DriveAssist
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Garmin's newest 'Drive' navigation systems focus on road safety
Whether you're on the open road or just trying to make it to work in one piece, getting where you're going is hassle enough -- even when there isn't traffic to be stuck in. Garmin's latest iterations of its Drive GPS navigation systems will soon be receiving a host of features that will deliver live updates and easier-to-follow directions in hopes of changing driver behaviors for the safer.
Garmin bike headset warns about traffic behind you
There are already bike-friendly smart headsets that will tell you how you're doing, but they won't usually say much about traffic. How are you supposed to know when a car is getting uncomfortably close? That's where Garmin thinks it can help. As part of a larger CES launch, it's unveiling a Varia Vision headset that not only gives you vital cycling data (directions, notifications and performance) but also teams up with the Varia Rearview Radar to warn about traffic behind you. In other words, you'll know about trouble right away, without losing focus. It won't be cheap when it ships this quarter for $400, but it could be justifiable if you regularly bike on busy streets.
Daily iPad App: Drive Assist is your new car dashboard companion
Most new cars have an in-dash computer that displays all sorts of pertinent information about your car's location, speed and other similar parameters. For those who have an older car and an iPad, you can duplicate this dashboard display with the new Drive Assist app from Woo.do. Drive Assist is a multi-function app that lets you map your trip, monitor your speed, watch the weather and listen to music while you drive. The biggest part of the app is the navigation and Google mapping feature that updates your location and provides driving directions as you travel along your route. You need a wireless connection to pull down the map data as you drive, but you can shut off the mapping function and replace it with a music player if you have a WiFi-only iPad. Besides navigation, Drive Assist also monitors your speed and lets you know how long you have driven and how long you have been idle during a trip. The app can save your route and driving data, so you review these stats at a later date. This is useful for commuters who want to study their stats and bemoan the fact they sat in traffic for 40 minutes on the way home from work every day this week. The Drive Assist app is chock-full of other real-time goodies. There's a compass to keep you on track and an altimeter for those driving below or above sea level. A weather display conveniently shows the conditions outside your car. DriveAssist won't make it any easier to step outside of your cool car into the summer heat, but at least you can mentally prepare for the transition. The app has a wonderful layout that makes it easy to navigate your trip and your music library at the same time. The font sizes and the color choices of the iPad app are appropriate for driving --- the onscreen elements are not too big to be distracting and not so small you have to squint. That being said, there is so much going on that you have to be careful that you don't get caught up in the app and drive off the road. I found it best to set everything up when I left my house and consult the app when I made a pit stop. I asked my passenger to scan the app when I wanted an update while I was driving. I don't have any bad things to say about Drive Assist. It performed very well for me when I used it on my short day trips in western Maine. The route data and the speed statistics seemed accurate for each trip. The only thing I noticed was a bit of a lag in the GPS data, which resulted in my speed occasionally being too slow or too fast for about 30 seconds or so. A few times, the weather data was way off, but, once again, that may be a GPS data issue. If the app can't get an accurate GPS fix, it guesses my location. I am not ready to blame this wonkiness on Drive Assist as I somewhat expect these inconsistencies given the rural, mountainous area in which I live. Drive Assist is a universal app that works well on the iPhone, but, in my opinion, is better suited for the iPad. For this review, I put aside the iPhone because its display was too small and left the Retina iPad at home because it was too big to fit comfortably inside my compact pickup truck. I settled on the iPad mini, which is petite enough to fit in a car mount, yet big enough to display all the options available in the app. Drive Assist is an app for the driver who wants their trip statistics right at their fingertips. It's also handy for a passenger who prefers to do more than just stare idly out the window. You can download Drive Assist from the iOS App Store for US$2.99.
Aegis Mobility's DriveAssist cripples your phone when you drive
Headset or no, talking on the phone while driving can be dangerous -- either to you or to your license. Various states have various bits of legislation indicating what is and is not allowed while in motion, but what if you want to have somewhat more specific controls over your kids or workers? That's the idea behind Aegis Mobility's DriveAssist (not to be confused with BMW's Drive Assist), described as a sort of nannified assistant for people on the go. Using GPS it determines the user's "driving context," disabling incoming and outgoing calls and texts and holding messages to deliver later. It's an interesting idea, and given the risks of texting while driving in particular it's a good one, but we wonder what happens if you're on a bus or sitting in the passenger seat.[Via textually.org]
Germans send data straight from Google Maps to BMWs
Navigation systems have revolutionized the way we get from A to B -- a huge step up from crusty fold-out maps and a "good sense of direction." It's going to get even better now that Google Maps and BMW have joined forces to streamline the data entry process. Instead of printing out or writing down an address to re-enter in the car, the information is sent directly from your computer to your navigation system. German drivers with Drive Assist-equipped BMWs can send any Google Maps Deutschland business listing straight to their cars, either to contact the business once inside, or to set it as a destination. Honestly, it's about friggin' time online maps and automakers made this connection, and we're glad that Google appears ready and eager to expand this service. Check out the video of how it works after the jump. [Via Navigadget, thanks Tim]
