Obviously there would be a hoard of angry and frustrated drivers, which is little more than an inconvenience unless some guy gets mega road-rage and beats someone to death with a gearstick.

More seriously, a huge chunk of the economy would buckle in (an estimated €800 billion chunk of the European economy is already dependent on GNSS.)

And Amulances, fire engines and the like who rely on GPS would be hit  with life-threatening delays. Picture the scene; there’s a catastrophe like 7/7 (God forbid) which affects GPS. The emergency services are already struggling due to the scale of the problem and on top of everything emergency response vehicles trying to get to the scene are lost without GPS and have no back-up method of getting directions. Hundreds of lives would be at risk and there would be a public outcry. Obviously this is the worst case scenario, but I’m not just doom-mongering here; scientist and tech-experts are genuinely concerned about the issue. The RAE has handed some suggestion to the government, so let’s hope they listen.

The Latest Threat To Humanity? Sat Navs is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

The TomTom 1.3 version will come equipped with a new feature, HD Traffic updates, which will offer users with dynamic real-time information that helps them to avoid traffic delays and find the fastest routes.

The HD traffic will update every 3 minutes and can be turned off if you want to.  However, it does come at a cost.  The prices vary from 59 pence per day to £37.99 for the whole year.

If you haven’t got the TomTom iPhone app then click here to buy.

Via Gadget Venue

iPhone/iPod Touch App: TomTom Updates to 1.3 and Get HD Traffic is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

The new TomTom app includes the exclusive IQ Routes technology. Sounds impressive? Well we think so.

IQ Routes uses the actual experiences of the millions of TomTom drivers out there to calculate the fastest route for you, instead of using travel time assumptions. According to TomTom, IQ Routes means that you get to your destination faster up to 35 per cent of the time, which is handy if you’re off to the airport, not so handy if you’re off to visit the in-laws.

The app also provides you with TomTom’s usual safety camera alerts and 2D and 3D viewing options. There are also custom touch features allowing you tap, swipe and pinch (kinky, no?) to zoom in and out of the map.

You will have to fork out for this very cool app, but it is considerably cheaper than buying a whole new TomTom.

The TomTom app for the UK and Ireland will set you back £59.99, and maps to help you find your way around Tuscany and the rest of Western Europe, you’ll need to shell out £79.99.

Take a look on the Apple App store.

TomTom for iPhone Available on App Store is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Who would have thought that the most popular gadget (gaj-it) in the world, the iPhone, could actually help you out here.

10. CraigsPhone

So first thoughts here, where’s the easiest place to find single girls in your area? Craigslist personals and you know it! Craigslist (CL) has been out for years, but it still keeps that simplicity that makes it so good! Being an on-the-go type of person that you are CraigsPhone is perfect for you, as it formats CL posts so you can see them on your iPhone so you can have a gander for that special someone!

9. 1001 Pick Up Lines

You’ve found that special someone and now comes the email you need! Thousands of jokes have arisen from cheesy chat up lines and so you’ll be happy to know that there are some non-cheesy ones on this app. It’s your call, use one or take a selection of and join them to get that elusive pick up line, send your email and we move on!

8. iFitness

You’ve managed to set up a date for two weeks time, your smiling, your happy but then it hits you, the pictures you sent aren’t attractive so you need to hit the gym ASAP!

iFitness is here to help, as it provides tutorials that are categorised by the body region that each exercise targets. It’s a quick and easy way to get into shape. Roll on your date!

7. iShot Machine

You pick up your date and head towards the all-important first restaurant. We both know that the first date can often be a tad awkward so you both decide to start the night with some shots but there’s oh so many to choose from that your baffled.

iShot Machine to the rescue, so that there’s no more complicated decisions. Just “Shake, Make and Shoot” your way into your dates good books by adding her favorite ingredients to the app, tell the bartender and away you go. Your night can continue as planned.

6. Shazam

You’ve just had a great meal and the conversation is flowing, but in the midst of all this your date stops and says “This song’s brilliant”. In a last ditch attempt to keep the conversation going you fire up the Shazam app, where it instantly picks up the song and tells you what it is, along with biographies and anything else you want.

