CES for the non-GPS some final thoughts from Mike

Nearly at the final posts for CES in Las Vegas for 2007. So far we have looked at the serious GPS related items. But of course the expo was full of all sorts of hi tech toys for us. In fact there were so many that after a week we were in serious danger of suffering a high tech overload. In fact such was the intensity of the show that when we visited our favorite 'toy shop' Fry's we only spent about 60 minutes in there and didnt buy a thing... This was a first for us especially as Lutz was with us...

The PocketGPSWorld.com team have the latest technology or at least we thought so until we visited the Sony booth. Our favorite portable computers are the new Sony UX PCs. We thought we had the latest and best... We dont. Sony have introduced 2 new models one of which has a 30GB flash disk so no moving parts... We all hung our heads and slipped quietly off the stand. The bad news for us also is that nobody has a car mount for them at the moment, so they cant safely be used as navigation systems.

As Lutz mentioned in an earlier post I was quite taken by the cars at the show. One of the halls was dedicated to the automotive industry and was filled with all sorts of goodies, but topped for me by some of the most outrageous (and impractical). My favorites must be the golden lo-rider (try getting over a speed bump with that...) and the tracked snowmobile rescue vehicle complete with SatNav (not sure if it was offroad or not) and rather than a first aid kit it had a hearing aid kit...

A Mercedes was kitted out with so many display screens that it would be totally impossible (not to mention illegal) to drive. And last but not least a sparkling pick up with the truck bed completely full of ICE gear, and internal features include not only SatNav and video, but also a champagne holder (what happened to cup holders?).

On a more serious note a company called IPevo http://www.ipevo.com/ were displaying a number of Skype devices. I bought an IPevo Free-1 phone when I was in Taiwan last year and have been really impressed with it. Supported both in Windows and Mac OS it is small and works like a dream. Of course they have now updated the phone, and also brought out a number of hands free and conference phones as well.

A strange gimmick I saw was the "Guard Kitty" a USB device that connects to your PC and detects movement and hisses, purrs and plays music. Who on earth thought of that!!!

On the home entertainment side of things there was just too much too take in. The primary story here is the battle between HD-DVD and BlueRay, with some companies hedging their bets and creating multi-standard devices to allow both technologies to play in the same device. The there were the Plasma/LCD displays getting bigger, clearer, and better. I saw a 108 inch display, but I am sure there were some much larger. If you are ashamed of your TV in the Living room then one company has the ideal solution... A remote control curtain covering the screen to show a painting when the TV is not on.

Robert found a portable TV, unfortunately he was a little distracted for some reason. When we asked what the specification was he replied "36-24-34". "No", we said, "the TV". "Oh", he replied, "I think it was white :D".

The "best" gadget I saw though was a frame that fits beneath your chair and when connected to the home cinema amplifier provides movement simulating the experience of actually being in the film. This rocked gently when playing soothing music and more aggressively in an action film. The setup is configurable up to the size of a love seat. I did ask the sales girl for a demo of that but she politely told me that they didnt have one at the show...

Other strange stuff to come from the far east included matching PC accessories. When we say matching we do really mean matching. Camouflage keyboard, mouse, speakers, headsets, webcams etc, they also did them in pink too... And a special keyboard for people like Robert and myself with big fingers...

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 23 @ 22:00:40 UTC

The Winner of the Teleatlas LBS Attendee Chioce awards is...

The Teleatlas LBS Innovators Attendee Choice Awards took place on the Teleatlas booth at CES. There were 3 companies in the finals: GTES, Loopt, and iLocate.

WirelessChaperone from GTES. This application allows parents to monitor the driving behavior of their teens. Featuring Tele Atlas’ digital map data and content, WirelessChaperone provides notifications of excessive speed, enables parents to establish geographic boundaries, and offers a map viewing application displaying current or past vehicle locations.

loopt from loopt Inc. This location-based social mapping service lets users find their friends on their mobile phones. With Tele Atlas’ digital maps, users can find friends on detailed maps, as well as share photos and on-the-go experiences, and receive alerts when friends are nearby.

“WHERE” from uLocate. uLocate, the platform and publisher of products such as MapQuest Find-Me and Helio Buddy Beacon has developed their latest product, “WHERE,” to address wireless carrier, developer and consumer needs. Through a simple API, developers can rapidly create location enabled wireless products that are location-centric, leveraging Tele Atlas digital maps. 

The winner of the Awards was loopt.

In the USA part of the regulatory requirements of Mobile Phones is a GPS function allowing the caller to be located when placing a 911 emergency call. This enables all sorts of innovative applications, including social networking. The loopt system is based on mobile phones connected to the Boost Mobile and has lots of neat features such as buddy location, messaging, proximity alerts etc. Operating on a permission based system you are guaranteed privacy and control over your buddy network.

Loopt is based in Palo Alto California. I actually visited San Jose after CES and unfortunately did not have a chance to get out there and meet them for a full demonstration. That will be one of the items on the top of my agenda next time I am in California.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 23 @ 18:08:16 UTC

Mavin Technology display new Bluetooth GPS receivers.

