GPS typo sends Swedish couple 400 miles off course

by Scott Carmichael on

A Swedish couple screwed up their vacation when a simple typo sent them 400 miles away from their desired destination.

When entering the Italian island of Capri into their GPS, they accidentally entered Carpi. The two destinations couldn’t be more different – Capri is a lovely island off the coast of Naples, Carpi is an industrial village in the middle of nowhere,

It isn’t uncommon for someone to make a spelling mistake on their GPS, but you’d expect that most people be able to notice they are not on an island, and that the drive was about 6 hours shorter than expected.

Sadly, this couple had no idea, and when they couldn’t find the famous blue caves of Capri, they asked the local tourist office.

It was then (most likely after the laughter stopped) that they were told they were in the wrong town. The couple then popped the correct destination into their GPS and headed towards the correct Capri.

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Daily gear deal – TomTom ONE XL-S GPS unit + bonus for $125

by Scott Carmichael on

Today’s daily deal is for a TomTom navigation unit. The TomTom ONE XL-S features a widescreen display, text-to-speech directions and built in Bluetooth connectivity.

When connected to your (compatible) mobile phone, you can access the TomTom plus online services, though you do need to be sure your phone has an active data plan.

The TomTom ONE XL-S comes with a car charger, USB cable, windshield mount and a user manual and is on sale at Newegg.com for $124.99 (with free shipping). The added bonus is a 30 piece car emergency kit.

Daily deal – Refurbished Navigon 2100 max GPS unit for $90

by Scott Carmichael on

My deal today is for the very highly rated Navigon 2100 max GPS unit.

This GPS unit has a 4.3″ wide screen display and features “Reality View” which is a Navigon invention that shows the actual lanes and simulated street signs on highway junctions. It works surprisingly well, and takes the guessing game out of trying to find the right exit.

The Navigon 2100 max also features text to speech with spoken street names. The unit comes with a car charger cord and a high quality windshield mount.

Everything you’d expect from a quality GPS unit is inside this device – text to speech, traffic information and more.

It is currently on sale at Newegg.com for $89.99, and comes with free shipping. The unit is refurbished, which means it was once returned to the manufacturer, but has been brought back to its “as new” condition.

Daily deal – Magellan Roadmate 1200 GPS unit for under $50 (after rebate)

by Scott Carmichael on

Brand name GPS devices do not get any cheaper than this – my daily deal for today is for a $50 Magellan 1200 GPS unit.

The product is on sale for $69.99, but currently comes with a $20 mail in rebate, bringing the final price to a penny shy of $50.

The Magellan 1200 is a very basic unit – but despite the low price, you still get all the important features. Pre-loaded on the device are 1.3 million points of interest. The Magellan 1200 comes with a windshield mount and a car charger cord.

There is of course one bit of fine print involved in this deal – the unit is factory refurbished. This means it was once returned to Magellan for any number of reasons, but was returned to its “as new” condition.

According to recent reports, customers who purchase a Magellan unit, but receive it with old(er) maps, are usually eligible for a free map update after calling Magellan.

You’ll find the Magellan 1200 at Amazon.com, where you’ll also find the rebate form required to get your $20 back. Since the product is over $25, you are even eligible for free “super saver shipping”.

Daily deal – TomTom ONE Third edition for $85 (refurbished)

by Scott Carmichael on

It’s been at least a week since we posted our last GPS deal, so if you are one of the very few people left without a GPS unit in your car, this is your chance to score a pretty decent device, for a very decent price.

The TomTom ONE “Third edition” offers all the basic functions you’d expect from a car navigation unit, including spoken turn by turn directions, and the ability to download TomTom map corrections using your computer.

The device comes with a windshield mount, power cord, USB cable and adhesive mounting disc.

This TomTom usually retails for over $100, but since it has been refurbished, you can pick one up today from Amazon for just $85. Warranty on the unit is 6 months, so you are fairly well protected against any issues.

If you’d rather spend a little bit more for a brand new unit, check out this list of all sub-$100 GPS units at Amazon.