Results tagged “technology” from Green Mesh

pmkGPStelenav.jpgThere are several talking turn-by-turn GPS navigation solutions for the Blackberry Storm available to download through Blackberry App World, and independent web sites.

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You can pay per month or you can pay a lump sum for software that lives on with server connections for the life of the device or subscription.

TeleNav is available to download via the phone through Blackberry App World for $99 with no free trial. It features proactive traffic alerts, automatic reroute and 10 million business listings.

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Wisepilot offers a free trial downloaded from Blackberry App World and a $99 a year subscription.

Garmin Mobile Is downloaded by placing http://getmobile.garmin.com/trial into your Blackberry web browser for a free trial and then a $99 subscription for the life of the device, which for me could be two months. If you keep your phone for more than 10 months this could be cost effective instead of monthly or yearly subscriptions.

I downloaded the free trial of Garmin Mobile for the Blackberry Storm and it appeared to work well. It syncs with Google for local search and has a traffic warning.
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I love the Garmin zūmo® 550 I have for my motorcycle.

The old standby that's been around for years, Verizon VZ navigator, continues to be my favorite due to the cost structure of a monthly $10 payment, this includes the phones I will kill this year. The monthly cost structure covers the any phones that may be replaced with the insurance plan in the future. VZ Navigator offers integrated traffic updates, reroutes, and the place finder doubles as a Yellow Pages for business search combining one step navigation and calling.

Other nice features of VZ Navigator include place messaging to other subscribers and also regular contacts (with fewer features) that auto calculates time of arrival and can help you to find others.

A dedicated website for the VZ Navigator allows you to do your searches offline and then synch to the mobile program. All user data stays with your account in the event of loss of the handset.
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On the Blackberry Storm all navigation, including the VZ Navigator, uses the built in GPS rather than phone tower signals.

The Storm ships with Blackberry Maps, which like Google Maps, (also available for free download), draws a route offering a summary, but doesn't offer turn-by-turn and speech for navigation. Blackberry maps has a useful function where you can email your current GPS location that will send a map.

Another interesting navigation tool is TopoExplorer, available from Blackberry App World. The download for the reader that integrates the phone's GPS with topo maps maps is free but the maps must be purchased separately.

pmkcase.jpgFew things are more annoying about large, flat, touch screen phones as carrying it and activating it unintentionally or manually locking and unlocking all the time to keep it from randomly communicating with the world from your pocket.

The leather Blackberry Storm holster has a magnetic strip embedded in the spine that interacts with the phone telling it that that it's time to go into holster mode.

When the phone is pulled from the holster, it automatically wakes up and unlocks. The optional password protection can automatically be activated when entering the case.

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When the phone is placed in the holster it automatically goes into a low power mode. The sound alerts and calls can automatically go to vibrate via options selected off of the SOUNDS button. It isn't immediately obvious that you can scroll down in this menu. pmkalerts.jpg

The magic case is also perfect for streaming music while at the gym as there is a cut for the headphones/hands free jack. The power to the hungry screen is shut off and you don't have to carry this stupid box around wondering where to put it. The top of the case enclosure protects the head jack connection while in use.

The high quality leather case snaps closed with a magnetic leather tongue. Amazingly after two months of crawling, grinding and catching on things, I haven't broken this yet.

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