Garmin nüvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Amazon.com Product Description

What if one device could help you navigate anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, while offering travel tips, storing your favorite tunes and photos, providing translation assistance, and more? That device is here, and it's not much bigger than a deck of cards. The Garmin nüvi 350 is set to revolutionize what we expect from a GPS navigation device, or from any device for that matter.

Update -- Which nüvi is best for you? Since this review was originally written, the Garmin nüvi line has multiplied into an entire family of GPS devices with a rich feature set. Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nüvi GPS navigators.

The nüvi 350 is a portable GPS navigator, traveler's reference, and digital entertainment system, all in one. View product demo (requires Flash).

A simple touchscreen interface and voice guidance allow you to keep your eyes on the road. View larger.

Listen to an audio book or an MP3 while you're on the road. View larger.

Design
With a total weight of 5.1 ounces and slim measurements of 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87 inches (WxHxD), the nüvi 350 is just right for the pocket or purse. A bright, 64,000-color display dominates the front of the device and a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels means that there's plenty of room for displaying map data and other elements of the device's interface. An SD memory card slot is provided for expansion software, such as a points of interest database, media files and electronic guides (see below). The flip-up antenna includes an MCX-type connector for connecting the unit to an external GPS antenna. Meanwhile, a powerful built-in speaker resides on the back of device. A built-in lithium ion battery will give you for to eight hours of battery life, depending on use. In addition to an AC charger, the unit also ships with a 12-volt power adapter for vehicle charging, as well as a windshield suction cup mount.

Fortunately, Garmin has made it easy to interface with the nüvi 350's 700 megabytes of onboard memory, thanks to "plug-and-play" USB mass storage support. Just plug the device into your computer's USB port and you've got instantaneous access to all the audio books, music, photos, supplemental maps and other data on the nüvi 350's internal and SD card memory.

Navigation
The nüvi 350 is first and foremost a personal GPS device. Wherever you go -- in your car or on foot-- the device offers extremely accurate position data, thanks to a high-sensitivity integrated GPS receiver by SiRF and WAAS-enabled, 12-satellite reception. Combined with detailed maps of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico the nüvi 350 provides automatic routing, turn-by-turn voice directions, and touchscreen control-- making it easy to find your way anywhere. Plus, the unique "text-to-speech" feature calls out turns by street name, and you can choose from either 2D or 3D mapping perspectives when you're viewing your route on the display. Additionally, the nüvi 350 is compatible with Garmin's GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver*, which allows users to avoid traffic tie-ups by simply pushing a button that will calculate a new route.

As mentioned, the nüvi 350 comes packed with mapping data for North America, but you can can also load up your custom points of interest. Set up proximity alerts for school zones, safety cameras, and more using Garmin's free POI (points of interest) loader program (available from garmin.com).

The device automatically calculates the fastest route and provides voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions along the way.

Tools for the Journey
Navigation is just part of the journey, and the nüvi 350 is one of the first devices to recognize that. The built-in "Travel Kit" offers an MP3 player, an audio book player from Audible.com, a jpeg-format picture viewer, a world travel clock with time zones, a currency converter, a measurement converter, and a calculator.

In addition to the included travel tools, additional software add-ons are available, such as the Garmin Language Guide, with data provided by Oxford University Press. This software suite contains a multilingual word bank, phrase bank, and five bilingual dictionaries. The multilingual word bank and phrase bank supports nine languages and dialects, including American English, British English, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, European Spanish, and Latin American Spanish. Now you can look up and translate more than 17,000 words or 20,000 phrases per language -- right in the palm of your hand. Through the unit's text-to-speech interface, users can get a spoken pronunciation of each entry in the word bank, along with gender and part of speech information.

Another useful add-on software package, the Garmin Travel Guide, is loaded with information provided by Marco Polo. These guides put in-depth travel information such as reviews and recommendations for restaurants, tourist attractions, and more at your fingertips. The software allows you to navigate to an address or search points of interest-- places like hotels, restaurants, shopping, and tourist attractions. The nüvi 350 automatically calculates the fastest route and provides voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions along the way. The unit also audibly announces the name of upcoming streets-- letting you keep your eyes on the road while navigating through busy traffic and tricky roadways. And if you stray off course, the nüvi 350 automatically calculates the quickest way to get back on track.

*Traffic services available only in select cities where RDS-TMC coverage exists. Requires the GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver and subscription fee to enable traffic capability.

What's in the Box
nüvi 350, travel kit, vehicle suction cup mount, carrying case, 12-24 volt adapter cable, dashboard disk, USB interface cable, sample language guide content, sample MP3s, and quick reference guide.

