NDrive G800 photo mapping satnav with full colour satellite views of the UK
When we heard that NDrive was releasing a satnav device with full colour photography instead of your typical drab coloured maps, we were itching to get our hands on one and take it for a spin.
The G800 is the more expensive of two new devices in the range that includes this feature, and it also sports a healthy collection of extras such as Bluetooth, an FM transmitter and media playback functionality for your music, video and photos.
There are other treats in store as well, such as the 8GB of internal storage provided by default and a handful of games to play. On paper the G800 looks pretty capable then, so we took it on the road to see how the photo mapping looks and how it fared on the whole.
The first thing we noticed is that the NDrive doesn’t use photo mapping by default: the device actually uses TeleAtlas‘ maps for general operation, with the photo views kicking in when you drive through an area that is supported. That’s the other issue: you won’t get photo maps for the entire UK here. There’s currently coverage for 29 cities and, although this number is set to increase, it’s disappointing that this headline feature isn’t a little more comprehensive. (more…)
Tagged Under : Bluetooth, FM transmitter, GPS, media playback, NDrive, NDrive G800, NDrive G800 GPS, NDrive GPS, TeleAtlas, TeleAtlas maps
Cowon iAudio Q5W Cowon’s attempt to steal Archos’s crown
There aren’t many fields in the tech industry that you could argue are dominated by a particular make and model of hardware, but we believe the PMP (portable media player) market to be one of them. So impressive has Archos’s range of players been over the last couple of years that it’s difficult to see how someone else could compete.
A high-profile launch into this market would be a ballsy move then, but it’s one that Cowon hasn’t shied away from with the release of the iAudio Q5W. It’s finished in black with a dominating 5-inch display and a nice range of connectivity that includes a full sized USB port - so you can transfer content from devices such as digital cameras or MP3 players - and a proprietary connection for A/V output through the supplied composite/component lead. The latter is a nice touch since it means you can hook the device up to your TV or audio system directly.
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