Archive for the 'GPS' Category
Does a GPS with a constant connection to the Internet make it the best way to travel in your car? Can it find the lowest gas prices, the nearest Starbucks, an ATM near your friends home, and the best pizza joint in town? Will it show you how to get to work quicker than you have ever made it before IN traffic? Does the volume setting of 11 make it that much better than anything else available?
Yes, we know so many questions to be answered but we think we do a pretty good job of answering those and even more with the newest craze hitting cars across the country in this new GPS unit. An Internet enabled GPS device that taps into Yahoo! Local and lets you send your addresses from within your web browser on your computer to your Dash Express sitting silently on your, um, dash.
Now, is it all worth it? Read on.
So you’ve got to go somewhere this Labor Day weekend, huh? Looking for the right GPS to take you there? But you want one with some sweet swag? Easy to use? Maybe even something the “other guys” don’t have? But, its got to be a good brand. Well, the TomTom GO 930 may be your catch. With address voice input, Bluetooth speakerphone, Advanced Lane Guidance, traffic updates, and Mr. T to tell you where to turn, we couldn’t think of another GPS to suggest (until our next review, maybe.)
Before you shove off to your long weekend, we suggest reading the long and full-of-meat review of the TomTom GO 930. If you don’t have too much time, like all of our reviews, you can read The Bottom Line and the Overview for the quickie. But do at least print it out and read it sometime this weekend. It took us a long time to write. 
TomTom has confirmed to SvenOnTech that it has indeed, “…tested and successfully [ran] our navigation software on the iPhone and it looks good and works well.” The Holland-based company told SvenOnTech that it is waiting to see what Apple’s strategy for the built-in GPS is on the next-generation iPhone, “…before we can say more about what kind of opportunities this will bring us.”
TomTom is excited that Apple is entering the GPS world with the 3G iPhone, due to release July 11th at both Apple Stores and AT&T stores in various markets, and is more than ready to bring its highly acclaimed navigation software to the iPhone.
TomTom believes with the development of more pedestrian navigation systems, such as the iPhone and Nokia’s offerings, it will continue to bring greater attention and demand to car navigation devices. “With more and more people getting acquainted with navigation, this will also further grow the demand for car navigation,” TomTom’s Karen CK Drake, Public Relations Manager for TomTom, told SvenOnTech last week. Drake emphasized that it does not believe the iPhone to be a replacement device for GPS but rather be “complementary” to its current offerings of car-mounted GPS units.
SvenOnTech will actively watch this developing story and keep our readers abreast of any new information as becomes available.
Effective immediately, DBL will begin marketing SPOT-1 to customers nationwide. This state-of-the-art personal messenger with GPS tracking, once activated by a satellite subscription, will send the exact coordinates of your location to International Emergency Response Center or 9-1-1. If your exact coordinates cannot be obtained, the device will send a distress signal instead. Other excellent features include personal messaging capabilities that reaches out to friends and family to request for help or to let them know you are okay. In addition, SPOTcastingSM sends a message to your account every 10 minutes, allowing your friends and family to view your entire route through GoogleMapsTM. Designed for maximum reliability, Spot performs a self diagnostic test every time it is powered on. It works worldwide and even in the most remote areas where cell phone service is scarce.
“This new and innovative product and technology introduced by Spot has revolutionized the navigational market,” stated Tim Coakley, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for DBL Distributing. “Its tremendous versatility coupled with its unique functionality greatly appeals to customers within our navigational product segment.”
SPOT-1 was included in DBL’s new Spring/Summer catalog featuring nearly 520 product lines, 5,200 new items and over 20,600 products. To order SPOT-1, please call DBL’s dedicated sales staff at 800.733.6766 or order online at www.dbldistributing.com.