I met Mavin Technology in Taiwan last year where they displayed a number of GPS devices about to be available for distribution. These are now available and ready for sale. One particular model that looked good was the MBGR-1300. This is a Bluetooth GPS receiver available with either a SiRFStarIII or Prolific PL6313 GPS chipset. The SiRF based configuration has a claimed operation time of 8 hours and the Prolific 13 hours.

More details can be found at www.mavintec.com.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 21 @ 23:49:19 UTC

Evermore demonstrate the GETracker system for digital cameras

Evermore show their GETracker for digital cameras. The GETracker system soon to be launched by Evermore is a system that allows your pictures taken on a digital camera to be georeferenced and shared with friends and family using Google Earth. In fact the system adds some metadata to the jpg image file specifying the position where the picture was taken and this data can then be used in any application that is compatible with the Exif standard.

The core of the system is the GPS Data logger which records a track of up to 170,000 data points. This can be used for any normal tracking applications as well as the photo locater. Basically you start the logger when you start your journey and take pictures at any point of interest that you select. When you return home you download the data log to your computer, download you pictures to the computer then run the Evermore photo tool which will then match up the time stamp of the digital image to that of the data log and then embed the location into the image file. This can also generate KMZ files, or prepare your pictures to be published to the web.

Evermore also showed us a lot of other systems and projects in development, including some GPS based speed camera systems. This should make the next few months quite interesting for us.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 21 @ 23:28:15 UTC

Lowerance show PND with hybrid mapping

Lowerance show the iWay 600c with mapping software that uses a hybrid combination of digital mapping and aerial photography. We are currently sitting on the fence about the usefulness of this feature for effective navigation. On the one hand it displays images that confirm your exact location. On the other hand it increases the clutter on the screen and can make it difficult to take the required information in resulting in glancing at the map for longer periods and increasing the inherent danger of distraction from the road.

The iWay 600C is a multifunction system and can be used with nautical charts as well as turn by turn street navigation.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 21 @ 23:11:13 UTC

More Personal Location Devices...

The technology behind personal location devices is getting pretty mature now, and there are a lot of parents who are concerned about the safety and location of their children. One enterprising company from the far east has created some personal location devices which will appeal to the younger generation. Created in the shape of toys these systems don't immediately look like phones or trackers I can see kids actually wanting to carry these about until they reach a certain age... Once that age is past the company produces more appropriately styled devices.

For some reason I did not record the name or web address of the company so if this is you drop me a line and I will give you a name check.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 21 @ 22:41:29 UTC

Chance meeting with the Owner of PocketPC Magazine.

We were walking the halls on the last day when in the China Pavilion we met Hal Goldstien: Exec Editor / Publisher /Founder & CEO of Pocket PC Magazine, a staunch favourite of ours. I felt a little sorry for the girl in the booth where we met as PocketGPSWorld.com and PocketPCMag.com came together and blocked access to her exhibits for 15 minutes or so...

We had a lengthy discussion about the market, and the fact that connected devices are taking over the traditional PDA sector. Interestingly Pocket PC Magazine is now branded as Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine, but in the near future the emphasis will be more on the Smartphone than Pocket PC.

Hal has once again invited both Lutz and Mike to be judges in the Pocket PC Magazine awards.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 21 @ 22:23:31 UTC

Holux show a GPS personal location device

One of the trends we saw in the later part of 2006 was the emergance of Personal Location systems. Holux were displaying their new unit. With a small sleek design in black and silver the tracking system fits easily in to the palm of your hand.

Holux were also displaying the latest in their range of PNDs know as GPSmile. Based on SiRFStarIII technology these SatNavs can have European or US mapping, and can be integrated with TMC.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 21 @ 22:08:38 UTC

One for the Girls...

As usual there were lots of GPS devices on show. With the proliferation of the SiRFStarIII devices all having very similar performance characteristics something else needs to differentiate the GPS receivers. King Gold have come up with an interesting device, we are not sure what the specification is, but it will certainly be of interest to a certain group of users... The Bluetooth GPS comes in pink...

For more details check out www.k-g.com.tw.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 21 @ 19:45:19 UTC

Portable Bluetooth Wireless Speakers

One of the comments we often get about SatNav systems running on PDAs is the poor volume produced by the PDAs. To overcome this you normally need to plug the PDA into a seperate amplifier. Not any more...

A Taiwanese company called Kinyo have developed a portable Bluetooth Wireless Speaker system. This connects to your PDA using the A2DP BT profile and provides sufficient volume to hear navigation instructions and also doubles as an amplifier for you to listen to and control the music player on your PDA.

Check out www.kinyo.com.tw for more details.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 21 @ 19:20:05 UTC

Strange devices sighted on the Garmin Stand

There were some strange looking devices on the Garmin one was attached to sneaker (training shoe to us Brits). At first this had us stumped until we had a chat with Clark Weber of Garmin, who told us that it was a new external data transponder for the fitness GPS systems.

