TeleNav - Insight into GPS Use

Telenav has researched what people are using their service for - where people are going, what they are looking for and how they are battling traffic. The data was collected anonymously from their applications and on-phone navigation system. What's the most searched for Point of Interest? Which city needs to re-route around traffic? What's the most searched for food?

The data is fun to look through and it's not a surprise to see the results - like Pizza being the most popular search for food, WalMart being the most popular Point of Interest searched for, and maybe not a big surprise that Los Angeles is figuring out how to get around traffic most frequently. The data is a fun read.

More on TeleNav and their navigation solutions at Telenav

Full press release after the jump...

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What Does IPX6 and IPX7 Waterproof Rating Mean?

When you are out on the trail, and your hike just turned into a muddy downpour mess of an afternoon, you'll want to make sure that you are carrying a GPS that is rated to handle the weather.

Most handheld GPS units are rated to the IPX7 waterproofing standard; a pretty good standard that keeps the unit sound in the face of whatever a typical hike bike, run or other outing can throw at it. Some handhelds are rated to the IPX6 standard; which is a lower standard that doesn't offer the immersion capability that the IPX7 does...... Immersion capability? Yes, see below:

IPX6 Waterproof Standard

Heavy splashing and rain - This test sends water at all angles through a 12.5mm nozzle at a rate of 100 liters/min at a pressure of 100kN/m2 for 3 minutes from a distance of 3 meters. Must not fail or show water seepage.

Puddle, stream, beer cooler and splash rated - Protected against water immersion - Immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter.

I have had my GPS units out in the driving rain for hours and have dropped them in muddy puddles without issue on the IPX7 standard. I like it and it works for almost anything you can throw at it on a typical day.... except dropping it overboard on a boat..... and luckily that hasn't happened.

Photo via:Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Casio EX 10HG Camera - 12 MP, GPS Tagging and Navigation

Casio has given the green light to move the Casio EX HG10 camera to market sometime late this year, which will include a whole bunch of digital camera features and a GPS chip that not only tags your photos, but also serves as the basis for GPS/PND type point to point navigation. It apparently uses Google Maps, and one might assume Google is providing the Points of Information too. The camera itself has a whopping 12.1 MP sensor for your photo shoots, and the ability to browse where you took those detailed pictures on the map.

Cost is expected to be around $400.

Via Slashgear

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Two Nav Sportiva Handheld GPS With Touchscreen

There's a new handheld in town and it looks pretty cool - touchscreen, loaded with capabilities and ready to guide off of any map you want or have. The Holux TwoNav is hitting the market next month with this water resistant (IPX6 std) touchscreen, Sirf'd chipset, 3D electronic compass GPS. The 3-inch transreflective touchscreen offers 240X400 resolution to see the 2D or shaded 3D modes.

Maps - Imported too!

The Sportiva is capable of loading up the company's maps, but also ships with the ability to scan your own maps and with a free software kit convert that map for use in the GPS. The 2GB of internal memory should handle a pretty good load of maps, while the micro SD card slot and additional 32GB could be added to create a map locker that could handle a lot of what you want to go and see. Two Nav seems to have a good part of the world offered in maps for download (at a price) but with the imported map capability it seems that you should be able to have just about any place you want covered if needed.

The unit measures 58 x 105 x 23mm or about 2.3 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches and weighs 128g or about 4.3 ounces with batteries.

OK so it goes on sale in the UK next month for 379 Euros.

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NAVTEQ LBS Finalists

NAVTEQ and TeleAtlas are constantly running these searches for LBS applications that rock out world, and for good reason. There's a lot of cool work going on out there. Some not so amazing, and some really amazing.

Here's the current list of finalists:

The winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on Sunday, 14 February in Barcelona, Spain. The finalists for the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge in the EMEA region are:

* IOTO International Inc. (www.ioto.ca), Canada: WHAXI lets you hail a taxi to your GPS location with a push of a button.
* Livecontacts (www.livecontacts.com), The Netherlands: Livecontacts Mobile offers assurance, safety and security anywhere in the world through a unique set of features, including real-time tracking of mobile phones and GPS trackers.
* M2Mobi (www.m2mobi.com), The Netherlands: Nulaz is a social information source that allows you to see where people, places and events are located around you.
* Mobile Agreements GmbH (www.mogree.com), Austria: With Mogree™, you can interact with people around you who share your interests--talk to existing friends and meet new people.

