Corporate Blog

For all the college students who are up to their necks in papers, midterms, and study sessions, Spring Break is not only welcomed, it’s practically a necessity! An annual trip to Miami/Las Vegas/San Diego/etc., can be the perfect remedy for students who need their batteries refreshed. We understand the need for a Spring Break as much as the next person, and when you combine all the past Spring Break experience we have at the navigation group of TCS, you could essentially call us experts. With that said, we want to pass along some knowledge and give you our 5 Tips for having a great Spring Break.

1. Take a road trip.  While there are definitely some traditional spring break spots that will always be a good time, sometimes it pays to be different. Hitting the road with some friends is a great way to explore the country and enjoy your break, and with voice guided turn-by-turn navigation, you never have to worry about getting lost (although sometimes with a road trip, getting lost is not a bad thing).

2. Avoid the in-car navigation system. If you happen to be renting a car for your vacation, don’t let them charge you extra for an in-car nav system. As long as you have your cell phone with you, you will have access to all the navigation you could possibly want, and you can save your money for more important things—like a surfboard or a new swimsuit.

3. Tell your friends where you are. With many mobile navigation solutions (such as Gokivo or VZ Navigator), you now have the option to share your location, whether this is by text message, or through social networks like Facebook. You never know who you will find on Spring Break, so make sure your friends know where you are, and how to find the good times.

4. Explore the nightlife. A huge advantage to using mobile navigation is the ability to search for points of interest around you, no matter where you are. When you are on spring break, you should really be exploring all that your destination has to offer, and with your mobile nav system, you can find and navigate to the closest restaurants and dance clubs.

5. Check the weather. The search functionalities of mobile navigation devices go beyond simply looking for points of interest. You can also search for all kinds of other information, including the weather. Many times, the more tropical Spring Break destinations have variable weather patterns, so make sure to check the forecast on your nav device and plan your day accordingly.

February is an eventful month. Families are hitting the ski slopes, children are celebrating getting the day off school for President’s Day, and men everywhere are scrambling to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.

For a holiday that celebrates love and happiness, Valentine’s Day can occasionally be a little stressful. Luckily, it is yet another holiday where navigation can be extremely useful. We hope that everyone has a fantastic Valentine’s Day, and with that said, here are 5 tips for making sure you have a great day with your loved one.

1. Don’t be late. Maybe more than any other day of the year, Valentine’s Day is a time to put your partner first, and you should avoid being late at all costs. Not only should you make sure to use your navigation device to avoid getting lost, but we recommend using the traffic functionality too, so you know ahead of time if you are going to be a little late (and have an excuse).

2. Don’t forget the gift. Whether you choose to go the chocolate and flowers route, or if you decide to make a personalized card, having a great gift is essential. When you are out in your car the days before Valentine’s Day, use the search functionality of your nav device and spend some time trying to find the perfect gift.

3. Book your dinner ahead of time. No matter how much time you spend trying to track down a romantic place, all the work could go for naught if you don’t book ahead of time. If you happen to be searching for restaurants and reading local reviews on your navigation device, we recommend immediately calling when you find a place that looks good. It often goes without saying, but one of the great things about mobile navigation is that you are actually using a phone as well.

4. Go out somewhere fun during the day. Your mobile navigation device not only lets you search for restaurants, but it also allows you to search for local events as well. Valentine’s Day can be the perfect opportunity to take your loved one to a place that you don’t usually go, and if you have your mobile nav device, you don’t have to worry about getting lost traveling there.

5. Drive safe. Valentine’s Day is a holiday that celebrates relationships and often reminds us how much we care about other people. Navigation devices in many ways can make us safer on the road, but it is important to be smart and not do any complex searching when you are driving. Often times, being together is the best gift you can give on Valentines’s Day, so with that in mind, we hope that everyone has safe travels.

