TomTom finally hits Android starting at $50, not ready for all devices (video)

DNP TomTom finally hits Android, we go handson

As TomTom promised, Android users can now be guided offline by the nav company — unless you happen to own a Galaxy SIII, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Nexus or a handful of other recent, popular smartphones or tabs. It said most models would be compatible by year’s end, but if you do have one that works already, you’ll get all the features that iOS users have enjoyed for quite a while: radar camera warnings (depending on your country), eco routes, contact navigation, free map updates and traffic guidance. The app is now available on Google Play starting at $50 for the US and Canada maps, an “introductory offer” that’s 10 bucks cheaper than the same iOS version, so you might want to check the source before that price goes up — if you’ve got the right device, of course. We’re hoping to take a spin with the app soon, but meanwhile, you can check out a teaser video and the PR, after the break.

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TomTom finally hits Android starting at $50, not ready for all devices (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 08:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom for Android makes its way into the Google Play store

Good news Android users, if you weren’t fully satisfied with the navigational capabilities of Google Maps and wanted something a bit more “robust”, well you might be happy to learn that TomTom has officially landed in the Google Play store. It will cost the same as its iOS counterpart, although right now TomTom has priced it $10 cheaper which means that Android users can expect to fork out $49.99 for it – an introductory price so you best be quick! We admit it is pretty pricey as far as apps are concerned, but we’re sure that there users out there who wouldn’t mind spending that kind of money.

However it should be noted that TomTom for Android will not be compatible with all Android devices out there. For example it seems that some higher-end Android devices were not listed as supported and this includes the Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus 7, the HTC One X, the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note.  We assume that more device compatibility will be added to the mix in the future. Not all of the features found on its iOS version will make it into the Android version – at least not in this version – which includes the Foursquare integration. Either way the core features will still be there so pop on over to the Google Play store for the download!

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: TomTom for Android to be announced at IFA, TomTom to launch on Android devices “fairly soon”,

TomTom Navigation for Android released (with a compatibility catch)

TomTom has launched its Navigation app for Android, with offline driving directions, 2D/3D views, voice guidance and the promise of mapping updates for the lifetime of the software. TomTom Navigation for Android – available in North American, European, UK & Ireland, and other geographical versions – also includes TomTom HD traffic data, for mapping out routes on less busy roads, using live and historical traffic trends. However, the mapping app still isn’t perfect – you may well find you can’t actually use it at all.

The big issue at the moment is compatibility. TomTom has apparently built Navigation for Android to suit screen resolutions of up to WVGA; Google Play tells us that it’s incompatible with many recent, high-profile devices. If you’ve a Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7, Galaxy S III, as well as many other tablets or phones, you won’t be able to use the app at all.

Hopefully that will change soon, as Navigation for Android looks like it ticks plenty of boxes. As well as the live traffic data, there’s support for multi-stop routing, having the most economical journey prioritized, automatic fading of music so that spoken instructions can be heard, and support for TomTom Places and POIs.

Since all of the maps are stored on your phone, not downloaded when needed, it’s a big app – the UK and Ireland data comes in at 367MB, for instance, while the US & Canada is a whopping 2.3GB – but you can turn off roaming data while traveling. TomTom promises up to four map updates per year, for the lifetime of the app.

TomTom Navigation for Android is available now, priced at $49.99 for the US & Canadian maps, £30.99 for the UK maps, and £49.99 for the full European maps.

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[via Paul O’Brien]


TomTom Navigation for Android released (with a compatibility catch) is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Blackberry 10′s map will not feature 3D viewing

We’re not sure how many of you guys absolutely need the 3D feature on Apple’s Maps app and Google Maps, but it’s still a nice feature to have. Well if you rely on that feature a lot and you were thinking about making the switch to Blackberry 10 in the future, you might want to take note that according to RIM, Blackberry 10’s maps will not feature 3D viewing, a feature which RIM thinks is unnecessary.

RIM has partnered with TomTom for their mapping feature and given TomTom’s reputation for their GPS systems, we expect you should be able to find your way without really needing 3D, right? What do you guys think? Do you think 3D viewing is a make or break feature, or could you care less as long as you get to your destination?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Blackberry Link desktop software hinted at in Blackberry 10 screenshot, Blackberry 10 N-series spotted in leaked video,

Editorial: Apple’s smart Maps maneuver

Editorial Apple's smart Maps maneuver

It might seem as if Apple chose its iOS 6 release last week to practice the biblical directive to love one’s enemy. For, by ejecting Google Maps from updated iPads and iPhones, Apple hath caused glorious comparisons to shine upon its foe. If most people were unaware of comparative feature sets and quality aspects that distinguish Google Maps from Apple Maps, every tech-loving person on God’s earth is an expert now.