ZorroGPS® (www.zorrogps.com), China: ZorroGPS LIVE comes with 16 live navigation services on SIM PNDs and mobile phones, including Europe or North America NAVTEQ maps, all at a low price.

If you only have time to check out two, I like the nulaz/m2Mobi concept and the Yoose idea. WHile both have been talked about, I like the Yoose idea the best. There has to be a better way of managing all of those shopper cards, discounts and coupons that come my way. How about if Grocery store #1 knew that I liked Grocery store #2 also - let the bidding war commence and see what coupons they might throw my way this coming week. Sick of coupons? How about the App knows that I subscribe to the Sunday Newspaper and all of those coupons that come already get loaded automatically in my "account"?

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Glu GPS Game on the iPhone: 1,000: Find Em All

Came across this; looks like fun. Glu Games has released a new game that is made for the iPod Touch and the iPhone where it uses the GPS to bring you on an adventure game. The game allows you to hunt down collectible things that must somehow appear on the map around your location. Collect them all and win..... a pat on the back, I guess.

So, there is of course a regular walkabout type game play for the folk on an iPod touch, but you have to admit it has got to be a lot more fun grabbing these items as you walk around with the iPhone looking for a special item like the Bogey; part of the Gross collection.

Available at iTunes - 1000: Find em all (itunes link)

More at the Glu Website

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GPS Based Pothole Patrol - Now Crowdsourced

Good little article in the Boston Globe today highlighting an iPhone App that allows users to take a picture of potholes, and other items that have fallen into disrepair and shoot the geoencoded picture over to City Hall. It's called Citizens Connect (iTunes link).

The idea is not new, and several cities have done one, as well as CitySourced, another App with some similar features that spans several cities. In Boston, after the image and details of the problem is received, the message is automatically routed to the local maintenance facility for dispatch. Unlike a kids video game, the crew doesn't shoot out of the garage immediately, but they do get to most issues in a 5-day turn around time.

More at Boston Globe

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On the iPad - Stupidest Thing to Ever Come out of the NYT?

OK, so I missed on the name - iPad not iTablet, but yes I was excited to see that the new Apple iPad will be running the Navigation Apps that are in the App store. The NYT Blog is asking the question if the iPad - at $800 will be the final nail in the GPS coffin....um, have you checked the weather outside? We're fresh off a recession with the forecast for a slow recovery. Not too many people are going to be buying these things at that price compared with a $100 GPS that works really well. Engaging headline? Yes. Intelligent assertion? No.

Is the standalone GPS future solid for certain or will mobile smart phones take over? Not really sure, but I am pretty certain that an $800 Apple product isn't going to kill the GPS market overnight, or even in a few years; there will be other factors at work that will make the GPS market change dramatically without the influence of the iPad.

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Global Shipping Routes Mapped by GPS

Check out Wired to see a map of global shipping routes collected over a year's time and mapped by GPS.

Too bad this isn't mapped onto Google maps with the ability to zoom in on the individual routes. The map isn't detailed enough to plan your pirate attacks, but maybe that's a good thing.

At Wired

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Nokia Free Navigation on Mobile Too - So What?

Nokia announced on Thursday that they will be offering free navigation capabilities on their smart phones too after the same announcement rocked the GPS standalone world when Google offered their innovative navigation App on Android phones.

"So, What?" you ask. Nokia isn't in the US, Navigation on smart phones stink anyway? this might just be the tipping point for the mobile phone and stand alone GPS world.

Big Share Player Goes to Free Navigation - Nokia has a huge share of the mobile phone market globally, especially in Europe, maybe someone can dig that up and post it below. Google has a reasonable share in the US of the smart phone market and growing fast. Between the two, they will start to rival Apple and the iPhone's share. While Apple isn't known for following, they might just fold in a Navigation program for free to blunt competition's point of differentiation.

Free Navigation? - It costs money to get maps, but you could crowdsource them like WAZE does, or pay for services with ads on the GPS like Garmin does.

Phone Based Navigation Comes of Age - I was impressed and continue to be impressed by the navigation capabilities that can be crammed onto my iPhone. The screen is passable for its size, and the program features surpass entry level devices. With the buildt-in internet connection advanced features can be more easily created. Advanced search, traffic flow data, pre-loaded maps, easy connection to my address book, text to speech? Yes, they are all in there. these aren't the basic days of the early version Verizon VZ Navigator; this is advanced stuff.

