See if you can make sense of this quote from a TomTom spokesperson:

Our navigation system runs on the iPhone already.

Does that mean TomTom has an application in development for the iPhone App Store? If so, when will it be released? If not, then what exactly was TomTom talking about? My guess, that TomTom didn’t want o seem “hurt” by the inclusion of a GPS chip inside the iPhone 3G. Its software will work just as well on the iPhone as it does on its stand-alone units. Something to that effect.

POIfriend (pronounced like boyfriend), which has nothing to do with the traditional Hawaiian dish of fermented taro, aims to be “the point of interest community that connects people and the places important to them.” Sounds easy enough, right? That’s because it is. POIfriend.com is based out of Toronto and was started by Dave Krawczyk and Bill McLean. It’s essentially a social network that allows users to create and share their own POIs within their group of friends or with the entire community. Sounds pretty dumb, huh? Well, if it were just a social network to collect and share POIs then, yes, it is dumb and not worth the time to sign up, but POIfriend.com is much more than that.

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Aren’t GPS sales on the decline? I can say without a doubt that if I had a car I’d pick one up. I’m sorry but Google Maps is not perfect and even if I had a BlackBerry with GPS, I still wouldn’t rely on it. I was in Seattle last week and had a bitch of a time getting around with just Google Maps.

TomTom announced this morning a revamped One and XL GPS devices. Some new fangled windshield mount dubbed EasyPort can be taken with you wherever you go. The audio systems from previous models have been tweaked so that you can raise the volume of the device without it getting distorted and hear it above traffic. The higher end models include text-to-speech. The One sports a 3.5-inch touch screen LCD while the XL comes with a 4.3-inch screen. Both will be available some time next month. Specs and pricing after the jump.

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GPS sales have been booming. Last January’s CES saw just about every manufacturer under the sun dumping out unit after unit, some with millions of points-of-interest and whatever else they can dream up to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. Alas, the party is over and everyone who wanted a GPS now has one, resulting in a slowdown in sales.

GPS devices are like 20-inch rims — you buy them once and pretty much ignore everything else out there until they break. Because they sit quietly in your car and, unlike dubs, don’t spin wildly at 90 mph, they tend not to break. And, like a, road atlas, the routes rarely change so… you don’t buy new GPS devices. Unlike kicking stereos, you rarely upgrade.

So now we’re seeing GPS device prices falling and commidity players like Navman and Mio dumping units on the market at lower-than-low prices. Once every mom in Anytown, USA has a GPS, the big guys like Garmin and TomTom are going to lose market share and the kids are just going to pull up Google maps. The result? Get out of the GPS market as soon as you can.

I’ll be honest with you. If I hadn’t gotten rid of my car late last year, I’d be tempted to pick one of these up myself. There are plenty of cheap GPS units out there but to be able to grab a TomTom unit for under $100 seems to be a pretty sweet deal.

The unit is refurbished, yes, but you’ll get the same warranty as if it were new (one year, I believe) and you can extend it through Buy.com’s warranty service.

Specs include a 3.5-inch touchscreen, preloaded maps of the US and Canada, turn-by-turn voice directions, and millions of points of interest like gas stations, ATM machines, hotels, etc. Not too shabby.

It’s $119, plus a $20 mail in rebate at Buy.com.

TomTom ONE 3rd Edition Portable GPS System [Buy.com] via FatWallet

This seemed like a no-brainer, I’m not sure why it hasn’t been implemented before. TomTom’s new models, the 730 and 930, estimate trip time using collected data on how fast people actually go on the streets it suggests, rather than the posted speed limits. I guess the question is, where did they get this data? Is there a “send anonymous usage stats to TomTom” toggle somewhere on their GPS units that people don’t know about?

The system also takes into account “speed bumps and rotaries,” by which I think it means traffic circles. Not only that, but if you live in LA and drive on 12-lane surface streets all day, it’s got a detailed lane view thing now that tells you which you should be in. Cool features, but they also feature a $500 price tag. Not exactly a killer app.

New TomTom Models – 730 and 930 [GPSReview]

Yet another GPS unit will now be available to consumers; this time from TomTom. Its new ONE XL-S mapping unit is feature rich with a beautiful 4.3-inch for viewing. One of the standout features is text-to-speech, which basically reads out your directions, restaurants, etc. out to you so you can spend more time concentrating on the road rather than your GPS unit.

You’ll also be able to share map data with people online with the ONE XL-S and can do hands-free calling via Bluetooth, making this one of the safer units on the market. Optionally, you can get realtime traffic reports through TomTom if you want to shell out some extra bucks. Look for it at the end of this month for $400.

