Archive for the ‘GPS News’ Category

Micrsoft Sues TomTom

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

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Yes the rumors in the blogosphere are true! Microsoft has sued TomTom, the popular maker of portable gps navigation devices.  They filed lawsuits with US district court and the Nation Trade Commission against TomTom because they say the company has infringed on its software patents.

Supposedly the Microsoft patents include vehicle navigation technology and computer software that Microsoft licenses to other firms.  Although TomTom has nothing to say right now on this issue, Microsoft had plenty to say.  Horacio Gutierrez is the Deputy Counsel of Intellectual Property and Licensing at Microsoft.  Here are his comments:

“We have taken this action after attempting for more than a year to engage in licensing discussions with TomTom.”

“In situations such as this, when a reasonable business agreement cannot be reached, we have no choice but to pursue legal action to protect our innovations and our partners who license them.”

“TomTom is a highly respected and important company. We remain open to quickly resolving this situation with them through an IP licensing agreement.”

We are very intersted in what TomTom will have to say on the pending lawsuits.  Stay tuned here for all GPS news, reviews, and rumors.

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Mercedes get rid of in-dash portable gps systems by partnering with Harmin

Monday, February 16th, 2009

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Car makers are finally getting the picture, although in dash navigation systems are cool… ortable ones are better.  Being able to un-attach your navigation system and bring it with you while riding in another car or traveling is just convenient not to mention affordable for both consumers and car makers.

Enter the new age of portable GPS were drivers don’t leave there house without Google Map applications on their phone, GPS companies are creating touch screen and talking portable GPS systems, and where avoiding traffic and saving gas while listening to mp3s is considered a necessity of life, not a want.

Mercedes Benz is the newest  car people to partner with navigation companies to create out of dash systems that are comprehensive and portable.  Following the success of the Carminat TomTom GPS, Harman International will do the same thing for 8 new Mercedes starting the middle of next year.

Next? BMW, Jaguar, and Land Rover will be jumping on the portable GPS bandwagon doing whatever is necessary to save everyone money during this economic crisis.
Source and Image via Motor Authority

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The Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 Buzz… Part 2

Friday, February 13th, 2009

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So in Part 1 we discussed Garmin’s plan to partner with  Asus and release the new version of Garmin nuvifone.  In part 2  we are going to take a look at all the specifications of the new Garmin-Asus G60 nuvifone expected to be released next week at Mobile World.

Before we list the specs; the Garmin nuvifone will be easy to used and its primary focus is to coming navigation, web content, and communication.  Each Garmin nuvifone will be LBS-centric Smartphones that will have a number of different platforms based on individual users.  These include social careerist, travel buffs, and tech geeks.

Here are the complete specs:

  • 2G Connectivity:Quad-band GSM / GPRS / Edge 850/900/1800/1900
  • 3G Connectivity: 850/1900/2100 HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
  • Other Connectivity:802.11 b/g WLAN, Bluetooth, HFP, HSP, AVRCP, A2DP mini-USB 2.0
  • OS: Linux
  • Dimensions: 112 x 58.1 x 14.6 mm
  • Weight: 137g (battery included)
  • Display: 3.55″ 65K colors, anti-glare resistive touchscreen
  • Display Resolution: 272 x 480 WQVGA
  • Camera/Photos: 3MP camera with auto-focus and geo-tagging
  • Flash Memory: 4GB on-board 128 MB RAM
  • Expandable Memory: Micro SD, HC Capable, expandable up to 16GB
  • Music Player: MP3 capable
  • Headphone Jack: 2.5 mm
  • Battery: 1100 mAh removable/rechargeable lithium cell
  • Email: POP3, IMAP 4, IMAP idle, SMTP
  • Internet: HTML browser based on Webkit platform
  • Calendar/PIM: Outlook contacts and calendar
  • Productivity: Document viewing: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, JPG

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The Garmin Nuvifone Buzz… Part 1

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

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On February 4, 2009 Garmin made a huge announcement about its current partnership with ASUS to “jointly develop, manufacture, market, distribute, and support co-branded mobile phones.”

This is an exciting development as we are all waiting for the release of the Garmin Nuvifone which is slated to come out any day now.  The mission of the partnership between Garmin and ASUS is to offer a line of handsets that provide “social and business functionality” to everyone regardless of class, income, lifestyle, or age.

