The Nikon Coolpix L22 is one of the cheapest digital compacts around and considering the build quality and features, it is exceptional value for money. It has a 12 megapixel CCD sensor, a 3” LCD screen and 3.6x optical zoom lens.

The Coolpix L22 is very easy to use. It’s a straightforward, point-and-shoot camera so don’t expect any manual control. Image quality is very reasonable for the price.

The overall verdict is that the Coolpix L22 is one of the best buys in the budget, compact camera range.

The Garmin Nuvifone A50 is a good choice if you’re on the road a lot, consider GPS a priority and are looking at Android smartphones. It has top class GPS functionality and is also a pretty decent smartphone even if it’s not the best looking design around. It’s a true hybrid GPS cum phone rather a smartphone with GPS capabilities. The threeway combination of phone, GPS mapping and Internet connectivity is a compelling mix for business users on the move.

The operating system is a highly customised version of Android 1.6. It isn’t the latest version of Android, presumably because it has been customised so much but the performance is good and it is still a fully customisable Android phone with the benefit of the Android apps store. It features a home screen which is bright, easy to use and very car friendly. There are large icons for the phone, navigation and mapping.

The GPS menus and maps are clear as are the turn by turn directions and spoken street names. Navigation is fast and accurate and when you are on the foot there is also a pedestrian GPS mode.

All in all the integration of GPS and phone capabilities in the Nuvifone A50 is excellent and it’s a device that is well worth considering if GPS is a top priority.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700 is the newest addition to Panasonic’s popular Lumix range and it is the ultimate in hybrid cameras combining top quality image production and HD video recording in a stylish, compact, slim body.

The 14.1-megapixel FX700 records high quality 1,920 x 1,080 full-HD movie in AVCHD. Image quality is excellent for still images and video. The camera features a super bright F2.2 24mm ultra wide angle LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens with 5x optical zoom. It gives great versatility enabling you to shoot great landscapes and moving subjects even in low light. Start up time is very fast so you won’t miss photo opportunities.

Advanced technology including the superior lens brightness and optical image stabiliser means that blur is eliminated. The DMC-FX700 is easy to use with a 3.0” touchscreen and minimal buttons. Creative freedom is well catered for with the availability of A/S/M mode to set shutter speed and aperture.

Record high quality movies and stunning photos with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700.

There’s another rugged, waterproof camera on the market. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT10 which is also known as the Lumix DMC-TS10 is a tough, stylish camera, designed for active use. It’s waterproof, freeze-proof, shockproof and dustproof so made to take anywhere.

The Lumix DMC-FT10 is an ultra compact camera. Folded optics technology enables a powerful lens to reside in a stylish, flat design. The camera has a 4x optical zoom lens which extends to 8.4x optical zoom with extra optical zoom.

The 14.1-megapixel FT10 is a very easy to use point-and-shoot camera with Intelligent Auto mode, plus Face Detection and Intelligent Scene Mode. It also features 720p motion JPEG recording ability.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP1 is a compact, digital camera that performs well, is very easy to use and is great value for money. For under $200 the 12-megapixel camera has a 4x optical zoom lens with 7.8x extra optical zoom.

The design is ultra-thin and stylish. It fits easily into your pocket and is built of high quality aluminium. Battery life is excellent.

If you’re looking for a decent, easy to use compact camera with great picture quality and a relatively cheap price, then the Lumix DMC-FP1 is well worth a look.

The Garmin Zumo 220 has plenty of features which make it a great GPS for motorbikes but it can also be used very easily in a car. The device is easy to operate when wearing gloves. The screen is easy to see and the interface is simple to use. The feature set is impressive with useful navigation aids such as lane guidance and audio navigation via a bluetooth headset option.

The Zumo 220 build is rugged and waterproof which is what you need for a bike. It comes with mounts for both bike and car so it’s portable between the two.

The most compelling feature of the TomTom XXL 540 is the extra large 5” screen. It’s what the additional “x” indicates in the model name. The screen looks good. It’s fairly thin with curved edges but most importantly the large size makes it very easy to read.

The XXL 540 has some nice features to go with the impressive screen size such as advanced lane guidance, IQ Routes, EasyPort mount and safety alerts. The navigation experience is pretty good overall.

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Bestsellers

Garmin Nuvi 3790T

Garmin Nuvi 255

Garmin Nuvi 1390T

Brand Profile

Garmin focus on GPS systems that are easy to use so that the stress of navigating is alleviated as much as possible. The devices have intuitive, simple menus and straightforward navigation features.

The range of Garmin GPS models is extensive but it can be a bit confusing if you are a first time GPS buyer. The 2×5 series such as the popular Nuvi 255 is Garmin’s entry level range. In 2009 Garmin introduced a thinner, lighter generation of Garmin Nuvi GPS with some great features traditionally only found on top of the range GPS. This is the 1200, 1300 and 1400 series.
Any Garmin Nuvi model with a w after the name has a widescreen and a t after the name indicates traffic updates as one of the features.

The Nuvi 700 series is a high end range of GPD by Garmin with fantastic navigation features such as lane assist, 3D City View and landmarks, smart traffic avoidance, GPS HotFix technology and photo navigation.

The new Nuvi 3790T is the latest, innovative GPS from Garmin and looks more like a smartphone than a typical portable GPS with its sleek, stylish looks. The 3790T has had rave reviews everywhere with PCMag.com saying it “raises the bar for the standalone GPS category” and picking it as the Editor’s Choice Award.

Reasons why the DMC-TZ10 continuously appears on the “most popular” lists is that Panasonic have evolved the highly praised TZ series and given the TZ10 features that consumers have been asking for. In particular, this means full manual controls and also GPS tagging.

Image quality is excellent and although it’s not in the cheapest range, the DMC-TZ10 is a good choice especially for travellers.

The Nuvi 465T comes with Navteq maps with truck related data such as truck speed limits, bridge heights, weight restrictions, hazardous material restrictions and information on sharp corners, narrow roads and steep gradients. The GPS is customisable so that you only get warnings relevant to your situation. You put in your trucks’s dimensions, weight and load to get the most relevant data back when navigating. The Navteq data is available for major highways and metropolitan areas.

Other features of the Garmin Nuvi 465T include a great looking 4.3″ touchscreen, bluetooth, free lifetime traffic updates and spoken streetnames.

Garmin Nuvi 465T