(Credit: TomTom)On Thursday, TomTom introduced a new plan for delivering map updates to its customers. Dubbed TomTom Map Update Service, the subscription-based service brings quarterly map updates for a one-time fee as low as $39.80 or $9.95 per map release.
The service is available starting today. If you subscribe, you will be alerted to new updates when you connect your GPS devices to your PC and the TomTom Home service (the company's free desktop software). From there, you'll be able to download the maps, which reflect all road changes that have been verified by TeleAtlas. The update includes whichever map or map set comes standard on the device.
As with all things, there's some fine print in terms of pricing. The cost of the update varies depending on TomTom model and the age of the map currently on the device, so it could be more than the advertised $39.80/$9.95 fee. You'll be given an estimate when you connect your portable navigation device to TomTom Home.
The Map Update Service joins TomTom's other map-update offering, TomTom Map Share, which allows users to make updates and corrections right on their GPS devices and then share them with the TomTom community. The company also has a 30-day latest-map guarantee, which entitles customers to a one-time free map download if a new map becomes available within 30 days of first use.
Alpine PND-K3msn
(Credit: Alpine Electronics)On Tuesday, Alpine Electronics announced that it is now shipping its latest in-car GPS, the Alpine PND-K3msn. The device offers a lot of the same navigation features as the Alpine PND-K3, including text-to-speech functionality, integrated Bluetooth, and highway junction view. The main difference between the two models is the addition of MSN Direct services.
MSN Direct brings real-time information to the PND-K3msn, such as real-time traffic, weather forecasts, gas prices, and movie times. There's also a "Send to GPS" feature that lets you find addresses and businesses from your PC on Live Search maps and then send them wirelessly to your GPS.
With the purchase of the PND-K3msn ($299.95), you get a three-month complimentary subscription to the MSN Direct services, but after that you will have to pay $49.95 per year or a one-time fee of $129.95. Also, be sure to check out the coverage map to make sure you can get the services in your area.
(Credit: Garmin)Mio isn't the only one making GPS news at CeBIT 2009. Garmin also got in on the action and introduced its new Nuvi 1200 and 1300 series of portable navigation devices on Tuesday. The new products sport thinner designs and are the first to offer the option of enhanced pedestrian navigation through CityXplorer maps.
Realizing that portable navigation devices are no longer restricted to just the car and hoping to reach new customers, Garmin wanted to provide an option for those exploring new cities by foot. Slimming down the size of the GPS was one solution and CityXplorer was another.
CityXplorer maps will be available as an optional download to users, ranging from $9.99 to $14.99, and provides information for select cities that allows users to plan and use routes that include public transit options, such as buses and subways. Garmin has not yet released a list of supported cities but plans to publish them (for both North America and Europe) on its Web site in Q2.
Even if you don't opt for the CityXplorer route, the new GPS offer plenty of other navigation features and for reasonable prices. For example, all models in the Nuvi 1300 series, which include the Nuvi 1300, 1350, 1350T, 1370T, and 1390T, have 4.3-inch touch screens and text-to-speech functionality. The Nuvi 1370T and Nuvi 1390T also provide free traffic updates for life. Meanwhile, the Nuvi 1200 series, which consists of the Nuvi 1200, 1250, and 1260T, has 3.5-inch touch screens and text-to-speech functionality. The Nuvi
The Nuvi 1200 and 1300 product lines are expected to ship in Q2; for full details and pricing of each model, check out Garmin's Web site.
Mio Explora K70
(Credit: Mio)Back at GSMA 2009, I spotted a mysterious Mio GPS Phone (pictured below) at the Microsoft booth but couldn't find much information on the device other than what was printed on the spec card. Well, it looks the mystery smartphone had its official coming-out party on the opening day of the CeBIT 2009.
On Tuesday, Mio Technology took the wraps off its Mio Explora K70 GPS Phone, a Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone with an integrated Qualcomm gpsOne chipset. The handset offers turn-by-turn navigation and quad-band connectivity (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) with 3.5G support (HSDPA/HSUPDA 850/1900/2100). The Explora K70 also has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
The slim device (4.5 inches high by 2.4 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick; 4 ounces) features a 3.5-inch touch screen with a 400x240 pixel resolution and a customizable Mio Menu for quick access to contacts, applications, and more. The K70 also has a 3-megapixel camera with photo geo-tagging abilities.
