Want to get a GPS for the Holidays? Mapicurious Recommends...

We are starting to answer some questions about what GPS to purchase this Holiday season. Our disclosure here is that we have received zero devices for free, zero money from any manufacturer, and we have personally used every device type listed.

1. Garmin - These are the best devices for US drivers all around. Easy to use, very intuitive, and a breeze for senior drivers. Updates are free. Traffic is available but will not be as good as Dash below.

2. Dash - Recently the Dash company announced that they no longer will produce the hardware, but license the software. Buy this for real time traffic flows and two way location based applications (Yes - some of these are Mapicurious produced!). You should be able to pick up the old hardware at Fry's and Amazon until sold out.

3. Magellan - Recently the quality of these have decreased, and customer service is impossible if you do run into problems. Some first time GPS users are satisfied with Magellans on US roads.

4. TomTom - If you are a US driver avoid these devices. Road announcements are poor, directions are poorly timed, and menus too confusing. We are willing to sell you a used top-end one if you must have one from this manufacturer.

How to use this list:

1. If it is not on this list, keep your money in your pocket.

2. If you are at a store (let's say Best Buy or RadioShack - sorry Circuit City - you closed all of your stores around us.) and looking at a $199 device from each of the above manufacturers, choose in the order of this list.

3. Please send us your feedback or issues with any of the manufacturers.

Thanks,

Maps

Atlanta Gas Crisis Line Spotter

Exclusively on the Dash GPS - Drive around and submit places you see a line for gas. A line means that station has the valuable resource.

View the results on the map.

A Dash user simply adds the application via their account at my.dash.net, clicks the application button when near a gas station, adds the station name (you can even add price), and submits to Mapicurious.

Looking for other ideas to alleviate the panic of looking for gas. My sipper is OK for the moment.

Thanks,

Maps

How do you get your business on a GPS?

Hopefully you have harder questions for us at Mapicurious, but we assist businesses getting their locations onto various GPS devices.

Contact us at maps at mapicurious dot com for more info. Use the subject "Get my business on a GPS".

Thanks,

Maps

Get Mapicurious LBS on your Dash GPS

Mapicurious has released the Mapicuriosities search service on the Dash GPS.

Find a large selection of content entered on Mapicurious.com directly from your Dash GPS. Great for explorers who need to know what is around you.

If you have trouble finding or using the service, send us an email.

Thanks,

Maps

Mapicuriosities on your cell phone!

A little news from the ranch:

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080603005802&newsLang=en

Mapicurious has a goal to deliver your geographic data to you in the real world. Why just post it on a web site?

Mapicuriosities is our cell phone application that runs on the free WHERE platform. Visit WHERE.com and download their application onto your GPS enabled cell phone. Works on Motorola, LG, Samsung, BlackBerry, Nokia, and other handsets.

The application lets you see what Mapicurious.com has on the site based on your current location. You can even add points from this application directly to any one of your maps!

Send us feedback. Our Map Makers/Managers know that we are very helpful getting you started with mapping.

Thanks,

Maps

Mapicurious on Your Blackberry?

That's correct! Through our friends at Where.com, you can access Mapicurious to search for points around you and add points directly to your map.

Follow the steps outline on our Blackberry page.

Thanks,

Maps

Mapicurious Car GPS Review

I've seen a few GPS's this year for use in automobiles. If you will be purchasing one, or planning to receive one - some quick reviews based on the usability:

My Manufacturer Ranking:
1. Garmin - Garmin devices have the least cluttered map area. These devices are great for older users.
2. TomTom - TomTom devices have a similar uncluttered map, but it does have more options on the map. Probably best for younger users.
3. Magellan - Very slow calculating routes, and somewhat cluttered map. Could create confusion while driving.
4. Mio - Not recommended. Map is too cluttered with information. Would be great for small fingered navigators - not the driver.

A little disclosure:
Mapicurious.com is not paid to endorse or review these devices. Each of these devices were purchased at retail locations, and used to route around various US cities.

Happy Holidays,

Maps

Mapicurious GPS Holiday Gift Guide

Here is the official Mapicurious, "I need a GPS this Holiday Season", gift guide.

Hopefully these will help you create maps.

I've already got a digital camera, and I want to remember where I took the picture.

SONY GPS-CS1KA GPS Logger

Works with most newer digital cameras, not just Sony products. You turn on this device, wait for the unit to pick up GPS signals, and then start shooting pictures. This $149 device uses USB to download the GPS tracklog to your computer, and synchronizes your camera's pictures based on time the picture was taken with the GPS information from the device.

The device comes with software from Sony that merges the GPS data, but after that you can use your favorite photo editing software to manage pictures. When you upload these pictures to Flickr or Picasa, the GPS data is read and used to plot the photos on a map.

Happy Holidays,

Maps