This system has just been launched this past week with real-time local information as well as integration with your contacts, music, and all of it from the one “My Dashboard” page. You’ll be able to connect with iPhone as well, it having an initial offer of Scout.me integration, the site offering you the ability to plan with friends via Facebook and Twitter and organize and save your favorite spots for later viewing. All of this is then synced to your device where your in-car display will be able to access it whenever you’re plugged in to the system.

Telenav announced that their initial partnership will be with Ford for its SYNC system, and as you’ll be able to see in the hands-on video, the whole system is already working quite slick. Voice guidance is also offered through your stereo, and text prompts are there too if you’re not a fan of being told where to go. All of this is available on the mobile end this week, but as for how soon we’ll see it in cars, there’s no solid date as of yet – soon though!

Grab the phone-based application from the iTunes App Store for your iPhone, check out http://www.scout.me/ as it enters its Beta stages, and grab the Android app in the near future!

Also new is their extremely detailed 3D rendered building view. Taking two fingers and expanding them across the screen will zoom you in far enough to take advantage of it. It is also possible to pan 360 degrees around the 3D buildings by touching the screen simultaneously with two fingers, and turning them at the same time. The same features are included in Google Maps, but again – the Garmin doesn’t need the internet to render a single thing.

Like other LMT models, the 3590 is Bluetooth hands-free calling compatible, and compatible with their Smartphone Link application for Android. This isn’t new, but Smartphone Link gives users access to Garmin Live Services. This can help display live traffic, the weather, SMS messages, fuel prices, and even alert you when you’re approaching a red-light (Europe only).

That will mean users may be able to find pedestrian-level indoor mapping data for their location, with Google suggesting malls, airports, museums and educational institutions across the US will be catered for. Other tweaks to the app include better power management for Latitude users, reducing the demands on battery life, along with the ability to use vehicle speed to guesstimate position if a GPS fix is lost while using the Public Transit Navigation beta.

Finally, there will be more public transport route options shown by default after searches, increased from three to four. Locations of friends also using Latitude is described as “fresher” too.

As for the game, there’s a video preview of a new Google Maps for Google+ app – shown below – which uses WebGL and apparently user-location to collect points as you travel around floorplan maps. Full details haven’t been shared, but the game will apparently arrive in February.

Google Maps is a free download for Android devices.

[via Android Community]

There’s also an integrated 4x45W MOSFET amp, hands-free calling and a pair of line-out connections, along with an included remote control.

The Parrot Asteroid Nav has a larger, 5-inch touchscreen and comes preloaded with navigation software, real-time map updates and various geo-location services and apps. There’s also hands-free calling, the same connectivity options for music sources as the Asteroid CK, voice navifation and automatic phonebook sync. USB or Bluetooth tethering can get the Asteroid Nav online, or alternatively there’s WiFi. A steering wheel mounted remote is included.

Finally, the Parrot Asteroid 2DIN has a 6.2-inch TFT multitouch touchscreen and does all of what the Asteroid Nav can, adding in reverse camera support, the ability to broadcast video to separate rear-seat displays, and packs more choice for inputs and outputs. There’s a video output and a video input, twin audio outputs and a subwoofer output, a line-in and two line-out, along with a remote control.

Parrot is yet to confirm pricing and availability.

The official CES showroom floor has all been indexed by Google Maps and can easily be pulled up and even saved to cache. No more mapping for the closest Hollister inside Mall of America instead get turn by turn directions to Samsung, NOKIA, and all the other booths at this years CES.

Check out a few of our screenshots below for an example. From the entire showroom floor to each individual booth. They are all nicely mapped out thanks to Google Maps. If you haven’t updated in a few months I’d be checking the Android Market right about now and updating — especially for all you CES goers.

Ran Cheng of CASTC made a formal commitment this week that Beidou service would be free and remain free to all through the future. Chinese workers are currently seeing to the fact that this system must be operable with the US GPS system in the future as well as the forthcoming EU Galileo network and Russia’s already in-place GLONASS. This first service is currently working for the area inside 84 degrees to 160 degrees east longitude, 55 degrees south latitude to 55 degrees north latitude: greater China.

Meanwhile it’s been reported that “excitable” members of the Pentagon have decried the creation of a satellite network by China, saying that if there were a war that China could destroy the USA’s GPS network with minimal effort. The Register is also reporting the the USA also has plans for satellites to monitor orbital war, this certain to clash with China’s ability to do the same. Time for Star Wars, anyone?

[via The Register]

Qualcomm is calling the ability to use both networked dual-core navigation. The ability to use both GPS and GLONASS satellites means that the location services are more accurate and the user is more likely to get a fix than using one system alone. This dual connectivity is supported on the Samsung Galaxy S II. The ability may not be activated on all handsets though.

Qualcomm does note that you will need to check with the carrier to see if the GLONASS capability is activated. The Snapdragon processor knows when to turn on the GLONASS capability so battery power isn’t wasted. The accuracy using both networks is increased to 2 meters. Qualcomm also notes that you can get a faster location fix too. Qualcomm had announced GLONASS support was coming in March.

