Looks like Garmin aren’t going to take the rise in PND apps for smartphones lying down: an anonymous source has just officially outed specifications for the Garmin nuvi 1690 we’ve been seeing recently, together with its bigger siblings the nuvi 1820 and 1860. The 1820 and 1860 are the first two models from Garmin’s new nuvi 1800-series, with 4.8-inch WVGA touchscreens, WiFi and Bluetooth, and – in the case of the 1860 at least – a 3-megapixel camera with geotagging.
TomTom’s PND app for the iPhone 3G and 3GS may already be splitting opinion among early reviewers, but we’re yet to see how the company’s dedicated car-kit fares. Even if you pick one up and find you’re less than enamored with the TomTom app, the company has confirmed to Mac4Ever that not only does the mount have an integrated GPS receiver but that it is compatible with other PND apps. They’ve also revealed that the iPod touch will work in the car-kit just like the iPhone 3G and 3GS.
Details of the upcoming Garmin nuvi 1690 connected PND are quietly being outed, courtesy of both the FCC and the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group). The latter have confirmed that the touchscreen satnav will not only have Bluetooth but go on sale in both Europe and North America, while the former have released the 1690’s quick-start manual [pdf link].
Continued »
The Garmin-ASUS nuvifone M20 is tipped to arrive in Taiwan on August 19th, according to the Economic Daily News, in association with Chunghwa Telecom (CHT). The entry-level device in the Garmin-ASUS PND-phone range, the nuvifone M20 runs Windows Mobile and has a compact 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen and 3-megapixel autofocus camera.
The first early reviews of TomTom’s navigation app for the iPhone 3G and 3GS are filtering through, and we can’t help but think the software sounds a little half-baked. Over at Shift Solutions, reviewer Mathew’s early conclusion tips the disappointed theme for the whole piece – “if this software is as good as Tom Tom gets, I don’t know why anyone would buy a Tom Tom GPS” – before going on to critique the quality of the mapping data and the app’s sometimes bizarre directions.
Video demo after the cut
The TomTom app for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS has gone on sale [iTunes link] through the App Store, with versions for the US and Canada, UK and Ireland, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand all available to download. Prices range from around $74 for the Australian mapping to $132 for the Western Europe setup; that doesn’t include the nifty in-car dock which has a separate GPS receiver and hands-free kit integrated.
If you’ve been waiting for the GPS device of the future, you’ll be pleased to see the latest concept from designer Art Lebedev. Called the Navigarius, this GPS offers up a round screen and an interesting form factor to set it apart from standard fare.
Samsung have unveiled a new digital camera, the CL65, ostensibly a point-and-shoot but one which manages to squeeze WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 and GPS into an 18.9mm thick frame. The 12.2-megapixel CL65 has a 5x internal optical zoom together with Schneider-Kreuznach optics and a 720p HD video recording mode.
Becker have unveiled their latest personal navigation device, the Z205, and while it may not look all that impressive it does have some nifty functionality. Packed inside the 125 x 82.5 x 12.7 mm case there’s a 4.3-inch touchscreen along with a TMC Pro traffic data receiver module, Bluetooth and 4GB of storage.
Video demo after the cut
Specifications for Motorola’s upcoming entry-level Android handset, the Morrison, have leaked, and anybody hoping the company might have injected a little interest along with what’s presumably going to be a low purchase price will have to go home disappointed. The parts list sounds mighty reminiscent of HTC’s existing Android devices, with a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7201A processor, 256MB of RAM, a 512MB ROM and 320 x 480 HVGA touchscreen display.
SlashGear Japan
