Sound Byte: GPS buying advice, and an interview from CES 2011

It's hard to believe how far portable GPS navigation units have gone in just a short time. Five years ago, GPS devices were still pretty pricey and limited to weekend pilots, boaters, and wilderness explorers. Now, popular smart phones (and cars and other devices) embedded with GPS satellite radio chips are seemingly negating the need for stand-alone GPS units.

But in this week's "Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline" radio show (broadcasted live at last week's CES 2011), Consumer Reports' Linda Zebian highlights why GPS systems were popular "doorbusters" for the recent holiday shopping season: Features!

In this Sound Byte podcast (click to listen), Linda discusses some of the hot GPS features—such as wide touch screens, free traffic updates, and routing/detour functions—that separate these navigation-dedicated devices from do-it-all handheld smart phones and tablets. (For help in finding the right features for your budget, check out our online GPS Buying Guide.)

Consumer Reports also covered CES and reported much of the the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show news here on the Electronics Blog. (Our colleagues from the Cars Blog handled most of our coverage of GPS and other car-related news at CES.)

Still, you might want to check out Dave Graveline's complete three-hour broadcast from last week's CES in Las Vegas, which featured many products and online video interviews with show attendees—including me.

Until next week, happy weekend!

—Paul Eng

About Sound Bytes
Every week, Consumer Reports experts produce a short (less than two minutes in length) audio segment which cover a wide variety of issues regarding consumer electronics and technology. These small "sound bites" can be heard on Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline. The Sound Byte that is featured in the Consumer Reports Electronics Blog is a segment that aired on last weekend's Into Tomorrow over-the-air broadcast.

About Into Tomorrow
Now in its 16th year, Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline covers the Latest in Consumer Electronics & Technology available today and... into tomorrow. The show airs on over 160 AM and FM radio stations around the U.S., on SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio, radio stations in Germany, Bermuda, New Zealand, Canada and several other sources including Mobile Broadcast Network, BeOS Radio, Sprint Radio, TiVo, and many others—every weekend. "Into Tomorrow" is also heard around the world on the Armed Forces Networks in several other countries. You can also catch all Into Tomorrow episodes on the Web. (The most recent show is usually added about three or four days after it has been broadcast on the radio.)

—Paul Eng