The Car Tech blog

Why spend upward of $100 on a navigation app when CoPilot's on sale for $20?

At $34.99, ALK's CoPilot Live North America is already one of the least-expensive navigation apps in the iTunes App Store. At $19.99, it's an outright steal.

That's the deal ALK is offering this holiday weekend, and you can grab it starting right now.

CoPilot Live offers complete turn-by-turn navigation for the U.S. and Canada. Its features include text-to-speech (meaning it announces street names), address book integration, tap-to-call POI listings, and easy switching between different modes of travel (car, bicycle, walking, and so on).

You'll definitely want to read Dong Ngo's CoPilot Live road test that covers the highlights and letdowns--but keep in mind the app's been updated since then. For example, Ngo dings it for lacking text-to-speech, but it now has that feature.

Still missing, alas, is real-time traffic information, which apparently remains on the coming-soon list. Thankfully, future updates to the app will be free, though any premium services like traffic will cost you.

Even without that option, it's hard to pass up a full-featured navigation app for just $20, especially with competitors like Navigon, iGo My Way, and TomTom still selling in the $70-100 range.

The only missing ingredient is a dashboard or windshield mount for your iPhone. I recommend heading to a Web site like Eforcity or Meritline and picking up an inexpensive gooseneck mount.

(Credit: Google)

One of the highlights of Android 2.0 has been the Google Maps Navigation app that delivers voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation on your phone for free. Until now, only Motorola Droid owners could take advantage of this sweet perk, but times they are a-changing.

On Monday, Google announced that its navigation app is now available for devices running Android 1.6 and higher, including the T-Mobile G1 and T-Mobile MyTouch 3G. While still in beta, the app provides voice-guided directions between two points, traffic information, and business searches.

This release also includes a new Layers feature that lets you overlay more information on the map, such as transit lines and Wikipedia articles about places, but it does not support the "Navigate to" voice command feature found on Android 2.0, so you'll have to input all your destinations using your phone's keyboard.

Google Maps Navigation for Android 1.6 is now available for download from the Android Market. Unlike other navigation apps or location-based services from the likes of TomTom, Garmin, and TeleNav, you don't have to pay a one-time fee or monthly subscription to use Google Maps Navigation. All you need is a data connection and you're good to go.

Should you spend $220 on an app and a cradle? Check out our review to find out.

(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)

We got our hands on TomTom's Car Kit for iPhone and took it for a spin--both figuratively and literally, the cradle spins 360 degrees.

The Car Kit holds and charges your iPhone while driving, enhances GPS reception when used with TomTom's turn-by-turn navigation app, and boosts audio quality of spoken directions and hands-free calls. However, the problem with a peripheral like the TomTom Car Kit is that when it's working best, you don't notice it, which makes it difficult for many users to justify the $119 price. People may be less likely to buy it when they consider that it takes an additional $99 app to get the most out of the purchase!

Most users wouldn't bat an eye at spending $200 on a portable navigation device, but how does does an iPhone app/peripheral package stack up? Check out our full review to find out.

You can control the iPhone's music playback within the Gokivo GPS app.

(Credit: Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)

You have two main options when it comes to GPS apps for the iPhone: apps with offline maps and apps with online maps. Examples of apps with offline maps are the Navigon, the iGo My Way, TomTom, or the recently added Magellan RoadMate.

These apps are excellent for frequent users as they don't require a live data connection to work. All the maps are included with the app and downloaded to the phone. However, they tend to require gigabytes of storage space and take a long time to install. If you plan on going on a long road trip, they are good fits.

If you are a casual user, however, it's better to use an online GPS application. These applications are just a few megabytes in size and therefore take a few seconds to download to the phone via a 3G connection. This means you can immediately get one the moment you suddenly need turn-by-turn directions.

The first online GPS app for the iPhone is the AT&T Navigator, which works pretty well. Unfortunately, it's only available to AT&T customers and is rather expensive ($10 per month) for what it offers. The good news is, you now have other and more flexible choices.

(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)

I've been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Garmin Nuvi 1690. It's sort of a big deal.

As Garmin's second major foray into the world of Internet-connected PNDs and its first model powered by the nuLink data service, the Nuvi 1690 is poised to go head-up with not only our current favorite, the TomTom Go 740 Live, but also with the whole world of smartphone turn-by-turn apps.

But before I can test it, I have to open the darn thing up. Rather than just rip into the box with my teeth like I normally do, it was suggested that perhaps I should open the box like a civilized human being and share the unboxing experience with you, our beloved readers.