Essentially the foot pod pairs up with the Garmin Forerunner 305 and through the use of accelerometers feeds motion data to the GPS. Now at first this might seem a little silly until you realise that it is only designed to capture data when the GPS is not active. Yes you have guessed it, it is for use in the Gym on a treadmill. This allows you to capture all of your training activities even the indoors when you are not actually moving... What will they think of next?

As far as other developments in the fitness GPS area are concerned there was really nothing to report. There will possibly be a new Edge product available this autumn which will support an extended battery allowing for longer operation for longer cycle trips. We asked a number of questions about extending the features of the Edge to include Mapsource mapping on the device, more memory etc. We were met with a strong "no comment". I strongly suspect that Garmin are doing some work in this area, but it is too soon for them to release any information about it.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 21 @ 18:16:02 UTC

Eclipse/TomTom Slot-In GPS System

The Eclipse AVN2210 is an unusual solution that has arisen from TomTom's Embedded navigation offering announced earlier. Put simply it is a double-Din car stereo radio/CD that has a built-in removable TomTom GPS that appears to be based on a ONE.

CD/Radio functions can be operated from the touch screen on the navigation display and the TomTom operates as a GPS navigation system in the normal way. When you get to your destination you can pop the TomTom out of the dash. You can even use it in this mode if you wish. Initially available for OEM install by US manufacturers it is believed to be coming to European shores later this year, including TMC. The price should be "under 1000 EUR".

Article by Darren Griffin on Thursday, January 11 @ 00:36:46 UTC

Dash Announce Internet Connected GPS

Dash (http://www.dash.net) demonstrated a new internet connected navigation system at CES that has a novel feature. Each unit has built-in WiFi and GSM and utilising these it shares anonymous data on road speeds as you drive with other Dash units via a central server.

This allows the devices to give accurate and up to date advice on current road speeds on route. It also saves speed information on the device for your frequent routes. In addition using the built-in connections it auto updates itself, can search for locations using Yahoo and can also receive destinations from a remote user.

Article by Darren Griffin on Wednesday, January 10 @ 16:06:01 UTC

Mio introduce new devices but the DigiWalker H610 steals the show

Mio are now officially selling the C310x in the North American market, and have also introduced two new devices, the C520 and C250. But the H610 is a much more interesting device.

Similar to the Pocket Loox N100 the Mio H610 is a small, stylish device that is squarely targeted at the fashion conscious GPS buyer. There are a number of different face plates available to add a personal note (white, pink, black, chrome), and the software (MioMap 3.2) looks good too. The H610 is meant to be worn around the neck (it has a lanyard hinge for that) but it is also very pocketable.

As usual it comes not just with the GPS program but also with MP3 player, picture viewer and video player. It is definitely worth to look at it if you are in the market for "her" GPS.

Oh, the 520 has a widescreen 4.3" display which seems to trigger iGO (oops, Mio Map) to display two maps side by side, one for your current location and one for the upcoming turn. We will have to test if that adds much value.

Article by Lutz Bendlin on Wednesday, January 10 @ 07:04:55 UTC

TeleAtlas announce "Address Points" and "Brand Icons" products

We all know how bad the map data is in some places, and how long it takes to fix map errors that you have reported to TeleAtlas. Our meeting with TeleAtlas North America was a good opportunity to squezze the guys again (just so they don't forget) but also to see the progress TeleAtlas have made since we last talked to them.

I actually have witnessed a TeleAtlas surveying vehicle in my neighborhood just a few weeks ago. This was quite a lucky coincidence since there are currently only 11 such mini vans covering the North American continent. Each vehicle is equipped with three cameras and two side radars that are measuring the height of the adjacent structures. Each vehicle can cover about 200 miles a day.

Different from the european operation which uses full featured video cameras for surveying the US operation takes still images every 8 to 10 meters and also does the post processing in the US (rather than in India).

TeleAtlas also are adding two new services to the map data. "Address points" finally allow for house number precise navigation (as you know right now the TeleAtlas data only does estimation based on a number range). Incorporating data from many private and govenment sources, TeleAtlas now have more than 40 million discrete actual street addresses in their map data.

The other new service is a bit of a yawner. "Brand Icons" is nothing more than the custom POIs that we all know already. The only difference is that the brand icon (for example Asda or McDonald's is now already included in the TeleAtlas data, and can be shown natively in stead of the default non-descript icon for shop or restaurant. The brand icons look like drawn by a five year old (no offense) and can hopefully be switched off in favour of the anti-aliased version that you are providing us for the POIs you collect.

Article by Lutz Bendlin on Wednesday, January 10 @ 06:41:25 UTC

HR showing off new mounts at CES

While stumbling through the halls at CES (with the muscle car displays not helping our progress - we had to literally pry Mike's fingers off the cars) we found the Herbert Richter stand. As you may know HR is one of the prime providers of device mounts, and we have reviewed a few of them already. Harald Richter (Herbert's son) is running the show, and he let us in on some of the new mounts HR are offering now, and some of the stuff that is too hot to talk about officially (we have to keep our mouth shut until CeBIT).

HR have made a number of improvements in the sturdiness of the gooseneck windscreen mounts, they have improved the initial contact of the suction disc with the windshield glass, and they have reworked some of the mounts to make them look a bit more appealing while not sacrificing functionality.