The media love a bloodbath, and Joe Nocera led the rhetorical pack by calling Apple Maps an “unmitigated disaster” in a NY Times piece. He wondered whether such calamity would have ensued if Steve Jobs (who called the 1998 “hockey puck” mouse the world’s best pointing device) were guiding the company’s product evolution. Mr. Nocera argues the Maps replacement as an indicator that Apple has peaked.

I argue that replacing Google Maps with Apple Maps was shrewd, inevitable and an indicator that Apple understands the true battle it wages.

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Editorial: Apple’s smart Maps maneuver originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom confirms new taxi-ordering service, beginning trial rollout in Amsterdam

TomTom confirms new taxiordering service,

TomTom has been continually upping its navigation game, what with its partnership with Apple in iOS 6 and the HD Traffic 6.0 upgrade and requisite Android app announced this summer. Far be it from the Dutch service to rest on its mapping laurels, though: it’s now poised to take on Uber and other players in the taxi-hailing world. Last week, The Next Web reported that the company acquired the taxi-fetching app maker TXXI in an effort to roll out a TomTom cab-booking service, and today the site reports that the theory is now confirmed. Speaking with TNW, TomTom said it indeed bought TXXI to “help develop tools to support the taxi market,” with initial efforts focusing on Amsterdam. Last month, the company began a trial program in that city to let restaurant and hotel guests order a taxi from a mini-kiosk called the Taxi Butler. On the cab side, there’s the so-called Taxi Assistant, a TomTom-branded device which alerts drivers to incoming requests. No word on whether the company will eventually introduce mobile apps, but we’d say it’s a pretty safe bet.

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TomTom confirms new taxi-ordering service, beginning trial rollout in Amsterdam originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom announces HD Traffic upgrade, BMW Partnership

TomTom announces HD Traffic upgrade, BMW Partnership

TomTom is announcing HD Traffic 6.0, an upgrade to its live traffic service that’s reportedly 90 percent better at identifying roadworks and 65 percent better at spotting closed roads. At the same time, the company’s teaming up with BMW to offer GoLive device integration with selected 1, 3, X1 and X3-series vehicles. Pop down to your local dealer, and a specially designed mount will integrate the gear with your car’s entertainment and audio systems, muting directions when you’re on a call and so-forth. Both are available from today, with HD Traffic expanding to a further 23 countries before the end of the year.

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TomTom announces HD Traffic upgrade, BMW Partnership originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 01:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom for Android to be announced at IFA

Good news Android users, if you’re looking for an alternative sat nav app for your mobile device, it looks like TomTom might have something in store for you. The company has recently announced that its sat nav apps will be making their way onto Android devices, although details such as pricing and availability and compatibility will only be announced at IFA 2012, although a rough time frame in October has been given for its release. According to the company, “TomTom’s on-board maps, IQ Routes and HD Traffic will give Android users the freshest map, the fastest routes and the most accurate arrival times. The application is set for release in October 2012.” In any case we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for additional information, so if you like the idea of TomTom acting as your sat nav on your mobile phone while you drive, check back with us at a later date for the details.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: TomTom to launch on Android devices “fairly soon”, Wifarer app provides real-time indoor navigation,

TomTom bringing its navigation app to Android in October, keeping mum on the details

TomTom bringing its navigation app to Android in October, keeping mum on the details

Following the release of its smartphone hands-free car kit, TomTom is previewing its new navigation app for Android handsets at Teutonic trade show IFA. When it arrives in October, it’ll offer navigation, traffic and IQ routes to tempt users away from Google’s bundled navigation applications and onto the company’s paid service. The terse teaser is bundled after the break, but until the GPS maven opens up about its new platform, we’ll just have to be patient.

Continue reading TomTom bringing its navigation app to Android in October, keeping mum on the details

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TomTom bringing its navigation app to Android in October, keeping mum on the details originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 05:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: accessories

Welcome to Engadget’s back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn’t nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we’ve got a slew of accessories — and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back — at the end of the month we’ll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides — and hit up the hub page right here!

DNP Engadget's back to school guide 2012 accessories

Sure, you may need ultraportables and such to get the bulk of your work done, but you also need a few add-ons to make tasks just a bit easier. In this installment of the back to school guide, we’ll offer a collection of accessories that will do just that. From extra batteries to external hard drives and peripherals, what you’ll find here should help you get through a day of back-to-back classes, without the need to worry about losing all those term papers if something goes wrong with the SSD. Of course, not all of these are meant to aid in serious, head-down studies. We also tackle a few options for keeping fit and iPad-powered study breaks, too. So head on past the break for the rundown on a gadget stash that’ll help you ease back into the flow of things this fall.

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Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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