How to buy a GPS Device?

The cost of GPS products vary depending upon the screen size and features. While some devices can cost $100, high-end models which boasts of large screens and sensitive features can cost anywhere between $500-600.

• Type of GPS you need

Before buying a GPS, you need to know the type of GPS you need. There are numerous types of GPS such as car navigation system, marine system, outdoor units etc available in the market. Surely, if you want to use the GPS in your car to find about a particular destination, your best bet is the car navigation system. On the other hand if you want to know minute details underwater, then marine system suits you the best.

• Function you want your GPS to perform

Another important thing you need to keep in your mind while buying a GPS is to know what function you exactly want your GPS device to perform. If you want car navigation GPS, then it is important to have spoken navigation instructions. On the other hand if you love to venture high altitudes, then it is essential that your GPS device should be light in weight and shower proof.

• High number of channels

Most of the GPS devices today come with 12 parallel channels which facilitate catching of satellite signals faster and accurately. Devices with high number of channels will make your navigation smoother by catching signals within a short of span of time. If you look at the older GPS devices, you will find that they were equipped with lesser number of channels which resulted in inaccurate navigation.

• Interface option

Another important GPS buying guide is interface option. GPS devices come in various screen sizes and colors. Larger color screen costs more than smaller monochrome screen. Though color screen provides you with more details, they consume more battery. So, it is important for you to know your exact interface option and buy the device accordingly.

• Weather Resistant

A vital factor which you need to look out for is how much weather resistant is your GPS. Surly, you would not want the device to get damaged in water, heat or in extreme cold. So before you buy a GPS device it is essential to verify as to whether the device has weather resistant features or not. Go for a GPS device which boasts of a rugged design and is resistant to extreme changes in weather condition.

• Power source

It is advisable to go for a GPS, which supports external power. You must ensure that the device supports standard batteries which can be easily replaced when required. It is recommended that your GPS device should be equipped with Lithium batteries, which ensure higher battery life.

• Memory

Since GPS devices need to store maps of all kind (topographic, street-level etc), you need to get a device which comes with a large storage space. Since new roads are constructed and detail maps eat a lot of memory, it is essential to have a device with robust memory. Higher-end GPS devices come with micro SD card slot for inserting memory cards.

Most of the GPS devices come with additional features some of which you may not require at all. So, just do not go by the looks and the additional features of the GPS. Do analyze as to whether you really need those features or not. GPS devices are one of the most consumer friendly devices available in the market which helps you navigate your surroundings. Hence it is essential that you choose the best device which will help you to explore and navigate your place.

Are you interested in knowing more about the latest BMW cars? Now BMW has gone one step ahead and come up with Apple iPad to provide better virtual experience. The BMW is now ready to provide a better product description to all the iPad users as they can enjoy more information about the latest BMW X3 through their Apple iPad. The application has been specially launched for iPad users who are interested in purchasing and knowing more about the latest BMW cars. The application will provide detail information about the X3 model along with additional interactive possibilities on Apple iPad which would enhance the overall product viewing experience.

The BMW X3 App will not only provide more information to the iPad users but also provide plenty of video material so that the users can have a good look at the product from all angles. The application will also provide users the ability to configure their own BMW X3 the way they want which they can order directly through the application. The highlight of the application is the 360 degree view of the car that allows the user to take a close look at the car just like they check the car in the showroom.

The users who are interested in purchasing the car can also directly contact the BMW and request for a test drive. They can even connect that application with their social networking site profiles like Facebook so that they can share some of the information on their social networking profile. The application is available freely and can be downloaded from Apple iTunes website.

Are you planning to buy a new car for your family this Christmas? If you are really planning to buy one then go for Nissan Leaf which has already been awarded with the 2011 European Car of the Year award. Well, you certainly might be thinking that the car might be too costly since it’s relatively new in the market, but Nissan is making it easier for all the customers as Nissan Leaf is now available 397 GBP per month on a PCP scheme. People across the globe are now switching towards something that does not run on conventional fuel because that would cost them too much. Hence, electric cars like Nissan Leaf are becoming more popular across European countries.

Another reason why you should buy Nissan Leaf is because independent car experts CAP have predicted that Leaf would retain 47% of the road price even after three years and therefore you can always have a good retail market price when you are thinking of selling your Nissan Leaf in the future. It has a low depreciation value for the owners and therefore the car is certainly cheaper to afford. The car has already received a lot of appreciation for being one of the clean cars in the market. The battery charging only cost around 2GBP and official figures is 100 miles per one time charge which is very feasible.