Check out our gallery to see the Nuvi 1690 unboxed.

The RoadMate iPhone app borrows the interface of the RoadMate line of navigation devices.

(Credit: Antuan Goodwin)

As the PND vs. smartphone battle for navigation superiority continues, we're seeing more of the GPS heavyweights hedging their bets by developing application versions of their standalone GPS devices, while others push toward adding cellular technology to their portable devices in a bid to even the playing field.

Magellan finds itself in the former camp with the announcement of its Magellan RoadMate for iPhone turn-by-turn navigation application. The application is compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS models and will be available soon on the App Store at an introductory price of $79.99 (which will jump to $99.99 sometime thereafter).

Routing is quick, even when plotting four simultaneous courses.

(Credit: Screenshot by Antuan Goodwin/CNET)

The Magellan RoadMate for iPhone inherits many of the features that we liked when we tested the RoadMate 1470 standalone navigation device, such as the OneTouch user menu--a customizable shortcut menu that allows users to store frequently accessed addresses, POIs, and searches--and the ability to calculate and compare multiple routing options simultaneously. The RoadMate app also uses the same Navteq maps as the standalone unit. Maps and POIs are stored locally so you can keep navigating even without a data connection.

Other positive features that stand out are spoken text-to-speech street names, an oversize on-screen keyboard that's easier to use at an arm's length than the iPhone's default keyboard, native access to the iPhone's contacts list, and graphic lane guidance with digital highway street signs. In-app music control with playlist creation isn't critical to getting from point A to point B, but it's nice to have. 3D building data for major cities may be nice for users who navigate visually, but I think it's more of an eye candy thing than a truly useful feature.

Once you get where you're going, the RoadMate app automatically remembers the location of your car so you can find your way back and can switch to a Pedestrian mode for further navigation on foot.

I got my hands on an advanced copy of the Magellan RoadMate for iPhone app for evaluation and found, for the most part, that it worked as advertised. The app booted quickly and responded snappily to my inputs when tested on an Apple iPhone 3GS. A positive side effect of locally stored maps and POIs is that searching and routing with the RoadMate app is lightning fast, even when calculating four simultaneous routing options.

(Credit: TomTom)

When we took our first look at the TomTom app for iPhone, it seemed like a perfectly competent helper for getting from points A-to-B. But, we couldn't help but notice that a few of our favorite GPS navigation features were notably absent--particularly TTS instructions and graphic lane guidance.

Well, there's good news for users of the TomTom app in the form of a free update that adds these missing features, and a few more.

The update will add text-to-speech (TTS) for spoken street names and points of interest (POI) as part of the device's directions, graphic lane guidance which displays a visual representation of complex highway intersections with indications of valid lanes for the route, and a "Help menu" offering a shortcut to emergency number and directions to the nearest emergency services. TomTom is also enabling in-app iPod player control, so drivers won't have to exit the application to pick a song or playlist.

Also included in this update are a free map update and the inclusion of a safety camera database update. Users will be able to set audio warnings when approaching safety cameras or driving over the speed limit, possibly preventing citations and increasing vehicle safety.

TomTom tells us that the application update has been submitted to Apple and is pending approval. For current users of the TomTom app for iPhone, this will be a free update. For everyone else, the price of the app will remain at $99.

Top 5 car technologies--photos

After driving hundreds of cars to evaluate automotive technology, we've settled on our top 5 car technologies. Amongst the many, many features different automakers are making available, these are the ones we've found the most essential for everyday use. Some of these technologies can be found on most new cars today, while others are rarer, only offered by a few automakers. Some of these technologies will keep you and others safer, some will save you money, and some will just keep you happy.

Check out our top 5 car technologies.

(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)

When most shoppers think of "GPS" their minds immediately rush to TomTom and Garmin Nuvi, but there are other brands and models that also deserve a closer look, for example Magellan's RoadMate 1470.

Despite having a larger-than-average 4.7-inch color touch screen, the RoadMate 1470's slim profile makes it quite easy to fit into a pocket. After powering the unit on, we were pleased to find that the 1470 offers snappy performance and a well-designed interface that gives users a good deal of flexibility over their routing when they need it, yet still remains simple when they don't. Also, the RoadMate's capability to calculate multiple routes simultaneously makes it a great PND for map geeks and driving enthusiasts looking for the road less traveled.

However, our experiences with the RoadMate 1470 weren't all sunshine and lollipops; we ran into a few snags with both the onscreen keyboard and the poorly thought-out car cradle.

So how does the Magellan RoadMate stack up against the competition? Check out our full review to find out.