Posts Tagged ‘navigation’

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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Garmin Nuvi 885T - A lane ahead of the competition

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

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At CES  2009 navigation companies pulled out all the stops and latest technology to encourage gadget lovers to make the switch to their portable device.  However one company, Garmin, stayed strong with the Garmin Nuvi 885t, a portable GPS device which not only has voice-activated navigation but included lane assist with junction view, MSN, and Direct hands-free calling options.  The idea? Well, don’t take your hands off the wheel… ever.

With the way we drive on the roads today, and the influence of cell phones, texting, and other mobile gadgets, Garmin made sure to put safety first.  So now the Garmin Nuvi 885T not only tells you what to do, but you can tell it what to do. There’s even a remote that can be attached to the steering wheel just in case voice activation isn’t your thing.

The best part of this Garmin portable GPS system is the lane assistance.  Now you can know which lance you need to be in for that exit coming up instead of riding in the middle lane until you can get a visual and then swerving over to make sure you don’t miss you next move.

We give it 2 thumbs up, definitely one of our favorite portable GPS devices so far this year.

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Ferrari Portable Naviagation System by Becker

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

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Becker, the Germany brand, has launched a new GPS navigation system designed after the Ferrari brand.  Seems like technology and car brands are hooking up left and right these days!

Becker’s new portable Navigation system is entitled Traffic Assist Pro Z250, not only is it made of “special” materials, but it also has the soft touch features that have been so popular this year with new navigation devices.  After the iPhone, everyone is sick of jabbing their fingers into screens while driving.

For Ferrari lovers, this navigation device is perfect because it can point you in the direction of every Ferrari dealer in Europe and the United States along with restaurants, movie theaters, gas stations, and other points of interest.

The new Becker navigation device also has the original Ferrari colors, customized Ferrari software, 4.3 inch touch screen, telephone, bluetooth, 3D map views, lane info, turn by turn navigation, and a sleek design.

Some other cool features include a picture viewer which allows you to feature your jpeg files in a slideshow, the speed limit display which warns you if you are going over the speed limit, a day and night mode which adjust the screen brightness automatically, an MP3 player so you can play uploaded music at anytime, and pin entry for the ultimate security.

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Best 3 Portable GPS Systems

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Portable GPS Systems are pretty much popping up everywhere.  With all those choices to make, how do you know exactly which ones to buy? Well, when all else fails, choose the 3 most popular GPS systems and then choose from there!

Here three portable GPS systems that won’t disappoint:

Garmin Nuvi880 Portable GPS
Why: Well, the Garmin Nuvi880 has some features that just can’t be denied. These include Bluetooth, speech recognition, and MSN Direct.  But basically, the speech recognition is probably the best you’ll find out there today.
rf-lgTomTom Go 930 Portable GPS
Why: Well it’s clear as a 3D movie…literally.  This little baby gives you a 3D look at intersections and terrain and the price isn’t that bad.  Also, it has a wide screen, detailed directions, and up to date technology.

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Magellan Maestro 4370 Portable GPS
Why: Well, one finger controls the whole thing.  And with the iPhone and twitter generation, one click is the way to go.  The Magellan Maestro 4370 also has voice guided directions, which is a great perk.

getprodimageasp1So whether you are big on voice activation, one finger controls, 3D visuals, there’s a portable navigational device for you.

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Magellan RoadMate 1430 versus Magellan Roadmate 1412

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

1430Magellan RoadMate 1430

Thinking of upgrading form the Magellan RoadMate 1412 to the Magellan RoadMate 1430? With a $150 price difference and no difference in design, it’s important to understand the differences and similarities between the two. Here are the similarities:

  • Both of the 1430 and the 1412 have a 4.3″ WQVGA color touch screen which shows your position on the map, surrounding points of interest, signal strength, street names, and much more.
  • Both navigation devices include 6 million points of interest for ATM’s, gas stations, restaurants, and more.
  • Both GPS systems from Magellan offer expanded maps for U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada; all pre-loaded on a SD memory card.
  • Both Magellan RoadMates inlcude SayWhere text-to-speech so that you can hear street names with voice direction and don’t have to take your eyes off of the road
  • Both Magellan navigational devices include a Ultra-thin and portable design
  • Both also offer QuickSpell so that the user can enter destinations with fewer keystrokes.
  • Both the Magellan RoadMate 1430 and 1412 offer 3D or 2D views of your surroundings
  • Both have the exact same specifications including li-ion rechargeable batters, 3 to 5 GPS accuracy, and the same package contents.
  • Additionally, both offer auto re-route, auto night view- customizable route methods, and multi-destination routings.

