GPS

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Utilizing a constellation of at least 24 medium Earth orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, the system enables a GPS receiver to determine its location, speed and direction.

Developed by the United States Department of Defense, it is officially named NAVSTAR GPS (Contrary to popular belief, NAVSTAR is not an acronym, but simply a name given by Mr. John Walsh, a key decision maker when it came to the budget for the GPS program[1]). The satellite constellation is managed by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing. The cost of maintaining the system is approximately US$750 million per year,[2] including the replacement of aging satellites, and research and development. These costs are funded by the US and GPS is free for civilian use as a public good.

GPS has become a widely used aid to navigation worldwide, and a useful tool for map-making, land surveying, commerce, and scientific uses. GPS also provides a precise time reference used in many applications including scientific study of earthquakes, and synchronization of telecommunications networks.
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When people talk about "a GPS," they usually mean a GPS receiver. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is actually a constellation of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites (24 in operation and three extras in case one fails). The U.S. military developed and implemented this satellite network as a military navigation system, but soon opened it up to everybody else.

Each of these 3,000- to 4,000-pound solar-powered satellites circles the globe at about 12,000 miles (19,300 km), making two complete rotations every day. The orbits are arranged so that at any time, anywhere on Earth, there are at least four satellites "visible" in the sky.,

A GPS receiver's job is to locate four or more of these satellites, figure out the distance to each, and use this information to deduce its own location. This operation is based on a simple mathematical principle called trilateration.GPS receiver calculates its position on earth based on the information it receives from four located satellites. This system works pretty well, but inaccuracies do pop up. For one thing, this method assumes the radio signals will make their way through the atmosphere at a consistent speed (the speed of light). In fact, the Earth's atmosphere slows the electromagnetic energy down somewhat, particularly as it goes through the ionosphere and troposphere. The delay varies depending on where you are on Earth, which means it's difficult to accurately factor this into the distance calculations. Problems can also occur when radio signals bounce off large objects, such as skyscrapers, giving a receiver the impression that a satellite is farther away than it actually is. On top of all that, satellites sometimes just send out bad almanac data, misreporting their own position.

Differential GPS (DGPS) helps correct these errors. The basic idea is to gauge GPS inaccuracy at a stationary receiver station with a known location. Since the DGPS hardware at the station already knows its own position, it can easily calculate its receiver's inaccuracy. The station then broadcasts a radio signal to all DGPS-equipped receivers in the area, providing signal correction information for that area. In general, access to this correction information makes DGPS receivers much more accurate than ordinary receivers.

#2 Magellan Maestro 4210 Portable Automotive GPS System

The more reasonably priced but top-of-the-line GPS is the ultra thin Magellan Maestro 4250. The Maestro comes with a 4.3-inch wide screen display, a built-in traffic receiver for live updates, and an enormous ix-million points of interest (POI) database built-in. It also t integrates with the AAA TourBook to display listings of restaurants and accommodations, local attractions, approved auto repair shops, AAA office locations, and more. This high-end model also offers text-to-speech functionality and a Bluetooth phone interface. Perhaps the most notable feature is voice command, which you can use to control many of its functions hands-free.

The Maestro 4050 let you control many of the functions with your voice. On the 4250, Voice Command works even better considering that you don't have to train the device. In fact, using Voice Command becomes quite addictive. Without an active route, the Voice Command menu can help you find the nearest coffee shop, restaurant, gas station, or ATM; navigate Home; or enter the roadside assistance menu, just to mention a few options. While not as brilliant and full-featured as the Garmin speech system, it does the job.

It also features a Bluetooth interface and pairs quickly but lacks some of the advanced features found in the Garmin such as downloading and using stored contacts from your mobile phone.

However, he most robust feature of the Maestro is its enormous database and up to date maps. Unlike other devices, all of the surrounding features are there including the newest bridges and roads. This is Magellan's top of the line GPS despite the recent of the introduction of the 5310 which has a larger screen but less features.

You know where you want to go, and Microsoft Streets & Trips 2008 with GPS can help you get there. This best-selling travel and map software has been enhanced with several new features that take all the guesswork out of traveling, letting you focus on the sites, instead of the directions. With more than 1.6 million points of interest to choose from, and with updated maps and the most extensive trip planning features you'll find anywhere, Streets & Trips will help you plan your trip, your way. This package of software and GPS Locator is the ultimate travel tool for anyone who wants to plan a memorable vacation, or simply needs to find their way around town without a hitch.

