Garmin Nuvi 350

This lens is to summarize all the features and functions of the Garmin 350 Personal GPS device. It is a winner!!!

- Nov. 2008

This portable device is much more than a GPS device. The GPS is unquestionably the best implementation I've seen. It is easy to use and very fast. However, that is just the beginning...

Here are some other features that you may not know.

• It is an MP3 player. It will accommodate a SD memory card. It happens to be compatible with the Palm Tungsten PDA.

  You can take the card and plug into the Nuvi 350 and play your music in the background while the GPS is running.

  It will interrupt the music to give directions and return to playing the music.

• It is an audio book player. You can order books and download it to the Nuvi via the USB port. It comes with a few sample sniplets from best selling book such as "The World is Flat".

  You can go to

  Audible.com and receive 3 free Digital audio programs when you buy a new Nuvi. You need to register for a 30 days free trial period.

  There are also free audiobooks from Gutenberg Project Gutenberg.

• It is a photo gallery. It can display your digital photos in JPG format.
• It is a calculator, a money converter and a measurement converter and a world clock.
• You can add a language dictionary as an option. It can translate common phrases for you and speak it in the second language.
• It has an option to provide real time traffic report. You will need to buy an FM TMC Traffic Receiver.

The technological innovation of the GPS (Global Positioning System) is made possible because of numerous complex systems coming together to provide this wonderful solution. Some of the behind the scenes prerequisite work by groups are :

• The GPS satellites were put in orbit by the US military DOD.
• The digital maps of all the streets and roads are painfully plotted and digitized and updated on a regular basis.
• The GPS processor by SIRF to interpret the signals from the satellite.
• The touch screen LCD technology that is small and bright and wide viewing.
• The SD memory chip that can store mass amount of data and yet non-destructive.
• The voice technology for natural sounding diction.
• The integration of all components into an easy to use device with excellent human interface.

Some ideas for future enhancements.

• I suggest all auto manufactures should include a docking station for GPS on the dash board for all new vehicles. This device should be standard equipment just like a radio.
• One improvement might be a "preferred route" for cases when an individual might have a better way to get from point A to B. The system could have some means to remember this and perhaps even feedback to the manufacture so that future versions might include the "better" route as an option to the current suggested route.