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MapQuest gets new look, features for iOS 7 users
With Google and Apple locked in an epic battle to win the maps wars, many forget that there are other decent mapping services for iOS. One such service is MapQuest, the tried-and-true mapping solution that has been around for years and years. Today the company updated its MapQuest app for iOS 7 adding a sleek new interface and several feature enhancements including route bookmarking and, my favorite, a status bar that displays your full route statistics, including where you are along the journey and the time and distance left to reach your destination. Apple and Google should adopt this feature. Here's a full rundown of all the new features in MapQuest 4.0: Beautifully redesigned for iOS7, version 4.0 incorporates the useful features you need into precise vector maps to help you get where you need to go. Version 4.0 boasts: • Exquisite, eye-catching map styling – Our map now offers sharper detail and is much easier to read • Traffic conditions on route – Your route turns red (heavy) or yellow (some brake lights) to keep you informed of live traffic conditions • Custom home/work bookmarking – Bookmark your home and work addresses so no matter where you are, you can find your way to either at the push of a button • Road alerts – Get alerted to toll roads and seasonal road closures on your route • Sharing – Keep friends and family in the loop by sharing your location • Audio mute capabilities – Select the audio mute option to turn off voice-guided directions while enjoying music or making a phone call • Advanced search capabilities – Locate your destination faster when you search It should be noted that MapQuest 4.0 requires iOS 7, so if you haven't upgraded yet or have an iOS device that will not support iOS 7, you will not be able to upgrade to MapQuest 4.0. MapQuest 4.0 is a free download and offers an in-app purchase for US$3.99 that gets rid of the ads the app features.
MapQuest updates iOS 7 and Android apps with modern UI, route status bar
With Google, Apple and Nokia making so much fuss about navigation these days, it's easy to forget good 'ol MapQuest. That doesn't mean it isn't still going strong, though, as evidenced by the service's plans to launch updated apps for iOS 7 and Android sometime today. The apps will get a completely redone user interface that looks much more modern and takes advantage of higher-res displays. Although most of MapQuest's features may not be all that different from what you'd find on other map services, the app introduces one particular feature we've never seen before: a status bar on the top of the app that shows your full route at a glance and indicates time and distance to your destination as well as which parts (and how much) of your commute will involve heavy traffic. The service is still working on adding directions for transit and bikes, and should be in the next version; we're told that these, along with more travel integrations and product enhancements, are on the roadmap for 2014. As a sidenote, users of iOS 6 and below won't get today's update, and instead will continue using the same version they've already become accustomed to. If you're on iOS 7 or Android, however, it will show up as an update to the current versions already in the App Store and Play Store.
MapQuest arrives for Windows Phone 8
Let's be frank: most Windows Phone users already have some form of navigation on hand, whether it's Nokia's Here Drive+ beta or one of the alternatives. However, it rarely hurts to have a free choice like MapQuest's new app for Windows Phone 8. The suite offers voiced, turn-by-turn directions for driving and walking, along with live traffic and the usual point-of-interest searching. The app is comparatively basic, and it's only available in US English right now -- but if it's all you need to get from point A to point B, it's available at the source link. (Disclaimer: AOL owns both MapQuest and Engadget)
MapQuest Travel Blogs iOS app: Capture and share your journeys
