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CoPilot GPS app includes free offline maps with optional traffic data and turn-by-turn navigation, headed to Android and iOS
ALK (that's the company behind CoPilot Live) is no stranger to GPS apps, but it's starting afresh this week with a new application offering more features for free. CoPilot GPS, which will be available on iOS and Android, goes the way of Nokia Maps in that it stores all those millions of points of interests offline, so you don't need an Internet connection to calculate directions. Download the free version and you'll also get some requisite social networking integration, walking and driving directions, the ability to choose from up to three routes and built-in Bing and Wikipedia search functionality. The app also matches Google Maps with voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation and 3D maps, but you'll have to shell out $19.99 as a one-time in-app payment for the privilege. Real-time traffic updates are also an option, but that'll cost you an additional $9.99 for a 12-month subscription. According to ALK, the app will be available for iOS and Android in early to mid March, but in the meantime we've got a handful of screens below to give you a taste of what to expect.
Add GPS to your Viewsonic G-Tablet and test your soldering skills
If you picked up one of those G-Tablets, but are now suffering from buyer's remorse after realizing how much you miss GPS, there's a solution -- provided you have a strong DIY streak. It turns out Viewsonic set space aside on the Froyo-powered slate's motherboard to place a GPS receiver. Of course, if you even have to ask what flux is or what SMD stands for this is not the hack for you. And while apps that rely on 3G, such as Google Maps, won't work properly, offline navigators like Navigon and CoPilot should be just fine. If you're comfortable tearing open your device and poking at it with a hot iron, hit up the source link for a complete list of parts and some very detailed instructions... or, you could just buy a tablet that already has GPS. [Thanks, Andrew F.]
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.
Toshiba TG01 gets CoPilot GPS app, takes you to camp
What's there to say about the TG01? It's under ten millimeters thin, rocks a GPS and a 4.1-inch display, and with that 1GHz Snapdragon chip under the proverbial hood, we're counting on some serious multimedia action. Now that we're gearing up for MWC, ALK Technologies has just announced that it's making the CoPilot Live GPS nav system available for the guy. The app promises full-featured turn-by-turn navigation and both 3D and 2D widescreen map views, and real-time services like traffic alerts, fuel price info, and weather conditions. Additionally, this bad boy supports safety camera alerts, with free database updates available for download directly to the phone. Specifics -- such as price and release date -- to be announced.
Copilot satellite navigation for WM6 launched
Mobile navigation just doesn't seem to stop these days -- everyone and their dog has a smartphone-enabled navigation solution built for the Palm ACCESS Garnet, Windows Mobile or RIM Blackberry platform. But, we love the name "Copilot", which was launched for the just-unveiled Windows Mobile 6. Initial details? Well, you get what is rapidly becoming standard with mobile nav apps -- except for Copilot's market-first solution for WM6 -- and that list includes color 2D/3D maps, natural text-to-speech voice directions in multiple languages and access to navigational route upgrades from NAVTEQ to round out Copilot's package. [Thanks, Peter]
Copilot 2.0 supports Macs
I love my mother, which is why I gave her my old G5 iMac (the last of the G5 iMacs) but she isn't really all that tech savvy. To her credit she has gotten much better with surfing the web, and doing email but if a problem crops up on her iMac (which is rare, but it does happen) she calls her own personal tech support agent: me.I'm not the only person who knows the joys of trying to talk a frustrated parent through some troubleshooting technique. I have often thought about installing VNC, or Apple Remote Desktop on her machine, but I she lives in VA and I live in PA. When I visit her I want to spend time talking and not fiddling with her computer so I can make sure I'll be able to connect remotely when needed.Enter Copilot, the Fog Creek online 'assistive service' that allows you to connect to a remote computer using a small app and a website. Copilot 2.0 now supports OS X 10.2, and later, as well as both Safari and Firefox. No configuration is required, and the pricing structure is very interesting. 5 bucks will get you 24 hours of unlimited access, and if you find yourself using Copilot more than that there are subscription plans available that should suit your needs.You can read more about Copilot at this post on Joel On Software, and to get a glimpse into the Mac dev side of things check out this post on Red Sweater blog.Next time my mom runs into a problem I know who my copilot will be (see what I did there?).