Apple Buys a GPS Player? - Maybe this user experience needs to be owned by Apple in order to create a more innovative capability? There are a dozen reasons to think not, but as Apple and Google start to square off, the move might make more and more sense. TomTom? - if the stand alone market is going to die, do you really want a to buy a leader in the space? They might have a lock on a lot of the technologies that are helping build a better GPS: Map provider TeleAtlas, a large installed base of units for historical speed collection, and more importantly the technology to deal with the data. Companies are already collecting GPS probe data from iPhones like Inrix to help create their ever more detailed maps of traffic situations. Apple could buy a well known phone navigation provider that can dovetail well into their system, like TeleNav who also displays the complex innovative technology to fold a lot of into into cars- like on the new Ford Sync platform.

Death of the Stand Alone GPS? - I think not, at least for now. While people are predicting the dire end of the stand alone GPS, I don't see it for a while. So while everyone might jump on the smart phone navigation bandwagon, smart phones still have a low market share in the US; hovering in the 20 - 30% range. So, for about 60+ million US households they aren't even a player. So while smart phone owners may have been early adopters of the $1,000 Nuvi when it was introduced, they have moved on but with the advent of $100 GPS units, a whole new market has developed. Until the smartphone plans are affordable by a majority of the population, the standalone GPS will be around. Now that may only be the next major market shift away, but I expect it's still a ways off from here.

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DeLorme - Free Maps of Haiti to help Aid Workers

DeLorme is offering a helping hand to anyone needing map and navigation help on their way to Haiti. The need is there and it sounds like not only is the company kicking in but the employees worked overtime to get the data ready to ship out to users on their way to do their best to help out where it is really needed. The Maps will work on their PN Series units.

More at DeLorme

Full Information is below.

Company Provides Free Dataset for Use with XMap Software and DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 Handheld GPS DeLorme, the leading digital mapping, software, and GPS provider, has developed a free GPS-accurate dataset to assist in the Haitian relief efforts.

The company was contacted by numerous aid groups following the earthquake. A team of employees worked through the past weekend preparing a custom dataset utilizing the GPS-accurate DeLorme World Base Map along with aerial imagery, all of which can be displayed within the company's XMap software and on Earthmate PN-Series handheld GPS units.

"We are eager to spread the word to anyone who is involved with relief efforts in Haiti that we have this GPS-accurate dataset available for their use," says Jim Skillings, DeLorme Vice President. "Time is of the essence as we believe that GPS-accurate map data can help save lives."

The DeLorme map data provides GPS-accurate transportation infrastructure down to the street level, as well as accurate coastline and hydrographic details. Used in tandem with DeLorme PN-Series GPS and XMap software, search-and-rescue responders will have an invaluable tool on the ground.

Anyone with an interest or looking for more information should go to www.delorme.com

DeLorme representatives will provide immediate follow-up to inquiries from federal agencies and volunteers assisting in the relief efforts.

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More GPS Satellites; Better GPS Accuracy

Want a more accurate GPS? You might already have it in your hand. The Air force, and specifically the STRATCOM group who has responsibility for administering the GPS satellite constellation has decided to start to rearrange the constellation to improve coverage over Afghanistan while also giving "enhanced capability to all GPS users".

The existing new satellites are positioned near the old satellites to provide better redundancy, but instead the plan is to spread those satellites out to make the overall enhancements. The plan should take about 24 months to execute and will factor in the overall health of each satellite. But over the coming 24 months, you should be able to "see" more satellites from wherever you are, meaning your receiver should get better accuracy, and potentially a shorter time to first fix if you've been having trouble grabbing multiple satellite signals to date.

More Info at the Air Force News Site

Rob, Thanks for sending this in.

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DeLorme Teams up with SPOT - Transmit Messeges from your Handheld GPS

So DeLorme has teamed up with SPOT to offer a combination product that will allow you to do all the cool GPS stuff wherever you are and then transmit SMS messages from that location through the satellite network. Impressive capabilities and love the remote messaging no mater where you are - yes even out of cellphone range; it doesn't work on a mobile phone network. So when your Droid or iPhone doesn't have a signal and that cool App doesn't work, nor does the call for help, this product can.

