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TomTom iPhone app hits 1.3, gains real-time traffic and Google local search
Here lately, Navigon has been crushing it on the iPhone GPS front. Every couple of weeks, it seems that MobileNavigator is getting yet another fantastic update, all while TomTom's lackluster offering hangs back in the land of complacency. Thankfully for us all, the outfit has just pushed out the v1.3 update, which adds real-time traffic (an unfortunate $19.99 add-on), Google local search, updated roadways, automatic music fading between text-to-speech instructions and the ability to add locations from other apps and websites. We'd still recommend Navigon's software if you're looking to buy into iPhone GPS for the first time, but this is certainly a boon for those already locked into the TomTom alternative. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
TomTom submits updated app for Apple review
The makers of the TomTom app for the iPhone have let us know that they've submitted an updated version that adds real-time traffic information, Google local search, and even some secret features the company isn't talking about yet. The TomTom app was eagerly sought out last year, but of late has fallen a bit behind market leader Navigon. This new release, with real-time info and Google local, will give both apps rough feature parity. The current TomTom app is on sale for U.S. $49.99 at the app store (U.S. maps only) and it includes a "free update to the new version as soon as its available." That would indicate that some or all of the new features will be an extra charge for current owners. Version 1.3 will be available as soon as it passes through the App Store vetting process. [Thanks to Steve H. for the tip]
Garmin and TomTom cling to profits, hope
As everyone knows, Garmin and TomTom have their backs against the ropes in a fight to remain relevant in an age of free GPS turn-by-turn navigation on smartphones (thanks Google and Nokia). While dedicated personal navigators are almost always superior to their converged competition, the gap has certainly narrowed such that it's become difficult to justify another device when an increasing number of people already carry a fine navigation device in their pockets. But that's just gut instinct talking, where's the hard evidence? Certainly not speculative stock prices. A good place to start is in forward-looking financial statements like the one Garmin, the leading navigation device maker in the US, just issued. Gamin says that it expects competition to cause prices to decline by about 10% in the personal navigation device (PND) industry putting pressure on margins, and thus profits, in 2010. It also sees flat or slightly declining revenue over the same period. Fortunately for Garmin, it has a diversified product offering that includes the Nuvifone. However, Garmin admits to being disappointed by sales of the handset that "won" our Editor's Choice award for Worst Gadget of the Year. Things aren't all doom and gloom, though. Garmin has a pair of Nuvifones in the chute including the Android-powered A50. And its Q4 results of $1.43 per share easily beat analyst expectations of 95 cents a share. Even TomTom surprised many last week with a 1% increase in Q4 revenue and net profit of €75 million compared to a €989 million loss a year ago. So there's some hope left for the dedicated PND market... but not much.
15 Minutes of Fame: Master of add-ons
15 Minutes of Fame is WoW.com's look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes -- from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, from the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about. If James Whitehead II knocked on my door right now, I might not recognize him -- but once I realized who he was, I'd throw my arms around his neck in gleeful gratitude. You see, Jim is the brains behind Clique, the popular click-casting add-on that's saved the aching fingers of healers across the globe. (That's worth a little gleeful gratitude, yes sir. And probably a little foot-washing and maybe even a little toe-sucking, too, truth be told. Not to descend into TMI right here in the intro or anything. Ahem.) He's also the creator of mods like PerfectRaid and TomTom and the author of Hacking World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft Programming: A Guide and Reference for Creating WoW Add-ons, now going into its second edition. He's working on a Ph.D. at Oxford University. He rows competitively, he mods, he knits and crochets, he raids ... Ok, ok, let's invite him in for a chat, shall we? Meanwhile, be sure to enter to win our giveaway of six copies of the new, updated edition of World of Warcraft Programming.
TomTom Ease arrives in limited edition red for Valentine's Day
Funny that this special red edition of the TomTom Ease is actually beating the regular version to market, but hey, it's Valentine's Day. Nothing new here apart from the case color -- you're still looking at a 3.5-inch QVGA display, 2GB of internal memory preloaded with Tele-Atlas maps, Map Share / IQ Routes, an integrated battery, and a built-in Fold & Go mount. Amazon has the limited-edition red exclusively for $119 now, if you're ready to commit -- or you can wait and just be friends with the boring gray model, which should be out any day now.
TomTom data finds drivers aren't speeding much, are being watched
Sure, you might be able to avoid speed cameras with an array of dash-mounted gadgets, but there's also another unseen eye that might be keeping an eye on your speeding habits: your GPS unit. Of course, GPS makers aren't too interested in collecting individual users' data (at least, we hope not), but they are collecting some general data, and TomTom has now released a few of its findings. Most notably, it found that drivers in just about every state stay within the speed limit on average, with only Mississippi edging 0.1 miles per hour over the top speed limit of 70 MPH. Things get a bit more interesting when you get down to specific routes in the United States, however, where the I-15 in Utah and Nevada comes out on top with an average speed of 77.67 miles per hour. On the other end of the spectrum, Washington D.C. proved to have the slowest drivers, where speeds averaged a mere 46 miles per hour -- although that likely has something to do with TomTom's earlier findings that Washington D.C. also has the most congested traffic in the U.S.