Pricing and availability date were not released at this time. I talked to my contact at Mio, and he said there are no set plans to bring the Mio Explora K70 to the States in the near future, though it may be a possibility down the road since the company is trying to expand its portfolio beyond in-car GPS.
Mio GPS Phone at GSMA
(Credit: Bonnie Cha/CNET)Of course, just because the smartphone won't be offered by a U.S. carrier doesn't mean you're completely out of luck. You can always buy the Mio Explora K70 unlocked whenever it becomes available. We'll keep you updated on the release details and hopefully, we can get our hands on one to test out.
(Source: GSMArena via Engadget Mobile)
Q: I am writing to ask you about what GPS device is the best for someone interested in traffic updates (preferably free), as well as Bluetooth capability. I also like the idea of Lane Assist because I fear missing exits. Also, is the voice response option really a practical one at this phase? Hope to hear from you soon. --Alex via e-mail
A: Hi Alex. I'll start with your last question first. Voice command functionality is just starting to show up in portable navigation devices, letting you enter addresses and perform some other tasks simply by speaking to the GPS. As with any new technology, I can understand your apprehension. Is it good enough? Is it actually useful? In other words, is it ready for prime time?
In the case of voice commands and GPS, it's not quite there yet. The idea behind it is good. The ability to enter addresses and perform certain functions with the sound of your voice would seemingly save you the time and trouble of going through various menus and tapping onscreen buttons to achieve the same goal.
Being able to do things like increase system volume and zoom in on maps via voice commands is particularly useful since you can keep your hands on the wheel instead of reaching over to fiddle around with your PND's touch screen.
However, in practice, the technology still needs some work. Voice command functionality is available on a handful of GPS models, such as the TomTom GO 930 and the Magellan Maestro 4250, but of the current offerings, there are only two models where I'd consider the voice command feature satisfactory: the Garmin Nuvi 880 and Navigon 7200T.
These two systems returned fairly accurate results when dictating addresses, and the Nuvi 800 had the bonus of offering 30 voice commands to perform other functions, including volume control and activating the hands-free speaker system. Unfortunately, they're also on the pricier side ($700 to $1,000 for the Garmin and $300 to $500 for the Navigon), and I wouldn't say the voice command functionality is so great that it's worth the extra expense.
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Navigon 7300T
(Credit: Navigon)Navigon on Monday introduced three portable navigation devices: the Navigon 3300 Max, the Navigon 4300T, and the Navigon 7300T. The trio also includes a new feature called Navigon MyRoutes, which aims to provide personalized route recommendations based on your driving habits.
MyRoutes works by recording and analyzing your driving habits, along with other data, such as day of the week and time of travel, to come up with the best route based on that information. The feature will provide up to three route recommendations, and gives you the distance and estimated time of arrival to your destination, also taking traffic, speed limits, and constructions into consideration. MyRoutes will display this information on a map to give you a visual overview of your options.
In addition to MyRoutes, all three GPS devices offer other new features. Here is a breakdown of each model.
Navigon 3300 Max: The aim of the Navigon 3300 Max is to offer more for less, and on paper, it certainly looks like the PND matches the description. For $199.99, you get a 4.3-inch touch screen, text-to-speech functionality, and advanced land guidance. The latter, which includes Reality View for exits and Lane Assistant Pro, is definitely a bonus at this price, since these high-end features are typically seen in more expensive models. The system comes preloaded with maps of the 48 contiguous United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Navigon 3300 Max
(Credit: Navigon)Navigon 4300T Max: The Navigon 4300T Max adds on to the 3300 Max with integrated Bluetooth for hands-free calling and real-time spoken traffic updates for life. The GPS also includes Rand McNally content, such as Best of the Road Weekend Getaways, Scenic Tours, and Regional Trips. The 4300T Max has a suggested retail price of $279.99.
Navigon 7300T: Last but not least, the Navigon 7300T brings together the Panorama View 3D feature, which we saw in the Navigon 8100T, and the Landmark View 3D functionality of the Navigon 7200T. It also offers voice address entry and commands, so not only can you input destinations with the sound of your voice, you'll also be able to perform various tasks, such as increase system volume and answer calls, by speaking to the GPS. The 7300T costs $399.99 and includes all the features previously mentioned, as well as Zagat ratings and reviews for certain points of interest.
