Clear Channel Radio has announced an expansion of its RDS-TMC live traffic service, adding 15 more metropolitan areas to their coverage, bringing the total number of areas covered to 95. The new markets are:
Continue reading "15 more cities get live traffic via TMC" »
Garmin has signed a multi-year deal with GyPSii, a mobile social networking company. The press release (PDF) says the deal is for a "range of Garmin products." We can probably expect to see GyPSii on the forthcoming nuvifone, but is is unclear what other devices might utilize it. Garmin has previously been reluctant to develop connected PNDs, due to consumer resistance to a monthly service plan in addition to their cell phone contract. Nevertheless, this statement implies that either connected Garmin PNDs are on the way, or plans are underway for multiple nuvifone models.
Continue reading "Garmin inks mobile social networking deal with GyPSii" »
I spoke with some Microsoft staff at CES about MSN Direct. They've announced enhanced services including news headlines, stock quotes, local events and a "send to GPS" feature that can be accessed from maps.live.com.
That last one could come in quite handy. Though designed to help with trip planning at your PC, I can see calling my wife from the road and asking her to look something up and send it to my GPS (user-selected locations are sent via the MSN Direct radio network). The locations show up under the "Web Favorites" button displayed in the nuvi 780 in the image above. It may be a step shy of true two-way connectivity, but it's probably a lot safer for a solo driver.
Is MSN Direct superior to TMC / TTN for live traffic info? Jack Yeazel of the well-respected site GPSInformation.net thinks it may be. He recently posted on the sci.geo.satellite-nav UseNet group:
"For a couple of months I've been comparing these two traffic sources in the Atlanta area with a nuvi 660 (TTN) and a 680 (MSN Direct)...
Well here, MSN Direct obviously uses more of the traffic monitoring stations than TTN, resulting in a more-detailed display of changing traffic conditions... As for "reality", MSN Direct also seems superior...
(Not to mention that you also get Gasoline Prices, Weather Forecasts, and Movie Schedules (not available with TTN) for $50 a year as compared to $60 for TTN)... And pardon for "beating this dead horse", you get one year trial subscription with MSN Direct as compared to three months with TTN."
Continue reading "Is MSN Direct the best traffic service?" »
Garmin has published an API and taken several steps to open Garmin devices to third-party generated content.
The Garmin Communicator Plugin API beta "allows developers to transfer location data – such as waypoints, track logs, maps and points of interest (POIs) – to and from a website and Garmin device." I find it especially interesting that maps are included in that statement. Perhaps we'll start seeing more third-party map providers now that Garmin has given them tacit approval. Geocaching.com and Motionbased.com are both using the technology behind this, though users may have to download a plugin to ensure that it works with their browser. Currently IE 6+ and Firefox 1.5+ are supported. Mac support is "coming soon."
Many of the other tools announced today move Garmin farther into the location-based services game:
I’ve been playing with a Garmin nuvi 680 for the past couple of weeks, checking out MSN Direct services. I live a few hours away from a major metropolitan area, so I had to make a couple of trips to the city to try it out.
Along the way, I discovered a (to my knowledge) previously unreported touchscreen problem / firmware bug.
For all the details on the bug and on MSN Direct services, head on over to my Garmin nuvi 680 review page.
This is beginning to look like the year in which location based services (LBS) will break out big time. In the past week, we've heard that the Dash Express will feature Yahoo! Local search, and that the Garmin StreetPilot c580 and Garmin nuvi 680 will both feature MSN Direct, giving access to traffic, weather, gas prices and movie times (see accompanying screen shots).
Other announcements are coming fast and furious. Garmin, which has used XM Radio's weather service and and now MSN Direct's, yesterday announced the acquisition of LBS provider Digital Cyclone. This gives them a developed weather product for cell phones and aviation, more options in personal navigation devices, and additional distribution channels in the wireless telecommunications industry.
Garmin has announced the Garmin StreetPilot c580, a new top of the line device in the c500 StreetPilot series. The Garmin StreetPilot c580 features dynamic content from MSN Direct, including traffic, weather, gas prices and movie times.
Offering content in 100 markets in the U.S., a full year of MSN Direct service is included with the StreetPilot c580. Following the trial period, it will cost you $49.95 a
year or $129.95 for the lifetime of the device. MSN Direct service is
delivered via an FM signal, using the included receiver.
Otherwise, the StreetPilot c580 seems identical to the StreetPilot c550. Here's the press release announcing the Garmin StreetPilot c580 and Garmin's other new MSN Direct connected device, the Garmin nuvi 680 . The StreetPilot c580 is expected to ship in the first quarter of 2007, at a sure to discounted suggested retail price of $857.13. I'm including a few screenshots of the new StreetPilot c580.
Garmin today announced the Garmin nuvi 680, a new flagship GPS navigation device in the nuvi line. As expected, this new nuvi (couldn't resist) offers dynamic content from MSN Direct, including traffic, weather, gas prices and movie times. Offering content in 100 U.S. markets, 12 months of MSN Direct service will be included with the nuvi 680. After that it will cost $49.95 a year or $129.95 for the lifetime of the device. MSN Direct service is delivered via an FM signal, and the 680 comes with a receiver for it.
Otherwise, the nuvi 680 seems to be identical to the nuvi 660. Here's the press release announcing the Garmin nuvi 680 and Garmin's other new MSN Direct connected device, the Garmin StreetPilot c580. The nuvi 680 is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2007, at a sure to be discounted suggested retail price of $999.99. I'm including a few screenshots as we get our first look at the nuvi 680.
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