Interesting news bit out that is reporting iSupply data indicates that there is a boom ahead of us in real time traffic reporting subscriptions. Yes, I know you knew that, but now the rest of the world does too. The expectations are that the subscriber base could grow by 10X versus today to 51 million in 2014, up from about 4.6 million today. Revenue could jump to $1.3Bil from a little over $100 million today.
It's no surprise that people are interested in this, but what is driving it is the very real change that we are seeing in the delivery of traffic solutions and how data is being utilized, refined and sent out to the ever increasing legion of navigation solutions. things have changed and a next generation solution is taking shape. I wrote about some of the barriers that would be falling back in January 2007, to create a bigger, better traffic reporting solution, and for the most part, we are now seeing all of that coming to fruition.
1) High quality databases using historical traffic data are in use - just consider the TomTom IQ Routes next time you buy a TomTom, or use any resource that uses the Inrix data systems.
2) Increase in coverage and flow capabilities - the increase is there, but not to the point that we all have access to flow data on secondary roads which is what I really want. It is present in some higher end traffic databases though.
3) Bandwidth - TomTom LIVE (Go 740 in US) has cellular connections as does TeleNav Shotgun for high bandwidth two-way data transfer; result is more detailed and more accurate assessment of the traffic issues ahead. Furthermore, you are starting to see high quality mobile phone applications roll into the market with traffic feeds; plenty of bandwidth to grab not only data but over the air delivery of maps on some of them.
I think that the building blocks are there for this reported leap in the subscriber base, but I would like to see better application of the traffic database to the end product on secondary roads across more devices, as well as the higher end units roll down their capabilities for Go 740/Shotgun caliber traffic to the mass market units to enable the subscription market to take off.
The big news this month had to be the announcement of the new mobile applications for the iPhone. Long rumored, and now available (Navigon for europe only), the slew of mobile phone capable navigation is going to build on a market long occupied by TeleNav. Should be interesting to see build.
Garmin wasn't quiet this past month as they announced a touchscreen unit that is a bit more compact, very capable, and a bit less expensive than the higher end units that it has been plowing the investment dollars into - the Garmin Dakota hits stores soon.
NAVTEQ - Upgraded Traffic.com Site for Mobile Phone Use
Traffic.com has upgraded to include a mobile friendly site online to help you deal with the woes of traffic. The site mirrors that functionality online of it's regular site where you can not only get a quick view of traffic in your area, but login and get your Jam Factors and overviews of what your critical drives might look like.
I use Traffic.com to store a couple of drives (work related) and they email me daily the situation on the roads, with estimated drive times and traffic congestion levels - the Jam Factor. After accommodating for the fact that the data arrives just after 7AM, and I generally get on the road about a half hour later, the email alerts are good enough to give me a good look into what the overall traffic situation is. With the Mobile data, you'll have this type of insight and of course the little maps there too to help you deal with the traffic.
Set up an account at Traffic.com, then head over to Mobi.traffic.com for the full benefits. Or just head over to the mobile website straight away to check it out.
The next time there's a Homeland Security drill, they will be avoiding heavy traffic and traffic incidents using the Inrix data and capabilities to help speed the response. The data will be used by GeoDecisions' IRRIS portal to help the military and Homeland security with accurate traffic flow and incident reporting.
"With the ability to access INRIX's comprehensive yet precise traffic information, customers using GeoDecisions' IRRIS portal will be better able to anticipate traffic congestion and hazardous road conditions and plan or adapt their routes accordingly," said Bryan Mistele, INRIX president and CEO. "Together with GeoDecisions we are helping the U.S. military and Homeland Security optimize their logistical operations to ensure they have the safest and most efficient means available for transportation routing."
This comes on the heels of Inrix being selected to provide data to TomTom as part of their LIVE capabilities in the US.
Add another contender to the ring on the iPhone navigation battle - iGo form Nav N Go is going to be hitting the iPhone soon with an adaptation of their familiar operating system. No news on availability and price, but I would expect a Euro release and then a US release later this year.
