GPS navigation for the PSP: Minna No Nabi

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GPS navigation for the PSP: Minna No Nabi

SONY-PSP-GPS


Well this is a bit too late isn’t it? Considering we’ve been talking about GPS navigation on Sony PSP for literally years now, and since then the new Sony PSP Go has come out.


Well all we can say is better now then never. Announced by Zenrin in Japan Minna No Nabi is a GPS navigation system software for the PSP 1000/2000 and 3000 Series (yep, no go for PSP Go).


When it will be released in Japan on Nov 5th it will go for about 8200 Yen ($85) -


Via Akihabara


Nokia N900 is here

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Nokia N900 is here


We already told you about Nokia N900 when it was only a 3D rendering, and talked about it when it made it through FCC which proved us it also had GPS features. Just a couple of days ago the company made the Nokia N900 official. What are the highlights of the N900? Well, Nokia decided to load this device Maemo 5 OS which is completely Linux based - which means a lot for all the true geeks out there. It also promises a very decent web browsing experience with Mozilla technology and full Adobe Flash 9.4 support. Speaking of internets, we have to mention how connected Nokia N900 is. It does fast internet connectivity with 10/2 HSPA and WLAN - currently supporting 900/1700/2100 MHz. Of course there’s bluetooth too.


Other features of Nokia N900 include the 3.5″ touch screen with 800x480 resolution, 5MP camera with flash and Carl Zeiss lens, integrated GPS, 1GB of memory, physical slide-down keyboard, 600 MHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 1320mAh battery, 32GB of storage which can be expanded to 48 via the microSD card slot, and the OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration.


Did we mention it is a phone too? :) Yeah, you can call your friends with the Nokia N900.


How much will the Nokia N900 will cost you? When it comes out in October in selected markets it will go for about 500 Euros.


In the US this would be just over $700. Oh and the 1700Mhz means you can get this on T-Mobile. Nice.


nokia-n900




(Via NaviGadget.)

Snooper Lynx GPS

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Snooper Lynx GPS

lynx-snooper

The British brand Snooper is not really new to Navigadget. We’ve talked about them here before. However they have something newsworthy of mentioning here again. It is called Snooper Lynx GPS. What makes the Lynx special is that in addition to warning you about speed traps, and cameras, it also has a GPRS module to provide you with real time traffic udpates. Also with the touch of a button it lets users of the device share the location of mobile police speed traps and other mobile elements in real time - as soon as the police gets situated at an intersection.


Of course since the device is connected your speed camera locations are always up to to date and you never have to go back to your PC to update it.


It costs £194.




(Via NaviGadget.)

Bob Dylan: Voice Behind Your Next GPS System?

Bob Dylan: Voice Behind Your Next GPS System?


BobDylanNavigation.jpgBob Dylan, the musical voice of his generation, could the voice of your next car navigation system or portable navigation device (PND). He said so himself this week on his BBC satellite radio program, that he's negotiating with two automakers to be the voice behind their navigation systems. Take that, James Earl Jones. Dylan certainly has enough lyrics to his credit that, with several decades hindsight, foreshadowed the GPS revolution: 'how many roads,' 'no direction home,' and 'there must be someway out of here.' (Be sure to post any we forgot below in feedback.)


Worried that Bob Dylan's sellling out? Not to worry. If it happened, it was long before the navigation opportunity. As the Washington Post noted,'he's done commercial work for Cadillac, Pepsi, and Victoria's Secret. In a 2007 commercial for the Cadillac Escalade, Dylan asked, 'What's life without the occasional detour?'



(Via Gearlog.)

Vexia Econav 435 GPS navigation system

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Vexia Econav 435 GPS navigation system

Vexia Econav 435 GPS navigation system


Vexia has announced that it will be releasing its 435 GPS navigation system in the UK sometime down the road, and touts to reduce fuel consumption of your vehicle by up to 33%, where the average motorist could save up to £400 a year in money spent on fuel. The Econav 435 is equipped with a 4.3' touchscreen display that informs users of the most economical as well as ecological method to drive in real time. Of course, drivers will need to do their part by entering the car and fuel type as well as other relevant information including the number of passengers so that the Econav 435 can compute a 'route that is kindest to their fuel consumption'. Apart from that, it will also infor users to use the best gear at that point in time, while the 'Accelerator Pedal Indicator' informs you whether you're having a case of a heavy accelerator foot at that point in time or not. The Vexia Econav 435 will be released this September for £169.99 in the UK, while those who want a model with European maps will have to fork out £219.99.



