Put some fun in your GPS

How did we ever live without a GPS system in our car? I seem to have mine on all the time. The maps are great and even when I'm going to a known location its nice to have the GPS backup just in case I'm daydreaming and make a wrong turn. But that VOICE. It can really get old and tiring after a time. Then along came GPS voices.

You have to know that if something computerized can be altered someone out there will figure out how to change it. This is just the case with Garmin and TomTom GPS systems. You can now alter what the voice says and you may also alter the voice.

Several web sites have detailed instructions on how to access the voice files on your GPS and change the voice. You can even record your own voice or your spouses voice. Just think, a back seat driver, even when you're alone.

For example, instead of the GPS voice saying recalculating when you miss or make a wrong turn, it could say well you've done it now, we are lost, recalculating. To make it even more fun you could have Marilyn Monroe give you the bad news.

With the growing popularity of portable GPS systems in the world, you can expect to see a wider array of possibilities come to market. Right now only TomTom and Garmin systems are being targeted. As of this writing, Magellan owners are out of luck.

Prices for these new voices appear to range from free to about $13. As competition increases, you can probably expect to see these prices come down. Please note that most voices will not work with the text to speech function.

The GPS voices available for Garmin GPS systems is still rather limited, although you can expect to see more available soon. TomTom on the other hand seems to have the most 3rd party voices available. Have some fun and check them out. Most sites allow you to hear a sample of the voice before you buy. It is easy to imagine what they would sound like on your GPS. Having a variety of voices to choose from could make the trip a lot more enjoyable and cut down on the "are we there yet?" questions.

If you want to find out more about GPS voices stop by http://www.the-portable-gps.com/gps-voices.html

http://the-portable-gps.com has an abundance of information on GPS systems from how they work to the various features provided by each individual unit.

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