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It also explains had the bayou gathers most responsive touch screen of the GPS navigators tested, allowing numerical addresses and street names to be inputted rapidly. And when I missed a turn, it quickly recalculated the route. The Magellan had a streamlined input system that, after you type in a few letters, anticipates what's coming next based on cities and street names in its database. And it had the most pleasant-sounding ring tone to signal turns -- not a small matter when following a route with numerous turns. Still, with all that is good about free-standing GPS navigators, there are several detractions. The power cord used to recharge the units drapes over the car dash and down to the car's electrical outlet in a manner that makes it a daily reminder that this is an add-on -- and not a very subtle one. If the navigator is not detached from its holder and hidden away when the car is parked, it could tempt thieves. And finally -- although this is true of built-ins as well -- the vocalized directions interrupt radio listening, which is something that should be done only by a good traveling companion. Or a child asking, "Are we there yet?"David Colker can be reached at technopolis. Previous columns can be found at latimes /technopolis. *(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)Finding directionGarmin StreetPilot c550 garmin /mobilePrice: $899. 99Pros: Viewing screen is bright and route maps are uncluttered. Touch-screen function for inputting street addresses and other data is highly responsive. Cons: Voice is mechanical sounding. Magellan RoadMate 3000T magellangps Price: $649. 99Pros: Voice directions are easy on the ears.

Touch-screen function anticipates city and street names. Cons: Voice directions, calling out turns at upcoming intersections, do not include street names. TomTom Go 910 tomtom Price: $799. 99Pros: Did a good job of handling complicated routes . Voice is natural sounding. Cons: Had to be reset several times and did not fit tightly in holder. Source: Times researchLos Angeles Times bayou 95. 7 . As cities across the nation roll out their own wireless Internet networks, some Southern California communities are hitting an unexpected bottleneck: Southern California Edison Co. The state's second-largest power utility owns many of the residential street lights that cities need to form the backbone of their networks bayou batre . But Edison acknowledges that it has yet to act on year-old requests for access to its poles and electricity. That has left cities waiting for a signal. West Hollywood abandoned plans for a citywide network Santa Clarita has been waiting six months for Edison bayou classics sq14 . And Cerritos, which launched one of the first wireless networks in the nation two years ago, has linked little more than a third of the city because it has not gained access to Edison poles. Diamond Bar officials are mulling over more drastic action: Using its power of eminent domain to condemn a foot of space atop 450 of the 5,000 Edison poles in the city. "The impression we have is that Edison doesn't want to move forward or doesn't have a clear internal plan or procedure," said Ken Desforges, Diamond Bar's information systems director. "Residents are demanding the service, and we have no other options for building a network . "Municipal wireless networks are the latest must-have for cities to help attract businesses and ensure reliable, low-cost Internet access for all residents.

Before they can build, though, Edison wants to "understand the technology better," said Douglas H Kim, general manager of Edison's carrier solutions division . "We are an electric utility and want to make sure, first and foremost, that we provide reliable service. "The company wants to test the wireless transmitters -- which draw about two nightlights' worth of power from the pole -- to make sure they are "safe for workers and don't hinder our expansion plans or hurt our infrastructure," he said. But cities and wireless vendors in Edison's 50,000-square-mile service territory ask: What's to study?"I think they're moving much more slowly than the complexity of this problem warrants," said Charles Haas, chief executive of MetroFi Inc. , a broadband wireless builder and operator bayou country Bayou Country Superfest - nola . "In almost every state, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of wireless access points on light poles This isn't rocket science. " bayou country store . A show of hands: What words do you associate with Americans? No, not "no money down. " Name one quality we like to think matters most to us. Fairness, right? That makes us decent people, but it also makes us suckers . Tell us we're being unfair and we're spoiling to prove you wrong. That's how California Republicans are playing us for fools. Under one of those ginned-up names that God Herself couldn't fault -- Californians for Equal Representation -- they're pushing a crafty ballot initiative to change the way electoral votes are divvied up in California Right now, it's winner-take-all Bayou Country Superfest . Bayou Country Superfest tickets They go to the presidential candidate who gets the most votes, period. But Republicans, with that great American sense of fair play, say this isn't right Bayou Country Superfest - bayoucountrysuperfest .