(Via UberGizmo, the Gadgets News Blog.)

GPS Enabled Watch

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GPS Enabled Watch

GPS Enabled Watch


Here is a GSP-enabled wristwatch from Chinavasion that allows you to walk around and then see where you walked around on Google Maps. The gadget has a built-in 8MB storage space to log all of your movements. Its battery lasts for up to 21 hours. Chinavasion’s GPS Watch retails for $77.61 each.

GPS Enabled Watch




[Via Chinavasion]

Thinkware iNAVI K3+ announced

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Thinkware iNAVI K3+ announced

Thinkware iNAVI K3+ announced

Thinkware has just announced a successor to its iNAVI K3 GPS navigation device in South Korea, where the K3+ will take over its predecessor's place. Don'y misjudge the '+' suffix to come with minor enhancements though, as this model will boast USB host connectivity that further expands its memory capacity, featuring a new wine color design that's pleasing to the eyes alongside a translucent power key. Inside the iNAVI K3+, you will find a 7' WVGA LCD display, the SiRF V6 chipset, a 900MHz processor, an SDHC memory card slot, DMB support, built-in video and audio playback, 256MB RAM, built-in games and a car diary function - no idea how that would work though.

Wallet MID

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Wallet MID

eviGroup-wallet-mid

This Wallet MID looks very very similar to the MID 560 SMiT we just talked about. Wallet MID is currently being showcased by the French eviGroup - it offers a touchscreen that measures 5″, fitting it somewhere between a cell phone and a tablet PC.


There are very few details available for the Wallet MID but we can tell you that it will have a rear facing camera, GPS, and an internal slot for memory expansion.


What should catch your attention on the above image is the FCC logo which makes us think that the Wallet MID may very well be headed for the U.S. Or that logo could’ve been shopped.


Rumors suggest Wallet MID will go for €200 ($286) which is not bad…

(Via NaviGadget.)

Magellan RoadMate 1700 leaked

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Magellan RoadMate 1700 leaked

Magellan RoadMate 1700 leaked


The Magellan RoadMate 1700 GPS navigation unit has been leaked out on selected online retailers, where it will share many similarities as with its other RoadMate siblings, although you will find the added advantage of a more generous 7' display here to show off its AAA TourBook in full glory, complete with 6 million points of interest, text-to-speech and multiple-point routing capability. You can place your pre-order for $300 a pop, and expect the RoadMate 1700 to ship sometime this fall.



(Via UberGizmo, the Gadgets News Blog.)

GPS navigation on Samsung Jet S8000

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GPS navigation on Samsung Jet S8000

samsung-jet-s8000-0

We had talked about the Samsung Jet S8000 back in June and told you it had GPS navigation capabilities (well, what doesn’t these days?) Citus of Korea just made their famous Rousen GPS navigation software available on the S8000 - and as far as we can tell from the pics, it looks pretty sharp.


The software provides Traffic Message Channel function, automatic day and night color theme switching, dead reckoning - so you can continue to navigate when GPS signals are weak, and a lot more.



samsung-jet-s8000-1

samsung-jet-s8000-2


(Via Aving.)

garmin nuvi 850 steal

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garmin nuvi 850 steal

nuvi-850.jpg

Nuvi 850 had an MSRP of $800 when it first came out. It’s been about 7 months since we first talked about nuvi 850 and now Amazon has a deal for this high end GPS navigation system. Until August 29th they’re going to sell the device for only $190. It is good deal.





(Via NaviGadget.)

Amber Alert GPS 2G launched

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Amber Alert GPS 2G launched

Amber Alert GPS 2G launched


The Amber Alert GPS 2G child tracking device has just been launched, keeping parents in the loop of where their little one is always at all times. This device creates a safe zone, helping parents limit their children's boundaries, while creating a ‘bread crumbing’ trail of their route via a series of alerts. Whenever the child readers their destination, an alert will be sent to the parents for added peace of mind. Not only that, there is voice monitoring capability for those who want more control, while the GPS 2G can also monitor the speed of a vehicle the child is riding in. As for the little ones, they have an emergeny button which can be activated to alert the parent whenever they are in need of help.

(Via UberGizmo, the Gadgets News Blog.)

The Best iPhone Navigation App: TeleNav vs. Navigon vs. TomTom

The Best iPhone Navigation App: TeleNav vs. Navigon vs. TomTom

I'm happy to report that the leading car navigation apps for the iPhone work surprisingly well. Not only that, but for the next week, there's a clear choice for best app.