Anyone who uses GPS has had the frustration of not being able to get an accurate location reading under trees, indoors, and under cloud cover. The new generation of satellites is said to be much more powerful allowing the devices to get readings when they previously could not. The new-generation satellite also uses a common band that is shared with other countries so GPS devices can work wherever you are.

The best part though is that the new satellites have better accuracy than older versions. The new satellites have the ability to determine your location within roughly one meter whereas the older satellites needed had a range of about ten feet. This is the first satellite in the US upgrade plans. The new satellites also have military uses with signals that are harder to block. This satellite will not be used in space. The first satellite of the Block III units to go into orbit will not be delivered until May of 2014.

[via Huffington Post]

The directions are given on maps with photorealistic views of the locations you are looking for. You do have to install a plug-in to get the 3D maps. After installing that plug-in, you can enter addresses in the search field as well as business names and points of interest you want to see. It will then find the thing you are looking for and put it on the screen for you to check out.

The route planning is in 3D and then the routes can be shared with friends via, email, Facebook, and Twitter. The maps allow you to get directions for walking or driving. Those are nice updates to Nokia Maps 3D and you can watch the video to see more details.

That’s useful for frequent travelers, who can avoid extortionate roaming costs by downloading the maps for their upcoming destinations to the iPhone’s local storage rather than accessing it over a data connection while there. By splitting the core app and the navigation data, Garmin has also streamlined the update process: rather than everything being downloaded each time a new version is pushed out, only the app changes need be delivered.

Meanwhile, there’s a new UI with animated menus and new gesture support, and Garmin has sensibly split the settings options away from the main functionality of the app to keep things easier to use while on the move. 3D map navigation has been simplified too.

“The new Settings menu allows users to easily customize functions and change preferences, for example when to receive speed warnings, while the new Actions menu lets you use functions that are needed while navigating such as points of interest search and social network postings” Garmin

NAVIGON 2.0 for iPhone is available now as a free update to existing users, or as a $39.99 purchase for the North American edition [iTunes link]. In-app purchases will get up to $25 discounts until the end of the month.

The most important of the new features is the offline mode for maps. Using this mode, you can download the maps for your day out so you can turn off your data connection. This will keep you from data roaming in a different city and will keep you from eating up your allotment of data for the month when you are navigating.

Other interesting new features include a database of information on POIs so you can get more details on if a particular item is worth checking out when you are traveling. There are also now public transport directions as well. You can download the maps right now at m.maps.nokia.com.

[via Android Community]

The Navigon GPS app for Windows Phone 7.5 Mango will offer several advanced navigation features, including spoken turn-by-turn directions with text-to-speech, live traffic information and visual lane guidance with Lane Assistant Pro, and rerouting options of up to three different routes depending on driving style with MyRoutes.

Additionally, the app features an augmented reality function called Reality Scanner that lets you easily identify nearby landmarks while on foot. It also offers real-time traffic alerts, speed warnings, camera warnings, photo-realistic views of exits, and Google Local Search for POI searches.

The app is available now via the Windows Marketplace, but it’s compatible only with the latest Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system. Priced normally at $50, the app is available now until November 11 for a special introductory price of $39.

[via CNET]

In Western Europe alone, there have been 70,000km of new roads added or realigned to accommodate the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The update also added new low emission zone features to Western Europe to support environmental driving. Russia, Poland, and Turkey also had updates with 36,000km of roads added.

Along with the new roads also come 600,000 more POIs. Other features include specialized lane information and back road designations to help make navigation safer. Postal information in the US and Canada has been updated for business users.

The route is automatically followed, though you can pause it by clicking anywhere in the 3D display or on the play/pause button in the bottom corner. While paused, you can drag the map around to explore the surrounding area as usual. Each phase of the directions are highlighted as the route runs through, and you can jump ahead to the trickier sections by clicking them.

You’ll need the Google Earth plugin in order for the Helicopter View to work, which isn’t entirely clear from Google’s instructions. To see the 3D button – which shows up next to “driving directions” in the left hand bar – you first have to click the “Earth” mapping option (which shows up when you hover over “Map” in the upper right hand corner.

[via Google+]

The navigation system is tied into the car’s battery system and when a driver picks a route to a destination they want to travel to, the driving range of the car on a full charge is overlaid with the driving route. The nav system will also plot the location of charging station along the route for the driver to use to extend the range. The charging station database contains over 5,000 locations around Europe.

It also has an eco-route option to let the driver choose the most energy efficient route. Presumably, that would be the flattest and least trafficked route, not nessicarily the shortest. Obviously, since the Renault brand is only offered in Europe that will be where the TomTom Carminat system is limited to as well. I think that this is a very cool system and it will end up being seen on other EVs and cars as well.

TomTom’s Live services include apps like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Twitter. They make it convenient for you to access travel information while on the road, such as finding hotel availability, reading restaurant reviews, and discovering other points of interest. The Twitter integration also lets you automatically tweet your arrival time and location. Additionally, there are apps for checking nearby fuel prices, speed cameras, and weather as well as a Google Local Search app.