Before the song is over you know more than she does, instantly impressing her. Application gold right there!

5. Fandango

The meal is finished, and your knowledge of music from earlier seems to have done the trick. “How about a movie?” she says, perfect!

Time to call upon your next best friend the Fandango app. Fandango is great for finding movie listings, local movie theaters, show times, and also the Fandango picks by entering your city and state/county or Zip Code/Postal code. You can even buy the tickets right from your phone!

The nights just getting better then, as there’s no waiting in queue’s because you’ve already purchased your ticket! Movie-time.

4. Around Me

On your way to the cinema, your pimped out ride is in desperate need of some petrol as the indicator is lighting up red. Nightmare? Not really, the question of “where are we?” and “where’s the nearest petrol station?” need never pop up as the Around Me app will tell you.

Around Me quickly tells you information about your surroundings such as the nearest bank, bar, petrol station, hospital, hotel, cinema, restaurant, supermarket, theatre and taxi. It also cleverly informs you about the distance you are from what your looking for.

And there we are, fueled up and ready to hit the road again.

3. TomTom

Getting lost on a date is the last thing you want to do, as girls really don’t take to this kind of thing.

There’s a range of possibilities here, but the best one in terms of getting to a location would be to use SatNav. Luckily TomTom announced at this years WWDC that they will be bringing out a voice command enabled GPS navigation app for the iPhone. Use it and you’ll never be lost again!

2. Would You Rather

The TomTom app gets you and your date to the movie on time, and with your prepaid tickets waiting, you walk in to the film and sit down. To avoid the potential awkward silence that could quite easily come about you spark up the Would You Rather app.

Reminiscent of your childhood days back at school, the Would You Rather app is great for two people to play, and requires both people to answer some tough, but exciting questions that may or may not provide an interesting insight the persons lives.

Now not only does this take some time up before the movie starts, but it allows you to make her laugh so you can fall deeper into her good books.

1. iTunes Remote

The film has ended, and you both enjoyed it. She suggests you both go back to your place to “chillax”. As soon as you get there you whack out the iTunes Remote app which instantly plays a pre-thought playlist. “Tap. Swipe. Play”….Perfection!

Hmmm, now if only they had a contraceptive app?

Tesco Direct (£440.00)

The Top 10 iPhone Apps to Help Out The Single Man! is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Along with all the other announcements from the Apple World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) there was a great announcement from TomTom the in-car GPS navigation company. The TomTom software, including the latest maps, is coming to the iPhone.

The iPhone has had GPS for a while now, but there was a lack of GPS navigation software, in fact Apple actively banned GPS navigation software being written for the iPhone. The Software Developer Kit (SDK) license agreement included the clause “Applications may not be designed for real time route guidance…”

But on the opening day of the Apple conference Peter-Frans Pauwels, TomTom’s co-founder, demonstrated TomTom’s iPhone navigation software in combination with a specially designed car kit.

TomTom is releasing two products to bring state of the art in-car navigation on the iPhone 3G:

First, the TomTom navigation application for iPhone; an Apple version of TomTom’s turn-by-turn navigation software.

Second, the TomTom car kit for iPhone; this is a specially developed car kit for secure docking, enhanced GPS performance, clear voice instructions, hands-free calling and in-car charging.

The TomTom navigation application for iPhone will be available via the Apple iTunes App Store, once Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0 is released.

Details regarding pricing and availability for both the application and the TomTom car kit for iPhone will be made available in advance of the products’ launch later this summer.

TomTom Comes to the iPhone is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Microsoft backed down a little, and a settlement was reached whereby TomTom pays Microsoft for patent protection regarding mapping and the FAT file system. The Linux Foundation has now publicly stated that people should ditch the ageing, and proprietary, FAT file system for one of the many alternatives such as Ext3.  All well and good in penguin land, but the problem being that if you are a Windows user, your computer won’t read a SD card formatted with Ext3 natively. However, almost any computer will read FAT. The answer to this is to try and get vendors to use an open, and universal file system that companies can use to avoid the encumbered FAT file system. Of course getting Microsoft to adopt support for the aforementioned file system might be a gargantuan struggle.