All three Navigon models are expected to ship in the second quarter, and you can preorder the Navigon 3300 Max and 4300T Max on March 9 through various online retailers, including Amazon.com, Crutchfield, and CompUSA. We'll, of course, give all three a road test when we get them.
The new features certainly pique our interest, but we're just wondering if Navigon has done anything to improve its devices' GPS performance, since we haven't always been impressed by it.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)Perhaps seeing the error of its ways or facing slow sales, Alpine Electronics announced on Wednesday that it has reduced the price of its Alpine PND-K3 GPS from $349.95 to $199.95.
"When we first introduced the PND-K3, the pricing was competitive for the market and for the device's robust feature offering. As the marketplace has changed in the last few months, we are adjusting the price to meet consumer demand for a full-featured product at a better value," said Stephen Witt, vice president of marketing.
Frankly, we thought the price of the PND-K3 was too high from the get-go, but either way, we're glad to see the price drop. The portable navigation device includes features such as text-to-speech functionality, advanced lane guidance, and integrated Bluetooth. You can find out all the details in our full review of the Alpine PND-K3.
Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M20
(Credit: Garmin)Garmin-Asus is wasting no time on creating some pre-Mobile World Congress buzz. Last week, the companies announced their strategic alliance to collaborate on an entire line of Nuvifone GPS-enabled smartphones and revealed that it would debut a new Nuvifone model at GSMA 2009. We thought we'd hear about it on the opening day of the show, but on Thursday, Garmin-Asus took the wraps off the Nuvifone M20 and revealed full specs for the Nuvifone G60 (aka the original Garmin Nuvifone.
The Nuvifone M20 will run Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition with full e-mail support, document viewing, and Opera's HTML Web browser. The triband GSM (850/1800/1900)/dual-band 3.5G (HSDPA 850/1900) handset will also have integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Of course, navigation is a top priority and the Nuvifone M20 will come preloaded with maps and points of interest and will offer turn-by-turn voice-guided directions and automatic recalculation. To enter a destination, you can manually enter an address, search for a POI, or use an address from your phone's contact list.
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TeleNav GPS Navigator on the T-Mobile G1
(Credit: TeleNav)On Thursday, TeleNav announced that starting February 24, it will make its location-based service, TeleNav GPS Navigator, available to T-Mobile G1 owners, bringing real-time turn-by-turn navigation to the Google Android smartphone.
In addition to turn-by-turn driving directions, TeleNav GPS Navigator offers traffic alerts with one-click rerouting, business searches (with more than 10 million listings), gas prices, weather updates, and restaurant reviews.
Speech recognition is also supported, meaning that you'll be able to press a button on the G1, dictate an address or business, and TeleNav will then route to the destination. Alternatively, you can preplan trips through TeleNav's Web site and send it to your phone.
TeleNav is no stranger to the business, providing its navigation services to a number of GPS-enabled smartphones and carriers, including Sprint and AT&T. Developing an application for Android and G1 owners was an important step for the company, according to TeleNav co-founder and Senior Director of Marketing Sal Dhanani.
The service will initially be available only through TeleNav but will then make its way to Android Market later this year. G1 users can go to TeleNav's Web site to sign up for a 30-day free trial of the service; afterward, it will cost $9.99 per month for unlimited use.
(Credit: Garmin)On Wednesday, Garmin and Asus announced a strategic alliance to develop and distribute co-branded GPS-enabled smartphones to be known as the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone series. This includes the original Garmin Nuvifone, which was introduced over a year ago, and will now be rebranded as the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60.
The partnership isn't a strange one, considering that Asus has been working on the original Nuvifone for over a year as the ODM (original device manufacturer). Both companies still plan to ship the Nuvifone G60 in the first half of 2009. In addition, Garmin-Asus said it will offer several Nuvifone models this year--all of which will continue to focus on GPS and navigation features, though it was not clear whether they would all run the Google Android operating system.
In fact, Garmin-Asus plans to introduce its next device at the Mobile World Congress, which runs February 16-19 in Barcelona. Both Kent German and I will be there, so we'll definitely keep you updated with the news, photos, and video. I'm also hoping to press the company for a more definite release date for the Nuvifone G60. I mean, come on already!