The TomTom Go Live 1535M also features voice recognition with one-step address entry, Bluetooth hands-free calling, a 5-inch touchscreen, an integrated mount with flip-screen, advanced lane guidance, and spoken street names. The device is set to launch in October for $249, which includes a free 12-month subscription to Live services.

[via TomTom]

Garmin is also happy to be getting its hands on the Navigon iPhone app. Garmin made note in its announcement that the purchase was landing it one of the top-selling navigation apps on the iPhone and Android devices. It would be safe to assume that a big driver for the purchase was the navigation apps that Navigon offers.

Lots of people are going to navigation on their smartphones rather than using the traditional navigation device. The cost of the deal is unknown. Navigon expects to have a new line of wares on the market in time for the holiday season.

[via CNET]

The 9150 is connected to the office back end and allows the home office to route a driver from the fleet that is closest to the destination automatically using the Webfleet software backend. The GPS unit supports Map Share that allows the maps to be updated and edited by the users. That is important in areas where there is a lot of construction and new addresses are added frequently.

Battery life away from a DC outlet is up to 2 hours. It supports Bluetooth hands free calling and has 8GB of internal storage, the screen resolution is 480 x 272 and it weighs 260g. Pricing on the device is unknown and it includes maps of the US, Mexico, and Canada.

The 510 is a 5-inch screen unit and the 710 is a 7-inch screen device. Both of the devices have many of the same features with real-time traffic and a thinner design to take up less space. The nav devices have a virtual dashboard that allows the driver to see details at a glance with speed, altitude, odometer and other important measures.

The 710 has Traffic predictor service that shows historic traffic patterns to keep drivers from getting stuck sitting for a long time. An accessory priced at $89.99 is needed for that feature and has a lifetime traffic feed included. It has location by mile market, big-rig specific POIs, destinations by zip code, and quick planner. The devices will allow the driver to set multiple stops and it has advanced voice warnings as well and the driver can select if they are driving loaded or empty. The 510 sells for $349 and the 710 sells for $449 with both available right now.

The TomTom XNV-770BT will give your fingers some room to touch, as it will feature a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen. The XNV-660BT saves some room, and will pack a 6.1-inch capacitive touchscreen display. Both navigational units will also come with pre-loaded maps for not only the United States, but also Canada. They will also include USB ports on the back, so you will be able to connect your favorite iDevice. As well as multi-channel audio playback.

Both units will also offer TomTom’s IQ Routes, MapShare, six million POIs, and Advanced Lane Guidance, making sure you get to where you’re going safely. You’ll be able to get your hands on these navigational units come this November, and it will cost you $1,000 for the XNV-660BT and $1,300 for the XNV-770BT.

Press Release

Sony and TomTom Team Up to Deliver Premium In-Dash A/V Navigation Systems

Two New Models Feature Innovative Navigation Technologies, High-contrast Screens and More

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ — Sony today announced its first in-dash car navigation systems for the U.S. market, featuring technology powered by industry leader TomTom.

Designed to offer drivers the ultimate package of technology, innovation and style, the new XNV-770BT and XNV-660BT A/V navigation systems feature some of the most advanced car audio, video and navigational technologies in market today.

“TomTom’s expertise in navigation and our long-standing tradition of premium audio and video are strongly represented with these new in-dash systems,” said Mike Kahn, director of Sony’s mobile music business. “This unique partnership and exciting product offerings represent a huge step forward for Sony in the mobile electronics business.”

“We are delighted to work with Sony to deliver powerful, feature-rich navigation to their savvy consumers, ensuring a stress-free, enjoyable drive,” said Giles Shrimpton, managing director, TomTom Automotive. “Our joint innovations in this arena will incorporate flexible hardware design with standard interfaces that allow for easy updating in the future.”

Industry-Leading Navigation

Both of Sony’s new systems, the XNV-770BT (7-inch widescreen display) and XNV-660BT (6.1-inch widescreen display) come pre-loaded with TomTom’s extensive map database of both U.S. and Canada roads, with one free year of map upgrades provided at no incremental charge. In the U.S. alone, TomTom maps feature more than 1 million more miles of roads than other GPS brands.

Further, each system will take full advantage of several of TomTom’s advanced navigational technologies, including:

* IQ Routes™ evaluates all route options based on actual traffic speeds rather than posted speed limits, and will recommend the fastest route for the time of day.
* Advanced Lane Guidance™ provides enhanced lane graphics that show which lane to take in complex multi-lane situations.
* Quick GPSfix™ automatically updates satellite locations to get the driver on their way faster.
* MapShare™ from TomTom and its enormous navigation community enables drivers to correct their maps and benefit from changes made by other drivers via your computer and the free software TomTom HOME.
* More than 6 million points of interest including gas stations, restaurants, hotels, hospitals and more.

Premium Car Audio and Video

Each of Sony’s new A/V Navigation systems features a high quality WVGA display that offers one of the brightest and highest contract screens available in market today. The XNV-770BT model is a 7-inch, fully capacitive touch motorized panel display and the XNV-660BT model is a 6.1-inch capacitive touch with several hard keys such as volume and key menu buttons.

