Remember this day. Today is the day that you saw the future of GPS navigation. Tele Atlas has partnered with Norway-based BLOM to provide photorealistic maps to personal navigation devices. So far only 40 cities in Europe have been ported to the service, but many more are scheduled to be released in the coming quarters. Soon the days of having basic 3D boxes to represent buildings will be gone and… → Read More
TomTom announced today that Microsoft is suing them for patent infringement, however they denied that they had violated any of Microsoft’s patent rights. Microsoft said that it it taking legal action against the GPS maker after the two failed to reach a licencing agreement after more then a year of negotiation. → Read More
TomTom and Fujitsu Ten have announced the ECLIPSE AVN4430 in-dash nav system and it’s pretty darn expensive at $850. But, I’m not sure how much in-car GPS units go for from manufacturers so correct me if I’m wrong. The plus side is that you can remove the TomTom GPS unit whenever you please and use it elsewhere. It sports a 4.3-inch screen and controls all of your car’s entertainment needs. It… → Read More
Radio Shack is gaining yet another exclusive GPS model after the Motorola and NAVIGON units. The TomTom Go 630 seems similar in specs to the GO 720 with even the same $399 price. IQ Routes Technology Advance Lane Guidance Access to TomTom MapShare Text-to-Soeech 4.3-inch widescreen Bluetooth handsfree call Side note about why Radio Shack is selling “exclusive” models after the break. → Read More
The J.D. Power and Associates just released the 2008 Portable Navigation Device customer satisfaction rankings with Garmin taking the top seat and TomTom following closely behind. These scores are a composite of six factors that include: ease of use, routing, system appearance, speed of system, voice direction, and navigation display screen. Garmin ranks highest among portable navigation… → Read More
Ah, Black Friday. After working at Circuit City from 2000 to 2006, I don’t care how good the deals are, I’m sleeping in that day. This year is shaping up nicely though if the $99 GPS and $149 Blu-ray player rumors are true. Reportable, the GPS units are going to be top tier units from Garmin, TomTom, or Magellan and the Blu-ray player should be the Samsung BDP-1500. Still, I… → Read More
Sorry Kim. I’m sure you’re a nice lady and all, but after being forced to sit through umpteen seasons of Sex and the City and the 3 hours of bonus drivel provided by the movie, I don’t think I could handle it. If anybody hopped in my car with your new voice pack installed on a TomTom, I would smash said TomTom with a brick. If you think you can bear your way through such classics… → Read More
I have no doubt these custom voices for your TomTom or Garmin GPS cease to be entertaining after, oh, about three blocks, but if you’ve got money to burn, go for it. Most are groaningly bad, but they have their functions: GlaDOS: good litmus test for whether people you’re with are huge nerds. Pimp or sexy lady voice: good test for whether you’re a raging misogynist (or closet… → Read More
The TomTom ONE XL II (that’s a mouthful) launch is one step closer with the FCC stamp of approval. Details are still up in the air, but it seems this guy simply updates the previous model with Bluetooth hands-free calling. Even the available users guide doesn’t reveal any juicy details as it seems as if the guide is just repurposed from the current generation. All the docs are up… → Read More
Is TomTom updating the 930 over in the U.K.? How about here in the U.S.? We don’t know the full deets’ just yet, but with a 940 LIVE product page up at HandTec, and IFA the first week of September, the stars are in our favor. According to said product page, the 940 will be similar to the 930 (pictured), just with the LIVE services added. Think HD traffic, safety alerts, gas prices… → Read More
TomTom released their PRO line yesterday, designed for pro on the go. The TomTom PRO 4000 ($330) and 8000 ($460) are the first to hit the market. Here is what bugs me about these two: the hardware is the same as the non-pro models, but the customer service (and software) is not. PRO Features: – A whopping 2 year warranty – Menu lock option so you’re not tempted to mess with it while driving… → Read More
See if you can make sense of this quote from a TomTom spokesperson: Our navigation system runs on the iPhone already. Does that mean TomTom has an application in development for the iPhone App Store? If so, when will it be released? If not, then what exactly was TomTom talking about? My guess, that TomTom didn’t want o seem “hurt” by the inclusion of a GPS chip inside the iPhone… → Read More
http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/showplayer.swf?enablejs=true&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcrunchgear%2Eblip%2Etv%2Frss&file=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Frss%2Fflash%2F975847%3Freferrer%3Dblip%2Etv%26source%3D1&showplayerpath=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Fscripts%2Fflash%2Fshowplayer%2Eswf POIfriend (pronounced like boyfriend), which has nothing to do with the traditional Hawaiian dish of fermented… → Read More
