VIDEO: Navteq use laser technology to create 3D maps

Over the last few years we have been following the technology of map making with both Teleatlas and Navteq. The latest enhancements to the map data collection is laser collection of 3D data points. Using modified survey vehicles Navteq use LIDAR technology to collect a Laser Point Cloud of the road side structures enabling direct injection of 3D datasets into the map data.

In our video Cliff Fox from Navteq describes the data collection process.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 17 @ 06:43:03 UTC

VIDEO: Telenav and Ford Sync: the connected car

We have been talking about connected devices for some time now, but Ford have taken it one stage further and created the connected car under the project named Ford Sync. Obviously Navigation is a big part of the connected system and Telenav are involved in the navigation side of thing. Interestingly they use voice technology to send data to the built in satnav.

In our video talks about navigation in the world of Ford Sync and the role Telenav take in the system.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 17 @ 06:34:50 UTC

VIDEO: Cydle introduce HD Traffic delivered over HD Radio

HD has become a bit of a buzz word recently, and in navigation HD Traffic is a key phrase. Cydle is not a company we have heard much from though they are big in the Far East. This year though they have brought the concept of HD Traffic delivered using Satellite HD Radio to navigation devices.

In our video Woody from Cydle in Korea takes us through the features of HD Traffic.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 17 @ 06:25:57 UTC

VIDEO: Otterbox launch 3 new ranges of protective cases

Otterbox used CES to launch 3 new ranges of case for mobile devices. My favourite is the Commuter. Basically the case retains the protective silicon of the defender but this in on the inside and protects the corners, and back. This is then covered in a rigid shell which allows your device to be easily put in your pocket without catching as the previous models did. Coming in a range of colours the cases retail at about $30.

In our video Kelly from Otterbox take us through the features of the new cases.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 17 @ 06:16:59 UTC

VIDEO: Teleatlas launch Advance Driver Assistance System

Teleatlas launched their latest navigation enhancing product at CES: the ADAS. Yes another acronym this one standing for Advanced Driver Assistance System. Using similar technology to the TomTom IQ routing the ADAS data contains elements like average speed for bends, sharp bends, dangerous roads etc. This data will eventually be built into navigation system to help warn drivers and maybe even take avoiding actions if your vehicle is travelling at the wrong speed for a section of road.

Our video is an interview with Darren from Teleatlas describing the ADAS data.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 17 @ 06:08:32 UTC

VIDEO: Nokia reveal the 5800 Navigation Edition

Nokia had on show the 5800 Navigation Edition smartphone. This is a fully featured device running the Symbian OS, and comes complete with a car charger and mount for the windscreen. Of course as it is a navigation device it has built in GPS with AGPS for a fast fix, and the latest version of Nokia Maps with Navteq mapping data.

Our video is an interview with Chanse Arrington of Nokia describing the features of the Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 17 @ 05:57:31 UTC

VIDEO: Pure Energy show how to charge your tech wirelessly

Have you ever drained your iPhone or phone battery then just when you need it most there is no juice in it? I sure have. Pure Energy may well have the solution that you are looking for. They license a conductive charging system where you just drop your device on a mat and it charges wirelessly. Your phone is always fully charged!

Our video is interview with Pure Energy describing the charging system.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 17 @ 05:48:39 UTC

VIDEO: First look at the Motorola Droid car mount

Motorola grabbed the attention of SmartPhone users late last year with their "Droid Does" campaign. I managed to get a look at the Droid at the show and it is pretty impressive.

We managed to find the Motorola car mount on display on the iGrip booth. It is a smart piece of hardware.

Our video is demonstration of the Motorola Droid car mount by one of the guys from iGrip.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 17 @ 05:40:03 UTC

VIDEO: Destinator 9 announced for iPhone

Destinator 9 was launched on Windows Mobile in the USA late last year. At CES they had two announcements: extended availability of the existing Destinator 9 software in other markets, specifically Europe and Australia; and an iPhone version of the navigation software. The iPhone software should be available in February this year.

Our video is an interview with Destinator describing the new releases.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 17 @ 05:31:55 UTC

VIDEO: Bi-automotive introduce a micro mount at CES 2010

At CES this year we saw a somewhat different mount system. This addresses a lot of the security issues with mounts.

Firstly it is a modular system. It starts off with an adhesive base plate, then has a multiple swivel mount platform locking into the baseplate, and then is topped by another adhesive baseplate.

