TomTom, Google Maps team up for web-to-GPS interaction

It looks like TomTom users looking for a little additional help with directions could now have the fix they've been searching for, as TomTom announced today that it's teamed up with Google in an attempt to bridge the divide between Google Maps and its array of GPS devices. To that extent, you're now apparently able to search for businesses on Google Maps and send all the necessary information straight to your TomTom GPS, albeit with TomTom's Home software acting as a mediator. That's, of course, decidedly less exciting than some of the Google Maps-to-GPS interaction we've seen in other parts of the world, but a welcome addition nonetheless.

[Via CNNMoney]

[Jaxim @ Dec 6th 2007 6:05PM]

Hopefully Google adds other GPS devices to this service: i.e. Garmin. Hopefully Yahoo Maps adds this feature too.

[Andrew @ Dec 6th 2007 10:14PM]

I thinking this is a major and EXCLUSIVE deal that will make TomTom even more dominant in the marketplace. Yeah, that's right, dominate. TomTom is the largest producer in the world, Garmin playing catchup. So if TomTom just inked a deal with Google this could be dangerous for the competition. But nice for TomTom user though :)

[michael @ Dec 6th 2007 6:23PM]

Not to be a Google Maps hater (and Google Maps really is good), but I still prefer Live Maps better, and wish more GPS makers would put some deals together with Live Maps.

I like Live Maps better, because I find it has several extra features, and their aerial imagery is really detailed, and their 3D buildings is much better. But Google Maps is good, in things like Street View, but streets always change so often.

So, I'm really hoping for some devices to really utilize Live Maps, it's actually a pretty awesome mapping service if you really actually try it.

[Pinny @ Dec 6th 2007 6:45PM]

TomTom and google have a lot more planned out, and the effects on the end user could be enormously substantial:

http://www.pinnycohen.com/2007/12/06/marketing-wisdom/tomtoms-partnership-with-google-will-lower-gps-prices-or-make-it-free/

[Alex @ Dec 6th 2007 7:51PM]

Wow! This is great news, I bet I'm not the only one psyched to read this.

[Ethan @ Dec 6th 2007 8:11PM]

If the service doesn't have ads, this could be vaguely important.

[Ike Turner @ Dec 6th 2007 8:51PM]

Doesn't work for fe. Some error about a "button" unable to launch TomTom Home..Firefox and IE7

[Keith @ Dec 6th 2007 10:37PM]

The "Show Me" video on the TomTom site is "no longer available." Well, that didn't last long...

[Zach @ Dec 7th 2007 12:49AM]

Ahh TomTom One 3rd Edition how much I love you! I paid $100 for it, and even then, I've used all the others and still haven't found one WORTH any price hike... besides other TomToms. They're fast and just easy to use! This is just icing on the cake. Though US traffic sure would be nice grr.

[Aigars @ Dec 7th 2007 11:39AM]

Not always same!

http://www.onlineprofit-website.com

[Keith Cowing @ Dec 8th 2007 11:03AM]

This is definitely a great feature, especially for the short term. But the general functionality is about streaming data from the web to a local device, and that local device is going to become mobile phones. I think that TomTom is going to get some serious competition from the maturing mobile phone navigation market. Soon you'll get just as many features directly from your cell phone, so you won't have to buy an extra device like a TomTom or a Garmin. See this article posted yesterday.

http://www.hightechweekly.com/node/36

[Steve @ Dec 13th 2007 1:20AM]

Nice implementation, but not a novel idea...web to GPS interaction has been a feature of sites like www.sundaymorningrides.com for some time. The latter works well with Garmin also.

[Colin @ Dec 20th 2007 5:29PM]

This is good news but there's a brilliant freeware out there that can already do this. I use google maps, open the link in Google Earth and it is dead simple to copy all the GPS POIs into your TomTom using the Tyre programme (http://www.janboersma.nl/gett/index.php). It will work for other GPS devices too like Garmin. Check it out.

[Mel @ Jan 3rd 2008 7:42PM]

Wow this is great news!

http://www.chasetheglow.com