Until August 31st, Navigon MobileNavigator will cost $70. In my testing, it competed neck and neck with the $100 TomTom, so for the next eight days, it's the best value among the top contenders. But when they're both selling for $100, that TomTom is going to look a lot more tempting. The third app I tested is TeleNav's AT&T Navigator. It's certainly worthy, and has some connected capability that the other two apps here don't, but in the end, the economics are wrong: At $10 per month, it could become frightfully expensive, with no significant added value.


These three navigators are the most reputable in the app store (hence their heightened cost). They're all based on software I've used in the past too, either in other phones or in portable navigators. Because of the familiarity, I knew I could spot anything amiss in the iPhone edition, but I was surprised to discover that, if anything, these iPhone apps are better designed than anything their companies made before—and run great on my iPhone 3GS. It's a relief to know that GPS navigation with an iPhone is, finally, a really real reality.


Navigon and TomTom are completely contained apps that hog upwards of 1.2 GB a piece; TeleNav is a small app that relies on the phone's net connection. Nevertheless, they all work more or less the same. They give turn-by-turn directions on an animated map, just like portable navigators. While they're doing it, you can play music from the iPhone's iPod, and if a call comes in, you see it pop up on the screen. GPS performance on the 3GS was better than I had hoped for—hiccupy at times but never completely gone, even when messing around indoors.


Every app also has direct access to Contacts—this isn't just good for people for whom you've added addresses, it's brilliant for quickly navigating to stuff you've found in Google Maps—you just whatever it is to Contacts with a single tap, open your navi app and it's there.


No matter which app you're using, the GPS runs constantly and the screen generally stays on, which means utter battery drainage: You will need to keep your iPhone plugged into the car's lighter jack. You will also need a dashboard mount, which range from $10 to $30.


Here's how the apps did against each other, followed by some deeper impressions:


AT&T Navigator by TeleNav

Product page; iTunes link



Unlike the other two, TeleNav is very much a connected app. It downloads a fresh map of your surroundings wherever you are, and it checks for traffic and POIs in much the same way. TeleNav's servers are always being updated, so you're never out of date. The trouble is that a) this costs $10 per month forever and ever, b) with the exception of searching for gas by price and the occasional useful traffic alert, the connectedness is hard to appreciate, and c) downloading maps and routes means that if you have poor phone reception, you might not have navigation.


TeleNav distributes its app 'free' in the app store, but to get turn-by-turn navigation (the only reason you'd want the app), you have to sign up and commit to paying $10 a month on your AT&T bill. It's a deal for the first 10 months or so, especially since you can cancel it at any time, so maybe you'll only need it on trips. But if you intend to keep it and use it for more than that, you'll kick yourself for not having paid up front for Navigon or TomTom—when you add up all those Hamiltons, the $100 apps are ultimately cheaper.


I had some trouble with the software, too. Version 1.1 of the 'free' client app crashed a lot, and it didn't automatically update to the more stable version 1.2i. I had to remove the app from my iPhone, and then add it again. The good news is, it worked and I haven't experienced a crash since.


Though I was pretty pleased with TeleNav's overall usability, but the connectedness did get annoying sometimes. The best example is the map section: TeleNav has very pretty maps, but they take a 21st century eternity to download (we're talking 5-10 seconds here), and the whole screen has to reload when you pan or zoom. Also, when you're in the map, you can't tap on a destination and route there, a fact that seemed to render the maps useless.


The B- I give the program is a combination of the shortcomings, albeit minor, and the problematic economics for anyone intending to use this regularly for a year or more.


Navigon MobileNavigator

Product page; iTunes link



Navigon portable navigators had just started to get good when the company closed shop in the US. I can't say I miss them, really, but what's nice is that most or all of the great features of the portable product have arrived intact in the iPhone app. It really is startling to see how well both TomTom and Navigon have overlaid their core features to the iPhone.


Navigon comes with 1.29 GB of maps and POI data, good because, like TomTom, it's not 'connected.' There's no live traffic, no online search, nothing like that. I can't say I miss it. The app runs almost exactly like the last Navigon portables, with such nice touches as lane guidance (those screens that pop up saying which lanes you should—and definitely should not—be in). It lays out well in both landscape and portrait modes, and the driving interface, with its customization options, looks the best.


