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TomTom HD Traffic 6.0 upgrade ready for consumers, hopes to guide them through LA traffic
Stuck in traffic? Get off your phone, then update your TomTom -- the company announced today that its latest traffic service update, HD Traffic 6.0 is ready to get you out of that traffic jam. The updated service sources real-time data anonymously collected from other TomTom users, and promises to identify 65 percent more road closures than its previous system. Culling data from the service, TomTom was even able to identify Los Angeles as the most congested city in North America -- though we'd hardly consider a call that obvious roadway clairvoyance. On the other hand, we're not about to argue with anything that gets us off the road faster. Read on for TomTom's official press announcement.
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: accessories
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we've got a slew of accessories -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Sure, you may need ultraportables and such to get the bulk of your work done, but you also need a few add-ons to make tasks just a bit easier. In this installment of the back to school guide, we'll offer a collection of accessories that will do just that. From extra batteries to external hard drives and peripherals, what you'll find here should help you get through a day of back-to-back classes, without the need to worry about losing all those term papers if something goes wrong with the SSD. Of course, not all of these are meant to aid in serious, head-down studies. We also tackle a few options for keeping fit and iPad-powered study breaks, too. So head on past the break for the rundown on a gadget stash that'll help you ease back into the flow of things this fall.
Apple selects TomTom as primary iOS 6 maps provider (update: confirmed)
Been wondering exactly which data service is replacing Google as Apple's map provider? According to these leaked screenshots (shown above) from the iOS 6 developer beta running on an iPhone 4S, it appears to be TomTom. The company is no stranger to iOS, as its navigation app and car kit have been available on the iPhone since 2009. On an interesting note, the maps application specifically mentions "data from TomTom, others," which means there may be other suppliers that aren't getting called out by name. We'll keep you posted as we hear more what's going on behind-the-scenes. Update: TomTom has independently confirmed to us that it indeed "has signed a global agreement with Apple for maps and related information." [Thanks, Anonymous]
RIM teams up with TomTom to bring HD Traffic to BlackBerry devices
Looks like executive switches aren't the only thing happening at Research in Motion this morning. Earlier today, the Canadian company announced a partnership with TomTom that will see the GPS outfit's HD Traffic service make its way onto BlackBerry devices. Essentially, this means a handful of BlackBerry applications such as Traffic, Maps and Locate Services will now be powered by TomTom's offering -- a feature we've previously seen on iOS and even your browser. Notably, RIM says developers are going to have access to "mapping and traffic" for use within their own apps, which is bound to make a few of you some Berry happy campers. Hey, at least RIM's making an effort.
TomTom releases fix for leap year bug, gets GPS devices back on course
Not long after acknowledging that a leap year bug had borked a handful of its GPS devices, TomTom's releasing a fix to solve the problem. The company says some nav systems had tracking issues beginning March 31st, claiming the intercalary conundrum was mainly caused by a bug in the third-party software. Those whose GPS devices are acting a tad bit confused can head over to the source below, where deets on how to get things back to normal await you. [Thanks, Aryo]
Tom Tom kicks off July 4th weekend sales
We just had some big Father's Day sales on the App Store, but Independence Day is coming up this weekend in the U.S., and that means it's time to get started with sales yet again. First off, Tom Tom has put its navigation apps on sale for half price over the next 48 hours. You can get the full U.S. and Canada app for $39.99, or pick up just the U.S. map for $34.99. It was just updated with new maps and features, too, so that's a good deal if you need a high quality navigation solution. We'll likely be seeing lots more App Store sales this weekend, so stay tuned. Odds are that before the week ends, we'll see games, apps, and more all on sale for you to pick up for both iPhone and iPad.
