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Daily Update for December 14, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
Telenav launches browser-based turn-by-turn GPS navigation using HTML 5
Telenav's been bringing the turn-by-turn goods to both Android and iOS for quite a while now, and has added plenty of nifty features to its GPS platform along the way -- from personalized routes to offline access. Now, the company has unveiled plans to put its navigation in every HTML5-capable browser on the planet, and the best part is, it's free. The new service is available now for a select group of developers, who can add Telenav's voice-guided GPS by plugging in a single line of code into their websites or apps. The service will eventually be released for consumers and all developers, but for those devs who'd like to dip their toe into Telenav's web-based waters early, the company's accepting applications now. The GPS bar has officially been raised... the question is, how will the team in Mountain View respond?
TeleNav announces free HTML5-based GPS nav service
TeleNav is a large provider of GPS navigation applications for smartphones and in-car infotainment systems. Whether it's the AT&T Navigator app or Ford vehicles, TeleNav is behind the scenes. Today the company announced the upcoming availability of an HTML5-based navigation service that works on just about any smartphone platform -- including iOS5 -- and can be built into apps through an API. The service is browser-based and provides voice-guided turn-by-turn GPS navigation services, full-color moving maps, and automatic rerouting. TeleNav says that the service will be free for both consumers and developers when it goes live in early 2012. TeleNav wants to partner with mobile developers, stating that with one line of code, devs can add full turn-by-turn navigation to mobile websites and apps with local content. Sal Dhanani, co-founder and vice president of products for TeleNav said that, "With one line of code, you can give your customers one-click access to premium, voice-guided turn-by-turn directions to any location, including hotels, restaurants, merchants or deal locations. Customers never need to leave your app." The company wants to partner with developers to test the service, and mobile website and app developers can apply for early access at www.telenav.com/developer/HTML5.
Switched On: A road trip with Siri
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. When considering the great technology advances of the past few decades, GPS tends to get short shrift compared to such culture-rocking innovations as the internet and cellular networks. But it is a marvel nonetheless. Just a few generations ago, the idea of hopping in a car with no clue how to get to a particular destination was foolishness (or at least fodder for gender-stereotyping comedians). Today, with an inexpensive device or smartphone software, we can do so with near certainty of finding our way. Developers of navigation apps and hardware must place great care in creating an experience that doesn't unnecessarily distract the driver. For example, quite a few involve "lane assist" features that starkly indicate the options when coming to a fork in the road so that the driver avoids having to stare at the screen too long to figure out the right path. In addition, spoken instructions have long been a defining commodity. While Telenav, for example, offers a free version of its navigation app, it doesn't include such audio. And Nokia recently followed suit with its distribution strategy around Nokia Drive, leaving the version with spoken turn-by-turn directions exclusive to its Windows Phones.
MyFord Touch Upgrade inbound, brings 'faster, simpler, easier' infotainment to your late-model whip
For better or worse, Ford owners have been basking in the overzealous infotainment ways of MyFord Touch for over a year now. Since then, the service's been updated with amenities such as integrated Nuance voice recognition for SYNC, but now the Dearborn-based automobile monolith is taking things a few steps forward. Penned for release "early next year," the MyFord Touch Upgrade will usher in a massive revamp across every nook and cranny of the system as a whole. Starting with the 2013 model year Flex, Taurus and Escape, drivers will be greeted by over 1,000 revised screens implementing an "improved look," with an up to 40 percent increase in font sizes, a simpler -- and more cohesive -- GUI focused displaying only important info (for less clutter) and notably, doubly fast response times for touch and voice-based inputs. And oh yes, it gets even better. Those with tablets will be pleased to know that multimedia playback will be supported via USB, while mobile phones will benefit from quicker automatic Bluetooth pairing and better echo and noise-cancellation. Ford has also baked-in voice support for sports buffs with Sirius Game Finder, as well as bibliophiles with Audible.com integration (which can also be touch controlled, should you desire it). Best of all, you'll no