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TomTom car kit delayed until October
Since its release in late August, the TomTom for iPhone [iTunes Link] application has received a lot of attention. When the application was first debuted at WWDC, it became one of the first products to combine both hardware and software for the iPhone. The car-kit (which provides a separate GPS module for enhanced positioning, connections for audio and iPhone charging capability) was expected to be released alongside the app. More information was then leaked after TomTom's car kit was seen on the FCC website. It looks like TomTom has decided to delay the release of the car kit until October to "deliver the highest quality innovative product." In a small note on their website's FAQ page, TomTom announced: The TomTom car kit availability was originally planned for this summer. But we have decided to take some extra weeks in order to deliver the highest quality on this innovative product. So, the car kit will become available this October on www.tomtom.com. There are now many GPS apps available for the iPhone, but much of the excitement and anticipation for the TomTom version stems from its inclusion of a bundled accessory. We'll see how sales do when the car kit is released later next month.
TomTom unveils GO 950, GO 750 and GO 550 with IQ Routes at IFA
Here lately, all of the buzz surrounding TomTom has been focused intently on the outfit's iPhone app and accompanying car kit. But over in Berlin, the company seems entirely more interested in showcasing some new wares that fall into its core product category. Making its debut at IFA, the GO x50 lineup is comprised of the GO 950, GO 750 and GO 550, all of which tout the company's IQ Routes technology to get you from point A to point B in the very least amount of time. The trio promises to calculate routes faster than ever before, and they also include the planet's largest collection of historical speed profiles. Once you're on your way, the units can tap into RDS-TMC services in order to take current road conditions into account and get you from point A to point B in the least amount of time. Also of note, these three now feature voice command and control, and each ships with an active dock with integrated RDS-TMC information. The x50 lineup is scheduled to ship this autumn for undisclosed amounts, with the GO 950 packing maps for the US, Canada and 45 European nations and the GO 750 / GO 550 offering maps in select regions of Europe only.
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 XL Live connected GPS passes the FCC
Looks like domestic drivers may soon have the privilege of shelling out extra money every month for TomTom's "connected" services. According to recently unearthed FCC documents, the mid-range (and until now Euro-centric) XL Live has been manhandled and passed all its tests. This guy operates on the GSM850 and GSM1900 bands, which means it should be available on AT&T or T-Mobile's 2G network -- you know, when it does make it to market. And when it does make it to market, might we recommend you go with the Homer Simpson voice skin? That thing is hilarious. [Via GPS Tracklog, Thanks Rich]
TomTom navigation for iPhone 3G and 3GS arrives (update: Video!)
True, it's not the first app offering turn-by-turn driving instructions for the iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS -- but it is from TomTom, an industry heavy-weight that is finally delivering on years of rumor and speculation. After starting with New Zealand a few hours ago, the iTunes App Store is now populated with region specific TomTom apps for NZ ($95), Australia ($80), US and Canada ($100), and Western Europe ($140). If that sounds expensive... it is; dedicated TomTom navigators start at $120. In other words, this isn't one of those knee-jerk 99 cent App Store purchases. Naturally, that price does not include the announced TomTom iPhone car kit (rumored to cost £113.85 (about $194) with bundled mapping software) that mounts and charges your iPhone 3G or 3GS while enhancing its GPS performance, speaker, and microphone. Our advice: wait for the reviews before dedicating your non multi-tasking iPhone to the dashboard for navigation duties. Update: Recombu took the software for a spin and seem duly impressed by their ability to navigate streets with an iPhone taped to the dash (not a joke). They say that when a call comes in, the TomTom app "turns off but restarts as soon as you finish the call." Lame. See the video overview after the break. Update 2: TomTom says the upcoming car kit dock / windshield mount will also work with the iPod touch and third-party apps -- it contains a faster, more accurate GPS chip than the one in the iPhone. Check a video of it after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read [Warning: iTunes link]
TomTom for iPhone now available in US
There's been plenty of hype and mystery surrounding the TomTom GPS navigation app for iPhone. Originally announced back in June, the app created by the popular GPS company promised to be the first of its kind... only to have competing apps from Navigon, Telenav from AT&T, iGO and others hit the store ahead of it. Finally, TomTom for iPhone [iTunes Link] has debuted on iTunes in the US today (already up and reviewed in its New Zealand incarnation) and is now available for purchase. Priced at $99.99, the app is a fully featured turn-by-turn GPS system that includes: landscape and portrait modes & pinch to zoom take full advantage of the iPhone interface voice guided directions integrated with your iPhone address book route options including fastest, most direct, etc. ability to find points of interest and call for reservations TomTom is also offering a bundle including the application and a car cradle kit that offers enhanced GPS performance, a charging port and hands-free calling. Having just hit the app store, details are still coming in about the features of the app and news about the car kit's availability. TomTom's iPhone website doesn't seem to be updated often, but it offers a link to subscribe to news updates as they become available.
