NavigationSoftware
Latest
AT&T updates Navigator app for the 5th time
Hot on the heels of the Navigon update, AT&T is adding more features to its subscription based Navigator app for iPhone [iTunes link]. This update includes 'shake-to-go,' which allows users to shake their iPhone at any time while in an AT&T Navigator menu screen; the phone will automatically initiate a route to a pre-designated "home" address the user has set. This doesn't work while in navigation mode, so there's no worry about a pothole or bumpy road initiating a new route during a trip. Other updated features include: Speed Limit Display & Alerts: Navigation screen includes speed limit information and provides visual alerts if the limit is exceeded Last Trip Origin: Once a trip is completed, users can easily return to the origin of their last trip by accessing the "Recent Places" menu Nighttime Maps: The brightness levels of map screens are adjusted for nighttime driving for easier viewing Improved Route Avoidance Options: Drivers may now choose to avoid routes that make use of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes or choose to avoid routes that include toll roads Improved Pedestrian Mode: Users will be able to clearly identify when they are navigating in pedestrian mode with the introduction of a new pedestrian icon on the map screen All current subscribers will get the new features free of charge. The app, which was developed for AT&T by TeleNav, costs US$9.99 per month, or $69 a year. The maps on this app are not present on the iPhone, so to use it you will have to have a good cellular signal and the maps will be downloaded as needed. The latest version is 1.5i and current owners should be able to download the latest build from the iTunes store.
UPS turns to software to cut down on left-hand turns
While it won't have quite the same effect that, say, converting its entire fleet to hybrids or all-electrics would have, UPS is apparently taking some steps to improve the efficiency of the 95,000 trucks it has on the road, including using software to cut down on the number of left-turns its drivers make. As The New York Times reports, in addition to improving the packing and sorting of its cargo, UPS's so-called "package flow" software program also maps out the best possible route for each of its drivers, which UPS says cuts down significantly on the time they would otherwise spend idling while waiting to make a left-hand turn. According to UPS, those improved maps helped it shave some 28.5 million miles off its delivery routes last year, which translates to a 31,000 metric ton cut in CO2 emissions, not to mention a savings of about three million gallons of gas.[Via Slashdot]