longer need to recite any parenthetical or bracketed album info your music tracks may have, or the direction of street names when inputting addresses for directions. Speaking of, the TeleNav-enabled nav system will have further map detail courtesy of Navteq, with enhancements like more 3D imaging, "photorealistic" signage and better route planning thanks to "a database of historical traffic patterns." If you've already got some miles on an existing MyFord Touch-enabled ride, no worries -- Ford will give your system the upgrade pro bono when it's available, taking all but a (hopefully) quick visit to your local dealer. Potential and current Ford owners will find more visuals in the gallery below and full details in the press release past break. Update: Ford has let us know that existing owners will not be required to visit their dealer for the upgrade, and will be receiving a USB drive allowing for a self-install in the mail. That said, you can still drop by your dealer after getting it to have the install done there. %Gallery-138462%
Daily Update for October 31, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
TeleNav offers a sort-of free GPS solution for iOS
As we continue our survey of GPS apps for iOS, I have to mention the TeleNav family. The company, which is also behind the AT&T Navigator subscription app, offers a free entry level app that is quite popular with users, even though it is missing some key features. For free you get turn-by-turn directions, 3D maps, local search that includes gas prices, and one-touch rerouting. There's a big feature missing, however. No spoken turn-by-turn directions. So, in a way, it's not offering much more than the built-in Maps application, and less than the free voice-enabled Mapquest application (published by our parent company AOL). There is a 3D view, but when driving, you don't want to be looking at a screen. The solution is an upgrade to the US $0.99 app, but after that you use it for 30 days you need to upgrade to a $9.99 a year subscription. That's a sale price which is about half off the regular tariff. The paid version adds voice guidance, spoken street names and auto rerouting. So how does it all work? It's not bad. The graphics are clean, setting up a destination is easy, and the local search is comprehensive. The voice guidance is very clear. I didn't run into heavy traffic during my test, so no comments there. Since the maps are downloaded as you go, that means a data connection is needed. It's something to think about if you are going to be out of cellular range frequently. On the other hand, with no onboard maps, the app has a small footprint (17.5MB) and your maps will theoretically stay current. With my driving in Arizona the maps seemed current, although some comments in the App Store indicate they may not always be up to date with the latest street layouts. As someone with local knowledge, TeleNav didn't always take me the way I would have chosen, but the choices always worked. I've noticed that nav apps have a bias for bigger streets, but sometimes the best shortcuts are the road less traveled. Is the TeleNav app for you? If you are on a budget an in an urban setting I think it is worth a serious look. I'm not wild about the idea of subscriptions to apps. I'd rather spend a little more and forget about recurring charges. If you are on a limited data plan, and you use it a lot, you may run into extra charges, but the data being downloaded is pretty minimal. It's nice to see the many, many choices iPhone users have to get a perfect fit for navigation. TeleNav has given you yet another choice worth considering. The app requires iOS 4 or greater but runs fine on iOS5 and the new iPhone 4S. TeleNav is universal so it runs on the iPhone as well as the iPad. Of course, life would be grand if Apple provided built-in navigation as is found on the Android phones. That may be coming, and there have certainly been indications of it. Think of the power of Siri and navigation rolled into one. %Gallery-137893%
TeleNav 7.1 for Sprint Android phones: this time it's personal
Sure, everyone loves Google Maps Navigation, it's free, and it comes on every Android handset. However, those wanting a more personal experience from their phone's GPS (and are on the Now Network) should check out TeleNav GPS Navigator 7.1. Among the changes from prior iterations of the app are a new home screen with real-time traffic updates and customizable "Home" and "Work" buttons to show your impending commute times. So you can pick the fastest way home (or the most direct route to happy hour) 7.1 also recommends multiple routes to your chosen destination and provides drive times and traffic conditions for each route. As if that weren't enough, you can also download three widgets to put on your Android home screen: a map showing your current location, a search bar, and a widget that shows your home and work commute times. We enjoy celebrities giving us directions and all, but it's good to see some new functional features coming to the GPS game. Full PR after the break.
