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Thread ID: 115040	2010-12-29 22:54:00	Latest in car gadgets	coldfront (15814)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1165545	2010-12-29 22:54:00	Anyone else noticed how popular it has become in recent months to have a GPS planted on your windscreen? At first it was more common in the Tourist rental cars and business travellers, now it seems like every car you see on the road has one. How long before they are declared a road distraction? Technically anything planted in your field of vision is illegal so how comes these GPS units get away with it?	coldfront (15814)
1165546	2010-12-29 22:58:00	At 99 smackeronis at JB Hi Fi for a Navman I think they will be more common	prefect (6291)
1165547	2010-12-29 23:54:00	I bought one last year, but don't keep it visible unless I'm actually in the car. Having one of those is just screaming out to thieves "break into this car". In terms of being a distraction, I don't find myself looking at mine that often - rather I just listen to the voice saying "in 200 metres, turn left into pressf1 street". It isn't really any different to having a passenger reading a map and giving you directions.	somebody (208)
1165548	2010-12-30 00:02:00	It was cheaper for me to buy a TomTom than to get my speedo fixed.	mikebartnz (21)
1165549	2010-12-30 06:14:00	They look a bit funny from the outside tacked to the windows but once you are inside they are good. I hate the GUI of a lot of the tomtom GPS units and i'm too cheap to buy a navman. I ended up getting a SiRF III USB GPS unit and built a fancy car computer. Plays music, road maps and directions etc. I even had it hooked up to the ECU for a while (borrowed the cable. i'll get another one soon) so it showed mileage, fuel rate, engine temp, power output and other diagnostics. Very awesome. used a netbook to power it with ubuntu 10.10 and win7 on it. Runs off an inverter me and a mate built. I put this unit in a car for another mate. Only wish I had a car worth investing in. so much potential for awesomeness	The Error Guy (14052)
1165550	2010-12-30 06:28:00	Used it a fair bit today in the absence of trains - mighty helpful when you have absolutely no idea where you're going unless it's by rail :p	pcuser42 (130)
1165551	2010-12-30 08:38:00	... How long before they are declared a road distraction? Technically anything planted in your field of vision is illegal so how comes these GPS units get away with it? 'Field of vision' is a term to describe a very small part of the windscreen, so it's easy to keep your GPS unit out of the way.	pine-o-cleen (2955)
1165552	2010-12-30 08:52:00	Duh yea!!! Thats what I was getting at in the post :rolleyes: I noticed an increase of these and the positioning of them is what made me start to comment on this increase of them, given the size of some of them. I will place a bet it wont be long be the powers that be in some other countrys (were farking slow!) realise another accident contributing factor and set guidelines to fitting. If they havent already. My own car one is fitted to a air vent holder (purchased seperatly) so not to be in that field of view. But given they all are sold with Windscreen mounts who will bother to consider the vision impact? Unless pointed out! What did we do before these GPS map things were invented :lol::lol::lol:	coldfront (15814)
1165553	2010-12-30 09:23:00	My own car one is fitted to a air vent holder (purchased seperatly) so not to be in that field of view. But given they all are sold with Windscreen mounts who will bother to consider the vision impact? Unless pointed out! What did we do before these GPS map things were invented :lol::lol::lol: Mine is also fitted to an air vent holder which also keeps the thing cooled down. (but I purchased mine separately :devil) What we did we do before? We learnt to read maps, to listen to SWMBO in the passenger seat, and to ask directions (the shame, the shame). I drove from Napier to Taupo today. I was happy to be instructed, "drive 120 kms (or whatever) then turn right". Without a SWMBO or GPS, I surely could not have made it ...	WalOne (4202)
1165554	2010-12-30 09:50:00	Aint that the truth! I set mine up to find my way to work! Hmmm no wonder people get lost it had my work location 500metres before the actual place :help: I drove from Napier to Taupo today . Try the new Arterial Road around Taupo the GPS goes nuts :devil	coldfront (15814)
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