A Feature-filled Budget GPS System: The TomTom One 140-S

The new TomTom One 140-S has finally brought some competition to the entry-level GPS market. It has a multitude of features that makes it stand far above many people’s reigning budget GPS choice, the $249.99 Garmin nüvi 265T.

The first thing that will draw your attention to the TomTom is its sleek stylish appearance. Its features a glossy black case with chrome-accent trimming around the 3.5-inch touch screen. The whole GPS system measures 3.0 x 3.6 x 0.8 inches (HWD) and weighs a total of 6.8 ounces with the suction-cup mounting bracket. The Easyport mounting bracket is not exactly what you would call easy. To remove the GPS from the bracket, you must either pop the GPS out of the mounting systems or remove the entire apparatus itself from the windshield. The problem with just popping the GPS out is that it is very difficult to put back into the bracket, and the issue with removing the whole bracket is that it can be difficult to stick back on your windshield.

Although the TomTom One 140-S is very similar to its previous model, the 130-S, there have been some very exciting improvements to the system. The 140-S now sports a Quick Menu. This gives you the ability to choose up to six of your most used functions for easy access through onscreen shortcut icons. There are also new and improved maps on the 140-S and an expanded points-of-interest database that features over seven million entries that spread over all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. The maps are pre-loaded on your internal memory, and with the TomTom’s Home application you can plot your trips and update your maps through your PC.

A disadvantage with the TomTom One 140-S is that it does not include live traffic capabilities. To solve this problem, you will have to purchase a USB RDS-TMC traffic receiver for $59.97. This does include a free subscription for the first year but will cost you about $60 per year after that.

One of the really cool features included in the 140-S is the IQ Routes. This technology will calculate your optimal routes based on previous knowledge of your average speed. These results will give a more accurate estimated time than speed-limit-only data. It takes a little longer to calculate your route, but it is obviously worth the wait for a more accurate prediction and quicker route.

Another important feature to discuss is the Advanced Lane Guidance of the 140-S. This allows you to clearly see which lane you should be in to accomplish any upcoming maneuvers and informs you of any road signs that you can expect to see. Lane Guidance is an excellent safety feature that is difficult to find in any budget GPS systems. The 140-S also includes itinerary planning, which can come in handy when taking a multi-segmented trip.

The TomTom One 140-S is easy to operate, like its predecessor the 130-S. The volume has definitely been improved on the 140-S though, which is a welcome change. The 140-S can get as loud as you could possibly need, and conveniently increases the volume automatically every time the car goes over 45 mph.
The TomTom One 140-S has so many outstanding features for its small price tag. For $199.95 you can possess a GPS system that features a Quick Menu, IQ Routes, Advanced Lane Guidance, itinerary planning, and so much more. I feel that this budget GPS is definitely the way to go. With all the features that can’t be found in any other budget GPS system’s, how could you possibly pass the it up. The TomTom One 140-S is definitely a breath of fresh air.

HostelWorld.com Launches "How To" Videos

Last week, HostelWorld.com announced that they were expanding their website's video content to include "how to" videos. Each video gives five tips on how to save money in cities around the world, London, New York, Paris, Amsterdam and Edinburgh, with more cities to come. Hostelworld.com editor Colm Hanratty, who also produces and stars in the videos, says he hopes the video will increase the company's presence on popular "how to" video sites such as HowCast.com and 5min.com.

The website also features new videos called "city postcards" which give viewers a glimpse into the cities they feature, listing top attractions, restaurants and bars. Each video is short - three minutes or less - and the postcard videos are currently available for Cork, Stockholm and Zurich. More videos should be available in 2010.

HostelWorld is no stranger to online videos. Their "10 Things You Need to Know About..." city guide videos won the company a Webby Award. They also feature videos on 200 of the top hostels in the world.

