Cars Bikes Boats

Garmin today announced a new GPS in their nüvi line – the 1490T. This 5-inch, touchscreen GPS is 25-percent thinner than other nüvi models. In what Garmin calls a "premium automotive GPS device", the nüvi 1490T features free lifetime traffic alerts, lane assist with junction view (for those complicated intersections), automatic time zone transition and a speed limit indicator.

The 1490T makes route planning easy, as it saves up to 10 routes. And to help travelers save money, it comes with ecoRoute, which suggests the most fuel-efficient route. "Shorter distance" and "Faster time" routes are available as well. Bluetooth is also included for receiving and placing phone calls (over 200 Bluetooth enabled phones are supported).

The Garmin nüvi 1490T will be available in July 2009 for $499.99.

There are 51 million members of AAA, North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization. The non-profit has been an advocate for safety and security for all travelers since its founding in 1902. It is only fitting that Magellan GPS and AAA have formed a partnership that delivers the AAA data to the latest Magellan GPS devices, RoadMate 1470, RoadMate 1440 and RoadMate 1340.

All three of these devices feature AAA TourBook listings and member Roadside Assistance menus. And these features:

• Easy-to-use OneTouch favorites drop-down menu
• Personalized search icons to easily find favorite places
• Announces street names and directions at each turn
• Highway Lane Assist
• Highway Exit Points of Interest search
• QuickSpell with New SmartCity Search
• Offers multi-destination routing with route optimization
• Includes maps of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico
• SmartDetour prompts drivers to route around heavy or stationary traffic
• 2-D and 3-D map views with auto day/night mode switching
• Trip computer and trip planner

Scosche just announced the availability of the new reCOIL mobile charger for the iPod and iPhone.

The reCOIL allows you to conveniently charge your iPod or iPhone by plugging the device into your vehicle's 12V power/accessory outlet. The reCOIL's retractable cord charges your iPod and iPhone neatly, keeping it tangle-free, and features a magnetic locking dock connector to mount in your vehicle when not in use.

The reCOIL is priced at $29.99 and is available now at www.Scosche.com.

Available just in time for summer travel, the Mio Moov S700 GPS sports a 7-inch touch-screen display, the largest screen on any Mio Technology product in North America. The Moov S700 also has an A/V input, so you can convert your GPS into a second screen for DVDs (or other multimedia) while on your trip.

The Mio Moov S700 comes preloaded with MAD Maps for those who like to take ‘the scenic route.’ Select a custom MAD Maps route to reach nearby must-see landmarks and quirky roadside attractions that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. And to keep yourself oriented in unfamiliar territory, the Mio Moov S700 also features 3-D landmarks (bridges, tall buildings, etc.).

Want to explore the city? The Mio Moov 700 also comes with eight city guides from WCities – a global information service provider. It will give you detailed information about nearby accommodations, dining, shopping, entertainment and attractions. Want to see the menu of a nearby restaurant? Done. Want to learn when the Sears Tower was built? No problem…

The Mio Moov S700 comes preloaded with 12 million points of interests and full maps of the U.S. and Canada. It will be on shelves in May 2009 for approx. $300. www.mio.com

Fans of the 1980’s TV show Knight Rider will appreciate this GPS from Mio. The Knight Rider GPS features the original voice of the car from the show, actor William Daniels. Every time you start it up, K.I.T.T will greet you by name and its active LED display moves in sync with the voice, just like it did on K.I.T.T.’s dash on Knight Rider. How cool is that?

The GPS comes preloaded with maps of U.S. and Canada and over 4 million points of interest. It also features a 4.3" interactive widescreen touch-screen display, a built-in card slot that supports Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard formats (media cards not included), built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery with up to 2.5 hours of battery life, and comes with a windshield mount, car charger, USB cable and software CD-ROM.

The Knight Rider GPS is available now for about $180. But check around…I’ve seen it even cheaper than that.

Zoombak just announced they have reduced the price of their entire line of GPS Locators by $50. Zoombak’s compact, assisted (A-GPS) locator system uses a satellite-enabled GPS and a location network server to track your teen driver, recover a stolen vehicle, find your lost pet, among other things.

The Zoomback GPS Locator can be installed in your car or left portable for use in boats, bicycles, motorcyles etc. Go to Zoombak.com to track your vehicle in real time and view its location history (for a monthly fee).

Zoombak’s MSRP list is as follows:

• Zoombak Advanced GPS Universal Locator, now $149.99
• Zoombak Advanced GPS Dog Locator, now $149.99
• Zoombak Advanced GPS Car and Family Locator, now $199.99

Autonet Mobile is the first in-car Internet service provider. It turns vehicles into WiFi hotspots, so you can use your WiFi-enabled devices such as laptops, PSPs, PDA’s and more while on the road. More than one device can be used at the same time, so every passenger in your car can connect to the Internet at once. No software is needed - the small (7x7-inch) Autonet Mobile router is installed in the trunk (or cargo area) of your car and is hard-wired into the vehicle's 12 volt system. Just start up the car for immediate WiFi access.

Autonet Mobile runs over 3G and 2.5G (EVDO, 1xRTT) cellular networks and the WiFi connection is secured with WEP encryption, MAC address restriction or WAN port restriction. It also includes Autonet Mobile’s Mobile’s TRU Technology which automatically fixes network issues and reports them to the Customer Service Center. It is compatible with all operating systems supporting WiFi including Windows, Mac, Linux and Solaris.

Autonet Mobile retails for $499 and can be purchased at authorized dealers. Monthly service plans start at $29. For a limited time, get three months of service free with new activation.