Hasta La Gadget!

Yesterday we attended Toyota’s Green Drive Expo where we were given the opportunity to take the production version of the Prius plug-in hybrid (PHV) — and its smorgasbord of technology — for a spin. We spent a couple hours driving interfacing with the computers aboard the Advanced model, which besides being outlet-friendly, includes some unique features within the Prius lineup. Explore our gallery below, and hit the break for our impressions and hands-on videos with the latest incarnation of Toyota’s iconic vehicle.

Continue reading Hands-on with Toyota’s Prius plug-in hybrid (video)

Hands-on with Toyota’s Prius plug-in hybrid (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re a fan of TomTom’s Go Live series of nav units, you’ll get a kick out of what the company announced today. Hitting retail and online stores in October is “the world’s first portable navigation device with a suite of popular travel apps,” the Go Live 1535M. That’s right folks, this piece of dashboard flair will allow you to use Yelp, TripAdvisor, Expedia and Twitter all from the comfort of its 5-inch touchscreen. In addition to the new application integration, the GPS juggernaut’s classic features will be available as well: hands-free calling, real-time traffic info, local search, fuel prices and weather forecasts. Sounds great, right? But what’s that… you already sprung for the 2535M model? No worries, mates — you’ll be able to download the new features this fall via software update. Pricing for these app-enabled navigators will start at $250 which includes a free 12-month subscription to TomTom Live services. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to make that dinner reservation while TomTom tells you how to get there, seconds before you tweet about it.

Continue reading TomTom announces Go Live 1535M in all its app-wielding glory, offers dashboard tweeting

TomTom announces Go Live 1535M in all its app-wielding glory, offers dashboard tweeting originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For better or worse, it seems that GPS services are rapidly approaching their mid-life crisis. After rampaging through a host of makeovers (see more: here and here) that would make even the most ADD-popstar dizzy, the phoenix of the navigation industry is now trying its hand at a new augmented mobile reality. Sitting pretty at $2.99 in the App Store, Lustancia’s TapNav app swaps the virtual maps for a real-time AR overlay via your iPhone’s camera. It’s not a killer feature by any means, but if you’ve ever found yourself wondering just which turn your PND is indicating, then this is for you. Sexy robot-voice assistance and routing stay free, but you’ll have to pony up for that turn-by-turn navigation after the sixty day paid trial. Astonishingly brief press release after the break.

Continue reading Lustancia’s TapNav app takes your iPhone for an AR-assisted spin

Lustancia’s TapNav app takes your iPhone for an AR-assisted spin originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s hard out there for a company making endangered gadgets. According to Reuters, flailing satnav maker Navigon could be acquired by none other than Garmin, which has struggled itself to maintain strong handheld navigator sales in the face of stiff competition from smartphones. The deal could be worth somewhere in the “mid-double-digit million” Euro range — a none-too-helpful estimate, but enough for us to understand that the personal navigator market is in such a state that Garmin could scoop up its rival for a pretty modest sum. Garmin, for its part, has been doing well, considering — it’s the top navigator brand in the US (a market Navigon has long since exited), and its profit nearly tripled in the most recent quarter. That’s largely thanks to those bestselling navigators, but also because the company’s been wise enough to reinvent itself as a purveyor of running watches and expand its boating and aviation businesses. In any case, if the Navigon brand is going bye bye, it looks like we could find out as soon as this month.

Garmin in talks to buy Navigon? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn announced at a NYC event last night that the company’s HD Traffic service, previously only included with the Go 2535 M Live, would be available on all U.S. Live models, including the Go 740 Live and XL 340 Live. Traffic updates will be one component of the subscription-based Live, which will also see a 50 percent price drop, to $60 per year. This is all part of TomTom’s grand Traffic Manifesto, which aims to cut traffic by five percent overall. Achieving this rather lofty goal in the U.S. would require 10 percent of the country’s drivers to be using Live, which transmits real-time traffic data using a dedicated AT&T SIM. The company says drivers using the service themselves can expect to see travel times reduced by up to 15 percent. Our commute often involves a pajama-clad hike from the bed to the desk, so if you’re currently a subscriber who drives to work, let us know if Traffic is making a dent in your travels.

Continue reading TomTom sends HD Traffic update to all Live models, extends Traffic Manifesto to US (video)

TomTom sends HD Traffic update to all Live models, extends Traffic Manifesto to US (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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