In London, electric vehicle drivers do not have to pay for tax disc and they are exempted from London congestion charge and they are can park for free anywhere they want. The PCP scheme also known as Personal Contract Purchase will allow the buyers to make the payment on a monthly basis. The buyers can pay a deposit of 3,850 GBP which means that they have Nissan Leaf for 397.17 GBP per month. They can use the car for three years and can refinance the car after three years or buy another Nissan.

There is no doubt that 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show is the best auto show on the planet and this time the event will be bigger than expected as 50 new debut car companies make their presence felt in the event. Already there are more than 50 different car companies participating in the event but the 2010 LA Auto Show will be certainly bigger.  To make this event better Hyundai will be coming up with their new Elantra model which has undergone certain design changes. Hyundai has earlier mentioned that they would go for a complete redesigning of their Elantra model and they would launch the new model in LA Auto Show 2010. Apart from Hyundai, Lincoln will also come up with their new range of cars and they are also showcasing their new hybrid vehicle better known as Lincoln MKZ Hybrid which they think will be the first economical hybrid car for American customers.

Subaru has always made sure that people flock from all over the places to watch out for their latest cars and this time as well Subaru is putting down their best new cars on the show. Hence, people who are crazy about Subaru cars will enjoy the car show. Subaru has also plan to come up with their new sedan concept car which will be available at the show. We are now entering the modern electric car era and therefore LA Auto Show will have some of the best electric cars like Chevrolet Volt which is claiming to become the world’s first mass produced electric car. Apart from Volt, there are many other leading brands that will showcase their own electric cars. Hence, overall LA Auto Show will be a mixture of conventional cars, concept cars and futuristic electric cars that are eco-friendly.

BMW is giving amateur sport enthusiasts a chance to showcase their skills and versatility in the BMW X3 games. Participants are required to work as a team and there will be sixty teams with three members each.

The BMW X3 games will include six types of challenging sports including golf, driving, skiing, running, mountain biking and sailing. During the games, participants will also be required to finish some creative tasks. The team that emerges the winner walks away with a Sporting all-rounder while each team member in the winning group gets a BMW X3.

The games are designed for amateur sport enthusiasts from all ages and each participant is expected to bring in a unique ability to help their team.

Apart from the amazing winning prizes, 18 teams from European countries will compete against each other in Geneva. This is expected to be a thrilling competition.

Those who are interested can register for the BMW X3 games individually or as a team of three. Each participant is expected to take part in two of the 6 sporting activities lined up during the games. Team members have to work together to come up with creative tasks that they can carry out. A point system will be used to determine the scores.

Sailing will be the first sporting activity at the games followed by mountain biking, skiing and driving. Golfing and running will form the last part of the competition.  The cars that will be offered to the winners are impressive models designed for effective fuel consumption and great performance.

Honda released the 6th annual report recently on the environmental footprint of the company in North America. The company is on the way of minimizing its operations environmental impact in the region. A detailed review is included in the report upon different technology approaches being undertaken by Honda related to global climate issue.

Honda’s CEO of North American Regional Operation, Tetsuo Iwamura, said the company is strongly committed to the issue of climate change even after severe business conditions last year. He added that Honda continued the development of new technologies and new products that minimizes the environmental footprint and helps in addressing the pressing environmental concerns of the society.

Below are the highlights of the report:

• The average fuel economy for year 2009 rose to 31.3 mpg from 1 mpg. It is an increase of 3.3 percent from the previous year and a rise of 7.2 percent from the year 2005. The increase has outpaced the voluntary goal of the company that was set in May 2006. The target was to have a rise of 5%.
• The waste from manufacturing activity to the landfills dropped to 87 percent from Financial Year 2001 and from previous fiscal year it has come down to 65 percent. The company has achieved zero waste from eight of its plants in North America.
• The total manufacturing energy used was dropped to 8 percent from the last fiscal year. The energy rose to 2.4 percent in per automobile produce.
• The CO2 emissions in average per automobile produced grew just one percent even when there is an 8 percent decrease in automobile production volume.

The report of Honda covers the operations of the company during fiscal year ended 31st March, 2010 and it also utilizes a lifecycle assessment model of reporting the company’s R&D, sales and manufacturing activities’ impact on environment.

