nüvi 310

I am now the proud owner of a Garmin nüvi 310.

I had variously been looking for a bluetooth headset for my phone(s) and a GPS navigator. The problem with bluetooth headsets is that their user interface is probably the most minimal of any consumer gadget. This makes it less than trivial to re-pair them with multiple phones while roaming. Then today, I happened to be in the Carphone Warehouse and saw some bluetooth caller-id handsfree kits, which appeared to address my needs. I wasn’t prepared to spend the money on any but the cheapest though (€199 for a handsfree kit?!).

Then I casually asked about satnav. Fair play to the sales guy (he had a badge marking him as a “trainee” but so did everyone behind the counter today) he managed to sell me on a satnav with built-in handsfree kit.

It suits me so well it’s unreal. Previously I had been using one bluetooth headset for three devices – two phones and my laptop (for Skype). Reconnecting it was a pain, but I didn’t want to shell out on multiple headsets because I’d need three in order to do the job properly (I therefore resold a very nice Plantronics headset to my manager after being given it on offer with my phone contract). In contrast, swapping the satnav between the two phones is easy using its touchscreen interface, and I only use phone handsfree in the car, leaving my old Jabra available for use with Skype.

Now if only I can resolder the Jabra’s charger I’ll be laughing…