It starts with all the door-to-door routing, location-finding and comprehensive mapping power of Microsoft Streets and Trips, and adds a plug-and-play Global Positioning System (GPS) locator that helps you stay on track and always knows where your next turn is. Combining the power and versatility of a GPS receiver with mapping information that is pinpoint accurate and easy-to-use, Streets & Trips 2008 with GPS Locator is the essential travel tool.

GetYour Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 with GPS Locator DVD by visiting this link!

Plug into any for Ultra-Mobile Personal Computers (UMPCs) laptop PC, PDAs, and touchscreen phones. This handy device is USB-powered GPS receiver and includes the super-high sensitivity STMicroelectronics GPS chipset featuring DeLorme ConstantLock technology for superior signal retention in challenging GPS environment. Use the NavMode with optional 3-D perspective and larger, more accessible user controls.

With the DeLorme Earthmate LT-40 GPS, you will enjoy voice-guided navigation, automatic back-on-track, GPS Radar to locate travel services, and other top-end features.

Now you will be able to locate over 4 million places of interest; create routes automatically; calculate fuel usage and costs, and GPS-navigate with total confidence anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, and on major roads in Mexico.

DeLorme Earthmate LT-40 GPS

#3 Garmin Oregon 400t Touch-Screen Handheld GPS Receiver with US Topo Maps

Unlike the other two GSP devices in our Top Picks, this one is an outdoor GPS devices and this high-end model features a touch screen.

Oregon 400t is the best off the road GPS available;, its tough, 3-inch diagonal, sunlight-readable, color, touchscreen display is the highest of the high end with regard to these kinds of devices. Its easy-to-use interface means you'll spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less time searching for information.

The Garmin Oregon 400t is rugged built for hard impacts and can be submerged in water up to a depth of a meter for half an hour without damage. It features wireless communication and the 400t is preloaded with topographic maps, perfect for hiking and biking. It also can be upgraded with additional maps, including the City Navigator, which adds street-level, turn-by-turn automotive navigation for the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico along with a six-million-entry points-of-interest (POI) database.

With Oregon 400t you can share your waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly with other Oregon and Colorado users. Now you can send your favorite hike to your friend to enjoy or the location of a cache to find. Sharing data is easy. Just touch "send" to transfer your information to similar units.

Oregon 400t supports Geocaching.com GPX files for downloading geocaches and details straight to your unit. No more manually entering coordinates and paper print outs! Simply upload the GPX file to your unit and start hunting for caches. Show off the photos of your trip instantly.

Though Garmin does not reveal which GPS chipset is used in the device, the receiver highly sensitive, and satellite acquisition time is rapid. With its high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver and HotFix satellite prediction, Oregon 400t locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons. The advantage is clear - whether you're in deep woods or just near tall buildings and trees, you can count on Oregon to help you find your way when you need it the most.

Both durable and waterproof, Oregon 400t is built to withstand the elements. Bumps, dust, dirt, humidity and water are no match for this rugged navigator. The Oregon GPS is easy to use and maintain, powered by two AA batteries . A latch releases the back panel to expose the battery and memory slot compartment. Insert a microSD card and some batteries and this highly mobile GPS is ready to go anywhere (within reason of course).

Want a the superior wearable GPS that's afortable too, Forerunner 305 is the most accurate, most reliable wrist-mounted performance and GPS tracking too I've ever seen.

This wearable GPS on a wrist band Forerunner 305 features an integrated, high-sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS receiver that gets a lock on your position better than any devices before it.

The Garman Forerunner 305 connects to any USB enabled device and the kit includes a Forerunner 305, Garmin Training Center CD-ROM, heart rate monitor, docking cradle, expander strap, A/C charger, USB cable, owner's manual, quick start guide.

Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor

Garmin's nüvi 700 series brings two exciting new features -- multi-destination routing and, "Where am I?/Where's my car?" -- to its popular pocket-sized GPS navigator lineup. As with all nüvis, you get Garmin reliability, the fast satellite lock of an integrated high-sensitivity receiver, a slim, pocket-sized design with a gorgeous display, an easy, intuitive interface, and detailed NAVTEQ maps for the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico with more than 6 million name-searchable points of interest. All of the 700-series navigators also feature a rich array of features including spoken directions in real street names, MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system.The nüvi 760 and 770 add integrated traffic receivers and Bluetooth capability for hands-free calling. The nüvi 770 adds maps for Europe. The nüvi 780 adds enhanced MSN direct content capability..