Bi-automotive offer alternatives to the baseplate: you could opt for a windshield suction mount, or a dedicated device holder. The beauty of this system apart from it's size is that when removed all that can be seen is the small baseplate.

Our video is an interview of Thomas from Bi-automotive describing the mount system.

Article by Mike Barrett on Sunday, January 17 @ 05:20:55 UTC

VIDEO: The Stig captured on video at CES 2010

To everyone who follows the BBC's Top Gear program you will be pleased to know that whilst at CES 2010 in Las Vegas we had the privilege to meet with The Stig in person. Now we all know that The Stig is a little camera shy except when he has his helmet on, but...

Our video reveals the identity of The Stig.

Article by Mike Barrett on Friday, January 15 @ 03:13:26 UTC

VIDEO: Magellan show us their Premium Car Kit for the iPhone/iPod

We first saw an active GPS mount nearly 9 months ago when Apple launched the new iPhone 3GS and unleashed the world of voice guided navigation applications on the iPhone. Since then we have seen a number of devices developed, the most recently available is the Magellan Premium Car Kit. This holder includes a suction mount with hands free, amplified sound… Priced at $130 it is a perfect complement to the Magellan RoadMate application

Our video features Lutz interviewing the Magellan product manager about the development and use of the new iPhone/iPod mount.

Article by Mike Barrett on Friday, January 15 @ 03:03:17 UTC

VIDEO: CoPilot on the Google Nexus One plus premium add-ins

We have been testing the CoPilot Live iPhone application for some time now, but the big news on the ALK booth was the Google Nexus One. Within a day of the launch of the Google phone we have seen it running CoPilot.

Our video features Lutz interviewing David Quinn about the new Google Nexus software, and the CoPilot premium add-ins.

Article by Mike Barrett on Thursday, January 14 @ 18:58:52 UTC

VIDEO: TomTom tell us about the new TomTom Ease SatNav

The TomTom Ease is a very basic navigation device designed for the entry level user who needs little functionality. The device comes with maps of USA and the routing is based on the IQ Routes and also includes Mapshare functionality.

 This will be available for about $120.

Our video shows Lutz interviewing a TomTom representative about the new device. There is a slight error in the interview where the rear of the device is referred to as a huge speaker, it is in fact about 3cm in diameter.

Article by Mike Barrett on Wednesday, January 13 @ 23:05:36 UTC

VIDEO: Delorme launch the Worlds first connected Handheld GPS

Delorme showed us the World's first connected Hand Held GPS the Delorme PN60W. This pairs with a Spot Communicator to allow short text messages to be send from the Handheld GPS to phones or email. The technology uses satellite communications rather than the cellular network enabling the messages to be sent where there is no cell signal. Although the system is available world wide the coverage is about 80% of the Earth's surface.

The PN-60w GPS has a dual core STMicroelectronics Cartesio processor with one core dedicated to tracking the satellites and one core for the mapping engine.

This system is bundled with prices at around the $500 mark with a subscription to the Spot service costing $17.99 a month. Expected availability is Spring 2010. For more details check out the Delorme Blog.

Article by Mike Barrett on Wednesday, January 13 @ 20:16:06 UTC

VIDEO: Garmin launch ecoRoute HD

Garmin announces ecoRoute HD at CES. This is a cable that connects supported Garmin devices to the OBDII port fitted to all modern vehicles. This allows it to display vehicle specific data. The idea being you can see your fuel consumption and moderate your driving style in order to achieve the optimum fuel efficiency.

On our video Garmin explain the workings of the device and give an insight on how it can be used.

Article by Mike Barrett on Tuesday, January 12 @ 23:19:13 UTC

3D TV Anyone want it?

This year the big trend in the TV halls is for 3D TV. I was unconvinced about the practicality and usability of this, but everyone is going on about it. So on my way back to the hotel room I swung by the Sony booth and had a look to see what they were doing there.

Now one of my tech favorites is OLED displays (I am still waiting for a 40-50" one for home). Sony had 3D TV demoing on some medium sized OLED TVs. This was something I couldnt pass up.

