TomTom to provide lifetime traffic and map updates?

Friday, January 8th, 2010

TomTom Logo

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.


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Google updates Maps on Android too

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

GMaps Android What's nearby

Last week we covered the news of the new v3.3 for Symbian and Windows Mobile, and today Google has launched v3.3 for Android as well.  However, it’s not quite got the same feature set, with some additional features, and some missing features too.

Firstly, they now have the “What’s Nearby” feature, which lists nearby businesses, and can often provide useful information on cafes and restaurants nearby.  To access this, just long press on the map and tap on the bubble, and look for “What’s nearby?” in the menu.

Secondly, they have added a range of Labs features (in essence, Beta features that you may want to use to make the program a little better); these include:

  • A scale bar on the map
  • Showing a terrain layer which adds a level of height and the ability to see a shaded relief map
  • Search for popular categories
  • Turn the blue dot into a compass to show which way you are facing when stationary
  • Added Layers support to be able to see Traffic, Satellite mapping, Latitude users, and Transit lines (eg the London Underground)

There’s also a “Report errors in the map”, but that’s definitely US-only, so won’t be available in the UK.  It’s worth noting there is no mention of the star / favourites syncing that comes with the v3.3 on Symbian and Windows Mobile.  It’s not clear whether any other of the Labs features are US-only, but it’s nice to see Google still managing to innovate and provide new features into the products, even if it’s not consistent across their full platform range.


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O2 and PURE announce Internet Radio collaboration

Monday, November 16th, 2009

O2 Joggler

O2 have today announced a collaboration between themselves and PURE Digital, bringing PURE’s The Lounge Internet Radio streams to the O2 Joggler, and at the same time, reduced the price down to £99.99.  The O2 Joggler, if you remember, is a proprietary device offering access to a limited set of applications providing access to certain facilities (Weather, Road Traffic, News, Sports, local photo display, and messaging).  In fact, back in the March launch, O2 talked about Messaging and Internet Radio following in May, although only the Messaging support got added (and in June); so finally, they have added the Internet Radio support originally promised!

By working with PURE Digital, they are providing a “selection of the most popular UK BBC and commercial radio stations” (around 100 stations in total) out of the 12,000 or so available via PURE directly, although there’s no word as to whether the O2 Joggler also supports the listen again facilities of The Lounge.

O2 have also announced that the device will be upgraded from Flash 8 to Flash 10, and have announced an SDK will shortly be available to allow developers to create 3rd party application for this device, which will then be accessible to users via a dedicated App Store, which should be available before the end of the year (although based on pretty much all the timeframes so far being missed with this device, don’t hold your breath!)

Initially, the O2 Joggler App Store will only support free applications, which is probably a good move; and any developers interested in developing for this device should look at some of the UK specific widgets developed for the Chumby platform to understand what might work for the UK.  As a hint, Flickr photo display, Live UK train departure / arrival information, and BBC support would all help the device, not to mention apps such as instant messaging and Social Networking support, plus last.fm and/or Spotify support would help make this device sell better, and compete against the PURE Sensia and it’s own application support.

Of course, whether O2 would authorise all those applications is another story, but as the device does not use their 3G network (only the local broadband connection), there is little reason to limit the device, and support like this could in time make it a firm favourite with O2 customers…


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iPhone updates

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

iPhone 3GS

Since the release of the new OS, v3.1, a number of applications have had some “issues”.  Well, some of them are now fixed, so we thought we’d lay out some of the updates that application vendors have informed us of…

Skype have released v1.2, which has the following new features:

  • You can set up call forwarding from your iPhone – forward Skype calls to a phone number when you’re not signed in, so you can pick up calls even when the Skype app isn’t running on your device
  • Improved performance and better audio quality when making Skype-to-Skype calls
  • It’s even easier to send text messages (SMS) – you can now send SMSs from the Call tab

Devicescape have confirmed, that after their earlier problems, their Easy Wi-Fi client is now fully functional again, and have stated:

  • First of all, Apple’s special support only applies to the original Easy Wi-Fi multi-network application (the one with the white icon).  If you’re using any of the other Easy Wi-Fi apps, like the AT&T or T-Mobile version, you’ll need to install the original version too.  It’s free in the AppStore.  You don’t need to use it: just the act of installing it has the effect of telling the iPhone OS not to do “smart” stuff with your Wi-Fi connection in hotspots.
  • Previously, we recommended installing Boingo because we knew it had the same effect.  You don’t need Boingo anymore (unless of course you’re a user, and maybe you should think about becoming a user, it’s a great service!)
  • Finally, if you’re one of the many iPod touch users who never upgraded from 2.x firmware, ignore all of this.  You’re fine.  The issue only occurs with iPhone OS 3.0, and if you upgrade you’ll be jumping past that version from now on.