1412Magellan RoadMate 1430

So the only difference? Well, the Magellan Roadmate 1430 includes a 3 month free subscription to the Magellan TrafficKit. The Magellan TrafficKit provides real-time traffic updates and advisories as well as offering new route options if there’s a quicker way to get to your destination.

Hopefully that helps with your decision. If you want real time traffic updates purchase the Magellan Roadmate 1430… but other than that, there is basically no difference between the two devices.

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OneTouch Magellan Maestro 4370

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

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The new OneTouch navigation system by Magellan is a one touch customizable GPS navigating giant!  The user has an option to customize all the icons for ease of use.  That way, if you use the restaurants or bank icons the most, you can put them on your home screen.

The Magellan 4370 also includes maps of all of North America including Puerto Rico, Canada, and the United States. Anywhere you want to go, the options are limitless from voice guidance, lane guidance, 3D buildings and live traffic with Pedestrian features.

Other specifications include 10 to 16 feet GPS accuracy, 3 hour battery life, pre loaded maps, 4.3 inch screen, 2GM memory, integrated multidirectional antenna,  and a high impact plastic case.

So what’s in the box?

  • Maestro 4350 GPS receiver
  • AC adapter
  • Vehicle power adapter w/ FM traffic antenna
  • USB data cable
  • Adhesive disc (for dash mounting)
  • Windshield mount
  • Basic cradle
  • Protective pouch
  • Quick Start Guide & Quick Reference Guide
  • Manual on CD-ROM

The Magellan Maestro 4350 cost about $400 and is available at Best Buy… definitely a great way to navigate.

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Portable GPS meets style with the Navman S100

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

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So exactly what happens when GPS meets style?  You get the Navman S100, perhaps one of the most stylish portable GPS to date.  The navigational device measures at 13.5 mm thick with a 4.3 inch widescreen.

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Another cool feature of the Navman S100, is like other devices, it seems to be taking tips from the iPhone when it comes to screen interaction.  Instead of the user jamming his or her finger repeatedly into the screen, a tap and slide motion can be used to navigate between menu options. This is called Glide Touch from the Pioneering ‘Spirit’ software. You can call it whatever you want, but if you could combine the iPhone and a portable GPS the result would be the Navman s100.

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The “Super-flat” widescreen is an indication of a device that is loaded with gps technology.  The Navman s100 has some cool features including Pedestrian mode, geo tagged photos, 3d junction views and land marks, economical routing, MP3 player, and a safety camera.

Via: Navman

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TomTom Portable Navigation Device Connects at CES 2009

Monday, January 12th, 2009

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It’s called the GO 740 Live and at $499 it’s the first TomTom portable navigation device to be launched in the USA and it’s ready to connect you to the world… literally.

The TomTom GO 740 Live provides real time traffic information, a fuel price service and local search using all the major search people, including Google and Weather.

One issue we all have a problem with is that the new “connected” portable GPS navigation devices never come out of the box ready ready for action.  We end up paying more for connections, accessories, and monthly subscriptions just to get the unit ready for everyday use.  In today’s economy, we all want more for our buck and for good reason.

That’s why the TomTom Go portable navigators made such a huge splash at CES 2009.  Each TomTom Go 740 Live navigator comes ready right out the box with a built in SIM card and GPRS modem.  Another sleek and popular feature that TomTom Go Live incorporates is voice recognition which recognizes over 130 voice commands which allows you to get moving with planned routes, make phone calls, and set preferences… all by voice

Is it competition for Garmin nuvi 880 products? I guess we will find out in 2009.  Stay tuned here.

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GPS Review: Garmin StreetPilot GPS Portable System

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

49793Regardless of what anyone says, the Garmin StreetPilot GPS Portable System is one of the best GPS systems around because its reliable, its affordable, consumers love it, and it works.

The Garmin StreetPilot GPS Portable System features a touch screen navigation and automatic route calculation with turn by turn voice prompted directions.  However the best feature of this navigational unit is the out of the box convenience.  Once you pull the Garmin StreetPilot GPS Portable System out of the box you get MapSource City Select street data which includes over 5 million points of interest like hotels, gas stations, attractions and more.  You also get a 128 MB SD card so you can transfer the information from MapSource City Select to a CD-ROM for data transfer from a PC via a USB connection.

Another sleek feature includes the low number of buttons on the device which give it a contemporary and minimal look.  It only has a knob plus an on/off switch.  You can customize the appearance of the portable GPS by using face plates.

Additional GPS Specifications include WAAS-enabled, 12 satellites to compute and update your position, 2 minute auto locate, 1 second update rate, 95% GPS accuracy within 15 meters, and a built in antenna.  Additional navigation specifications include automatic turn-by-turn instructions, routing around bad road conditions (traffic, construction, etc.), choice of scenic route available, off route recalculation for mistakes,

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