Both new A/V systems feature rear USB-1 wire connectivity for simple hookup to iPod®, iPhone® and other digital music players, full Bluetooth capability and a stylish graphical user interface (GUI) that includes large, easy-touch buttons. When listening to a connected device, the music playback screen will display all song metadata and album artwork.

On the audio front, the new XNV-660BT and XNV-770BT models feature multi-channel playback with Center Speaker Organizer (CSO), creating virtual 5.1 channel surround sound throughout the car. The advanced sound engine (ASE) ensures a high-quality, digitally enhanced sound experience and allows users to customize the in-car sound field to match their tastes. Further, Sony’s unique SensMe™ feature has the ability to automatically create custom music playlists and radio channels from a connected music library.

Both the new XNV-770BT and XNV-660BT A/V navigation systems will be available this November for about $1,300 and $1,000, respectively, at www.sonystyle.com, Sony Style retail stores and throughout the Sony authorized dealer network nationwide.

The pendant is specifically designed to make your travels easier, especially as you make your way through unrecognized territory. Utilizing Pranav Mistry’s SixthSense technology, which is a gestural recognition software system, it is meant to catalog your hand movements in front of the dedicated camera within, and tell you where you need to go based on your position within, say, an airport. We’re not exactly sure where the gesture control comes in, but it’s definitely an interesting addition.

Other features include that camera we just mentioned, a processor to run the show, and a built-in projector. Thanks to Peterson’s website, we know that the intention is to help foreign travelers make it to their destinations safely, so we’ve got to give him a small round of applause for trying to do some good with his new-fangled gadget. What do you think? Will this new wave of GPS navigation units take off? Or are we meant to walk around a foreign city asking for directions in a different language?

[via Ubergizmo]

The Earthmate PN-60, first and foremost, features the support for GPX, which should make it easier and more flexible to set and save waypoints while you’re out and about. It also has profile and power management options, elevation profiles, and it comes with a total of 3.5GB of storage on the inside. As for the price, you should expect to pay something along the lines of $399.95 to get your hands on this guy.

As for the Earthmate PN-60w, this is a handheld unit, and it’s sable to send and receive messages via satellite. It also features the majority of other features that the PN-60 does, but the main difference is the ability to hold it in your hand comfortably. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that it gets a pretty steep price increase, along with the ease of mobility. The PN-60w will run you $549.95. And, if you’ve already to your hands on some other PN-series device, then you’ll be happy to know that DeLorme is going to issue an update to the DeLorme Topo North America map software, version 9.0. It will include more than 210,000 new and updated roads, 11,000 forest trails, and more. But, again, it comes for a price: $99.95 for the upgraded software.

[via GearLog]

The prototype glasses are just a regular pair, like any other ones you could buy for yourself, but they’re equipped with a battery, LEDs, magnetic directional sensor, and a microcomputer. As you’ll be able to see in the video, the idea is that you type your destination into a computer, and then the glasses will let you know if you’re going in the right direction, thanks to the LEDs. It’s not as advanced as your GPS unit in your car, but if you’re trying to find a particular location in a busy part of town, and you can only get their on foot, these are a great idea.

After typing in your destination, a GPS sensor in the glasses will keep your current location up to date. And that’s when that magnetic directional sensor kicks in. By figuring out which way you’re facing, the LEDs on the pair of glasses will glow either red or green, letting you know in a colorful way if you’re going in the right direction. Turn the wrong way, and the lights go red. Start heading on course, and the green lights will show up.

This will keep your eyes on the street/road/crowds, and all you have to do is pay attention to the color. The engineers out of Nakajima Lab at the University of Electro-Communication in Tokyo believe that this is far safer, and less obtrusive than other PNS’ out there, and from what we can see, they might be on to something. Unfortunately, it actually needs more than those LEDs, that microcomputer, and magnetic directional sensor to actually work, but hopefully they can figure out the rest of the hardware in due time.

[via CrunchGear]

The participants in the beta program are given the feedback that NAVTEQ says it needs to improve the service ahead of the full roll out to all customers. The street level image program is expected to be available to the general public in early 2011.

The participants in the beta program are given access to sample source imagery, image overlays, 3D depth maps, and POI interface along with tech support for the use of the features. JourneyView provides a 360-degree imagery system linked to the NAVTEQ map and POI content.

The Best of R3 Media

The LG Aloha Hits Verizon in May as the LG Ally: At least, that’s what the rumors are saying. Which is good news for Verizon Wireless customers, considering it’s got a physical slide out full QWERTY keyboard, and an impressive 1GHz Snapdragon processor under the hood. Now, if we could just talk about the name, then we’d probably get somewhere nice. We liked Aloha, Verizon. Really. [via Android Community]

Apple’s iAd Asks Marketers for $10 Million: Mobile advertisers are accustomed to paying to get their ads on things. And now that the mobile market is booming, and you’ve got Apple putting together iAd, why wouldn’t you want to jump on board? Maybe, just maybe, because Apple doesn’t want you to pay $100,000 to $200,000 to jump on board. Oh, no. How about $10 million? You’ll be part of a handful of marketers, which, isn’t surprising. Any takers? [via Everything iPad]