Navigon has always had some trouble with its POI interface—in this case, you can can easily search for something in the wrong place. If you don't know the specific city a POI is in, just putting in the nearest big city is not enough. I recommend sitting down with it and familiarizing yourself with the POI search flow, because once you get the hang of it, you will be better at knowing where to look for stuff.


The biggest glaring omission of this app was the route view, what I used to call MapQuest view back when people remembered what MapQuest was: You get a full rundown of your turns, so you can see where the hell this thing is trying to take you. For the price, it's still reasonable, and Navigon has already updated its software—for free—a few times since launch, so who's to say that a good route summary isn't up next?


I gave it an A- until August 31, when the price goes from $70 to $100. After that, it's probably a B+ or B. On the level it can't really beat the TomTom, but when it's $30 cheaper, it most certainly does.


TomTom US & Canada for iPhone

Product page; iTunes link



I know some of you probably recall my negative sentiments about a recent TomTom portable navigator, and indeed, the whole family of TomTom navigators. I am happy to report that, by leaving hardware design in the hands of Apple, and by making at least a bit of effort to streamline the TomTom interface when bringing it to the iPhone, most of my complaints are rendered moot. There's still the matter of taking four taps to cancel a route (it takes just two on the other two apps). There's also the matter of POIs lacking coherent capitalization and punctuation, rendering them barely recognizable in English, and other hints of one-platform-for-all international scaling. But in general, it's a damn worthwhile, even powerful app.


The next step is to see TomTom's dock is any good. TomTom says it improves GPS performance, gives some voice command control and raises the volume on turn-by-turn instructions. I am currently using a generic iPhone dock, the one that sells for $30 on Amazon, and I plugged the iPhone into the car stereo for both music and instructions. Also, I didn't really have any trouble with GPS performance (surprisingly), so whatever this thing costs, its value is as yet undetermined.


In the portable navigator world, Garmin is still king, but in this world, there is no Garmin, so TomTom will probably ascend to the throne. In the current lineup, TomTom's offering is a B+, but that grade could go down as well as up. I just hope they take their roles as developers seriously and work on what still needs improvement, or else so help me I will nail another series of complaints to their door.



Tips for Using All GPS Apps

• Get a dash mount. Like I said, you can pay roughly $10 to $30 on Amazon, but the $30 version (middle in the pic above) has the nicer joint design. If you don't mount it, you're going to kill yourself. Note: The Amazon links are examples, not recommended products. Stay tuned for our review of TomTom's mount, shown in the photo above at right.


• Never drive without a car charger. These things suck juice like nobody's business. Operate without a charger, and your phone will become a brick within the hour.


• All these apps let you access iPhone Contacts. This means you should paste in addresses for your most visited friends and colleagues. It also means that if the app's POI search sucks, you can go to Google Maps, do a search there (or with an app like Where To?) and then add that Google Map entry to Contacts. Instantly it appears in your navigation app too.


• You can listen to music while you're navigating, if you can handle the navi voice coming on to tell you when to turn. Double-tap the home button to get a floating box of rudimentary iPod functions: track ID, volume, play/pause, forward and back. If you pause your music though, you can't double-tap the home button to start it again. You'll have to exit your navigation app, go into the iPod interface, and start it up.


Update: More Notes

Since I've probably driven with more various GPS devices in my car than almost anyone, and have been doing it since these silly things were a lot harder to use and cost $1500 a piece, I wanted to address some general questions from comments:


• There are two major map-makers in the world, Navteq (now owned by Nokia) and Tele Atlas (now owned by TomTom). Though traditionally Navteq's US mapset was superior, they are both now almost imperceptibly identical, thanks to Tele Atlas' acquisition of a US company called GDT a few years back. They are both very reputable sources of road data now, and it would take you a long time to identify any differences, let alone one's clear superiority over the other. In other words, at this point, since it's one or the other, source of road data doesn't really matter.


• Map updates, however, do matter—but they matter at intervals of at least two years. The map makers named above are constantly updating, but they don't publish updates (even to monthly subscription services) instantly. It takes months—sometimes weeks if you're lucky—for map data to go live, and most tweaks are new housing developments and other things you might not notice. Also, map makers may spend a lot of time and effort on an area where you don't live, and never get around to fixing your particular neighborhood problem. (There's an intersection in Poughkeepsie, NY that has been wrong in Navteq's database for five years, because hey, it's Poughkeepsie!) So it doesn't make sense to argue that you should spend over 2X the money for a subscription app that isn't as good as the fixed ones—even if you have to buy expensive map modules or new versions of them in a couple of years. On the flipside, many people driving with three- or four-year-old Garmins are pretty happy.