Garmin nüvi 760 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Automobile Navigator

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Maps GPS Info provides a great guide on how to choose a GPS. It starts by having you select from a the variety of GPS categories available.

The guide has two parts: "Categories of GPS configurations" and "What is your intended use?" Be sure to consult both parts for complete information.

Access the How to Choose a GPS Guide here.

Navigate the night sky effortlessly without any previous experience. This multi-media, hand-held guide to the universe sets the standard in simplified operation.

Turn on the interactive tool, point it at a celestial object, and pull the trigger to identify planets, stars, nebula, galaxies and more. The mySKY immediately aligns itself without any user input and can locate over 30,000 objects. Also, with open aiming sites that do not restrict your field of view, finding your target is easy.

A full-color LCD screen shows an introductory video on using mySKY, and you can also browse real-time, color sky maps to guide you to various objects.

#6 New Professional GPS Mini Tracker Key UPS Key by Sky TRX

SCI-MT4100 GPS tracking system features a robust all inclusive GPS logging system. You have chosen a sophisticated GPS system that is easy to operate.The MT4100 uses GPS to find its location. In order to lock onto the location, the GPS unit can have a direct line of sight to 3 locations in the sky and these locations are changing constantly throughout the day.

#7 SPOT GPS Satellite Messenger
Now you can Stay in touch via satellite technology - whether you're just checking in, allowing others to check your progress, or calling for help.. SPOT is the only device of its kind, using the GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, and then sending its location - with a link to Google Maps%u2122 - and a pre-programmed message via a commercial satellite network. And unlike Personal Locator Beacons, SPOT does more than just call for help. Tracking your progress, checking in with loved ones, and non-emergency assistance are also available, all at the push of a button. And because it uses 100% satellite technology, SPOT works around the world - even where cell phones don't.

#8 GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Bluetooth Version

Think about the last place you traveled to. Do you want to know exactly where all your pictures were taken? Take the CD110BT GPS digital photo locator with you on your next trip! Utilizing the PhotoTrackr mapping software and latest Geo-Mapping technology, the CD110BT shows you the exact location where your pictures were taken and when they were taken. It also allows you to record and review your trip with GPS satellite precision. The most exciting feature of all is that you can upload your photos to flickr online. It's a cool way to share your trip experience with friends and families. CD110BT has voice cue available with the built-in speaker. Data tagging function is also available in this model for waypoint tagging and trip tagging.

Jensen 7 Windows XP PRS Mini-Computer PC With GPS and WiFi

Hit the open road with this GPS/mobile PC tablet that features preloaded base maps of the U.S. and Canada and voice guidance to help you arrive at your destination with ease. Built-in Wi-Fi keeps you connected to the Net for quick access to e-mail and Web browsing.
Product Features

• All-in-one mobile PC with Microsoft Windows XP operating system and built-in 12-channel GPS
• 7" WVGA high-resolution LCD touch-screen display; virtual keyboard makes it easy to access settings and functions, type e-mails and take notes
• Preloaded Navteq base maps of the U.S. and Canada
• Built-in wireless LAN (802.11) and 10/100 Mbps Ethernet connectivity keeps you connected to the Web for quick access to Web browsing, e-mail, streaming media and downloads; compatible with optional mobile broadband Internet access (not included)
• WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System)-enabled for enhanced GPS positioning and tracking performance
• User-programmable waypoints for easy navigation; 11 million points-of-interest keep you aware of restaurants, gas stations and other services and attractions along your route; trip log for easy reference
• Voice guidance provides audible turn-by-turn instructions, so you can keep your eyes on the road while navigating; male and female voice options and 11 language choices; text-to-speech technology
• 30GB hard drive lets you store digital media and GPS data; built-in mini Secure Digital media slot for adding additional content (media not included)
• Supports music and video playback; also supports viewing photos
• Supports access to Internet radio through Windows Media
• Includes remote control, windshield mounting bracket and AC/DC adapt

#10 DeLorme Earthmate GPS LT-40 Plus 2009
Experience the power of business mapping and voice-guided GPS at an unbeatable price. Just plug the Earthmate GPS LT-40 into the USB port of your laptop PC or UMPC, and secure the receiver on your vehicle's dash. Use the included Street Atlas USA PLUS DVD software to plan sales and delivery routes, locate prospects, and import aerial imagery you can use in your routes and GPS tracking.