Palm Could Face Class-Action Lawsuit: Seems incorrect, right? Well, according to a law firm on behalf of some investors, it seems that they believe they’ve been short-changed due to this whole deal with HP. You know the one, where HP buys Palm? The deal equaled somewhere near $1.2 billion, or about $5.70 per share, and the investors believe that all of this should have gone down last year, when shares were at $17.20, apparently. There’s no word on how close the lawsuit is to being started, or if they’d win, but this should get interesting soon. [via SlashPhone]

The Dredget Net

Steam for Mac is Coming in May: Sure, they may have said that April would be the month of months, but Steam knows how to handle pushed released dates. You could almost call them professionals with it. And sure enough, Steam for Mac got pushed back. But, apparently, they’ve conceded that it’s now coming on May 12th, so, not too far away. Patience, it works out. We promise. [via Joystiq]

TomTom Wants an App Store: Okay, this app thing may be getting out of hand. When a dedicated GPS company wants to get into the app game, it’s a certain fact. And, according to TomTom’s CEO, Harold Goddijn, that’s exactly what he wants for his units. By the end of this year, in fact. He wants something for both the consumer, as well as the automotive market, and he hopes that the WebKit-based Operating System will make it easy for developers who choose to come on board to create their apps. [via Pocket-Lint]

Samsung N150 Joins Other Verizon Wireless Netbooks: Short and sweet here: the Samsung N150 has been officially unveiled for Verizon Wireless, with embedded 3G. It’s black, and red, and that shouldn’t surprise you in the slightest. You’re looking at your standard 10.1-inch netbook here, so unless you’re in the market for one, you probably won’t be blown away. [via Netbooked]

According to PC World, Google has kept their promise to bring Google Navigation to other platforms, but that the iPhone Operating System is not included on that list. And while it’s great that Google has given its free Maps Navigation to UK-based customers (whether you’re on Android 1.6 or later), it doesn’t look like iPhone users are going to be getting any of the free turn-by-turn goodness any time soon. If at all. The Google spokesperson went as far as to say that they had never said iPhone OS was included from the get-go, but that they did say it was coming to other platforms in the future.

So, iPhone users out there don’t get to jump on the pre-caching Navigation awesomeness. We’re sure that upsets a few users out there, but does it rile up the whole bunch? There are some good features to Maps coming down the pipe for iPhone users, reportedly, so perhaps those features will satiate the appetite. Then again, getting turned down for a free app like Google Navigation is pretty disappointing.

[via Android Community]

The update – GMN Beta v4.1.1 – offers pretty much all the features from the US version, including 2D/3D map views and various overlays with POI, fuel station and traffic information.  If you have a Nexus One you can also search for a destination by voice command.

Google originally said that the limit on Navigation functionality was down to map data rights; it seems that they’ve now been able to negotiate those rights for the UK market along with the US.  It remains to be seen whether they’ll do the same for mainland Europe, or indeed update any of the Google Maps apps for other platforms such as Windows Mobile or iPhone OS.

[via Android Community]

The MyFord Touch system is sort of like the car computers that are in many Ford vehicles that show you how your driving style is affecting your fuel economy. However, the new MyFord Touch system takes this to a completely different plane. The system is a driver technology that has a wealth of feedback designed around fuel economy.

It features map-based software that has an interesting Eco-route option that calculates the most fuel efficient route for the driver. Ford claims that the system can improve fuel economy up to 15%. The system is able to provide a fuel-efficient route by looking at real-time traffic data and posted speed information to find fastest, shortest, and the Eco-route. Ford says that the system will chart a route that avoids congested freeways and choose roads where an efficient speed can be maintained. The new system will appear first in the 2011 Ford Edge and will be offered on the 2012 Focus around the world. Other Ford family vehicles will get the system as well.

The catch is that many cars only offer navigation system in option packs that can add thousands to the price of a car. Nissan is doing something a bit different and has announced that it will be offering a cheap nav option for most of its popular cars down to the lowly Sentra.

The best news is that the nav option is only $400. This isn’t a system lacking a screen like the Ford Sync system either. Autoblog reports the nav has a 5-inch screen. If the maps are accurate I see this being a common option that users buy, I hope other carmakers offer similar features.

The new line includes the aera 500, 510, 550, and 560 devices. All of the devices share the same form factor including a 4.3-inch screen that is touch sensitive and sunlight readable. The difference in each of the models is in the software that they run. All feature full turn-by-turn GPS navigation in cars.

All of the models have a 5GHz update for almost real-time GPS page updates. The aviation page the devices use offers terrain and obstacle data along with private airport data. The 550 and 560 add other features like XM radio capability and faster terrain and obstacle refresh. The XM capability of the 510 and 560 require an optional DC adapter with a built-in antenna.

The Mio MiBuddy devices are expected to use 4.7-inch touchscreens, which the company are promoting as offering a larger internet experience than smartphones.  In addition, the Android MiBuddy will have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for easier text entry, and be bundled with a dashboard mount for regular in-car use.