Which nüvi is Best for You?

Screen
Size
inches
(w x h)
Included Maps
POIs
Directions in
Real Street
Names
Traffic
Bluetooth
Media

FM Transmitter
(audio through
car stereo
system) Multi-
Point
Routing
Dimensions
inches
(w x h x d)

Cont. U.S.,
Hawaii, and
Puerto Rico
AK and
Canada
Europe
capable
included

nüvi 200 2.8 x 2.1
check

Photos

3.8 x 2.8 x 0.8

nüvi 200w 3.81 x 2.25
check

Photos

4.8 x 2.9 x 0.8

nüvi 250 2.8 x 2.1
check check

Photos

3.8 x 2.8 x 0.8

nüvi 250w 3.81 x 2.25
check check

Photos

4.8 x 2.9 x 0.8

nüvi 260 2.8 x 2.1
check check

check

Photos

3.8 x 2.8 x 0.8

nüvi 270 2.8 x 2.1
check check check

Photos

3.8 x 2.8 x 0.8

nüvi 350 2.8 x 2.1
check

check check

Photos, MP3s

3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87

nüvi 360 2.8 x 2.1
check check

check check
check Photos, MP3s

3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87

nüvi 370 2.8 x 2.1 check check check
check
check check Photos, MP3s

3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87

nüvi 650 3.81 x 2.25
check

check check

Photos, MP3s

4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9

nüvi 660
3.81 x 2.25
check check

check
check check Photos, MP3s check
4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9

nüvi 670
3.81 x 2.25
check check check
check
check check Photos, MP3s check
4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9

nüvi 680 3.81 x 2.25
check check

check
check check Photos, MP3s check
4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9

nüvi 750
3.81 x 2.25
check check

check
check
Photos, MP3s check check 4.8 x 3.0 x 0.8

nüvi 760 3.81 x 2.25
check check

check
check check Photos, MP3s check check 4.8 x 3.0 x 0.8

nüvi 770 3.81 x 2.25
check check check
check
check check Photos, MP3s check check 4.8 x 3.0 x 0.8

Customer Reviews:

First GPS.......2008-01-02

I researched this item for a long time. I thought that this unit had all the functions that I would need. I used it on an 800 mile trip last week and am very pleased with it. It is easy to use out of the box and did everything I needed it to do. My only complaint is that I live in an area that is growing very fast and no GPS will ever be able to keep up with this growth. I am told that new maps will be out every 12 to 15 months for about $75.00. I know that they will not catch all the new roads here. I am taking a 6 week trip back East this Summer and I know that this unit will really pay for it's self then.

Garmin Nuvi 350.......2008-01-02

Works very well, but could be more user friendly. I found it hard to find my way through the screens to enter or change information. Could be partly because I've never used a GPS unit before. Directions were easy to follow, and it recalculated quickly when we didn't follow the directions.

satisfied customer.......2008-01-01

I can,t believe I waited so long to get one.I use it for my business,and I don,t have to look at a thomas guide while driving.All I do is listen to the voice telling me where to turn.

suggested route often is longer or wrong.......2008-01-01

I like the ease of functionality with Garmin and find it very intuitive. I especially like the fact that it suggests places in the neighborhood when entering the name.

Over the past few weeks however I have become more and more reluctant to using it. This is because several times it happened to me that the suggested route was a long detour to a spot which should have only been a few minutes away. Sometimes also, the route suggestion is plain wrong, nonsense.

Garmin should improve the routing system....

Not Good.......2008-01-01

The product worked fine for 5 days on my hawaii trip. Middle of my trip, it stopped acquiring satellite. had to return the equipment. It may have been an isolated case, but I am not going to buy Nuvi again.

Sony ICF-C492 Large Display AM/FM Clock Radio

Average customer rating:

AWESOME
Backup battery sucks
Good Clock
Worked great for 4 months but now gains time
sliding button doesn't work very well

Sony ICF-C492 Large Display AM/FM Clock Radio

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Gift-wrap Eligible | Specialty Stores | Electronics Features | Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

Home Office Electronics | Electronics | Categories | Target
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Product Features:

Sleek AM/FM clock radio with jumbo 1.4-inch green LED display
Variable brightness control adjusts to lighting and environment
Sleep timer and amply-sized snooze bar; 2-level buzzer alarm volume
9-volt battery backup; measures 7.88 x 4 x 4.38 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

ASIN: B0007QDGZ8

Product Description

The Sony ICF-C492 AM/FM Large Display Clock Radio is a distinctive alarm clock that suits your individual style. Its sleek, space-saving design and multiple volume and brightness setting make it fit in with your decoration. The huge green LCD display make it easy to tell time from any distance and the variable brightness control lets you adjust the display level. Wake up to your favorite station or to the buzz of an alarm.