The enV2 is the perfect handset for on-the-go texters and music and video fans. In addition to its pocket-sized good looks, the phone is available in two sleek finishes – black and maroon. The following features and capabilities are available on the enV2:
- V CAST Music – access more than three million songs from both well-known and independent artists to download over-the-air and play on the phone
- V CAST Video – download or stream video clips from the best names in news, sports and entertainment
- VZ NavigatorSM – visual and audible directions to a destination, locate businesses and other places in an area, get a map of a location, bookmark favorites and recent searches, and even share locations with others
- Mobile Web-capable – customizable, enhanced wireless access to the latest in news, sports, weather and more
- Media Center-capable – download games, ringtones, wallpapers and more
Instant Messaging using AIM®, WL Messenger®, and Yahoo!® - Mobile Email-capable – access to e-mail services including Yahoo! Mail, Windows Live Mail, AOL, AIM, and Verizon.net accounts; or configure POP3 and IMAP accounts
- Full QWERTY keypad with large-sized external keys
- 2.4” internal screen
- 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder:
CDFinder, the leading disc cataloging application for the Apple Macintosh, receives a massive update with new features and more speed. Also, as a world premiere, it offers a GPS based photo search that quickly locates any photos taken within a distance of a geographical position.
“We are impressed by the unique new GPS search feature, as it offers a brand new way of browsing and searching large photo libraries with CDFinder,” said Norbert M. Doerner, chief developer of the CDFinder team. In addition, the team added FileCheck, a checksum feature designed to ensure the data integrity of all cataloged files, important for photographers who want to be sure their precious digital negatives are still fully readable and intact. More speed was another goal, and with the quicker updating of existing catalogs, faster creation of photo thumbnails, and much faster parsing of ZIP archives, that goal was obviously reached.
CDFinder for Macintosh is a Universal Binary and works with PowerPC and Intel-Macs. A Windows version is available as well, which is compatible to Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server and Vista. CDFinder is shareware. The demo version is unlimited in time, but restricted to 25 catalogues. A single license is 29 Euro / 39 USD. Multiple licenses for business or network use are priced depending on the number of clients and features required.
About CDFinder Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re looking for an inexpensive GPS unit with a good looking interface, that’s easy to use, and is loud enough to be heard, then you’ll want to take a look at our most recent review of the Harman Kardon Guide+Play GPS-310.
Harman Kardon? Play? “What,” you ask? Yes, the brand known for its awesome audio products has taken a dive into the navigation market and added a digital audio player to the mix. I was a bit skeptical when I first saw it at a demo put on by the audio chaps, but I must say after 40 plus hours of use for this review, my skepticism is gone. Read the review and see why.
(PS: We love, love, LOVE, the mount. Silly how something so low-tech made us so warm and fuzzy!)
GPS software manufacturer Northport Systems, Inc., has launched Fugawi Touratel, a new cell phone-based outdoor navigation software and interactive web site, today for use in the United States.
Designed to enhance outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting and more, Fugawi Touratel provides exceptional map detail on a wide variety of mobile phone handsets as well as the complimentary touratel.com website.
A first in GPS software solutions for the outdoor recreation market, Fugawi Touratel is a Web 2.0-based cell phone navigation software product that delivers high-resolution US Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps, air photos and urban photos to a wide variety of cell phone models within the USA. In addition, users receive a host of other useful third-party location based applications, such as detailed streets maps of the USA, all for one low monthly fee. Fugawi Touratel is currently compatible with many models from Motorola, Samsung, Sanyo and LG, on the Sprint, Alltel and Boost networks with more networks and cell phone models to be added shortly. Because Fugawi Touratel utilizes the cellular network-derived “Assisted GPS” location, the supported phones do not require a specific-use internal or Bluetooth connected GPS. Also, due to its unique Web 2.0 architecture, the user does not need to download and install client software – the entire Fugawi Touratel application works through the internet connection. Users will benefit from added map content and ongoing product development instantaneously, without the need to download updates or apply patches.
“We are pleased to offer USGS topographic maps to the public at no charge though our new web resource, touratel.com,” said Robin Martel, president of Northport Systems. “Our Fugawi Touratel Web 2.0 backend also allows us to address tremendous consumer demand for mobile navigation technology by delivering outdoor GPS applications to a much wider variety of existing phones which could not previously be used for navigation.”
