GPS capability is being added to an increasing number of devices, but is still rare in laptop and netbook computers. Dell offers a built-in GPS chip option in its Mini 10 netbook computer with its $499 "Travel Mini" version. What does GPS bring to the table, and is it worth having? I tried out and traveled with a Mini 10 to find out. Image © Dell

Conference calls for company quarterly reports are usually dull, but this week, Garmin's call highlighted the state of the GPS market in these turbulent times, and shed some light on the company's approach to the emerging competitive threat from smartphones. Sales in the automotive and aviation segments decreased in the third quarter, but sales of fitness GPS devices, such as the Garmin Forerunner and Edge, increased 11 percent, a real bright spot for the company. Garmin representatives laid out their case for dedicated personal navigation devices over smartphones, and said there is no Garmin standalone smartphone app in the works. Read on for more. Image © Garmin

GPS has transformed private aviation, putting powerful navigation, airport, and safety information at the pilot's fingertips. Garmin makes the most popular portable aviation GPS models by far, and this week introduces a brand new series that looks much like the well-known nuvi car line, but is fully loaded for aviation use as well. The aera series (models 500, 510, 550, 560) may be used in a plane, or for auto travel.  Very handy for the pilot, and it cuts down on the amount of equipment needed for a plane-car trip. Pilots will want to get into the technical specs for these new models, which range in price from $875 to $2,199. Image © Garmin

A more in-depth look at the new Motorola-Verizon Droid smartphone and its free Google Maps Navigation GPS turn-by-turn nav feature. Yes, it has some nice new features, and free is great, but I discuss why it's a game-changer, not a game-ender in the GPS navigation race. Also a few things the breathless early reviews have overlooked, such as the downside of downloading maps on the fly, and a look at the "net cost" of navigation in the smartphone ecosystem. Image © Verizon