The Pharos 140 is the Swiss Army knife of GPS systems, as it has a variety of tools that make it more than just a GPS receiver. When used as a GPS receiver, the large 4-inch screen and highly accurate 20-channel SiRFstar III GPS engine will get you through the concrete jungle as well as any experienced guide. When navigation is not your goal, the Pharos is a veritable entertainment and communication center.

The Pharos 140 performs like other vehicle GPS receivers. It holds maps of the entire U.S. and Canada, displays your current location, and provides turn-by-turn instructions with 3D map views. At times recalculating the route when I strayed was slow, but it always got me where I needed to go. This model does not receive traffic updates for real-time traffic information, but future models will, according to the company. The Pharos also provides a hands-free interface to your cell phone.

The Pharos connects to your phone using a Bluetooth wireless connection, so that when your phone rings, you answer it by touching the phone icon on the Pharos screen. The Pharos has a microphone and a speaker, so you talk hands-free through the Pharos receiver. You can download your contact information into the Pharos then dial using the Pharos touch screen. It automatically reconnects to your phone every time you get into your vehicle. I found the phone interface very useful when driving because I could leave my phone in my pocket and talk without holding the phone to my head.

Once you get where you are going, or possibly enroute if you are a passenger, there is no need to put the Pharos away because it plays videos and music, and shows pictures. I transferred a movie to an SD card (MPEG format), plugged it into the Pharos, and gave it to my children to watch on a trip. They thought it was great because they got to watch the movie they wanted while they traveled. I also transferred a very short movie clip to the SD card that held all the maps and found that the Pharos receiver can play the movie and still provide voice prompts for navigating. I transferred JPG digital photos to the Pharos and it displayed them with no problem. I downloaded music in an MP3 format and again the Pharos played my songs just like an MP3 player.

The Pharos 140 also has several quick-launch “buttons” on the front of the case to either side of the screen, but they are not buttons in a strict sense because you do not press anything, you just touch an indentation on the case. Three indentations on the left side of the screen permit you to switch between the GPS receiver, the video player, and the music player. On the right side, two buttons act as a volume control.

The Pharos 140 comes with everything you need right out of the box to quickly get you on the road and to your destination including a DC car charger, an AC home charger, a stylus, a USB cable, and a windshield mounting bracket.

Key specifications:

• size: 5.8 x 3.5 x 1 inches, 9.5 oz
• display: 4-inch diagonal; 480 x 272 pixels; TFT Touch Screen
• battery: 1900 mAH Rechargeable Li-Ion. (4 hrs.)
• data storage: 256 MB ROM, 64 MB RAM, SD Card Slot
• operating System: Microsoft Windows CE 5.0
• environmental: not waterproof
• I/O: USB v1.1, Bluetooth v2.0, CAP Sense Buttons, TMC
• MSRP: $549.95

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