• Someone mentioned that certain devices make a 'ding' sound at the turn. That was always a signature of Magellan (who like Garmin doesn't make an iPhone app at the moment). Every app tells you when you are approaching a turn. They do so at different intervals. While it seems from a comparative standpoint that the intervals themselves matter, they do not after the initial breaking-in period. You just acclimate to the instructions you're getting from your own device, and make safe driving maneuvers based on those instructions.


• The state of California does mysteriously ban suction-cup windshield mounts. I have still driven in California with such a device, and would encourage people visiting California to not worry about it. Those of you who live in California should probably check out those sandbag mounts, but please, if anyone knows anyone who's gotten a ticket for this 'offense,' email me about it. I really want to hear this story.


• ALK, makers of the CoPilot software, have been around for many years and have not ever been among the strongest contenders. However, due to their price and the fact that they're still around, I have agreed to check out CoPilot, and will be posting on that app when I'm ready. But don't let that stop you from buying Navigon while it's still on sale.



(Via Gizmodo: GPS.)

garmin nuvi 1820

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garmin nuvi 1820

nuvi-1820

What we’re looking here is the new Garmin Nuvi 1820. It is the first model from the brand new 1800 series.


What makes nuvi 1820 special is that it comes with a WiFi anntenna, the underlying OS is Linux, has a full web browser, and a 4.8″ touch screen. Quite high-end. Of course it includes your previously high-end, but now just standard features such as text-to-speech, lane assist, etc.


Provided you’re near a WiFi hot spot, with the new nuvi 1820 you’ll have access to all of the internets, including streaming video sites such as YouTube.


There’s no information on pricing just yet.


garmin-nuvi-1820



(Via NaviGadget.)

Toshiba TG01 review

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Toshiba TG01 review

toshiba-tg01-review

Remember Toshiba TG01? The phone with a 1GHz processor and a huge 4.1″ screen? If you don’t mind carrying that much power in your pocket maybe you’d be interested in this review.


But in case you don’t have the time to look through all the text and hi res pictures in their review here is the summary:


The screen is great - which combined with the fast processor makes watching movies and playing 3D games great. However because of its size you wont be able to operate the device fully with a single hand. Plus there’s nothing new or exciting about the WinMo operating system and the battery doesn’t last long.




(Via NaviGadget.)

Cobra 7700 PRO

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Cobra 7700 PRO

cobra-7700-pro

Cobra has been very quiet recently - but that doesn’t mean they forgot about the professional drivers out there. They just recently announced 7700 PRO, a GPS navigation and routing tool specifically designed to the needs of the professional driver. It utilizes a lot of truck-specific data that helps them optimize routes and arrive at destinations in the most efficient and economical way possible.


The 7700 PRO has a huge 7″ touch screen in 16:9 aspect ratio, and features text-to-speech guidance with loud turn-by-turn direction. Your purchase will include 3 months of unlimited downloads from Cobra’s AURA Camera & Driving Hazard Database, which alerts drivers to the locations of fixed speed and red-light cameras, dangerous intersections and known speed traps. An extra smart feature is you can always switch the Cobra 7700 to run in ‘car’ mode - so drivers can take it with them in their personal vehicles.


With Cobra 7700 PRO they partnered with ProMiles and TruckDown Info International, Inc. to include more than 33000 truck-specific points of interest (POIs) such as routable travel center locations, detailed amenity information, fueling stations, restaurants, heavy duty towing, truck and trailer repair shops, truck-friendly hotels and weigh scales, plus the usual 12 million standard POIs.


As you’d normally expect from other truck specific GPS navigation system the 7700 PRO can calculate your route based on the vehicle’s height, width and weight and provides complete coverage data including STAA National Highway Network and Access Roads; National Bridge Inventory List; National HazMat Route Registry; and detailed truck data for the lower 48 States and Canada.


The Cobra 7700 PRO will go for $580 when it comes out in October.

cobra-7700-pro-2

cobra-7700-pro-3




(Via NaviGadget.)

Panasonic Two New In-Dash GPS Devices

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Panasonic Two New In-Dash GPS Devices

Panasonic Two New In-Dash GPS Devices


Here are two new in-dash GPS devices from Panasonic, the CN-MW200D and CN-MW100D. Both of these devices feature a 7-inch widescreen LCD, a 2 DIN AV system, a CD/DVD player, HDD and iPod friendly. The main difference is that the CN-MW200D offers a digital TV tuner, while the CN-MW100D only comes with a 1Seg TV tuner (not digital). The CN-MW200D and CN-MW100D will be available in Japan in September for unannounced price yet.