Navigon have updated their Navigation application too (although not specificially for the new OS).   As well as recently adding text-to-speech and iPod controls, they have now launched lifetime traffic (it needs a one time fee to activate).

TruPhone have addressed their problems with the latest OS, and they have confirmed that v3.0.3 of their iPhone client now works fully with the new OS.


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Garmin bring social networking to their SatNav range

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Garmin Nuvi 1690

This is the new Garmin nuvi 1690, which launched a few weeks back in the US, but has now been launched in the UK as well.  The important part of this device is the use of a built in mobile phone connection, allowing it to have a whole range of “connected” services, like those of the TomTom LIVE range.

Garmin are providing the following services over that connection:

  • Instant Traffic information
  • Speed Camera alerts (continually updated apparently)
  • Fuel prices
  • Ciao! Friend Finder (Garmin’s Social Networking application which also features on the nuviphone range)
  • Google Local Search and Telephone Directory
  • Flight Status
  • Weather Forecast
  • Currency Exchange
  • White Pages

There are also two other useful services in the range; Send To GPS allows you to “send” your route direct to your GPS, although we believe this will involve a direct connection between your PC and the SatNav unit.  The other is Panoramio, which will allow you to plan ahead and “conveniently go online to set your sat nav’s destination”.  Little detail exists about this function right now, and even on a UK specific page it mentions this service may not be available everywhere.

Garmin nuLink Traffic

As a device it features a whole raft of standard features; Bluetooth (for Hands Free phonecalls), Lane assistance, photo navigation, Where Am I?, ecoRoute fuel saving routes, and Park Position Recall.  Also, Garmin will preload the device with Pan European maps, and have stated that the online nuLink services will be available in 15 countries (not all services are available in all countries though), which is better than TomTom managed when they launched their LIVE services, which were limited to the country the device was obtained from.

For example, England (sic), France, Spain and Netherlands all offer all the services mentioned, whereas Italy and Belgium offer all but Fuel Prices, and Germany offers all except Fuel Prices, Safety Cameras and Ciao! location sharing.  Some services (although Garmin do not state which) are also available in Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland.

In terms of Ciao!, Garmin have stated “Ciao!, is a patentpending social network application that links multiple location-centric social networks onto one application, Ciao! currently aggregates information from GyPSii and uLocate’s Buddy beacon social network services. Ciao! is expandable and additional social network partners are expected in the future.”

The device ships with 12 months nuLink services, and will cost €79 per year to renew (no UK pricing released yet); unfortunately Garmin also failed to provide any indicative pricing for the unit either, but this unit is likely to be the first of many well connected devices from Garmin, and appears to be a good move for Garmin, especially in the run up to Christmas.


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Free Internet from Vodafone

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Vodafone square logo

Vodafone is supporting their customers by providing free internet mobile browsing tomorrow (Friday).  If you need to check the traffic conditions (Google Maps provides free traffic on many of the UK primary routes), check your reservations for the weekend away, check the weather, or just access your favourite mobile website, then there will no charges for your mobile on Friday (from 0:00am until 11:59pm Friday 28th August 2009).

We should point out that this is a mobile only offer, and most likely does not apply to Mobile Broadband connections.


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Nokia release final Ovi Maps beta

Friday, June 12th, 2009

Nokia Maps 3.0 with Ovi

Nokia have released what they are claiming should be the final beta version of the new Nokia Maps v3, AKA Maps 3.0 with Ovi Maps.  This new release has a number of new features, including:

  • Additional features such as weather information, safety spot warners in selected countries, extended country coverage for traffic info service and premium POI (Point of Interest) content for travel, selected events and cinema
  • New maps data version
  • Quicker zooming & panning
  • New “Shop & Licenses” format
  • Also, a number of fixes and enhancements onto both Maps Updater and Map Loader have also been implemented – with Maps Updater supporting 21 different languages
  • Last but not least, many bugs have been fixed!

This new version is also compatible with Symbian S60 5th Edition devices, so the list now includes:

S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 (E63, E66, E71, E90 Communicator, N81, N81 8GB, N82, N95, N95 8GB)
S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 (E55, E75, N78, N79, N85, N86 8MP, N96, 5320 XpressMusic, 5630 XpressMusic, 5730 XpressMusic, 6210 Navigator, 6220 Classic, 6650, 6710 Navigator, 6720 Classic)
S60 5th Edition (5800 XpressMusic & N97)

To use this, you’ll need to head off to Nokia Beta Labs and download and install the new Map Updater and Map Loader.  If you use SpeedCam on your Nokia to get alerts for speed cameras, the author tells us it should still be compatible with this version (on S60 3rd Edition FP1 and FP2 only; he is still looking into S60 5th Edition support).