Homer Simpson comes to the Tom Tom app
The voice of cartoon character Homer Simpson, as performed by actor Dan Castellaneta, is now available as an in-app purchase in Tom Tom's US-based GPS apps for the iPhone. For US$5.99, you too can have Homer say "[Annoyed Grunt]" when you make a wrong turn, or "Woo hoo!" when you reach your destination. Pricey? Maybe so, but considering the apps already cost about $50 (not to mention a subscription charge for other services), you're all-in anyway, right? This isn't that big a deal -- celebrities (and impersonators) have been doing GPS voices for a while now. But Tom Tom says that this is the first time a celebrity's voice has been released for a GPS system via an in-app purchase. And considering that even Tom Tom admits that smartphones are a huge part of the navigation market, this could make for a big change in the way people download and use add-ons like this. Previously, you had to update the GPS unit's firmware, maybe take it out of your car and sync it up with a computer to get a voice like this working. But now, you only have to click a button on an iPhone app, and use your Apple account to pick up the voice for a few bucks. That's much easier, and depending on how Homer does here, navigation companies may have a whole new market for these add-ons.
Tom Tom: Smartphones and nav devices are complementary
As one of our last appointments on the floor of CES, we went out to a meeting room way back in the back of the South Hall to talk to Tom Murray, Senior Vice President of Market Development for Tom Tom -- one of the leading companies selling navigation devices and software. We've covered Tom Tom and its products many times here on TUAW before, so it was great to finally sit down with the company and talk about their business. Perhaps the most interesting thing Murray told me last week was that the company doesn't see the iPhone (and other smartphone devices) as competitors to its portable navigation device (PND) business. Instead, Murray sees Apple's platform and others like it as "complementary" to the traditional GPS devices that Tom Tom makes and sells. Murray did admit that the rise of smartphones has "had an impact on our core PND category," but given that Tom Tom has found success with a number of regional apps on the iOS Store, Murray says that "the iPhone has been accretive to our business." The biggest device for Tom Tom at the show was the Go 2505m Live unit. It will arrive in April, and it will bring a number of improvements, including a service called HD Traffic, which not only pulls in information on roads all over the US generated by Tom Tom's own devices, but connects to "partner vehicles" (like delivery and fleet vehicles) to convey real-time information and accurate routing as you drive around. That service isn't on the iPhone app yet (in the US, anyway -- it is up and running in Europe, we were told), but Murray says it would be "reasonable to assume" that kind of information will eventually find its way into the company's iPhone app.
New European Mio Navman line uses Tom Tom maps, fails to mention Wordy Rappinghood
If you're in Europe, and you like getting from one place to the next as much as we do, you'll undoubtedly be delighted to know that Mio is unveiling three new Navman GPS systems, all of which feature Tom Tom's IQ Routes technology as well as Mio's LearnMe feature. Navman 575 (£149.99, or around $230) offers a 4.7-inch display, while users of the 470 and 475 models ($150) will have to make do with a 4.3-inch screen. Also included in this bonanza of navigation are a free year of real time traffic and safety camera info, Google Send-To-GPS (for sending Maps locations to the unit via USB), SiRFStar InstantFix, and more. Look for these to launch in May.
TomTom updated to support iPod touch and original iPhone
Back in much simpler times, TomTom's navigation app had claimed compatibility with all iPhone and iPod touch models. Then suddenly, somewhere along the primrose path to publication, original iPhone and iPod touch support evaporated. But no more. TomTom's pushed an update that allows for turn-by-turn navigation, but of course, you'll still need the car kit to work. Was this the missing link between your $100 and owning this app? [Warning: iTunes link] [Thanks, Scott M]
Navigon updates US iPhone navigation app, live traffic updates are a go
A little later than previously alluded to, but Navigon's finally rolling out live traffic update to its MobileNavigator iPhone app. Same prices as mentioned before, it'll regularly be $24.99, but for the next four weeks, it's only gonna ring up at $19.99 for lifetime use, no monthly fees. Not that TomTom needed anything else to think about, of course. Full presser after the break.
