Posts Tagged ‘SiRF’
Review: Space Machine’s PND-428A Has Brand-Name Worthy Navigation without a Brand Name Price
For many would-be portable navigation device (PND) users, particularly with the economy the way it is, price can be a sticking point. Fortunately for us, the cutthroat competition in this market in recent years, coupled with the current economy, has caused prices to plummet from what they were just a few years ago. So if PNDs have dropped to a price where you think they are affordable, there is the question of what to buy? Spend a little more on a top-name brand, or gamble and spend a little less on an unknown quantity? Well, I can tell you that if you opt for Space Machine’s PND-428A, it won’t be a gamble — it’s a worthy device.
SiRF Debuts its Latest GPS Chip: SiRFstarIV
Just a few years ago, it appeared good ole SiRF Technologies, the Intel of GPS receiver chips, was on the proverbial ropes. The economic downturn caused the boom sparked by the sat nav market to go bust. Add to that increased competition, as everybody wanted to get in on the GPS chip market, and the fact that back in 2007 SiRF had made a major acquisition, which are always tricky financially and logistically, even when the companies are a good fit. All this added up to SiRF getting beat up on Wall Street but good. Then there was the patent dispute with Broadcom and investor lawsuits. But SiRF may have the last laugh, as it launches the successor to the popular SiRFstarIII.
TwoNav Aventura: Do-It-All Sat Nav from Spain
If you live in Europe and are looking for a do-it-all GPS device, a Spanish company has begun selling its TwoNav Aventura device on its website and shipping orders; it began taking preorders last month. What’s the Aventura? CompeGPS touts its device as “all the best you can find in other outdoor GPS devices [with] some exclusive features: voice-guided road navigation, real 3D landscapes, [and] 3.5-inch touch screen.”
GoBook MR-1: Lean, Mean, Fighting GPS Machine
Need a rugged — and by rugged, we mean really rugged — full-featured mobile PC that also has integrated GPS capabilities? And have the cash — and we mean lots of cash — for such a device? Want one that is tough enough for soldiers out in the field? Then General Dynamics GoBook MR-1 may be for you. Over at our sister pub GPS World, military and government editor Don Jewell took one for a three-month test drive and has nothing but good things to say in his review; we’ve excerpted some highlights here.
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Space Machine's PND-428A