Amazon.com Product Description

Wake up in style with the Sony ICF-C492 AM/FM clock radio. Outfitted with a jumbo 1.4-inch green LED display, variable brightness control, an analog AM/FM tuner--and yes, a big honkin' snooze bar--this handy companion is sure to get you going in the morning. The space-conscious design is attractive and stylish, with a modern aesthetic that takes up hardly any space on the nightstand. The large display is also a plus, as it makes it easy to tell time from a distance--a particular bonus for people with poor vision. Households with more than one sleeper will appreciate the dual alarm, which allows two separate people to wake at different times without resetting the alarm. And should you need a more abrupt noise than the radio can provide, the ICF-C492 offers both loud and soft buzzer alarms.

Additional features include a sleep timer and a memory backup function that preserves the clock and alarm settings should the power go out (requires 9-volt battery). The clock radio measures 7.88 by 4 by 4.38 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a one-year warranty on parts and labor.

What's in the Box
Clock radio, user's manual.

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME.......2007-12-30

This clock works great. The buzzer for me and music for my wife. The best clock ever made for two people to wake at two different times. No more my wife saying "Honey get up, Honey get up,". I act like i don't hear it but i do. Nice looks to it too.

Backup battery sucks.......2007-12-07

Big screen is super great, kinda hard to configure and the backup battery clock when power is gone (even for a few minutes) is off from real time and one has to configure again. Everything else is ok.

Good Clock.......2007-12-01

The continuously variable LED is wonderful. It allows for very low settings at night to allow keeping the room dark. It is a bit harder to see in the daytime if the setting is unchanged, but the adjustment is conveniently placed on the side so it is easy to adjust (I don't bother). The radio reception is fine, but the sound is a bit tinny. If you need a great sounding radio though, you won't find it at this price. Overall I am very pleased with it.

Worked great for 4 months but now gains time.......2007-11-28

I bought two of these for each of our nightstands and they worked great for 4 months. Suddenly they began to gain time. We're over the 30 day Amazon return policy now. We contacted Sony and they'll return it to see if they can repair it. Reading a few of these Amazon reviews I see a few people have had the gaining of time problem. Sony told us to unplug the units for 30 minutes and that would "reboot" them. Didn't work. We're disappointed to say the least and not sure if we'll return to Amazon or Sony at this point. Were it not for this problem I would've rated this a 5 for it's other features.

sliding button doesn't work very well.......2007-11-22

Everything works fine except for a top sliding bar that is used to switch from alarm set/clock set/time mode. Seems like it might break too soon. I'm back to using my cheap $5 clock I bought a couple years back.

Magellan Maestro 3250 Auto Navigation System

Average customer rating:

Great features and Amazon price!
Magellan 3250 is awesome
Where am I? I love that function.
Unit Failed in First Hour
Great GPS unit with minor annoying glitches

Magellan Maestro 3250 Auto Navigation System

Manufacturer: Magellan
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Navigation Systems | Car Electronics | Categories | Electronics | Vehicle GPS Systems
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Accessories:

Product Features:

New 3.5" QVGA full-color, anti-glare, touch-screen display
6 Million Searchable Points of Interest:
AAA TourBook¿ guide travel information
SmartDetour¿: prompts drivers to route around heavy or stopped freeway traffi c
Newly designed, intuitive user interface makes the Maestro series the easiest to use

ASIN: B000V4PZBY

Product Description

The Magellan Maestro 3250 portable navigator eases your travel with its powerful combination of guidance and communication. Use the newly-designed interface on the 3.5? Touchscreen display to find detailed maps of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, along with the 6 million preloaded points of interest. Built-in Bluetooth technology lets you take calls safely and use your phone's address book while leaving your phone in your bag or pocket. The included AAA features give you instant access to service details and recommended destinations from the leading travel resource. Just tap the screen for a quick connection to AAA Roadside Assistance or to dial ahead to select points of interest. Enter your destination and follow along on the display in 2-D or 3-D map mode as the voice prompts alert you to upcoming maneuvers. The Maestro 3250 uses text-to-speech technology to speak actual street names at turns so you can pay attention to the road instead of the screen. Just follow a few simple steps and you can program the Maestro 3250 to understand basic voice commands. You'll be able to advance through menus and receive guidance without even touching the screen. The included traffic-information receiver gives you instant updates on congestion in most metropolitan areas. The Maestro 3250 can quickly route you around problem areas and get you on your way. This GPS satellite navigation unit has a built-in antenna suction-cup windshield mount and dashboard disk headphone jack car power adapter and built-in rechargeable battery with 3 hours of life. Bluetooth technology for making and receiving hands-free calls with your compatible cell phone SD card slot, up to 2GB Dimensions - Width 3-11/16? x Height 3-1/4 x Depth 3/4? Weight - 5 ounces Includes 3-Months Free Trial of FM-TMC Traffic-Info, subscription required after 3-Months

