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TomTom HD Traffic 6.0 upgrade ready for consumers, hopes to guide them through LA traffic
Stuck in traffic? Get off your phone, then update your TomTom -- the company announced today that its latest traffic service update, HD Traffic 6.0 is ready to get you out of that traffic jam. The updated service sources real-time data anonymously collected from other TomTom users, and promises to identify 65 percent more road closures than its previous system. Culling data from the service, TomTom was even able to identify Los Angeles as the most congested city in North America -- though we'd hardly consider a call that obvious roadway clairvoyance. On the other hand, we're not about to argue with anything that gets us off the road faster. Read on for TomTom's official press announcement.
RIM teams up with TomTom to bring HD Traffic to BlackBerry devices
Looks like executive switches aren't the only thing happening at Research in Motion this morning. Earlier today, the Canadian company announced a partnership with TomTom that will see the GPS outfit's HD Traffic service make its way onto BlackBerry devices. Essentially, this means a handful of BlackBerry applications such as Traffic, Maps and Locate Services will now be powered by TomTom's offering -- a feature we've previously seen on iOS and even your browser. Notably, RIM says developers are going to have access to "mapping and traffic" for use within their own apps, which is bound to make a few of you some Berry happy campers. Hey, at least RIM's making an effort.
TomTom announces Z.E. Live navigation system to measure EV battery juice, keeps you truckin'
There's nothing worse than going for a late-night chili dog run only to find your EV sucked dry in a 7-11 parking lot. To reduce so-called "range-anxiety," there's the Carminat TomTom Z.E. Live, an in-dash navigation system that not only keeps drivers from getting lost, but also offers a visual cue to how much power's left. Sticking with the green theme, the device provides the most eco-friendly and efficient routes (with nearby charging stations) -- leaving drivers feeling good about putting the pedal to the metal. The nav will come pre-baked in all future Renault Fluence Z.E.s -- but we wouldn't be surprised to see other EV manufacturers implement similar add-ons in the future. Check out the full PR after the break.
TomTom announces Go Live 1535M in all its app-wielding glory, offers dashboard tweeting
If you're a fan of TomTom's Go Live series of nav units, you'll get a kick out of what the company announced today. Hitting retail and online stores in October is "the world's first portable navigation device with a suite of popular travel apps," the Go Live 1535M. That's right folks, this piece of dashboard flair will allow you to use Yelp, TripAdvisor, Expedia and Twitter all from the comfort of its 5-inch touchscreen. In addition to the new application integration, the GPS juggernaut's classic features will be available as well: hands-free calling, real-time traffic info, local search, fuel prices and weather forecasts. Sounds great, right? But what's that... you already sprung for the 2535M model? No worries, mates -- you'll be able to download the new features this fall via software update. Pricing for these app-enabled navigators will start at $250 which includes a free 12-month subscription to TomTom Live services. Pretty soon, you'll be able to make that dinner reservation while TomTom tells you how to get there, seconds before you tweet about it.
TomTom puts its HD Traffic service data in a browser, lets everyone use it for free
We've gotten lost and found our way home again courtesy of many a navigation system over the years, but if ever we're battling not just confusing roadways but also unpredictable traffic patterns it's TomTom we want on our side. The HD Traffic service the company offers is always spot-on, and now you can access that constantly-updated and really quite detailed data from your web browser. However, there's a catch: right now it's only available in Europe and South Africa. Also, the interface is a bit clunky. Oh, and the presentation isn't nearly as nice as on the company's mobile apps. But it is all free, and so you really can't complain too much about any of that. Full details in the PR below.
Tom Tom: Smartphones and nav devices are complementary
As one of our last appointments on the floor of CES, we went out to a meeting room way back in the back of the South Hall to talk to Tom Murray, Senior Vice President of Market Development for Tom Tom -- one of the leading companies selling navigation devices and software. We've covered Tom Tom and its products many times here on TUAW before, so it was great to finally sit down with the company and talk about their business. Perhaps the most interesting thing Murray told me last week was that the company doesn't see the iPhone (and other smartphone devices) as competitors to its portable navigation device (PND) business. Instead, Murray sees Apple's platform and others like it as "complementary" to the traditional GPS devices that Tom Tom makes and sells. Murray did admit that the rise of smartphones has "had an impact on our core PND category," but given that Tom Tom has found success with a number of regional apps on the iOS Store, Murray says that "the iPhone has been accretive to our business." The biggest device for Tom Tom at the show was the Go 2505m Live unit. It will arrive in April, and it will bring a number of improvements, including a service called HD Traffic, which not only pulls in information on roads all over the US generated by Tom Tom's own devices, but connects to "partner vehicles" (like delivery and fleet vehicles) to convey real-time information and accurate routing as you drive around. That service isn't on the iPhone app yet (in the US, anyway -- it is up and running in Europe, we were told), but Murray says it would be "reasonable to assume" that kind of information will eventually find its way into the company's iPhone app.