Whenever my lovely wife and I take a vacation, we take a lot of photographs and keep a log of what interesting things happen every day. For the past few years we've used a self-hosted WordPress blog, which entails making sure that the WordPress software and plugins are updated on a regular basis and hoping that someone doesn't decide to throw malware onto the site. For future trips, we might be using MapQuest Travel Blogs and the accompanying free Travel Blogs iOS app to track our trips. First, a disclaimer; MapQuest is owned by TUAW's parent company, AOL. Our editor-in-chief Victor Agreda noticed this app first, and since we were both about to travel -- Victor for business at SXSW, me for fun -- we talked about trying it. It seemed like a pleasure trip would be a more appropriate use of the Travel Blogs app, so I offered to check it out. New users need to create an account on MapQuest Travel Blogs, which is done either from the website or the app. I had some issues logging in after signing up from the app, so I ended up going to the website to resolve those problems before continuing with the app. %Gallery-181229% Travel Blogs works on the concept of a travel book with chapters. Each chapter can describe a specific day on a trip, or a segment of a long journey that spans several days. When you create a new chapter, you're asked for some upfront info, including a chapter name, a location (optional, but a map displays where you have traveled) and a date range. Once you've created a chapter, it's time to add content to it. That's done with a tap of the Add button, which provides the option to add a story (text), photos, activity, restaurant (food), hotel, transportation and date. While the MapQuest Travel Blogs are web-based, you don't need to be connected to the internet while preparing a post. The app saves your information locally for synchronization to the blog servers. The location features in this first version of the app could use some improvement and will most likely be updated in the future by the MapQuest team. An app like Foursquare does a GPS lookup to figure out where the user is and then provides a list of nearby places where I can check in. When adding a new chapter or story, the Travel Blogs app doesn't seem to know where the heck I am. In fact, although I could go into the Maps app and see exactly where I was, I had to manually scroll the Travel Blogs map before it showed where I was, and then had to manually drop a pin on the map to denote my location. That's a bit of a location fail as far as I'm concerned. Don't even try to set a location pin for a story -- it's not possible. Should you want to create a chapter for a destination -- Rome, for example -- you're not going to be able to denote locations in the city unless they are known locations. I wanted to be able to set various pins as we cruised around in the Caribbean, and I wasn't able to do that unless I created a new chapter for each and every location pin. The app should also do an auto-sync when it realizes that I'm on a 3G, 4G or WiFi network. Instead, I have to manually tap on the sync icon to force the sync. It's a little thing that could be "fixed" by simply providing a setting to "Sync automatically over WiFi" and another for "Sync automatically over cellular." Sure, tapping a sync icon isn't hard, but it's one more thing to accidentally forget to do -- especially if you've had a few adult beverages while writing your blog entries. The big idea of the MapQuest Travel Blogs is to share your trips with others. If you decide you want your blog to be a private one, there's a way to password-protect it. For those who want to share with everyone in the world, the blog is published to the Travel Blogs website and you can then send the URL to others via email, Twitter or Facebook. In all cases, that URL links to a nicely formatted blog. My example blog for this little journey is located at http://travelblogs.mapquest.com/19807/disney-fantasy-cruise-2013 if you want to see how the blog is formatted. If I were going to give this app and service a score on a scale from 1 to 5, I'd give it about 3.5 right now. There are a few rough edges, but all in all MapQuest Travel Blogs is a trip in the right direction.
MapQuest picks TomTom Maps to power iPhone and Android turn-by-turn navigation apps
Still trying to figure out which way to turn when it comes to on-phone navigation? How's about a free option to ponder? MapQuest's gratis iPhone and Android programs are set to get a heck of a lot better, and soon. The company just announced that TomTom would become its maps provider, enabling it to provide coverage for more than 7.5 million miles of roads across North America. Interestingly, it seems that TomTom is finding new life after the death of the PND (personal navigation device) in software; just last month, Apple knighted TomTom to power its own internal Maps app, which is set to debut with iOS 6.
