Posted on: Tuesday, December 17, 2002

GPS gadgets make practical gifts for leisure, work travelers

By Susan Haller
Gannett News Service

Map reader makes trips less of a drag
Eliminate "Are we there yet?" from the back seat with a Digital Map Reader, $19.95 at www.brookstone.com. The device uses a measuring wheel to calculate the mileage of map routes and can work on several different scales.	The Garmin Rino 110 ($169.99, www.garmin.com) is a two-way family service radio that includes a GPS receiver, trip computer, and way-point storage to record points of interest during your journey. It also has the ability to communicate with nearby Rino users.

An array of gadgets perfect for giving can help frequent fliers, cross-country drivers and lovers of the great outdoors navigate their way or work more comfortably from the confines of an economy-class airplane seat.

Handheld global positioning system (GPS) technology integrated into other devices are among the hottest gifts, according to David Brandos, president of Pharos Science & Applications Inc., which develops navigation systems for personal digital assistants.

"Navigation is kind of underserved; its one of those applications that people don't know how useful it is," Brandos said.

GPS systems can provide real-time access to traffic reports and comprehensive points of interest, Brandos said.

For example, a GPS system not only can identify all of the restaurants within five miles, but can narrow the search to just Mexican restaurants.

Pharos GPS receivers (www.pharosgps.com), which work with Palm and Pocket PC handhelds as well as Windows laptops, cost $199 to $299.