There are a lot of rumours flying around that TomTom is planning a response to the Garmin nuviphone by producing their own equivalent. The device will possibly combine an HTC hardware device with TomTom pre loaded (removing some of the problems TomTom has had over the years with compatibility problems with their software working on some Windows Mobile devices). Hopefully more information will be revealed over the upcoming months, and we won’t discover this is a early April Fool’s.

Story courtesy of Pocket GPS World.

In a surprise move, Garmin has signed an agreement with iTIS Holdings for the supply of the RDS-TMC traffic data for the Nuvi 2×5 range. What’s not currently clear is whether it’s just for these units or whether it’s the start of a move away from Trafficmaster as the traffic data provider to Garmin. If it is across all devices, it’s also not clear whether it will apply retrospectively to existing units. Trafficmaster recently stated it had not lost an RDS-TMC contract, and was continuing to win business from iTIS.

One influencing factor may well be the low signal transmission strength dictated to all UK radio transmitter masts which has made receiving the TMC signals, especially from portable devices, a real challenge. In the last few months, iTIS has addressed this issue by supplementing it’s original carrier, Classic FM, by broadcasting the data signal using a good number of local radio stations as well. This has improved the coverage of iTIS a great deal, although debates still rage on which provider has more accurate data (when you can receive it).

Original story courtesy of Pocket GPS World.

If you have a Garmin SatNav and you’ve started to receive the odd “your maps are out of date” warning on your unit, then one option is to buy the new 2008 maps for your unit. If you head over to the Garmin website, you can enter your serial number, and it will confirm if there are new maps available (and which exact format of Garmin maps you need). Garmin have stated that right now the retail map upgrade DVD only supports the Nuvi, Zumo and Streetpilot C5xx series of devices, so if you have any other device you may have to wait a bit longer for the upgrade maps to be released.

Over the next few weeks, selected Garmin devices will support a variety of games. These games are traditional games (Sudoku, Solitaire, Poker, etc.) and some will even be free. Right now, only the Garmin Nuvi 850, 880 and 5000 are listed as supporting the games, and Garmin have provided some of the games for free, whereas the rest will be chargeable (and bought from My GPS Games). The games will be either $5 each, or $2o buys a VIP pack encompassing all 6 chargeable games).

Even before the Garmin Colorado starts shipping in any serious quantities in the UK, Garmin have updated the firmware in these units based on user feedback. The main features added are:

• Displays geocaches on the main screen
• Doubles the number of caches supported to 2000
• Adds the ability to mark the cache as found
• Provides support for Colorado Field Notes, which can be directly uploaded to geocaching.com

If you are thinking about getting a Garmin Nuvi 710, there’s a thorough review over at PocketGPSWorld.com that’s well worth a read here.

PocketGPSWorld.com have also written up an article listing most of the known information about the new Garmin Nuviphone, due for release later this year. Read their article here.

If you have a Garmin Nuvi 200 or 700 series, and are experiencing slow initial GPS fix times, you may want to use the WebUpdater software from Garmin and update your SatNav to the latest firmware version available. Garmin have recently produced updates for these products that uses Sirf InstantFix II to improve those fix times.

TomTom have been busy this week! They have also announced TomTom Add-To. This will allow companies to publish a button on their website which will automatically download the exact address to a USB connected TomTom SatNav device. More usefully, you can provide a whole group of addresses (eg for nationwide store chains), or a route of how to access the address. Although many companies have published .OV2 files in the past, this new functionality will allow companies to provide a better experience.

Garmin have had a similar capability for some while now, although there are only a handful of websites using the Garmin Communicator technology, so let’s hope that companies now adopt both methods.

Garmin have announced the Nuviphone, a mobile phone with SatNav capabilities. It has a 3.5″ touchscreen, full browsing and PIM capabilities, HSDPA, Quad-Band (3.5G), WiFi, Bluetooth, and is roughly the same size as the iPhone. As it uses a variant of the same proprietary OS as that on their SatNav devices, the UI will be familiar to many, and will have “millions” of POIs, and will have turn-by-turn voice prompts. However, it will also have Google Local Search capabilities (and potentially other Google apps such as Google Talk, and the camera may integrate with Google Panorama). Finally, it will use the phone network connection to get updates via Garmin Online for real time traffic, fuel prices, news, weather and stock prices (although historically these have been US only data). It is expected to be released in Q3 this year, so in time for Christmas.

