TomTom wants you to buy a new PND (personal navigation device) this holiday season. So much so, that they will buy your old device from you via a mail in rebate.

Google might be in the middle of turning the navigation market on its head with hints that their free turn-by-turn service might make its way to the iPhone, but that’s not scaring the big players away. TomTom and Telenav have both been on the platform for months and show no sign of turning tail, and now another big-name has jumped into the mix: Magellan.

Just minutes ago, Magellan announced that their first application, Roadmate, has hit the App Store at an “introductory price” (which, more often than not, tends to be the final price drummed up for the sake of pumping launch sales) of $79.99.

Alright, everyone, settle down. I know the Google Maps Navigation stuff is pretty amazing, but let’s not write off the traditional GPS makers just yet. They’re not going anywhere for a while. Your parents and friends will see to that.

Hopefully the sudden market loss that companies like Garmin and TomTom saw yesterday will wake the companies up and see that they are doing it wrong. They are in the habit of producing 78 different versions of the same GPS. Each model steps you up $20 and adds another feature. It’s a ridiculous business plan and totally opposite what successful companies are doing.

But it’s true. Google dropped a bombshell on GPS makers yesterday with its free navigation tool that trumps almost anything currently available. The Android 2.0 app is about as robust as you can get thanks to the always connected Android OS and almighty Google. You can simply say “Where is the Best Buy in Flint, MI” and it will take you there. All this is free from the “do no evil” company, Google.

Bad news, you guys. If you were thinking of dropping $120 on TomTom’s iPhone car kit and then another $100 on TomTom’s navigation app for use with your first-generation iPhone or second-generation iPod touch, it now looks like you’d to run into some compatibility issues.

AppleInsider is reporting “that although the Car Kit dock is compatible with all iPhone models, the TomTom application will only work with the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G – even with the dock connected to a first-generation iPhone or iPod touch.”

TomTom’s iPhone car dock is now available from the U.S. Apple Store for $120 with a shipping time of 2 to 3 weeks. You’ll recall that the actual TomTom iPhone app runs for $100 on top of that.

Sport-specific GPS devices can often cost hundreds of dollars each and if you’re someone who’s into all different types of outdoor activities like skiing, golfing, and running, buying separate GPS gizmos can add up quickly. Sure, you could probably use your smartphone to run multiple sports GPS apps but then you’ve got to deal with sweat, the elements, and… um, cell phone thieves that hang around ski resorts. That’s a real thing, right?

Raise your hand if you’ve been caught on camera running a red light (I am raising my hand). Depending upon how often you get caught by red light cameras and how much you have to pay per ticket, this $200 “Red Light Camera Detector” may end up saving you some money and insurance headaches in the long run.

Woot.com has a pretty stellar deal on a 4.3-inch widescreen TomTom GPS system at $109, today only.

Amazon’s taken $35 off the Garmin nuvi 850 GPS system, from $200 down to $165 (today only) with free shipping. The nuvi 850 features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, voice recognition, and a built-in FM transmitter.

A well-meaning law, yes, but one that just misses the mark. I refer to, of course (as if you have any idea what I’m talking about), the Road User Amendment Rule 2009 in New Zealand. It would make it illegal to use a cellphone as a navigation device while inside a car.

It seems the iPhone really tickles the fancy of some Japanese gadget freaks. Following the DIY iPhone digital signage system bag, Tokyo-based Ubiquitous Entertainment now gives us something even cooler: The “iPhone ARider”, a futuristic, portable navigation system. The ARider, an experimental project, mainly consists of an iPhone 3GS and a retractable head-mounted display (model T3-A by Scalar Corporation).

UK-based Lok8u (Get it? Locate you?) is a GPS-enabled wristwatch meant to be worn by children. The watch also features a built-in cell signal, too, which enables location information to be relayed rapidly to parents while waiting for the GPS chip to get its bearings or when there’s no line-of-sight to GPS satellites.

Giant-fingered technology enthusiasts, lift up your hearts! Magellan has a 7-inch GPS system on the way: the $299 RoadMate 1700. The touchscreen has a resolution of 800×480 and there’s a video input jack so you can hook up your iPod or DVD player. Sounds safe!

Despite the fact that some feel they are whistling in the dark, TomTom just released the latest generation of their “PND” (don’t call it a GPS) the XXL. Featuring a large 5 inch screen, the new PNDs also have improved routing technology that learns your route, and helps to determine the most efficient way to get where you are going.

Here’s a pretty nice GPS deal to start the week off. Amazon’s selling the Magellan RoadMate 1412 for $100, today only, after a $50 price break.

Today until noon eastern time only, Amazon’s got a “Lightning Deal” on the refurbished Garmin nuvi 265W/T widescreen GPS system with built-in Bluetooth hands-free calling and free, unlimited traffic data for just $166, down from $180. The same unit sells new on Amazon for just over $200.

Amazon’s got a fully-loaded Garmin nuvi GPS unit for $310 after a $53 discount, good today only. The 885T features traffic, weather, Bluetooth, and even “directs you to the preferred lane while driving.”

Standalone GPS devices are a dying breed. Anyone with a half-way decent smartphone can get from point A to point B with a few taps of an onscreen keyboard and it’s abundantly clear that standalone devices will end up being the the province of old folks. That said, TomTom and Garmin are seeing roses and puppy dogs.

Here’s a big, fat GPS-enabled wristwatch that’ll allow you to walk around and then see where you walked around on Google Maps. You can also use it to find your way back to a certain location and even geo-tag photos to boot. There’s 8 megabytes of built-in storage to log all of your nefarious movements.

Remember the ClarionMiND? “MiND” being an acronym for “Mobile Internet Navigation Device,” the more-than-a-GPS system handles your in-car navigation but also pulls double duty as a tiny computer as well, with an Intel Atom CPU, YouTube browser, MySpace application, web browser, and more.

Originally priced at around $500, Amazon is selling the ClarionMiND for just $200.