Panasonic Two New In-Dash GPS Devices


[Akihabara]


3D GPS navigation for the iPhone

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3D GPS navigation for the iPhone

iphone-3d-gps-navigation

EngisTech of Korea just announced a new app for the iPhone 3GS called Gogo 3D iPhone. Looking at the photo we have here it seems like the graphics/renderings are pretty good so it may take a lot of space on your device. On the bright side South Korea - the only market this app is released for - isn’t that big… via



"

(Via NaviGadget.)

MID-560 SMiT Android

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MID-560 SMiT Android

smit-android

There’s a new device from China that’s getting a lot of attention these days on the interwebs. It is from a company called SMiT, and is called MID-560.


We don’t know what the big deal is though. Is it the 5″ screen, GPS and WiFi antenna, or the speedy 667Mhz processor, or the digital TV support?


Whatever it is get ready for a huge range of devices that try to get on the awesome Android OS band wagon…

(Via NaviGadget.)

Mio V505 TV

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Mio V505 TV

mio-v505-tv

This is the latest from Mio. It is actually called Mio Navman Spirit V505 TV. As you may have already caught on, one of the most advanced features of the Mio V505 TV is that it comes with a digital TV receiver. What this means is that you’ll be able to watch digitally broadcast channels on the go.


Another features of the V505 TV is that if you connect it to your PC you’ll have the ability to plan your trips on Google Maps, and even sync your already geotagged pictures.


V505 is great but currently it is only offered in the U.K. No word on if it’ll ever come out here in the U.S. We doubt it though. Do not expect any similar things in the U.S. until digital TV is big here.




(Via NaviGadget.)

garmin nuvi 1690

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garmin nuvi 1690

garmin-nuvi-1690

We now have more details about the Garmin nuvi 1690 we uncovered a couple of weeks ago, including a more decent picture.


It looks like the new nuvi 1690 will have its own cellular module inside, and come with a car mount that charges as well. They call their connected services ‘nuinfo’ which will offer weather, fuel prices, flight times, and the ability to make Google Local searches.


Other than the connected to services, nuvi 1690 sounds like all the other nuvi’s. Bluetooth, lane assist, detailed intersection views, and text to speech.


Still wondering if Garmin will attempt to charge some sort of subscription fee for their nuinfo service.




(Via NaviGadget.)

TomTom for iPhone is here, costs $100

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TomTom for iPhone is here, costs $100

tomtom-iphone-gps

TomTom’s GPS navigation app for the iPhone is finally here. Of all the iPhone GPS navigation apps out there, we’ve been waiting for this one the most. We recently talked about a UK online seller offering the car kit for $193 - and now we know the price for the app only: $100. A little steep? Maybe. The new app just appeared at the iTunes store, and is available for the U.S., Australia ($80), New Zealand ($94), and Western Europe ($140).


How do you think this new app will handle your routing when you get a call in the middle of getting driving directions?




(Via NaviGadget.)

track your dog

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track your dog

dog-track-gps

If your dogs takes off too often and never looks back maybe you should look into a GPS enabled dog tracking system. A company called RomaEO does just that. The device is called RoamEo PuP and comes with a GPS dog collar, and an LCD display that shows the distance and direction to your best friend.


The limitation is that it can only track your dog up to 3 miles away - after that your puppy is out of range. RoamEO PuP costs $280 and there are no monthly fees since there’s no GSM module.


The device can track two collars per device - but you’d have to buy that extra collar for $160… via




(Via NaviGadget.)

nuviphone M20 coming out soon

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nuviphone M20 coming out soon

nuvifone-m20


nuviphone M20 - the Windows Mobile love child of Garmin and Asus is ready to come out on August 19th… in Taiwan.


Here are the features and specs of nuviphone M20:



  • dual-band 3.5G / tri-band GSM

  • Wi-Fi

  • 2.8’ TFT touch screen

  • 4GB or 8GB of storage

  • 3MP camera

  • OPERA browser, HTML, WAP 1.2.1/2.0


The date for U.S. release can’t be that far now… via



(Via NaviGadget.)

