As a bloke, I know unquestionably that the real appeal of a properly desirable gadget has nothing to do with convenience or a better standard of living.
Nope, the very best gadgets not only work impeccably but they make you feel like a cross between James Bond, Iron Man and that bald, speccy bloke off The Gadget Show every time you use ‘em. They’re cool and they make you much, much cooler – it really is that simple.
Anyway, here’s something that does just that, from those mobile mapping enthusiasts Garmin.
WHAT THE?
If you haven’t guessed, HUD stands for Head-Up Display and it’s Garmin’s answer to not taking your eyes of the road, by putting all the info you need right there in your line of sight.
Strictly speaking it’s not a Sat-Nav, but a safety display option designed to work in conjunction with Garmin’s smartphone Apps StreetPilot (iPhone) and Navigon (Andriod).
Most importantly though it adds a touch of high-end class to the driving experience – in an extremely ‘Top Gun’ kinda way. No longer do you feel like Moose the navigator – this time you get to be Maverick the fighter pilot!
THE DISPLAY
Of course, there are other head-up displays out there, including standard jobbies found in a few high-end new cars from the likes of Lexus and BMW.
On the aftermarket front though, at best they’re usually limited to speed readouts – we haven’t seen any others that offer anywhere near this amount of information in one package.
Everything from turn-by-turn-instructions to vehicle speed and speed camera alerts are included – it’ll even tell you what lane you’re supposed to be in on the motorway.
That said, it’s still very simple and easy to understand. No distracting multicoloured maps or points of interest, just the most important info, right where you need it.
What’s more, for something this technological, it’s dead easy to use – just pair to your smartphone via Bluetooth, bang your destination in the app and hit the road like some sort of sci-fi god!
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Being about the biggest navigation company out there, not to mention one that prides itself on super-slick design cues, the bods at Garmin have thought of everything.
The actual unit is small and unobtrusive and simply sticks to the top of your dash behind the instrument binnacle.
Also included is a small transparent film sticker to enhance the display on your windscreen and a rigid flip-up screen, should you wish to take it out and use in another car.
As you’d expect, the rechargeable battery can be replenished via a cigarette lighter adaptor and this particular Garmin design even includes an extra USB port for charging your phone – everything you need to get up and running in no time. Lovely job.
Price £129.99
For more info see Garmin
