TeleType GPS Bluetooth Receiver

CNET Editors' Rating 8.5/10 Excellent Editorial policies >>
Average user rating from 20 users 5.5/10 Average Read user opinions >>

Product Summary CNET Editors' Choice

The good: Strong GPS receiver; customizable map detail; magnetic mounting device; reasonably priced; voice-activated commands.

The bad: Unintuitive software.

The bottom line: TeleType's GPS Bluetooth Receiver has everything you'll need for wireless navigation on your PDA, but the mapping software could be more user-friendly.

Specs: Product type: GPS receiver module; Weight: 1.9 oz; GPS receiver: 12 channel See full specs >>

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: John R. Delaney
Reviewed on: 05/26/2004

Encased in a translucent blue-plastic housing, the TeleType GPS Bluetooth Receiver weighs slightly more than 3 ounces, measures 2.7 by 1.9 by 0.9 inches, and can be easily mistaken for a pager. Three LEDs indicate wireless, satellite, and battery status, and the left side contains a DC power jack and a plug for installing an external antenna (optional for $59). Although the $189 package includes a nice belt-clip carrying case, the GPS receiver tends to lose a strong signal when placed in the holder. We recommend leaving the top of the receiver exposed to the sky for best results.

TeleType's World Navigator software is loaded with features, but you'll have to spend some time learning how to use them to take full advantage of this powerful mapping application. For example, there are several ways to export maps to the PDA, depending on whether you wish to include points-of-interest (POI) data, topographical maps, or marine maps. Thankfully, TeleType includes a comprehensive user guide. In addition to providing voice-enabled driving directions and more than 3 million POI, the software allows you to select various levels of mapping detail in order to conserve PDA memory. As an example, a map of the New York tristate area required 22MB of memory, considerably less than the Belkin's software did. Better yet, if your PDA has an integrated microphone, you can use the program's voice-recognition capabilities to zoom in and out, select full- or normal-screen mode, and move left to right and up and down without touching your PDA. TeleType also sells an add-on Yellow Pages CD ($69) with an additional 9 million POI. We liked the fact that TeleType includes a magnetic mounting device for attaching the receiver to your vehicle's dashboard, as well as a cigarette-lighter power cable and a matching blue AC charging cradle.

While not as strong as the Belkin GPS, the TeleType still performed admirably under most conditions, acquiring a lock after 55 seconds. We experienced signal loss in the densest areas of Manhattan, where the view of the sky is severely limited, but the TeleType reacquired a 3D fix within seconds. Street-level maps were easy to read, and the voice recognition worked, although the response time was a bit sluggish. Visual and audible driving directions were accurate, as was the receiver's tracking ability. The TeleType GPS uses three rechargeable nickel-metal-hydride AAA batteries (included and rated for 10 hours), and they gave us a little more than 8 hours of continuous power.

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