Navigation in the Palm of your Hand
Why buy an in-car navigation system? Your cell phone may have everything you need. Better yet, you pay only when you use it and it updates itself automatically.
By Bill Machrone
Posted May 27, 2008, at 1 p.m.
Forget that GPS device you've been lusting after. You may already own it—or at least the GPS capability, complete with voice-prompted driving directions, local eateries and attractions, even gas prices. If you have a GPS-capable cell phone, you can download or simply activate software that will give you all of the capabilities of in-car systems, and more.
Your GPS-capable phone can give you point-to-point driving directions with onscreen maps, distance-to-turn, and voice directions, with the emphasis on the latter. Unlike a dash-mounted navigation system, phone-based navigation systems are most useful when you simply close the phone and listen. The directions are sufficiently clear and timely that there's little or no need to refer to the screen. There's also no need to take your eyes off the road, an important safety point.
Cell phone-based systems offer some advantages over built-in systems, which typically have their databases stored internally and slowly go out of date. When you ask your phone for driving directions, it downloads them fresh, from a database that's constantly updated. Restaurants, hotels and roadside attractions are likewise refreshed regularly, and with the latest software, your cell phone system has access to real-time traffic reports and can route you around trouble spots. Another advantage is that the application travels with you, so if you rent or borrow a car, you're equipped to navigate without having to learn a new system.
The services are available for a monthly subscription fee, typically $10. But if you only need driving directions and searches infrequently, you can use them on a daily basis, typically $3 per 24-hour period. The navigation application on your phone communicates directly with your provider's map-and-directions database and displays the information. There's no need to log onto a Web site or use a browser.
Verizon's VZ Navigator was the first navigation product to run on cell phones. Currently all of the phones that Verizon offers are GPS-equipped and loaded with the software. AAA Mobile, from the American Automobile Club, is substantially the same software, but allows you to search out AAA-recommended facilities and because it runs on GPS-enabled phones, it can dispatch roadside assistance to you even if you don't know where you are. It is available from Verizon and Sprint.
The Telenav software offered by Sprint Nextel runs on most of its phones, but a few of the phones will not run advanced features such as traffic rerouting and searching along the route for places of interest.
AT&T/Cingular has the fewest offerings; currently only its PDA phones are GPS-equipped, but it is working to change that as it moves from its existing equipment to a full 3G (third generation) higher-speed network. Smaller carriers such as AllTel and US Cellular also have some phones with GPS/navigation. Check with your carrier to determine its offerings and your phone's capabilities.
Out on the Road
Using your cell phone for navigation doesn't stop you from using its other functions. You can still make and receive calls. But the first thing you'll discover when using turn-by-turn directions is that it can draw down your battery rather quickly. If you vary from the route, for example, it forces the phone to call back for a recalculated route and for new directions and maps to be downloaded to you. Likewise, if you leave the phone open so that the screen remains fully illuminated, it hurts battery life. An in-car charger is the best bet for continuous use, but if you don't have one, close the phone and use the audio directions for longer battery life. You can always check the map when you're safely stopped.
Your phone keeps right on being useful when you've arrived. Although pedestrian databases are far more detailed in Europe than in the US, they are evolving rapidly in large cities and tourist areas. The software and database vendors have made great strides in knowing where you are despite typical in-city problems such as multipath interference and limited interaction with GPS satellites.
Finally, there's the social aspect. VZ Navigator's newest version supports place messaging, so you can find a great place to hang out, notify your friends, and their phones will guide them to the spot. Likewise, you can find local movie times and invite friends and family to join you at the right place and time.
In a time when most people would sooner forget their wallet than their phone, GPS navigation via your phone makes real sense. The cost effectiveness, real-time data and portability more than compensate for a big, on-dash map.
Bio: Jim Henry is a veteran freelance automotive writer. He was a one-man bureau in New York City for Detroit-based Automotive News for many years. He is also a past president and a board member of the International Motor Press Association.
Permalink: http://www.progressive.com/auto-tech/navigation-in-the-palm-of-your-hand.aspx
Bill Machrone, a writer for Ziff Davis Enterprise, is the former Editor in Chief of PC Magazine. He has written numerous articles about automotive technology topics, including onboard performance monitoring devices, automotive upgrades, remote camera/backup systems and sonar parking systems.