New version of Mapquest for iOS will appeal to those without an iPhone 4S
Even with Apple jumping into the navigation sweepstakes, many iOS users will still need some kind of navigation app because they won't have an iPhone 4S that Apple's new map apps requires. to enable the turn-by-turn feature of iOS 6's Maps app. [The Maps app itself will work on any iOS 6-supported device, but some features like turn-by-turn, Flyover and Siri support have more restrictive device support. –Ed.] I've written many reviews of GPS based apps, and have found a lot to like with the paid versions from vendors like Garmin, Navigon and Magellan. Still, there are people who want something free that has enough features to get from point A to point B without feeling they are a second class citizen. If you fall into that category, let me suggest you take a look at the MapQuest app, that has just been updated to version 3. The app already supported turn-by-turn voice directions, and has now added a new GUI, gas price information, live traffic cameras, better search, improved audio and landscape mode. The result is a pretty full-featured app that looks good and generally works as you would expect it to. I gave the app a spin today to see how it compared to my favorite nav app from Navigon. There were some issues I hadn't expected. When I searched for a destination about 12 miles away the app reported it couldn't find it because it was not within the boundaries of the view the app defaulted to. That's plain silly. I zoomed out, and then my search worked. The voice prompts are very clear, but I found the app too chatty. It sometimes told me 3 times about an approaching turn. I wish there was an adjustment to tame the verbosity. The app worked fine in the background, alerting me to upcoming turns when my iPhone was on the home screen. Using the app requires a data connection, and theoretically, the maps should be very up to date. That wasn't my experience on my maiden voyage. A 3 year-old street next to a shopping mall was nowhere on the map, and the app kept reporting that I was on a street a half mile away -- odd. Those criticisms aside, if you are looking for turn-by-turn navigation the MapQuest app has enough features to make it worthy of comparison to, some of the paid apps. As you've read, it's not perfect, but if you were counting on Apple for free navigation services, and you don't have an iPhone 4S, MapQuest may be just fine for you. Hopefully, it will improve, and the recent upgrade to version 3 indicates MapQuest wants to keep developing and improving this app. %Gallery-158113%
Study: free apps drain 75 percent more power, badly built advertising to blame
It's often said there's no such thing as a free lunch and that's doubly the case for free apps. A team from Purdue University found that nearly three quarters of the power used when you run an app like Angry Birds is actually used for adverts. It developed eprof, an app that investigates what processes are draining from your battery. Loading it onto the very old-school Android-powered myTouch 3G and Nexus One (not to mention a HTC TyTn II running Windows Mobile 6.5). Drilling down into those Angry Birds figures: the game itself only consumes 18 percent of the power, while advertising platform Flurry has 45 percent and GPS location tracking a further 15 percent. Project leader Abhinav Pathak lays the blame at the feet of poorly coded apps that need to be made significantly more efficient. He's now working with Microsoft to bring his software to Windows Phone and will present his findings at the EuroSys conference in Bern next month. If you don't think you'll be able to give up free apps, just remember to shut down GPS before you start smashing those pigs.
Google, MapQuest, Microsoft and Aol sued for allegedly infringing 3D mapping patent
The saga continues for Google's voyeuristic mapping service, but this time Microsoft Streetside and Aol's MapQuest 360 View may be the Bonnie to Street View's Clyde. Transcenic, Inc. is suing the tech giants for acquiring the tools necessary to offer 3D mapping by less-than-legitimate means. The Louisiana-based company alleges that all named parties borrowed, without permission, a bit from a patent it owns on a 3D cartography technology that captures spatial reference images and uses a database to navigate them on command. Google has been in hot water for its maps before, but it no doubt hopes this legal tiff ends as well as its one for trespassing, where it only paid a pack of gum's worth of damages. If you're into reading all the current legalese, check out the source for the full complaint. Meanwhile, we'll find out if Cousin Vinny's on the case. [Disclosure: Aol is the parent company of Engadget.]
iPhone navigation packages, in S-M-L editions
Thinking about getting Dad some directional guidance for Father's Day? Our package selections cover small, medium and large budgets to get where you're going. Of all the industries disrupted by the emergence of these odd touchscreen computers disguised as mobile phones, the standalone GPS market may be the most topsy-turvy. Among Chris' 33 things he doesn't need any more now that he has an iPhone, a separate $100+ unitasker GPS unit is probably the biggest target; the same goes double for Android phone owners, who get a capable and free turn-by-turn navigation tool as part of the Google Maps application. Just having the phone isn't quite enough, though, if you want to help those notorious no-asking-for-directions family members (that'd be Dad) self-guide with the iPhone 4. Combining the right app with the right car bracket can turn a simple purchase into a genuine Father's Day gift -- so here are our package recommendations in small, medium and large price ranges. All apps are available on the App Store, and most of the hardware can be found at Best Buy, Radio Shack or Staples. Small Everyone likes free, and that's what our first app choice brings to the table. MapQuest 4 Mobile (developed by