TomTom's iPhone car kit and navigation software priced overseas
TomTom told us that its long-awaited iPhone navigation app and in-car mounting kit would be landing "this summer," and at least on our watch, summertime is quickly drawing to a close. If a pre-order listing over at Handtec is to be believed, it looks as if the outfit is exceedingly close to finally having both the software and hardware ready for shipping. The £113.85 ($194) asking price includes a suction mount for your iPhone as well as the mapping software, though there's no indication of exactly how much the app and hardware will run by themselves. Of course, until the iPhone supports multitasking, using it as a dedicated PND is still a risky move; one stray call during a pivotal moment in your travels and you can consider yourself lost. Oh, and then there's the fact that this thing has a TomTom logo on it -- if the iPhone app functions anything like the company's high-end GO 740 LIVE, we'd say you're better off asking Mr. Gas Station attendant (or buying a different brand).[Via DaniWeb]
TomTom for iPhone pricing leaked
TomTom's co-founder and CTO Peter-Frans Pauwels first demonstrated his company's turn-by-turn solution for the iPhone at WWDC in June of '09. You can watch a teaser video above. Since then, many customers have anticipated this app's release and pricing. Handtec may have let the cat out of the bag. Daniweb linked to a page listing "TomTom for iPhone including mount" for £113.85 ($193.89US as of this writing) via preorder. That's a bit steeper that we were expecting here at TUAW, but not astronomical. TomTom's stand-alone units range in price from $119 to nearly $400. I hope to use my 3GS as a turn-by-turn device and avoid adding one more "thing" from the car. How about you? Are you interested in an iPhone-based solution or do you want a stand-alone?
Cruising with the AT&T Navigator
I love GPS. in the mid 1990s I had a Garmin unit that had no maps, just a bread crumb trail of where you were and where you'd been. I lived in England at the time, and thought I had a highly original idea to take it to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and walk across the Meridian line and watch the screen as the numbers dropped to zero longitude. When I got there, I was hardly alone. I was surrounded by other geeks doing exactly the same thing. Oh well.GPS has come a long way, and AT&T has released their subscription based Navigator [App Store] for the iPhone. It requires OS version 3.0. It is fee based, and will set you back US$9.95 a month on your AT&T bill. It is loaded with features, and has voice guided turn by turn directions. It also offers: Automatic rerouting Updated maps with no additional charge Real time traffic updates Fuel Price searches and navigation to those locations Point of interest searches in all the usual categories like ATM machines, hospitals, restaurants, airports The map gives you a 3D view from a position just above and behind your vehicle. On the setup page you can chose flat maps if your prefer. I found the maps easy to read but would have preferred a landscape view instead of portrait (there is no option to change the orientation). I saw a little lag when driving, but generally the response was fast. The app really needs a 3G connection. It works on the EDGE network, but was slow to load graphics. If you are somewhere where you have neither you are out of luck. No maps are contained on the app and nothing is cached. In essence, the app is only as good as the AT&T network, and if you do a lot of driving where the network is weak or absent, you'll be navigating on your own.I found the voice very hard to hear. This is a limitation of the iPhone speaker. It just wasn't designed to be played at a loud volume. On the highway, with road noise, good luck hearing that warning to turn. Of course, the directions are on the map, but the whole purpose of voice instructions is to keep you from looking at the map.Other features are a high altitude view of your entire trip from beginning to end, a list of your turns on a scrollable page, directions to the nearest AT&T WiFi hotspots (nice), and the ability to set your default navigation method like shortest, fastest, traffic optimized, prefer highways or streets, or pedestrian routing if you're not driving.I found the voice alerts were too frequent. Frankly, the app is a blabbermouth, and it kept reminding me of a faraway turn too often for my taste. It would be nice to be able to set just how aggressive the voice warnings are.The big question for most iPhone users will be whether to wait for other nav apps to appear. TomTom is imminent, as is an app from Navigon. They both download the maps to your phone, so you are not dependent on the AT&T network. You only need GPS, and that signal is everywhere. You could also buy an inexpensive dedicated unit; on the low end that will cost about the same as a year of the