"After the success of our city guide videos, we felt we needed to give our users a new type of video. As 'How to…' video sites are increasingly popular, and everybody likes finding out how to save money due to the current economic climate, videos offering people invaluable tips on how to save money in the world’s top cities seemed like the perfect option,” Hanratty said of the new videos.

He is currently in South America filming more videos and putting together more content for the website. South America is said to be a hot destination for backpackers and gap year students in 2010 and HostelWorld is hoping the new information will help prospective visitors to the continent.

Check out one of HostelWorld's videos on "How to Save Money in New York" below:

Travel Books Meet Mobile Technology with QR Codes

As the line between actual books printed on paper and electronic books blur, the publishing industry is always looking to come up with new, innovative ways to stay current. The world of travel guides is no different. Travelers increasingly turn to laptops and cell phones to do everything from plan their vacations to find their way around a new place.

But now, Quick Response(QR)Codes offer an easier way to connect your travel guidebooks with your smartphone. The codes are already a big hit in Japan. Essentially, you can aim smartphone cameras and other devices at the QR codes, which are like barcodes found in travel books, and you're linked to online information such as maps or directions based on where you are located. You may also store information in your phone about the location on the page. QR codes aren't just in books, though. You can find them everywhere from on billboards to t-shirts.

A new travel book, Earthbound: A Rough Guide to the World in Pictures is using QR codes to help link readers to different locations around the world. The $30 coffee-table book features over 250 glossy photos from exotic world locations with insight from the photographers. It's just like any other travel or photo book, but it also features little black and white boxes next to each image. These are the QR codes and they offer a link to each location on Google Maps.

The book suggests using either of the free apps, 2D sense and NeoReader, for reading the codes. QuickMark code-scanning app ($0.99 in the app store) is also said to be a good app to use along with the QR codes. A spokesperson for the book's publisher says later generation iPhones and Blackberry's work best for reading the codes. In addition to looking at maps of the various locales, you can look at satellite images and bookmark locations so that you can get directions to that location should you ever be in the area.

This may not seem like much, but technology experts say it's only the beginning of what you could do with QR codes and travel. An Associated Press writer compares it to folding down the pages in a guidebook, while Scott Strickland, the Rough Guides Design Manager says he foresees a future where travelers can scan the codes in the books and leave the books at home or in their hotel rooms, to lighten their loads. He also says the company is simply "testing the waters" and while they do agree there is a widening gap between print books and technology, they have no further concrete plans to put QR codes in more books, at least not until the phenomenon becomes more popular.

Fear of Flying? There's an App for That!

Many people are afraid of flying. Whether it be a little anxiety or the inability to board an airplane all together, it's a problem many people suffer from on a day-to-day basis. Virgin Atlantic's "Flying Without Fear" Course has a 98% success and now the airline is packaging the course into an app for iPhone and iPod touch.

"This is Virgin Atlantic innovation at its best. Our first iPhone app will bring the benefits of our successful Flying Without Fear course to millions of people around the world who are now using mobile technology to make their lives better. The app will put many travelers at ease and enable them to prepare for their first Virgin Atlantic flight," said Sir Richard Branson, the president of Virgina Atlantic.

The app was developed in association with Mental Workout, a company who develops mobile apps that help people resolve issues and increase mental performance. It contains a personal introduction from Branson, a video-based explanation of your flight from start to finish, frequently asked questions, relaxation techniques, fear therapy, fear attack button for emergencies, breathing exercises, quick tips and a "My Program" section where users can rate their personal fears and add their future flights for future trips. Users will also receive 2,000 points when joining Virgin's Flying Club.

Actress Whoopi Goldberg is a recent participant in the Flying Without Fear program, and while she claims she was skeptical at first, she is now able to fly after 13 years of not doing so, "The program works, I was a skeptic. I hadn't flown in 13 years but after doing their program, I understood that while my fear was real, there were many things I didn't know or had misinformation about, which they were able to clear up. So what happened? I now fly. It's that simple."

The Flying Without Fear App is $4.99 and can be purchased for any iPhone or iPod touch at the App Store.