AOL, our corporate parent) provides capable turn-by-turn navigation with voice synthesis, powered by the same map data as the mapquest.com site. The app includes live traffic data, point of interest search and more -- and did I mention the free part? Drawbacks include a quieter voice than some of the other offerings; you also have to manually choose between power-saving mode (where the app will allow the phone to sleep) and high-performance mode. Still, if you're looking for voice directions on a budget, it's a great place to start. (Note that both MapQuest Mobile and our #2 pick require data connectivity to download maps on the go.) For a budget vehicle mount, Arkon delivers no-frills units in windshield or lighter-socket ($20) and beanbag friction mounts ($30). Personally I don't care for lighter socket mounts, as they make it much more difficult to glance at the map while driving when the phone is mounted so far out of the driver's heads-up sightlines. I've been using the IPM512 friction mount for a while, and it works; the phone holder swivels to work either in portrait or landscape, and it includes adjustable 'feet' to slide out of the way of the dock port and the headphone jack. It does sometimes tend to accidentally press the phone's sleep switch, but for the most part it works well. To power the low-cost setup, any USB adapter will do; best to combine it with an iPhone sync cable plus a USB A-A extender to give you the slack you'll need. The Bracketron dual adapter ($25) is available at most Staples stores and will happily charge both the iPhone and a second device. Medium The next navigation app up the ladder doesn't cost much, but it's garnered some high-powered fans. MotionX-GPS Drive ($0.99, also available for iPad at $2.99) may not have impressed Mel for last year's gift guide, but others swear by it. The advantage here is that you can get the app at the low price, then if you like it re-up for 30 days ($2.99) or a year ($19.99) of live voice navigation as you like -- visual/map navigation is free of charge after the initial purchase. Like MapQuest, MotionX-GPS requires data service to download maps, but you have the option of caching your route to avoid any hiccups or data issues on the way. The current version includes links to Facebook's check-in feature, full business/POI search and contacts integration. MotionX now even integrates with newer Pioneer in-dash hardware, as reported earlier this month. The middle-range mounting solution is Griffin's WindowSeat mobile hands-free kit, which combines both power and a mount with a microphone-equipped aux 1/8" cable for audio and speakerphone use. The PowerJolt universal adapter included in the package provides 1 amp charging, and the simple bracket/suction cup holder keeps the phone tucked into position. The package retails for $49.99. If you dislike the bracket shuffle, consider Clingo. This new mounting tech from Allsop uses a super-sticky pad (which apparently leaves no residue behind) to hold your devices neatly in place. The window-mount unit retails for $29.99. Large The next tier of navigation apps are all dramatically more expensive, which can cause a bit of app sticker shock. They do bring along a key advantage, though -- maps are included in the app itself, rather than downloaded on demand. This means that app downloads and updates in iTunes can take quite a while, but it also means you'll never be stranded without data service while navigating (and if you're traveling overseas/in a roaming area, the data costs would be pretty expensive). The 'big three' in full-featured, maps-included navigation are Magellan (just updated with a new look and features), TomTom and Navigon; all the apps have their adherents, but for my money Navigon MobileNavigator is the best of the bunch. I've used the USA East Region version (on sale for $24.99; full USA map version is $34.99 on sale) for frequent drives in and around New York City, and it's been very consistent and reliable. Navigon offers versions for most countries and regions, so if you're headed out of town it's worth a look. One of my favorite features in the Navigon app is the three-routes option at the start of navigation; the app shows you the route it thinks is best, but also two alternatives that may be better under specific circumstances. You can choose which way you want to go, rather than heading off in what the app thinks is the wrong direction and having to wait for it to clue in. A premium app deserves a premium phone cradle; there are good options in the $100 Griffin RoadTrip HandsFree or the $70 Belkin TuneBase Direct, but as mentioned I'm not big on the power socket mounting approach. Instead, I'd suggest taking a look at the Dension Car Dock for iPhone -- an integrated unit that includes both aux and FM outputs, power, and a custom app for device control and navigation links. In-app purchase adds 'Car Finder' mode, which saves the exact GPS spot where you parked to help you find your way back. The Dension unit lists at 80 euros, but hopefully will be coming to US distribution soon; I'd expect it to hit at about $100 when it gets here. and is available in the US now. Of course, if you choose the TomTom app you should also get the custom-fit TomTom car kit, and for $100 it's got to offer something more: enhanced GPS performance, a built-in powered speaker and better hands-free calling. It uses the same easy-mount back found on TomTom's dedicated units. TomTom's case also works fine with the other GPS apps; commenter Paul notes that there is a free TomTom Car Kit app to disable warning messages, read GPS status and more. If you already have a mounting solution but need a sleek, cable-minimizing power and audio solution, check out XtremeMac's InCharge Auto Aux for $50. Using the dock/charge connector for audio, it includes an aux-out jack in the charger housing, keeping the cable clutter at bay. Whichever size fits your needs -- small, medium, or large -- enjoy your summer drives!
