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Garmin's Zumo GPS receiver for motorcycles
It looks like Garmin's set to release another GPS receiver intended to sit on the handlebars of your motorcycle, and like the TomTom Rider, this unit features built-in Bluetooth for streaming spoken directions directly to a compatible helmet. Though not quite as stylish as the Rider, the upcoming Zumo does offer a few innovative features not found on other models, including the ability to calculate how much fuel you have left for automatically re-routing you to the nearest gas station when you start running on fumes. You can also listen to MP3s stored on a memory card and set the unit to act as a datalogger, letting you download route history information to a PC for perusing at your leisure with Google Earth. Sources say that the Zumo will be available for purchase sometime in October, but prepare to spend around $1,000 if you want to take one of these out on the open road.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Philips declares civil war on TomTom
As if the kids over at TomTom weren't already smartin' a bit from that Garmin lawsuit, now cross-town rivals in The Dam, Philips, are getting back in the navigation game. Hey, why not? You can't swing a cat in Europe without dustin' some type of Philips consumer electronics device -- so why not personal navigation? Philips will introduce a line of three new products from September and October starting at about €400 ($500). Targetting Germany, France, and the Benelux countries initially, the devices will feature Navteq map data (a former Philips subsidiary), weigh 160-grams, and measure-in at only 20-millimeters thin. And with the European and US markets expected to double this year alone, this sandbox is big enough to play. See? Now pass 'round those left-handed cigarettes and make nice.[Via Mobile Analyst Watch]
iGo, Mapopolis, and TomTom navigation software compared
No doubt the top priority of anyone looking for a piece of navigation software for their Windows Mobile device is whether it'll get them from point A to point B without leading them astray; or worse still , leaving them stranded, having to rely on maps or -- gasp -- directions from strangers. Well, it looks like all three products tested by Brighthand from (iGo, Mapopolis, and TomTom) will manage to get you where you're going without much difficulty, but they did find some fairly significant differences between the trio. Perhaps the most striking is that iGo and TomTom use 3D maps, while Mapopolis goes at it in 2D -- whether that's cool with you comes down to personal preference, but the folks at Brighthand definitely dug the 3D ones more, finding them easier to follow. Where TomTom falls short is in the interface department, which basically looks like an early PalmPilot app. Still, that didn't stop them from giving the overall edge to TomTom, citing its reliability, accuracy, and useful extras like weather and traffic data. iGo is currently in beta but should be released in Europe shortly, while Mapopolis and TomTom are both available now for $100 and $150 respectively.
TomTom GO 910 portable GPS system reviewed
You might wish you had sprung for a GPS device before this weekend's little trip to the in-laws, which may or may not have involved two hours of being lost in a pair of cul-de-sacs, but we figured you'd still like to know what you're missing out on. The TomTom GO 910 heads the GO series, and sports a 4-inch widescreen touchscreen, Bluetooth, MP3 playback off of the 20GB hard drive, and extensive iPod integration. Sounds like most of the features function well and as advertised. There's quick and easy rerouting, clear directions which even include street names read aloud via text-to-speech, and an easy to use remote for those backstreet drivers. The only problem the reviewer had with navigation was an outdated POI database that guided him to a stadium which had been torn down five years prior. The Bluetooth connection offers up traffic and other information over your phone's wireless Internet connection, though, while the phone does have maps for Europe, the US, and Canada, there's no live traffic info for the US yet. The other main caveat with the player is the price. At $799 you probably afford to pay a man to dress up as a princess and drive you to wherever you need to be, but we're not sure if he would take as kindly to an iPod connector cable.[Thanks, Bob]
