GPS: A Business Owner’s Best Friend

28 minutes

Do you print out directions when you go somewhere new?
Ever get frustrated that your sales people arrived late to a client site?

Well, take a look at picking up a TomTom GPS device that you can take with you to save time and reduce frustration when getting around town!

Today I’ll cover why I picked up a TomTom One 130 (Amazon link) even though I don’t own a car in San Francisco and how I plan to use it when renting a Zipcar, traveling out of state and to cut down on entering addresses multiple times on my computer, phone and navigation system. I paid just $59.99 for a refurbished model vs $89.99 and it is in perfect condition with a full 1 year warranty.

GPS stands for Global Positioning Service and in devices like the TomTom is has 3 parts:

• The hardware
• The software
• The GPS unit

You input where you want to go and a voice with visual directions gets you there. I find the ability to choose the voices to be one of the most fun parts of using a GPS system. Something that was once frustrating becomes enjoyable.

TomTom isn’t the only game out there. Garmin is another popular brand. You can also use GPS on your smartphones but as I warn in the show, it’s a big battery drain. Also, these GPS devices last a week without recharging vs your standard iPhone 3GS which doesn’t even last a day. I owned a TomTom a few years ago and just loved it!

From the chat

s0l_uk: The Live show will be starting in just over 15 mins.. ^_^
s0l_uk: Hi guys! Adria will be along shortly ^_^
jacqueb: hi all
s0l_uk: Hi bob, Jacque
bob: hi
bob changed their nickname to Keith
s0l_uk: please stand by…. technical hiccup >_<……
s0l_uk: better!!!
Keith: very good
Phyllis: are we really live now?
Keith: windows is evil
Phyllis: who’s IOWA – I’m IN Iowa…
Keith: did you move to san fran yet?
jacqueb: 20? :-(
jacqueb: we miss you tho
s0l_uk: tweeted on askadria account
Keith: what’s the weather like?
Phyllis: I wanted to view this from my Droid – but I guess not yet
jacqueb: wit h shorter time we best all be on time and never miss!
Keith: it was 94 in mass
Bruce: Hi from Chicago
Phyllis: seriously – IOWA – me too
Phyllis: i love my built-in GPS in the Droid
Keith: i just started a twitter ITPro25
s0l_uk: Hi Bruce
jacqueb: keith what is IPTro25?
s0l_uk: *waves to all* Hi guys!
Keith: my twitter name
jacqueb: oh “duh”
Bruce: Hi s0l_uk
s0l_uk: hump month! All downhill till Xmass ^_^
Bruce: Oprah Jr.
Bruce: 100K Wow!
s0l_uk: Woo! ^_^
Keith: system
Keith: michael scott almost drowned because of a gps
Keith: lol
Bruce: Location Based Services
s0l_uk: lol
Keith: do you drive in san fran or take public transportation?
Bruce: Un box Me Baby!
s0l_uk: lol
Phyllis: why would you want a GPS when phones have them now? just curious…
Bruce: GPS is a mega battery drain in cells
s0l_uk: it can be a drain on bettery…
Phyllis: I have my droid hooked up in the car with a line going into the lighter to keep it charged – but yeah – that would be an issue if not plugged in
Keith: michael scott would be a perfect voice
Keith: or moss from IT Crowd
Phyllis: I do wish I could change the voice on the droid gps – guess that would be a google maps voice?
s0l_uk: lol Keith
Phyllis: lattitude does that in droid – sorry – I really like my droid lol
s0l_uk: Nokia + Google have free GPS updates..
SoldierKnowsBest: hello
s0l_uk: Phillis had a question on formspring i think
s0l_uk: Hi SoldierKnowsBest
Phyllis: that was my questions lol
Phyllis: about the Droid
CaliforniaKing: j
CaliforniaKing: What’s up SKB!
Theworldoftech: heya
Keith: hey soldier
s0l_uk: Hi guys!
Theworldoftech: Hey
joshh: iPhone4? thoughts
Phyllis: yoda?
Theworldoftech: I speak to jon4lakers:)
CaliforniaKing: SKB, who is this? lol I just clicked the link you tweeted :)
s0l_uk: Lost with yoda you will be!
Phyllis: lol
Theworldoftech: what are you unboxing?
Theworldoftech: what are you unboxing
s0l_uk: TomTom GPS
Bruce: Send me some Ghirardelli Chocolate from San Fran!
Theworldoftech: skype name?
s0l_uk: :D lol nice sticker
Bruce: You Wish
joshh: what are your top 5 cell phone right now?
