navmii
Latest
NavFree launches free US iPhone navigation app with offline map data
There's no shortage of iPhone navigation apps out there, but we can't say we've seen too many that come with 1.6GB of offline map data -- especially for free. That's the hook for NavFree USA, which just went live in the App Store -- sure, it also has some interesting social features like crowdsourced map updates and navigating to friends, and you can buy add-ons like traffic and speed camera info, but we think most people will use the free turn-by-turn and call it a day. That is, until Apple builds navigation directly into the OS. PR after the break. Update: Commenter marklarson just pointed out the hilariously misguided compass icon in the upper left there, and now we are downloading this app just to look at it whenever we need to be cheered up.
G-Fi puts GPS on your first gen iPhone or iPod touch, at quite a cost
I love my iPhone, but I have to say that there is one little thing wrong with it: it's a first generation. That means that I can't quite play all of the games, or record video, or do all of the cool GPS things you kids can do nowadays. It's not a really bad thing -- I can still do a good 99% of the things that a 3GS can do, and I get plenty of usage out of mine anyway -- but it is kind of a pain waiting for my Google maps to update over Edge, or not having turn-by-turn directions when I want them. Fortunately, there are already ways to get GPS going on my 1st gen, and here's another one. The G-Fi is a little box that will add GPS to your first generation iPhone or iPod touch. Unfortunately, this one is probably a little too hardcore for me -- it creates a mobile wireless point that will spin out GPS locations to any number of devices in the area, up to 200 total. The catch: it requires a specific app called Navmii, selling in the App Store now for $33. That's in addition to the little box itself, which is $100. Unfortunately, while this might work for a large number of roaming devices, it's way more than I need. A single unit add-on like the Magellan kit works with any app that uses GPS and will probably cost less, too. But if this one floats your boat (maybe you have a fleet of bounty hunters rocking 1st gen iPhones who need GPS to track down crooks together?), you can pick it up right now.