Motorola Photon 4G review
It's summer, which means the usual deluge of Android handsets is upon us. The Motorola Photon 4G is Sprint's latest specimen, and follows hot on the heels of HTC's somewhat disappointing EVO 3D. Like its stablemate, it's a proper superphone with a dual-core processor, large qHD display, and of course, WiMAX. Instead of trying to wow us with a gimmicky 3D camera, it differentiates itself by being Sprint's first global phone with WiMAX, and as such supports CDMA / EV-DO for North America along with GSM / HSPA for the rest of the world. Motorola further spices things up with a dash of WebTop functionality, something it first introduced on the Atrix 4G. So, is the Photon just the smartphone flavor du jour, or does it stand out from the seasonal crowd? How does it compare to the EVO 3D and the other Android flagships? Hit the break for our full review. %Gallery-130607%
T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide review
Not too long ago, things were pretty simple in T-Mobile's Android land. For us (the nerds, geeks, power users, early adopters, and other misbegotten social deviants) there was the G series of phones with plain Android, culminating recently with LG's delightful G2x. If you wanted to buy your mom an Android smartphone, you'd point her at the myTouch series of handsets with custom HTC Sense-based skins, like last winter's myTouch 4G. Life got a bit more complicated with the introduction of LG's Optimus T, Samsung's Galaxy S 4G, and other devices that don't neatly fit into the carrier's grand branding scheme. Well, fear not! T-Mobile and HTC went ahead and refreshed last summer's lovely myTouch 3G Slide with a dash of dual-core tech lifted right from HTC's Sensation flagship and a bespoke 8 megapixel shooter said to be "the most advanced camera of any smartphone". Those are fighting words... so does the myTouch 4G Slide (as it's called) beat the likes of Samsung's Galaxy S II, Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc, and Nokia's N8 in terms of imaging performance? Is the sliding keyboard as pleasant to use as its predecessor? And most importantly, is this your mom's next phone? Read on for our full review. %Gallery-129747%
HTC EVO 3D review
The first time we saw the rumored Supersonic we were blown away. HTC and Google had just wowed us with the Nexus One, and here we were looking at something even better -- a 4.3-inch phone with WiMAX wrapped in a white body. This prototype was buggy and had abysmal battery life, but it was real. Four months later it landed in our hands at Google I/O. We're of course talking about the EVO 4G which went on to become a runaway hit for HTC and Sprint as the first ever 4G smartphone in the US. And here we are a year later with the HTC EVO 3D, the legitimate heir to Sprint's mobile kingdom -- at least until the Motorola Photon 4G comes along. When we first played with the 3D-capable handset at CTIA we were suitably impressed, but we left with a lot of unanswered questions. How do the 1.2GHz dual core processor and qHD display affect battery life? Is 3D a compelling feature or just a gimmick? What is 2D camera performance like with the lower specced camera? Is the EVO 3D a worthy replacement for the EVO 4G? Find out in our review after the break. %Gallery-126409%
TeleNav bringing hybrid navigation to GPS apps, eases reliance on data connection
If there's two things the world needs, it's a complete lack of international roaming charges, and GPS signals that never fade. Oh, and for Slash to not play the last Super Bowl with the Black Eyed Peas -- we suppose that makes three. At any rate, at least we're moving somewhat closer to a reality that solves the middle issue, with TeleNav announcing this week that it'll be implementing "hybrid navigation technology" into its apps (including the new iOS version) in the very near future. Post-implementation, TeleNav software will automatically cache maps and directions for routes you look up, and if you drop your mobile connection or GPS signal en route, you'll still be able to have a look at the original plan. 'Course, any deviations from the prescribed route will lead to endless frustration, but if you (or your 63 year old father) are familiar with following a paper map, you ought to be just fine. The company asserts that the new addition will be rolling out to "select applications" that it develops for carrier partners "in the near future," and you won't be ask to pay a dime more for the added convenience. Sometimes life's just too kind, eh? Update: TeleNav pinged us to say that its version will actually download full maps to the device (so you'll need a good chunk of free space), so you really won't suffer too much from not having a live connection. Also, the iPhone build is better known as AT&T Navigator v1.8i.
TeleNav GPS for iPhone 4: Free maps, inexpensive turn-by-turn service
At CTIA in Orlando, Florida, TeleNav today announced a new GPS solution for iPhone 4 users. Available immediately on the App Store, TeleNav GPS (free) starts off providing 30 free days of personal navigation service, including spoken turn-by-turn directions, 3D moving maps, auto-rerouting and enhanced search of over 22 million points of interest. After 30 days, users can choose to just stay with the map and search service, or they can make an in-app purchase of US$2.99 per month or $21.99 a year for the full navigation service. The company already has over 20 million subscribers to their services, one of which is the AT&T Navigator app. That app, which is specific to AT&T subscribers, is also free to download, but it costs $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year. The AT&T Navigator app provides many more features at this point, including real-time traffic updates, the ability to download maps for off-line use and one-touch speech recognition. TeleNav introduced TeleNav GPS for Verizon iPhone back in early February. That version of the app is no longer available and has been replaced by this more universal edition. At $2.99 per month, many iPhone 4 users who might balk at the monthly expense of the AT&T Navigator app may be willing to give TeleNav GPS a try. The app supports both English and Spanish language directions. Update: TeleNav noted that despite the fact that the App Store listing shows iPad 2 with 3G compatibility, the app was not designed for use with the iPad 2. We have removed references to the iPad 2 in this post.