There’ll also be a speaker and microphone, meaning that while the MiBuddy will – initially – lack cellular connectivity, it could be used as a VoIP handset with a WiFi or Bluetooth link to a network connection.  Mio are yet to confirm pricing or launch details, but the Android-based MiBuddy models are expected to begin shipping in 2010.

Behind the slabbish facade lies a 4 x 40W amplifier, FM and AM radios (with RDS), a TMC traffic status receiver and the ability to connect up to your car’s existing steering wheel controls.  The PND functionality includes just about everything you might expect from a high-end TomTom system, so you get mapping of Western Europe, safety alerts for traffic cameras, Map Share for updated topography, hands-free calling (though it’s unclear whether Bluetooth is integrated) and enhanced positioning so the GO I-90 can track your location even in GPS blackspots such as tunnels.

There’s also a USB port, for hooking up an iPod or other MP3 player, and text-to-speech for directions and road names.  Once you’re at your destination you can pop out the touchscreen section and continue to use it as a standalone PND.  The TomTom GO I-90 will arrive in Europe come December, priced at €499 ($747) excluding installation costs.

Press Release:

TomTom Unveils Integrated Navigation Infotainment Solution

~ TomTom GO I-90 Double DIN Solution Brings Integrated Navigation to All Cars ~

AMSTERDAM–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The TomTom (AEX:TOM2) GO I-90 doesn’t stop at navigation – it’s a double DIN navigation and radio solution, integrating world-class navigation and in-car infotainment for all types of cars.

Traditionally, integrated navigation solutions come pre-fitted in new cars. This leaves little opportunity for those who want integrated navigation, but don’t intend to buy a new car.

The all-in-one TomTom GO I-90 solution can be fitted into any car, so even those with older car models can have an integrated navigation experience. It also offers consumers all the advantages of easy-to-use portable navigation, yet fits seamlessly into a vehicle dashboard. The device provides full radio integration with the car speakers for high quality audio when using spoken instructions, or making hands-free phone calls. Although the full solution is integrated, the navigation device is totally portable so it can be removed from where it sits in the audio system to be used in other cars*.

“We are proud to further expand the footprint of our automotive products, using our experience in the embedded market to deliver the products people want, through various channels,” said Giles Shrimpton, TomTom’s Managing Director AUTO. “This is another example of TomTom’s strategy to deliver a high quality navigation solution to users; however they want to use it.”

Well-known TomTom features are included for a premium navigation experience. Such as TomTom Map Share™ — allowing users to make instant changes to the map and share these with others through TomTom HOME and Safety Alerts — enabling drivers to save on speeding tickets and drive safer. Drivers can also easily update their device and their map, which is a unique feature among traditional integrated navigation solutions.

The device, which comes with maps of Western Europe pre-installed, also has hands-free calling, so drivers can make calls safely while driving.

Availability

The device will be available to buy through ‘12V’ specialist retailers throughout Europe from December 2009.

The device will cost Є599 (excluding installation cost)**. TomTom recommends the system be installed by a professional dealer.

Notes for editors

Among its many features, the new GO I-90 boasts the following:

Pre-installed map of Western Europe***.
TomTom Map Share™ technology – so drivers get daily map changes from the TomTom community.
TomTom Safety Alerts, including safety cameras.
Enhanced Positioning Technology – for uninterrupted navigation, even in tunnels.
Improved hands-free calling – so drivers can make and answer phone calls safely while driving.
Help-Me! emergency menu – local information to get help quickly.
Optional iPod support – optimal support for iPod playback and iPod charging.
Extensive phone compatibility.
Optimised TMC reception through the car’s antenna.
Latest map guarantee.
TomTom HOME desktop software for everything a driver needs to keep the device up to date.
Address speech recognition and text-to-speech.
USB connection for MP3/I-pod.
Radio features

Amplifier (4 x 40 WATT).
FM reception.
RDS support for PS, AF, TA.
AM reception (LW and MW).
Built in TMC receiver.
Ready for steering wheel control (3rd party accessory).
Connectors to car and outside world (GPS, USB, iPod).
2 DIN box.
No CD drive.
- END –

* Best used with dedicated travel kit which can be found on www.tomtom.com

** Non-euro pricing will be unveiled shortly

*** Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Vatican City

The gizmo has a massive 5-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels and a white backlight. The device measures 5.4″ x 3.4″ x 0.6″ and weighs 7.8 ounces. The battery is good for up to three hours. Garmin offers optional cityXplorer content to help you navigate the city on public transit showing where to catch a bus or subway.

For drivers the GPS device also offers lane assistance technology to help you get in the right lane for upcoming turns. The 1450 can also save up to ten routes allowing you to plan trips before you hit the road. It also supports a breadcrumb trail with up to 10,000 points. Garmin also equips the device with an ecoRoute feature that will route you using the most fuel efficient path to your destination.

[via GPSTrackLog]

The GPS device uses a Samsung 2440A 400MHz processor, runs Windows CE 5.0, has 256MB of flash storage and 64MB of RAM. The GPS is a SiRF Star III embedded patch antenna and the device gets power from an internal lithium ion battery.