TomTom rolls ONE XL-S map unit with text-to-speech [Electronista]

Exciting news? Not really, but it could mean improved service and better products with TomTom’s announcement to buy map-provider Tele Atlas. TomTom is rumored to have purchased the company for $2.5 billion. Sure it’s a lot of money, but think about what you’re getting with that deal. Tele Atlas is currently the supplier of TomTom’s data.

This news will also shake up other map companies. Mapquest sucks and to be honest, I haven’t used it since Google Maps came along. Luckily, this acquisition is bound to shake up execs at both companies, possibly forcing them to come out with new features to stay fresh and compete. Daily map updates could also become a reality once the deal goes through. Sounds like a total win for both consumers and TomTom.

TomTom to buy map supplier Tele Atlas [Reuters]

TomTom’s got another portable GPS device in the woodworks. It’s the TomTom Go 720, made especially for the U.S. and Canadian markets. It’s a typical GPS device with all the features that are becoming more standard by the day, including a 4.3-inch touch screen and basic multimedia playback options. But the Go 720 does do one thing a little differently: it allows users to collaboratively improve the included maps.

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TomTom officially announced this morning an expansion to its popular ONE line of personal GPS devices. The new version will feature an expanded 4.3-inch touchscreen display and Bluetooth. It is known for its ability to conveniently deliver spoken-word turn-by-turn directions.

It utilizes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is capable of two hours of operation. Additionally, it can display in both 2D and 3D and is backlit for convenient viewing under multiple lighting sources.

The TomTom ONE XL will be available in June for $399.

Product Page [via Gizmodo]

I change the main ringtone on my phone about once a week, so I can completely understand why someone would want to change out the voice that daily tells them to “turn left” on their GPS device. TomTom gets this and, while other companies offer multiple voice options for GPS voices, the company seems to be going out of its way to get unique voice talents, which now includes actor Gary Busey.

Yep, for just $12.95 you can have the voice of the man that nearly died of head injuries in a motorcycle accident in December 1988 guide you on your next trip to the mall. Oh and oddly enough, Busey starred in the 1983 film comedy “D.C. Cab” with Mr. T, who does a TomTom Navtone as well.

TomTom Navtones

TomTom, France’s top GPS maker, have made the Go 715 nav unit real. The killer app: a SIM card slot lets you tap onto the power of the data transfer medium known as the internet, for sending and receiving data. This could be cool: Easy updating of maps and points of interest is the most obvious application, but there are others, such as SOSing and reading gadget blogs on the road.

[via Gizmodo]

No real information on this one beyond a few pics. We know it’ll be a GPS (duh it’s TomTom), SD, Bluetooth dialing and voice SMS and interface changes. It’ll also have a new docking system that will allow you to cradle your TomTom and use it to control an iPod or USB storage device.

More pics after the jump: Read More

If you bought a TomTom GO 910, you may be looking for more than just directions. Turns out a small batch of the devices contain two different, non-lethal Trojans that can be detected by your anti-virus program when you hook the 910 up to a PC. TomTom has been slow to admit that its devices do indeed have issues, but says that this is no biggie and that if you have an infected unit, to contact customer service.

Imagine the hilarious outcome if the virus affected the user’s trip destination…

TomTom admits Satnav device is infected with virus
[Daniweb]

validation. Otherwise the updated maps are $49.95 for TomTom GO 300, GO 700, TomTom RIDER and TomTom NAVIGATOR 5 customers until March 31, 2007 and $149.95 for all products after that date.

TomTom Maps [product site]

Product Page [HTC via Mobile Whack via GPS Lodge]

Lots of big stories dropped yesterday and, as always, we want to make sure that you caught the major ones. Here are some of the highlights from Thursday, August 16:

The tiny GPS navigation system with a large 3.5-inch screen hits the US shores this month, after much delay. It only weighs 5.6 ounces and is 1 inch thick, which is tiny for a GPS system. Carry this around in your pocket or bag to have whenever your buddies are driving, just in case.

It’s got 32MB of SD memory and access to TomTom PLUS services such as traffic and weather. As an entry-level device, it’s pretty decent. But at $499, it may be a little too costly for entry-level users.

Press Release [Business Wire via Engadget]

Palm announced today the Palm GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition. The system is powered by the new TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 software that features voice navigation and turn-by-turn directions. Meanwhile, a new SiRFstarIII Bluetooth enabled GPS receiver handles all that meddlesome satellite communication. It is compatible with Treo 650, 700w and 700p devices.

I’ve always wondered why GPS hasn’t been embraced by more developers. I know it’s sneaking its way into more-and-more devices, but instead of crappy camera phones, GPS would have been a much more appropriate feature to intergrate. Hopefully it soon becomes more prolific.

Palm Announces New Bluetooth GPS with TomTom for Treo Smartphones [Palm News]