Windows only: If you've ever thought, "That GPS lady is bossy," or "I wish my Garmin talked like a pirate," Voice Studio is the answer. With just a microphone, it lets you record and upload custom voices to your Garmin GPS.


The process itself is quite easy, if not a little repetitive—but it's a small price to pay to have your friend or loved one guide you through the windy roads of America (or wherever you're from). The software leads you through the process of recording a list of words and phrases that your Garmin uses to form directions, and then downloading it to your GPS unit (you can see a list of which devices are compatible here).

Garmin estimates the process will take 30 minutes, which may seem long for the simple task of saying 65 words, but if you want it to sound as natural as possible, I would suggest taking your time to test and trim each recording. Sadly, my Garmin is not one of the supported devices, so if yours is, try it out and let us know how it worked in the comments!


Garmin Voice Studio is a free download, Windows only.

Garmin Voice Studio [Garmin via Lifehacker Australia]