The device ships with applications including Satski, Pocket Caddy, and Satsports log to help athlete track their workouts and shoot better on the golf course. A SD card can be purchased that turns the device into a traditional GPS navigation unit as well. The Satsports GPS device sells for $490 and will be available at nationwide retailers soon.

The mount is designed to adhere to textured surfaces, and uses a similar type of permanently-sticky (though removable) adhesive as on the Palm Pre’s Touchstone charger.  It also has a microSD port for plugging in a car-charger kit, which is included in the box.

According to Clove’s listing, the HTC HD2 CU S400 Car Upgrade Kit will be priced at around £55 ($87) plus VAT.  It’s expected to arrive in early December; as for the HTC HD2 itself, that’s believed to be launching (SIM-free at least) on November 11th.  HTC have confirmed that the HD2 will see a US launch in Q1 2010.

Now, to be fair most of the technological talk in the press release below is pretty obtuse for the casual man, woman or tech blogger on the street, but the important aspect is this: because the GSD4e uses its own, low-power processor to maintain a positioning fix while sipping only the smallest amount of battery life, you can very quickly get geo-location data without paying the usual tithe in shortened runtimes.  In a digital camera, say, you could geotag your photos without having to wait for a regular GPS chip to power up and get its fix.

Alternatively, wearable electronics could constantly be location-aware without requiring six car batteries strapped to your back.  The GSD4e is also twice as accurate as previous GPS chips, supports a broader range of external sensors such as accelerometers, and handles potential sources of interference better.  If that all sounds like A Good Thing to you, then you’ll be pleased to hear that a production-quantity release is expected in Q1 2010.

Press Release:

CSR Unveils Newest SiRFstarIV Family Member

GSD4e GPS Location Processor with Built-in CPU Ensures Quick Time to Market for Broad Range of Location-Aware Consumer Devices

LOCATION 2.0 SUMMIT, SAN DIEGO, Calif., October 8, 2009 – CSR plc., a leading provider of GPS-powered location platforms, today introduced the SiRFstarIV™ GSD4e GPS location processor, the newest member of the recently launched SiRFstarIV architecture, an innovation that promises to redefine the meaning of “location awareness” for mobile devices. Building upon the SiRFstarIV architecture’s high-performance and micro-power capabilities, the GSD4e adds a built-in CPU and innovations such as SiRFGeoRecov™ technology that are optimized to ensure continuous location awareness in a new breed of digital cameras, portable game consoles, wearable platforms and other consumer devices, without loading the host processor.

“Adding the GSD4e to our SiRFstarIV portfolio gives our customers the choice of both plug-in and host-based implementations of our breakthrough location awareness technology for greater flexibility in creating a variety of geo-aware mobile devices, furthering our vision of making location truly a part of everyday life.” said Kanwar Chadha, chief marketing officer for CSR and founder of SiRF. “And because it has a built-in processor, the GSD4e makes it easy to quickly integrate location awareness into existing platforms, enables development of innovative modules and products with customizable differentiation and provides our extensive SiRFstarIII™ customer community with a seamless upgrade path.”

Leading module vendors worldwide, including Vincotech, Navman Wireless, Kyocera, Mitsumi and SEMCO, are designing modules with the GSD4e in Q4 2009, accelerating time to market for SiRFstarIV-enabled consumer products.

The GSD4e’s innovative adaptive accuracy and SiRFGeoRecov technologies make it possible to instantly geo-tag images or videos with a camera or camcorder and improve the accuracy as better GPS information becomes available. It also enables people to locate social networking friends on a smartphone, track a jogging course with a wearable device, perform location-based searches with a laptop or netbook or find their way through buildings and urban canyons with a pedestrian navigation system. And it can do all these things in everyday environments, and in many cases even if the device has been turned off for weeks or months. Unlike other GPS solutions on the market today that many times fail to provide any location fix at all, the GSD4e ensures that devices are on the “location grid,” even in extremely low signal conditions. And the GSD4e’s sophisticated motion-sensing algorithms ensure advanced power management and stable, accurate positioning, even when standing still.

Much broader in applicability, easier to design and more flexible than host-based architectures, the GSD4e is a complete position-velocity-time (PVT) solution. It not only opens the door to a new class of location-aware consumer devices, but also raises the performance bar in the traditional GPS engine market for smartphones, GPS modules, multi-radio modules and similar applications. The GSD4e can navigate to -160 dBm and track to -163 dBm, and for smartphone customers the GSD4e offers an extraordinary 7.5-dB 3GPP pass margin and high E911 sensitivity to ensure success in virtually any handset design. It also offers a fully certified A-GPS protocol stack with quick drop-in to multiple smartphone operating systems. The GSD4e consumes only 8 mW in 1-Hz TricklePower mode, and can maintain hot-start conditions continuously in SiRFaware mode while drawing as little as 50-400 microampere. Its enhanced SiRFNavPlus navigation engine ensures seamless car and pedestrian navigation in extremely tough urban canyon and dense foliage environments.