Verizon iPhone causing fragmentation of iOS apps? We've got the real story
Sometimes, when journalists and bloggers hear something that sounds like a scoop, they rush to publish the story before anyone else can get it. Unfortunately, that sometimes has repercussions. Yesterday, I was talking to ZDNet's James Kendrick at the TeleNav Waypoint event in Cupertino when he mentioned that he had just posted a story about fragmentation in the iOS market. The story suggested strongly that there were changes between the AT&T and Verizon iPhones that would require some developers to create individualized versions of their apps for each carrier. His conclusions were based on a question he had posed earlier in the day to TeleNav personnel, asking why the company had created a Verizon-only version of their iPhone navigation app instead of just re-branding the AT&T Navigator app. The answer from Telenav execs was that they believed it was due to hardware differences. I also overheard that comment and found it quite disturbing. Shortly after Kendrick's post went live, TechCrunch's MG Siegler wrote a sharp-tongued but insightful response, iPhone App Fragmentation FUD Is Looming. In his post, Siegler decried Kendrick's story as "complete nonsense" based on his observation that all apps he had personally tested on the Verizon iPhone -- including a number of GPS-centric apps -- had worked fine. This seemed like a story that could be rapidly resolved one way or another with a bit of targeted reporting. Our beat writer for the navigation app market, Mel Martin, quickly jumped in (at 10 at night) and emailed numerous contacts in the mobile nav sector to see if they had run into any issues with their apps working on the Verizon iPhone. The unanimous answer? No.
TeleNav GPS for the Verizon iPhone announced
TeleNav, the company that brought the AT&T Navigator app and service to life a few years ago, today announced a navigation app tailored for Verizon customers who are getting a new phone soon: TeleNav GPS for the Verizon iPhone. The app isn't currently on the App Store, but it should be available shortly after Big Red's iPhone hits the streets. You can sign up for notification of the app's availability here. The app, like its AT&T sibling, will be free for download from the App Store, and Verizon iPhone owners can use the advanced turn-by-turn navigation system for free for 30 days. After the first 30 days, users can purchase the navigation service for US$2.99 per month or $21.99 per year. If they wish to just use the GPS map and search capabilities, they can do so without subscribing to the service. It's interesting to note that the AT&T version of this app is much more expensive, $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Given the new competitive pressure that AT&T will be receiving from the new US iPhone carrier, perhaps AT&T will be forced to drop the subscription prices to match or beat those available on Verizon. As with many navigation apps for the iPhone, TeleNav GPS for the Verizon iPhone provides spoken turn-by-turn directions with street names as well as 2D or 3D moving maps. The app updates routes if you miss a turn or a street is closed, and map updates are automatic. A short video of the major features of the app follows on the next page.
AT&T Navigator for iPhone updated, features direct speech recognition
If you're a subscriber to the free AT&T Navigator app and the associated service , then you'll want to load the latest update ASAP. AT&T Navigator v1.7i is the newest version of the TeleNav-powered app, and it's now the first iPhone GPS navigation app that incorporates direct speech recognition. As you can see in the video above, all you need to do is tap an icon, speak your destination, and the app will display appropriate destination addresses. Tap one of the addresses, and navigation begins. The new version also provides alerts for traffic cameras, works in landscape mode, and has a lane-assist function that shows you which lane you need to be in before you get to an intersection. When you need directions back to your home location, there's a new "shake to go home" function -- just shake the iPhone, and the app knows you want directions back home. The free app works with a US$9.99 monthly service that appears on your AT&T iPhone bill. You can choose a monthly or annual subscription, and you can cancel at any time. Note that navigation is only possible in areas where you have cellular data coverage, as the maps are downloaded on demand.
