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satnav posts

Garmin EcoRoutes ESP module turns your GPS into car sentinel

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 5th 2009 at 6:15AM

Get ready to tech up your driving experience, as Garmin has unveiled a new accessory for its nuvi line of GPS devices that lets you add a number of customizable gauges and monitoring utilities. The new ESP module tucks into the OBD-II diagnostics port on your car and communicates (via Bluetooth) all-important data like intake air temperatures and the fuel efficiency of your driving to the nuvi up top. Yea, it's been done before, but Garmin is (for the time being) a major force in navigation devices and could truly popularize this should there be enough interest. For our money, it's both a neat and geeky way to expand the functionality of the now threatened satnav species. The full dish on price and availability can be expected at CES 2010 this coming January.

Mio MiBuddy GPS units to trade Windows CE for Android

by Joshua Topolsky posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 9:22AM

If you're keeping tabs on Mio Technology's GPS happenings, you'll be interested to dip into some facts that PC World has uncovered about the company's upcoming offerings. According to the mag, the next version of the electronics-maker's MiBuddy satnav unit will dash the underlying Windows CE architecture for Google's newer and far more suave Android platform. The new device will be pushing into MID territory, boasting a 4.7-inch touchscreen along with a hardware slider keyboard, the ability to browse the internet, and WiFi and Bluetooth onboard. Call us crazy, but it seems possible that devices like dedicated PNDs running Android could easily adapt Google's new turn-by-turn system as their primary mode of operation. Alternately, you could switch between Mio's proprietary version and Google's variation... or they could axe the big G's altogether, though that awkward situation makes far less sense to us. No word on timing or price just yet, but we'll keep you posted.

[Via NaviGadget]

Update: Seems this is all just a great big mixup, and the whole Android thing is just untrue. Bummer.

TomTom Car Kit for iPhone review

by Richard Lai posted Oct 29th 2009 at 4:05PM

Boy, TomTom sure has chosen the worst possible time to release its Car Kit for iPhone, and to make matters worse, its decision to not include the iPhone app is now set in stone. That's right, the hardware alone will set you back the cost of a TomTom ONE nowadays, and the $99.95 app works on the iPhone 3G and 3GS without it. So here's the question: is the car kit worth the extra $119.95? To find out, we got hold of a review unit for a sunny road trip around London. Surprisingly, the car kit uses Bluetooth to connect the GPS receiver and the hands-free function to the iPhone, even though there's a dock connector for charging. Bluetooth connectivity does have its advantages: according to TomTom it can work as a generic Bluetooth GPS receiver for any satellite navigation app -- including Google Maps -- on the iPhone, or any smartphones at all for that matter. TomTom even confirmed that the car kit could potentially compensate for the first-generation iPhone's lack of built-in GPS, but since its app won't run on anything but a 3G or 3GS we'll have to wait and see if that's actually useful. Meanwhile, the company is cooking up a compatible app for the original iPhone and the iPod Touch, which could make the car kit more worthwhile. Read on for our hands-on impression and test videos.

[Thanks for being our driver, Sam]

Gallery: TomTom Car Kit for iPhone review

Continue reading TomTom Car Kit for iPhone review

TomTom Go I-90 integrates into any dashboard, brings radio 'infotainment'

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 20th 2009 at 6:04AM

TomTom has been on a mission to keep itself relevant as smartphones increasingly start to overstep on its territory, and the GO I-90 is another move in its counteroffensive plan. Capable of slotting into the double DIN slot usually reserved for in-car radio / music players, its big selling point is that it integrates into your dashboard yet is still capable of being moved around like a discrete nav unit. You wouldn't be left decrying the loss of your radio either, with the GO I-90 sporting FM (with RDS support) and AM reception, USB support for MP3 players including iPods, and a promised compatibility with an "extensive" list of phones for handsfree calling -- unfortunately, the poorly worded PR makes no mention of Bluetooth so we're not sure how they'll pull that off. Throw in a guarantee to receive the latest maps, TomTom's Map Share for crowdsourced routes, and a Help-Me! emergency menu, and you get a pretty comprehensive product. Shame about that €599 (about $893) sticker then. Available in Europe in December.

