just flicking through Top Gear magazine , found an ad for software converting your own mobile into sat nav. dunno if its that new to everyone else but it sounds like a good idea to me. website says its only compatible with certain mobys which are symbian 60/80. just think this would save carrying mobile and a 'tom tom go' type device when out and about and lead to less dash clutter. dunno why more suppliers arent going down this road? the company is 'Navicore'

www.navicoretech.com

and it seems to cost about 200 notes for all the kit............

then another couple of hundred for a compatible phone!!

The size of the screen and the quality of the audio in a noisy environment would both be arguments against using mobile phones as navigators, I would have thought.

We've been down this road before: mobile phones don't make good cameras, nor do they make good games consoles. Use them for what they are good at (voice communications), not because the manufacturer has some chips spare.

My boss uses TomTom Mobile on his SPV C500 - he's got a Boxster, and with the top down he says he can still hear the voice well.

I would have though that without a separate GPS reciever then your mobile is useless as a navigator if you go somewhere with dodgy/no reception. As the phone won't know where it is.

Granted there's not many places like that, but with Tom Tom Mobile being the same price I'd opt for that over a phone only navigator.

Hi,

I recently bought a bluetooth GPS receiver (about the size of a matchbox) for my T-Mobile MDA Compact Pocket PC phone. I have TOM TOM 5 on it and find it just as good as the built in Sat Nav on the cars at work. The sound level is more than loud enough (it even increases with car speed).

I don't think it is quite the same as the camera comparison (I fully admit the camera on my phone is crap) as the GPS is pretty much as good as a dedicated system. That said some Symbian phones do have smaller screens which will reduce their functionality.

It is likely that the next generation or two of Pocket PCs will have GPS built in so I think these will be the future (HP have just released a new phone with this).

Probably the main drawback is that some people are a bit initimidated by Pocket PCs in the same way some people are with normal PCs. They can do so much (MP3, movie playback, GPS, calendar, phone, email, web, games etc etc) they will probably never appeal to the "I just want a phone brigade".

I also have an OS mapping program on my phone which gives me off road navigation which is handy for the mountainbike to plan routes on the PC and down load them to the phone. The PC even has a 3D fly through mode for a route so it is possible for me to see the pain and suffering I am about to endure on the steep bits virtually!!! I can get about 5 hours of continuous use of both devices before the battery dies. I also carry spare batteries in case my enthusiasm wins over my ability and a 2 hour run turns into a 6 hour epic.

Regards

I've got the Tom Tom version on my phone and think its a great idea, and works well.

More details in my post (#18) in this thread....

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/showthread.php?p=382801#post382801

According to recent press it is looking more and more likely that there will be an extension to the current phone regulations in cars banning the use of phones in cars alltogether hands free or otherwise.

About time too IMHO

What about all the cars with built in phones? It shouldn't affect PocketPC based phones anyway, as the phone part can easily be turned off.

I just wish they'd sort out those morons who DONT use their handsfree first. At speeds in apparent BIG excess over and above the speed limit, you can see them yapping away, not a hand on the steering wheel to be seen

Not seen ANY cars pulled over as yet, and I spotted loads of them on the way home yesterday. Spotted 8 (!!) police cars on the way home as well, so chances are they would have seen at least a few of the non-handsfree-yapping-crowd...

Is it just me, or does anyone else agree that the more expensive the car, the more chance there seems to be of them talking on the fone without handsfree?

I'm sure there are exceptions, but in general is it that they have spent so much on the car and fuel for it that they are skint, or do these ppl think they are above the law?

I would have though that without a separate GPS reciever then your mobile is useless as a navigator if you go somewhere with dodgy/no reception. As the phone won't know where it is.

Granted there's not many places like that' date=' but with Tom Tom Mobile being the same price I'd opt for that over a phone only navigator.[/quote']

Just to clarify, these Phone solutions DO use an external GPS, usually Bluetooth, just the same as a PDA. It's just convenient as you always tend to have your phone on you (and take it out of the car).

I've got a Orange c500, and had thought about this, but already had Tomtom on a PDA :(

.... The sound level is more than loud enough (it even increases with car speed).....

Is the increasing volume a feature of TT5, or do you have one of those expensive brodit car mounts for the MDA?

I've been looking for a holder for my MDA for some time, must be a universal type one as i have a silicon case for it, and I'd like one that clips to the aircon vents instead of suctions to the windscreen (as I want to use the MDA as an MP3 player too). You wouldn't happen to have found one like this?

Is the increasing volume a feature of TT5' date=' or do you have one of those expensive brodit car mounts for the MDA?

QUOTE']

Yes - you can set the TT5 to increase in volume with speed.

I have Ipaq PDA that acts as PDA, phone and now, with Tom Tom, sat nav. Got a Parrot 3300 bluetooth car kit that includes it own GPS receiver. Great bit of kit - automatically mutes the car audio and routes the sound (phone and sat nav) through the car speakers with volume controlled on radio - even works if the radio is switched off. Mounted the Ipaq to one side of the radio on a Brodit charger with swivel bracket (to get rid of reflections). Very neet and a lot less than Skoda wanted for their factory fit sat nav.