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TomTom and Microsoft team up to bring generative AI to automobiles
TomTom is releasing a generative AI platform for automobiles which was developed with the help of Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI service. You’ll be able to navigate, set up infotainment and a whole lot more just by conversing with the bot.
Amazon, Microsoft-led group shares data for open alternative to Google Maps
A group led by Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and TomTom has shared open data that could help create more rivals to Google Maps.
Fiat Chrysler's Android-based Uconnect 5 supports Alexa and wireless CarPlay
Fiat Chrysler's collaboration with Google on in-car Android tech is bearing fruit. The car maker has unveiled an Android-based Uconnect 5 infotainment system that should help it keep up with an influx of modern tech. It includes personalization for up to five drivers, and an interface that takes better advantage of screen real estate with "cards" that provide fast access to features like your media or phone contacts. You can order food or pre-authorize fuel, too. However, some of the biggest changes lie underneath the surface -- this is as much about acknowledging the rapid evolution of car tech as anything else.
Huawei will use TomTom for maps now that it's cut off from Google
Now that Huawei is effectively cut off from Google, how is going to provide navigation on its phones? By finding a non-American partner, of course. TomTom has revealed that it struck a deal with Huawei to provide maps, navigation and traffic data for the Chinese manufacturer's apps. The arrangement had been struck a while back, according to TomTom's Remco Meerstra, but hadn't been revealed until now. The company declined to share more details.
TomTom's new GPS uses IFTTT to interact with your smart home
TomTom is mostly focusing on driverless navigation after stepping away from wearables and action cams. However, it still makes consumer GPS units, and to keep up with smartphones, has unveiled the TomTom Go Premium with IFTTT home automation tech built right in. The idea is that you can link up actions on the GPS to household devices and have it automatically open your garage door when you arrive at home, for instance.
TomTom watches push you to roll back your 'fitness age'
Instead of launching a fitness watch or two at the IFA conference, TomTom has announced three new features for existing devices that could provide that push you need to get fit. The first one is called Fitness Age, because it tells your age based on your fitness level. It computes for the result by comparing your VO2 max to other people's of the same age and gender. In athletic training, VO2 max means the maximum amount of oxygen you can consume per minute for your weight and is a key indicator of cardio fitness and endurance.
The wearables battlefield is strewn with casualties
In business, the phrase "we are reviewing strategic options" is a useful sign that shutters are being drawn. Wareable reports that those words were uttered by TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn when discussing his company's wearables division. Sales of its running watches have fallen by 20 percent in a year, and Goddijn wants to "focus" on TomTom's core businesses. It's likely that TomTom will exit the wrist-worn hardware market at some point soon, and it won't be alone.
Bosch and TomTom map roads with radar for autonomous vehicles
Bosch and TomTom have come together to create high-resolution road maps based on radar signals. The product of the two companies' collaboration, a system called "radar road signature," is a move towards automated driving.
The best car GPS
By Eric Adams and Rik Paul This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After spending more than 70 hours researching the latest car GPS models and testing the top contenders over 1,200 miles of rural, suburban, and urban orienteering, we recommend the new Garmin Drive 51 LMT-S as the best in-car navigation device for most people. It's easier to use and more driver-friendly than the competition.
The 12 best tech gifts for sports fanatics
Chances are there's at least one die-hard sports fan in your life. And look, even if your idea of game-time small talk is "Hey, how about that local sportsball team" you can still get them the perfect gift. Whether they're big NBA addicts, avid runners or trying to perfect that spiral and become an NFL quarterback, we've got you covered. And you don't even have to betray your tech-geek roots to do it. There's plenty of ways to get your game on while simultaneously getting your geek on. High-end TVs deliver football in 4K glory while wearables like the TomTom Adventurer let you turn that epic hike into epic reams of data. Check out the gallery below to see our 12 techie gift recommendations for sports fans and athletes. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
TomTom's new fitness tracker can analyze your body composition
Today at IFA 2016, TomTom revealed a trio of new wearables, including its first fitness tracker. Unlike other similar devices, the new TomTom Touch has one feature that particularly stands out: it can analyze your body composition. That's something you typically only see on smart scales, so it's interesting to see TomTom bring this over to a fitness tracker. Not only does the Touch show you body fat and muscle percentage, but it also monitors your heart rate continuously, as well as count your calories and steps. Pictured above, the sleek wearable will hit stores in October for $130/£130.
TomTom's Golfer 2 GPS watch tracks your swing
TomTom's original Golfer GPS watch can give your distance and score, but the latest golf devices from Piq and Game Golf also track your swing and distance stats. To keep up, TomTom has launched the Golfer 2, a watch that measures your swing using a built-in motion sensor and gyroscope. That lets you "see at a glance glance how far you've hit each ball, show your distance potential, and create a detailed post-round analysis" on the MySports app, according to the company. It only counts one shot in a 10-foot area, letting you take as many practice swings as you need.
