and ease-of-use are lacking in the majority of systems on the market, ...

Way back when, animated characters were voiced by anonymous folks with great pipes. These days, you need A-list celebs to sell pixelated fish and other playthings. The disembodied and slightly stilted voices of navigation systems appear to be going the same way, and Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson ...

It's one of the great ironies of our age that many of the devices that were crafted to make our lives easier are more prone to catapulting us into fits of blinding rage. Anyone who's been led astray by satellite navigation knows exactly what we're talking about. But what if your devices knew that ...

Garmin has recalled a total of 1.25 million portable GPS units for a possible fire risk, with 796,000 of those sold here in the United States. According to Consumer Reports, the problem stems from a faulty battery that may cause the device to overheat while in use. So far, there have been no ...

We know what you were thinking: If only my sat-nav could play Jedi mind tricks on me while I'm driving. Sounds like a good idea, no? TomTom evidently thinks so, and has worked their latest voice pack ...

Want an interesting voice on your satellite navigation system but tired of the Yoda, Stewie, Arnold and Homer themes you've already downloaded? Good news, then. Bob Dylan has just announced on his "Theme Time Radio Hour" show in the U.K. that he may be providing his distinctive vocals to a GPS ...

Click above to view high-res gallery of the Toyota Yaris SRThe Euro-spec Toyota Yaris is a well-equipped little car. But things like the nine airbags, chrome exhaust finisher, and remote central double locking are merely gravy for the real show on this new SR model: a fully-integrated portable ...

Those of you rolling in any new BMW model equipped with sat nav and Bluetooth connectability, save the Z4 and X3, can now integrate Google's useful, albeit sometimes erroneous, route plotting into your Bimmer. The joint effort between ze Germans and the search overlords allow users to log onto ...

Satnav manufacturer TomTom will be emulating a practice that's been going on for years on the internet where data resources are kept up-to-date by information submitted by a user community. Probably the best example of this is Wikipedia, a free online-based encyclopedia filled with information ...

Having reviewed many vehicles in my day, I can tell you unequivocally that not all satellite navigation systems are created equal. Just checking the sat nav box on the options sheet doesn't guarantee you'll be getting a system that's easy to use and will get you where you want to go. Those who know ...