Bluetooth GPS

Bluetooth technology allows you to add navigation capability to your Bluetooth enabled device without a bulky plug-in receiver or cables. Bluetooth GPS communicates wirelessly with your Bluetooth enabled device as long as they're within 10 meters (33 feet) of each other.

Any Bluetooth enabled device that runs NMEA compatible GPS programs can take advantage of this. Those device would include a laptop or notebook PC, a personal digital assistant, a mobile phone, and your car, boat, or airplane's navigation system. The programs can include in-car navigation, marine navigation positioning, aviation, topography mapping, and more.

The advantages to a GPS system for the car are obvious. Many cars have them installed. But it doesn't do much good to have that system installed in your car at home if you're in another city driving a rental. The rental car may or may not have a GPS system. If it does, that system may or may not be as intuitive and convenient to use as one you are already familiar with.

Bluetooth GPS solves that problem. You can bring your own navigation system with you and easily set it up in any car you happen to be driving. Just put the GPS unit on the dashboard or wherever it will have a line of sight to the sky. Then set up your laptop, PDA, or mobile phone where you can see it. There aren't any cables, but they're connected! The lack of cables also means that you aren't taking up any expansion slots or USB ports on your laptop. If you've already used those up, that feature can be quite a plus. The GPS will announce the turns and even get you back on track when you get lost, all while displaying a map of your progress and text instructions on the screen.

Similar applications and convenience can be had for hiking and camping, boating, and aviation.

If you plan to use GPS with boating, it makes sense to get a Bluetooth GPS that is waterproof and will float.

A long battery life is a plus in any context. You can get a Bluetooth GPS that last for up to 12 hours of use. Some Bluetooth GPS devices have user-replaceable batteries, allowing you to bring a spare if you're going to be away from the charger for awhile. This can also allow you to slip in a longer-lived battery in the first place at get up to 17 hours of use from the same GPS with only a tiny bit of added weight. You can also purchase a DC or AC adapter to allow you to plug the GPS into a car's cigarette lighter or a standard wall outlet.

For all that functionality, a Bluetooth GPS isn't that large and it isn't that heavy. It can weigh under three ounces and be less than 4 inches long on its longest side, half that for width, and less than an inch thick.