Update: If you are a Mac user, then N97Geeks have managed to work out the Map Updater simply downloads a .SIS file and sends it to your phone, and they have intercepted this process and released the .SIS file for Mac users to download and directly send to their Symbian phones.


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VW and Garmin working together too

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

VW Nuvi Mount

We’ve covered a number of car manufacturers working with Garmin and TomTom to provide custom mounts, and now Volkswagen have announced plans to provide a VW-specific Garmin Nuvi 7×5 mount.  The Volkswagen “Click&Ride” solution is custom made and “tailored for all models” and will provide power to the Nuvi.  It will also integrate into the car’s audio system so that all information is broadcast through the stereo.

The “Click&Ride” solution includes the Nuvi itself, and features all the normal functions you would expect of a Garmin Nuvi model; lane assist, traffic information warning of roadworks and accidents, and will sit in the bottom left hand corner (LHD) or bottom right hand corner (RHD).

This looks a nice solution for those looking for a more integrated feel, but still want the power and flexibility of a portable SatNav unit.


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TomTom broaden LIVE services, and alienate existing users

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

TomTom XL LIVE

Pocket GPS World bring us news of the new TomTom XL LIVE, which brings the LIVE services (which we’ve covered before here and here) to the cheaper range of devices (previously, LIVE was only available on the expensive x40 range).  The TomTom XL LIVE will retail for £249.99 and the LIVE services will be £7.99 after the initial 3 month free trial.  Compare that to the TomTom 740 LIVE at £322, and you can see this may well be a very popular model.  It comes with mapping for 42 countries.

However, we understand that only 30% of existing LIVE users have chosen to renew their subscription, and do you know what; we think we know why (and so does TomTom).  You see, even if you bought the top of the range TomTom 940 LIVE, giving you full European (and North America) mapping, your LIVE services would only work in the UK, despite TomTom offering traffic across a number of popular destinations across Europe (France, Germany Switzerland and Holland).  So, as soon as you went abroad, even for a trip to France, you had absolutely no traffic information at all.

Well, TomTom have finally accepted this, and have resolved it!  To begin with, the TomTom XL LIVE will include roaming support and allow you to use the online services across Europe (where available).  However, it will take TomTom until “towards the end of 2009″ to enable this functionality for existing users.

Although it’s good to here TomTom have finally realised the benefit of providing their LIVE services in all possible countries, it’s a shame it’s going to take until after the summer holidays for people to be able to benefit from this.


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Highways Agency improve mobile site access

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Highways Agency

The Highways Agency, who maintain many of the UK’s motorway and trunk roads, have improved their services with a mobile web site to provide a better experience.  The features available include:

  • Current Traffic Incidents - This lists the latest unplanned incidents on our network 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can select incidents by region or road.
  • Planned Roadworks & Events – All of our current and future road maintenance and improvement schemes are listed and can be searched by region or road.
  • Traffic Radio - If your phone is compatible, you can stream our latest radio service by Mp3, with dedicated regional feeds.
  • Weather Watch – The Met Office provides Weather reports during the Autumn and Winter periods when adverse weather conditions affect road journeys across our road network.
  • News Headlines – Our latest headlines and top stories updated throughout the day.
  • About the HA – There are also details about the work we do, the roads we manage, our current vacancies and details of how to contact us.

These facilities are avilable by going to http://www.highways.gov.uk/mobile/ from your phone (or other device); it even works from most PCs, offering a nice low-bandwidth solution for use on Mobile Broadband.

Most of the traffic data is shared between the Highways Agency and iTIS Holdings, so another way of accessing the traffic is via the iTIS mobile application which we covered here.


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iTIS developing mobile traffic solution

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

iTIS Road Traffic Map

This is an interesting product; iTIS Holdings, one of the two road traffic information partners covering the UK, is developing it’s own mobile client for providing traffic data.  The client runs on Symbian S60 3rd Edition phones (although iTIS claim it will also work, but is not optimised, for the touchscreen S60 5th Edition devices).

This client is currently in beta, and there is an application and a UK Map that both must be installed for it to work.  Once you have both, the application will use the phone’s GPS to locate you, and send that information to iTIS, who will then provide back road traffic issues within a 20 mile radius of that location.

