Q Is Your CoPilot
Get your freak on, gadget geeks. One of the many devices I was testing last week on my vacation helped get me from the Denver airport to a remote location high-up in the Rockies.
I previously wrote about the new Motorola Q smartphone. Not only was I receiving emails and yapping on the phone, I flipped on the Bluetooth and paired up with the CoPilot Live GPS.
It's pretty much a "plug and drive" experience. The app and all street-level map data comes pre-loaded on a 1 GB memory card. Just pop the card into the Q and CoPilot Live loads automatically right out of the box. Updated, cleary labeled menus are easy to use and Q customers should love the detailed map presentation even in direct sunlight.
I have tried several other handheld GPS devices but none had the quick response time as CoPilot Live when I happened to take a wrong turn. It immediately chirped out a beeping sound and generated the best new route.
Another cool feature is the full motion 3D map. We've all seen GPS screens with the typical birds-eye view of the streets but a switch to the 3D gives a unique perspective to exit ramps and upcoming turns.
Like most GPS units no cell phone reception is needed nor a monthly fee. To grab the satellite feeds the Bluetooth receiver needs to have clear exposure to the sky. It weighs just a few ounces and rested comfortably on the car's dashboard. Though no wires are needed I did use the included cigarette lighter adapter to make sure the receiver and the Q had enough juice. Battery power for the receiver is listed at 6 hours with the rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery.
Driving through the mountains allowed me to use other bells-and-whistles like the altimeter. I excitedly was calling out our altitude to the kids as we approached 11,000 ft. Not that anyone would be checking that stat in Houston.
Though we only drove about 100 miles mostly down I-70 the software has 6 million miles of U.S. roads and over 100 million addresses and points of interest. (We were pinpointed exactly to the McDonald's in Golden, CO).
ALK Technologies also makes CoPilot Live GPS receivers and software for the Treo 700w, Pocket PC and laptops. Retail price is $299 for the software and Bluetooth or USB receiver.
We're off to California in a few weeks. I'm starting to plug in every In-N-Out Burger from San Diego to LA.
I previously wrote about the new Motorola Q smartphone. Not only was I receiving emails and yapping on the phone, I flipped on the Bluetooth and paired up with the CoPilot Live GPS.
It's pretty much a "plug and drive" experience. The app and all street-level map data comes pre-loaded on a 1 GB memory card. Just pop the card into the Q and CoPilot Live loads automatically right out of the box. Updated, cleary labeled menus are easy to use and Q customers should love the detailed map presentation even in direct sunlight.
I have tried several other handheld GPS devices but none had the quick response time as CoPilot Live when I happened to take a wrong turn. It immediately chirped out a beeping sound and generated the best new route.
Another cool feature is the full motion 3D map. We've all seen GPS screens with the typical birds-eye view of the streets but a switch to the 3D gives a unique perspective to exit ramps and upcoming turns.
Like most GPS units no cell phone reception is needed nor a monthly fee. To grab the satellite feeds the Bluetooth receiver needs to have clear exposure to the sky. It weighs just a few ounces and rested comfortably on the car's dashboard. Though no wires are needed I did use the included cigarette lighter adapter to make sure the receiver and the Q had enough juice. Battery power for the receiver is listed at 6 hours with the rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery.
Driving through the mountains allowed me to use other bells-and-whistles like the altimeter. I excitedly was calling out our altitude to the kids as we approached 11,000 ft. Not that anyone would be checking that stat in Houston.
Though we only drove about 100 miles mostly down I-70 the software has 6 million miles of U.S. roads and over 100 million addresses and points of interest. (We were pinpointed exactly to the McDonald's in Golden, CO).
ALK Technologies also makes CoPilot Live GPS receivers and software for the Treo 700w, Pocket PC and laptops. Retail price is $299 for the software and Bluetooth or USB receiver.
We're off to California in a few weeks. I'm starting to plug in every In-N-Out Burger from San Diego to LA.
posted by The High-Tech Texan at
5:22 PM
2 Comments:
I've used CoPilot as well and it is wonderful. I wouldn't travel without it now. No more paper maps for me!
By
Anonymous, at 12:33 PM
I am totally hooked to copilot!
By
Anonymous, at 12:37 PM
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