Garmin Dakota 10 and Dakota 20 Handheld Touchscreen GPS
Garmin has introduced the Garmin Dakota 10 and Dakota 20 handheld GPS units that are going to take up the place in the line as the smaller siblings to the Garmin Oregon. The smaller, touchscreen units still boast a well appointed feature list. While the unit is smaller that the eTrex, with the screen size stretching across almost the entire front of the unit, the screen is actually a bit larger than the Garmin eTrex series, coming in at 2.6" diagonally. The new operating system offers paperless geocaching, and comes pre-loaded with a world basemap, offering the easy ability to add Garmin City Navigator NT street maps, Blue Chart g2 marine charts, and TOPO U.S. 24K and 100K that will load into the 850 MB of onboard memory.
Dakota 10 - Offers 850 MB of memory, world base map, touchscreen interface, 20 hour battery life on two "AA" batteries, and has the same spine format to accept all of the Oregon and Colorado mounts and accessories. It will connect to your PC or Mac via USB. List Price $299.
Dakota 20 - Adds a 3-axis compass, barometric altimeter, a microSD card slot, and wireless connectivity to other Garmin handhelds like the Oregon, Colorado, and Foretrex units (Other Dakotas as well). List Price $349.
Update your Garmins: 7X5, 800, 8X5, Zumo 660, GPSMAP 620/640
If you recently updated your Garmin Firmware and i essentially killed your GPS, the fix is here. Garmin has posted fixes and FAQ's all over the place to get you back and running via "Mandatory" updates; shouldn't have let that first one out the door, but hats off to Garmin for getting a fix out quickly. The good news is that for many, it's a simple update, the bad news for some is that you need to send the unit back in for repair. From Garmin's Blog:
"Garmin nüvi 7x5 series products that are no longer able to acquire a GPS satellite signal may download a firmware update immediately that will correct the software issue. This firmware update may be downloaded using Garmin's WebUpdater.
Garmin nüvi 7x5 customers who are no longer able to power on their GPS device will need to visit www.garmin.com/support, and select the first FAQ titled "My nüvi 755T, 765T, 775T or 785T is giving me the message 'Updating GPS Firmware' or will no longer power on..." Customers will then need to follow the instructions to request a return authorization so that the device may be repaired under warranty. "
If you are having trouble, start a the Garmin Blog, then move to the proper download or FAQ page.
DeLorme announced their new PN-30 handheld today packing it with enough goodies and pricing it well at $299. The little green handheld comes with the ability to load it up with aerial photography, topographic maps, and NOAA nautical charts. The included PN-Series Map DVDs will transfer maps to the PN-30 or an SD card, from either PCs or Macs. The up-to-date detail includes U.S. topography, U.S. and Canada streets, roads, and places of interest, and Mexico main roads. The other maps area available as downloads that cost extra.
The waterproof (IPX7) color handheld is also available in Realtree camo too. Expect it to hit the stores in July.
TeleNav launched an iPhone App at the App store today, offering yet another option for navigating with the iPhone. TeleNav is no stranger to mobile phone navigation, and are offering it as the AT&T Navigator with numerous features, including Text to Speech (Says street names), traffic alerts, gas prices, and Business Listings (10 million), Mid-Route Points of Interest like gas, food and more. Some people may be turned off by the $100+ fee for a similar application, and the TeleNav may just be a decent alternative for you at $10 a month.
The iPhone needs to have the 3.0 Operating system to work. Full Press Release after the jump.....
Wow, that was fast; about a two weeks ago, Navigon announced that they would launch an iPhone App, and now, they just launched a Euro version in the App store. According to the feature set, the capabilities are fairly robust, with the key ability to use if in the portrait and landscape modes, as well as reality view (shown above) where you get to see what exit/turn you should make on major intersections. The application also taps into your contact list to get to saved destinations; no need to re-input "favorites". The Navigon Navigator will pause for an incoming phone call, and you can listen to music while navigating, but according to a couple of users who posted reviews, the application does not pause the music while giving the turn directions which could prove to be a problem.
