GPS - huh?
You may have heard a lot about GPS devices and how they can make travelling a whole lot easier. So what is a GPS device? First of all, GPS stands for Global Positioning System and it consists of a constellation of atleast 24 satellites around the world. The GPS was developed by the United States Army and is maintained by the United States Air Force 50th Wing at an annual cost of approximately $750 million. The service is provided free of charge for civilian use.
Each GPS satellite continuously broadcasts a Navigation Message at 50 bit/s giving the time-of-day, GPS week number and satellite health information (all transmitted in the first part of the message), an ephemeris (transmitted in the second part of the message) and an almanac (later part of the message).
A GPS receiver is composed of an antenna, tuned to the frequencies transmitted by the satellites, receiver-processors, and a highly-stable clock (often a crystal oscillator). The GPS navigation systems like the Magellan Maestro™ 4040 GPS Receiver uses the navigation signal data to provide a whole variety of information to the user. With advancement in software and technology, these systems now provide not just the current location of the device, but also information like the shortest route to a destination, which route will have less traffic, the closest restaurants.
The Magellan Maestra, for example, has the following features:
- Turn-by-turn voice and visual guidance – Enter virtually any address or point of interest to BE THERE quickly and safely.
- Precision navigation – SiRFstar III chipset and integrated multidirectional antennae offer superior GPS accuracy using the Wide Area Augmentation System.
- Graphical interactive maps – Maps and destinations for the entire continental U.S. are built-in so you can travel the country and always know where you are and where you’re going.
- AAA TourBook travel information – Integrated travel information from AAA TourBook makes it easy to locate AAA approved and rated lodgings and restaurants, recommended attractions, and places to save money.
- AAA member Roadside Assistance details – Touch the tow truck icon to quickly connect to AAA Roadside Assistance using your compatible Bluetooth phone. The screen tells you where you are to quickly direct reliable AAA help to your location.
- SayWhere text-to-speech – Hear when to make each turn, including the street name.
- Hands-free phone calls – Bluetooth wireless technology and built-in microphone let you make hands-free phone calls using your compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone.
- Traffic-enabled – Add the Magellan TrafficKit to your Maestro 4040 to get live traffic incident reports Activation and subscription fees apply. Available Spring 2007.
- Voice Command-enabled – Add Voice Command control for hand’s-free operation with a simple upgrade from www.MagellanGPS.com (Activation fee applies).
- Birds eye 3D view – Clearly see your surroundings in 2D or 3D.
- Rechargeable battery – Navigate when you don’t have access to power.
- Route Calculator Choose from four different route methods: Fastest Time, Shortest Distance, Least Use of Freeways, Most Use of Freeways. Option to Avoid Toll Roads.
- Multi-destination Routing – Select up to 20 destinations and choose the order that best fits your needs.
- SmartDetour – Automatically prompts you to route around sudden slow freeway traffic (no fee or subscription required).
- Auto Re-route – Never miss a turn and quickly get back on track whenever you take a detour.
- Auto night view – Adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing.
- QuickSpell – Easily enter addresses with unique auto-complete feature that even corrects spelling.Complete mobility – Transfer to any vehicle with no installation.
- 4.5 million points of interest (POI) – Optimized database of gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, and more with smart location search by name, category and region. We even added a Coffee category so you can quickly find caffeine whenever you need it.
- Interactive POI icons – Touch an onscreen icon for a nearby destination; see name and address and get an instant route.
- Customizable route method – Fastest time, shortest distance, least use or most use of freeways, avoid toll roads.
- Route exclusion – Select streets and freeways to avoid so you can BE THERE your way.
- 4 easy views – Map View, 3D map, TrueView 3D split screen and Maneuver List.
- Address Book – Create and store personal points of interest for easy reoccurring trips.
- Instant locate – One touch shows your location; quickly advise roadside assistance or emergency services.
With these kind of features, no wonders the GPS navigation devices are soaring in popularity for all car/vehicle owners.