Review: On the road with the Magellan Premium Car Kit
Magellan was nice enough to loan me a Premium Car Kit for the iPhone or iPod touch, so I put it in the car and drove around on both city streets and highways to get an idea how it worked, particularly with the excellent Magellan Road Mate software [iTunes link]. The Magellan kit is advertised to work with most other GPS apps, and can be used with many iPhone cases so you don't have to pull your iPhone out of a case to get it into the cradle. Setting up was easy: just plug in the cigarette lighter power adapter, plug the other end of that cable into the cradle, and using the provided suction cup to attach it to your glass windshield. I was able to do that without incident. When the unit powers up, it is automatically in pairing mode, and my iPhone found it quickly and paired. I have an InCase rubberized case for my phone, and even with the case, my iPhone seemed to fit into the cradle just fine, but more on that in a moment. The Premium Car Kit has a built in GPS receiver, and I found that signal acquisition seemed faster than using the iPhone built-in GPS. The product is advertised as working with any iPod touch (2nd generation or better) but since I don't have one of those laying around, I didn't get a chance to test that claim.
TomTom promises lifetime (free) map and traffic updates for select 2010 PNDs
It's a funny thing. Ever since Google changed the game up with its Maps Navigation software, TomTom's really been in the giving mood. After bringing free lane guidance, text-to-speech and iPod control to the outfit's iPhone GPS app, its following in the footsteps of Navigon and Nextar by promising gratis traffic and map updates for select navigators starting in Q2 of this year. Unfortunately, exact details on which products will be included under the "no cash needed for updates" umbrella are nonexistent, but here's hoping more than a few are included (and that Garmin, et al. follows suit in short order).
TomTom Ease splashing down later this year for not much coinage (hands-on)
Like getting from point A to point B without getting lost along the way? Enjoy saving money? Chances are you'll dig TomTom's new Ease, an entry-level PND to lead all entry-level PNDs, with an integrated Fold & Go port mount, a slightly tweaked UI, Map Share / IQ Routes, a 3.5-inch display (320 x 240), 2GB of internal memory, pre-loaded Tele Atlas maps of America, text-to-speech and an integrated battery. We were told tonight by the outfit's booth representatives that it would ship in Q2, and they emphasized that whole "priced very competitively" aspect. %Gallery-81882%
TomTom feels jolly, temporarily drops price of iPhone GPS app
TomTom has done a respectable job of keeping its iPhone GPS app up to date when compared to formidable options from Navigon and the like, but today it's making its biggest move yet by way of a significant price drop. We've heard directly from the company (and confirmed with our own two peepers) that the US and Canada version of the app is now on sale for $69.99, while a US-only version is currently on sale for just $49.99. If you'll recall, the former was just selling for $99.99 a few days ago, so if you're planning on making that fateful trip to grandmother's house again this year, you might want a robotic gal leading the way. Just sayin'. [Warning: Source link directs to iTunes]
Other shoe drops: TomTom cuts price of US and Canada GPS app by 30%
It was just last week that TomTom offered a new version of its nav app for the US (minus Canadian data) for $49.99US [iTunes link]. That didn't make people who bought the full version for a hundred bucks and never needed the Canadian info anyway filled with joy. Now, TomTom has dropped the price of the version that does include both the U.S. and Canada to $69.99 [iTunes link] until December 28, making those earlier customers even more unhappy. Price cuts, of course, are a way of life, and no one should be surprised that competition drives down prices. In my view, most of the iPhone GPS navigators are priced too high. I think somewhere between $35 and $50 is about right considering that you are providing all the hardware. Hardware solutions have really plummeted in price, with many selling for close to $100.00. The advantage of the iPhone solution is there is only one device to carry, but navigation stops when a call comes in. I'll have a roundup of my favorite GPS apps in a couple of days, but if you are ready to go a 30% discount on the TomTom is a pretty good deal, especially if you need to navigate in both Canada and the U.S. The well regarded Navigon app [iTunes link] is selling for $89.99, but watch for sales on that product as well. I know a lot of people are holding out for the free Google Navigator for the iPhone, but there is no guarantee that it will ever hit the App Store. Thanks to Steve for the tip!
