Have you ever experienced getting lost on the road??
Check out the below story and getting lost could be a thing of the past..

Story - >

WHAT: GPS System consisting of HTC Touch WM6 PDA-Phone, Holux Bluetooth GPS Receiver and Mapking 2007 Software

COST: HTC Touch: RM2,099. Holux receiver: RM300. MapKing 2007: RM276. PDA holder: RM50. Always knowing where you are and how to find your way around: Priceless!

Sorry I’m late. I got lost along the way. You know lah, KL roads. Once you make a wrong turn, habis.

Friend. There are 24 satellites orbiting the Earth. Why aren’t you making use of a GPS system?
 

You mean we have GPS in Malaysia?

Well, in-car navigation systems have been around for some time, but you can also build your own! PDA-phones have become so affordable nowadays. The only things stopping people from trying is lack of awareness and fear of something new. Actually it is quite simple to put together. I built mine using an HTC PDA-phone, a Holux GPS receiver and MapKing 2007 software.

HTC? Sorry, not familiar with the name.

Hardly surprising. HTC used to be a contract manufacturer for other brands but now they’ve come out with PDA phones bearing their own name. I like the HTC Touch because for a device that includes a camera and phone, it is very small and costs just RM2,099. And as the name suggests, it responds very well to finger taps — perfect for in-car use.

And what’s this matchbox-sized thing here for?

That’s the Bluetooth GPS receiver. It collects data from satellites and feeds the location to the PDA via Bluetooth.

And the software?

MapKing 2007 is a digital map software for handheld devices. You can also use it without a GPS connection but then it becomes like a normal map.

Ok, so how do you use this system?

Very simple. First, select your destination. I have preconfigured destinations on my PDA such as home, in-law’s house and office so it just takes a few finger taps. But you can also search by categories, points of interest, towns and keywords or key in the latitude and longitude. Once you have selected your destination and entered the software’s GPS mode, the otherwise flat map takes on a 3D look.

Which feels more natural for driving, right?

Exactly. After that, all you have to do is follow the 3D map and the voice commands that accompany it. The voice will notify you when you are approaching a turn, an intersection or a point of interest. It will even warn if you are going too fast.

You actually get nagged by your PDA?

Yeah. Macam mak nenek. It gets annoying after some time. That’s why I changed the freeway speed limit on my software from the default 110km per hour to 120. Anyway, at the end of the journey, the voice will announce, “You have reached your destination.”

Sa-weet! You know, I could really use this for visiting my relatives in Kota Baru during the upcoming Hari Raya. I only go back to KB once a year and I keep forgetting how to go to their houses.

Wok-aloh, we are in the same boat! I also have to learn Kelantan roads ever since I got married to a Kelantanese.

 The PDA it self is very iPhone like — Watch the video HERE

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