• USB-powered GPS receiver includes super-high sensitivity STMicroelectronics GPS chipset; DeLorme ConstantLock technology for superior signal retention in challenging GPS environments
• Voice-guided navigation, automatic back-on-track, GPS Radar to locate travel services, NavMode with optional 3-D perspective and larger, more accessible user controls; link photos, documents and URLs to the maps; print large-format wall maps
• Locate over 4 million places of interest; GPS-navigate with total confidence anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, and on major roads in Mexico
• Easy, automatic routing; plan side trips, avoid congested areas, choose back roads; put your contact manager listings on the map and display their map locations, for strategic planning, routing, and more

Street Atlas USA 2009 PLUS DVD Software When you're driving in the car and you get lost, don't you ever wish you didn't have to deal with a bulky atlas? Or when you're walking around in an unfamiliar city, don't you wish you didn't have to deal with a huge map? Now you don't have to with Street Atlas USA 2009 PLUS. You can put these maps on your GPS, PDA, PC or even your UMPC

If you go boating, you may get into an accident. They happen every day on the water, whether your boat goes down, crew lost, man overboard, or a storm has left your boat incapacitated. On the water, a minor problem instantly can become a life threatening situation if youre not prepared.

You can insure your rescue with a device that fits in the palm of your hand -- ResQFix 406 Personal Locator Beacon. Now you can turn that life threatening situation into a successful rescue story.

The ResQFix with the touch of single button will use its internal GPS receiver to acquire your GPS position and transmit it along with your personalized indentifier code through the COSPAS-SARSAT satellites instantly alerting Search and Rescue forces that you need help, immediately!

The ResQFix works fast, if GPS data is present in the beacons first transmission, SAR forces can be notif ed and start planning your rescue in as little as three minutes. It transmits on 406 MHz via the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system with your registered, unique, digitally coded distress signal and 121.5 MHz (SAR homing frequency).

Onboard 12 channel parallel GPS acquires then transmits LAT/LON when the unit is activated, saving valuable time for your distress message to reach local rescue centers and providing rescue agencies with your exact position to within 110 yards (100 meters) The ResQFix is the smallest and most functional PLB available!

ACR ResQFix PLB 406 WITH GPS

Looking for the best GPS deals on the net? Check out what's on sale this week at Tiger GPS!

Save some money and load on the features with a refurbished navigation system from Tiger GPS!

Garmin Mobile 10 combines all the software you need to navigate on one DVD: Garmin Mobile XT and nRoute navigation software along with City Navigator NT detailed street maps with huge points of interest database. All you need to do is download included maps and navigation software to a data card for your mobile device or insert the DVD into your laptop to put navigation at your fingertips. Easily look up addresses and services and receive voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions to the front door. Get saved routes and tracks, automatic off-route recalculation plus more.

The included GPS 10x receiver combines a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with Bluetooth technology in a cool looking design. Both portable and wearable, mount the GPS 10x in your car or clip it to your clothes for navigation by car or foot.

Garmin Mobile 10 Bluetooth GPS System

Add navigation to your Laptop or ultra mobile PC (UMPC) with Garmin Mobile PC. You get maps, millions of POIs, easy-to-use navigation software, turn-by-turn directions that speak street names, route planning and more. The Garmin Mobile software on DVD is packed with preloaded maps, millions of destinations and full GPS navigation capabilities, Garmin Mobile PC software turns your laptop into a powerful street navigator. You get an intuitive interface which ask you with two simple options "Where to?" and "View Maps." Easily look up addresses and services and get turn-by-turn directions that announce the names of exits and streets to your destination. Also receive automatic corrections if you stray off course. With Garmin Mobile PC, you can upload custom points of interest, such as safety cameras, and conveniently navigate to Outlook Contacts.

Garmin Mobile PC includes advanced navigational features including route planning so you can save routes, specify via points and preview simulated turns on your laptop. In addition, Garmin Mobile PC automatically sorts multiple destinations to provide an efficient route for errands, deliveries or sales calls. A trip computer automatically records trip data and a trip log provides an electronic bread crumb trail, so you can see where you've been on the map. Even avoid certain roads or areas.

