How does it work? Well, you buy a TomTom PND, then go to this website to complete the process. You’ll ship TomTom your old GPS (along with the appropriate form, of course) and then you’ll get your check in about 7-14 days. Pretty easy.

[via Twice]

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.

Read the rest of this post >>

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 it’s 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 “Don’t Be Evil” company, Google.

TomTom has a cell phone navigation solution too. Except theirs costs $100 for the app and another $120 for the car kit and the whole thing isn’t nearly as powerful as Google’s offering. But there are others as well: Navigon sells an app for $100, TeleNav has one for $10 per month, and there are other no-name programs out there for around the same price. Those apps are all dead in the water as soon as Google ports the Navigation app to other platforms.

The standalone GPS will be fine though. It should survive the cell phone GPS onslaught because it generally caterers to a different market. Do you really think your parents could operate an Android phone, let alone a GPS app within it? Some might be able to, but first they will have to be convinced to buy the phone and expensive data service to go along with it.

There is a gigantic market of folks outside the tech/nerd world that have absolutely no interest in smartphones and the high monthly bills that come along with them. These same people might just pick up a GPS at Walmart though and figure out the rudimentary functions over the course of a few months.

Standalone GPS units also have screen size in their favor. Have you actually ever used a cell phone-size screen for navigation while it’s mounted on your dash or windshield? It sucks. I’ve found the screen size to be way too small. Just think about your Dad’s cataract-filled eyes. How the heck is he suppose to follow a route on a 3.5-inch screen? As the recently announced Nintendo DSi LL clearly shows, an extra inch can make a huge difference.

What will likely happen is that the Google app will finish off the already small market for Internet connected GPS units and top-tier models. These are the units that carry a monthly service fee in return for access to basic functions like gas prices, custom routes, and traffic info. This is where the two markets of smartphone users and GPS owners overlap. But this market was already dying due to the rise of the other GPS apps, and Google Maps Navigation will put it out for good.

GPS manufacturers still need to get with the program and cut down their product line. Garmin is notorious for producing a dozen models, each with a slightly different feature set. How about making just three aimed at three distinct price points: $99, $249, and $500. It simply doesn’t make sense to offer so many different models with minimal price and spec differences.

But here’s the thing. Don’t shed a tear for GPS makers. They will be fine as long as they recognize that the market is changing and adapt. If they don’t, it’s their own damn fault.

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.”

You’ll recall that the hardware dock features its own built-in GPS chip and speaker to amplify GPS signal strength and the volume of turn-by-turn directions, so it appears that if you were to dock an iPod touch or older iPhone that you wouldn’t be able to take advantage of those enhancements. Basically, you’d have a $120 car charger.

AppleInsider further reports that “When asked whether the application could be updated to allow it to work with the iPod touch and first-generation iPhone, a company spokesman simply said that TomTom has not made any ‘public announcements.’”

It doesn’t seem like it would be rocket science to add the extra compatibility, and TomTom would theoretically benefit from the expanded hardware base of potential customers but, suffice to say, it’s best to hold off for now.

TomTom Car Kit, navigation software will not work with iPod touch [AppleInsider]

Aside from secure windshield docking, the kit also includes a secondary built-in GPS chip for “a truly reliable signal – even in high-rise urban areas,” according to the product description. There’s also a built-in speaker and microphone for hands free calling and a 3.5mm audio out connector that allows you to feed it directly into your car stereo’s audio-in jack.

TomTom Car Kit for iPhone [Apple Store via SlashGear]

London’s Satsports Ltd. just announced what the company’s calling the “world’s first truly multi-sport interactive all weather GPS,” a $490 handheld device with built-in navigation applications for skiing, golfing, running/cycling/hiking, and an optional automotive application.

The “Satsports GPS” is currently available through the company’s web site and “at select ski resorts worldwide.” It’ll apparently also be available at “additional mass market retailers to be named soon.”

The optional turn-by-turn automotive application costs $65 and Satsports also sells Windows Mobile-specific GPS apps for $8 apiece, with similar Android versions to be available soon.

Multi-sports GPS [SatSportsGPS.com]

The system has a built-in GPS chip that “compares your automobile’s bearings with an internal database of 6,000 red light and speed camera locations in the U.S. and Canada.” What’s more, the display shows your current position on a street map and “alerts you to the presence of red light cameras with visual and audible cues.”

Though this device walks like a GPS system and talks like a GPS system, it does not function as a GPS system. That is, there’s no turn-by-turn directions or points of interest or anything like that. On behalf of everyone reading this, why not just add in those features and call it a day? It might help justify the $200 price tag.

