Good news for file sharers - the  Leyio PSD (Personal Sharing Device) has just been nominated for one of T3 Magazine’s Innovation of the Year awards. Held annually, the T3 awards are highly respected in the technology arena and provide huge publicity for the nominated products.

Competing against the likes of the Google Android, Spotify and TomTom LIVE services (full list of nominees below) , the competition is certainly a tough one. With its innovative UWB (ultra-wideband) radio connectivity for quick and easy transfer of files, photos, music  and movies, the Leyio is sure to be in with a fighting chance

If you would like to vote for the Leyio, simply head over to http://awards.t3.com/categories/innovation-of-the-year and cast your vote.

T3 Magazine’s Innovation of the Year awards nominees

- Philips Cinema 21:9
- Google Android
- Navigon 7310
- Samsung LE40B650
- Touchatag
- Leyio
- Optoma Pico PK101
- Spotify
- TomTom Live Services
- Microsoft SeaDragon Mobile8

SiRF Technology, the company responsible for manufacturing the Global Positioning System (GPS) chipsets found in the majority of today’s sat nav devices, recently announced a new platform called SiRFatlasIV.

SirFatlasIV is a multifunction GPS receiver and multimedia processor which offers a cost-effective single-chip solution for entry-level touchscreen gps devices. The upshot of the SirFatlasIV chipset is that sat navs utilising the new technology should be cheaper to produce.

Whether or not the savings on devices produced with the new chipset will be passed onto the consumer remains to be seen. The cheaper production costs however, may allow smaller sat nav companies to compete with larger companies such as TomTom.

The typical suction cup holder provided with most sat nav devices offers an effective solution to mounting the device on the vehicle windscreen. The only downside to this type of holder is its tendency to leave tell-tale sucker marks where it has been attached to the windscreen. These sucker marks can act as a beacon to thieves, who will target cars with these marks in the off-chance that the expensive sat nav device is stored somewhere in the car.

In a bid to wipe out sat nav theft, police officers in Cardiff are handing out a new type of beanbag style sat nav holder, known as the ‘Nav Mat’. The new type of holder is heavy enough to sit on the dashboard, and includes an anti-skid base to prevent the device from sliding. Mounting the sat nav is simple and involves attaching it to the Nav Mat using the standard suction cup holder supplied with the sat nav. The Nav Mat mounting solution leaves no sucker marks on the windscreen, thus reducing the chance of car break-ins from thieves targeting sat nav users.

The new scheme is showing positive early indications and is currently being taken up by a number of hotels and commercial organisations, who have been asked to give the holders to regular visitors and to those who have previously been victims of sat nav theft.

For more information on the Nav Mat, visit: http://www.navmat.co.uk/

TomTom Go 930T - Satellite navigation has evolved with this state of the art TomTom sat nav.

Being the most intelligent sat nav system on the market today, the TomTom Go 930 T combines a number of the latest innovative technologies to ensure an optimal driving experience. As well as dynamic daily map updates via the acclaimed TomTom Map Share, the GO 930T also features the new IQ Routes, which calculates routes based on real average speeds, and Advanced Lane Guidance, which gives a more realistic view and enhanced visual instructions of the driver’s surroundings.

The TomTom GO 930 T also features a number of other updates and improvements, as well an improved design and TMC Traffic receiver, making it the most fully featured GPS device on the market today.

Summary of Features:

• IQ Routes Technology

• Advanced Lane Guidance

• TomTom Mapshare

• RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver

• Bluetooth Handsfree Calling

• Speed Camera Warnings and Speeding Alerts

• Wide 4.3″ Touch screen and enhanced Interface

For the TomTom Go 930 T please click here!

A new patent issued by Apple could bring a fresh alternative to GPS and satellite navigation through the use of “Podmaps”. This would incorporate the idea of maps and podcasts in one and does not require you to be connected to a mobile phone network or Wi-Fi in order to work.

The software driven concept would allow the Podmap user to request directions from a starting location, and the results would be returned in the form of a podcast media file which would include visual maps and step by step driving instructions.
continue reading "Apple iPhone - “i” this up!"

“If you see me walking down the street” I could be using the latest digital map for pedestrians. Map supplier Tele Atlas is now aiming for the growing market in digital map data for navigating on foot and will debut its first demo of maps at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona this week.

Incorporating pedestrian-specific attributes into the Tele Atlas map database will help create solutions that achieve the optimal walking route whilst also enhancing the experience of exploring new locations and areas. This solution will benefit both the busy executive seeking a more efficient way to get from the parking lot to a meeting location and the holiday traveller in a foreign city who needs to navigate their way around.
continue reading "“If you see me walking down the street….”"

If you are travelling or taking a road trip to Europe this year, take the hassle out of your journey with the newly released 7.15 mapping material from TomTom. The data is based on the October 2007 release from map supplier Tele Atlas with updated information on a further 80,00 km worth of road and 2800 extra points of interest (POI) in Western Europe while the new map of Eastern Europe has an additional 174,000 km of road and 20,000 extra POI.

These new maps follow the end of the promotion sale which ran from November 2007 to end of January 2008 but good news for customers is that this great value continues with the new pricing structure 20% lower than pre-promotional prices.

The new maps are exclusively available to download via the Map Shop on the TomTom site. www.tomtom.com

Not only can you save money on petrol by using a sat nav to find the shortest route to your destination, but now it seems you can save on your car insurance too. The RAC is now offering discounted insurance premiums for motorists who use GPS devices in their day to day travels.

According to the RAC, using a sat nav device makes you less likely to crash, by reducing driver distractions, therefore lowering your insurance risk.

A recent study conducted by Dutch research agency, TNO, has also confirmed that sat nav usage can benefit drivers in a number of ways, including reducing insurance claims and improving driving behaviour and performance amongst other things.

Good news for users of TomTom’s HOME desktop application. TomTom have just released their latest update - version 2.2 – featuring a number of updates to the original package.

As well as changes to the look and feel, TomTom have tweaked the Map Share facility and added a new content sharing feature.

Users can now upload TomTom related content to TomTom’s server, to be made available for download by other members of the TomTom HOME community. POI’s icons, routes, voices warning sounds and ringtones, plus more will be available for sharing in this manner.

Receive up to £30 cashback on Selected HP Models between 1st and 31st January!

This January HP are offering an amazing cashback deal, allowing you to receive up to £30 cashback on selected HP models! Now you have the fantastic oppurtunity to own an HP PDA or Smartphone at an incredible price! Keep yourself organised with HP’s outstanding products - hurry now to avoid missing out on these massive savings:

HP iPAQ 514 Voice Messenger = £20 cash back

HP iPAQ 314 Travel Companion = £30 cash back

HP iPAQ 114 Travel Companion = £20 cash back