Check the weather, gas prices, your flight status and hotel information when you travel with your laptop and Garmin Mobile PC. Get the weather forecast for your location or anywhere in the world. View hotel rates, ratings and amenities information from hotels.com. Check the status of your flight along with departure and arrival information. Uses free, real-time services from Garmin Online for essential travel information. Garmin Mobile PC comes bundled with the GPS 20x sensor, a utlrathin, high-sensitivity USB GPS receiver.

Garmin Mobile PC Software and USB Adaptor for Laptops

If you own a Smartphone or a PDA with navigation software, the Parrot 3400 LS-GPS Car Kit will turn your mobile device into a navigation wizard. It combines a Bluetooth hands-free kit with a color screen and a GPS antenna, and is compatible with most Bluetooth phones or PDAs.
The LCD color display screen of the 3400 LS-GPS provides the same visual information and functions as your mobile phone, such as caller ID, carrier signal strength, or last calls received, on a large, well-contrasted display that's easy to read at a glance.

Using the Parrot 3400 LS-GPS is simple. Turn on the car engine and the device synchronizes wirelessly with your phone. This allows it to not only display your phone book, but the photos you have set to correspond to certain incoming callers, as well as enabling voice recognition so you can make hands-free calls. Depending on your phone's model and firmware, most features are accessible from the hands free console, including one-touch redial, dual call, and auto-answer.

The Parrot 3400 LS-GPS makes navigation as easy as placing and receiving phone calls by constantly sending your car's position to your Smartphone or PDA. Any routes you have programmed in are calculated by your PDA and its navigation software and directions are transmitted back to you through the vehicle's speakers. You can just sit back and let your car, via your Parrot 3400 LS-GSP, tell you exactly where you are, and where you need to go.

The kit can be installed in almost any vehicle, and it's designed to automatically mute the radio while you are on the phone. Incorporating high-quality sound, the Parrot 3400 LS-GPS features echo cancellation, full duplex sound, voice recognition for up to 150 names, and hi-fi polyphonic ringtones. And when you have multiple drivers in the same car, the unit allows for up to five mobile phones to register, each with separate address book synchronization.

Parrot CK3400 LS GPS Blutooth for Cell Phone

The Garmin nüvi 660 is the most elegant All-In-One GPS navigation solution I've come across to date. I belive this unit represents the best compromise between size and functionality on the market today. Beyond this point, increasing the screen size enters the diminishing return territory. The SiRFstarIII chipset, while no longer the absolute best on the market, remains a reliable workhorse with rapid satellite acquisition under even less than ideal conditions.

Garmin nüvi 660's map database features nearly six million points of interest (POIs), including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and attractions, and the data is provided by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping.This preloaded navigator brings all this fantastic map data to your fingertips with a super-bright, 4.3-inch widescreen display for improved map viewing, day or night. Use the touch screen interface to select destinations, look up POIs, and play your favorite MP3s and audio books. The display also helps you control hands-free calling, traffic alerts, and the FM transmitter, all from the screen of your personal travel assistant.

The voice prompts are loud, clear and timely. The ease of use is just fantastic and the visibility and quality of the It uses the same low reflection screen as the 360.

POI access is excellent and can be navigated to much more simply than the TomTom unit which requires additional cumbersome steps. The attachment system for the Nuvi is superb and very secure. You can access your POIs directly by name rather than having to go through a cumbersome category menu and then only getting the POIs by proximity as is the case with the TomTom 910. Garmin simply blows TomTom away in the POI functionality department.

Some features include:

WideScreen Format: This Garmin's display is now the gold standard in the industry with a 4.3" WQVGA LCD screen and 480 x 272 pixels. The widescreen format gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is especially useful in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and somewhat easier to push.

FM Transmitter: Instead of straining your ears to hear turn-by-turn directions or your favorite MP3s, you can enjoy wireless FM audio transmission via the nüvi 660's wireless FM transmitter. Tune your car's radio to the appropriate station and you'll hear all the nüvi's audio, including voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system. The nüvi 660 includes many "must-have" entertainment and travel tools, including digital music and audio book playback, JPEG picture viewer, currency converters, and more. All these great features make the nüvi 660 a complete Personal Travel Assistant.