For me this was the last meeting at CES, and it was a good close of the show for me (I even got some review units that I will test in the merciless Texas sun). Mike, Darren and Rob will cover the remaining days.

Article by Lutz Bendlin on Wednesday, January 10 @ 06:24:20 UTC

CES day one draws to a close.

It is fast approaching midnight and we have been working since 7am today. There are so many people attempting to connect to the WiFi at the exhibition halls that there is no service. That means that we have to save up all our reports and post them after the show in the evening.

My feet are certainly sore, and my eyes tired. The story of the day is not so much about what we saw, but about what we missed. There were some other Garmin announcements that though not major we didnt get to see. The motorcycle SatNav system, Zumo, was on display and working. We are going back there again this week to check out the rest of the new Garmin ranges.

We only covered a very small fraction of the show today, and CES is much larger this year than it was last year taking over the whole Las Vegas Convention Center and Sands Exhibition Center and also a lot of the Venetian as well. The worst part about it is that there are many break out sessions and events all over the city of Las Vegas, and it is impossible to actually get round and see everything we want to, let alone go "off-topic" and see some of the other neat products on display here.

My eyes are beginning to close now so it is time to head towards sleep... Tomorrow is another busy day with lots of meetings arranged.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 09 @ 08:06:27 UTC

Globalsat preview a new slim Bluetooth GPS

One of the features of CES is that some companies bring over prototypes, mockups and early samples to show potential buyers. Some of these never make it to the stores, whilst others become very successful. Last year Globalsat showed us the BT-328 and the BT-359 which are both popular production products now.

This year we were shown a new slim Bluetooth GPS, this will be available in a variety of colours and will be a perfect complement to a mobile phone.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 09 @ 07:51:47 UTC

Globalsat show a new "wrist watch" training GPS

Globalsat had a new traing GPS on display. The GH-615 comes in 3 different models with suffixes B for Basic, M for heart rate monitor and P for Electronic compass and Barometer.

This is a very big improvement on the GH-601, the most noticable change being the quality of the LCD display. Once again the data recorded can be downloaded to a PC and can be shared and displayed using google Earth.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 09 @ 07:45:57 UTC

TomTom keep quiet about this year's new products

We arrived at the TomTom stand and were looking around for todays announced products, which were nowhere to be seen, when we bumped into one of the TomTom directors. We tried to capitalise on the moment, taking the oportunity to try and get some information out of him as to what TomTom were doing this year. We were completely unsucessful :(

I guess we will just have to wait until sometime in March to find out what the R&D bods have been up to in Amsterdam.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 09 @ 07:34:52 UTC

Navigon Announce the Porsche Design PND

Also on the Navigon stand was the new Porsche Design PND. I had seen this device all locked away behind plate glass at the IFA show in Berlin last year. Touching was not an option... Today however was a different matter... We were able to get up close and personal with the system...

With a brushed aluminum case the Porshe Design PND simply shouts style and design at you then you look behind the PND and see the mount and it is just super eye candy... I have already put in an order for a test sample for my car. In the mount is a secondary speaker enhancing the sound reproduction from the system. The front of the PND also has two small holes for a pair of microphones, one for noise cancelation.

Navigon Press Release

NAVIGON Directs New Porsche Design Personal Navigation Device
P’9611TM Compromises Nothing with Subscription FREE Traffic and Sleek Design

LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #6011) and CHICAGO, January 9, 2007
– NAVIGON, Inc, the leading navigation software provider, today offered the U.S. market a special sneak peek at the new P’9611 by Porsche Design Group, a best-in-class portable navigation device for the discriminating consumer. Designed as the ultimate luxury navigation product, the P’9611 packages the intuitive, full-featured NAVIGON experience in a super-sleek, timeless form factor

Subscription FREE traffic for the lifetime of the product from NAVIGON – the first company in the navigation category to make such an offer – provides consumers with the ability to avoid traffic jams or obstacles out-of-the-box without the tedious unlock or subscription process. Built-in Traffic Message Channel (TMC) functionality automatically supplies the driver with alternative routes, and coupled with NAVIGON’s revolutionary lane assistant, offers seamless navigation guidance through complicated junctures. On multi-lane roads, NAVIGON software displays the path a driver must follow to maintain a projected route.

Under the hood of the P’9611 is NAVIGON’s new MobileNavigator (MN) PremiumTM software, which reinvigorates the navigation user experience with a robust list of smart, intuitive category-leading features such as superior text-to-speech capabilities, “street first” or “city first” destination entry, and predictive spelling support. Additional software features include actual sign text, speed warnings, and automatic increases in navigation message volume to compensate for driving noise.

