New products: GPS connects with smartphones
- Magellan GPS is compatible with Bluetooth phones
- Veyl phone cover is kid-proof
- VAIO Tap 20 is a tabletop PC with a movable screen
GPS device connects with phones
By now, many drivers are well-acquainted with the wonders and occasional frustrations of GPS devices. So it's good when GPS manufacturers can make their devices stand out with cool features. Magellan has managed to do just that with its RoadMate 5265T-LMB. When paired with a compatible Bluetooth phone, the GPS device doubles as a speaker phone, allowing you to converse with your hands planted firmly on the steering wheel. This feature can come in handy when you're searching for a place to eat. Not only can the device find a nearby dining spot but it also can "call" the restaurant, allowing you to make a reservation. It also displays your phone's contacts in its address book, which makes it easy to call someone when you're running late.
With a compatible "SafeTexting" phone, the device also can send scripted text messages, such as "I'm driving. I'll call you back.'' Because the GPS device knows your whereabouts, it can even send a message with your current location ("I am on Midland Avenue" or "I am in Nashville"," for example.) Don't get too excited, however, as this "SafeTexting" option doesn't work with some popular models, including the iPhone. (A list of compatible models can be found at www.magellangps.com/safetextingcompatibility.)
For those who like to park the car and explore on foot, the device has a nifty pedestrian mode that provides directions for a walking tour. Just be careful not to stray too far, as its internal battery will give out after about 30 minutes.
Equipped with a 5-inch touch color touch screen, the GPS device displays the route, estimated arrival time as well as icons that let you know when your phone is connected or when the traffic alert is functioning. The traffic alert function, by the way, only works when the GPS device is connected to the car with the included power adapter.
One potentially cool new feature is the device's ability to provide directions using landmarks instead of street names. Instead of telling you to turn right on Pace Avenue, for example, it might tell you to turn right at a specific gas station or school. This feature, however, doesn't yet work in all areas. In fact, while driving in local neighborhoods and major thoroughfares in the New York Metro area, the GPS device didn't "recognize" any landmarks.
Priced at about $200, the RoadMate 5265T-LMB comes preloaded with maps of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Cover up that phone
Kids can be cute. And kids can be…slobs. With the latter point in mind, and as an adult who doesn't want a youngster to mess up a smart phone when they get their jam-encrusted paws on the device, you might consider the KidSafe phone cover from Veyl Products. The slip-on plastic cover is designed to protect a smart phone from, well, crud. That includes germs and all the other junk kids get into. It costs about $13.
Desktop PC doubles as tablet
Desktop PCs can be great, except when you want to use them somewhere other than your desk. That, of course, is why a lot of people use iPads or tablets. The new VAIO Tap 20 "mobile desktop" from Sony combines the best of both worlds: It is a tabletop PC whose movable screen can be used on a desk, placed flat on a table or moved around for use anywhere in the house. Priced at about $880, the base model includes a 1.80 GHz 3rd generation Intel Core processor, the Windows 8 64-bit operating system, a 20-inch LED backlit touch display screen, a 500-gigabyte hard drive and 4 GB of memory. It will go on sale in early November.
Ninja Turtles find new beat
How often do you find a pair of earbuds that can serve as a conversation starter? If you are a Ninja Turtles fan, you're in luck. Chances are that someone will eventually ask, "Where did you get those things?" That's because the earbuds are designed to look like the iconic Ninja Turtle cartoon figures. The $10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Hi - Def Earbuds from Sakar International are available from a variety of outlets, including Toys "R" Us.
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