Samsung CL65 - GPS enabled digital camera

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Samsung CL65 – GPS enabled digital camera

cl65-samsung-gps

Samsung CL65 is one of the latest high-end point and shoot cameras from the company. CL65 has WiFi and GPS. Need we say more? Seriously. WiFi and GPS on your digital camera.


Snap a photo, automatically geo-tag it with where in the world you took the photo, and instantly share it with others. With access to a free Wi-Fi hotspot, you can email an image directly from the camera using the touch-screen QWERTY keyboard or upload it directly to a number of popular photo-sharing and social networking Web sites.


Some of the other features/specs of CL65 include 12.2MP CCD and a high-quality 35mm Schneider‑KREUZNACH with a powerful internal 5x optical zoom - kind of unexpected from a camera with such a slim form factor. CL65 can record 720p HD video at 30 frames-per-second in H.264 format and provides HDMI connectivity for your giant TV at home or any other HD monitor.


The CL65 utilizes GPS technology to automatically geo-tag digital images, recording the latitude and longitude of where in the world each photo is taken. The location data is automatically embedded into each image’s EXIF file. Photo-sharing websites such as PicasaTM provide options for sharing one’s images on a map of the world and can utilize the information stored in the image’s EXIF file to pinpoint where the photo was taken.


The CL65 will display the name of the city on the camera’s LCD screen, providing users with a display of the location where they’re taking a photo, as well as a handy reference for when they are reviewing images on the camera’s LCD screen.




(Via NaviGadget.)

Samsung ST1000 digital camera with GPS

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Samsung ST1000 digital camera with GPS: "

st1000-samsung-gps

Also from Samsung today is the new Samsung ST1000 - yet another GPS enabled point and shoot camera (other than CL65)


This camera is not only location aware thanks to its GPS receiver, but also very connected. It has WiFi, and Bluetooth!


It can take pictures with 12MP resolution, does 10 shooting modes, offers 5X optical zoom, and can detect faces…


Expect to pay about $600 for this…
Via Gizmodo




XRoad MI4300

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XRoad MI4300

xroad-mi4300

Xroad - the same guys who make the iPhone GPS app for East and West U.S. separately are apparently trying to take over with their own hardware, something called XRoad MI4300.


Nothing too interesting here - your standard 4.3″ screen navigation system. But it would be interesting to see if the user interface would be anything similar to what they have on the iPhone.



(Via NaviGadget.)

Becker Z205

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Becker Z205

becker-Z205

Becker’s GPS navigation system lineup in the U.S. hasn’t seen much change but the same is not true for their homeland - Deutschland! Their latest model is called Becker Z205 which has some high end features.


Becker Z205 It is equipped with TMC Pro receiver for the latest traffic updates, does text-to-speech, can understand voice commands, uses Navteq’s Traffic Patterns system to guess traffic conditions, comes with bluetooth connectivity, it offers 3D view of cities and certain buildings, but more exciting than that, it even offers 3D landscape views.


Here is a video too:



(Via NaviGadget.)

Art Lebedev Navigarius GPS Concept Really Belongs In a Spaceship

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Art Lebedev Navigarius GPS Concept Really Belongs In a Spaceship

Art Lebedev's concepts don't always come to fruition, but they're great eye candy even if they'll never actually exist. This round-screened Navigarius GPS concept is one of their prettiest.


The Navigarius would have the round touchscreen, USB, microSD, and a cigarette lighter adapter, provided spaceships have those. I don't think I've ever seen a round screen in real life before, but it actually looks great for a GPS unit. There doesn't seem to be any immediate plan for this thing to ever go into production, but we can still gaze and hope.

(Via Gizmodo: GPS.)

MOTONAV GC550

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MOTONAV GC550

motonav-gc550

Motorola is about to add a new GPS navigation system to their limited Motonav series. It is called MOTONAV GC550 and it just made it through FCC.


As we suspected back in April the new GC550 will be 3G connected, as opposed to their older entry models TN20 and TN30.


Some of the features of the new GC550 will be:



  • 3D maps

  • voice commands

  • Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calls

  • microSD card slot

  • Google local search

  • weather, traffic, and flight updates




(Via NaviGadget.)

GPS Mirror now in the U.S.

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GPS Mirror now in the U.S.

cheetah-gps-mirror

You know how much we’re into the GPSMirror thing we’ve been seing all over the internets. Well it looks like a few online stores are offering the Cheetah GPS mirror in the U.S. of A. including Amazon - for as low as $252.


