Dangerous TomTom Flaw
I love my TomTom. It’s one of the greatest pieces of driving technology, since the wheel was invented. But for all it’s brilliance, however, it does have an annoying and potentially dangerous flaw.
Let me explain.
Built into every new TomTom, is a database of speed cameras. The device helpfully alerts you, whenever you’re approaching one, with an appropriately loud “BONNGG” sound, and an icon on the screen, showing the correct current speed.
Why is this dangerous?
In an ideal world, we would all be aware of the current speed limit at any given time and we’d never make a mistake. In the old days, police were able to use common sense and a bit of discretion when it came to exercising the law. An otherwise sensible driver who happened to get caught doing 60mph in a 50mph zone (for example) could be pulled over and given a warning, rather than the 3 points on his license, and instant fine that is issued automatically by today’s modern speed cameras.
I think speed cameras make people nervous. I’ll admit it, there are times I’ve joined a new road, unaware of the speed limit, and end up braking at the last minute, slowing down to 30mph through a camera, on a 50mph road, just because I don’t want to be caught doing the wrong speed.
This is where TomTom comes in. It gives you plenty of warning, not only of the speed camera, but of the speed you are supposed to be doing. Granted, it’s not always 100% accurate (it rarely seems to know about temporary speed cameras, for example), but I can’t imagine anyone making the argument that it’s dangerous to be reminded to check your speed.
However, the icon containing the speed limit FLASHES on and off for a number of seconds before finally displaying statically just before you drive through the camera. There’s a 50/50 chance of you looking down at the display while the icon is in the off state. What I’ve found myself doing, is glancing to and from the road a number of times, until I happen to see it in the on state.
When you consider the number of people who slow down for speed cameras, this brief period of time spent not observing the road, could very well be the cause of a number of accidents.
Unlike all the other arguments about how mobile phones, alcohol or tiredness can cause accidents, this particularly issue could be so easily remedied with a simple software update.
Mini Reviews
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens
The Canon 400D comes bundled with a EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. At first, I couldn’t understand all the online negativity surrounding this lens, but as my understanding of photographic technique grew (along with my frustration at the shortcomings of the lens), I realised it was time to upgrade. The 17-55mm f/2.8 is a much faster lens, with superior optics, image stabilisation and a wonderfully quick and quiet ultrasonic motor. Any negatives? It’s not cheap, or lightweight. [Review Link]
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens
A no-frills 50mm prime lens (which translates to about 80mm on the cropped sensor of the 400D). The 1.8 aperture gives you a narrow depth of field and allows you to shoot in low light without the need for flash or high ISO. It’s cheap and plasticky, but considering the price (around £60), represents one of the best bargain lenses available from Canon. [Review Link]
Manfrotto 055X Pro-B Tripod
Supremely flexible tripod. It’s big, bulky and because I couldn’t afford the carbon fiber one, it’s a little heavy, but it’s built like a tank, and almost as sturdy. It still amazes me that this tripod can hold the camera steady anyway from a couple of inches off the ground, up to nearly 6ft high. [Product Link]
Manfrotto 460MG 3-way head
I decided to opt for the 3-way head over a ball-head because it seemed to suit my way of doing things. I don’t use a tripod often, but when I do, I favour precision, over speed. Manfrotto gear is top quality, and this head complements the above tripod perfectly. It also came highly recommended by a couple of good friends, John and Mike, both of whom use the same one. [Image Link]
Canon BG-E3 Battery Grip
A simple addition to the 400D which changes the camera in a surprising number of ways. Firstly, it allows you to add an extra battery, adding substantially to the already excellent battery life. Secondly, it makes holding the camera in both portrait and landscape modes far more comfortable. Thirdly, it adds a second shutter and wheel control to the portrait position which makes it far less cumbersome. Fourth, it adds a connector allowing for a very useful hand strap. And finally, it allows you to use 6xAA batteries in a pinch, in the unlikely event that you run out of power. Any downsides? You may need a bigger camera bag to hold it. [Review Link]
Acer Aspire 5720 Laptop
Bloody awful. You might be wondering why I bought a PC? It’s a long story, which I’ll probably write up as a separate blog post soon. Needless to say, I’m now even more disillusioned with PC’s than I ever have been. The laptop itself isn’t that actually that bad. It’s the fact that a shitty operating system (Vista) is forced upon you (no drivers for XP), which is compounded by the mountain of utter crap that Acer insist on pre-installing for you (hint: it takes hours to remove it all). Oh and yes I tried Ubuntu. It’s come a long way, but ultimately it’s still got that Linux quirkyness.
TomTom One SatNav
The cheapest satellite navigation in the store. I weighed up all the features of the expensive models, and dismissed them one by one until I was left with what I really needed, a powerful satnav with speed camera database. Has worked flawlessly on every journey I’ve used it on, and makes those long journeys (even when you know the route already) so much less stressful. [Product Link]
Wenger Synergy Backpack
Ever thought you could be passionate about a backpack? Like any self-respecting geek, I’m choosy about what I carry my stuff around in. It has to be hard-wearing, yet functional. Practical yet stylish. My last one from Blacks was starting to get a bit worn, and this is the new replacement. I have to say, it’s possibly the most well made and durable bag I’ve ever owned. The build quality is quite astonishing, and it has been really well thought out. While it’s a little expensive, it’s worth every penny. This is the Mac of the backpack world. [Image Link]
Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock
I’d been playing the demo of this on XBox 360 for months, and finally got the full game for Christmas. It’s immense fun, but unfortunately the one of the buttons on the guitar neck was not working and it had to be sent back for replacement. However, it’s one of those games that is fun, whatever your level of ability. [Product Link]