Available in several languages and dozens of countries - none of which are the US. The Navigon iPhone App uses NAVTEQ maps, but sadly, not traffic. One would hope that Navigon would use the phone's bandwidth to introduce traffic capabilities later on, and potentially a two way reporting as iPhones turn into GPS probes like the Dash Express did. The file size is large at about 1.6GB, with a couple of users reporting that it took over an hour.
With over a million iPhone 3G-S phones sold in the first day of its launch, one can imagine how the phone and its platform will continue to become a very large handset base on which the navigation makers can build. Should be an interesting future with these applications.
The Price is $94, not bad, but it appears to be headed up. On the price, they note that this is "a special introduction price is valid only until June 30th." One can definitely see the capabilities getting more robust and more expensive as time goes on, paralleling the standalone model capabilities.
Still looking for that GPS Deal after you woke up and didn't find that Father's Day magic GPS on the kitchen table? The prices have drifted down about $5 - $10 in general over the last few weeks making for a good bargain now at the beginning of the summer.
As your budget allows, I recommend features that make a GPS much easier to use: Text to Speech, and a widescreen in that order. Other additions such as Traffic, Bluetooth Handsfree, etc. are definitely nice to have.
Standard Screen Units
Garmin Nuvi 270 - $144 (Up a few bucks in recent weeks actually) - Has US and Western Euro Maps pre-loaded. No Text to Speech, but if you are heading to Europe and need a unit, this is a great deal.
Garmin Nuvi 250 - $99 - Has North American Maps pre-loaded. No Text to Speech, but is great deal for Garmin quality.
Garmin Nuvi 260 - $129 (Down $5 in recent weeks) - Has North American Maps pre-loaded. Adds Text to Speech.
Garmin Nuvi 255 - $159 - Has North American Maps pre-loaded. Has Text to Speech. Adds new interface that updates the look and feel; significant usability upgrade in my mind. Supports ecoRoute gas saving driving routes.
TomTom ONE 130 - $99 this week, North American Maps, and a high quality TomTom Interface. Very easy to use at a low price. Does not have Text to Speech. Upgrade to the TomTom ONE 130-S for Text to speech at $119 - very cheap upgrade for text to speech. Possibly the best value out there for cheap Text to Speech.
Widescreen Units - 4.3-inch or larger
Garmin Nuvi 255W - $174 - Text to speech, improved interface, maps of North America. Supports ecoRoute gas saving driving routes. More Info - See my Full Review on the Nuvi 255W. I also saw this at BJ's club this week for about the same price after a $30 Mail In Rebate - your choice.
TomTom ONE XL-S - $129 - a "HOT DEAL" at Amazon, this widescreen has Text to Speech, and maps of North America. This older chassis has the latest maps from TomTom, and offers solid navigation for a relatively low price point.
Garmin Nuvi 265WT - $212 - Text to speech, improved interface, maps of North America. Supports ecoRoute gas saving driving routes. Adds free lifetime TMC traffic to the base 255W model features. Very good buy here.
Garmin Nuvi 760 - $199 - Thin design with Text to Speech and Maps of North America. Route Optimization - plug in multiple stops and let the unit optimize the route for fastest planning, adds Bluetooth handsfree and built-in TMC traffic. Slightly older interface (still has updated maps though). See My Full Review of the Nuvi 760.
TomTom ONE XL 330S - $160 - the new Basic Widescreen for the TomTom line, Maps of North America, new Easy Port fold flat mount, and text to speech. See my Full Review for more information.
Garmin Nuvi 855 - $249 at Costco. This is a widescreen unit with Text to speech but also utilizes Voice Command capabilities that allow you to enter commands without having to tap the screen. Very good price for this highly capable unit.