The first pleasant surprise was that the glasses were good quality and also quite comfortable. I will have to wait or Oakley to do them before I will jump on the bandwagon! Once the glasses were on the TV picture looked stunning. First image was a fish tank, this looks a bit artificial, almost as if the image had been layered and processed in a 3D software package. The second was even worse! I wasn't sure if I was looking at a very good computer animation or a bad 3D baseball game (I think it was an animated game). However it was the 3rd demo that really got me hooked, it was a video of a polar bear diving in a pool and swimming. the quality was so good I thought it was real!!! It was just like viewing the bears in the zoo enclosure with the split above and below surface of the pool.

Normally when you watch a 3D film the action is right in your face with things flying out of the screen at your eyes. These demos were different, it was just like looking through a window to a scene outside. I think this could be the way to go for 3D, something comfortable to watch, but not too immersive, leaving the break between the action and your reality.

There is still a long way to go, and I really hate wearing the glasses, but Sony have convinced me that there is a future for 3D TV in my household.

Article by Mike Barrett on Saturday, January 09 @ 05:21:18 UTC

TomTom announce Lifetime Map Update and traffic on new devices

A bit late, I know, but here is the lowdown on the lifetime offers announced by TomTom.

Firstly I was a bit miffed at the way they released the info. We interviewed them the day before they made the press release and nothing was mentioned or even hinted (despite a direct question) of this. The announcement slipped out when we were on the show floor with no access to the Internet.

I managed to to speak to the Corporate Communications Manager to pose some questions about the Lifetime offers.

Basically the Lifetime means the serviceable life of the device. I questioned the definition of serviceable and was told that it meant as long as the device was operational they would support it. This support will continue even if the whole structure of the mapping format is changed. The average lifetime of a PND is 2 years, but when asked they said they would still support devices that reach the age of 5 years.

Also the Lifetimes Updates will not be free but will be priced in a hardware/software bundle. This means that effectively that there will be a base price for the unit, then a premium for the lifetime map updates, and a separate premium for the lifetime traffic. Therefore they will be offering three different configuration options for each hardware device.

The lifetime traffic will be provided by hardware in the Power Line Connector removing the need for a trailing antenna. From my discussions it is not quite clear what the format will be but I assume it will be RDS-TMC. This new power lead will form the traffic bundle.

I asked if the lifetime updates would be available for legacy devices, and was told that there are discussions going on at the moment and it has not been ruled out. No decision seems to have been made either way.

I also asked if the same would be available in Europe and other regions and was told that this was purely a US business unit decision. Europe was subject to different marketing plans and they was unable to comment on them.

Article by Mike Barrett on Saturday, January 09 @ 03:22:25 UTC

Intrinsyc to launch Destinator 9 on the iPhone

Intrinsyc made a couple of announcements at CES, firstly that they are extending the coverage of the Destinator 9 navigation application to include new markets, specifically the UK and Australia.

Secondly they also announced that Destinator 9 would be available for the iPhone in February 2010. No price has been set yet, but the Android version sells for $70 so comparable pricing can be expected. This will include lifetime traffic information, but not map upgrades. If you need to get the latest maps then these will be available as in-app purchases.

With this announcement Destinator 9 is now available on 3 of the main smartphone platforms: Android, iPhone and Window Mobile.

Article by Mike Barrett on Friday, January 08 @ 18:08:21 UTC

Navigon adds Android and Windows Mobile versions of Mobile Navigator

Navigon's very successful iPhone navigation software (Mobile Navigator) is going to be available on both android and Windows Mobile Platforms in North America.

As with the iPhone version this navigation solution will use on-board mapping ensuring that the navigation will be available in areas with no cellular connection, and at no cost other than the initial software purchase.

Key features of the NAVIGON MobileNavigator for Android phones:
- Reality ViewTM Pro displays photo-realistic 3D views with actual road signs and lane guidance for virtually every highway interchange and exit drivers will encounter.
- Lane Assistant Pro helps drivers prepare to make an upcoming exit or turn by providing a lane map complete with arrows and actual road geometry.
- Text-to-speech announces street names in addition to turn-by-turn directions. Instead of only stating “turn right”, the app informs the user to “turn right on to ‘Main Street’, enabling the driver to further concentrate on the road ahead and not become distracted looking for street signs.
- Speed Assistant with adjustable audio-visual warning.
- Day & Night Mode for map display.
- Direct Access allows navigation to contacts saved in the phone's address
book.
- Route Planning
- Branded POIs and POIs along the route.
- 2D and 3D map view.
- Automatic switch between portrait and landscape format.
- Intelligent address entry.
- Real signpost display.

