Now, the subscribers of TeleNav can send their current locations to any mobile phones. TeleNav Inc. has unveiled the latest version TeleNav GPS Navigator, the original navigation application for mobile phones. Customers can also share addresses of their businesses, including restaurants, hotels or movie theaters. Even users can send information on local gas stations with the cheapest prices for that day. The company has launched the GPS navigation system for mobile phones, which has following features: Voice and on-screen turn-by-turn driving directions: TeleNav GPS Navigator computes the routes automatically. Users get up-to-the minute guidance, including street names, and will automatically be re-routed if a turn is missed while driving. My TeleNav” Web site access: It allows you to preplan your trips, save addresses and manage your account, all online at Telenav. Subscribers can save locations in their “My Favorites” folder and they will automatically download on their phone next time they launch TeleNav GPS Navigator. Location sharing: Now users have the ability to send their current location or the location of a nearby business to one friend or many friends all at once. This information can be sent from a mobile phone or from the “My TeleNav” account on Telenav. TeleNav GPS Navigator users can quickly navigate to locations they receive using the service’s turn-by-turn directions. Mobile users not subscribing to TeleNav GPS Navigator will receive a link to view a map and static directions on their phone. Local search: Customers can look up more than 10 million businesses and services, including ATMs,restaurants, hotels, Wi-Fi hotspots and gas stations, and easily navigate to them with the click of a button. Business reviews and ratings: Users can sort by highest to lowest rating to help them make a decision, or view all of the search results on a map. TeleNav GPS Navigator also allows customers to rate restaurants themselves directly from a mobile phone. Real-time traffic alerts and one-click rerouting: TeleNav GPS Navigator monitors each specific route and will proactively search every five minutes for traffic congestion or incidents. Customers will be alerted, both audibly and on-screen, and can choose to find a faster route to their location by pressing just one button. Fuel Finder: TeleNav GPS Navigator includes updated gas prices for local gas stations, and provides driving directions to the station with the lowest gas prices. Now, with just one click, friends and colleagues can share locations of these stations with each other as well. Full-color 3D moving maps: Just like an in-car navigation system, the 3D maps turn, move and stop along with the driver, while also displaying a realistic image of the streets the driver is approaching and passing. Users can also pan and zoom around the map to view surrounding streets. Spot Marker: Users can mark waypoints to help find their way back to a location or to record points of interest. Pedestrian Mode: TeleNav GPS Navigator can also be used while walking, to help guide customers through crowded downtown streets or back to a parked car. My Favorites: Customers can save as many addresses as needed for easy access and directions later.
TeleNav GPS Navigator sends current location and business reviews on mobile phones
Garmin expands its Nuvi 200 Series with Wider Screen, better resolution
If you believed the 3.5-inch GPS market was being a bit way oversaturated, apparently you weren’t alone. Recently GPSPassion was reported to have said that Garmin of late let out rumors of a widescreen 4-inch version of the nuvi 200 and 250, both of which will put on Ws towards the end of their names to be a sign of the additional real estate. The display itself will apparently include a 480 x 272 resolution, and as can be guessed by us that the real software and characteristic sets will continue basically the same, there’s no way of making out just so far. Remarkably, it’s not so far apparent if the North American-friendly nuvi 270 will wind up getting a tad of width also, however the 200W and 250W should be shipped in European shops just round the corner for an estimated €299 ($402) and €349 ($469), in that order.
Airtel collaborates with Wayfinder to introduce new GPS service
GPS or the global positioning system is a pretty handy thing to have. Why? Well, it will help you find your way back to wherever you want. Just key in some points and press some buttons and bingo! you are at your destination. An Indian company Bharti Airtel launched this service in collaboration with Sweden based Wayfinder systems. Airtel will introduce the handy GPS system in the Blackberry 8800 smart phones. This system will transform the cell phones to a GPS receiver complete with all kinds of maps as well as points of interest. The points of interest will be based on number of Indian cities like Delhi, Faridabad, Navi Mumbai, Mumbai proper, Chennai and Kolkata. I think this is a good endeavor from Airtel’s part. However, I seriously doubt how many of us will use the Blackberry phones. Maybe they should have thought about building this technology in other commonly used phones. About the GPS service plan Airtel is offering a 6month free trial to it’s blackberry 8800 users. According to the company, the customers won’t have to pay any charges whatsoever on the application initially. There is a data download fee that is charged to the users. Users will have to download the GPS application on their handsets. In order to do so all they have to do is SMS ‘NAV’ to ’3636′. According to the Chief Marketing officer of the Airtel mobile Sanjay Gupta , the GPS is supposed to be state of the art: We are now introducing in India a state-of-the-art GPS-based navigation system that will largely benefit all frequent travelers using compatible mobile handsets like the BlackBerry 8800 Hopefully Airtel will see an increase in users because of this latest service they have introduced. Irrespective of the number of users subscribed to the system, the best part about this is GPS service has started in India. At least you won’t have to ask for directions to random strangers.
Renesas licenses SiRF GPS baseband IP Blocks for SuperH SH7775
One of the chief GPS chip makers, SiRF recently said that Renesas Technology has licensed SiRF GPS baseband IP blocks to location-enable its latest SuperH Family SH7775, a system on chip solution, which has specifically been brought about for high-performance car info systems. With its built-in SiRF GPS abilities, the Renesas SH7775 is touted to make available the auto industry the technology for creating the X-gen of inexpensive in-dash navigation, telematics and auto info systems. The SiRF IP solution delivers superior GPS performance for automotive applications. Along with a standalone SiRF GRF3i+ radio frequency subsystem IC, the built-in SiRF GPS technology handles constant-critical facets of obtaining location measurements from the GPS satellites, and passes positioning data to SiRFNav GPS software running on the SH-4A processor core. SiRF will directly provide the RF subsystem and system-level integration support to automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers to ensure successful integration of the Renesas SH7775 solution into their products, maintain compatibility and interoperability of the GPS and other host platform functions and obtain optimal GPS performance.
