Heading in the Right Direction

A Global Positioning Sa tellite or a GPS can be your personal saviour in situations where you have an irate client demanding to see you in person or an important meeting in a place you never even knew existed.

This nifty little gadget acts as a  receiver to a series of satellites orbiting planet earth which can track your exact location, pinpointing your precise position. So whenever you’re pressed for time and you want to avoid being stuck in traffic with the boss shouting obscenities and demanding to know where you are, the GPS is your own little hero. It figures out your exact co-ordinates and calculates the best route to reach your destination. Its ingenuity means you can opt for the route with the fewest traffic lights to avoid frequent stopping or even a route to avoid tolls. GPS navigators range from $300 up to $1000. With a GPS, the more you pay, the more features you’ll receive. The newer models even come equipped with traffic reports fed live from the NRMA which help to adjust your route to avoid traffic. We spoke to tech whiz Shane Gillon, who explained three popular models.

Navman S30
For its price, the S30 offers the most basic features with an easy-to-use interface. The 3.5-inch touch screen gives you a slick and stylish look, and comes equipped with the latest maps, warnings for all those nasty speed cameras, and shortcuts to all the closest petrol stations and emergency services. It'll get you from point A to B and, for $299, it's not a bad deal.

TomTom XL
The TomTom XL offers all the basic features of a GPS. The 4.3-inch widescreen is a plug-and-go gadget which eliminates all the unnecessary instalment drama. With the latest Australian maps, the XL also offers the Map Share technology, which allows you to make your own corrections on your map, or use other users' corrections. For $399, no Bluetooth factor is
forgivable.

Garmin Nuvi 760
Loaded and wide, the nuvi 760 is the most feature-packed of the three. With advance navigation features, 4.3-inch display, latest maps and Bluetooth capabilities, the 760 offers you all that a GPS can offer and more. It's even got an MP3 player. If you’re looking for top class and lots of features, then the 760 is the way to go. The $699 price tag is justified if you're looking for the best.