A couple of short articles (from GPSReview.net here and here, who are reporting from CES), have stated that TomTom maybe bringing lifetime map and traffic updates to devices later this year.

In terms of map updates, it appears that some new devices launched in 2010 will feature lifetime map updates, although it’s not yet clear whether there are any real limits; it’s likely to be tied to the device, but even so, TomTom may limit the updates to a set number of years.  TomTom generally release quarterly updates, and have in the past offered an £80 offer for 2 years of updates, so although a great saving, it will still be helpful, and it will be interesting to see how the other manufacturers respond.  With Nokia and Google already providing free updates for their mobile offerings, it certainly looks like the cost of mapping data is getting cheaper…

For the traffic updates, things are less clear right now; TomTom have talked about a new traffic receiver with lifetime traffic.  It appears this maybe an RDS-TMC based receiver, and of course, this may be a US only offer.

Either way, it’s nice to see manufacturers like TomTom react positively to the likes of Nokia and Google, and to continue to try to differentiate their products with services that will make people continue to buy their solutions…

More information when we have it, and when we can confirm how this will affect new TomTom units and accessories sold in the UK.

Here’s a picture of the new Carminat TomTom system that will soon be available to purchase for selected new Renaults.  Unlike the majority of TomTom’s solution, but more in keeping with a traditional car manufacturer SatNav solution, this will not have a touchscreen, but will instead be controlled either via a remote or via controls built into the car itself.  It features a 5.8″ colour screen, RDS-TMC traffic information support, and still features other recent TomTom advances such as MapShare, and latest map guarantees (offering automatic access to any newer maps released within 60 days of purchase).  This screen will also be able to display information about the radio station or CD being played, and some models will also have support for displaying telephone information.

This is designed as a low cost solution, so doesn’t feature all the bells and whistles of some of the higher spec TomTom devices, but will still allow some “data” to be downloaded from TomTom HOME onto an SD card, eg speed camera alerts.

It will ship just with the maps of UK and Ireland, although it’s possible to buy maps of Western Europe on an SD card for use with the device.  It appears the first car that will be offered with this system is the new Renault Clio at roughly £500, and should be available during 2009 on the new Megane, new Scenic, and new Grand Scenic.

There is some more information on TomTom’s website here, with some other information available direct from Renault here.

Carcomm have upgraded the cradle we first mentioned here. It now supports the new TomTom HD accessory (still not available in the UK though), it also supports the latest TomTom RDS-TMC receiver, which uses a different connector to the original (although the original connector is still supported). It can also power the TomTom HD accessory, meaning that it doesn’t need directly connecting to power as well. It comes with wiring to allow permanent hard wiring, a swivel mount and a windscreen mount. The Carcomm unit also supports an Anti-Theft feature.

This cradle supports the x20 and x30 range of TomTom units.

As with the previous cradle, Pocket GPS World have produced an initial review of the cradle, which you can read here.

Tech Digest have spotted that Navigon have released the 8110 in the UK. This unit features a whole host of features included in the price, one of which is Navigon’s new FreshMaps service. This offer 24 months of updates for a one off cost (which is included in the purchase price of the 8110, with it costing about £80 on it’s own). When a new map is made available, you simply connect your SatNav to your PC and download the new map onto the device. In price terms, this is about the same cost as 2 Garmin yearly updates, but if Navigon actually produce more than 1 update per year, then this may work out better value for those that want or need the latest mapping.

The other specs include:

• Panorama View^3D (A realistic view of the surroundings.)
• Reality View Pro (Realistic display of motorway junctions and exits)
• Voice Recognition Pro
• Lane Assistant Pro
• TMC Pro (incl. Pay TMC for F & UK)
• Latest-generation Bluetooth® hands-free kit with integrated microphone
• Digital Photo Album
• NAVIGON Sync.
• MP3 Player
• FM Radio Transmitter
• Radar Info
• Text-to-speech
• More than 2 million points of interest (POI)
• Intuitive user interface
• Highly legible 2D and 3D map display
• Generous 4.8” touchscreen display with vibrant colours
• Easy-to-read 16:9 format
• Plus Europe map covering 39 European countries

The 8110 costs £399.99 and can be bought direct from Navigon, although it may be possible to get it cheaper elsewhere.

The new TomTom GO x30 devices we first mentioned here are now available for sale in the UK. The retail prices are as follows:

• 930 Traffic £399.99 inc VAT
• 730 Traffic £329.99 inc VAT
• 730 £299.99 inc VAT
• 530 Traffic £279.99 inc VAT
• 530 £249.99 inc VAT

The Traffic models include the current RDS-TMC receiver, which is much better than the early TMC receivers TomTom first tried, but it’s still reliant upon the radio signal being broadcast, which is weak, and does not cover the whole country. To improve on this, we’ll need to wait for the launch of the TomTom HD Traffic service later this year. These devices should be compatible with the HD Traffic service, but this hasn’t been confirmed by TomTom.

Pricing courtesy of Pocket GPS World, although we expect the street prices to drop quite quickly.

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.

Mio has released the C620 and C620T SatNav units (the latter with RDS-TMC support too). What’s interesting is the 3D mapping data that Mio have included, which makes these units fairly unique at the moment, although we expect more 3D applications / devices to come next year. The 3D maps include digital elevation data, as well 3D images of landmarks. Both units feature Bluetooth and a 4.3″ screen.

If you are fed up with the car mount for your TomTom, Carcomm have a range of mounts for a variety of devices, but they include the new TomTom x20 range (520, 720, 920). This new mounts includes a TMC extension cable, allowing better positioning of the mount and the TMC antenna. PocketGPSWorld have reviewed this new mount here.

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