Ford Focus Electric hooks up wirelessly with AT&T, incurs jealous looks from T-Mobile
AT&T is keeping up its wheeling and dealing this week, signing an agreement with Ford to provide the built-in wireless connectivity for its upcoming Focus Electric hatchback. The deal's pretty simple, really. Ford has put together a comprehensive MyFord Mobile application to go with its EV, which will allow you to keep track of and schedule charging, while also serving up status notifications, range information, and nearby recharging stations' locations, the latter facility being provided with the help of MapQuest. All that data exchange will need a nice dumb pipe to carry it between the Focus and your smartphone and AT&T is obligingly fulfilling that role -- and don't worry if your phone doesn't support the app (works with Android, BlackBerry and iOS), Ford's got a web interface too. Full PR after the break.
MapQuest for Android brings free turn-by-turn navigation, OpenStreetMap support to Google lovers
Oh, sure -- iOS had it first, but the Android flavor of MapQuest's mobile app has OpenStreetMaps. How d'ya like those apples ? The aforesaid app has just found its way into the Android Market, and as with the iPhone version, it's 100 percent free to download. Unlike most other alternatives, this one provides gratis voice guidance / turn-by-turn navigation, voice search, a map toolbar, walking / driving directions, live traffic flow information and a couple of "major" new adds. Those are OpenStreetMap (OSM) data -- useful for allowing consumers to use the app internationally -- as well as the ability to directly report errors onto the map. Check out the source link to learn more, and head on over to the Market (if you're rocking v1.6 and up) to get your download on. Happy trails, as they say.
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.
MapQuest iPhone gets free voice navigation; TomTom lifetime map and traffic PNDs now available (update: Navigon MobileNavigator 1.5 too)
Chalk up another two wins for cheap consumer GPS. Like Google Maps Navigation before it, the MapQuest 4 Mobile iPhone app has just now added gratis turn-by-turn voice directions... and ahead of schedule, TomTom has begun bundling its new 2010 Personal Navigation Devices, including the XL 340S and the XXL 540S -- with lifetime traffic and maps subscriptions. The latter are now available on Amazon for a $30-per-lifetime-subscription premium in a variety of increasingly feature-filled flavors, with helpful T (traffic), M (maps) and TM (traffic and maps) suffixes so you know which TomTom is which. If you prefer buying from brick and mortar, TomTom expects retail availability beginning in April. Full list of supported TomTom models and expected MSRP after the break. Update: The 1.5.0 iPhone update to MobileNavigator from Navigon that includes MyRoutes, Facebook and Twitter integration, and Panorama View 3D is finally up on iTunes as well.
Ford adding HOV logic, ability to download outside Mapquest destinations to 2011 NAV systems
Ford's been keeping itself busy on the navigation front, and while you may have noticed that 2010 just began a few weeks ago (on the Gregorian calendar, anyway), 2011 model year vehicles are already on the minds of those in Dearborn. 2011 models with voice-activated navigation systems will be getting an update that brings along HOV logic, helping users who travel with a buddy to get from point A to point B more hastily if carpool lanes are nearby. Of course, only 2,500 miles of those blanket America, so a few other updates might be intriguing to those of you who are sane enough to live outside of the rat race. Branded POI icons, higher density street labeling and HD Radio will come standard on voice-controlled NAV systems, and potentially most interesting is the notion that "integration with SYNC Traffic, Directions and Information (TDI) app -- enabling new features like the ability to download destinations sent from a home or work computer from Mapquest" -- will hit later on in the year. Full release is after the break.