The P’9611 includes the most comprehensive point of interest (POI) listings available for personal navigation devices (PND) through a strategic NAVIGON partnership with Zagat Survey. As the first PND to feature this functionality, drivers now have immediate access to five destination guides, including Zagat Survey’s Top U.S. Hotels, Resorts and Spas, America’s Top Restaurants, America’s Top Golf Courses, Attractions and Nightlife in 70+ US Cities/Locales to make informed destination choices. The millions of consumers worldwide who rely on Zagat Survey’s ratings and reviews now have immediate access to integrated content in their turn-by-turn driving directions. This partnership enhances the millions of POI listings, above and beyond lesser products, that are standard within NAVIGON’s MN software suite.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of this product,” said Andreas Hecht, NAVIGON’s General Manager for the Americas. “It’s a beautiful realization of design and innovation and represents the cutting-edge of navigation.”

Other key features include a high-contrast 480 x 272 touch screen, 520 MHz Intel CPU, dual processor platform, graphics accelerator chip, 64 MB of both RAM and ROM, high-sensitivity GPS receiver, hands-free Bluetooth communications kits, high quality built-in speakers, and a windshield cradle that is among the most thoughtfully designed in the category. The P’9611 will be available in Summer 2007, and will sell for an MSRP of $899.

About Porsche Design
Porsche Design is a global luxury men's brand and is determined by engineered products. Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche established the Porsche Design brand in 1972 whose products are attracting consumers with their technical
innovation and represent functionality and timelessness in its purest form. Porsche Design products are sold in exclusive own retail and franchise stores, shop-in-shops, up-market department stores and exclusive specialist stores. For more information, visit www.porsche-design.com.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 09 @ 07:20:52 UTC

PaPaGO introduce Gulf-Way navigation package for GCC countries

PaPaGO have a strong presence in Asia (they claim to have 90% market share in Taiwan, and 60% in Singapore) but their maps and applications for Europe and North America are unfortunately several releases old (version 5 as opposed to the just released R12).

What PaPaGO are good at is the support for multibyte characters, not just in the User Interface but also on the maps. So the introduction of the map coverage for a number of Middle East countries (amongst them UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman) is accompanied by the introduction of the R12 User Interface in Arabic.

Let us know if anyone wants to do a review of this since the team is not too fluent in Arabic...

Addendum by Mike
I also have a version for PC in Chinese with Taiwan mapping. Fortunately I know a few people in Taiwan who both read and write Chinese and have a car. I am hoping to go over to Taiwan later this year to test it.

Article by Lutz Bendlin on Tuesday, January 09 @ 07:02:00 UTC

Navigon and Fujitsu Siemens launch the Pocket Loox N100 in the US

The Pocket Loox has been available in Europe for some time now. I first saw it in Berlin back in September last year. Navigon and Fujitsu Seimens have today launched the Loox in the United States. Not only is the SatNav a small stylish product, but it also implements some of the latest features of the Navteq Mapping data, namely Signposting, and more interestingly Lane Awareness.

Lane Awareness is where you are on a multi-lane freeway and you need to be in the left hand lane or the right hand lanes, the Navigon application highlights where you should position yourself on the road. The ever sceptical Lutz put the device through some challenging trial routes which it passed with flying colours (sorry colors)...

We also met with Navigon's UK representitive who assured us that the Loox will be launched in the UK in the very near future.

From the Navigon/Fujitsu Seimens press release

Fujitsu Siemens Computers and NAVIGON Introduces the Pocket LOOX N100TM
Ultra-portable navigation device delivers premium technology
in the market’s thinnest, smallest, and hippest package

LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #6011) and CHICAGO, January 8, 2007 – Fujitsu Siemens
Computers, the leading European IT-provider, and NAVIGON, Inc, the leading navigation software provider, today unveiled the co-developed Pocket LOOX N100 to the U.S. market at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This light, compact, and ultra-portable industry first redefines the personal navigation device (PND) product category by offering a first-rate navigation experience with new on-the-go features and functionality.

Designed for dynamic lifestyles – business people, over-scheduled soccer moms, anyone on the go – the Pocket LOOX measures 0.6 inches (16mm) thin and weighs 3.9 ounces (110 grams), making it the thinnest and smallest multifunctional PND available. This pocket-sized device delivers heavyweight performance in a featherweight package as the perfect travel companion.

Featuring the largest display in its class, the Pocket LOOX 2.8 inch color screen is comparable to its heftier predecessors. The device, powered by a five-hour rechargeable lithium-ion battery, also sports a built-in MP3 player, video player, photo viewer and computer games in a trendy design that can hang off a keychain. The Pocket LOOX guarantees one-click operation; directed by NAVIGON’s customized MobileNavigator (MN) PremiumTM software featuring touch screen capabilities and a multilingual user interface.

The Pocket LOOX is the first U.S. device to leverage the advantages of NAVIGON’s MN
Premium software for rich and easy-to-use, audio-guided navigation. The company’s category-leading map display provides lane information, point-of-interest searches with branded icons along the route, speed limit information and warnings, road signs, and GPS auto-follow in tunnels – features typically reserved for high-end products.

General availability of the Pocket LOOX begins at major U.S. retailers in Spring 2007 for an
MSRP of $499. The Pocket LOOX is sold with a Mini SD card (up to 2 GB), car holder, car charger, AC adapter, USB cable, headphones, two face plates, and a quick reference guide. Additional information is available at www.navigonusa.com.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 09 @ 06:43:46 UTC

Garmin introduce travel information integration with TMC and MSN Direct.