TeleNav releases free OnMyWay notification app for iPhone
TeleNav is the developer of a lot of mobile navigation applications, including AT&T Navigator for the iPhone. Now the company has come out with an iPhone version of a popular app that originally launched for the BlackBerry platform -- OnMyWay. OnMyWay has a simple goal -- it tells another person or group of people that you are currently "on your way" and sends them the estimated time of your arrival. The app sends new alerts to your contacts if your ETA changes (if you're stuck in traffic, for instance), so that you can safely continue driving and not have to call or text someone else if you're running late. To set up a notification, the iPhone owner inputs a destination, an appointment time, and one or more phone numbers or email addresses to send alerts to, then taps the start button. iPhone contacts are integrated into the app to make setting up the notifications a snap. OnMyWay takes care of the rest of the trip. It starts by sending an initial notification to the recipients telling them that the driver has started his trip, and then includes an estimated time of arrival. Up to three additional status messages might be sent, depending on how the driver has set up the app; if the sender is going to be late, if the person is within a pre-set number of minutes away from the destination, and when the driver is one minute from arriving. Where I could see this app being a real boon is in letting my wife know when I'll be getting back from an appointment. If I'm running a little late, she usually pings me via text, and I have to pull over and send her a response. With OnMyWay, she'd be getting updates and would hopefully leave me to my driving... Some screenshots are in the gallery below. %Gallery-100477%
iPhone GPS navigation head-to-head review
Nobody likes getting lost, and nobody likes paying too much for a reheated lunch at a franchise restaurant when there's a mouthwatering family joint hiding just around the corner. Wouldn't you know it, there's an app that solves those problems -- quite a few of the things, as it turns out. Following up on our earlier look at non-iPhone GPS apps, we took a look at the top iPhone navigation choices in the App Store and narrowed it down to the five below, then threw in a no charge option for kicks, covering a range of prices from free to upwards of $120 per year. As it turns out there's a very tangible difference between the discount and the "premium" options here, but is that extra really worth it? Read on to find out.
TeleNav: GPS helped guys get out of the Valentine's Day doghouse
TeleNav is known for its phone-based GPS navigation products, particular the AT&T Navigator app for iPhone. The company has over 11 million subscribers to its services, so it has a lot of data to sift through to find interesting location search trends. That data showed that GPS location searches helped a lot of guys keep from getting in deep trouble with their significant others in the period surrounding Valentine's Day. Mark Burfeind of TeleNav tells us that they put together all the florist and flower-related GPS searches in their products around Valentine's Day, over 11 million users total, and "found that GPS may have come to the rescue for last minute shoppers." Among the interesting finds: During Valentine's Week (Feb. 8 – 14), searches for flowers increased more than 5.5 times over the previous, non-holiday week of Feb. 1 - 7. In fact, searches on Valentine's Day alone outnumbered searches for the entire week of Feb. 1-7. It looks like GPS may have helped some people get out of the "doghouse" following Valentine's Day. Searches for flowers by TeleNav's users the Monday following Valentine's Day were twice as high as those on an average Monday. How about you, TUAW reader? Did you use your favorite iPhone navigation app to find flowers, candy, or an available restaurant reservation for Valentine's Day? Leave us a comment and let us know if your iPhone's GPS saved the day.
MyFord Touch yields three screens and a Ford from Microsoft Auto 4.0
User experience -- the focus of any savvy consumer electronics company (though not all) looking to differentiate itself in a marketplace saturated by imitators. Now an auto company is hoping to capitalize on this fundamental tenant of modern consumerism: Ford. With the introduction of MyFord, the Detroit institution will attempt to refashion the driver's interface so as to more closely align with the rich graphic displays found on today's consumer electronics. Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development, says "it's not just a technology; it's an experience... that will cause people to fall in love with their vehicles again." Powered by the second generation of Ford Sync that is itself built upon Microsoft Auto 4.0, MyFord Touch offers improved voice recognition, touch-sensitive buttons, touch screens, and thumb-wheel controls that replace most traditional knobs and switches scattered about the driver's cockpit. MyFord also boosts connectivity with the help of an SD card slot and WiFi. Information is displayed on a pair of 4.2-inch full-color LCDs flanking an analog speedometer with five-way navigation buttons on each side of the steering wheel crossbar that give the driver control over data on the corresponding left- or right-side display; vehicle data on the left (fuel economy, mechanical status, safety features) and infotainment on the right (audio setting, climate controls, phone communications and navigation menus). An 8-inch touchscreen LCD at the top of the center console stack is the centerpiece of phone, navigation, climate and audio/entertainment functions and features fingertip slider controls for adjusting the audio volume and fan speed -- voice commands can also be used in most cases. In yet another blow to makers of personal GPS navigators, Ford is also making its existing Traffic, Directions & Information application standard on all MyFord and Sync-equipped cars. Enhanced 3D map-based navigation is enabled by upgradeable SD cards (supplied by TeleNav) containing the map database and voice data, 3D map graphics, and enhanced point-of-interest data from Wcities. Naturally, the navigation system takes full advantage of those 3x MyFord LCDs to displays visual cues like street names, directional arrows, and distance makers in addition to spoken turn-by-turn directions. Expect to see MyFord branded as MyLincoln Touch and MyMercury Touch on respective Lincoln and Mercury branded rigs kicking off with the 2011 Lincoln MKX set for reveal at the North American International Auto Show next week.%Gallery-81642%
