GPS Device Buying Guide

Weekend warriors everywhere are stomping into local gear shops to cash in on the newest craze – GPS devices. After all, what’s better than merging your love of electronics with your love of the great outdoors? But do you need a pricey GPS that answers all your questions before you can formulate them, or is a workhorse GPS device that delivers standard info in a practical format better for you?
Our assessment checklist will help you sort your needs from your wants and find the right GPS device to suit your lifestyle.

Ease of use – GPS devices rarely require more than a quick study of the user’s manual. But talk to your friends and search out reviews online for which devices suit uber-techies and which ones work for trekkers with limited electronic know-how.

“Talk or read? – Some GPS devices come with voice software and touch-screens, but each feature usually indicates a price increase”
Talk or read? – Some GPS devices come with voice software and touch-screens, but each feature usually indicates a price increase.
Assess your needs – Car navigator devices differ from hand held units designed for outdoor adventures. If you plan to take yours on limited access highways, you’ll have little need for a unit that lists all the Taco Bells from Fort Worth to Albuquerque.
Verify compatibility – If your PC operates on outdated software, verify your new GPS software is compatible
Keep it simple – Many devices come with a lot of functions the average user doesn’t need. Make sure the unit you choose lives up to your expectations.
Plan your backup – Buy extra batteries and a charger. If you plan to hit the trails with your unit, make sure you bring both sets of batteries fully charged.
Forget the integrated compass – Some GPS devices come with electronic compasses but you should never rely on batteries to help you find north.
Map it out – Consider where you’ll adventure with your unit and if you’ll need additional mapping software. Some GPS devices come with removable memory cards so you can load more than one map for each trip.
Color your world – Color screens are pricier than black and white, but if you’re venturing through forests, cliffs and streams color can make navigation easier – and safer.


James W. Coates, an avid traveler and resident national park expert at Nomadik.com uses one GPS device for his commute and one for his forays into the wilderness. Check out his blog and share your own GPS device adventures.

Pioneer Car Audio Mp3 What To Look For When Purchasing

When choosing a pioneer car audio MP3 it’s important to address a few key questions.
How much do you want to spend? What features are most important to you?

An MP3 is a way to encode audio that compresses data so it can store a lot more of it while keeping a high standard of quality. Pioneer has a long-standing reputation for quality and also for being one of the easiest car audio systems to install and use. They make a range of car audio that can play MP3’s, including the lower end DEH-P3700MP for a little over $100 to the AVICD1 navigation system for about $1,600. If you are looking for a basic system to play CD’s and MP3’s, a simpler system will be fine. But, if you want more features like navigation or a DVD player you will pay a lot more for a higher end system.

One of the most important things to look for is how you are going to navigate through all of your MP3 files, especially while driving.

If you have a large library of music, you will need to find an MP3 player that makes browsing through the discs as easy as possible. Many discs can hold up to about 250 songs, and it’s crucial that you can find exactly what you’re looking for as quickly as possible. One of the most reasonably priced MP3 player’s Pioneer makes is the DEH-P5500M, which costs around $270 and allows you to organize files by artist, track, folder name, file name, and album. It also has satellite radio and CD changer controls. It’s also imperative that you check that the discs you use on your computer for music are compatible with the ones for the MP3 player, otherwise you might end up with a library of music that won’t play in your car. ID tags to identify songs must be a certain version compatible with the car’s system, or you’ll end up with a lot of unusable music. If you figure out what you’re looking for, you can make an educated decision about which system will best suit your budget and your listening needs.


Article written by James Southall Jr.

mp3 player - car entertainment - gadgets