As a beta, there are a number of things that seem to limit the service today; you can’t request data for another location, you can’t use the application without a GPS at all, it can’t use cell ID data to locate you, and it can’t use Wi-Fi to download the data as it will only currenly work over a mobile data connection.  Finally, it only shows you where the actual incident is, and does not show on the map where the tailback starts.  Whether any of these limitations will be fixed on release is not yet clear, but even allowing for all of these downsides, it appears to be a very useful start.

As well as showing the data on the map, it can also provide a list of traffic issues:

iTIS Traffic Data List

Although still in beta (the software is currently IMEI-locked for beta testers only), there is a bit more information on the solution available direct from iTIS Holdings here, and we’ll keep you informed once it’s openly released.

This isn’t the only mobile traffic solution; TrafficMaster has had a solution via one of it’s partners, TrafficTV, for quite some while now.  Although originally available as a Symbian app, this service has been rebranded and now uses a Java application, opening it up to even more devices.

Update: As Mike has pointed out in the comments, this is now released at v1.0.3, and many of the limitations are licensing issues which are going to be difficult to overcome, but has stated there will be further updates later this year, which we will let you know about once available.


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O2 announce O2 Joggler Home Appliance

Friday, March 6th, 2009

O2 Joggler

This is the new O2 Joggler Home Appliance, with it’s 7″ touchscreen, launched yesterday by O2 UK.  It’s an OpenFrame-based products (although it has to be said, there’s very little that’s Open about their products, more below), which offers a chance to become the focal point for the whole family (especially if they are all O2 customers…)

It comes with a range of applications built in, with options to download more over time.  These include:

  • Weather information (from Sky News Weather)
  • Road Traffic information (from TrafficMaster)
  • News and Sports (Sky News and Sky Sports)
  • Ability to show photos (stored on it’s 1GB internal memory, or from USB stick)
  • Ability to play music / video (either local or streamed from your PC; although iTunes format not supported, which is unfortunate given O2’s iPhone exclusive)
  • Ability to play games, like Sodoku
  • Tools (alarm clock, calculator)

In fact, O2 have already announced that during May the following additional applications will be available:

  • Messaging; send up to 50 free SMS text messages to any UK mobile per month
  • Internet Radio support

However, one of the key selling points of this device is the calendar, which is available both on the device and as a standalone free service on the internet.  “Appointments, birthdays, school runs, work deadlines and more can all be stored on the O2 Joggler’s calendar, which will text handy reminders to family members’ O2 mobile phones.”  That’s last point is quite key; the reminders by SMS are only available to O2 UK customers, which I guess is O2 trying to encourage the whole family to select their mobile network and remain loyal.

It connects to your home Broadband either wirelessly or using an ethernet cable, and needs a permanent power supply (no batteries). There is no in-built SIM and therefore no ongoing costs or monthly subscription, and will be available next month (6th April) at £150, or will be free if you elect to take this device instead of a new handset when your contract is up for renewal.  However, this upgrade route is only open to those who are on 18 or 24 months contracts, ie not PAYG or Simplicity (SIM only) customers, although PAYG customers can use part of their upgrade discount to reduce the price of the Joggler, and it’s not available at all as an upgrade deal to corporate customers.

Mobile Industry Review were at the launch, and have even produced a short video and their opinion of the device here.

The device is running a dedicated O2 specific OpenFrame firmware, which although it runs on Linux underneath is not an open platform.  As OpenFrame firmwares are only provided to companies who sell these devices like O2, there is no ability (yet) to hack a different firmware onto this device, or to remove the O2 branding.  Other devices who have used the OpenFrame software have had additional applications, such as the ability to display photos from Flickr, videos from YouTube, and support for reading RSS feeds, all missing from the O2 device (as Mobile Industry Review point out, some even have a Domino’s Pizza option, but not this one), which does show the potential missed opportunity here.

Mobile Industry Review also point out that they are aware some of the other UK mobile operators are planning similar devices, so this may well be an interesting type of device to keep your eyes on.  However, right now, with no support for syncing the calendar from work diaries, or even Google Calendar, nor support for being able to sync the calendar onto phones (irrespective of whether they are S60, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry or iPhone), it does appear they have missed a trick here; an OpenSource equivalent of this, which offered access to other solutions such as Apple’s Mobile.Me or Google would be more popular, and fit better into the likely customer base.

Also announced by O2 is a new family bolt-on for O2 customers.  One O2 customers pay extra each month for the bolt-on and this allows them to add a number of other O2 customers into their “family” group (no pricing or maximum numbers available) and once setup, all parties can call, text or MMS each other for free.  Link these two solutions together, and you have the potential for the O2 Joggler to become the hub of a small family’s communications, as long as you don’t want to share the calendar from beyond the device.