TomTom GO 740 LIVE - an amazing $299 - an internet connected GPS that has robust traffic reporting and is Google connected for interest search. Has Gas prices updates and comes with 3 months free connected service; about $10/ mo after that.
Rebate ALERT
The Garmin Forerunner 405 - $296 after $50 Mail in Rebate - And as I mentioned the other day - Buy the Garmin Forerunner 405, get the $50 rebate AND a Free Garmin Forerunner 50 Sports Watch too.
The Garmin Forerunner 405CX that adds a calorie burning calculation. It will ship June 8th, and has the same $50 rebate deal and same Free Forerunner 50 deal. $319 after Mail in Rebate.
So if you are into pimping out your Garmin Nuvi, you can now download some classic Father's Day icons for use on the Nuvi from the Garmin Garage. The lawn mower and tie icons are a part of their consistent rollout of new icons for just about every occasion and non-occasion on the calndar, making for a lot of fun.
If you didn't get a Nuvi for Father's Day, and still want one, see our GPS Steals and Deals post today for some ideas.
Wow, this one seems like another step on the slippery slope of over-legislation. From the state that doesn't want you to pump your own gas comes the new idea to protect you; no programming your GPS while driving. While I admit, digging through a Point of Interest menu for something that is buried deep down there is a foolish thing to do, I can't argue that a 100% hands off approach is the right way to go either.
The bill is proposing a $100 fine for anyone caught manually programming a GPS while driving. This follows on the heels of the texting and non-hands free cell phone ban that carries the same fine.
What's next? Anything goes that can slip past the legislature, one can imagine. I would like to see the No Mascara or Eye Shadow application ban go ahead of the GPS programming ban - maybe fewer of those on the road, but have you ever ridden behind someone doing that? Scary.
In an about face, TomTom has selected Inrix to power their dynamic feeds for it's Plus and LIVE services going forward. Originally, TomTom did not select Inrix as their provider of traffic for the US, but have decided that the package of quality data from Inrix is worth the switch. This is not the first time Inrix has come in and taken over for what appear to be higher quality, more desirable coverage or feeds - it happened last year in Alabama, where Inrix essentially saved their traffic broadcast program that sounded like it was dead in the water.
Inrix will provide the traffic feed, and gas prices feed to LIVE and Plus services across the country.
Homer Simpson Voice for TomTom GPS - Easy Download
TomTom may have potentially the best voice ever on their GPS topping Mr. T with their launch of the Homer Simpson voice available for TomTom GPS units in the US and Europe. The easy download, lets you navigate to Homer's voice offering the keen guidance of TomTom combined with the combined fun of 20 years worth of Homer antics. Can't wait.
The download happens through TomTom Home, an easy to use desktop manager that will allow you to download to your computer and then upload the voice to your TomTom device. The Homer Simpson voice costs $12.95, and is available now. Hummm, I wonder if I can navigate to Moe's for a Duff?
GPS Steals and Deals - 6/21
TeleNav Shotgun Connected GPS Full Review
Traffic Subscriptions could Jump 10X by 2014
Continue reading: 
- $99 this week, North American Maps, and a high quality TomTom Interface. Very easy to use at a low price. Does not have Text to Speech. Upgrade to the 
for Text to speech at $119 - very cheap upgrade for text to speech. Possibly the best value out there for cheap Text to Speech. 
- an amazing $299 - an internet connected GPS that has robust traffic reporting and is Google connected for interest search. Has Gas prices updates and comes with 3 months free connected service; about $10/ mo after that.
- $296 after $50 Mail in Rebate - And as I mentioned the other day - Buy the Garmin Forerunner 405, get the $50 rebate AND a Free Garmin Forerunner 50 Sports Watch too. 
that adds a calorie burning calculation. It will ship June 8th, and has the same $50 rebate deal and same Free Forerunner 50 deal. $319 after Mail in Rebate.
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