With a new power connector Garmin introduce integrated travel services to thier products. The power connector not only supplies the juice to keep the SatNav running, but it also contains a receiver which is cabable of receiving enhanced data such as traffic information and weather. This is compatible with TMC in Europe, but will not work in countries like the UK or France where TMC requires a paid license. In the USA it also provides access to MSN Direct which also allows access to additional data such as fuel pricing.

From the Garmin PR

Get Localized Information
With dynamic content from MSN Direct, nüvi 680 is one resourceful Personal Travel Assistant. Using the included receiver and free trial service* to MSN Direct, you can check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices and check movie times and locations when you travel with your unit. The MSN Direct receiver is plug-and-play portable, making it easy to connect to your unit when out and about.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 09 @ 06:28:58 UTC

Garmin showcase a pet locator

One of the most off the wall products on display on the Garmin stand was a pet locator. This is a blend of GPS receivers and short distance radio transmitters. The main system unit is a hybrid GPS/radio receiver which is about the size of the current Garmin 60cx but with an additional antenna. This is then supplemented by one or more remote GPS systems attached to your pets. These units report back to the master unit allowing all the pets to be tracked relative to the master location.

Garmin Product Data

Leave the hunting to your dog.

Tired of searching for your hunting dog in tall grass or dense cover? Now you can leave the hunting entirely to him. Introducing Astro™, the first high sensitivity GPS-enabled dog tracking system for hunters and sportsmen. This unique system pinpoints your dog’s position and shows you exactly where he is, even when you can’t see or hear him.

Attach Collar and Go

The Astro system includes a bright color-screen handheld GPS device and a wireless transmitter, called the DC 20. To get started, just take Astro outdoors and turn on the handheld and transmitter to acquire GPS satellite signals. Then attach the DC 20 to your dog, either with the included neoprene harness or by threading it onto an existing 1-inch e-collar. Now you’re ready to turn him loose — no other setup required.

Track Dogs in Dense Cover

As often as every five seconds, your dog’s DC 20 transmits his position to your handheld, and you can see his current location and a trail of where he’s been on the Map page of your handheld. Switch over to the Dog Tracker page to view a compass pointing to your dog’s location as well as his current status: whether he’s running, sitting, on point or treeing quarry. Astro can also sound an alarm to let you know instantly when your dog goes on point.

Astro boasts a high-sensitivity GPS receiver that can track your dog’s position even in the densest cover. You can track up to ten dogs at one time with Astro, at a distance of up to five miles away (depending on terrain). The system transmits information by line-of-sight, so it reaches farthest in flat, open territory.

Count Your Coveys

After you’ve captured your quarry, mark the exact spot with Astro’s Covey Counter™, a special waypoint that tells you the exact location, time of day and elevation where you found your prey, as well as the number of birds you flushed and took from that location. Astro lets you save other special waypoints, such as “Truck” and “Lodge,” so you can save the location of these places quickly and easily for each hunt. Astro also offers special waypoint icons to represent food plots, tree stands and other hunting-related points.

Experience Full-featured GPS

Astro shines when you’re out on the hunt, but it also excels in getting you back to your truck at the end of the day, or even back home again. In fact, the Astro handheld has all the features of Garmin’s top-line handheld outdoor devices, including a barometric altimeter, microSD card slot, celestial information, area calculator, rugged, IPX7 waterproof exterior and a revolutionary 3-axis compass, which works no matter how the handheld is oriented. With optional detailed city street maps, you can search for over 6 million points of interest and create a route on roads with exact turn-by-turn directions.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 09 @ 06:09:37 UTC

Garmin introduce Garmin Mobile

Garmin are launching a new navigation system for mobile devices, with 'onboard' mapping for a range of different operating systems: Windows Mobile, Symbian and Palm. Initially these are to be bundled by wireless operator Sprint, but will become available separately both in North America and Europe later.

There are three different versions of this product Garmin Mobile 20 with the GPS in the cradle, Garmin Mobile 10 with a separate BT GPS, and Garmin Mobile XT user supplied GPS.

Garmin also have an offboard navigation solution bundled by the wireless operator Sprint. this is available on a multitude of platforms, including Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, infact it will be based on Java technologies so has a wide range of applications. The application requires 300-500kb of memory for the Java application. The mapping and routing are served from central servers over the wireless network. This implementation also includes Text To Speech also downloaded from the server.

Garmin also have a new service entitled Garmin Online, which includes downloading of traffic, and weather data, and the implementation of a new service called PeerPoint. PeerPoint sends an MMS message of your position on the screen along with co-ordinates. If the recipient has a mobile phone then it will just display your map screen, if you are running Garmin Mobile then the co-ordinates can be used to navigate to your friend.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 09 @ 05:59:59 UTC

TomTom ONE New Edition to move away from the SiRFStarIII Chipset

Further details on the announcement with regard to the new versions of the TomTom ONE. The new versions of the ONE New Edition (Europe and North America) will include 1GB of internal memory.

