TomTom pushes Google services to mid-range XL 340S LIVE

TomTom has already delivered its LIVE services to an array of its higher-end personal navigation devices, but now the company is pushing the Google love onto less expensive siblings. Er, one less expensive sibling. The mid-range XL 340S LIVE has just been launched, complete with Google-powered Local Search, real-time traffic information, real-time fuel prices, local weather and the company's own IQ Routes, which gets you from one point to another via the most efficient route possible. Essentially, this is simply a 4.3-inch (320 x 240 resolution) XL 340S with connected services, and as with Garmin's latest, said services are being provided courtesy of AT&T. Unfortunately, the $299.99 asking price only includes three months of LIVE; after that, you'll be shelling out $9.95 per month and hating every minute of it.

[I was here first Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:49AM]

10 bucks a month is too much. 3 or 4 a month I can see.

[kingpariah Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:50AM]

PND are a dying breed, the functionality will soon be built into all cell phones and it will be expected to be near free...

[I was here first Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:50AM]

fo shizzle

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:50AM]

Now BigBrother know where is your car...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:51AM]

but newark airport is 13 a?

[I was here first Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:54AM]

The directions shown in the pic above are the directions you get if you DON'T pay $10 a month.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 28th 2009 11:44AM]

It is 13A off of the Jersey Turnpike (I95), and Exits 57 and 58A on I78

[Edobe Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:53AM]

This just puts us one step closer to a GPS unit with 3D augmented reality. Here's to innovation!

[unibrow Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:53AM]

These devices should simply be able to connect to your phone if you have a data plan via bluetooth. Is there any currently that can utilize your mobiles data plan??

[onemadrssn Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:56AM]

yea, TomTom plus lets you use your phone's data connection. They have been doing this for years, but most cell phone operators don't allow phones to serve up their connection for free either. DUN is disabled and only enabled for the same $10 a month.

[Edobe Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:58AM]

Not if your mobile service provider has anything to say about it.

[Veraxus Posted Sep 28th 2009 10:58AM]

If they ever deliver those services on iPhone, I might care (but not if they try to rape me with an added monthly fee)... that is, if I haven't just picked up the Navigon app by then, instead.

[jimmyrock88 Posted Sep 28th 2009 11:05AM]

"iphone" and "monthly fee" go together. Plus services are being provided by AT&T. So good luck in finding these on an iphone without a fee.

[Veraxus Posted Sep 28th 2009 11:23AM]

The reasoning is that other navigation apps already support features like live traffic... and it's not like TomTom is providing the service either, they're using Google's services. Navigon is looking nicer and nicer, but I dig TomTom's dash mount with the extra built-in GPS chip (not like there aren't other dash mounts for iPhone, though).

Although there's also stories like Bmills' just below... TomTom just seems to suck at navigation. Not because they generally just suck, but because they're such greedy bastards that only their most expensive standalone products work the way a GPS is supposed to.

[BMills Posted Sep 28th 2009 11:02AM]

Wow only $50 more than what my iPhone app and Cradle will cost.

I screwed up.

Damn you TomTom. Oh yea your iPhone shit got me lost on Saturday, had to ask a gas station attendant for directions.

When I put in West ***** Street, dont take me to East ***** street dammit.

[Jeebus Posted Sep 28th 2009 1:29PM]

Real men don't ask for directions.

[WintyB Posted Sep 28th 2009 12:22PM]

As mentioned above, these services will be or are already available on your cell phone so I don't see the point in paying $10 a month. I don't think PND are going to die though, have you ever tried looking at Google Maps on your IPhone or Blackberry while driving... not fun.

If you have unlimited data on a cell phone service, I don't see why you would block connecting a simple device like this to it to get small packets of data (gas prices, traffic, ect)

[grydlok Posted Sep 28th 2009 2:10PM]

yeah I tried it and it isn't fun. I drove from Va to S.C. using only my Curves GPS. It got me there but I would rather use my Navigon.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 29th 2009 10:05AM]

What would be the difference between this and the GO 740 Live??

[Judd Sandage Posted Sep 28th 2009 9:01PM]

ah, the now defunct and bought by Blackberry Dash Express has had this for what 2 years now? though its 12.95 a month not 9.99 a month, if it was like 3.99 a month it would be worth it, but not at ten bucks a month.

[youfacethetick Posted Sep 29th 2009 12:16AM]

What exactly makes this attractive?