Trekker Breeze

By Matthew Bullis

App Details

By:  Humanware

Price:  $499

Description:  Trekker Breeze from Humanware will have you out and about within twenty minutes after you learn the layout of the unit. You can then enjoy your traveling while being guided to your destination with just the right amount of assistance from the Trekker’s all-in-one design.

With this one-handed unit plus good mobility skills, you’ll be able to do everything that commercial GPS units for sighted users do. Even though many of the buttons serve dual functions, the second function is logical and not hard to remember. You get help with both driving and pedestrian routes. You can choose to set a landmark as your destination or create a route for frequently-used places. You can check the next turn or direction with the right arrow, in case no one is sure exactly where they are going. Because GPS technology can get you from within 30 to 100 feet of your destination, you still must possess good mobility skills, whether you’re using a white cane or a guide dog. The Trekker is there to give you that extra layer of confidence while out and about. Therefore, this machine is recommended for all ages, as long as mobility skills are up to par.

There are many advantages to a simplified device like this. With only nine main buttons, you can accomplish many things through menu systems. However, with small devices come small sacrifices, such as the doubling of buttons when entering addresses. Also, only a female voice is included in this unit, which may be hard to hear in traffic. Some knowledge of the computer is required to handle transfer of the maps and other updates for the unit.

Trekker Breeze is compatible for blind, low vision, or sighted.

Pros:

• Great way to understand the environment and your surroundings
• Once you are familiar with the device, it is very easy to use
• Small and extremely accurate

Cons

• There are iPhone apps available that will essentially do the same thing
• Highly priced
• If you are in an unfamiliar area, such as a different state/country, you must add (upload) the new map