AT&T subscription, and will certainly have a better speaker. Of course, there will be fees to update the maps, but in my experience you can use a GPS for years without doing that. Points of interest change, but the iPhone provides other sources like Google for up to date info.I also think it is a bloody shame that the AT&T app has no access to your address book. Apple has walled that data off from 3rd party apps, (Update: Apple provides the ability, the Navigator app hasn't implemented it) and it is just senseless to have you type everything in again. You can copy and paste the data, but it is a needless pain. The AT&T app has this access when it runs on other phones like the Blackberry.In summary, the app works, and is feature laden. I'm not sure it is the best option for in-car navigation, and you might want to wait for other solutions to appear. Of course, you can always get the AT&T app and cancel. It's a month-by-month charge.So how is it like to drive with this app? My colleague Steven Sande did just that, and his report will follow soon.Before you go, here are some screen shots to give you a look at some of the features on AT&T Navigator:%Gallery-67289%
TomTom's Homer Simpson voice skin is just like the real thing, without the Duff's
Well, let's be frank. The Knight Rider GPS, while brilliant, is a bit of a stretch. Isn't it a little sad to be living out your boyhood fantasies of excitement and danger vicariously, behind the wheel of your '92 Buick Roadmaster station wagon? On the other hand, perhaps you're ready to put away your childhood dreams and hit the road in a manner more befitting your average schlub. The official Homer Simpson voice skin for the TomTom GPS features the voice of the iconic cartoon dad, including such gems as "Take the third right. We might find an ice cream truck! Mmm...ice cream." Psyched? We bet you are. Priced at $12.95 -- check out an audio sample after the break, and then hit the read link to pick it up it for yourself. [Via Pocket-lint]
Turn by turn navigation coming with TomTom for iPhone
It's been a gap in the functionality of the GPS-enabled iPhone 3G for months, and one that was promised for the 3.0 software update (even though third parties have been trying to get it working for a while now): turn-by-turn navigation. Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel has been conclusively demonstrated not to be an oncoming train; it's the faint guiding glow from TomTom for iPhone, the first announced TBT navigation package for the 3.0 software (X-Road is already in the store for 2.1 devices).There's no cost information yet (Engadget speculates 'pricey' so as not to cannibalize TomTom's hardware business), and the launch date is only noted as after the June 17th 3.0 software availability, but it certainly looks cool: a software app combined with a custom bracket & charging cable, hands-free calling and 'enhanced GPS performance' included. For iPhone owners who don't yet have in-car GPS, this could be a fantastic offering, if the price is right.Video of the TomTom solution in the second half of the post. I already own a TomTom ONE, and just ponied up the $79 for a year of map updates... probably should have waited.
Video: Apple partners with TomTom to bring "real" navigation to iPhone
This one sure took awhile to go from rumor to real, but at long last, authentic TomTom navigation has arrived on the iPhone. 'Course, we would've personally preferred the Garmin touch, but at this point, we can't really find it in our hearts to kvetch. The app shown at WWDC today was surprisingly slick, and while the robot voice didn't exactly get our juices flowing, the currently unpriced TomTom car kit is definitely a boon for those looking to avoid standalone PNDs. Apple has informed us that the application will surface "this summer," though it didn't mention a price; in other words, we can't imagine this being cheap. You think TomTom wants a $19 app undercutting its $300 navigation systems? Doubtful. Video of the new setup is after the break.
TomTom announces special edition "White Pearl" nav system
Navigation systems don't often get the same special edition treatment given to cellphones and other gadgets, but TomTom looks to be doing its small part to change that, and it's now announced its new "White Pearl" edition nav unit. As you might expect, however, apart from that eye-catching exterior, this one is basically just a re-purposed version of one of TomTom's existing devices -- a TomTom ONE IQ Routes edition, in this case. While the specs no doubt remain the same, TomTom has at least gone so far as to add a new start-up screen that fills out the design, not to mention a few new, totally not obvious special points of interest like "Places to be seen" and "Shop 'til you drop." No word on a release 'round here, but it looks like folks in the UK will be able to pick one up this month for £179.99, or just about $300 even.
