TomTom Buddies lets you track your friends on the road

Back in the day, if you wanted to gather a group of drivers into a convoy, you kept in touch by CB radio. With TomTom's new Buddies feature, you can finally toss that relic and stay in contact with Sodbuster, Pig Pen and Rubber Duck via GPS. Once you add a Buddy, you can track each other in realtime, share points of interest and send instant messages (though we really hope you don't do a whole lot of IMing behind the wheel). And if you need a little privacy as you roll into Chi-town, you can hide your twenty and tell your good buddies they can catch you on the flip-flop.

[jake @ Mar 9th 2006 1:16PM]

Cause we gotta little ol' convoy, rockin' through the night
Yeah we gotta little ol' convoy, ain't she a beautiful sight?

CONVOYYYYY

[joel @ Mar 9th 2006 1:17PM]

wow, that's awesome. now I justh have to convince my buddies to spend the $

[TZK @ Mar 9th 2006 1:21PM]

This will prompt other GPS companies to do the same, then people will wonder why someone with a Garmin GPS cant see where their Magellan friend is.. then someone in the Government will get a hold of that annoyance and prompt a bill for a "unified GPS Friend Locator" and then all hell will break loose when they (the gps people) all get together to try and unify a standard for this.

GAAWWD!

[majortom @ Mar 9th 2006 1:23PM]

So, it broadcasts your GPS loc, and smokey can over ride the privacy feature???

[wilson @ Mar 9th 2006 1:27PM]

Cheaters beware. Things is gonna get ugly.

[Ruan Caiman @ Mar 9th 2006 1:42PM]

(not actual) screenshot:
http://crazysweet.net/ruan/buddies.jpg

[Maff Mace @ Mar 9th 2006 1:47PM]

will it only work with the Tomtom Go series?

I have it on my smartphone and my 3 brothers have it on a PocketPC

[TIMMAH! @ Mar 9th 2006 1:48PM]

How does this work? Is it a cellular connection?

[StreetStealth @ Mar 9th 2006 2:03PM]

Exactly what I was wondering. A lot of people I've run into have this somewhat disturbing misunderstanding of GPS, that *any* GPS unit can be tracked; that they're all two-way devices.

This would be the first *transceiver* standalone auto GPS I've heard of.

Now, OnStar uses, IIRC, a built-in GSM or CDMA device (making them kind of an MVNO in that respect?) to report back your location, which is one reason it requires a monthly fee.

How's all this gonna happen with TomTom?

[Guest McGuest @ Mar 9th 2006 2:35PM]

Mologogo.com offers the same service for java enabled cell phones with GPS (which pretty much means Nextel and Boost Mobile phones) -- it's free, it uses the cell connection, some backend programming and Google Maps. It shows you where your friends are right on the cell phone screen

[Ian Jardine @ Mar 9th 2006 2:36PM]

"Your Honor the accused's GPS was travelling at 75 mph at the time of the "Stop", while his cellphone was going even faster at 80 mph. As such he was exceeding the speed limit of 50 mph by an average of 27 1/2 mph".
Case closed.

[tennis guy @ Mar 9th 2006 3:18PM]

.
"..Sodbuster, Pig Pen and Rubber Duck..."

Wow. I can't believe you dweebs are old enough to remember that song. I was about 15 at the time and big into CB radio. You guys crack me up.
.
.

[DG @ Mar 9th 2006 4:34PM]

Also great for stalking ex-boyfriends. I'd rather not.

[DG @ Mar 9th 2006 4:46PM]

I meant the above comment to read something like "This is great for irrational people to stalk others," but it didn't come out that way. Whoops.

[DonPablo @ Mar 10th 2006 4:55AM]

Mmm good idea! Maybe the USA should give those Al Qaida-terrorists a free TomTom-buddy package. And all those other 100.000+ would-be terrorists too!

[galley.net @ Mar 14th 2006 7:56AM]

Tomtom - two way device?