This is in addition to the SD card slot which is still retained. However, the included maps will be installed on the internal memory of the device and an SD card will no longer be shipped with the product.

Additionally and perhaps more interestingly, these units will make use of the Global Locate GPS chipset rather than the current SiRFStarIII. This news sent shares in global positioning system chip maker SiRF Technology Holdings Inc. tumbling when speculation about the loss of business reached the market late last month.

The new versions of the TomTom ONE (new edition) Europe and North America will be available from January 2007 and the addition of the embedded memory is not expected to increase the retail prices.

Article by Darren Griffin on Tuesday, January 09 @ 05:28:57 UTC

TomTom Announce Embedded Navigation Solution

TomTom Press Release:

TomTom creates the world’s first embedded portable navigation solution for the automotive industry

Automotive industry can now provide all the benefits of portable navigation devices fully integrated into the automobile

January 8, 2007, Amsterdam: TomTom, the world’s largest navigation solution provider, has developed the world’s first portable navigation device which can be embedded into vehicles through the dashboard or the radio. The unit will be in the market from summer 2007.

Car manufacturers have encountered difficulties in developing integrated satellite navigation systems that meet consumer demands for cost effective, easy to use and updateable navigation that features the latest innovations the industry has to offer.

TomTom’s innovative offering will see TomTom partner with car manufacturers and their suppliers to create new, smart ways to customise its award winning navigation technology into the look and functions of their cars. The TomTom units can be coupled with a radio, infotainment head unit, or built directly into the dashboard.

Using TomTom's patented technology, the touchscreen on the device can be used as an interface to the car’s entire entertainment system. Regardless of whether the TomTom device is built into a radio or a dashboard, a driver can control the radio via the touchscreen and the TomTom device will provide full audio integration with the car playing CDs and MP3s at Hi-Fi stereo quality, as well as spoken instructions and phone calls all via the car speakers.

Additionally, the TomTom device can be connected to the vehicle BUS system and sensors, such as speed impulse for enhanced functionalities.

Compared to traditional embedded navigation systems, the TomTom offering will have the following benefits:

· The user experience is improved as the unit is entirely portable and can be used in any other vehicle as a result of a built in battery and speaker, while remaining nicely integrated in the vehicle.

· TomTom’s offering is very affordable for end customers.
· The unit can always be easily updated and upgraded to keep pace with the latest, fast moving consumer electronics technologies.

· All content and services provided by TomTom’s unique PLUS offering are available for this embedded system as well, managed through TomTom HOME. TomTom HOME is TomTom’s free software application enabling users to manage, download, store and transfer content from their computer onto their TomTom device.

Customers can enjoy easy control and functional benefits such as: hands free calling, iPod control, MP3 playback, control of the radio and CD player, synchronised radio volume controls and no wires, as power is taken from the car directly.

“For the first time, the automotive industry can truly participate in the huge growth of the portable navigation device market by taking advantage of TomTom’s expertise. This marks an industry first that we can now bring an affordable and practical solution to the automotive manufacturers and their suppliers to provide integrated, portable navigation to its customers,” Harold Goddijn, TomTom’s chief executive officer comments.

This unique offering is an example of how TomTom’s is expanding its offerings by working on solutions with the automotive industry that bring the best of both the consumer electronics world and the automotive world together. TomTom is able to offer innovative, affordable, easy-to-use navigation that is always updateable and upgradeable for the automotive industry.

TomTom and Fujitsu-TEN, an innovative manufacturer of products which enhance the in-car theatre entertainment and information experience, have developed the first embedded double-DIN radio navigation unit to feature a PND – the Eclipse AVN2210p which provides in-dash portable navigation with a CD/USB multi-source receiver. (See separate press release).

Article by Darren Griffin on Tuesday, January 09 @ 05:22:41 UTC

TomTom announce availability of FM mounts for the x10 devices at 49 EUR

TomTom have announced the release of a new mount for the GO x10 series. This mount also includes a FM transmitter. If your GO x10 has software version 6.522 or later you can use this setup to transmit the navigation instructions to your car stereo. The FM transmitter also supports steroe sound so you can listen to the MP3s on your GO x10 through the car stereo too if you are so inclined.

In unrelated news TomTom announced an updated version of the TomTom One which seems to come with a large integrated flash memory. We'll visit the guys to seeif they have a device at hand, and let you know as we learn more.

The full press release follows:

TomTom to launch FM Transmitter Mount in Europe

- Available for European portable navigation customers for the first time: wireless integration of navigation instructions and music through car stereo –


8 January 2006 – Amsterdam: TomTom, the world’s largest navigation solution provider today announces it is launching the FM Transmitter Mount - a windscreen dock that enables drivers to use their car radio to wirelessly play navigation instructions, hands free calls and music from their TomTom device. The FM Transmitter Mount is compatible with the TomTom GO range, costs € 49, 95 and will be available from major retailers across Europe in February 2007*. TomTom is the first portable navigation supplier in Europe to make FM technology available for its customers.