TomTom lowers iPhone app price if you don't need to go to Canada
Maybe they're feeling a bit of pricing pressure? Whatever the reason, TomTom just released a stripped down version of its Navigation app that leaves out Canada. Oh my. This USA-only version sells for US $49.99, [iTunes link] which is half the price of the version that includes our good neighbor to the north. Like the big brother version, this app includes turn by turn directions and lane guidance, and 2D and 3D driving views. This holiday season there is no shortage of choices for getting directions to your holiday destinations, and TomTom is pitching aggressive pricing and a strong feature set. The last few weeks we've seen several of the GPS apps cut prices temporarily to get some customers motivated, but this move from TomTom looks permanent and will undoubtedly force other vendors to follow suit. This app requires an iPhone or iPod touch running 3.0 software, or older iPhones and iPod touches can work with the software ONLY if users purchase the TomTom car kit with a built in GPS receiver. Thanks to Dubbs for tipping us to this holiday treat.
TomTom XXL 540S World Traveler Edition: perfect for that dude you're jealous of
We know, our GPS gift guide has already been erected, but if you're in the unfortunate position of needing a high-end gift for someone who'll actually be in San Juan del Sur over the holidays, there's hardly a better option than this. The TomTom XXL 540S World Traveler Edition is exactly what you think it is: it's an XXL 540S, but with maps for the United States, Canada and Europe (what -- no Central America?). The 5-inch touchscreen is still there, as is the company's IQ Routes, 'Help Me!,' an increased 4GB of storage, advanced lane guidance and 7 million points of interest. It's expected to hit retail shelves in both the US and Canada early next month for $349.95 (US) / $399.95 (CAD).
TomTom delivers promised iPhone update
TUAW told you it was coming, and it has arrived. TomTom has updated its U.S. GPS navigation app [US$99.99, iTunes link] and added text-to-speech, advanced lane guidance, and a 'help me' feature for use in emergencies. TomTom has been a little late to the text-to-speech party, with most competitors already offering this important function. Magellan has now jumped into the game with a very nice nav app as well, and at an introductory price that undercuts the TomTom app by twenty bucks. All of the major navigation apps for the iPhone are quickly approaching feature parity. At this point, your main decision is whether you want the data streamed to your phone (as the AT&T app does), or have maps and data built into the app (like TomTom, Navigon, Magellan and some others). Looming over whatever decision you make is trying to figure out if Apple will ever allow the Google turn-by-turn navigation app into the app store. It's going to be free, and Google says it wants the app to be on the iPhone. Of course things haven't been going swimmingly between Google and Apple of late (Google Voice, Android competition), so it's just a guess as to how that will all turn out. If you need a navigation app in order to get to Grandma's house for the holidays, it's probably a good time to buy one. However, If you're willing to wait for the possibility of Google's free turn-by-turn nav app making it to the iPhone, you might be rewarded for your patience.
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]
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: GPS devices
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Look, we all know "that guy / gal." The one that never seems to end up at a meeting place on time, who incidentally is the same one that always gets tied up at the local fuel station asking for "directions." We've always heard that true friends don't let friends drive sans a robotic navigator, and if your BFF is still traversing the highways without any sort of GPS device on board, it's time for that situation to be remedied. There's a whole slew of options out there, so we'll be breaking 'em down as best we can based on how much dough you're willing to spend. Whatever you decide, just make sure you get one with the maps of your own country; after all, you wouldn't want that special someone to end up like this guy, right? Read on!%Gallery-79787%
It's about time: TomTom submits updated nav app to Apple
Very welcome news for owners of the TomTom iPhone nav app [iTunes link for U.S. version]; the company has announced a free update that includes many of the features that people were craving. Advanced lane guidance giving drivers extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions. For the first time this is in both landscape and portrait mode. Text-to-speech helping motorists to keep their eyes on the road by enabling street names and places to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions. "Help Me" providing direct access to emergency numbers and directions to the nearest emergency providers. Updated map and safety camera database (Europe only) Customizable audio warnings when approaching safety cameras or driving over the speed limit, increasing driver safety and saving money. iPod player control ensuring drivers can conveniently control their music from within the application. TomTom submitted the new version to Apple yesterday, and as usual, it's anybody's guess when it will emerge. It won't be fast enough for TomTom owners, who have seen their app fall behind the feature rich Navigon app and other GPS offerings. The joker in this particular deck is still the free Google Navigation app, which is trying to get onto the iPhone and will have a gaggle of features no one else is offering. [via Engadget]
TomTom to bring free lane guidance, text-to-speech, iPod control to iPhone GPS app
TomTom's probably still dizzy from the hit that Google laid on it just a few days ago, but it has somehow managed to get its bearings long enough to announce that a slew of gratis updates are incoming for its highly-hyped iPhone navigation app. Following in Navigon's footsteps, the outfit has today stated that a free update has been submitted to Apple for approval, and when (er, if) it clears Cupertino's ambiguous review process, it'll deliver advanced lane guidance, text-to-speech, "Help Me," updated map / safety cameras (in select European nations) databases, customizable audio warnings and iPod player control. Not a bad list of additions for the grand total of $0.00, but we wouldn't expect anything less given the lofty admission price. Update: As of November 18th, this update is live in the App Store.
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%
