New GPS features add traffic, music, speech

R.K. from Victoria, B.C. asks: "I’d like to buy my husband a GPS system for the car. What should I look for in making my selection?"

GPS navigation systems are very popular these days, and for good reason. Not only can they help you reach your destination by giving your turn-by-turn directions anywhere in the U.S. and Canada (by communicating with satellites hovering above the Earth) but they’ll also help you get back on track should you take a wrong at Albuquerque, as Bugs Bunny used to say.

When used in your car, on a bike or on foot, GPS units are also great for finding nearby "points of interest" (POIs) such as hotels, gas stations, bank machines, tourist attractions and restaurants. In fact, many GPS devices now let you select what kind of food you’re in the mood for, such as "Chinese" or "burgers" or "vegetarian," and it will direct you to the nearest relevant establishment.

Your husband might like some of the extra features found in many navigation systems today: text-to-speech translation (where the GPS unit will say the name of the street to turn onto); multimedia playback (so they’ll store and play your digital music, photos and videos); Bluetooth connectivity (offerings hands-free phone conversations when your cell phone is nearby); and real-time traffic information in supported cities (an optional pay service that redirects you around congestion, accidents and construction).

It’s a common misconception GPS units require a monthly fee to use. This isn’t true. Once you buy the unit, it’s yours to use for free as often as you like. The only exception is the optional traffic service (usually $60 a year) and some cell phone-based GPS services, such as TeleNav, also come with a monthly service fee.