Garmin nüvi 660 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

The Nokia E90 features a combination of advanced technologies that will enhance the way you experience work in a mobile world, by allowing faster and enhanced access to important information for greater collaboration and productivity. At first glance, it's a candybar-style phone, but the top flips up to reveal a widescreen LCD and full QWERTY keyboard. Perfect for frequent travelers, it provides quad-mode global GSM connectivity so you can stay in touch wherever you roam. It's also compatible with speedy 3G networks (UMTS 2100) for lightning quick multimedia downloads and web browsing, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11b/g) for accessing open networks at home or on the road at hotspots.

Locate meeting venues, restaurants, and places of interest with the integrated GPS, and increase mobile productivity with applications for browsing and editing documents. Other features include a 3.2-megapixel digital camera with flash, a secondary QCIF camera for video calling, Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets, 128 MB of onboard memory, MicroSD expansion, FM radio, digital audio player, Symbian OS, and up to 5.8 hours of GSM talk time.

At first glance, the Nokia E90 has a candybar form factor, but it opens up to reveal much more under the hood.

The full QWERTY keyboard and widescreen LCD makes it easy to view full Web pages and edit documents.
This unlocked cell phone can be used with a GSM network service provider and it provides quad-band connectivity (850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz). When paired with a compatible 3G network that uses UMTS 2100 MHz connectivity, you'll enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless services with speeds up to 384 Kbps--from data connectivity to your office to multimedia streaming. You can also take advantage of simultaneous voice and data services. In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive data service via EDGE network (depending on network compatibility).

The top of the phone has a standard numeric keypad, navigation pad, soft keys, and 2-inch color LCD (with a 240 x 320-pixel resolution). The internal screen has an 800 x 352-pixel resolution--capable of displaying the full width of a web page at once--and both displays produce brilliant imagery thanks to support for 16 million colors. A QCIF camera sits at the top left corner of the internal screen for video calls, while a lens on the back of the device captures still images up to 3.2 megapixels in size. Camera functions include an LED flash, red-eye reduction, and self-timer. You can also record video at up to VGA resolution and 30 frames per second. The E90 also has an integrated GPS and Nokia Maps application to provide help in finding routes and locating services.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the E90. In addition to 3G UMTS (UMTS/WCDMA 2100 MHz) network connectivity, the phone also supports high-speed EDGE and GPRS data connectivity. The integrated Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11b/g) enables you to make VoIP phone calls over an open network, and it offers a variety of security settings (WPA2-Enterprise, WPA2-Personal, WPA-Enterprise, WPA-Personal). When used with a carrier data plan and the phone's USB or Bluetooth data capability, the phone can also be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs.

The E90's innovative built-in browser, one of many enhancements included with the device's Symbian operating system--known as Series 60 9.1 Version 3--offers full HTML viewing as well as support for page zooming, CSS, JavaScript and other technologies that will bring you very close to a desktop PC browsing experience.

The E90 supports PC synchronization standards via USB or Bluetooth, which means you can manage and synchronize contacts, calendars and other data with your PC. Nokia's PC Suite application makes this process a breeze. A number of handy software tools are bundled with the device, including a voice memo recorder, a calculator, and an alarm clock. Productivity tools bundled with the E61i include a word processor, a presentation viewer/editor, a spreadsheet viewer/editor, PDF viewer, and a zip file manager. The office applications are compatible with the most common features of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel (MS Office 97 or later). Robust contact and calendar applications are also included.

With support for the MMS (multimedia messaging service), the E90 can send picture, video and text messages. Instant messaging is also supported, and the phone ships with a built-in email client that supports POP3, IMAP, and SMTP protocols, as well as Microsoft Office-based email attachments.
Nokia E90 Communicator Unlocked Smartphone with 3.2 MP Camera 3G Wi-Fi GPS MP3/Video Player MicroSD Slot

Perfect for crossing over the threshold from city to backcountry, the Garmin nüvi 500 provides a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with turn-by-turn navigation in a ruggedized, waterproof exterior that you can use while hiking, biking, or boating. With its high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver and HotFix satellite prediction, nüvi 500 locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons--whether in the city or out in the wilds. And it easily switches modes (driving, walking, biking and boating) to navigate through your active lifestyle depending on your activity. Other features include a 3.5-inch touchscreen, microSD memory expansion, geocaching GPX file capabilities for complete cache descriptions and hints, and Garmin Connect Photos--enabling you to associate your favorite images with saved locations.
GARMIN 010-00700-10 Nuvi 500 Travel Assistant