After its introduction almost two years ago and after numerous delays, Garmin and AT&T announced on Tuesday the upcoming availability of the Garmin Nuvifone G60.
The Nuvifone G60 will be sold in stores and online starting October 4 for $299 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. For the price, you're getting a smartphone with full GPS capabilities, including preloaded maps of North America, millions of points of interest, and voice-guided directions.
Just like Garmin's standlone portable navigation devices, the G60 will also feature the company's "Where am I?" feature that shows you your coordinates and the nearest address, intersection, gas station, hospital, and so forth in case of an emergency. Customers will also be able to get Premium Connected Services, which include real-time traffic, fuel prices, weather, white pages, movie info, and local events for an additional $5.99 per month after a 30-day trial.
The smartphone also offers a full HTML browser and is 3G-capable. You can also get online with Wi-Fi and access AT&T's 20,000 hot spots around the country. There's also a 3-megapixel camera with geotagging capabilities and 2GB of user-available memory with a microSD expansion slot (up to 16GB). Physically, the Nuvifone G60 measures 4.4 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.57 inch thick and features a 3.5-inch WVGA resistive touch screen and 2.5mm headset jack.
As far as the smartphone part, the Linux-based G60 offers standard personal information management tools (Calendar, 5,000-entry address book, notes, alarm clock, etc.), document viewing, and support for Hotmail, Gmail, AOL mail, POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts. For the full list of features and specs, you can check out Garmin's Web site.
Now, that it's official and we have a launch date, what do you guys think? Anyone interested in getting one? Or would you rather stick with a standalone GPS or use a location-based service like TeleNav with a GPS-enabled smartphone or cell phone? Let us know!
(Credit:
CellControl)
If you can't keep your hands off your cell phone while driving, a new blocking device can help you keep them on the wheel.
CellControl plugs into the computer terminals of cars made in 1996 and later (terminals are located under the steering column). It then links to your cell via Bluetooth and a downloadable application. When the vehicle is in motion, the device blocks all incoming and outgoing calls, plus texts and e-mails. But it always allows you to call emergency numbers.
CellControl does not depend on cell phone tower triangulation or GPS; as long as a car is moving at more than 1 mph, it will sense the motion and block calling. Incoming calls and messages are stored.
The device can be programmed, though, to allow only calls or text messages. Once the car is stopped, calls automatically come through. Passenger cell phones are not affected.
Driving while distracted (DWD) is becoming an increasingly important public safety issue.
Louisiana-based developer Obdedge says texting was related to about 500,000 road accidents in 2008. Meanwhile, the United Services Automobile Association recently noted that studies conducted in summer 2009 show texting while driving makes a driver 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident, while talking on a cell phone while driving, even hands-free, makes drivers as likely to cause a crash as someone considered legally drunk.
Obdedge is offering free beta testing before it launches CellControl for BlackBerry devices on September 15. Launches for Windows Mobile and Android will come later.
TeleNav Navigator running on the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G.
(Credit: TeleNav)TeleNav announced on Monday that it will make its TeleNav GPS Navigator application available to the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G when it goes on sale on August 5. It will be the first location-based service to launch on the MyTouch 3G and customers will be able to try it out for free for 30 days before signing up for the $9.99 per month unlimited access option.
According to the location-based service provider, TeleNav GPS Navigator has been optimized for the Android smartphone and offers 3D moving maps in portrait and landscape mode, text- and voice-guided directions with text-to-speech functionality, and automatic route recalculation. In addition, the application features speech recognition so MyTouch 3G owners will be able to press a button on their smartphone, speak the name of a business or address, and get directions.
When calculating routes, TeleNav GPS Navigator will take traffic into account and it will also alert drivers to any new incidents along the route with audible and visual prompts. Alternatively, users can set up daily traffic commute alerts where TeleNav sends an e-mail at a predetermined time with a summary of the traffic conditions for their routes. Other features of the app include a 10 million points of interest database, gas price listings, five-day weather forecasts, and the ability preplan trips from TeleNav's Web site and send them directly to the MyTouch 3G.
To sign up for a free trial, you can go to TeleNav's Web site. TeleNav GPS Navigator is also available on a wide range of handsets, including the T-Mobile G1, Apple iPhone 3GS, and the Palm Pre, and also powers AT&T Navigator and Sprint Navigation.
Well, I'll be damned. I never thought I'd see this day, but after numerous delays, Garmin-Asus is finally releasing its Nuvifone models, starting with select Asian markets.
The Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60 will be the first out the door and will go on sale in Taiwan on July 27, and then in Singapore and Malaysia by the end of August. The Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M20 will also go on sale in August, shipping in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.
As for us here in the States (and Europe), Garmin-Asus says the Nuvifone G60 is on schedule for delivery in the second half of the year. However, there was no mention of a North American release of the Windows Mobile-based Nuvifone M20. However, I have to wonder, does it even matter? Today's market is full of so many capable and proven smartphones and mobile GPS solutions; is anyone going to go for this?
TomTom on iPhone
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)With the announcement of iPhone OS 3.0, we knew that real-time, turn-by-turn navigation would soon become a reality on the iPhone. It was just a matter of when and how, and it looks like we finally got our answer on Monday.
Joining Apple onstage at the WWDC 2009 keynote, longtime GPS manufacturer TomTom unveiled its application for the iPhone, bringing maps and voice-guided directions to the smartphone. The biggest boon for drivers is the addition of the audible prompts, since the current iPhone is only able to provide text-based instructions through Google Maps. In addition, TomTom will offer a car kit for the iPhone, which includes a vehicle mount and car charger.
The TomTom app is expected to be available this summer, but as CNET's Erica Ogg and Kent German point out, the big question is how much this will cost. Mapping and navigation software isn't cheap, so it'll be interesting to see where they put the pricing on this app and how it compares with Sprint Navigation on the Palm Pre. Also, I have to wonder, would Garmin have been better off going the app route instead of launching its own Nuvifone line of GPS-enabled smartphones, which has yet to see the light of day?
(Credit:
Pharos)
Pharos announced on Thursday the immediate availability of its latest GPS-enabled smartphone, the Pharos Traveler 137. The Traveler 137 will be sold unlocked through various online retailers, including Amazon, Dell, eXpansys, and Newegg, for $599.95, though you can receive a $250 discount if you sign up for a two-year T-Mobile contract through Pharos.
First introduced at CES 2009, the Traveler 137 is a bit unlike other GPS-enabled smartphones in that you can use its navigation software without a cellular connection. The smartphone ships with Pharos' Smart Navigator software with the vector map and routing calculations, so you'll be able to view maps, create routes, and get turn-by-turn directions at any time.
In addition, the Traveler 137 offers a 3.5-inch, VGA touch screen; a 3-megapixel camera; Bluetooth; Wi-Fi; and support for T-Mobile's 3G network (1700/1900/2100MHz). We'll be getting one in for review and putting it through the usual testing, so stay tuned for a full review.
In 2007, Kia Motors America and several design firms devised a taxi that could display its destination and indicate whether a passenger was interested in splitting a fare.
(Credit: Candace Lombardi/CNET)You got a better idea on how taxis should work? New York City is all ears.
On Tuesday, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) put out a request for information on how it can improve its taxi technology.
The TLC, in conjunction with the Design Trust for Public Space, staged an elaborate display at the New York International Auto Show in 2007 of taxis with innovative ideas on sustainability and design. Now it seems that the TLC wants to ensure that the public is aware of its interest in tech beyond hybrids.
The city's contracts with service providers for its tech tools program--referred to as the Taxicab Passenger Enhancement Program, or T-PEP--expire in about two years. The TLC seems to be shopping for options on how "to enhance the technology systems in each taxicab for the benefit of passengers, drivers, and owners alike," according to the announcement.
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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.
... Read More
On Sale Now:
$99.99
- $14,500.00
View the latest prices for Garmin Nuvifone G60 (AT&T)
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.
The i365IS is built with safety in mind.
(Credit: Sprint)If you ever bother to read your cell phone's user manual from front to back, you'll see a whole section with neat safety warnings. One of them advises you not to make calls in a gas station since the phone's electrically energy could cause a gas explosion. Sounds like fun!
While I doubt that many people have heeded the warning, much less read it, Motorola is taking it seriously. Last week, Sprint Nextel announced the Motorola i356IS, which is a variation of its burly i356 candy bar phone.
The i356IS (the "IS" stands for "intrinsically safe") is built with exploding fuel pumps in mind. According to the carrier, the phone will not release "enough electrical or thermal energy to ignite fuel and cause a fire or explosion." What's more, "intrinsically safe devices are safe to use in hazardous areas that may contain flammable gasses, vapors or dust." Phew.
Other features include support for Nextel's Direct Connect push-to-talks service, a speakerphone, messaging, GPS, Bluetooth, organizer features, and support for Nextel's second line feature. Like its i356 cousin it may not be much to look at, but its rugged design is built to last.
(Source: Mobiledia)