But why a GPS enabled cell phone, or a GPS smartphone?  We have many theories as to why and Garmin has many researched facts as to why.  From our point of view as a consumer, GPS Smartphones are very much needed in today’s market. Everyone wants everything on their cell phone.  Wouldn’t be amazing if instead of having to buy a smart phone and a portable GPS system; that when you get in the car you could just mount your cell phone an use it as a GPS while still making and receive calls?

That’s exactly what Garmin sees, according to a Canalys forecast “20.4 million integrated-GPS smart phones will shipped in North America in 2008″ and that will rise 85% in three years.  That’s a huge percent, basically 57.2 million smart phones shipped in North America alone.  They also predict a drop in basic handsets.

So what can we expect?  Well Garmin-Asus, as the collaboration is called, will launch several models of the nuvifone this year, the first to be introduced next week Mobile World Congress in 2009.

Stay tuned here for the second part in this series were we delve deeper into the Garmin nuvifone expectations as we wait for February 16 - 19, the first release of the Garmin nuvifone.

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Motorist love TomTom’s semi-embedded portable navigation device

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

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Last year in TomTom released a new navigation device designed especially for customers who want a portable GPS System to fit inside the dashboard of their vehicles.  The new second generation of semi–embeddable  TomTom device is called the Fujitsu 10 eclipse VN 4430.  The best part about the new device is that users can actually take it out of the dashboard and use it as a standalone navigation system in a different car.

So what exactly can this new semi-embeddable a portable devices do?  First off it has the latest maps, using a technology called MapShare.  MapShare allows drivers to actually improve the map on the device and then they can share those maps with other car drivers.  The TomTom GPS portable device also allows drivers to use below two hands-free calling, that way you can make a phone call while safely driving.  Some other cool features include a CD – DVD player, iPod audio, iPod video, and even a USB.  Say goodbye to the radio because now you can listen to your favorite music over your car speakers with no commercials.

Here some highlights of the device:

  • TomTom Map Share™ technology, enabling users to make updates and corrections to their own maps instantly on the device and to benefit from improvements made by other users free of charge.
  • Latest map guarantee so users always have free access to the latest map at time of purchase.
  • ‘Help Me’ Emergency menu that gives drivers direct access to emergency services and roadside assistance
  • Voice address input so that users can drive to millions of cities and street names by simply announcing the address of their destination
  • Clear voice instructions and text-to-speech to enable street names, places, traffic alerts and SMS messages to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions
  • Enhanced hands-free calling with high-quality sound system via Bluetooth® to allow drivers to keep their eyes firmly on the road while making phone calls in the car
  • Rear-view Camera Ready so drivers can expand their view outside of a normal field of vision.
  • Free TomTom HOME software and content from the TomTom community to keep their device up to date at all times.
  • Large 4.3 inch touch screen with fresh icons and an updated user interface to navigate drivers to their destination even more easily.

Because it is so easy to remove and install, this little portable GPS device is pretty awesome.  Especially, if you have more than one automobile, or if you’re riding with a friend!

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Wi-Fi and Automative GPS, a Match Made in Heaven

Monday, December 29th, 2008

trafficalert_withmap_2d_270pxRecently a GPS System by AT&T helped the police in St Martin Parish find Charles Lodrigue, a 29 year old who got disorientated when his car struck a utility pole and got lost in the woods. (Source: KATC.com).

It’s a simple story of how important a GPS chip in a cell phone helped save someone’s life.  But exactly how do the authorities locate you in an emergency using your GPS system?  It’s not as simple as it sounds, and surprisingly the technology is fairly new.

We all know about Onstar by GM, a two way communicator that allows you to basically get roadside assistance anywhere and anytime with a push of a button. Combine that technology with a GPS system and you have Dash Express, the first car navigation device that can send data back to a server.  The key phrase here is “send data back to a server”. GPS systems didn’t used to do this until very recently; all they could do was receive data from one end because communicating a location to a tracking center requires more money and a separate service.

In the past GPS tracking systems, cell phones with GPS chips, and personal navigation systems existed, but none of these services and technologies were put into one because customers just cared about getting from the house to the cheapest gas station, or finding that new theatre. However, thanks to crime and theft, consumers now want more when it comes to their GPS systems.

The Dash Express, “the only internet connected automotive GPS”  finally gave consumers an option by incorporating Wi-Fi and a cellular modem into a GPS system.  However, due to privacy issues and other concerns, we still can’t directly tell where a GPS device is.. but the technology is getting closer and help is still on the way.

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