Not a good day to be TomTom and Garmin

Posted in GPS by Conner Flynn on October 28th, 2009

Not a good day to be TomTom and GarminLooks like both TomTom and Garmin might be having a bit of a bad day to put it mildly, thanks to the announcement of Google Maps Navigation. As the graph shows, things are not looking good. Nope. Not at all.

GPS makers can at least take some comfort in the fact that the new Google Maps Navigation is available on Android 2.0 at the moment, which requires you to have a specific phone to download the maps real time. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

TomTom announces XL 335S GPS device

Posted in TomTom by Shane McGlaun on October 13th, 2009

tomtom-logo-sbTomTom has unveiled a new GPS device today that is aimed at the lower end of the market. The device is called the XL 335S and it will sell for $239.95. Many of TomTom’s offerings sell for much more than that amount.

Despite its entry-level price the navigation device has a slew of features that you expect from TomTom. Things like IQ routes that use real speed measurements to plan the fastest routes on the maps. MapShare is also features allowing users to update the maps as they need to.

TomTom Car Kit for iPhone ships in Europe

Posted in TomTom by Shane McGlaun on October 12th, 2009

tomtomcarkitOne of the big improvements of the iPhone 3G and 3GS compared to the original iPhone was the inclusion of GPS allowing for navigation capabilities in the device. The problem is that the iPhone GPS receiver is prone to having issues at times if you are near large trees or tall buildings.

TomTom has announced that its Car Kit for iPhone is now available for users to purchase in Europe. The kit includes a secure mount dock that charges and holds the iPhone while it works as a PND. The dock allows the iPhone to be in portrait or landscape mode.

TomTom unveils XL 340S Live GPS unit with connected services

Posted in TomTom by Shane McGlaun on September 28th, 2009

tomtom-xl-340GPS units have evolved from devices that were mostly of help on long road trips to items that commuters can use on the route that they drive each day as a way to get out of traffic. TomTom announced a new GPS device today with connected services via AT&T.

The device is called the TomTom XL 340S Live and has AT&T 3G connectivity built-in. The AT&T connectivity allows the GPS unit to perform local search for gas stations, restaurants and more. Connectivity also allows the GPS device to get real-time traffic info.

TomTom car kit for iPhone 3GS

Posted in GPS by Conner Flynn on September 24th, 2009

TomTom car kit for iPhone 3GSHere’s one for you weary road travelers who use your iPhone 3GS as your main navigation device while driving. TomTom has introduced a car kit for the iPhone 3GS in the UK Apple Store and it’s available for pre-order.

It will run you £100 along with an up to a three week wait before shipping gets underway. For that price, you get the TomTom navigation app for your iPhone 3GS or 3G and a docking kit to keep your iPhone secure on your dashboard or windshield.

TomTom’s Homer Simpson voice skin

Posted in GPS by Conner Flynn on June 16th, 2009

TomTom's Homer Simpson voice skinNovelty GPS products are few and far between. Sure, we have the Knight Rider GPS, but do you really want to be re-living all of those car chase scenes while behind the wheel? Probably not a good idea if you are easily convinced that your car has rocket boosters.

So how should the average guy use GPS? I’m glad you asked. The official Homer Simpson voice skin for the TomTom GPS of course. It features Homer’s voice saying things like “Take the third right. We might find an ice cream truck! Mmm…ice cream.”

TomTom navigation coming to iPhone

Posted in Apple by Darrin Olson on June 9th, 2009

TomTom teaming with Apple for iPhone navigation appTomTom announced on Tuesday that it would be making it’s navigation software and some hardware pieces available specifically for use with Apple’s iPhone sometime in the not too distant future. TomTom will be offering the navigation software through the iTunes App Store and will also provide some type of charging dock and speakers for use on the go.

The navigation company did say the software would be available for the iPhone 3G but did not specify if it would be available for the newly announced iPhone 3G S version, however logic tells us it will.

TomTom GO 740 LIVE headed to the U.S.

Posted in TomTom by Conner Flynn on April 1st, 2009

TomTom GO 740 LIVE headed to the U.S.Have you been desperately desiring the TomTom Go 740 LIVE, but can’t get one because it hasn’t been available in the US? Well, today is your lucky day. The company just announced that the device is available stateside. Feel free to bask in the Internet-connected GPS experience.

You’ll be able to get traffic and accident reports as they happen, find out if roads are closed and know the weather at your destination. All this and more can now be at your fingertips. Use your power wisely.

TomTom offers new map subscription service

Posted in TomTom by Shane McGlaun on March 20th, 2009

tomtom-logo-sbI’ve mentioned before that I like GPS devices. However, when the maps start to get out of date or there is heavy road construction in your area that was recently completed it can leave the maps inside the system lacking. There is nothing worse than having your GPS tell you to take a route that has roads that no longer exist.

TomTom has announced a new service called the Map Update Service that allows customers to get quarterly map updates for a year. The price of the service is $39.80 for four updates per year or $9.95 per individual update.

TomTom Offers Americans New Connected GPS Device

Posted in GPS by Nino Marchetti on January 8th, 2009

TomTom GO 740 LIVE

TomTom announced today it is bringing one of its European GPS units to American shores sometime in the second quarter of the year. It is called the GO 740 LIVE.

The GO 740 LIVE, said TomTom, is a connected GPS device, meaning it automatic delivers content designed to help drivers navigate the roads. It wirelessly receives real-time traffic speed and incident reports every two to five minutes. Traffic delays can be heard audibly on the device as well as displayed on the screen. A built-in SIM card and GPRS modem also delivers to the 740 Google Local Search, local gas prices and weather forecasts among other things.

New TomTom GPS units more intelligently route

Posted in GPS by Nino Marchetti on March 5th, 2008

tomtom.jpgGPS maker TomTom earlier this week revealed some new GPS models outfitted with new routing technology which takes into account average speeds on a road when creating a route. These models - the Go 930 and Go 730 - will be available by the end of April.

This new TomTom technology, known as IQ Routes, is based on actual average speeds on roads, rather than the posted speed limits. It gathers this data from “anonymous historical speed profiles of over 6.2 billion miles of driven roads” from millions of TomTom users. The company says that nearly half the time having this data, planning the route results in a faster trip.

You can get more details on this technology and other features of the new TomTom units, taken from a company press release, after the jump.





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