Telmap taps NAVTEQ for iPhone GPS solution, understands the inevitable
Man, talk about awful timing. At least TomTom and Navigon were able to sell a few rounds of their pricey iPhone GPS application before Google went and ruined everyone's day (at least in the GPS biz), and now that Google Maps Navigation is but an approval away from hitting iPhone users for free, we've got serious doubts about Telmap's ability to market its newest product. Utilizing NAVTEQ maps and familiar shells like MapQuest Navigation (in the US) and Orange Maps (in France), the company seems quite proud of its newest routing solutions. Oh sure -- there's live traffic, turn-by-turn guidance, in-car and pedestrian modes, etc., but is anyone really doling out cash for a phone-based routing system right now with Google at the wheel? Exactly.
WWDC Video: AOL's Christina Wick on developing for Macs, iPhones
I had a moment to talk to Technical Director Christina Wick at WWDC. She told us about the Mapquest app, plus a cool lifestreaming feature coming soon to AIM. Christina was featured in a video by Apple about developing on the iPhone, and it's clear AOL has embraced the platform, with several apps performing exceptionally well on the store. We've covered AIM, DailyFinance and MapQuest in the past, but there are others as well (and we think a certain blog will get one someday...). Christina's team has been working hard not just on the iPhone, but polishing up the old AOL client for Mac too in a push called "Back to the Mac" -- it has been completely re-written and is much more Mac friendly than... well, it just wasn't Mac friendly at all 3 years ago. We can't wait to see what apps and desktop software her team releases in the future.Note: AOL is also the corporate parent of TUAW & Weblogs Inc.
TUAW First Look: MapQuest 4 Mobile
Once upon a time, multipoint navigation on the iPhone required some heavy lifting, and a bit of savvy was required to get you from Point A to Point B to Point C. Using the built-in map application, you could enter a future location as a bookmark, as a contact, or you could use the "Recents" button. MapQuest 4 Mobile [iTunes link] provides the same multi-point trip functionality, and builds upon it with single tap location-based services as well as integration with the company's web-based service. The app is organized into four sections -- maps, directions, my places, and settings. Maps, as implied in its name, provides a view of your selected location, but with the ability to display available services in the area. Among them are shopping centers, cafes, and gas stations. While many map apps can do this, MapQuest offers multi-select for categories, which means that if you'd like to pick up some Chicken and Stove Top and grab a latte on the way home from work, you could choose to display grocery stores and cafes both.Read on for more about MapQuest Mobile.Note: MapQuest 4 Mobile is a product from AOL, which is also the corporate parent of TUAW & Weblogs Inc.
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.
Garmin goes bonkers at CTIA, announces slew of upgrades / partnerships
Quite frankly, we're still recovering from Garmin's onslaught of GPS navigation systems at CES, but just as those last mental wounds were healing, along comes the outfit to drop yet another bomb. This time, Garmin's taking CTIA hostage and announcing a veritable smorgasbord of application upgrades and partnerships. Up first is an upgrade to Garmin Mobile, which promises to bring a new interface and Google Local search to a variety of BlackBerry, Symbian and WinMo handsets. Continuing on, we're also hearing that Garmin GPS owners can "now send locations found on Google Maps" and MapQuest, select Samsung handset owners can grab hold of Mobile Navigator and Garmin Mobile now plays nice with nTelos' lineup of BREW-enabled devices. Thirsty for more? Fantastic -- you'll be bubbling over once you get done perusing the links below.[Thanks, Allory]Read - Garmin Mobile On BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile Read - Garmin Teams with Google MapsRead - MapQuest and Garmin Announce a PartnershipRead - Garmin Provides Navigator for Samsung Mobile PhonesRead - Garmin Mobile for BlackBerry Available from Centennial WirelessRead - Garmin Mobile Turns nTelos Phones into GPS NavigatorsRead - Garmin's Fleet Management Interface Network Grows
GM partners with MapQuest for beefed-up OnStar service
GM doesn't look to be letting the prospect of a huge chunk of its customer base disappearing stop it from rolling out enhancements to its Onstar service, with the company today announcing that it's struck a deal with MapQuest that'll see the two services linked up. Under the new arrangement, OnStar users will be able to plan out their trip on the MapQuest website and then follow along in their vehicle using OnStar's turn-by-turn audio navigation service, with them still able to call up the help of a live advisor if they really fall off course. Not everyone will be getting the expanded service to start with though, with a pilot program encompassing some 3,000 users planned for this summer, followed by a full roll-out later this year or next once they've gotten all the kinks worked out.