All in all, an interesting product, but with rumours of new iPhones due out in the next few months, now might not be the best time to use up your O2 upgrade on this device…


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TomTom and Renault announce Carminat solution

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

Renault Carmninat TomTom

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.


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Garmin-Asus launching 2nd nuvifone

Friday, February 13th, 2009

Garmin nuvifone M20

On the back of the nuvifone G60 announcement (the linux smartphone, first announced roughly a year ago), Garmin-Asus have announced a 2nd nuvifone, the M20.  Now, this phone is a Windows Mobile 6.1 device, so it looks like it’s come more from the Asus end of this joint venture, but running a version of Garmin’s Mobile XT.  The specs include a 2.8″ touchscreen display, HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, support for real-time traffic and weather (we’re waiting for confirmation whether these will be available in the UK), 4 or 8GB of storage, and Garmin’s Ciao! service, which is their social networking application.

More details and prices will be revealed at a later date, although we may see more detail next week at MWC.


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TomTom announce online route planning

Thursday, December 4th, 2008

TomTom have this week announced an online route planning service.  Currently in limited beta, users who are accepted onto the service are able to plan routes, which will take into account the average speed of the roads at the time you specify for the journey, and also if possible, will use the latest HD Traffic information available.  The website is set to constantly use the latest maps available from TomTom, so will always be up to date.

Although it sounds wonderful, there one key thing missing for us; all of this is available from the device itself, yet there is no capability (yet) of transferring this route from the website to the individual device; with that level of integration, it may well be worth using the service.  It also questions where TomTom HOME will fit into their future strategy…

Head over to here to request access to the beta programme.


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TomTom announce new units

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

TomTom have finally announced UK availability of the new x40 range of LIVE devices. These SatNav units include a built in GSM radio (and SIM card) to provide LIVE services directly without the need for bluetooth connections to mobile phones, or an RDS receiver for traffic. Even better, one of the LIVE services is the new HD Traffic we’ve talked about a number of times. The range of LIVE services includes:

  • HD Traffic
  • IQ Routes (historical travel time information for every road, every hour, every day of the week)
  • Safety Cameras (provided by Road Angel in the UK)
  • Fuel Prices
  • Weather
  • Buddies
  • Google Search

The Fuel Prices is interesting; the SatNav will direct you to the petrol stations with the cheapest prices in the area you are in, which TomTom claim could save you a lot of money over the year. The devices ship with 3 months subscription to the LIVE services, after which you will need to purchase it (although it can be purchased a month at a time) for £7.99 per month.

There are 3 models;

  • 540 – UK / Ireland maps – RRP £299.99
  • 740 – 32 European countries – RRP £349.99
  • 940 – European and US maps, and mp3 playback – RRP £449.99

All devices can connect to an iPod, although the 540 and 740 need a new accessory dock (at extra charge), whereas the 940 includes this as standard.

Having been announced yesterday, these devices should be in the shops by the weekend, with an added bonus, whilst stocks last, each unit will ship with a fuel card to reduce their fuel costs; the value varies by model, £30 for the 540, £40 for the 740, and £50 for the 940.

More detailed news of the TomTom launch at Pocket GPS World.


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Orange to develop traffic services

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

We’ve already featured the new TomTom HD Traffic service a few times (although it’s still not available in the UK), which uses anonimised data from Vodafone’s mobile network to calculate traffic delays on roads.  Well, Orange have announced that the Orange Labs have been working on a similar technology.  They’ve been working on this without a SatNav vendor (like TomTom), and are currently expecting to only provide a B2B (Business 2 Business) service, which may well mean that they are looking to sell this service to the likes of Mio, Garmin etc. for them to brand it as their own service.

Orange have been working on this for a couple of years, and hope to launch their first service in France in 2009, and they have announced plans to then also cover Spain, UK and Belgium, and eventually also covering Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

With companies such as Garmin needing a competitive service to the TomTom HD service, this may well be the answer for them.

Story courtesy of GPS Business News.


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Garmin discontinue some nuvi models

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

Garmin has formally discontinued some nuvi models.  These are the Garmin nuvi 310 / 350 / 370 models, and the widescreen Garmin nuvi 610 / 650 / 660 / 670 models.  With both the Garmin nuvi 250 Widescreen SatNav, and the traffic enabled nuvi 255WT being cheaper than the 3xx and 6xx models when first launched, this shouldn’t be a major problem for most people.  Garmin have not stated whether or not they will discontinue firmware updates for these elder nuvi models.


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Carcomm update cradle

Monday, August 11th, 2008

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.


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Navigon 8110 features 3D mapping, traffic and free map updates

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

Navigon 8110

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 View3D (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.


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