The FM Transmitter Mount broadcasts navigation instructions and music from a TomTom GO device over the air to the car radio, like a short range radio station. TomTom GO users simply dock their TomTom GO on the new FM Transmitter Mount, tune the car radio to an unused FM frequency and select the same frequency on the TomTom GO. Turn by turn navigation instructions, hands free calls and music can now be heard in HiFi through the car stereo, without any unsightly cables cluttering the interior. The seamless integration between the TomTom GO and the car stereo also ensures that music stops when navigation instructions are played or (hands free) phone calls are made.

The FM Transmitter Mount is ideally suited to the TomTom GO 910, which has 12 GB of free memory space. This allows users to store up to 3,000 songs – enough to be on the road for up to 8 days without hearing a single song twice. TomTom GO 710 and TomTom GO 510 users can also hear the songs that are stored on their iPod over the car stereo, when the iPod is connected to their device**.

“TomTom continues to push the envelope when it comes to technology innovation,” says Éric Pité, vice president Product Management at TomTom. “This wireless solution using FM frequencies, allows drivers to be guided by clear voice instructions and hear their favourite songs through the car stereo for a more integrated and enjoyable driving experience.”

The FM Transmitter Mount will be available as an accessory and is currently compatible with the TomTom GO 910, TomTom GO 710 and TomTom GO 510. TomTom customers are required to have software version 6.522 or above, which is available when connecting to TomTom HOME. TomTom HOME is TomTom’s free software application enabling users to manage, download, store and transfer content from their computer onto their TomTom device.

* Price and availability may vary per country
** iPod Connect Cable is available as an accessory

Article by Lutz Bendlin on Monday, January 08 @ 19:59:34 UTC

What is CES?

Quote from the CES Website:
"Since 1967, CES has been the launch pad of technology, and this upcoming show promises to be nothing short of spectacular. Over the past four decades, the International CES has grown eight-fold and now hosts 2,700 exhibitors showcasing their latest products and services to more than 150,000 attendees.

The first CES took place in New York City, June 25-28, 1967, at the Americana and the New York Hilton hotels. Touting 110 exhibitors in 150,000 square feet, CES attracted 17,500 attendees and featured a government-industry symposium, merchandising seminars, an "all-industry" banquet (all inclusive price $10 per person) and an industrial historical display. The first solid-state television was introduced at the 1967 show, and exhibitors showed the latest in transistor radios, stereos and small-screen black-and-white TVs. In 1967 only 16% of U.S. households had a color TV, but by 1972, 49% owned one. Touch-tone phones began to replace rotary dials and Microsoft was founded (1975).

In the past 10 years, even more must-have products debuted at CES, and in the marketplace, cellphones and portable digital audio players became wildly popular items for all age groups. Now, as we approach the 2007 International CES – the 40th anniversary of what has become the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow – the average U.S. household has 21 CE products – up from 1.3 when the show first started."

PocketGPSWorld.com included the CES show in the list of "must attend" events for the first time last year. With the rapid development of GPS technology and the World's manufacturers, developers and suppliers using CES to showcase their current and future products it really is the place to be... As you can imagine the team have a love of technology above and beyond GPS, for us being out here it is like giving kids free reign in a toy factory :D.

Article by Mike Barrett on Saturday, January 06 @ 04:43:01 UTC

The PocketGPSWorld.com team is starting to assemble in Las Vegas.

After a 10 hour flight from Gatwick I was the first of the PocketGPSWorld.com team to arrive in Las Vegas today. Despite being located in the middle of a desert it is colder than back home. With the temperature hitting a meagre 8C at 3pm local time it was made even colder by a veritable gale blowing.

The rest of the team will be assembling here over the weekend ready for the show's start on Monday.

Of course during the flight I was unable to sit and watch the films, I had seen the ones I would have watched anyway. As soon as the seatbelt signs were switched off out came my laptop and I was preparing some reviews. Then the battery became low on the laptop (Virgin don't have laptop power on the Gatwick to Las Vegas flights Mr Branson please take note...) so I had to switch that off...

Not a real problem as I also had my Sony UX with me. This is an ultra portable PC, an amazing little device that runs windows XP and is little bigger than the palm of your hand. I played around with a new Qstarz Bluetooth GPS and Memory-Map. One thing Virgin have got right is that they allow Bluetooth devices to be used during the flight. After a couple of hours the battery on the UX gave up as well.

Again not a problem as out came my O2 XDA Orbit... Once again the Qstarz BT GPS was being tested. Interestingly the internal SiRFStarIII chipset in the Orbit never managed to get a fix in the plane, the Qstarz did under exactly the same conditions.

Next thing I knew we were arriving in Las Vegas and I still had 85% battery left in the Orbit...

I have hired a car so we will be doing some GPS testing whilst out here. I was most impressed with my XDA Orbit. It didn't get a GPS fix on the plane coming over, but when I switched it on whilst waiting for the bus to take me to the car rental pick up it got a strong fix within seconds. I cant say the same thing about the traffic though no sooner had I got on Interstate 15 then we ground to a halt. Roadworks and a couple of crashes caused that. Pity I didn't have traffic activated on my SatNav system.

Article by Mike Barrett on Saturday, January 06 @ 04:36:19 UTC