Uber signs up TomTom to provide navigation for its drivers
After losing out to a consortium of Germany's biggest car makers over the purchase of Nokia's HERE Maps, Uber has set about building its own mapping and navigation services. They're not quite ready for prime time, so the company has had to rely upon a number of popular mapping services, including Google (which also serves as an investor), to help both users and drivers understand exactly where they are. Today, Uber has added TomTom to the list, with the Dutch company confirming that it will also support the private hire taxi firm.
TomTom's RoadDNA system helps anyone build a self-driving car
TomTom has launched RoadDNA, a product aimed at bringing self-driving car tech to more potential developers. The system captures 3D roadside data from depth sensing cameras and compares it to a database of images, letting vehicles know their exact position on the road, even at high speeds. The mapping company said it takes "vehicle data storage and processing limitations in mind," by converting the mass of 3D data it collects into a manageable, optimized 2D view of the road. TomTom said earlier that the RoadDNA database takes up just 25 Kb per kilometer of road.
TomTom's newest fitness watch plays music too
As sales of satellite navigation units slowly dry up, TomTom is making the gentle transition into a fitness and wearables company. That's why the firm decided to smash up its existing range of bulky running watches in favor of a ground-up rebuild. The result is that TomTom is launching the Spark, which looks pretty much like the previous generation of devices, albeit after a very good diet. The most notable addition to the range this year is Bluetooth music playback, although that's made matters a little more confusing than in previous years.
TomTom put its navigation know-how to work in an action cam
TomTom, a company best known for its GPS gadgets and a line of watches for runners and athletes, is diving deeper into action sports. Meet the Bandit camera: a GPS action cam that'll beam footage to a connected smartphone. If you're in a hurry, and don't want to futz with proper edits on a computer, TomTom's app will pull videos from the camera so you can share them quickly -- all you have to do is give your phone a shake. The company claims that its device is the first of its kind to pack a built-in media server, capable of processing files before sending them to your phone. That's where the phone shaking comes in: doing so will alert the camera/app duo to automatically compile a video for you. In addition to that bit of heavy lifting, the Bandit's on-board motion and GPS automatically tag highlights based on speed, altitude, acceleration, G-force and heart rate -- the last of which is likely tracked with one of TomTom's fitness watches. Don't worry, you can manually pick those spots, too.
Nike+ to support Garmin, TomTom and other fitness trackers (update)
TomTom and Nike are back in each other's arms. The former's Runner and Multi-Sport GPS Watches, including those that come with heart-rate monitor bands, are now compatible with the Nike+ app. These two companies have collaborated back in 2011, when Nike came out with a sports watch that's loaded with GPS developed alongside TomTom. This time, the masters of navigation are giving you a way to auto-upload calories burned, run pace and time, among other types of data to the running app (and earn NikeFuel in the process, of course). Even if you don't use Nike+ for either iPhone or Android, though, you have other apps to choose from, as the company's watches also support TomTom MySports, RunKeeper, MapMyFitness, Jawbone, Endomondo and Strava. All you have to do now is find the motivation to do some actual running.
Get delightfully lost with this route-enhancing motorcycle sat nav
We love a bit of "Choose your own adventure" action, and if a recent Twitter game is anything to go by, so do many of you. The problem with most formats is that they're, well, embedded in a book, or behind a screen. What if you could straddle your Harley, twist the throttle, and go on a real-life adventure? With TomTom's new RIDER bike-centric sat nav, you can. It's actually more about spicing-up an otherwise boring A to B route, than solving The Mystery of Chimney Rock. Or, as TomTom puts it: "bikers can choose the level of twists and turns they want to ride to create their own adrenaline-filled adventure." It does all that other sat nav stuff, too (audio navigation, glove friendly screen, route planning) of course. But hey, now that you can finally afford that Enfield, it's time to soak up whatever those Delaware back roads can throw atcha, right? Adventurers will have to wait until April though, when the RIDER becomes available for an as-yet unspecified price.
TomTom's new Android app saves you from speeding tickets
We should all be sticking to the speed limit, but there's always a danger any momentary lapse of concentration will be caught by a well-hidden speed camera. It's a constant worry, which is why petrolheads turn to technology like sat-navs to keep them out of trouble. The latest option is TomTom Speed Cameras, an Android app specifically built to notify drivers of these roadside snappers. Your smartphone will trigger both visual and audio speed camera alerts in 28 different countries (mostly European), and will also help you drive using the least surveyed route. The app can even track your momentum as you cruise through an average speed check, making sure momentary negligence doesn't land you a nasty fee.
TomTom has a new watch designed specifically for golfers
In perfect conjunction with the start of the Ryder Cup, TomTom couldn't have found a better time to introduce its new GPS-powered wearable. The watch, simply, and fittingly, named TomTom Golfer, is similar to Garmin's Approach line, featuring data for more than 34,000 courses. In addition to that, TomTom's Golfer is waterproof and can keep track of distance, score and time for every whole -- so long as the course you're playing at is supported. It can also send detailed information from the green areas right to your wrist, which could potentially lessen the chances of you taking a bad swing. It's available now on pre-order for £200 (around $325), with shipping on both models (black or white strap) expected to begin "within 30 days."