"The revolutionary SPOT Satellite Communicator, designed exclusively for the new PN-60w, merges SPOT satellite message functionality and DeLorme state-of-the-art GPS mapping via wireless. Together, this product pairing offers broader messaging capabilities. Users can send freeform text messages using the PN-60w's keyboard to select individuals or groups from the field even from remote areas world-wide. "

Established SPOT technology allows real-time location updates and the ability to summon help in an emergency. Custom messages and waypoints can easily be shared with social networking sites like SPOTadventures.com, Geo-caching.com, Twitter, and Facebook. As an emergency back-up, the SPOT Satellite Communicator has stand-alone capability to send location-based SOS notification to an emergency response center.

"Today's announcement combines the latest in sophisticated handheld GPS with SPOT satellite communications providing one-of-a-kind, custom messaging and sharing of geo-location information with others in real-time," said Peter Dalton, President of Spot LLC and CEO of Globalstar Inc. "We are excited to partner with DeLorme in bringing to market a new wireless GPS solution to consumers."

Full Press Release Below.....

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Top Stories and Top 5 Reviews for 2009 at GPS Lodge

As the year comes to a close, I thought I would wrap it up with the most popular stories that you clicked on in the last year. The year was driven by a lot of deals, and interest in some of the well built, lower priced GPS units that graced the store shelves - virtual or not.

• Garmin Nuvi 780 - this Nuvi was on special a lot this year, giving the user access to traffic reports, gas prices, local events, weather and more through the MSN service. The unit is solid, but the MSN service is scheduled to go away Jan 1, 2012 - still a while to go. See my full review of the Nuvi 780
• Garmin Nuvi 755T - the traffic enabled Nuvi 755T is a next generation device offering free subscription to NAVTEQ traffic through an ad supported model. Concerned with intrusive ads? Don't be, the ads are really minor and area a small trade-off for the free service. The Nuvi 755T offers a lot with an improved interface, faster route calculations, Nuvi-optimized multi-destination routing (say that 10 time fast!), and a speed limit indicator right on the screen. See my full review of the Nuvi 755T
• Garmin Nuvi 205W/255W - a strong contender throughout the year as these units bring solid features to the market at a reasonable price. Widescreen and for the 255W, test to speech capabilities make this a very broadly appealing feature set for the market. I bought a couple of these this year for myself and for presents. See my full review of the Garmin Nuvi 205W/255W
• TomTom 330/330S - the Holiday rainmaker GPS - plenty of sales made this a strong contender at the end of the year. The widescreen units offered users a great set of features at some unbelievable prices. Still a solid choice, especially if you pick the "S" model which has text to speech. See my full review of the TomTom 330/330S
• Garmin Nuvi 205/255 - the standard sized screen entry level units that get user to their location with ease and confidence. The Nuvi 255 adds maps of Canada and Hawaii/Puerto Rico. See my full review of the Nuvi 205/255

In retrospect, 2009 was also the year when a few other major trends hit the navigation market. While they weren't the top news stories by page view counts, I think these really are the top items that hit the market this year and will continue to affect the market as we move forward.

• iPhone Navigation Applications - Becoming some of the top grossing Apps in the App Store, the iPhone/iPod Touch navigation apps are really very usable and great to have along with you when you travel. There is a value in having navigation capability with you all of the time. I have pulled out the iPhone and navigated several times when riding with others; always wows the audience and always performs well. I have reviewed the TomTom App, and am in the middle of reviewing the Navigon App right now. With a half dozen of these on the market, and more coming, they are coming faster than I can keep up with.
• Google Navigation - the Free application for Android is sure to change the market. Google usually goes big, and is not afraid to take on big markets. To me, Google appears to be headed in the direction of helping you search for anything in your life. The application offers a lot of cool capabilities that only Google can offer at this point. They are buying Yelp - the search for all kinds of Points of Interest, especially through their augmented reality browser. Google gets into Navigation on the Mobile Phone
• Connected GPS - So, finally Garmin launched theirs, Dash left the market/got sold, Telenav launched their Shotgun connected GPS, and TomTom launched a follow-up to their original 740 Live. If the recession didn't come, and unemployment didn't hit 10% in the US, maybe these would have had a better reception. The problem is that things like the iPhone have set the bar pretty high for connectedness and capabilities, so getting movie times through the GPS isn't all that awesome anymore. Can you please make this ad supported to make it a free service? What these need to do is nail traffic for users; I mean really nail it with surface road traffic integration and smart forecasting. Maybe for 2010, please?

It's not a surprise that all of these biggie ideas are connected ideas; it's where the world is going and it's where the GPS needs to go to be more useful.

With CES 2010 right around the corner, I have to think that there are a few innovations that are going to find their way to the mainstream, and features that make navigating a lot easier.

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