So this goes to show a few things, the first being that Microsofts recent cosying up to open source is perhaps more show than anything else. The second is that to go at Linux and open source with a fist full of patents is not going to end in pots of cash, indeed, it would be pure folly, as members of the OIN include big hitters like IBM, SONY, and Red Hat. It also goes to show that getting rid of the deeply entrenched FAT file system is not going to be easy, but if Linux has shown us anything, it’s that it can achive great things.

Linux foundation chew the FAT. is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Review:
There are many different types of Sat Navs on the market these days, all purporting to do pretty much the same thing: get you to your holiday destination with as little hassle as possible. For a new device to stand out in this market, it has to be a bit unique, and the TomTom XL V2 GB has made a decent attempt at standing out from the “turn left” crowd.

TomTom have gone back to the basics of design with the XL V2 GB, providing a wider screen to help the driver effortlessly glance at their navigational route without taking their eyes off the road for too long. Previous smaller display screens meant a bit more squinting and sitting forward to inspect the area around you and to determine just how close that next KFC really is.

It features a 4.3-inch touchscreen display in full TFT colour that will satisfy every driver who fancies themselves a bit of a Van Gough.

Despite the wider screen, the unit itself seems more svlette with an EasyPort minimalist car mount suction cup to fix your guide to your windscreen. Subtly.

This may not sound like a major break-through, but it does make the XL V2 GB a more usable device. How? Well the EasyPort can be left on the Sat Nav and folded flat after use. This means you can slip this particular Sat Nav into your pocket with the suction cup still attached. This will allow you to protect your device when you’re away from the car and doesn’t leave a holder stuck to your windscreen which is a sign to thieves there might be an expensive electronic device left somewhere under your dashboard.

The XL V2 GB features TomTom’s state-of-the-art navigation technology which is consistently excellent no matter where you are in the world. It is also quite intuitive to use and includes some small customisation features such as being able to change the position indicator to show a car or bike rather than the standard boring triangle shape.

The audio of this particular Sat Nav is loud and clear, with a volume range that means even grandpa can use it without cupping behind his ears.

Speaking of grandpa, this Sat Nav is plug-and-go so there’s no messing about with confusing sockets. This makes the XL V2 GB accessible to everyone, including the techno-phobe.

It features TomTom’s Map Share technology and comes with a latest map guarantee, which promises to have the most up-to-date maps pre-installed on the deivce. As with other TomToms on the market, you have the option to choose the roads you would like to avoid or specify your own routes. It will also inform you of closed roads and traffic jams, which is very useful for us in the UK.

Overall the TomTom XL V2 GB is a stellar SatNav unit and not a bad idea to stick under the Christmas tree this year.

The Gaj-It Verdict:
Design: 9/10
Usability: 9/10
Features: 8/10
Value: 10/10

We Say:
This is a great Sat Nav with some stand-out design features that has set it apart from other devices in this market. At this discounted price, it’s a great buy for all of the features you get with this particular model.

Review: TomTom XL V2 GB. Innovative Design. is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Overview

We proudly present to you the Middle Sibling of the TomTom X30 family, the TomTom GO 730! Available in a traffic and non-traffic versions, it shares similar qualities to the middle child in the family…generally ignored but has a lot to offer. It’s not as bright as its older brother (the 930) but is jam packed with a lot more maps than its younger brother (the 530). So let’s find out why the unimportant middle sibling in the family is just as important as it’s younger and older brothers…

Review

The TomTom 730 is the Western and Eastern Europe addition to the X30 series, which means it will be great for UK users who fancy a road trip across Europe as well as the UK. The only thing that the TomTom GO 730 will not cover is the other side of the Atlantic, in which case you will need the 930T.