TomTom brings costly connected services to mid-range XL LIVE
In theory, we've no qualms with TomTom's LIVE services. Sure, they're over-hyped, overpriced and generally slow to react, but they're definitely nice extras on an otherwise vanilla PND. That said, we simply can't (and won't, ever) justify the crazy monthly rates for having access to basic information that even a dumb smartphone could find. Nevertheless, TomTom's doing its darnedest to push those very services to the masses by trickling 'em down from the GO 740 LIVE to its popular XL model. Folks across the pond can pick one up next month for €219 ($301) or €249 ($342) depending on whether you need a regional model or one with 42 European nations, but you'll still be asked to shell out €9.95 ($14) per month if you want those LIVE services.
Video: Tele Atlas' photorealistic city models to aid navigation, terrorism
Navigation devices are everywhere and just keep getting better and better thanks to the 3D maps provided by the likes of Tele Atlas (owned by TomTom) and NAVTEQ (owned by Nokia). Now Tele Atlas is announcing its photorealistic "Advanced City Models" destined for in-car and portable navigation systems and mobile devices. In June, Tele Atlas will release 40 maps based on BLOM arial imagery for cities across Europe -- hundreds more cities, including those in North America and Asia, will be available in 2010. Remember, Google already has laid ink to paper to give it rights to Tele Atlas maps for use in Google's mobile, desktop, and on-line offerings. And with Tele Atlas maps loaded on PSPs and navigators from Pioneer, Mio, and of course TomTom, just think of this as a hint of what's to come.
TomTom GO 740 LIVE impressions
Way back at CES, TomTom proudly announced that its GO 740 LIVE personal navigation device would be its very first "connected GPS" to hit the United States of America. Just last month, the company announced that said unit was finally shipping to anxious consumers. Hardware wise, there's nothing here outside of the ordinary, but it's the little extras that make all the difference in the world here -- or, at least that's what TomTom wants you to think. Is this $400 navigator worth the up front costs, let alone the monthly fee to keep it connected? Head on past the break for our take.
TomTom intros ONE 140 and XL 340 series, ships GO 740 LIVE
TomTom decided to bust out a pair of announcements this morning, so we won't waste any time getting right to the crux of it. That splendiferous GO 740 LIVE, which was introduced at CES this January, is finally shipping in the US of A. If you'll recall, this is TomTom's first connected navigation system, which can download real-time traffic information, fuel prices, weather reports, etc. If you're intrigued, you can snag one now with three months of LIVE Services for $399.95. Moving on, we've got four new systems entirely: the ONE 140 / ONE 140s (3.5-inch display; 140S announces spoken street and place names) and the XL 340 / XL 340s (4.3-inch display; 340S includes speech functions). Each of these include the company's IQ Routes technology and Advanced Lane Guidance, features that were previously reserved for higher-end PNDs; furthermore, the new crew also includes maps of Mexico. Catch 'em all this month for $179.95, $199.95, $229.95 and $249.95 in order of mention.[Via GPSReview]Read - GO 740 LIVE now shipping in USRead - ONE 140 Series and XL 340 Series%Gallery-49036%
Microsoft and TomTom settle Linux patent suit, Linux not necessarily in the clear
Well, that was fast -- just a month after Microsoft set the open-source world on fire by claiming that TomTom's use of Linux violated its FAT filesystem patents, the two companies have settled, with TomTom paying the always-popular "undisclosed amount" and letting MS license four of its navigation patents for free. What's more, TomTom has also agreed to remove certain functionality from its PNDs within two years. That's huge -- not only did TomTom's attorneys calculate that the total cost of this settlement was less than the cost of a trial and a potential loss, the overwhelmingly one-way nature of the deal implies they felt they were holding a bad position. Since we don't know if that was more to do with the navigation patents or the FAT patents, we can't really say what's going to happen next, but Microsoft's made no bones about the fact that it thinks Linux violates all sorts of its IP, and cruising to an easy settlement in a month like this just might encourage its legal department to go digging for gold in troubled economic times. We'll see.
TomTom becomes Linux licensee, minds are filled with wonder
Call it coincidence or call it fate, but nary a month after Microsoft filed a patent lawsuit against TomTom over Linux-based GPS systems, TomTom has just been taken into the warm, loving arms of the Open Invention Network. Said company, which was formed to "enable and protect Linux," has just extended the Linux ecosystem with the signing of TomTom as a licensee. What this means is that TomTom is now cleared to leverage the benefits of Linux and all patents owned by OIN; the only catch is that TomTom cannot "assert its patents against the Linux System." 'Course, TomTom has been friends with Linux for quite some time now, but this deal could lead to faster development and enhanced innovation compared to what we've seen in the past. Color us intrigued.
