I've used a bunch of different GPS units, and the basic setup ("in 300 yards, turn left," etc.) is straightforward and plenty easy to use -- though the folks at Navteq don't think so. They've rolled out something called a "natural guidance" system, which aims to mimic the way people give directions to one another. So, for example, the GPS unit will say something like "take a right after the blue building." Compiling that amount of data seems impossible, but according to the company, it already has enough verbal cues for 10 cities.
I get that GPS companies need to find a way to stand out, but this seems foolhardy to me: As soon as a building changes the color of its awning, or does away with it altogether, one direction has already become obsolete. It doesn't seem as if they could possibly keep up with an ever-changing landscape well enough to ensure that the directions are always correct -- which defeats the whole purpose of a GPS unit.
Check out a commercial for Navteq's natural guidance system after the jump.
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