Available in both ROM and flash supported versions, the GSD4e is the first CSR product to come with patented SiRFInstantFix™ synthetic ephemeris technology as a standard feature for even greater performance. On-chip active jammer removal, a key feature of the SiRFstarIV architecture, not only eliminates electrical noise commonly associated with the motors, LCD screens and other components commonly found in smartphones, cameras, game consoles and other consumer devices, but also pinpoints for designers much earlier in the development process the precise strength and source of these interfering signals, enabling them to be contained in the design phase rather than in later, more costly test phases. The GSD4e also supports a full range of satellite-based augmentation systems, including WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS and GAGAN.

“The ROM version of the GSD4e GPS engine has the advantage of being an extremely cost-effective, small and low-power solution with complete location capability for easy integration into space and processing resource constrained consumer devices,” said Sunil Gopinath, senior product marketing manager for CSR’s consumer business unit. “The flash version gives customers access to extra throughput of the CPU, more flexibility to customize and quick access to new, innovative algorithms from CSR, while our development tools enable them to create custom software to run on the GSD4e processor and flash memory, and thus add their own innovations.”

Gopinath explains that the GSD4e has built-in circuitry and temperature adaptive software that allows it to replace a temperature compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) with a low-cost crystal, thus enabling bill of materials (BOM) conscious customers to design GPS into their products with the lowest BOM cost in the market today.

He also explains that the GSD4e’s integrated eFuse technology helps customers take system configuration to the next level by electronically setting custom configurations at system boot-up instead of the time consuming manual software changes inherent in current products in the market today.

The ROM version measures a 3.5 mm × 3.2 mm, and comes in a 42-ball, 0.5-mm pitch wafer level chip scale (WLCSP) package. The flash version measures 5 mm × 7.2 mm, and comes in a 103-ball, 0.5-mm pitch ball grid array (BGA) package.

The GSD4e combines RF receiver and integrated LNA, baseband circuitry, switcher and low-current LDOs on a single chip, and requires only five to six external passive components and a single SAW to provide a complete solution that occupies less than 25 square millimeters, including switcher parts.

The SiRFstarIV Advantage
The SiRFstarIV architecture core is comprised of a high-performance GPS location engine, smart location sensor interface, adaptive micro-power manager and active jammer remover, which together deliver:
• Twice the search capacity of the industry proven SiRFstarIII™ architecture, resulting in enhanced sensitivity, reduced time-to-fix and improved positional accuracy
• Advanced micro-power management and integrated switched-mode regulation that maintains hot-start conditions with minimal energy (50-400 microamperes)
• Intelligent MEMs sensor support (for accelerometers and other sensors) that improves the location experience, enabling greater contextual awareness, more sophisticated energy management and enhanced indoor positional accuracy
• Advanced DSP technology that actively searches for jammers and removes them prior to correlation for maximum GPS performance and design troubleshooting.

Availability and Pricing
The CSR SiRFstarIV GSD4e single-chip GPS engine with external flash memory is available in sample quantities this month. The ROM version will be available later this quarter. Production quantities are scheduled for the first quarter of 2010. Please contact your local CSR sales office for pricing information.

The Start is a simple device for occasional drivers with an interface that has only two buttons for “Plan route” and Browse Map.” The device is small and compact sporting a 3.5-inch screen and has a semi-fixed EasyPort mount.

The GPS is sized to fit easily into a pocket or the glove box of a car. IQ Routes technology is built into the Start allowing the user to travel with the fastest route at any time of the day with accurate travel times. Also featured is TomTom Share to allow users to make their own map changes. The Start sells for €129 for a device with regional map or €149 for European.

It’s also waterproof to IPX7 standards and has a selection of different location categories – including home, car and restaurant – so you can differentiate between each point.  Charging is via miniUSB connection, and while Navin are playing coy on exactly how long a single charge will last for, the miniHomer will at least preserve the stored coordinates even if the battery dies.

A backlit display and straightforward controls round out the navigator, and there’s a clock in there too.  No word on pricing – though Navin tell us it’ll be no more expensive than GPS navigators currently on the market – but it’ll drop in November.

Video demo after the cut

The iPhone 3GS is mounted on top of a helmet, and uses its GPS and digital compass to fix a position.  Meanwhile the display – a Scalar T3-A – shows the same mapping data in the corner of the rider’s eye.  The setup also allows for hands-free calls, via a Bluetooth headset, and Twitter notifications.

The mapping app used is actually a custom one, rather than Google Maps or anythign from the App Store, specially designed to work with the T3-A eyepiece.  Of course, the iPhone 3GS is pretty precarious up on top of the helmet, so we’re glad this is just a prototype.

[via Core77]

Pioneer announced a new application today called AVIC Feeds for the iPhone that interfaces with the AVIC-U310BT and AVIC-Z110BT in-dash navigation systems. The App lets users link the iPhone and the navigation units via Bluetooth.

Using the app iPhone owners can run a POI search, drop a pin at the location, and then send the location to the navigation unit for automatic routing. The app also lets the user snap a photo with the iPhone camera and geotag the image for use as a POI. Saved photos and photos from the internet can also be used as POIs. The app is available on the app store for free now.