Keith: its on IFC
s0l_uk: lol!!
joshh: Top 5 cell phones right now?
jacqueb: can you send me link from sol?
Bruce: HTC EVO
Phyllis: how can you view it?
Keith: you can watch it on IFC
Phyllis: online?
s0l_uk: it’s UK only show at the moment…
jacqueb: Phyllis seasons 1-3 on itunes
Phyllis: thanks
Greggaz: hey
s0l_uk: there’s 2 types of GPS for mobiles A-GPS and Network GPS
Phyllis: but I only use it in the car – and I can plug it in
jacqueb: well work price – so funny!
Greggaz: what is this
Greggaz: soldierknows best tweeted
Greggaz: dunno what this is though
Phyllis: again – love the droid – and the gps is awesome
Bruce: Off to see the Wizard…bye, bye
s0l_uk: A-GPS uses your servers on your mobile network to work out your location. Network GPS uses the tower locations to work out your position both are slower than real GPS
s0l_uk: Fring = freeware Voip software
Phyllis: worked great iowa to NC and back again -
Phyllis: zip car tweet
joshh: Nexus One or the iPhone? which di you prefer
Theworldoftech: nice mac
s0l_uk: jacque check twitter DM ^_~
Keith: iPhone is one to go with
s0l_uk: Nokia N8 ;)
adriarichards mod: http://www.youtube.com/user/soldierknowsbest
Keith: i tweeted for you also
Keith: twitter.com/ITPro25
Keith: i need followers
s0l_uk: skype is not FOSS, Fring is FOSS
s0l_uk: i think …
SoldierKnowsBest: lol
s0l_uk: lol
Theworldoftech: i need subs
Theworldoftech: ::) forget followers i need subs
Theworldoftech: hey soldier
s0l_uk: if you tweet they will come ^_^
SoldierKnowsBest: what’s up
Theworldoftech: nothing man
Theworldoftech: have you got skype ?
Theworldoftech: i love your videos
Keith: i just signed up an hour ago
s0l_uk: Footlong’s!! :D
Theworldoftech: lol i ment subscribers lol
SoldierKnowsBest: lol subs
Theworldoftech: soldiers got more subs than subway :)
s0l_uk: i like subway! :(
Theworldoftech: i only have 42 subs and one of them is Jon4lakers
s0l_uk: lol
s0l_uk: signal braking up! is Video OK for everyone else??
Keith: yeah its jittery
Theworldoftech: soldier a man claimed to be you the other day and told me to f off
Keith: no video now
Keith: back
s0l_uk: ^_^
Theworldoftech: your hungry :D
s0l_uk: #nom!nom!
Theworldoftech: im hungry for subs lol
Keith: hungry hippo
Theworldoftech: toffee crisp?
s0l_uk: sounds like that WorldofTech…
Keith: have you met the twitter folks?
Theworldoftech: yep lol
Theworldoftech: your eating a toffee crisp
s0l_uk: :D
Theworldoftech: with a different name
Theworldoftech: its a toffee crips without the crisp :D
s0l_uk: toffe crisp is soft toffy nougut with ricecrispies on hte top.. all soft :)
Theworldoftech: i got a tech question
s0l_uk: Ok guys! good show adria!
Keith: have you met twitter company?
Theworldoftech: Soldier
s0l_uk: what’s your question TheWorldOfTech?
Theworldoftech: when is your next ustream mate?
Theworldoftech: can you recomend Imac?
Keith: next monday
Theworldoftech: adria
Theworldoftech: can you recomend imac?
Theworldoftech: ?
Keith: google docs
Theworldoftech: i love them
Keith: iMac Quad Core 27 inch just came out
Theworldoftech: have you got skype?
s0l_uk: what’s the Formspring address??
Keith: bye
s0l_uk: Bye guys!
Theworldoftech: bye :)
@adria: Take care everyone! See you next week
Theworldoftech: buy soldeir
jacqueb: Adria, I got it and replied. Bye all
Theworldoftech: ?
Theworldoftech: whats this?
Keith: archived show
Theworldoftech: ok ty
Keith: yup
Theworldoftech: can anyone give me sum tips on how to get subscribers on youtube
Keith: make alot of videos
Theworldoftech: i am mate
Keith: what’s your youtube?
s0l_uk: make interesting videos.
s0l_uk: ^_^
Theworldoftech: http://www.youtube.com/user/Theworldoftechuk
Theworldoftech: thats my channel keith
Keith: thanks i’ll check it out
Theworldoftech: thanks mate
Keith: yup later guy
Keith: see ya everyone
Theworldoftech: cheers
Theworldoftech: bye
s0l_uk: Laters all! come back next Monday
Theworldoftech: bye soldier
SoldierKnowsBest: later
Theworldoftech: keep up the ge
Theworldoftech: great work*
SoldierKnowsBest: thanks
raffi127: whats up mark I just replyed to your tweet about if people are going to wait in line