Mio unveils Mio A702 handheld device with GPS
Mio recently takes the wraps off its new handheld device known as Mio A702, which is built in with a GPS receiver and a 3.2 MP digital camera. It is consisted with a front face that resembles brushed aluminum while from the back; it bears a similarity to Mio A501. A702 also comes with a numeric keypad, not like A501, and gives support to microSD cards for memory extension. The 3.2 MP camera is worthy of a flash too certainly and Mio didn’t exclude that but even added one of those mirror if you are taking your pictures. The navigation characteristic encompasses its own interface button on the left enabling you to switch on or off the GPS receiver chip. Talking about the GPS receiver chip, the latest Mio A702 makes use of the SiRFDirect characteristic of which I have talked in my previous post, which is called by the name of NavSteadi. It makes allowances for a better navigation experience by making use of heading and acceleration sensors to assist with GPS reception in areas where signals are not up to the mark.
Nokia debuts Nokia 500 GPS Auto Navigation system
Whenever I think about Nokia, portable mobile phones come in my mind rather than GPS devices. Nokia has unveiled the Nokia 500, second in-car navigation system for convenient in-car navigation and communication. The Nokia 5500 Auto Navigation device has integrated GPS and competitive in-car navigation features as well as complete Bluetooth handsfree system for your compatible mobile phone. The Nokia 500 is featured with 4.3 inch color screen, which makes it easy for you to search through contacts and make and receive calls. The handsfree speaker system with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) provides you excellent audio quality. The Nokia 500 is equipped with high-sensitivity GPS and Nokia Maps navigation software, which gives you clear voice and visual directions. The device comes with pre-installed regional maps and detailed travel information, including your points of interest like hotels, police stations and tourists sites. The device has an intuitive Nokia interface, featuring a split screen, which provides you additional information like your next turn, estimated time of arrival and distance remaining alongside the main screen to help for your navigation. The Nokia 500 Auto Navigation system allows you to listen music from the integrated music player, view photographs or watch videos. The device also plays music through your car’s FM radio by using the in-built FN transmitter. It is expected that the Nokia 500 Auto Navigation to be available in selected regions of Europe in the fourth quarter for a price of EUR 300.
V7′s NAV700 soon to be released in North America
V7 is getting ready with a novel model to hit the North America market. The most recent model, which is known as NAV700 features a 4″ TFT LCD touch screen and a 400MHz Samsung processor. It also consists of 1GB on board flash memory as well as an extra 256MB on the SD card. NAV700 is said to be sprinted on WindowsCE.Net on the background and depends upon a 1600mAh Li-Polymer battery for power. Besides it utilizes all the rage SiRF Star III GPS receiver. The hardware & software are included with the support for TMC; so once you lift up an external TMC antenna, you can get live traffic information at once. So, the latest and greatest V7 NAV700 will hit the shores of Canada first and the US in the long run. Though there is no word on its MSRP, but yet it is expected to cost $349 or lower.
Track real-time location of your friends and family via Myrisis
Are you searching for your pet? If yes, then GPS enabled real time location tracking system, Myrimis will help you in searching your pet. Hong Kong based Nanomatic has launched Myrimis (my-risk-management+information-system), which enables millions of people to use the most comprehensive location based social network on their personal computers or mobile phones. With Myrimis, users can track real time location of their friend, pets and assets through integration with Nanomatic’s nanonavi. Nanonavi, a mobile phone application offers location tracking features through GPS enabled device. Even you can also log into your Myrimis profile and real time locations of family and friends. You can not track strangers, so firstly you need that all friends need to join Myrisis. Next thing you need GPS enabled mobile phones or PDAs. Currently, Nokia Symbian S60 phones are capable to run this application. Myrisis also allows you to monitor your house, remotely control for your appliances and also takes care of your children and elder when you are away. Currently, the service is totally free, so register yourself and take care of your pets, friends and family. Image Credit: Nanomatic
China’s GPS mobile market to rise tenfold by 2011
Mobile devices ensuring mapping services are gaining momentum in China. According to iSuppli Corp, the selling of GPS-enabled mobile phones will touch 16.5 million units in 2011, up from 1.4 million units in 2007. In other words, the GPS mobile market will record more than ten times growth in contrast to what it is today. The sky-high growth is mainly due to constant fall in average selling prices of GPS handsets, says iSuppli. The leading mobile giants, China Mobile and China Unicom Ltd. have entered into Car GPS Garmin GPS Lowrance market this year. They are charging a monthly fee of $2.5 for mobile navigation service providing 5MB of data. With the increase in the sales of GPS handheld devices, the demand for GPS chipsets, processors and other IC chips will grow up, predicts iSuppli while asserting that the pricing for GPS chipsets will drop constantly during the first half of 2008. It will cause sheer competition in the Chinese market.
Cars to get Apple Branded GPS unit
Recently an interesting news regarding Apple is making rounds! Focus one of the most noteworthy German magazines has made certain significant and eye-opening announcements. According to this immensely famous magazine, Apple is working hard on a GPS unit mainly for cars. According to the article, during the first six months these units would be made available only for Mercedes. Later, it will be made available to other car manufacturers. Isn’t it really exciting? Well, till then we can only wait for its arrival! I am also waiting for its arrival with baited breath, to install it in my car. Let’s see whether GPS unit with Apple branding would be able to make it by 2009 or it is just a rumor?