It has gotten to be that time of year where the weather can play a huge role in our travels. Storms have been hitting people all over the country, and even here in Southern California, we have been dealing with heavy rain (may not sound like much, but morning showers are practically a reason to close schools down here). Obviously, when the weather is bad, we have to be careful when driving. Visibility can often be horrible, and if we don’t know where we are going, getting behind the wheel can be dangerous.

Like many things in life though, the problem of traveling in bad weather is something that navigation can help with. With that said, for all the travelers out there that are trying to brave though the weather this time of year, we want to present our 5 tips for using navigation in bad weather.

1. Know when your turn is coming up. This is a fairly basic tip, but one that cannot really be overstated. A lot of the accidents that occur in bad weather come from when people can’t see where they are going and have to make quick turns to overcompensate. When using navigation, keep an eye out for when your turn is coming up and make sure nothing catches you off guard.

2. Detour around particularly bad areas. Have you ever been in horrible weather, only to drive across town and see nothing but blue skies? We can’t really explain why this happens (and why we always seem to be in the bad weather areas when it does), but we do know that sometimes a detour can get you out of the bad weather. If you find yourself approaching what looks to be a bad storm, try using your detour feature, and see if you can avoid it.

3. Check the traffic—anticipate the bad weather. There are times when we may see the weather outside is not great, but we can never be totally sure how it is behind the wheel. When this happens, try checking the traffic on your navigation device. If you see congestion on the roads, chances are driving conditions are difficult, and if at all possible, you should try and avoid going out.

4. Locate your closest chain/windshield wiper store. When you find yourself stuck driving in bad weather, the search functionality on your navigation device can get you out of trouble. If you don’t have chains for your car, or if you have an old ineffective pair of windshield wipers, search for the nearest auto shop and you can be out of trouble in no time.

5. Know when to call it a day and find someplace warm. Sometimes, the weather is so bad that there really is nothing we can do. Luckily, there is now practically a Starbucks on every block, and travelers can use their navigation devices to find the closest one to them. It may not be perfect, but a warm cup of coffee can often be just the thing to help us get through bad weather.

As more and more people are starting to use GPS appliances, we get asked sometimes about the effect GPS devices have on driving safety. The truth is, there are some things you can do while using GPS which will make your ride safer, and there are some things that may distract you.

On top of that, no matter how fancy your GPS system is, there are just some drivers that we can’t help you avoid (anyone from the Mario Andretti speedster type to the 16 year old across the street who has mastered the one hand text message).What we can do, however, is give you some tips we’ve learned in regard to safety, so without further ado, here are our “5 tips for GPS safety”

1. Keep your eyes on the road. This may sound like basic advice, but dealing with directions can be amazingly distracting, and potentially make you take your eyes off the road. With a voice guided turn-by-turn nav system, this should never be a problem. The days of trying to decipher illegible directions are over, and now you can have your directions spoken to you, while you concentrate on the road.

2. Find a good place to put your phone. While having navigation on your phone is easier to use (and safer) than using large folding maps, it can still be potentially dangerous to be fumbling around with a phone instead of driving. Whether you have a special car dock or simply an easy place to put it, it is always wise to have a designated area where your phone can live, so you won’t have to fiddle around with it while driving.

3. Don’t be afraid to call a cab. No matter how good the directions on your phone may be, if you’ve had a couple drinks, it is probably not a good idea to drive. One of the great things about having mobile GPS, is that you are in fact using a phone, so it is easy to search for a cab company and call it a night. Besides, you can always use your GPS the next morning to navigate back to where you left your car.

4. Know when the traffic is coming. A lot of accidents occur in stop and start traffic. Use the traffic function on your GPS system to anticipate this and prepare yourself. As soon as you hear there is traffic approaching, it’s a good idea to slow down, and keep an eye out for those break lights.

5. Don’t follow GPS blindly.  If you use mobile navigation, you will have constantly updated maps, and this is not an issue, but if you have a standalone PND, you can potentially find out of date directions. We don’t actually think you are going to follow a device that tells you to drive off a cliff, but if you don’t have updated maps, be careful where you are going.