TomTom Car Kit for iPhone review
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. [Update: the app has now been updated to work with the iPod Touch and the original iPhone, but you'll need to get a separate (and slightly cheaper) model of the Car Kit for the iPod touch. Thanks, Philippe!] Read on for our hands-on impression and test videos. [Thanks for being our driver, Sam] %Gallery-76686%
TomTom iPhone kit now being sold through US Apple Store
American TomTom loyalists, we know what you've been thinking: how dare those fine folks across the pond get first dibs to pick up the iPhone car kit? Well, steam to yourself no longer, it's now for sale online via Apple's US store for the previously-disclosed price of $119.95. Alas, no software's included, but you've had enough time to cope with that. Also, it's iPhone 3G and 3GS only -- iPod touch need not apply. [Via App Advice]
Android rumor rodeo, starring Sprint's first 4G phone, a delayed Eclair, INQ Mobile's 2010 handset, and more
The gang at Android and Me seemed to have made quite a number of acquaintances on their sojourn through CTIA and MotoDev Summit. Specifically, there were three people along the way they reportedly talked to that led to the most tantalizing of rumors. First down the rabbit hole is a Sprint developer who claimed the first 4G (i.e. WiMAX) phone will be an Android device, which honestly wouldn't be all that shocking given the company's love for and recent history with the OS. Next up is a Samsung exec that intimated we shouldn't expect Android 2.0 "Eclair" until Q2 2010 -- interesting in its own right, but looks like those whispers of Sholes launching with anything beyond Donut isn't gonna come to fruition now. Our third definitive individual is an INQ head employee who let slip its handsets would be finding its way onto a US carrier's network in 2010 and would have a "pimped out" customized Android skin chock full of social networking the likes of Spotify, Skype, Facebook, etc. The rest of its report is much ado about nothing -- no LG android phone this year, no TomTom app this year, and no standalone Google Maps navigation software. Yeah, that's quite a number of Android rumors to digest, and unfortunately nothing definitive. Looking forward to the future? [Via i4u]
TomTom's Car Kit for iPhone hits the FCC
Still not convinced of the benefits of TomTom's upcoming Car Kit for iPhone? Then perhaps a little FCC approval will change your mind. In addition to offering a bit more reassurance that the thing is actually coming, the new listing also reveals a few more details than TomTom's been willing to dish out, including the fact that the mount / dock / charger packs some Bluetooth of its own for hands-free calling, and its very own SiRFstar GPS chipset to give you some better accuracy compared to the standalone TomTom iPhone app. Still looking for more? You can get a glimpse of the device's manual, some internal and external shots, and slew of test reports to keep you busy by hitting up the read link below.
TomTom's iPhone car kit promo video is enticing, but still no mention of price or release date
Not to knock cellophane tape as a method for in-car iPhone navigation, but if you want to use the new TomTom app in a more proper setting, you'll want the official TomTom car kit. In addition to enhancing the GPS signal and charging your iPhone, it's also got hands-free dialing and a speaker that's (presumably) better than the phone solo for giving directions. At a rumored price of just under $200 with software, it's not a bad deal if you were planning to shell out $100 for the US maps, anyway. We're still on the fence, but the hypnotic soundtrack of the promotion video is admittedly alluring. See for yourself after the break. [Thanks, Arthur]
TomTom profits drop 83% due to price cuts
The war for the low end of the GPS market promises to be a bloody one, and it looks like TomTom's suffered the first major injury: quarterly profits at the device maker dropped 83 percent from last year, and the company says it's due to competitive price cuts. TomTom made a net profit of just €7.3M ($11.4M) this quarter compared to €44M ($66.2M) in the year-ago quarter, results which led the company to lower its outlook for the entire year. The company actually sold 50 percent more devices than it did a year ago, but as PND prices steadily fall, it looks like TomTom will have to figure out a new way to pad those margins and refill its piggy bank if that $4.2B all-cash Tele Atlas deal goes through.[Via TrustedReviews]
