Garmin Nuvi 1690 With NuLink Connects to Wireless Internet
My old friend Ken Thomas recently did an article that sung the praises of the Google Android as a GPS device. The Android is a very impressive phone, but in my view it’s still a phone, not a GPS. I don’t like cell phones and I really like a GPS, so naturally, I was skeptical at Ken’s claim that you may want to sell your Garmin stock.
Ken brings up some good points, the most important being that Google constantly upgrades and that means a constant update for traffic and maps, an important part of traveling with GPS. In my area though, a Google Android also constantly loses connection! This usually happens when you need the connection the most.
Ken based his article on a Garmin Nuvi 1370. It’s a fine GPS, but it’s no comparison the Garmin Nuvi 1690 with NuLink. NuLink may have changed Ken’s mind had he compared this to the Google Android. NuLink is a new feature that uses AT&T’s network to gain access to Google. This allows the GPS to draw information from Google. When you’re in coverage, you get many features from Google that work with your phone. For example, if you’re looking for an auto parts store, you just type in “auto parts” and it will give you that search from Google and a choice can be made from the returned search. Fuel prices, traffic information, and more are all pulled in from Google.
The Garmin 1690 GPS navigator–with Bluetooth and included Traffic Receiver–features an enhanced user interface, ecoRoute, public transit mode, and text-to-speech. Plus, pedestrian navigation capability is enabled through optional CityXplorer maps, which are available for select tourist destinations in North America and Europe and can be downloaded easily directly to the nüvi. more…
The result is that you get Google data for free for 2 years with the purchase of a Garmin Nuvi 1690, then $60/year after that. Compared to the high cost of data plans, this is a tremendous savings. Sure, the data plan does more, but for those of us who just want to get to where we’re going, NuLink provides just the data you need without the distractions that you don’t need.
There’s even more that maybe the Android can do, but I don’t know about. For example, a monitor can connect to your vehicle’s engine computer and feed engine performance data to your GPS. Error codes and information to improve your MPG are sent to the device. Even without the engine data, the Garmin 1690 will give detailed information to help improve your driving habits and warn you if you’re speeding.
The main reason that I purchased the Garmin Nuvi 1690 GPS is something that many people may not need. It sounds simple, but few GPS systems can do it well, and unless I’m wrong, Google cannot perform at all. This the multi-destination routing capability that allows you to input many destinations and sort them into a route that is optimized for the shortest distance and time. This is a simple but time consuming task for humans, but a very intense process for a computer. A GPS that does this well, which Garmin’s advanced models do, takes a high power processor to complete. I was very impressed with this capability.
An added bonus with the Nuvi 1690 is the bluetooth capabilities that allow for hands free cell phone use. The unit is an adequate tool for this. The driver has to speak up just a little, but the caller can be heard very clearly.
I read many reviews that stated that the Garmin Nuvi 1690 was not worth the money and that the NuLink service was poor. I’ve found these reviews to be completely inaccurate and I would recommend the GPS to anyone. If deciding if a GPS will take care of your travel needs or if you need the data plan to support an Android, I would seriously consider a Nuvi 1690.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Garmin EcoRoutes ESP Provides Drivers All Kinds of Vehicle Data (prontotech.com)
New Motorcycle Tires. Not Cheap.
People that do not ride motorcycles are often surprised to hear that motorcycle tires cost about $200 installed. If you want to mount tires and balance them at home, you can get that down to about $100. Even more surprising to many is that a rear motorcycle tire only last about 10,000 miles and a front motorcycle tire last about 20,000 miles. To make matters worse, motorcycle shops have this “boutique” and specialized ambiance. They want you to make an appointment so that you shop on the drop-off and repair of the bike. Replacing tires is more of a sideline business for them.
I didn’t want to go through the motorcycle dealership routine and wait 2-5 days to get a tire replaced and I wanted a choice in tires. I decided to try the ever-expanding Iron Pony Motorcycle Superstore. For the exception of spending $385 on a set of mounted tires, I was happy with the service.
Iron Pony is a little different than most motorcycle shops. They started by selling parts. I found them in 1988 when I wrecked a 1982 Honda Silverwing and placed a hole in the valve cover. I went to the Honda dealer where they didn’t have the parts in stock. and the price was outrageous. I went to a motorcycle junkyard where I was attacked by bees and came up empty handed in the search for a new valve cover. Finally, a stop at the Iron Pony had everything I need at 1/4 of the Honda dealer’s price and they had the parts in a few days. This was before the days when you could order online and just finding someone who knew where to find parts was a challenge.
Since those days, Iron Pony has steadily grown into this huge store that offers everything related to motorcycles. The bulk of their stock is discounted merchandise that may be a little dated, but MUCH cheaper than a motorcycle shop. There is a parts center and you can order online. They’ve recently added a Piaggio, Vespa, And Yamaha dealership section and a repair shop.
The repair shop surprised me when they told me the job would be done in less than 2 hours, and it only took an hour. They had a rail around the shop and you could talk to your mechanic while he worked! Simply unheard of in the motorcycle industry. Other shops I’ve frequented roll your motorcycle off to some unseen area where you will not see it again until they are done. The last tire change required me to tell the mechanic how to remove the tire because he was stumped. The Iron Pony mechanic acknowledged me when I told him that this setup was tough AND showed me 2 other ways to remove the rear tire. I know it’s easier for a mechanic to work without the bother of the customer watching, but I appreciate seeing what is going on with my bike.
They did only have 2 choices of tires for my 2006 Honda Shadow Aero, but explained that for unknown reasons, it’s a tough bike to get tires for. I was not impressed with the last set of Dunlop motorcycle tires and the Bridgestone name brings to mind the exploding tires that Ford was using. The salesman assured me that the Bridgestones were a good tire. I can’t tell how they are going to where yet, but these tires handle great.
If you’re in the Central Ohio area, I would recommend Iron Pony. If you’re not, their online store has a wide selection of merchandise for a good price. I would warn against their discounted helmets. Helmets only have about a 6 year life span due to the degradation of their materials. Iron Pony tends to get helmets a few years old that they sell for discount. The helmets are less money, but they’re not going to last long if they are already dated when you buy one.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Causes of Uneven Tire Wear on Motorcycle Front Tires (brighthub.com)