The picture above shows the Nuvi SatNav interface running in a Panasonic car stereo. This is a joint venture between Panasonic US and Garmin, and allows Panasonic to develop systems such as the one above. Given this agreement is only with Panasonic US and not the whole Panasonic group (currently called Matsushita, but they will be rebranding as Panasonic worldwide during 2008), it’s unclear whether a device like this is likely to be available in the UK.

Garmin have created a download page for their new software, codenamed Bobcat. Although they have not yet formally announced the software, we can provide some details on the functionality….

• Bobcat allows you to transfer waypoints, tracks, and routes between your Mac and Garmin device and manage your data using your Garmin maps.
• Bobcat provides the ability to search for points of interest from the convenience of your Mac and then send the locations to your Garmin GPS.
• Bobcat also serves as a backup tool for your Garmin GPS. You can receive all your waypoints, routes, and tracks from your GPS and Bobcat will save them automatically.
• MapManager copies maps and unlock codes into the right place to be accessible by Bobcat and MapInstall. To migrate the maps from your Windows PC, download MapConverter onto your PC and follow the instructions.
• Download and install MapConverter for Windows to convert your unlocked PC maps for use on your Mac. For more information please read this document. (PDF file- 245KB)
• System Requirements:
  Intel-based or PowerPC G3 or later Mac
  OS 10.4 or later
  512 MB RAM
  USB port

The software appears to be a Beta version right now, but this bodes well for the future of Garmin’s Mac support plans.

Screenshot courtesy of GPS Review.

If the cost of the BMW built in SatNav has always felt a few too many pounds to spend, then you’ll be pleased to hear Garmin and BMW are working together on the 1 and 3-Series models. As well as the BMW Portable Navigation device (based on the Nuvi 360) being branded with a BMW logo, it features a BMW logo on startup, a BMW dealer database, and uses a custom mount for the Nuvi which allows users to attach the device to the interior trim instead of the windscreen. This mount is positioned for optimal viewing by the driver, and is powered directly by the car, so eliminates the need for exposed cables. This comes on the back of a MINI-specific Nuvi version last year.

Unfortunately, no UK availability information has been released yet.

Next week, as part of MacWorld, Garmin will announce some new software and showing hardware which are both Mac compatible. Garmin, the GPS and SatNav company, pledged better Mac support across their range a while ago now, and have been slowly making good on their promise. As part of this, next week they will announce a new software solution codenamed Bobcat.

Some more details about the new Garmin Colorado range have been released by Garmin…

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As well as the products already mentioned, Garmin have launched support for the new Geocaching.com created WhereIGo service in their new Garmin Colorado range. WhereIGo is a toolset for creating and playing GPS-based adventures in the real world. Garmin have already had some GPS-based games on their GPS devices, but this is the first time they have supported a third party solution, and as it’s developed by Geocaching.com, we expect it will become popular over time. As you move around in the real world, your handheld device will allow you to experience media-rich content relating to your location. This experience could be a tour guide, an adventure game, or anything else dreamed up by authors.

Garmin have released information on a whole range of new devices in advance of CES…

More details in the rest of the article

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Further to our previous article, at the end of last week, Garmin withdraw it’s bid for TeleAtlas, although not until TomTom had increased their offer ($4.2m) above that of Garmin’s ($3.3m). Garmin, a long time Navteq user, announced at the same time that irrespective of Nokia buying Navteq, Garmin have guaranteed access to Navteq data until 2015.

The TomTom deal is set to be signed today.

Although apparently not yet in the shops, TomTom are now shipping out replacement TMC traffic data receivers to people in the UK who have complained about performance problems (ie the previous ones didn’t work). These seem to being well received, and actually work in the UK.

So, with that sorted out, and with the new MapShare feature in their newer products, one has to wonder what Garmin will do next to try to ensure they hold their market share.

Picture courtesy of PocketGPSWorld