The TomTom GO 730 contains many of the features of its older sibling including IQ routes and Advanced lane guidance. Looks definitely run in the family as it is just as stylish as it’s younger and older siblings, however what this unit lacks in, is TomTom’s Enhanced Positioning Technology, which offers you a signal regardless of whether you are driving under a tunnel or when in highly built areas in the country. This is an annoying occurrence on many TomTom’s and if you can live with the loss of signal as times the TomTom GO 730 is definitely for you.

As explained earlier, the model comes with a traffic and non-traffic version. To get the traffic version you’ll need to fork out an extra £50 more than the non-traffic version. So what will you be getting for the extra money? The traffic version comes with a receiver which allows the TomTom to receive data from not only the usual traffic generated data but also mobile generated data so that the TomTom can help you skip through painstakingly annoying traffic jams and if you do get stuck in a traffic jam, it will give you real time traffic calculations rather than telling you’ll be there in 2 hours when really it would take you to 4 hours. However, this feature is only free for 6 months and after that a payment of around £9 will be required each month to keep this service up and running.

The Gaj-It verdict

Design: 9/10
Usability: 10/10
Features: 8/10
Value: 8/10

We Say

Don’t underestimate the middle sibling of the x30 family as it is full of great features, such as IQ Routes and Advanced Lane Guidance which are available in all the X30′s. The only difference you’ll find is it only includes maps of Europe and the UK and the Enhanced position technology. If you want maps of the US and Canada and the EPT then loot at the TomTom 930.

Shop for it
Compare & Shop for the best TomTom GO 730 deals on Find Sat Nav Deals,
Kelkoo* or eBay*

• TomTom Map Share™ technology enabling users to make corrections to their own maps instantly and benefit from improvements made by other users completely free of change
• Latest map guarantee so users always have free access to the latest map at time of purchase
• Large 4.3 inch touch screen with new generation icons and an updated user interface to navigate drivers to their destination even easier
• Voice address input drive to millions of cities and street names by simply announcing the address of your destination
• Clear voice instructions and text-to-speech to enable street names, places, traffic alerts and SMS messages to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions
• Enhanced hands-free calling with high quality sound system via Bluetooth® to allow drivers to keep their eyes firmly on the road whilst making phone calls in the car
• Extensive safety features including ‘Help Me’ menu to give drivers direct access to emergency services and roadside assistance
• Built-in FM Transmitter to play music and navigation instructions seamlessly over the car stereo
• New smart & fun extras to personalise users’ devices, including recording your own driving instructions, view documents, exchange positions via SMS and Bluetooth™ wireless technology and select a favourite car icon on the screen
• Free TomTom HOME software and content from the TomTom community to keep your TomTom device up to date at all times
• Pre-installed safety camera database providing drivers with timely information on safety cameras on drivers’ routes
• Full range of accessories to match the design and finish of the updated GO range

Map Coverage

The TomTom GO 730 is pre-installed with maps that offers coverage of 31 countries in Western & Eastern Europe.

Full Tech Spec

• 4.3” widescreen 16:9 format LCD (WQVGA: 480*272 pixels)
• CPU 400 MHz
• 2GB Internal Memory
• SD card socket
• High sensitivity GPS receiver
• Bluetooth
• Battery lithium-polymer (up to 5 hours operation)
• Dimensions: 118 mm x 83 mm x 24 mm
• Weight: 220 grams

This review is based on journalistic research.

TomTom GO 730 Review: The Middle Sibling of the X30 Family is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Welcoming the Youngest Sibling of the TomTom family, the TomTom GO 530. With it being the youngest sibling of the family and cheapest, it’s not as feature packed as its older brothers. This unit comes in both a traffic or non-traffic version. What is it then that sets this out as the youngest one of the family I hear you ask….well read on to find out.

Review

The TomTom 530 is this family’s budget buy, and unless you’re wishing to use this overseas then it’s a rather good little package, the reason this TomTom cannot be used overseas is that it comes with UK maps only. Otherwise this TomTom offers the user allot of rather good features for a budget model.

