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TomTom Provides Update to App For iPod Touch/First-Gen iPhone Users

Matthew Tilmann — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:24:23 -0600

Fans of TomTom who use an iPod Touch or first-gen iPhone can now not only navigate their music, but can navigate around town too according to Apple Insider. The catch is, one needs TomTom's car kit, due to the Touch and phone lacking a GPS chip.

Version 1.2 had been submitted to Apple on November 12th and was released yesterday. Users can now look forward to newly updated maps and IQ Routes. Additional features include lane guidance, text-to-speech, and iPod player support.

TomTom's app sells for $99.99 USD from the App Store, and TomTom's car kit is available on their website for $119.95 USD.

Google Announces Maps Navigation for Android 2.0

Andrew Villa — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:22:45 -0500

Today Google announced a new application for its Android Mobile OS, Google Maps Navigation. This application will be a turn-by-turn application, comparable to a navigation unit that you would buy separately.

Still in beta, this GPS navigation system will feature everything you'd expect in a GPS navigation system, like turn-by-turn voice guidance, automatic rerouting, and 3D views. Like the Maps app we have on our iPhones right now, Google Maps will be able to take advantage of your phone's internet connection.

The first phone to have Google Maps Navigation and Andoid 2.0 will be the Droid from Verizion, but Google's Vic Gundotra said Google is working with Apple to bring the application to the iPhone. Saying, "The process involving Apple is slightly different from the usual App Store submission process, because Maps is a built-in iPhone application."

Google Street View Lands on Canada's iPhones

Andrew Villa — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:24:39 -0500

If you're in Canada and have been dying to use Google Street View in you maps application, wait no longer! Most major Canadian cities should have the option enabled including, Greater Toronto, Metro Vancouver, Ottawa, and many others.

Google has put in a "report a problem link," which allows users to report whether a point of interest is inaccurate or has changed.

Street View provides users with panoramic street level views, which Google collects using special cameras and equipment to match locations with GPS.

TomTom Arrives for iPhone

JC Domingo — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:02:03 -0500

If you've been waiting impatiently for TomTom to bless your iPhone, your long nightmare of driving willy-nilly all over town is over. The long-awaited TomTom app is available in the App Store for $99.99 for the US and Canadian version [iTune Link]. The Western Europe version [iTunes link] will set you back $139.99 if you feel like cruising around France on vacation.

Some of the highlights:

-- Meet up with friends with iPhone Contacts integration
-- Smart Routes for the quickest travel
-- Safety camera and speed camera warnings, take that Johnny Law!
-- Set your own route
-- Landscape and portrait support.
-- Zoom in and out just like every other iPhone app

There's Already a Turn-By-Turn GPS App for Your iPhone & iPod Touch

Danny Estrada — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:42:08 -0600

This past October and January, XRoad Co. launched its GPS turn-by-turn app on Apples iTunes App Store known as G-Maps with very little applause. They actually received 1 star reviews due to the simple fact that it didn't work very well. 1.0 version was a bust, but that didn't stop XRoad Co. They have bounced back with a 1.2 version that was released in early February. We are happy to tell you that it is a much better version, and is receiving reviews ranging from 3-5 stars.

There are two versions of this App for download, the warm sunny U.S West, (where everything great in the world lives... like Mac|Life and In-N-Out) and U.S East (where you can find a Piggly Wiggly and more Chick-Fil-A's than you can shake a stick at). G-Maps pretty much does what it's supposed to, it provides turn-byturn directions, distance count downs to each turns, points of interest, specific desinations via address, and you can edit routes and add detours. It even says that the app has a fancy 3D images of major intersections. What it doesn't have are voice prompts telling you when it's time to turn, but that's due to Apples strict app restrictions.

The app costs $19.99, and will take up about 800-900MB on your iPhone/iPod touch due in part to the maps that you will be downloading onto your phone, requiring no internet connection. So unlike Google maps, you wont be absolutely lost if you are in an area with no network.

XRoad Co's G-Maps are the first GPS turn-by-turn map out right now on the App store, but there will soon be a GPS navigation app by Sygic, we will see if Apple drops some of their restrictions and allows Sygic to work in some voice prompts.

Maps for Europe are on their way, but who really needs a map of Europe, they have neither In-N-Out nor Chick-fil-A.

CoreLocate on the Snow Leopard Where They Multi-Touched You

Danny Estrada — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:01:58 -0600

The latest seeded version of Mac OS X 10.6, AKA Snow Leopard, is said to include some tasty treats for developers. One being the inclusion of CoreLocations, a fancy little feature adopted from the iPhone. CoreLocation allows developers to ID a Macs current latitude and longitude based on available information. We believe it works by harnessing the combined dream powers of unicorns and puppy dogs, but AppleInsider.com seems to think other wise.

Instead of using a GPS signal like the iPhone 3G, CoreLocation would use the existing network hardware to triangulate your Mac's current location. If anything, this feature would provide the perfect excuse to use "I am triangulating your location right now," in causal conversation. You'll be one Kevlar vest away from being a Navy Seal Black Ops agent.

Along with helping you train to be apart of a secret reconnaissance task force, Snow Leopard might also be able to bring you one step closer to thinking you have a tablet MacBooks. Mac OS X 10.6 is said to have some Multi-Touch framework magic included to help developers to create some helpful apps that would support the Multi-Touch trackpad. Support for these API's seem to be on the rise with developers, but nothing steady or solid has been shown yet.

Google Latitude - A Stalker's Dream Come True

Roberto Baldwin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:46:56 -0600

Google announced the release of Google Latitude this morning. It's the latest service in a string of enhancements to the Google Map service.

The new service allows users to pinpoint the location of friends and family on a Google Map. The service is similar to the Loopt application available now on the iPhone and iPod touch. Users can adjust their level of privacy from, not sharing their location, to allowing the service to automatically update their location.

For automatic location sharing users need to install Gears on their browser of choice. Without Gears installed, users can still manually update their location via the Latitude gadget on their iGoogle page.

The service works on supported mobile devices with Google Maps and on computers via iGoogle. The mobile application is available now for the G1, most BlackBerry devices, and a host of other phones. iPhone and iPod touch support is stated to be coming soon.

Like other Google announcements, the company has created a handy video--complete with a narrator whose friends are way too cool--that explains all the juicy details.

Garmin Finds The True Path - All Trails Lead to Mac

David W. Martin — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:27:15 -0500

Garmin has finally embraced the Apple Mac platform by bringing it's entire geo-targeting and tracking software to OS X. The suite of applications can be found and downloaded here. The applications include:

RoadTrip - search for points of interest, organize way points, routes, tracks, and up/download them to your Garmin device

MapInstall - allows you to install maps on your Garmin device

Garmin Communicator Plugin - links your Garmin device to compatible websites

Garmin Connect - analyze performance, monitor progress and share GPS data with others

POI Loader - upload customized points of interest (POIs) to compatible Garmin GPS devices

Training Center - analyze and store workout data from your Garmin GPS device

WebUpdater - GPS firmware updater

Apple, Inc. Definitely a Point of Interest (POI)

You can read about new Garmin Mac news and the Garmin Mac Blog for information about Garmin and support the Mac.

Like many others, Garmin was once lost, but now is found. Discovering the benefits of selling software in the Mac OS X market at the end of the trail. Giving Mac users the same tools as Windows users. Welcome aboard Garmin!