With competition in the global sat nav arena hotting up, sat nav manufacturers now appear to be turning their attention not only to the hardware specification of their device, but also to the availability of up-to-date mapping data. Indeed, the well publicised battle between TomTom and Garmin for the acquisition of Tele-atlas, one of the leading mapping data providers, illustrates just how important maps have become in the battle for superiority.

TomTom have continually addressed the way people update their mapping data. With the release of TomTom Map Share, their Latest Map Guarantee and now their new map update service, TomTom appear to have their bases covered in terms of mapping data.

continue reading "Garmin Rumoured to Offer Lifetime Map Updates"

Garmin Ltd, one of the top manufacturers of GPS products, has announced an offer for Dutch mapping company Teleatlas NV in a move which outbids an existing offer from TomTom by some 3.25 Euros per share. Garmin’s offer is due to launch prior to December 4th, before the expiry date of TomTom’s offer.

Currently, TeleAtlas and Navteq are the only suppliers of mapping data for consumer GPS devices. With maps accounting for up to 20% of the cost of a GPS device, the victor in the bidding war stands to make significant gains. TomTom, powered exclusively by Teleatlas, should benefit from a reduced price of mapping data, thus allowing them to reduce the prices of their devices and undercut their competitors. Garmin, on the other hand, powered by Navteq maps, can avert a potential stronghold by TomTom by preventing them from aquiring TeleAtlas. Garmin however, may feel the strain of this strategy and stand more to lose according to some analysts.

The acquisition of Teleatlas by a specific GPS company may cause secondary issues in that competitors may no longer wish to use the maps if owned by a rival company. In this scenario, Navteq may stand to make significant gains if rival companies choose to switch to Navteq as their  map supplier. Rival GPS companies may also follow suit from the TeleAtlas deal, and we may see a similar acquisition of Navteq in the future.

What is clear from this latest development is that mapping data has become an important factor in the GPS market, and with further developments such as TomTom’s MapShare system, the issue continues to be a complicated one.

Garmin tips the stakes even further in hunters’ favour with the Garmin Astro, a GPS device for hunting dogs and their owners. On the left is the hunter’s GPS unit, which tracks what your dog is doing and where it is. On the right is the transmitter that the dog wears, either on its collar or on a special harness.

Since I’ve never been hunting in my life, I’m speaking from complete inexperience, but a great whacking big antenna sticking up past a dog’s head doesn’t seem like a great idea, especially if the pooch gets into a tight spot. Avid hunting enthusiasts, please set me straight.

Looks like TomTom and Garmin are in for a fight. Smaller GPS device makers are slashing prices, forcing a price war. The competition is so fierce that Philips have decided against entering the market.

I know that I’ve complained before about GPS systems that focus too heavily on gimmicks and not enough on mapping and reception - but now I thought it was about time to see what is actually being offered attached to your GPS device on the market today.

Digital media for your GPS ranges from Bluetooth for handsfree calls to the ability to watch full movies when you’re not navigating. Both Garmin and TomTom have integrated Bluetooth connectivity into their latest models, and they are both offering real-time traffic data either included or as an optional extra. They are not alone in this function, with Mio, Navman, Destinator and others all offering a version of TMC modules, online traffic databases, and speed camera detectors, making this “addition” probably the most common features on the GPS market right now. Less common is the MP3 player.

continue reading "GPS now gets you from A to B in style"

Garmin have launched a Mobile Phone GPS navigation system at CeBit last weekend – the Garmin Mobile 20. Designed for in-car use, the Mobile 20 offers vocal turn-by-turn directions through a Bluetooth cradle. It is made to work on Nokia, Windows Mobile and the Treo 650, so covers all the major smartphones.

continue reading "Garmin do mobile phone GPS"

Garmin have been creating ‘wearable’ GPS for a while now, and their latest outing, the Foretex 101 has all the functionality of handheld GPS devices, along with a big ol’ wrist strap, to keep your hands free. It’s water-proof, durable, and perfect for the ‘outdoor enthusiasts’ among you. Now from the image below you can tell that it’s not the most dainty GPS system ever created…

continue reading "Garmin bring GPS to…your wrist?"

Garmin launched a premium GPS system today for Palm OS PDAs and Bluetooth Smartphones. All of the Palm sites have become very excited by this as the GPS package includes not only Garmin’s proven navigation software and GPS 10 receiver, but it is said to integrate smoothly with Palm’s existing software.

continue reading "Garmin and Palm unite for navigation"