TomTom intros GO 2505 M LIVE, VIA series GPS units in North America
Not that Las Vegas is terribly difficult to navigate, but TomTom's unveiling its latest PNDs here at CES, regardless. Up first is the GO 2505 M LIVE, the followup to the Go Live 1000 that was launched last April. This one packs a familiar design, with a 5-inch glass touchpanel, Bluetooth handsfree calling support, pinch-to-zoom mapping and a newfangled voice recognition system. You'll also get the full suite of LIVE services, including TomTom HD traffic, local search, fuel prices and weather updates. It should be noted that said services rely on AT&T's wireless network, and this unit marks the first time that US motorists will have access to TomTom's HD Traffic. It'll hit retail in mid-2011 for $349, with a "trial subscription" of LIVE thrown in gratis. Moving on, there's the new VIA series of mid-range PNDs. The VIA 1405 and 1435 both sport 4.3-inch panels, while the VIA 1505 and 1535 inch up to 5.0-inches. The fourpack will be available with or without lifetime maps / traffic, and you'll get voice recognition and Bluetooth handsfree calling to boot. These will ship in mid-2011 as well with prices starting at $169, and you can catch the full release just after the break. %Gallery-112729%
TomTom shows signs of life with Traffic Manifesto, aims to shorten European travel times by 5 percent
We're actually surprised that TomTom's still going strong after Google and Nokia unleashed their free satnav offerings many months ago. If you need some convincing, try this: following the launch of its Go Live 1000 series earlier this month, TomTom has just published a manifesto on its mission to encourage "better use of existing road capacity," and eventually "reduce journey times for everyone by up to 5 percent where there is traffic." Actually, by "everyone" TomTom means Europe, and according to its computer simulations, this would apparently require 10 percent of the continent's drivers to be hooked up to its HD Traffic active load-balancing service. There's no time frame given here, but it'll probably be awhile -- in the video after the break, CEO Harold Goddijn admits that out of TomTom's 45 million drivers, only about 1 million (or 2.2 percent) are currently connected to its live services. That said, this figure might get a little boost once TomTom starts providing free traffic data to radio stations and TV channels as part of its manifesto (in return for some cheap publicity, of course). On a related note, TomTom has also just rolled out HD Traffic 4.0, touting its "higher accuracy, reporting up to 200 percent more traffic jams during rush hours than previously." Existing HD Traffic customers from eight nations -- including Switzerland -- need not fiddle with anything to utilize the new service, and by year's end seven more countries will join the party. Meanwhile, we're still waiting on TomTom's own take on the App Store -- who knows if the company will even survive long enough to reach its goals. We kid, we kid. Or do we?%Gallery-103666%
TomTom Go Live 1000 to offer capacitive touchscreen, WebKit-based UI
TomTom has just outed its new flagship PND, the Go Live 1000, and wouldn't you know it, it's the first of the company's stable to offer a capacitive touchscreen. This comes mere days after Garmin updated its lineup with capacitive options. The 1000 is a little slimmer than its predecessors, but its major feature is "instant" route planning and re-planning once it has a satellite lock -- the industry's fastest. Achieved using a custom-built Broadcom GPS module, that capability is backed up by a 500MHz ARM11 CPU (yawn), 4GB of storage, 128MB of RAM, a new WebKit-based UI, and 12 months of free TomTom Live services. Beginning in June, this suite of services will be rolled out to 33 countries across Europe, featuring local information about petrol prices, services and weather, while its headline HD Traffic -- which tracks congestion on secondary roads as well as motorways -- and safety camera alert features will come to only 16 nations. It's a decent year-long freebie to have and TomTom promises it'll cost less than €50 ($67) per annum thereafter. That's more reasonable than the previous $9.95 monthly cost, but still not price-competitive with Google and Nokia's offerings. There's also a SIM card slot, but don't expect to be developing new modes of sidetalking, it's most likely there purely to facilitate all those data transactions. Check out the new UI in the gallery below and expect the TomTom Go 1000 Live to show up in Europe some time this summer.%Gallery-91890%
TomTom's GO x40 LIVE range present realtime route adjustment, Google searches
TomTom is really pushing the connected capabilities of its navigation devices with this new x40 LIVE series, which hit IFA this year as rumored. The GO 940 LIVE, GO 740 LIVE and GO 540 LIVE include a "new and extended" version of IQ Routes, which can adjust your route for predicted and actual road conditions, based on historical data and TomTom's HD Traffic feature. The units include Safety Alerts for alerting to speed cameras, Fuel Prices, and Local Search, which is powered by Google and allows you to plan a route to your search results. Also onboard is voice command and control, letting you plan routes and make phone calls using only your voice. The series will be available in the UK, Germany, France, Netherlands and Switzerland this fall, starting at £299 (about $544 US). LIVE services are £10 a month. Unfortunately, the versions we played with at IFA didn't have a live connection, but software looks easy to access and easy to use. Too bad the actual hardware looks circa 2003.%Gallery-30890%
TomTom's two-way HD Traffic GPS unit clears the FCC
TomTom's two-way, Dash-like HD Traffic GPS device has been helping European drivers help each other for some time now, and it looks like it could now possibly be headed to the US as well, although that's still not quite a sure thing. It has cleared one of the major hurdles on that trip though, with it recently sailing through the FCC with flying colors. No word on any changes to the device itself though, so we can presume that, if and when it gets here, you'll still get the same 4.3-inch LCD, 1GB of storage and all-important SIM card as our European friends, which promises to help stack up the unit with 5x the traffic updates and 10x the road coverage of typical traffic systems.[Thanks, Rich]
TomTom's ONE XL HD Traffic GPS navigator with "world's most advanced traffic information"
TomTom just lit up its High Definition Traffic, premium traffic service in The Netherlands. Announced in parallel is the ONE XL HD Traffic navigator, for what's a traffic service without a GPS device to take advantage of it? The ONE XL HD Traffic shares the same 4.3-inch LCD of its ONE XL brethren only now with the addition of 1GB of built-in storage and a new SIM card (no activation or configuration required) for live traffic data feeds over Vodafone's GSM network. Traffic information collected anonymously from Dutch Vodafone mobile phones and third party traffic authorities is updated every 3 minutes -- that's 5x the traffic updates and 10x the road coverage of typical traffic systems according to TomTom. Available in TomTom's home country of The Netherlands this month (UK in first half of 2008) for €399 (about $581) including a one year HD Traffic subscription renewable for €9.95/month. An HD Traffic accessory for existing TomTom products will be available in early 2008. [Via Pocket-lint]