The touratel.com website is a free service enabling users to view and print copies of high quality maps. The site contains all of the USGS topographic maps for the USA, including Hawaii and Alaska, at all available scales, including 1:24,000, 1:100,000 and 1:250,000. Also available through the intuitive tab-based interface are high quality air photos and Google™ maps so the user can review their area of interest utilizing several different map sources. Users can zoom in to any part of the USA and print paper copies to take with them. From the website, users can also check the compatibility of their specific cell phone and, if they wish, sign up and immediately start navigating with the USGS topographic maps on their handset.
“Our Touratel web services have been designed from the ground up to allow for rapid development of richer feature sets and growth into new applications and markets”, continues Martel. “We will add new map content and additional services in early 2008.”
Availability
For more information on Fugawi Touratel, or to learn more about Northport Systems and its entire product line, please contact (416) 920-9300, or visit www.touratel.com. A regularly updated list of compatible carriers and handsets can also be found on the new
touratel.com website.
Previewed at the IFA consumer electronics show in August 2007, Mio Technology, top three vendor in Europe of portable navigation devices (PND), announces the availability of its high-end 3D mapping devices – the C620 and C620t. The new Mio 2008 mapping software includes around one thousand 3D landmarks, as well as digital elevation mapping to depict the local landscape – providing the motorist with a true 3D view of the road ahead.
The Mio C620 and C620t feature the very latest Tele Atlas maps (2007.7) as well as Mio’s split-screen interface in this 4.3″ wide screen device. The split-screen function introduced in the C320 and C520/C520t allows the user to view local points of interest and critical journey information, such as the next three turns and time or distance to destination alongside the full map. The C620 and C620t provide the ultimate in sat-nav functionality and features, up and running in seconds with fast, accurate positioning from SiRFstarIII GPS technology.
The new range offers integrated Traffic Message Channel (TMC) reports as well as free out-of-the-box speed camera alerts. As with previous products, Mio users are able to download speed camera database updates for free for one year from the moment of registration, add their own camera locations and share them with other Mio users over the internet.
Features:
Mapping
* Intuitive map display with 3D landmarks and digital elevation models
- Better orientation and faster recognition of map location
- Road levels are displayed in 3D view
* Easy to use interface
- Split screen for info, POI, TMC, Route, MP3 and phone book
- Play/stop MP3 while navigation
- One click to pick up incoming calls or dial out
- Easy navigation to Photo Viewer
* Enhanced signpost display
* Enhanced POIs along route
* TMC along route display
Device
* 4.3″ navigation screen : large and easy to read
* Hands-free calling with built-in Bluetooth® wireless technology and microphone
* Speed camera warnings out-of-the box with free updates
* Fast, accurate positioning from SiRFstarIII GPS technology
* All-in-one cradle : power and TMC (TMC only for C620t)
* Entertainment on the go: Integrated MP3 player and photo-viewer to enjoy your favourite songs and precious photos all on one device.
*Note: Speed camera availability is variable from country to country depending on the local law. Consumers receive one year of speed camera location updates for free upon registration.
Alltel Wireless, America’s largest network, providing coverage across the nation, today announced the availability of TimecardGPS, an application that enables users to track an employee’s location, record shift time and capture job or work order information from LBS-enabled wireless phones.
The TimecardGPS application, available for $12.49 per handset per month, allows business professionals to increase productivity by using their wireless device to perform a variety of important tasks, including:
Tracking – Enables supervisors to request field workers’ locations, track movement and set up “smart fences” to determine employee location
Team Clock-in and Out – Allows a supervisor to clock-in and clock-out employees as well as capture individual task information on a single wireless device
Real-time job tracking – Sends real-time job information from field workers to employers, complete with tasks, subtasks and editable fields
Customized reports – Supplies electronic reports with payroll, job costing and productivity information
Web log-in – Provides real-time access to field workers’ positions, timesheet and job information via the Internet
“In today’s fast-paced business environment, there is a need for supervisors to have rapid access to information regarding their field employees and their progress,” said David Maddox, director of advanced data solutions for Alltel Wireless. “The TimecardGPS application provides a supervisor instant information on an employee’s exact location and job completion data.”
For more information on TimecardGPS, please visit www.alltelsolutions.com/timecardgps.