The NAVIGON Windows Mobile application sells for $89.00 and comes with maps of North America (US, Canada, Hawaii and Puerto Rico) from NAVTEQ®. It will be available for a promotional price of $69.00 until February 14, 2010 at Pocketgear.com and Smartphone.net within the next week; with more retailers to follow.

The Android version of the application is expected to be available early spring 2010 with pricing and configurations to be advised.

Article by Mike Barrett on Friday, January 08 @ 17:40:26 UTC

CoPilot seen running on the Google Nexus One

Literally 24 hours after the launch of the Google Nexus One phone ALK had ordered and taken delivery of one of the first batch. Barely minutes after that the CoPilot 8 software was being loaded and tested on the device to be demonstrated on the showfloor of CES.

David Quinn demonstrated CoPilot Live 8 running on the Nexus One, which we have captured on video (will publish this later). The thing that really stood out for us was the brilliance of the graphics, and the speed that the application runs on the device.

Article by Mike Barrett on Friday, January 08 @ 17:09:21 UTC

Battle of the Titans: Google launches the Nexus One

On Tuesday the long awaited Google Phone was launched, with online orders and immediate shipments available. The phone itself runs Android and is seen as a clear and main competitor for the Apple iPhone.

The phone has a great specification, and has trumped the Apple iPhone in it's display. One of the iPhones big benefits was the brilliant screen, this has been trounced by the AMOLED screen of the Nexus One a clear winner in the display stakes.

Another area where the Nexus One is superior to the iPhone is that it comes with a base of 4Gb flash memory but this can be expanded to 32Gb via exchangeable microSD cards. This effectively gives unlimited storage capacities.

The sales model of the phone is also different. Whereas the iPhone and many other SmartPhones are tied into contracts with mobile carriers, the Nexus One is supplied SIM Free and unlocked. You can use the Nexus One on any network as long as you have a SIM card with a data plan.

Priced at $529 it is available now from http://www.google.com/phone.

Article by Mike Barrett on Friday, January 08 @ 17:04:48 UTC

ALK show Technology Preview of Live Traffic for CoPilot

ALK have partnered with INRIX to provide live traffic data for the CoPilot live navigation software solutions.

On the booth in CES David Quinn demonstrated a technology preview of the traffic software running on the iPhone version of CoPilot live 8. On the map screen there are clear indications of the state of the traffic in the area colour coded depending on the speed of the traffic flow.

The traffic will be an in app purchase.

Article by Mike Barrett on Friday, January 08 @ 16:51:50 UTC

TomTom introduce a new bottom of the range SatNav the TomTom Ease.

Yesterday we saw TomTom who released a new SatNav to the US Market: The TomTom Ease. For those of you in Europe this is known as the TomTom Start.

The TomTom Ease is a very basic navigation device designed for the entry level user who needs little functionality. The device comes with maps of USA and the routing is based on the IQ Routes and also includes Mapshare functionality.

This will be available for about $120.

Article by Mike Barrett on Thursday, January 07 @ 23:48:06 UTC

Otterbox introduce a a new range of iPod Cases: The Commuter

Otterbox's latest addition to their range of protection cases is the Commuter for a larege number of devices. This takes the best design features of the Defender and the Impact series to produce a very durable, functional and usable phone case.

Basically the case retains the protective silicon but this in on the inside and protects the corners, and back. This is then covered in a rigid shell which allows your device to be easily put in your pocket without catching as the previous models did. Coming in a range of colours the cases retail at about $30.

Check out http://www.otterbox.com/ for more details...

Article by Mike Barrett on Thursday, January 07 @ 23:41:46 UTC

Pocket Radar - A Community Speed Watcher's Dream Come True?

Pocket Radar have been exhibiting their new device - a pocket sized speed detector priced at $249. It uses Doppler radar detection and claims to be accurate to 1mph. It is powered by AAA batteries and can apparently take 10,000 readings from a single set. It doesn't have any memory though so any reading you wanted you would need to record manually.

It's not currently available in the UK but if it does make it across the pond then I can see it being a community speed watcher's dream! It is actually intended for measuring track speeds and baseball pitch speeds etc. However, I'm sure there are lots of frail OAPs who would love to join their local group but can't cope with the cumbersome radar guns and long for a pocket-sized device...!

Article by maft on Thursday, January 07 @ 11:32:30 UTC