Not a bad price considering it acts as a speed and red light camera warning system too. Question that comes to mind is of course how to get power to this thing. Obviously you wouldn’t want to run a cable to from your lighter up to your rear view mirror. That question is not answered on Amazon or Buy.com but their product page offers this little snippet:


fitting2

Cheetah’s elegant design leaves your dashboard and windscreen clutter free and its discreet nature makes it almost unnoticeable from outside the vehicle…


Looks like some professional installation maybe required - but it would worth it.




(Via NaviGadget.)

iGO My Way iPhone GPS navigation app

iGO My Way iPhone GPS navigation app

igo-myway-iphone-gps

The list of iPhone GPS navigation apps just keeps growing. Now Hungarian NNG just released their iGO MyWay 2009. Here are the features:



  • Realistic 3D terrain map display, citymaps and landmarks

  • Turn-by-turn navigation and voice guidance

  • Free quarterly map updates until end of 2010

  • No blind spots in coverage, no data fees or any other additional costs

  • User interface optimized for car navigation


$80 in the U.S., 90 € for whole Europe, and 70 € for only Western Europe.



(Via NaviGadget.)

TomTom for iPhone + car kit

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TomTom for iPhone + car kit

tomtom-iphone-kit

Interwebs on the other side of Atlantic are talking about TomTom’s iPhone GPS navigation app and the kit that you should get (but optional) with it. It looks like an online seller is already offering both the app and the car kit (not yet in stock) for a total of £113.85 which equals to about $193.


So - what do you think about this price? We want to know. No monthly fees. Just about $200 which will get you a car charger, ability to stream music to your car stereo, etc.. in addition to the GPS navigation system.


By the way we have some more details on this car kit:



  • 1. ‘EasyPort’ mount - same one from TomTom ONE and XL

  • 2. Speaker for the voice directions and the hand-free calls + external GPS receiver

  • 3. Volume control

  • 4. Microphone for hand-free calls

  • 5. USB connector

  • 6. audio jack to use your car’s audio


Oh, and it will work on iPod Touch we hear.





(Via NaviGadget.)

FineDigital's FineDrive iQ Special helps commuters learn FineEnglish

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FineDigital's FineDrive iQ Special helps commuters learn FineEnglish



Ah, those crazy-beautiful multi-purpose navigation devices of South Korea, is there anything they can't do? If your answer is that they can't teach you English, think again. The iQ Special features a language trainer built on voice recognition software from its predecessor, the FineDrive X700, alongside the usual fare of goodies we westerners rarely get to see: SiRF-based GPS, DMB digital TV, video and music playback, and even TPEG traffic alerts. Priced at 469,000 KWN ($384), this PND is available today, and it's probably redundant to note that it won't be making its way to English-speaking countries any time soon -- not that we doesn't need it, mind you.


[Via AVING]

Garmin nuvi 1690 PND with integrated EDGE data clears FCC

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Garmin nuvi 1690 PND with integrated EDGE data clears FCC

A new Garmin PND , the nuvi 1690, has passed through the FCC [pdf link], and it seems to have learned some connectivity tricks from its nuvifone cousins.  The nuvi 1690 includes not only Bluetooth but GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity, presumably offering real-time traffic downloads among other things.


garmin nuvi 1690 pnd 540x244



Those other things might include POI updates, Google Local searches and two way route transfer from a desktop or online interface, but the 1690 won’t support voice calls.  Instead, the integrated Bluetooth will turn the nuvi 1690 into a hands-free kit.  There’s also a 1,000mAh battery and, though there’s no image to support it, we’re presuming a large touchscreen taking up the front face of the PND.


No word from Garmin on when the ‘connected personal navigation device’ may launch, nor how they’ll be charging for the data connection.  Connected-PND manufacturer Dash found positioning their products too difficult in the face of low-cost PNDs, and were forced to end hardware production and instead license out their technology.


[via GPSTracklog]




hack your Nokia N95 for better GPS reception

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hack your Nokia N95 for better GPS reception

nokia-gps-04

Do you have problems with your GPS reception on your Nokia N95? How about some soldering skills? If you’re brave enough you can open your N95 and remove the default GPS antenna and instead stick in an 8″ speaker wire in there and wrap all over your N95 before closing it back up. You should follows the instructions and read comments here though.


The poster of this hack claims you can get a satellite lock in 5 - 10 seconds - even indoors. However doesn’t share if this is after a cold - or a warm - or a hot start.


Give it a shot - why don’t you?









(Via NaviGadget.)