The tottom relies on your cellphone for connectivity. Later issue devices talk to GPRS enabled phones (read: GSM) via bluetooth.

[shane @ Jan 6th 2009 6:29AM]

got this tomtom buddies but cant find any one to join just want to try it.
if you want plz add me to yours or send me yours. mine is [e-mail]

[dale @ Aug 11th 2009 3:29PM]

Hi All,
I have just setup a web page where everyone can share their TomTom buddy details:-

www.tomtom.itreliance.co.uk

See you there

[dale @ Aug 11th 2009 3:28PM]

Hi All,
I have just setup a web page where everyone can share their TomTom buddy details:-

www.tomtom.itreliance.co.uk

See you there

[Rebecca A Reid @ Jan 9th 2009 12:19PM]

Will this be able to track my device since it was stolen?

[Tom Jeffs @ Jun 28th 2006 12:59PM]

I see Mologogo have just released a client for WM5. It needs an internal or external GPS unit and an internet connection but the killer is it's FREE!

http://blog.mologogo.com

[alan_kells @ Jun 12th 2009 8:20AM]

I want to try this tomtom buddy thing. Can someone add me so I can have a play? My email is [e-mail]. Thanks

[dale @ Aug 11th 2009 3:22PM]

Hi All,
I have just setup a web page where everyone can share their TomTom buddy details:-

www.tomtom.itreliance.co.uk

See you there

[Ray @ Dec 18th 2006 9:22AM]

I just got mt "data connection" working. Anyone else out there want to try this TomTom buddy thing. my e-mail is rfleisch mac com
I don't know of anyone here and I thought that it might be interesting to be tracking someone in "Kansas" :-)
Regards,
-Ray

[Ray @ Dec 26th 2006 9:10AM]

This is my second attempt to add this comment let's see if this time it works.
Ok, Since I posted my totom buddy email address here about two weeks ago already I have had ONE person add me as their TomTom Buddy. Thank YOU. I was then able to play with that feature. Here are my comments about the TomTom buddy feature on my 910.
1. It is very secure. No one needs to worry about being tracked down by a tomtom buddy, let alone a total strangers.
2. To ADD a tomtom buddy you enter THEIR TOMTOM registered email address into your tomtom with the "Add Tomtom BuddY Icon.
3. The other person then has to comfirm/ADD your request. ONLY then will you be able to see their location with MAJOR limits.
4. To POST/EXPOSE your current location YOU have to select on your tomtom the "UPDATE NOW" icon. Your tomtom will then use your bluetooth cell phone to make a DATA connection and then it will POST your location on the tomtom servers. If you NEVER select the "UPDATE NOW" icon your location will NEVER get updated and that previous update will "stale" out after 24 hours and you will forever be pinned to that location.
5. To SEE the location of a tomtom buddy you select Show tomtom buddy and you then select the buddy from a list of ALL your buddies. It will then ASK you if you want to update their location. If you press OK it then uses your bluetooth cell phone to make a DATA connection to get your tomtom buddy's location from the tomtom servers. REMEMBER that is the LAST location that your tomtom buddy selected HIS/HER "Update Now" Icon.
6. There is NO live tracking.
Over all it is fun to PLAY with but I can't see it as a usefull way of locating anyone for a meet up. It is just easier to call them on that bluetooth cell phone that you already have.

[Ray @ Feb 27th 2008 9:12AM]

Hello every TomTom Buddy
I just got off of the phone with TomTom support at 1-866-486-6866 because I was having problem with the Buddies feature. Well gang, he said that the Buddies feature has been discontinued because of lack of use. Well gee whiz, it was useless as they did it. If they had spent a little more programming time on it to make it usefull maybe it would have caught on.
One one else have any comments on this???
Regards,
-Ray

[Freddie Trusselle @ Jan 28th 2007 11:17AM]

hey have you heard of the latest sat nav? it´s going to be way better than TOMTOM or any others. It´s for mobile phones! but not just PDA´s but ANY JAVA PHONE! I think they´re available on Ebay uk really cheaply im going to get one.