Five great GPS gadgets

TMC Receiver
Price: Varies between manufacturers
Website: www.expansys.com
You can buy TMC receivers for most modern GPS devices, though the introduction of HD Live traffic services from the likes of TomTom are slowly eating away at the latter’s popularity. Still adding a TMC antenna is simply enough, with prices varying between manufactures, however the good news is that most TMC subscriptions are normally a one off payment (unlike ongoing HD Traffic costs) and installation requires little thought, with the only problem being the antenna which normally has to be stuck to the windscreen using small suction cups, thus leading to more screen clutter, but the benefits of traffic reports and avoidance should be worth the hassle.

Kapten
Price: £N/A
Website: www.widget.com
Kapten offers a slightly different approach to traditional navigation systems by providing a smart urban solution which features no screen and relies completely on voice interaction, so for example all you need to do is speak your destination and Kapten will be able to route you there promptly – even if you are cutting through parks or one way streets. It can also be used on the bike, public transport or inside the car and provides the ability to share your geo-tagged locations with others, so the emphasis on community sharing seems strong.

Keyring Bluetooth GPS Receiver
Price: from £43
Website: www.mobilefun.co.uk
For phones not blessed with a GPS receiver as standard your best option is to buy a  3rd party Bluetooth alternative and link this to your phone. Of course this does have a few disadvantages because you are having to carry around an extra piece of equipment and need to remember to take it with you when you walk out the house. Which is one of the reasons why the key ring GPS Bluetooth receiver would be ideal as it’s small and clips onto your existing set of car keys so you’ll never forget it.

Mains Charger
Price: £varies
Website: www.expansys.com
As simple as it sounds one of the best accessories you can get for your GPS device is a mains charger, this way you can save yourself the hassle of going to the car or turning on your PC in order to charge it, plus a mains charger is normally a better method of optimising the battery for long term usage. Most manufactures will utilise a mini-USB connection so you will have plenty of products to choose from at respectable prices, only the GPS devices which utilise a propriety connector may cost slightly more.

Basic Car kit: Mini-USB Car Mount Bundle
Price: £15.52
Website: www.clove.co.uk
If you already own a PND device you will not need to bother with a car cradle or charger as the product would have shipped with one, but for smartphones 9 times out of 10 you will need some way of mounting your phone to the windscreen and keeping it powered. The universal Mini-USB Car Mount Bundle should be an ideal solution as it provides a USB car charger and a sturdy cradle which can hold a number of different makes of phones with various widths and sizes.

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