Not that I have been lethargic on these cooler Autumn days, but it has been perfect weather to sit out on the deck and read without a major bug invasion buzzing around my head. I do love Fall most of all. The smell of fields being harvested, the running nose, stuffed head, from Ragweed blooming on the side of the roads. It is just perfect.

If you need to get on the roof to fix that antenna, or tweak it in the attic, the temps are just right to get it ready. For what, you may ask? Well, the trees have already begun their annual transformation from green to mean. Soaking up the last bits of sun and water before going to sleep. And sleeping trees seem to always absorb RF TV signals that were perfect only a week ago.

Such is life in our area, but we wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!

My favorite part of Fall began last year when you and I tossed Internet Pumpkins back and forth. You sent in questions and comments, and I tossed back a blog post on your subject. Some of the highest viewed posts have were written during last October from your feedback.

Again, this October, toss me any IP idea you like, and I’ll toss back an answer. Small or large, technical, or not, throw it in and let’s see how things are different after the digital transition. Reception, breakups, anything. I will respond, or find an expert to post in order to get you the right answer.

It’s possible that the Great Pumpkin might make a visit!

It’s a GPS navigator with phone capability—not the other way around. After a long wait, AT&T and Garmin today announced that the Nuvifone will finally go on sale October 4th.

Our colleagues on the Cars Blog go into more detail on the GPS-cum-phone and its advertised features, but here’s a rundown of some:

GPS features:

• Voice recognition
• Spoken street names
• Pedestrian mode
• Preloaded maps and points of interest (hence no download times, as on the iPhone)
• Car mount included

Phone features:

• 3-megapixel camera (with autofocus and automatic geotagging)
• Bluetooth capability
• Full 3G Web browsing
• WiFi Internet access
• MP3 player

As with the iPhone, AT&T is the exclusive carrier of Garmin’s Nuvifone. And, as with the iPhone, that exclusivity could discourage some would-be buyers, given AT&T’s middling scores in our Ratings of cell-phone service, available to subscribers, and its seeming struggle to handle even its current network load.

The phone will cost $299 after a $100 rebate, and requires a two-year contract with a minimum $30 per month data plan. Extra features such as traffic, weather, and gas-price info cost an extra $5.99 per month.

When it comes into our labs, our GPS and cell phone teams will be putting their heads together to test this unique device.

For more on the Garmin Nuvifone, check out the Consumer Reports Cars Blog. —Nick K. Mandle