Amazon.com Product Description -- November 13, 2007

We've been big fans of Magellan's Maestro line since it came out in early 2006. The Maestro interface is incredibly easy to use, even for those who are not completely comfortable with electronics. At the same time, Magellan was ahead of the industry with useful innovations like multi-destination routing and pre-loaded reviews for points of interest like hotels and restaurants (from AAA). With its 3200 and 4200 series, Magellan has improved the Maestro line giving them a SirfStar III chipset that provides super-fast. satellite lock and making them thinner. In fact, at .7 inches, these are -- at the time of this writing (November 2007), the thinnest portable GPS navigators available. Distingushing between models is also fairly easy.

3200 and 4200 Family of Navigators
Distingushing between models is also fairly easy. The 3200-series navigators feature a 3.5-inch screen, while the 4200s have a 4.3-inch widescreen display. The 3200 and 4200 offer great, basic navigation with turn-by-turn spoken directions, pre-loade maps of the 48 contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and 1.3 million POIs. The 3210 and 4210, add maps for Canada and Alaska, AAA travel information (see details below) and bump you up to 6 million POIs. The 3220 and 4220 add maps of Mexico. The top-of-the-line 3250 and 4250 add a host of other features, including text-to-speech directions that give real street names, bluetooth for hands-free phone calls, integrated traffic (with a free 3-month subscription), and voice command.

What Makes the Maestro 3250 Exceptional?

AAA logo

Route method screen

Easy to use navigation features SmartDetour and auto re-route. View larger.

AAA information screen

Access built-in AAA information from your GPS touch screen. View larger.

Easy To Use Interface
The intuitive user interface makes the Maestro series incredibly easy to use. Use the big icons on the 3.5-inch touch screen to search for your destination by address, intersection, or any of 6 million points of interest (POIs), including restaurants, hotels, airports, gas stations, and more. You can even touch an onscreen icon for a nearby destination, see name and address, and get an instant route. Turn by turn visual and spoken directions guide you every step of the way.

Auto re-route gets you quickly back on track whenever you make a detour or miss a turn. QuickSpell feature intelligently searches and checks spelling when you enter addresses. The 3250 offer multiple view options, including 2D, 3D, and TrueView that shows your upcoming turn using a 3D split screen. Maneuver List displays the full turn-by-turn details of your route. Auto night view adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing.

Magellan Maestro 4050 is the first portable gps navigator with voice command

Click to see a video on the Magellan Maestro 3250's Voice Command system.

Voice Command and Control
Voice Command further enables hands-free operation so you can keep your eyes on the road. Say a command to access the most used navigation functions. Find the nearest coffee, restaurant, gas and ATM or get an instant route home. Plus, you can ask for your location, the distance to your destination and quickly get details for the nearest roadside assistance and more, all with the sound of your voice.

AAA-enabled
With built-in AAA travel information, the Maestro 4250 gives you instant access to the most trusted source for trip planning, searchable AAA TourBook listings, Show Your Card & Save locations for member discounts, approved auto repair facilities, attractions, events, and more. The Maestro 3250 also provides AAA members roadside assistance details, with exact location and a toll-free number. Plus, the Maestro 3250 is Bluetooth-enabled so you can connect your Bluetooth cell phone directly to AAA for immediate help when you need it most.

Note: AAA member roadside assistance requires AAA membership.

Bluetooth for Hands-Free Calling
The Maestro 3250's Bluetooth wireless technology lets you make hands-free phone calls with your Bluetooth-enabled phone. You can store or sync numbers and contact information through the easy-to-use touch screen, and even place calls directly through the Maestro 3250's integrated microphone and speakers.

Integrated Real-Time Traffic
The integrated traffic receiver offers onscreen RDS-TMC traffic incident reports in real-time. A free 3-month traffic service subscription makes it easy to avoid accidents, slow downs, road closures, severe weather and more. Your Maestro 3250 automatically recalculates your estimated time of arrival based on traffic conditions and prompts you to reroute when a quicker way is available.