So TomTom’s beginning to realize that some people haven’t grown up with the internet and such and that they’re having some problems wrapping their heads around the whole GPS concept. To that end, they’re taking the bull by the horns and introducing the starter edition of the TomTom, the TomTom Start. It’ll run you a hundred and ninety nine dollars per (which is actually quite a bit more than other, more “advanced” models that have been out for years), and will offer a three and a half inch touch screen, a supposedly easy to use menu (though that’s subjective at best), and voice over for street names. In addition, the new gadget comes equipped with an EasyPort mount which, makers claim, can easily be slipped in pockets, bags and glove compartments, ostensibly so you can find your way back to your car should you go on a walking tour or something.  Not necessarily a bad idea, that. I’m not sure if this’ll be as “easy” as they claim, but it’s definitely something worth keeping an eye on.

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Now this is the kind of thing they banned briefly in Victoria not so long ago, so before I start I’ll give the normal credos:  it’s a bad idea to use your cell phone and drive at the same time, I’m not responsible for whatever you do in your car, yadda yadda, in perpetuity throughout the universe.

There.  Now that the lawyers have been sufficiently shot the bird, time to carry on.  Today we’re talking about the TomTom iPhone car kit, that basically allows you to use your iPhone as a kind of GPS by mounting it to your dash.  Now, it doesn’t JUST do that, because then everybody’d be enraged–it also functions as a twelve volt charger and a speakerphone.

None of this is a bad thing, necessarily, but for crying out loud.  A hundred and twenty bucks for what amounts to a car phone cradle?  That’s a bit excessive even with the added bells and whistles.  I don’t look for this one to do any too well.

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TomTom, which you may be surprised to know is actually based out of Amsterdam, just recently announced its newest line of navigational hardware, the GO I-90.  It’s a double DIN navigation and radio tool that allows for easy, point to point directions between any two points most anywhere in the world, as long as they’re somehow connected via roadway.

Oh, but this isn’t just another navigational device, either–TomTom brass promises that the device offers  “full radio integration with the car speakers for high quality audio when using spoken instructions, or making hands-free phone calls.”

So not only does it get you from point to point, it also lets you call ahead to tell that point you’re arriving.  That’s actually pretty cool.

As if that weren’t good enough, users will be able to add annotations to the maps via TomTom HOME and Safety Alerts, telling other motorists about accidents, road construction, and those pesky speed traps.  You can also hook your MP3 player to it.

There’s a lot to like about this device, and its ninety nine dollar price tag is just icing on the cake.

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