Telenav has just launched Scout, an iPhone app which they are calling the “first daily personal navigator that seamlessly works across the web, smartphones, and in-car systems – offering users an easy and consistent experience no matter where they are. As Telenav explains,

Most people still start their searches from their home or office. In fact, according to the same Telenav survey, 75 percent of respondents prefer to use a personal computer over other options to begin their search for local businesses, and 65 percent turn to a personal computer rather than a mobile device to find navigation information.

To ensure Scout users have a rich online experience, Telenav is launching

Garmin, who seem to be going like gangbusters lately (including the addition of Navigon to their lineup last year) have released a preview of what they are showing at CES this week.  In their press release they are announcing some new and update products including:

- Garmin Smartphone Link is the first Android app that provides live services to a PND utilizing the smartphone’s data connection.

- The new nüvi® 3500 series: Garmin’s newest flagship personal navigation devices and the company’s first GPS navigators that combine the ultra-thin form factor with a large, 5-inch glass display.

- Garmin® Approach™ G6 GPS takes golf to a whole new level with

I needed a car a few weeks ago. That opened the door to my getting some of the neat technology we have seen and reviewed here on the site built into the car. Here was the Gear Diary editors backroom chatter.

Judie:

Question: What color? Answer: black

Question: 2 or 4 door? Answer: 4 door

Carly:

Question: 2 or all-wheel drive? Answer: all-wheel-drive – between where I live and what I do it is a necessity.

Question: hybrid or standard? Answer: Unfortunately standard because hybrid all-wheel drives are rare and the all-wheel-drive kills the gas benefit of the hybrid

When we needed a new car last week one thing was clear- I wanted to lease one with all the technological bells and whistles I could find. After all, I’ve been whining and complaining about not having integrated Bluetooth and navigation in my car and my mechanic, and Elana, had been hearing a refrain of “Is it time yet?” for months. So I now have Bluetooth, navigation, destination assistance with real human beings on the other end of the call and impact/emergency detection. Had we not needed a new car however I would most likely have been putting one of OnStar’s FMV systems in my old car. I took a look at one last month… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Here’s just one small indicator of how much things have changed over the past few years. One of our cars died and is on its way to the junkyard. Prior to having it shipped off we cleared out the glove box. Buried deep inside with these relics of travels past.

Me, “hmmm, New car has nav. I don’t think we need these any longer.”

Elana, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Let’s just put them in the recycling bin.”

It is a new world and one in which, like phone books, maps are really a thing of the past… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Smartphones and tablets are “category killers” that have decimated numerous standalone products. As I have written previously, from one perspective the iPhone and the iPad are like “Rorschach devices”. They are “blank slates” (pun totally intentional) that can take the form and function of a wide range of devices depending on whatever software they are currently running. That means that, with the right apps, they can double as a camera and do photo and video editing on the fly. The result has been the demise of the Flip camera and some serious “hurt” on the point-and-shoot camera market. (Once the iPhone 5 and its 8MP sensor is released watch out point-and-shoots!)

Similarly, smartphones and… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The increasing reach of smartphones has called into question the usefulness of many dedicated devices, from music and video players, to compact cameras, and of course the ever-useful GPS.

With GPS and turn-by-turn navigation almost standard equipment on Android devices, and the prevalence of iPhones, one could be forgiven for retiring their trusty nav and leaving their destination in the care of their phone.

Realising this, several of the top navigation device companies have put their eggs in several baskets, with versions of their software and maps available for smartphones across the globe.

A personal favourite of mine is Navigon’s iOS app. It’s clear, easy to use, has excellent mapping display and can harness… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I hate being predictable. I hate being statistic. But Telenav’s new survey basically suggests that I, and I suspect many of you, fall right in line with the data when it comes to out smartphone dependence (read: addiction). The question asked in the survey was, “How willing are you to give up… your smartphone, coffee, shoes etc.”. For example,

54% of all respondents would be more willing to give up exercise for a week than their mobile phone.

55% of respondents would be more willing to give up caffeine for a week than their mobile phone,

63% would be more willing to give up chocolate

70% would be willing to forego

I’ll admit it. I’m tough on my electronic devices – especially my phones. After a couple of years with me the cases are usually scuffed and marked. Amazingly, I’ve been lucky and not had major problems with screen scratches (even though I do NOT use screen protectors).  I think my phones survive, however, because I always make sure I use some kind of protective case as a daily driver.

When Magellan offered us the opportunity to review their ToughCase, it seemed right up my smartphone-abuse-laden alley. Not only did it offer a strong rigid case, but also GPS signal improvement, and an extended battery! So let’s take a closer look…

Image courtesy of Rightway

Portable GPS units are a dime a dozen these days; I think I even saw them for sale the last time I ran in to the local 7-11 for a slurpee. A few years ago I remember the GPS boom with the 3.5″ TomTom’s flying on the shelves on Black Friday and for Christmas, but I can tell you most of the time you get what you pay for. Some of the flagship units from Garmin, TomTom, and Magellan can easily cost you $500 or more on today’s market. But if you’re in the market for a new personal Nav device, and your cell phone navigator just isn’t cutting it, then RightWay… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Navigon’s latest entry into the increasingly crowded sat-nav market looks to be a cracker with a 4.3” display, Bluetooth hands-free phone and a sleek design that makes it easy to hide away when not in use. In my two week test of the Navigon 6300, it really impressed!

Out of the box you get everything you need to get up and running in the car. A very secure windshield mount is fully adjustable to achieve the best viewing angle, no matter what car you are mounting it in, and the power adaptor has a sufficiently long cord should your lighter socket be in an awkward position.

Image courtesy of Rightway GPS

It’s hard to find a vehicle now days that doesn’t have a GPS mounted to the dash or windshield. Sometimes I wonder how we even made it anywhere before cheap consumer based GPS units stocked the shelves of Best Buy. Well RightWay GPS has announced a new addition to the family, the Rightway 550 Navigator. Rightway Navigation units are full featured NAV systems available at a much lower cost of their higher end competitors. The 550 is powered by CoPilot v8, and navigates using a SiRF Atlas IV GPS chipset. Windows CE 6.0 is stuffed under the hood along with 128MB of Ram,  and a 4.3″ widescreen. The RW… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Image from Mobilecrunch

I was reading through Techcrunch/Mobilecrunch this morning and came across Nokia’s announcement first unveiled in the UK that Nokia is launching free Ovi Maps with Navigation.  A US announcement is scheduled for later today according to Mobilecrunch.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Photo courtesy of Slashgear

Motorola brings a whole new lineup to CES with some new phones and accessories. Their biggest announcement comes to us as the Motorola Backflip with MOTOBLUR. This new Multimedia powerhouse brings all the latest features in an Android smartphone with the addition of the MOTOBLUR content delivery service. MOTOBLUR organizes all your favorite friends, feeds and messages and streams them to live widgets for immediate reply, so you can focus more on the information thats coming rather than who is sending it. It only takes a few simple clicks to update your status on your favorite social media site right from “happenings” widget on your homescreen. More after the break.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Since its initial release, I’ve been suggesting that people watch the Mobile Maps products from Sygic. They had an interesting approach to navigation software and they seem very committed to making their products better. Now they’ve released Mobile Maps North America version 8.01 and refreshed the look and feel of parts of the app. Lets look at it it a little closer…… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...