Up-to-date data can be transferred to the device via USB. The first year of updates is free, while subsequent years will set you back $20 apiece.

The Red Light Camera Detector [Hammacher Schlemmer]

It’s a refurbished XL340-S unit with touchscreen, text-to-speech, lane guidance, and intelligent re-routing. The cheapest I could find it elsewhere was $126.95 (also refurbished) at Amazon and it was out of stock there.

Shipping from Woot.com is $5 and the unit carries a 180-day warranty direct from TomTom.

TomTom 4.3” Touchscreen Portable GPS [Woot!]

Other goodies include optional traffic information via MSN, microSD expansion slot, MP3 player and photo viewer, and direct address transfer from Google Maps through the GPS unit’s USB port.

So all in all, nothing terribly fancy except that voice recognition stuff if you think you’d use that on a regular basis.

Garmin nuvi 850 [Amazon]

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).

It can be attached to a helmet and be used when biking around the city for example. Users can also make hands-free calls while wearing the equipment (via Bluetooth) and connect to Twitter via TwitBird Pro [iTunes link], a paid Twitter client for the iPhone, to get push notifications.

As the 3GS features a compass and is GPS-enabled, all you need to do in order find your way is to move your head (the map app you need to run on the iPhone will rotate accordingly). Obviously, the main point of the ARider is there’s no need to look at the iPhone screen as the map is projected onto the HMD (more information on Ubiquitous Entertainment’s project can be found here).

This video shows the iPhone ARider in action in the city of Tokyo:

It appears that you can order it online from the UK right now, and the company has an office in New Jersey and a US sales e-mail address on its web site.

The device itself costs £149.99 ($245) plus a required 18-month cellular plan for text alerts and location services ranging from £4.99 ($8.15) to £19.99 ($32.65) per month depending on the number of automatic text alerts you want sent to you.

Location information is available using included mapping software or you can use your own cell phone to send out a text message containing a special code as well. If the watch is removed from your child’s wrist, a text message and e-mail alert are immediately sent to you. You can also set up a “Safe Zone” for your child – basically a neighborhood perimeter that, when crossed, will send you alerts.

Num8 – The world’s first GPS locator that locates your child [Lok8u via Daily Mail]

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!

Other features include preloaded maps of the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, microSD expansion slot, spoken street names, and “highway lane assistance.” Other than that, there’s not much more in the way of details but apparently the thing’s going to be shown off at a media event tonight in New York, so maybe we’ll find out more then (unless you just don’t care).

The company press release says that it’s available now, although it’s no where to be found. Amazon’s got it on pre-order with an October 10th shipping date, though, so let’s stick with that for now. As press releases go, I’d give this one a C- due to lack of information and/or misinformation. You don’t grade press releases, though. It’s not like school.

[via GPSTracklog.com]

Both units share the large screen, but if you want TomTom’s “Advance Lane Guidance” you need to shell out for the more expensive XXL 540S unit. The 540S also has Mexico mapped out for you, unlike the 530S, which only has the US and Canada.

Both units will be available next month, with the XXL 530S at $279, and the 540S coming in at $299. Judging from the feature set, if you are a constant traveler, I’d spring for the 540S.

From the press release:

CONCORD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TomTom, the world’s leading provider of navigation solutions and digital maps, today announces the latest models in its award-winning portable navigation product offering – the TomTom XXL 530S and TomTom XXL 540S. Drivers can now enjoy TomTom’s premium technologies, including the highly acclaimed IQ Routes™ Technology, on an extra-large five inch screen.

“The new TomTom XXL devices enrich our product portfolio by providing our customers with new offerings that cater to individual preference and need, like the larger, easy-to-read screen” said Jocelyn Vigreux, president of TomTom Inc. “The introduction of the XXL range is in line with our strategy to increase the depth and breadth of our product offerings, based on customer feedback.”

Optimal Routing

The TomTom XXL 530S and XXL 540S devices enable users to always drive the smartest and most efficient routes, whenever or wherever they go. The TomTom XXL 530S and XXL 540S include TomTom’s exclusive IQ Routes™ technology. The technology is based on historical speed measurements for every time of day and for every road segment, from large highways to small local roads. In up to 35% of all cases, the use of IQ Routes results in driving a faster route, saving significant travel time, money and fuel.