Moving to a new city is an exciting event in life that can give people the feeling they are entering a whole new world of possibilities. There is something, however, that can cut down on the good feelings brought on by a move, and lead to frustration that will make you wish you never left your old neighborhood—getting lost.

To help you avoid those situations where you think you are only leaving your new house to pick up some milk at the local grocery store, and end up on the completely wrong side of town (not that anyone at NIM has ever experienced something like that…ahem…) we wanted to present NIM’s 5 tips for using GPS when moving to a new city.

1. Find the Essentials – The best way to start feeling at home in a new city is to make sure you always have access to the essentials. Grocery stores, movie theaters, auto repair shops, and depending on how stressful the move was, perhaps the local liquor store, are all key places to find early in your move. NIM Navigation apps have search functions that pinpoint all the local businesses close to your present location. Knowing the local businesses will always make you feel right at home.

2. Use GPS When Going to Work or Job Interviews – Nothing gives the wrong impression at a job interview or the first day of work like showing up late. These are exactly the type of situations that we create navigation products for. When you know you can’t be late, make sure you have navigation on you.

3. If You Have a Friend in the City—Take Advantage – Hanging out with a friend and having someone show you the local spots that aren’t in the guidebooks can be just what you need when moving to a new city. If there is someone you know in your new city, go pay them a visit. Many NIM navigation products have the option to pick out a friend from your address book, and it will immediately navigate you to their address.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Use Your Navigation Device Outside of the Car – One of the key advantages of having navigation on your phone instead of an in-car system is that you can use the navigation anywhere. Even when walking, it is possible to get lost (some might say it is easier when walking), so just because navigation is traditionally thought of as something that you use while driving, don’t be afraid to pull it out when on foot.

5. Take Some Time To Just Drive Around – While being in an unfamiliar place can potentially be very exciting at first, it can also get old quickly. Learning your way around the neighborhood is not only an incredibly satisfying feeling, but it is essential for making your new city feel like home. There is no better way to do this than to just get in the car and drive. A navigation device can help you find places to drive to, inform you of traffic delays ahead, and most importantly, give you a peaceful state of mind, that no matter where you end up, you will be able to get home with no worries.

When taking a long road trip, having a GPS system is incredibly useful. You will usually be driving through unfamiliar territory, and trying to navigate the old fashioned way will only lead to frustration and a car filled with maps that refuse to fold back up.

While we can’t get you out of speeding tickets or make the trip go faster (well, unless there’s traffic, but we’ll have more on that later), we can give you our top 5 GPS tips for road trips.

1. Don’t always settle for fast food. While fast food meals can get you in and out quickly, sitting down for a meal can be just the break you need to recharge for the second half of the day. NIM navigation apps can let you search for whatever kind of food your mood may call for, so if you happen to feel like sushi for lunch, with mobile navigation, that is an option (unless you are in the Midwest—then sushi may be out of the way).

2. Prepare yourself for traffic. NIM navigation products can alert you when traffic is coming, and oftentimes give you an alternate route to take to avoid it. While there are still some times when it is impossible to avoid the traffic, we have found that if you know it is coming ahead of time, you can prepare yourself and adjust your mindset accordingly. Every little thing helps.

3. Never worry about gas (except for high prices). Many people who have been on road trips have at one point had the scary feeling that can creep up on us when we’re not paying attention—“I may run out of gas.” With mobile navigation devices, you can search the nearest gas stations, and never have to worry about running out.

4. Bring a car charger. There is really no other way to say this–running out of batteries is the worst. If your phone runs out of juice, not only will you not have access to the navigation, but you are also stuck without the other features of your phone, such as playing MP3s.

5. Don’t be afraid to take the scenic route. With the slightest bit of planning, NIM’s navigation products will enable you to get off the main road and take an alternate scenic route. On a long road trip, you never know when you’ll have a chance to detour through a beautiful national park. A road trip is a chance to see the country at its best, and a navigation device can help make sure you do.