TomTom XL 335S: mostly the same, but slightly cheaper

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 13th 2009 at 2:08PM

Maps cost money, people -- and if you're TomTom and you're trying to shave a couple bucks off your latest nav unit, you can do it by leaving some out. Like, say, maps of Mexico. That's really the only difference we see between the $239 XL 335S announced today and the $249 XL340S announced back in April -- both have 4.3-inch touchscreens and the usual Map Share, IQ Routes, and Advanced Lane Guidance features, but the new kid won't go south of the border. We'd spring for the extra peace of mind, honestly -- but if you're willing to live dangerously, the 335S is on sale now.

TomTom Start wants to democratize GPS navigation: smartphones point, laugh

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 6th 2009 at 4:24AM

Paradoxically, most of the fuss surrounding TomTom of late has been associated with a certain smartphone -- a class of devices that signals the end to the dedicated SatNavs TomTom builds. Still, TomTom hasn't given up the fight yet as they've just announced the TomTom Start, a Є129 entry-level GPS navigator with 3.5-inch display and choice of six StartSkin covers costing €15 per -- you know, so you can change the look of your GPS unit every time you reupholster your car's interior. The device cost climbs to Є149 for a European map pre-load instead of the base, regional offering. Start features TomTom's IQ Routes and Map Share technology to find the fastest route benefiting from the aggregated map correction data fed by the hoards of local TomTom-ers. Look for it in the UK and Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway... someday, TomTom doesn't say when.

TomTom's iPhone car kit and navigation software priced overseas

by Darren Murph posted Aug 6th 2009 at 4:44AM

TomTom told us that its long-awaited iPhone navigation app and in-car mounting kit would be landing "this summer," and at least on our watch, summertime is quickly drawing to a close. If a pre-order listing over at Handtec is to be believed, it looks as if the outfit is exceedingly close to finally having both the software and hardware ready for shipping. The £113.85 ($194) asking price includes a suction mount for your iPhone as well as the mapping software, though there's no indication of exactly how much the app and hardware will run by themselves. Of course, until the iPhone supports multitasking, using it as a dedicated PND is still a risky move; one stray call during a pivotal moment in your travels and you can consider yourself lost. Oh, and then there's the fact that this thing has a TomTom logo on it -- if the iPhone app functions anything like the company's high-end GO 740 LIVE, we'd say you're better off asking Mr. Gas Station attendant (or buying a different brand).

[Via DaniWeb]

Continue reading TomTom's iPhone car kit and navigation software priced overseas

CSR debuts SiRFstarIV location-aware architecture, kisses slow fixes goodbye

by Darren Murph posted Jul 28th 2009 at 8:27AM

Nary half a year after snapping up SiRF, CSR is already tooting its horn about an all new SiRFstar architecture. The predictably titled SiRFstarIV technology takes quite the leap over its three-pronged predecessor, all but promising to nix those annoyingly long location fixes that are all too common on existing PNDs. The new location-aware, self-assisted, micro-power tech enables devices to be continually aware of location without requiring network aide; furthermore, there's hardly any power drain to speak of, which ought to please smartphone owners who can literally watch their battery meter drop with GPS enabled. CSR's first SiRFstarIV product is the GSD4t receiver, which is optimized for mobile phones and "other space and power-sensitive consumer devices." We're told that samples of the chip are shipping out now, with mass production slated for October and device integration happening shortly thereafter.

Hyundai Provia A7+ GPS unit adds multimedia playback, looks irresistible

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 7th 2009 at 8:34AM

It's no secret that some of our US editors have been feeling a bit of tech-envy toward our cousins from the far East, who consider 7-inch PNDs commonplace. Doing nothing to allay those emotions, Hyundai has announced the Provia A7+, which is -- you guessed it -- a 7-inch GPS-slash-PMP soon to be available in South Korea. The device comes with an integrated TV tuner (DMB), 800 x 480 resolution, video and audio playback, Navi-in-Picture functionality, and USB and SD connectivity to expand its abilities to match your imagination. If this thing's routing abilities are even half decent, it should sell like hot cakes in the middle of a particularly cold winter.

[Via Navigadget]

DeLorme kicks out waterproof Earthmate PN-30 GPS device

by Darren Murph posted Jun 24th 2009 at 6:57AM

It was pretty much a year ago to the day when DeLorme released its Earthmate PN-40, and now the outfit is busting out a lower-end unit that could easily be mistaken for the PN-40 from 2008. Indeed, the PN-30 doesn't deviate from its roots, boasting a peanut-shaped waterproof chassis, a 32-channel Cartesio chipset, a daylight readable LCD and maps of the US, Canada and Mexico. It's also sporting a rubberized housing around the edges to keep it safe from minor bumps and bruises; nothing too fancy here, but it ought to bring a smile to the face of all the argonauts in attendance. You can get one headed your way next month for $299.95, and the full release is after the break.

