Free phone navigation such as the popular LifeInPocket (http://lifeinpocket.com/) probably fit most people’s need best. It’s convenient, handy, ready to use, updated, realtime and free. You don’t carry extra device, you don’t worry about monthly bill and you don’t buy anything.

I don’t think anybody can compete with this free app — better, real time, updated and free. Nothing can beat it.

I use free app and services from LifeInPocket.com for 12 months on my AT&T Nokia phone, the navigation is about the same as those $120 per year but the address book sync capability and location message are what others cannot offer. More expensive isn’t better, cheaper is better.

Funnily enough, the EU was to pass a law that banned navigators with display units, as they were distracting drivers who stared too much at the screens. Only navigators that turned off the screen when the vehicle moved, and provided voice instructions would be legal to use.

What I REALLY want is a GPS device in EVERY vehicle so that they can be located in an emergency (e.g., the recent unnecessary death of James Kim after turning onto a ‘road’ that should have been CLOSED and being LOST for TWO WEEKS).

Most people go for convenience… That means iPod,PSP/DS,dedicated GPS over cell-phone/do-it-all-PDA.

Subscription GPS services have some key benefits you might not realize until you use it. The biggest being map updates. They happen quicker and don’t costs a lot of money. In fact, a map update for my Acura costs $200. A year of Verizon Navigator costs $120 and it fits in my pocket.

Read more here http://alankeister.wordpress.com/2006/12/12/looking-for-a-gps-look-no-farther-than-your-pocket/

Peter

Here’s a link with a diagram to show what else it’s capable of.

Cheers,

Peter

The music cellphone has not replaced the mp3 player … yet.
The camera cellphone has not replaced the digital camera or video cameras … yet

At best these have been disruptive. Being able to use the technology in different ways. For eg: When you forget/cannot carry the digital camera to an event.

I ended up buying a car GPS navigator after seriously considering a cell phone GPS. My cell phone is already burdened with so many things that it is a pain to be able to make calls. Also I need to be able to use the GPS when a call comes in. The dimunitivce screen size does not help either. And for all the connected information that can be available, very little of it is available right now. The only good thing that I could see was live traffic updates which a lot of GPS’s support thorugh FM TMC. Also with all the things I put the cell phone through, battery life is becomign a real issue.

I would not be scared if I was TOM TOM. I would be scared of the in-car navigation systems which are superior and are coming standard with a lot of the cars.