Everybody of you will be quite familiar with a GPS device. It allows you to easily go to places you have never been before. But actually is that what you want from this device…! If your answer is yes then I am sorry to say that you will soon get bugged up from this device and it will be no more than a brick lying on the dashboard of your car.

Harmon Kardon has something more in mind as the company’s new GPS device named GPS-500 is much more than a normal GPS device. Their new device comes with the ability to playback audio and video files to ensure that you remain entertained during your transit. The company touts the device as a Guide + Play system that comes with pre-loaded maps of UK. In addition to UK it also includes maps of Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Norway, France and many more places. If the place you want to go is not included in the device then you can always connect the satnav to a computer and get a map downloaded on to it.

The company has not released the price and the availability of this device, but stay tuned for more info.

Via: About-Electronics

This slim compacted device comes with the latest TomTom Map Share technology enabling drivers to develop their own maps and share latest information with others. So users will be provided with the latest info available. Given below are additional features of TomTom GO 720 GPS navigator, let’s take a look:

TomTom GO 720 specifications:

(1) Optimized integrated microphone and speaker for high quality hands-free functionality
(2) Maps of US and Canada pre-loaded on 2GB internal flash memory
(3) 4.3″ widescreen 16:9 format LCD (WQVGA 480×272) display
(4) RDS-TMC traffic information receiver (optional)
(5) Lithium-polymer battery (5 hours operation)
(6) High-sensitivity GPS receiver
(7) Dimensions: 4.7″ x 3.2″ x 0.9″
(8) Integrated FM transmitter
(9) Bluetooth connectivity
(10) Integrated MP3 player
(11) CPU 400 MHz
(12) Weight: 7.7 oz
(13) 64MB RAM
(14) SD card slot

Now why the GO 720 has been talk of the time within sort span of time is because of TomTom’s Map Share technology, which comes pre-installed on the 720. The latest or the greatest Map Share technology allows users to adapt maps to dynamically adjust with existing conditions. Such as, users are enabled to choose new street names, or temporary construction sites, blocked roads, and one-way streets to keep the TomTom maps as up to date as feasible.

The latest service can also be availed in the TomTom Home software, which is able to be downloaded to the majority of the existing TomTom devices. All users are allowed to post map changes, which are shared online and available to all and sundry. Other users are allowed to log on and confirm or confute reported road changes.

Owners of the latest 720 are allowed to report changes in real-time while going on the road, whereas other customers are just allowed to put in updates from a PC or Mac.

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The NX4 is specifically designed to deliver low-power and highs sensitivity and provide optimum performance in tracking and TTFF. With the NX4, users will have ability to select hosted or standalone A-GPS architectures within a single chip and migrate to 65nm RFCMOS and integrated baseband for multiwireless applications, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and FM. The new NX4 is coupled with the GSM baseband integration with the aspect of hosted arhiteture, so that one the new multiwireless solutions are designed, then it is hard to displace.

Eric Achtmann, vice chairman of Nemerix stated that GPS is silently changing the rules of mobile games. Suppliers who have GPS capabilities will hange this lurative development.

Image: Nemerix

Did you remember? Few days back, I told about the launch of TomTom’s new GPS PND model, One XL in Taiwan. TomTom is again back with its new high-end navigator models, the TomTom Go 920 and TomTom Go 920T in the US.

The TomTom Go 920T GPS comes pre-installed with complete maps of Europe, the United States and Canada on 4 GB of internal memory. TomTom’s new GPS device includes enhanced positioning technology to experience more continuous navigation. The enhanced positioning technology of TomTom uses movement and gravity sensors to calculate the position of driven, when there is no GPS signals because there is no direct line-of-sight connection to a satellite.

The Map Share technology helps customers to adjust maps and share corrections with other TomTom customers, so that users can always receive the most up-to-date information. An RDS-TMS Traffic Receiver provides up-to-date traffic information, while an improved Bluetooth remote control allows drivers to operate their device safely from anywhere in the car without touching the screen of device.

The company has also unveiled the TomTom One 3rd Edition along with the TomTom Go 920 series in North America. TomTom One 3rd Edition has an improved user interface that provides options for customizing the navigation screen as well as provides quick search tools.

The new TomTom Go 920 series would be available by the end of 2007 for $600, while the TomTom One 3rd Edition will be available by the end of this month for $250.

Image Credit: TMC Net

SiRFDiRect technology uses heading and acceleration data from the sensors to boost the accuracy of portable navigation systems when GPS signals are weak or blocked, such as in dense urban canyons and tunnels. Transitions between combined GPS/DR and dead-reckoning-only operation are seamless and accurate without operator intervention, and the closely coupled GPS/DR architecture of SiRFDiRect technology continuously auto-calibrates the heading and acceleration sensors.

The initial adapter of SiRF’s latest SiRFDirect technology is said to be Mio, which is likely to divulge some novel models at Computex Taipei 2007. Mio is said to call this technology by the name of Navsteadi.

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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?

Image:fastmatt
Via:about-electronics

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 GPS 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.

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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.

Image Credit: Tech Shout

Via: About Electronics

Netherlands based company, TomTom International BV has launched a new model of its ONE series GPS portable navigation devices (PND), named TomTom ONE XL in the Taiwan market. The TomTom ONE XL is available at NT$12,900 in the market.

The company has launched the second GPS PND model in Taiwan. The company had launched the first TomTom ONE launched in May. The TomTom ONE XL is featured with 4.3-inch screen and voice navigation. TomTom One XL a mid-range model, while TomTom is an entry-level navigation. The company is planning to launch four new GPS PND models, including high-end ones.

Currently, TomTom is covering more than 15 percent market in Europe. The company has sold 150,000-180,000 GPS PNDs last year in Taiwan. TomTom is expecting to increase the sales around 170,000-190,000.

Image Credit: Top Deals

Via: Digit times

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.

Image Credit: Techshout

Source Link: Techtree