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Our Garmin GPS Nuvi 750 system is one of the best Christmas gifts that we have received.  We travel a lot by car across the United States and Canada. In the past we have relied on the old fashion paper maps to navigate, CAA books to find local hotels and restaurants as well as entertainment venues. Needless to say there have been a few discussions in the car when we got lost or did not get to our destination as quickly as we thought we might.

No more! Once we started using our new Garmin GPS Nuvi 750, we just plug in the address we want to go to or search for a gas station etc etc and follow the directions! For many people who have used a GPS device, this is old hat, however when you are driving 5000 miles across the United States or Canada, the true value of the GPS system really makes itself known. Read the rest of this entry »

I almost forgot that I bought a new Satellite phone for our motorhome the other day. It was quite the episode installing it on to the wall of the RV. Kinda wish I never started it half way through the job. It got a little ugly but I finally got it all set up perfectly.

Now….it’s $26 bucks a month and the whole package cost $500 but it’s been worth it. The reason it’s so cheap is because of their present coverage. Let’s go into that coverage issue a little here.

Globalstar Coverage and Current Service Limitations

Globalstar is launching new satellites in 2009 for better coverage, but until that time your service is always intermittent. They have a link on the Globalstar web site so you can see your coverage time. Click here to use their optimum tool and you can see how this works. You can enter the quadrants, country, timezine, or area, and see what times you will have service. Generally I use a rule of thumb period of half and hour with service, and half an hour without service. This may seem like a big pain in the ass, but it depends what you want your satellite phone for. I use mine for emergency, and periodic phone calls. This may seem like a pain or a drag, but for $26 dollars a month unlimited time – it’s worth it!

In 2009 when Globalstar launches their new satellites we’ll have 24/7 service. I can wait and don’t mind their current limitations as long as I have their coverage footprint and crystal clear communication.

Like I said, we ordered the $500 kit and mounted the phone on the wall of our Motorhome. Very cool and very efficient. We can be driving down the road talking on speaker hands free. We have the included phone handset that is also mounted to a half bulkhead behind the driver’s seat. So if you want a private call you can just pick up the handset. When you hang up the handset again you are automatically on speaker again.

This kit also comes with the data kit so you can run your computer via your Globalstar phone. The speed is slow, but it does work. They some acceleration software that comes in the package as well, so this helps with the Internet speed.

Universal remote controls have been around for awhile now, but there have been great advancements in remote controls over the last decade. Remote controls that work on every piece of electronic equipment in the house (including the toaster) can range in price between $50 to $250. As usual, with electronics, you get what you pay for.

Universal remote controls now have to control CRT televisions, LCD flat-screens, plasma flat-screens, DVD players, CD players, satellite TV receivers, satellite radio receivers, cassette players, cable boxes, and power amps/receivers. Some universal remotes will control Ipods, and Ipod docking systems, and anything else that may run off Bluetooth.

The new universal remote controls look somewhat like the images in this post. Very sleek and modern in appearence, and often come with bit of a learning curve. I think of the Ozzy Osbourne reality TV show where they showed Ozzy fighting with his new universal remote control without much luck.

Since you’re controlling ALL of your electronics with one device it’s naturally going to mean there are many functions to learn and figure out. Some of the techno-smart users would find this comment to be ridiculous perhaps, but it’s really not. Many consumers have serious trouble figuring out how to use their electronic devices.

For instance, some folks have a terrible time setting up a reasonably simple home entertainment system, and like the old joke the entertainment media uses often, people usually can’t figure out how to program their VCR, or even set the time, hence the millions of VCRs out there that flash 12:00 on a constant basis.

So if you are in the market for a universal remote control be sure you are prepared to read the instructions closely and take the time to program in properly. If you can’t (or don’t) want to do that, find someone who is a gadget geek to do it for you. Really, it’s not difficult.

Programming Your Universal Remote Control

Most all universal remote controls come with a list of electronic device codes (DVD player, CD player, Amp/Tuner, VCR, Cassette, TV, cable box) that you simply look up and use to program your universal remote to control them. Usually, any modern home entertainment device or equipment will be listed in the remote’s accompanying manual. If the manual does not include all of the device codes, and is missing one, or a few, of your device code(s), then you can resort to the Internet for your missing codes.

Here are few examples of web sites that provide list of electronic home entertainment equipment codes:

Television Codes

VCRs

Cable Boxes

TV/VCR Combination Equipment

CD Players

Satellite Receivers

Amps/Receivers/Tuners

DVD Players

The source of this list of codes that you can use for programming your universal remote control is RemoteCentral.com

Gps systems will be our first product for discovery on Zazbot.com. We are launching this week with information on Garmin, Magellan, and Tom Tom GPS systems. I believe there are a few pages regarding Nextel’s cell phone gps systems as well.

Garmin has raised the bar for portable automotive navigation with the StreetPilot 2610, Nuvi and the Quest. The Street Pilot provide an auto nav system, with and automatic route function, male and female voice options, and an amplee color screen. “Portability meets capability” is the new ad-line for the pocket-sized Garmin Quest.

Then there is the Magellan nav systems.  Inventor of the Magellan RoadMate line of portable car nav units, the Magellan Explorist outdoor hand-held nav units, the Hertz “NeverLost” car nav system and ProMark – the largest selling single frequency GPSsurvey product line . Magellan is known around the globe as an innovator in the consumer branding of GPS systems.

GPS systems have dropped in price, as most electronic items do after they’ve hit the mainstream. Magellan is extremely popular for accuracy, whereas Garmin and Tom Tom gain market due to their lower prices.  

Read more below:

• Garmin GPS
• Magellan GPS
• Tom Tom GPS
• Nextel GPS Cell Phones