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Pocket LOOX N100 GPS

A standing rule of the high-tech market is that as a thing gets smaller it gets more expensive, and if it gets very small it gets very expensive. That's the odd thing about the Fujitsu/Siemens Pocket Loox N100 Series GPS: It's smaller than just about any other GPS device, but it doesn't cost more. And in spite of its small size, it's got the features you'd expect from a GPS.


Click image to enlarge.

How small is it? The Pocket Loox N100 measures 3.5 by 2.4 by 0.6 inches, and weighs 3.9 ounces. Even though it's smaller than a 30-Gbyte iPod, it's got a bright screen that's 2.8 inches on the diagonal. That's just about as small as it can get and still be seen if you mount it on your car's dash and don't try to hold it in your hand (which you shouldn't do, because handheld GPS units, like handheld cell phones, make you a driving hazard).

Even at that size, it's got a good range of features. You can elect to see points of interest displayed from a large database of restaurants, gas stations, and so forth, or enter your own. You can use the device for ad hoc navigation (enter a destination and route to it from your present location), or you can save destinations or entire planned routes composed of multiple waypoints. You can even speak your destination, if it has a saved "voice command" attached, and the unit will route you to it.

Or if you'd just rather listen to MP3 files or play games, the N100 will do that, too. (There are some available features the evaluation unit didn't come with, like Bluetooth support so you can use the N100 and your cell phone together, or Traffic Message Channel alerts on road construction and tie-ups.)

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