About time I came across something from Garmin, because (don't know exactly why) I like this company, maybe just for the name, as I don't own a car and I'm a pedestrian 80% of the time. That's why the company recently unveiled, especially for those like me, of course, the Nuvi 1245 GPS Navigator, packed with maps for Western Europe.

The Nuvi 1245 is capable of telling streets by their names, offering pedestrian navigation options, as well as guiding drivers to the proper lane on highways, and calculates fuel-efficient routes via ecoRoute. Speaking of more fuel-efficient routes, do mind that these might also get you stuck somewhere.

Nevertheless, the main capability of the Nuvi 1245 is the enhanced pedestrian navigation, making it most suitable as a walk-around companion for getting around town, probably for foreign cities, because I would consider one knows their city. Definitely for foreign cities, as the cityXplorer content helps one get here and there by public transit, knowing where to walk, where to catch the bus, go to the subway, tram or other public transportation, and even how fast one takes to get there.

The cityXplorer maps are available only for select cities throughout North America and Europe, and pricing is somewhere around $9.99, so I don't think that's a problem. I mean, I would pay that without blinking, when arriving in a new city. I almost forgot to mention that the Nuvi 1245 is about 25 times slimmer than the common Nuvis, so that anyone can take it anywhere, easily fitting in their pockets or bags, while the rechargeable lithium-ion battery ensures operation for long walks.

Nuvi 1245's very user-friendly interface greets you with two simple tabs - Where To? and View Map, making it very easy to use. Fitting in your pocket, you will always have somebody reliable to ask for directions. No pricing estimation available for the moment, sadly.


We are just a few, but there are many of you, Softpedia users, out there. That's why we thought it would be a good idea to create an email address for you to help us a little in finding gadgets we missed. Interesting links are bound to be posted with recognition going mainly to those who submit. The address is