Dear Doc,
We’d like to give our sons more
independence whenwe holiday
in Cornwall, but mobile-phone
reception is patchy on the beach
where they play. Is there another
way for them to stay in touch?
jk, bristol
sounds like a
job for a pair of simple two-way radios, also
known as walkie-talkies, that conform to the PMR 446 standard.
These pocket titans can be used licence-free throughout most
of Europe and are surprisingly cheap. A set of basic Binatone
Latitude 150 (
£20; binatonetelecom.com
)
has a range of 3km.
Upgrading to a Motorola TLKR T6
(
£35; motorola.com
)
boosts the
range to 8km, while the Cobra
MT975 (
£45; cobra.com
)
offers a
range up to 12km.
WORDS
ALEX PELL
.
WE REGRET ALEX CANNOT ANSWER QUESTIONS INDIVIDUALLY AND NO CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE ENTERED INTO
TomTom Europe
£55;
iOS, Android
This one is stored on
your phone, so you
aren’t reliant on a
data connection, and
it comes with free
map updates for life.
You can also buy the
superb HD Traffic
service to guide you
around congestion.
Sign up for the speed-
camera alerts too,
though, that means
paying a hefty £40 per
year. Ouch.
CoPilot Live
Premium Europe
£25;
iOS, Android
This is a credible
turn-based routing
app with an eminently
affordable price
tag. The app is well
laid-out with clear
mapping and offers
live-traffic updates.
These aren’t as good
as TomTom’s, but the
first year is bundled
free, after which
the annual fee is an
attractive £11.
Google Maps
Free;
iOS, Android
Google shook up the
satnav world by giving
free turn-by-turn
guidance to Android
owners and now
iOS owners can also
benefit. It’s possible
to download some
routes for offline use
and, as you’d expect,
the app can display
impressive local
information or even
overlay imagery from
Google Earth.
ViewRanger
Free;
iOS, Android,
Symbian
An app for outdoor
lovers, it will
transform your
phone into a GPS
with topographic
maps – both the free,
open-source ones
and the premium
variety are available
as in-app downloads.
It also works offline,
which is a boon, and
can broadcast your
progress to ‘buddies’.
Garmin Streetpilot
£60
(
iOS)
Garmin is satnav’s
most established name
and this easy-to-use
app has a host of swish
features. The live
traffic-information (not
as good as TomTom)
and speed camera
services cost £23.50
extra but it’s a one-off
payment. The maps
are only for Western
Europe, however,
which is annoying
given the price.
Navigation apps
Why hoick satnav and hefty maps when your smartphone can do the job?
Gadget doctor
B E S T
A P P S
V I E W P O I N T S
1 2 2