Continue reading DeLorme kicks out waterproof Earthmate PN-30 GPS device

Mio Spirit TV spotted in the wild doling out routes, serving soap operas

by Darren Murph posted May 13th 2009 at 10:33AM

While we Yanks are stuck with overpriced PNDs that suck down weather forecasts and pretend to alert us of upcoming traffic problems, folks overseas are using their navigators to watch fresh episodes of Top Gear. Navman, better known these days as Mio, has just outed two new satnav devices across the pond, both of which sport a built-in Freeview TV tuner, Bluetooth, Google search, walking mode and loads of POIs. The Spirit TV will arrive in both 4.7- and 7-inch flavors, with expected pricing hovering in the £200 ($306) to £300 ($459) range. For obvious reasons, we aren't expecting this one to head Stateside anytime soon, but those camping out in a Freeview territory should feel free to hit the read link for more hands-on shots.

Update: Slashgear got some hands-on video with the device, and considering that the TV tuner is modular, we could feasibly see a US-friendly one installed and shipped here. Yes, please. Thanks, Chris!

Cowon L3 officially announced (for Asia)

by Laura June posted Feb 12th 2009 at 5:52PM

We saw this one coming quite a while back, but it looks like the Cowon L3 satnav / PMP is officially official now. We stil haven't got full specs on this baby yet, but the 7-incher's got a 700x480 resolution, an unnamed dual core CPU, 128MB of SDRAM, 4GB of memory, an SD Slot, and GPS, and a fuel consumption indicator. We don't have any specific information as to availability -- though it's unlikely it'll ever get anywhere near North America -- or pricing yet, but we'll let you know as soon as we do!

Update: Full specs at the read link now on Cowon's site!

[Via Akihabara News, thanks Jeff]

TeleNav launches GPS navigation for the G1

by Joshua Topolsky posted Feb 12th 2009 at 8:00AM

They finally, really did it. Have you been lugging around that G1 and a GPS unit, grunting disdainfully every time you have to bust the latter out? Well it looks like TeleNav has heard your cries of disgust. The company is officially launching its turn-by-turn GPS navigation for the Android-powered device come February 24th. The software will feature full color 3D graphics, speech recognition, one-click rerouting, and traffic alerts, as well as weather updates, gas prices, and restaurant reviews (the PR claims over 10 million business and services). The service will launch with a 30-day free trial, after which it'll run you $9.99 a month. While we can't say we're too stoked on the price, it's still not too terrible of a fee to pay to actually put that GPS chip to use (and save some room in your glove compartment). Convergence: we're almost there.

Gallery: TeleNav launches GPS navigation for the G1

Continue reading TeleNav launches GPS navigation for the G1

TomTom's GO 630 shows up at RadioShack

by Joshua Topolsky posted Nov 11th 2008 at 10:03AM

Love GPS'ing? Love TomTom? Well you're in luck, because the company has just sneaked out another iteration of its popular GO series -- the 630. The device boasts a 4.3-inch, 480 x 272 touchscreen, SD card support, Bluetooth functionality, and comes loaded with maps of US and Canada. We're not going to pretend that the 630 sports any features which are too outstanding, but with things like "points of interest," a "windshield mount," and included "USB cable," you can rest easy knowing this does... something. The satnav unit is available from RadioShack right now for an affordable $349.99 (a $50 savings off its list price).

[Via GPS Tracklog]

Space radiation knocks Giove-B Galileo satellite into "safe mode"

by Darren Murph posted Oct 1st 2008 at 1:54PM

Safe mode, huh? While we had previously assumed only our clearly cursed PCs could fall into such a dark, dark place, apparently we were badly mistaken. The recently launched Giove-B satellite, which is the second bird launched for Europe's next-gen satnav network, was recently sent into some sort of "safe mode" after being "rocked by a surge of space radiation." Reportedly, said mode halts the satellite's mission activities and forces it to "concentrate on keeping its batteries topped up by ensuring its solar panels are properly aligned with the sun." Thankfully, the poor Giove-B was able to resume its frolicking in outer space around a fortnight after being blasted, though we hear if it had been just a tad worse, ground control would've had a real mess on their hands with the Blue Screen of Death.