TomTom GO 740 Live

When we spoke with TomTom's representatives concerning the new GO 740 Live, the navigation device was described as offering a "God's-eye view" of the road. Now, the GO isn't omniscient, but it gets pretty close with its three-pronged approach to navigation data.

Firstly and most importantly, a built-in wireless data connection gives the user access to live traffic data and Local Search by Google. Next, TomTom Map Share is a user-generated map correction system that allows for map data to be updated more frequently. Finally, IQ Routes looks at historical speed data to calculate the fastest route from point to point.

Design
The GO 740 Live sticks to the standard PND form factor that has served TomTom well. The device measures 3.4 inches tall by 5 inches wide. The unit is 0.9 -inch thick at its thickest point (center) and tapers to thinner edges. On the front of the device you'll find a 4.3-inch full-color touch screen with a 480x272 pixel resolution. On the back is the single speaker. The bottom edge is where the proprietary cradle connection can be found, as well as a microSD card slot, if you want to supplement the unit's 2GB of internal storage.

The GO 740 Live doesn't include the Fold'n'Go EasyPort mount that the One and XL models feature. Rather, the GO ships with a car cradle with a suction-cup mount similar to that of the EasyPort and a desk cradle for connecting the GO to a computer via USB for updating or charging.

TomTom rates the GO 740 Live's battery life at 3 hours. In our testing, we found the charge to last closer to 2 hours.

Features
The GO 740 Live is TomTom's first GPS device to feature a built-in wireless data connection, so it offers a few new features that we haven't seen before on TomTom navigation units.

The first is Local Search powered by Google, which puts rich points-of-interest data at your fingertips. Users can search for businesses and restaurants and receive detailed information about the results, including rating, payment types accepted, required attire, and more.

The GO 740 Live is also capable of delivering traffic information with real-time flow data (not just incidents), searching for the latest fuel prices in the area, and receiving local and five day weather forecasts.

TomTom Buddies allows you to share your location with friends who also have a TomTom GO, and to send instant messages to one another. QuickGPSfix uses cellular triangulation to update the unit's location faster for a quicker satellite lock.

Three months of Live Services is included in the $500 MSRP, after which you'll have to pay a $10-a-month subscription fee.

In addition to these live services, the TomTom GO 740 Live also features IQ Routes, a routing algorithm that considers anonymous historical speed data from you and other TomTom users to offer faster and more accurate routes. For example, if the unit sees that a highway is typically congested on weeknights during rush hour, then it will attempt to route around it at such times.

TomTom Map Share allows users to correct inaccurate map data (such as improperly named streets, turn restrictions, traffic direction, speed limits, etc.), add and edit points of interest, and submit those corrections to be shared with other TomTom users. Users can opt to receive Map Share updates, choose to only receive TomTom-approved updates, or receive no updates at all.