It is striving hard to reduce carbon emissions by introducing world class fuel efficient automobile products. Two examples of this effort are the ‘Insight’, which is the world’s most affordable hybrid car & the CR-Z, the world’s 1st production coupe meant for sports. Moreover, the brand new 2011 Odyssey minivan & the 2011 Accord have been redesigned to operate on advanced vehicle aerodynamics and low-friction engines.

In the field of vehicles using alternative fuel, Honda reigns supreme. The FCX Clarity Fuel cell electric vehicle produced by Honda is considered to be the most advanced fuel efficient automobile with zero emissions. Similarly, the Civic GX Sedan which runs on natural gas is also a much sought vehicle. Additionally, Honda has also planned to produce battery-electric vehicles for commuting by 2011 and has also started operations for the production of solar-powered vehicles.

All these efforts have won for Honda recognition by the UCS, which is dedicated towards creating a better and safer world.

With the plans set for attaining the leading manufacturer of light commercial vehicles Nissan has opted for an aggressive new marketing plan. Nissan today is a large manufacturer of LCVs. It promises to deliver 3 new models each year for the year starting from 2011 to 2013.

Nissan is stated to launch a new passenger vehicle having zero emission developed on a battery technology. The vehicle is a newer version of the NV200 and would be premiered at the Hanover Motor Show.

Nissan is also planning to reveal new range of vehicles which they consider to be very important and believe could take them new areas of the LCV market.
The company is very serious and has huge plans to become one of the largest players in the LCV market around the world. The economic crisis globally has hardly impacted the company which has been able to sell more than 500,000 units around the world. The company targets at producing 1 million units annually for the next 5 years. Besides this they have a strong target of making available their light commercial vehicles in 90% of the world markets.

In the company’s LCV range of the Nissan’s passenger cars the new Intelligent technology developed exclusively by Nissan is getting highly acclaimed. NV200 includes the well acclaimed Around View Monitor (AVM) technology having the capacity of using the exterior cameras for monitoring area around the vehicle. Nissan promises to include the new AVM technology in its future LCV’s too.

• Includes great live services with sophisticated maps developed by TomTom
• The two great experts have joined hands for creating the all-mighty product:  XNV-L77BT/ 770BT & XNV-L66BT/ 660BT

As the increase in traffic congestion it has now become very difficult for a person to enjoy the pleasure of driving. But now Sony comes up with its range for Xplod AV centers having navigation which puts the power to the driver by combining its strength & knowledge with TomTom, the leading solution provider for location and navigation.

The new series of the in-car multimedia AV centre coming from the brand of Sony are XNV-L77BT, , L66BT, 770BT & 660BT.  Each of its systems comprise of the Sony’s AV head unit & TomTom’s navigation module having the best of the best navigation services.

HD Traffic has the feature of providing the drivers with the latest traffic updates, which is live “in-dash head unit“.  The Road incidents & delays gets updated every 3 minutes and providing alternatives to avoid traffic jams.

It includes the feature of Safety Alerts which gives the driver advanced warnings where safety cameras (fixed & mobile) are located with addition to the information of the dangerous areas.

The above mentioned features are few of the advanced features available with this intelligent system. It includes loads of other features that would make driving very simpler and of more pleasure.

Honda is set to launch the new hybrid version of its Jazz model, at the Paris Motor show for its world premier this September. Honda promises it to bring down the emissions and to have an improved fuel economy.

Jazz hybrid will be sharing many of its components with Insight another variant of Honda. The components will include the 1.3-litre petrol engine. Like the Insight and the Civic hybrid models, this Hybrid Jazz would be having the capacity for running on an electric motor alone when brought under some low or medium speed conditions.

Jazz Design and Look

Coming to the design front one would be able to distinguish it from its current range. The new model has a remodelled headlight covered by a blue surround, restyled bumpers, very clear rear lights, chrome tailgate garnish and a newly designed front grill. This new hybrid is available in various ranges of colors which were available in the previous versions, but a new variant has been added which is of Lime Green metallic color.

Observing inside the cabin, it has been given a fresh new look. It has a darker color dashboard of a single color that is contrasting well with the blue lighting on the dials. A special variant is also available for the new hybrid having a leather finish. This would be the first time this kind of special version would be available for the European Jazz model.

Overall this car looks really impressive and people would have to wait to see whether it delivers as it promises.