I'm Not Lost – My Cell Phone Knows Where I Am


Do you remember the days when a cell phone was just a cell
phone? You pulled it out of your pocket to make a call and that
was about it. Now your cell phone can take pictures, send text
messages, play music, become your personal organizer, play
games, and even function as your GPS.

I'm not talking about the GPS chip embedded into all current
cell phones. That GPS is only present to help emergency crews
locate you in the event of an emergency (the same way that your
landline will give away your location). I'm talking about new
Smart Phones that actually integrate with new GPS devices,
allowing you to receive voice guided driving directions, trip
planning, toll road avoidance, on the fly off-course rerouting,
and now even real time-traffic information that will allow you
to reroute to avoid heavy congestion. And for the cell phone
purist, these new phones can even make and receive phone calls!


And just like other new GPS systems you'll have access to a
huge database with points of interest. Need to know the nearest
gas station? No problem. You can also find the nearest
restaurant, movie theatre, and even a parking garage – which is
especially helpful if you're in an unfamiliar city. And if you
happen to be somewhere where you don't have a detailed map – no
problem – this isn't just a GPS unit, it's a Smart Phone so you
can download the map you need. The new SmartPhone GPS devices
can easily replace your in-car navigation system.

Probably the most widely used device for making your Smart
Phone an advanced GPS is the TomTom Mobile 5
http://www.gpsmaestro.com/tomtom/tomtommobile5). It's currently
only available for a limited number of Smart Phones (check
TomTom's site for a list of supported phones). But for the
phones it works with you'll get an impressive list of features
and you'll even be able to change the voice of the navigator to
something more entertaining (Darth Vader, anyone?). If you
happen to live in the UK, you can also get access to real time
safety camera information.

This is, of course, just the next step in the ever evolving
cell phone. Soon new cell phones will have GPS navigation
technology built in and probably more features you've never
even thought to ask for.


About The Author: Gary Ruplinger is the webmaster and writer
for GPS Maestro, site offering tips, tools, and reviews for GPS
Devices. To learn more, please visit http://www.gpsmaestro.com