In addition to the above mentioned features, the new TomTom XXL devices come with:

* Full maps of the US and Canada
* TomTom Map Share™ technology, so users can instantly modify street names, street direction, points of interest and more on their device and benefit from corrections made by others
* TomTom Help Me menu, so users can easily access local emergency service providers such as police, fire stations and hospitals.
* TomTom’s newest user menu with an elegant interface that features optimized icons for even easier navigation
* Award-winning Fold and Go EasyPort® mount, folds flat against the device, making it easy for users to transport
* TomTom HOME, the free desktop application to keep users’ devices up-to-date at all times

Features unique to the TomTom XXL 540S:

* Advanced Lane Guidance for realistic representations of complex highway junctions and lane-specific visual directions that take the stress out of navigating these otherwise challenging areas
* Preloaded maps of Mexico, the US and Canada
* Seven million points of interest, so users have access to information and location details of more restaurants, hotels, gas stations, etc. than ever before
* High-quality black finish, for a sleek look

The 4.3-inch touchscreen device features NAVTEQ maps, 6 million points of interest, text-to-speech, SmartDetour, 2D and 3D navigation view, and three hour battery life.

So all in all, a pretty straightforward GPS system. Not a ton of bells and whistles here, but the price is definitely decent. Free shipping, too.

Magellan RoadMate 1412 [Amazon]

Features include:

• 4.3-inch widescreen touch display with 480×272 resolution
• Integrated traffic receiver with free traffic data for the life of the device
• Hands-free calling via Bluetooth
• Improved 2D and 3D interface
• Photo geotagging
• 3D terrain maps
• Send Google Maps and MapQuest addresses directly to the device over USB

This deal’s good until noon eastern or until they sell out and there’s a one-year warranty on the product, same as if it was new.

Garmin nuvi 265W/265WT 4.3-inch Bluetooth Portable GPS [Amazon.com]

Data is fed from MSN direct — traffic, flight status, Doppler radar weather, gas prices, movie listings, stock info, news, and more. There’s also a built-in Bluetooth speakerphone and voice compatibility that allows you to request information from the device using spoken commands.

The GPS unit itself features a 4.3-inch widescreen display (touchscreen), four-hour battery life, microSD expansion slot, and is 0.7 inches thick.

Garmin nuvi 885T 4.3-inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator [Amazon]

Quoth Bloomberg:

“In the summer period, we’ve seen quite a good development in demand,” TomTom Chief Executive Officer Harold Goddijn said in an interview at his Amsterdam office. “We’re becoming more optimistic.” He declined to forecast revenue for the portable navigation devices, or PND, industry next year.

Garmin also believes the personal navigation device isn’t dead but I point both companies to a little something that also started with P – the PDA. Palm and Compaq fought a valiant fight but in the end the smartphone took over and killed the PIM/PDA industry. Whoosh. Gone. Unless TomTom and Garmin go all software – and they are – they’re toast. The PND market isn’t going up. It will be flat to down next year and gone by the end of the decade.

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.

What’s also nice, if I may opine for a minute, is that if you hook this watch up to your computer via the USB cable, you can use it as an actual GPS receiver (XP and Vista only, apparently). So load up some sort of netbook or MID inside your car and then plug your watch into it for some nice Google Maps action.

Battery life is good for just 21 hours so if you’re not used to charging your timepiece every day, you’ll have to make it part of your daily routine. Maybe put “charge watch” somewhere in between “brush teeth,” “watch Golden Girls,” and “have a nice, long cry” if possible.

The GPS Watch costs $77.61 and is available from Chinavasion.

GPS Watch (Location Finder + Data Logger + Photo Tagger) [Chinavasion.com]

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.

Further specs include the following:

• 4.8 inch WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) LCD Display with touch screen
• Intel Atom Architecture (800 MHz)
• 512MB DRAM
• 4 GB solid state drive (SSD) flash memory
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
• Bluetooth 2.0+EDR with DUN (Dial-up Network) profile
• SiRFstarIII GPS module with 20-channel GPS receiver
• Li-Ion battery (Small Battery: 2 hours, Optional Large Battery: 4 hours)
• Built-In amplifier and speaker
• 3.5mm external headphone connector
• 2 USB ports (standard/mini)
• microSD card slot
• Docking Station (NK1*1) connector
• RDS-TMC Traffic Ready (lifetime subscription; optional car dock required)

On behalf of all other motorists, please pull over if you’re going to be using any of the actual features on this thing. Or at least have your passenger steer for you while you update your MySpace page.

Clarion MiND Mobile Internet Navigation Device [Amazon via dealnews]