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OnStar users now sending Google Maps directions to their cars, definitely living in the future
July is upon us -- do you know what that means? For starters, it's Canada Day, but secondly, today marks the first day that turn-by-turn capable GM vehicles as old as 2006 can search for destinations using Google Maps and have those destinations beamed directly to their vehicles. The OnStar eNav feature is now fully Google-fied, and we're desperately hoping that other factory navigation systems take notice of the awesomeness and begin to do likewise in the not-so-distant future. Till then, have a peek at the GM demonstration vid just past the break, and feel free to let us know how it works for you in comments below.
GM follows Ford, brings Google Maps to OnStar eNav systems
Monkey see, monkey do -- right? All jesting aside, you can't help but chuckle over the timing here. Merely 24 hours after Ford announced that a Send to SYNC feature would allow motorists to beam Google Maps directions over Bluetooth to existing SYNC navigation systems, in flies General Motors with an eerily similar release. Granted, we learned last month that Google and GM would be working together on some rather special endeavors, but bringing the wonders of GMaps home to an otherwise ho hum routing system is particularly laudable. In fact, we may argue that GM's implementation has the edge, as the OnStar eNav feature will allow Google Maps to be sent to vehicle models as far back as 2006 (for spoken turn-by-turn guidance), while those with fresher systems will be able to have routes sent directly to their NAV screens via integration with OnStar Destination Download. Talk about a surefire way to keep people hooked on that OnStar subscription, eh? [Thanks, JL]
OnStar adds new enhancements to turn-by-turn navigation service
If you've been warming to those OnStar assistants when dialing up to get directions, you've now got a couple more reasons to pretend that you're lost. The first enhancement to its existing turn-by-turn service is Destination Download, which essentially enables subscribers with screen-based NAV systems to have routes beamed in without the driver having to pull over and manually enter them. Moving on, we see the official rollout of the long-awaited eNav service, which allows motorists in "turn-by-turn navigation-capable vehicles" to find and save destinations on MapQuest.com; afterwards, the directions can be sent to the car's navigator. Lastly, XM NavTraffic is joining the fray in order to give OnStar users instant notification if there are any delays ahead in their planned route (and the ability to change course). Peep the read link for a video demonstration of the services, and click on through for the full release.
