We apologize for being fanish, but Google has pulled off something with its new
Navigation elements in Google Maps (or is it Google Maps in a Navigation app? It's hard to tell) that has
serious ramifications for a navigation device industry used to
charging money for functionality. The introduction of satellite view, a tasteful touch of street view (peep a still of your next turn, or see your destination), and of course regular stuff like spoken directions and street names, and Google's voice recognition applied to search (anywhere on the device just tap voice search and start your phrase with "navigate to") make this a pretty astonishing offering for what's essentially a free app with the purchase of an Android 2.0 device. The biggest worry here is that if you lose signal you won't be able to pull maps, but while there's no whole-map caching, it does cache a route when you enter it in, so as long as you don't stray too far from the beaten path you should be fine with a dropped signal here or there. But enough of our blather, check out a video walkthrough after the break.
posted October 28th 2009 1:58PM
Can someone please tell the women in the background to stop talking?
GPS-only devices need to go extinct. There is no reason those devices can't be programmable. Single use handheld electronics are archaic. It is is just as inexpensive to make them support multiple applications. Most of Garmin's devices are capable of more. Thank you Google!
This is exactly what I'm looking for. But I wish they would allow you to preload the map. So this is not prefect. I'm in for one! Now just need to get my company to pay for the monthly fee. :D
I wonder if the Droid will be able to supply WiFi tethering for an iPod touch (or off-contract iPhone, which is what I have). That would make it my absolutely-must-have gadget! The best of both worlds!
I suppose this might require a router (e.g., CradlePoint) to work, but that's fine.
Dude this is going to be so friggin awesome. Watch out iphone!
Seeing as Garmin is in the Open Handset Alliance, if anything they will be putting Android on any future PNS/sat-nav they manufacture - a decision obviously prefaced by a deal with Google with the OHA.
But I don't see TomTom or similar going anywhere fast without joining the OHA.
Sooooo.......anyone figure out how to get Android working on the iPhone yet?
Until now I had been waiting for the Pre to show up on Verizon. This device gives me another serious option as it has several things the pre does not, such as a much bigger screen, a better camera, a much better keyboard, and that awesome google nav. Also, since android will be on so many devices in the very near future, its innovation will advance rapidly and I would have many devices to choose from in the future. Having said that, it will be a very tough choice between this and the pre. I really do hope for palm to do well.
iv played with this phone first hand... it is very snappy and has alot of positives. this will definatly shake things up in the mobile world. iphone... Pssshhhhh.. ill take a phone that will work and have service. 5X THE 3G COVERAGE!!! WOOOT WOOT
wow who that annoying woman in the background?
I only use my Garmin GPS when I'm on a roadtrip and don't know where anything is. There usually is bad signal on most of the roadtrip. Congress is about to ban cellphone use in vehicles, which means that carriers will likely scale back data service on open roads. All this adds up to bad news for the always-connected type of GPS (e.g. googlenav). Just my take on it.
Nav companies still have choices
*Write software for other mobile platforms and sell licenses to the mobile platform developers (Microsoft, etc)... (end-users pay nothing)
*Go head to head with google and write free software for all mobile platforms, and have it be ad supported... or have an ad-supported "lite version"
*Um... innovate?
*Expand network/social features of their products....
*contacts synching
*calendar integration
*fb/twitter updates :) silly, but people like this sort of thing
*perhaps show me quick traffic condition overview (icon based) for common routes
*Make Navigation ubiquitous in cars! Sell units so cheap to car manufactures so that it's a standard feature!
*If you MUST have any service fees, have car manufactures bundle them with communication services they offer today.... (tele-aid, onstar, etc).... hell, there's gotta be PLENTY of synergy there! Integrate your software with those types of services! Maybe work on an open standard for such in-vehicle services
*Make in-car units use data connections from cellphones (bluetooth), wifi hotspots... use that to offer free services.
Those are just quick ideas out of my simple developer brain... I'm sure tomtom, garmin, etc will be able to come up with more ways to compete.
@Scooby
Absolutely right - as UK resident, I use satnav mostly when abroad on the European mainland. If this app downloads maps on the go, the data download charges + roaming charges will kill it stone dead for me. At least my TomTom represents a one-off payment, with no ongoing map download charges. This might make sense on a fixed-price monthly phone subscription, particularly in your 'home' country where roaming does not apply, but otherwise this is a definite financial no-no.
I don't know about other countries, but in Australia being able to make a voice call and having a fast data connection do not necessarily go together.
This may be handy for infrequent use, but having to have both a continuous data and a satellite connection backed up by a data plan that gives you the gigabyte(s) of data allowance would end up costly in the end.
ok seriously, that girl in the video needs to shut the fuc up. that or get the hell away from her annoying voice.
I rely too much on technology to trust my business to slackware and such.