I got to check out TomTom's first wireless GPS in the United States - the TomTom Go 740 Live - which taps into real-time traffic, gas prices and weather reports, along with being able to Google-search any destination. It has a 4.3-inch LCD touch-screen and features Bluetooth connection for hands-free calling.
It's $399.95, which includes three months of wireless service. After that, the Live Services costs $9.95 a month.
The Live Services, which include things like Google search, really make this a fantastically helpful GPS. You can search for general things, like a comic book shop, and it'll route you to nearby stores (and lists phone numbers if you want to call the store before you go). Or if you want something specific, like a nearby Outback Steakhouse, just type that in and get the closest one.
You can also route yourself to a nearby gas station with the cheapest gas. And if traffic is really bad, it'll warn you how bad the delay is and change your route to the fastest one.
But don't expect the traffic and gas reports to be exact. Gas prices are based on how often it's updated online -- which sometimes was about 30 cents off. Also, I couldn't get the TomTom's Bluetooth to connect properly with a few different models of cellphones, so that was an annoyance.
When I went on a family vacation last week, the Live Services were a real lifesaver in getting us around. But you have to dish out an extra 10 bucks a month just to do all these amazing things! It's certainly not the GPS for someone on a budget.
Check out my review video below where I take the TomTom Go 740 Live for a test drive:
I'm disappointed that you don't have an early/pre-release review of the Palm Pre this week. Trying to decide if it's worth upgrading from the Moto Q9c.
Posted by: Simon | June 03, 2009 at 11:03 PM
Hi Simon,
Yeah I'm disappointed, too. I asked Sprint, but they didn't give me one to review.
But Sprint did give a Palm Pre to this guy from the AP... but good luck not falling asleep before the video ends:
http://www.miamiherald.com/508/index.html?media_id=4399528&genre_id=4458
Posted by: Bridget Carey | June 04, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Wow. That was a snoozer and it really didn't showcase the phone that well either. Can I head up the "Bridget for AP Tech Reviewer" nomination committee?
Posted by: Simon | June 04, 2009 at 11:56 PM
You should check out David Pogue's review of the Pre - it's very helpful and detailed:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/technology/personaltech/04pogue.html?_r=1&ref=technology
I just got a chance to play around with it for an hour today at a Sprint store and it's a real beauty! Took me about 20 minutes to get used to the touch interface - with the help of a Sprint employee. I'll be writing about the experience in a few minutes.
Posted by: Bridget Carey | June 05, 2009 at 01:24 PM
Absolutely the worst tech support of any company. The software interface never works, yet that is the only method Tom Tom provides. So you'll spend hours on the phone (you can't email them either) talking to people who don't have a clue
Posted by: r4 | November 09, 2009 at 04:06 AM