On the smart-phone battleground, much attention has been paid recently to the quality of the free navigation app--Apple Maps--that comes with the new iPhone 5 (also part of the iOS 6 upgrade available for some other Apple devices). But there has been little focus on how well the app actually helps you get from Point A to Point B. Sure, there are lots of images of melted bridges circulating online, but how well does the app navigate?

Apple Maps, which replaced Google Maps as the navigation program in the company's new devices, has not been met with universal kudos. And with the news from Google that its iOS-specific navigation app won't be ready for Apple devices for months, what's a frustrated iPhone 5 owner or iOS 6 user to do?

GPS navigators are to blame for the majority of bridge-strike accidents caused by trucks too tall to safely pass, according to information released by U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY). The Senator is calling on the Department of Transportation to investigate and develop federal standards for GPS use in commercial trucks. In the meantime there is something truckers can do now to be safer.

With the Apple iOS 6 upgrade launch, the company's first turn-by-turn navigation program, simply called "Maps," is now available for iPhone and iPad and included with the iPhone 5. Full of promise, Maps has been subject to much criticism online. To take measure of this new app, our GPS navigation team has put the application through a quick evaluation.

With new products, it is easy to be lulled into believing that each updated model will be better than the one before. That's not what we're seeing in our portable GPS navigation tests.

As Garmin has long demonstrated, car navigation evolves continuously, with each year bringing new innovations to make it easier, and sometimes more entertaining, to get from Point A to Point B. Now, the company proves the evolutionary maxim again with its latest built-in navigator for Chrysler and Dodge models.

As families prepare to send their students off to college, most have a mile-long shopping list filled with essentials for independent living. One great gift that may not be on the radar is a GPS navigator to help the student get around campus area and back home safely.

We've espoused about the need for hybrids to better incorporate geographical data to maximize efficiency. Now researchers at the University of Riverside in California back us up, saying that they expect the range of electric cars could be increased by as much as 10 percent just by feeding into the car data about traffic in real-time, hills, and road surfaces, plus passenger and cargo weight.

The portable GPS navigation market was dealt a harsh blow this week when Apple announced it would offer its own mobile navigation solution with car integration at a developer's conference. Called simply "Maps," this reinvented app combines turn-by-turn navigation with the voice control of Siri, Apple's digital assistant.

Choosing the best GPS navigator can be challenge, given the myriad models and features to select from. Buying one for someone else can be even tougher. Just as Dad would, we'll provide you with advice for choosing one for a Father's Day gift. Should you want to dig deeper, we have an extensive GPS buying advice section and detailed ratings.

iExit Interstate Exit Guide helps take the guesswork out of road trip pit stops, by identifying what restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and other services are available at each exit by name. Make a selection, and the smart-phone application gives the option of turn-by-turn directions or calling ahead to a business with one touch.

The Waze app packs a lot of information in at an enticing price—free. It combines turn-by-turn navigation, traffic delay information (with causes and backup lengths), locations of radar traps, and the ability for users to socialize their location, mood, and on-the-road observations with other Wazeophiles. But that's the problem.

With gasoline prices averaging close to $4.00 per gallon nationwide, a free app promising the best fuel prices wherever you are would seem like a valued travel aid. And that's just what GasBuddy is.

Suzuki and Garmin have teamed up to launch the automaker's first fully integrated, factory-installed navigation and infotainment system.

Navigon is adding new features to its smart-phone navigation apps for Android and iPhone, continuing the rapid software evolution. This spring, iPhone users will be able to view a street-level image of their destination once it is calculated. Android users will gain more features already available on the iPhone, such as active lane assistance, Bluetooth support, and an onscreen traffic gauge. An exclusive for Android, this imminent update will add a widget for displaying nav info on the phone’s home page.