Aren’t GPS sales on the decline? I can say without a doubt that if I had a car I’d pick one up. I’m sorry but Google Maps is not perfect and even if I had a BlackBerry with GPS, I still wouldn’t rely on it. I was in Seattle last week and had a bitch of a time getting around with just Google Maps. TomTom announced this morning a revamped One and XL GPS devices. Some new fangled windshield… → Read More
GPS sales have been booming. Last January’s CES saw just about every manufacturer under the sun dumping out unit after unit, some with millions of points-of-interest and whatever else they can dream up to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. Alas, the party is over and everyone who wanted a GPS now has one, resulting in a slowdown in sales. GPS devices are like 20-inch rims &mdash… → Read More
I’ll be honest with you. If I hadn’t gotten rid of my car late last year, I’d be tempted to pick one of these up myself. There are plenty of cheap GPS units out there but to be able to grab a TomTom unit for under $100 seems to be a pretty sweet deal. The unit is refurbished, yes, but you’ll get the same warranty as if it were new (one year, I believe) and you can extend it… → Read More
This seemed like a no-brainer, I’m not sure why it hasn’t been implemented before. TomTom’s new models, the 730 and 930, estimate trip time using collected data on how fast people actually go on the streets it suggests, rather than the posted speed limits. I guess the question is, where did they get this data? Is there a “send anonymous usage stats to TomTom” toggle… → Read More
Yet another GPS unit will now be available to consumers; this time from TomTom. Its new ONE XL-S mapping unit is feature rich with a beautiful 4.3-inch for viewing. One of the standout features is text-to-speech, which basically reads out your directions, restaurants, etc. out to you so you can spend more time concentrating on the road rather than your GPS unit. You’ll also be able to share… → Read More
Exciting news? Not really, but it could mean improved service and better products with TomTom’s announcement to buy map-provider Tele Atlas. TomTom is rumored to have purchased the company for $2.5 billion. Sure it’s a lot of money, but think about what you’re getting with that deal. Tele Atlas is currently the supplier of TomTom’s data. This news will also shake up other… → Read More
TomTom’s got another portable GPS device in the woodworks. It’s the TomTom Go 720, made especially for the U.S. and Canadian markets. It’s a typical GPS device with all the features that are becoming more standard by the day, including a 4.3-inch touch screen and basic multimedia playback options. But the Go 720 does do one thing a little differently: it allows users to… → Read More
TomTom officially announced this morning an expansion to its popular ONE line of personal GPS devices. The new version will feature an expanded 4.3-inch touchscreen display and Bluetooth. It is known for its ability to conveniently deliver spoken-word turn-by-turn directions. It utilizes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is capable of two hours of operation. Additionally, it can display in… → Read More
I change the main ringtone on my phone about once a week, so I can completely understand why someone would want to change out the voice that daily tells them to “turn left” on their GPS device. TomTom gets this and, while other companies offer multiple voice options for GPS voices, the company seems to be going out of its way to get unique voice talents, which now includes actor Gary… → Read More
No real information on this one beyond a few pics. We know it’ll be a GPS (duh it’s TomTom), SD, Bluetooth dialing and voice SMS and interface changes. It’ll also have a new docking system that will allow you to cradle your TomTom and use it to control an iPod or USB storage device. More pics after the jump: → Read More
Convergence is the name of the game with the HTC P3300 PDA-Phone. The P3300 comes with a GPS and TomTom Navigator 6 both built-in, which means this can be your primary GPS navigation device if you don’t already have one (if you’re in Europe). The device itself runs Windows Mobile 5.0, has a GPS module, GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, FM Radio, and push email… → Read More
Lots of big stories dropped yesterday and, as always, we want to make sure that you caught the major ones. Here are some of the highlights from Thursday, August 16: TomTom ONE GPS Released In North America Boeing Drops Connexion More Microsoft Zune Details Logitech Launches iPod Speakers Masterlock Bested? → Read More
The tiny GPS navigation system with a large 3.5-inch screen hits the US shores this month, after much delay. It only weighs 5.6 ounces and is 1 inch thick, which is tiny for a GPS system. Carry this around in your pocket or bag to have whenever your buddies are driving, just in case. It’s got 32MB of SD memory and access to TomTom PLUS services such as traffic and weather. As an entry-level… → Read More
Palm announced today the Palm GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition. The system is powered by the new TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 software that features voice navigation and turn-by-turn directions. Meanwhile, a new SiRFstarIII Bluetooth enabled GPS receiver handles all that meddlesome satellite communication. It is compatible with Treo 650, 700w and 700p devices. I’ve always wondered why GPS hasn’t… → Read More
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