As with its older sibling TomTom 930 it does not come with the Enhanced Positioning Technology, which means that the signal may be lost during tunnel journeys or when in highly built areas in the country. This can be an annoying occurrence on many TomTom’s but what it being a major problem on many TomTom’s its to be expected and many people are now so used to it happening that when it does they hardly ever notice.

With their being both a traffic and non-traffic version, with the traffic version being £50 ($100) more than the non-traffic version, this means that the traffic version comes with a receiver which allows the TomTom to receive data from not only the usual traffic generated data but as well as mobile generated data so that the TomTom can decide far more accurately where to re-direct you through traffic if available or it will increase the time shown to you that it will take to get you to your destination than its non-traffic version.

This feature however only comes free for 6 months, after that a payment of around £9 ($18) will be required each month to keep this service up and running.

Otherwise its a rather nice TomTom, and with many of the features from the 930/730 available on this such as IQ Routes and Advanced Lane Guidance plus with the price difference this will be the choice for many TomTom users out there.

Its only downside is as I said earlier that it only comes with UK maps but who needs a TomTom when you’re on your holidays? If you’re on a budget and want a smart looking SatNav with plenty of features then this TomTom is defiantly worth a look.

The Gaj-It verdict
Design: 9/10
Usability: 9/10
Features: 7/10
Value: 8/10

Shop for it
Compare & Shop for the best TomTom GO 530 deals on Find Sat Nav Deals,
Kelkoo* or eBay*

• TomTom Map Share™ technology enabling users to make corrections to their own maps instantly and benefit from improvements made by other users completely free of change
• Latest map guarantee so users always have free access to the latest map at time of purchase
• Plug & play traffic through new TomTom High Definition Traffic Receiver***, so drivers can receive real-time, high definition traffic information on motorways and secondary roads or TomTom RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver for detailed traffic information
• Large 4.3 inch touch screen with new generation icons and an updated user interface to navigate drivers to their destination even easier
• Voice address input drive to millions of cities and street names by simply announcing the address of your destination
• Clear voice instructions and text-to-speech to enable street names, places, traffic alerts and SMS messages to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions
• Enhanced hands-free calling with high quality sound system via Bluetooth® to allow drivers to keep their eyes firmly on the road whilst making phone calls in the car
• Extensive safety features including ‘Help Me’ menu to give drivers direct access to emergency services and roadside assistance
• Built-in FM Transmitter to play music and navigation instructions seamlessly over the car stereo
• New smart & fun extras to personalise users’ devices, including recording your own driving instructions, view documents, exchange positions via SMS and Bluetooth™ wireless technology and select a favourite car icon on the screen
• Free TomTom HOME software and content from the TomTom community to keep your TomTom device up to date at all times
• Pre-installed safety camera database providing drivers with timely information on safety cameras on drivers’ routes
• Full range of accessories to match the design and finish of the updated GO range

Map Coverage
With the TomTom GO 530 being the youngest sibling it is pre-installed with maps that offers coverage of the United Kingdom only.

Full Tech Spec

• 4.3” widescreen 16:9 format LCD (WQVGA: 480*272 pixels)
• CPU 400 MHz
• TomTom GO 530: 1 GB
• SD card socket
• High sensitivity GPS receiver
• Bluetooth
• Battery lithium-polymer (up to 5 hours operation)
• Dimensions: 118 mm x 83 mm x 24 mm
• Weight: 220 grams

This review is based on journalistic research.

TomTom GO 530 Review: The Youngest Sibling of the X30 Family is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

It seems that TomTom have been given the go ahead to take over the company, Tele Atlas by the European Commission.

In light of this take over, TomTom will now have the support of Tele Atlas to help keep such features already seen on it’s TomTom updated, these being it’s Map Share (enabling TomTom’s installed base of nearly 20 million to contribute to digital map creation and maintenance), TomTom’s IQ Routes (a database of actual speeds driven on roads gathered from anonymous GPS traces contributed by tomTom’s users) and TomTom’s HD Traffic (based on cell phone probes).

Read the full article here.

Compare TomTom deals.

EU approve TomTom’s acquisition of Tele Atlas is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com