NaviGadget

Do you have any idea how much effort it takes to create all those digital maps on Google, on your mobile phone, or on any kind of GPS navigation system? A lot! However there are mainly two companies who create these maps. Tele Atlas (Dutch) and Navteq (Finnish). We did talk about the map making process from Navteq’s point of view back in October and today we’ll look into how Tele Atlas does it.

Popsci has a nice article about it but we’ll summarize it for you below since we know about your attention span problems you’ve been having lately.

Shooting

Photos captured by more than 300 drivers, who drove 350000 miles last year. They’ve got 50 minivans, each with about 6-10 1.3MP still cameras mounted on the roof to provide a 360-degree view. (they just added stereo cameras to provide 3D images. They take pictures every 10 feet. Computer checks image details, highly accurate GPS receivers and other sensors keep updating van’s position.

Processing

Each van has two HDDs. One gets sent to New Hampshire to evaluate image quality and the other to a facility in Poland. Employees use software to stitch photos. Software can also pick out road signs, traffic light or other important stuff. Then someone categorizes the object and records its exact location in the database so you know what’s the speed limit or it’s a one way road, etc.

Updating

Every area changes about 10 to 15 percent every year. Tele Atlas delivers new maps every 90 days, so they constantly update. Apparently they even utilize resources such as aerial imagery, engineering surveys, and even UPS branches, pizza-delivery joints and regular GPS users.

If you remember we talked about the F2 GPS phone from dmedia last year. This year they’re also showcasing F200; a GPS phone with WiMAX connectivity.

Apparently the F200 won the CES Innovations Award last year but somehow we managed to miss it. We’re sure they’ll be displaying their WiMAX GPS phone this year and we promise to be more careful not to miss any awesome new gadgets like this one.

F200 WiMAX GPS Phone equipped with G-sensor which could detect the angle of the cell phone from horizontal level, allowing users to view screen with either horizontal or vertical mode in vary applications. When you want to view pictures, simply to flip your cell phone from horizontal to vertical level then you can change the view mode of the picture. Embedded GPS Module makes cell phone a personal navigation device operating with navigation software preinstalled.

F200 WiMAX GPS phone features two screens; both on the same side. A 2.2″ one and a 1.6″ touch screen below it. The map data is preinstalled on a server and navigation software allows users to navigate through voice instructions. F200 also has a built-in 2MP digital camera.

It even has an embedded G-Sensor so it can flip the screen depending on how you’re holding the device.

We said we’d give away more of these so here we are. Today we’re giving away a second MG-950d GPS Data Logger from MainNav.

With MG-950d you can track your speed, altitude, max speed, average speed, distance traveled and more; in addition to using it as a GPS receiver when you’re traveling to unfamiliar places. You can pair it up with a handheld, laptop or a phone with navigation software and you’re ready for driving directions.

To participate you need to subscribe to our feed and leave a comment below with an email address we can reach you at.

We will ship this out to a U.S. address only. Sorry rest of the world. Also duplicate entries, emails, IP addresses will be disqualified.

We’ll close this article for comments a week from today and after that we’ll announce the winner.

There are rumors out there that Mio will be introducing a new generation of GPS navigation systems at CES 2009. We know because Mio Corporate Blog has been talking about the new Spirit interface to be used in these new systems.

The interface was already in use in Europe by Navman (Navman S series) which was recently bought by Mio. Also called ‘glide touch interface’, Spirit allows users to tap and slide the touchscreen to open, dock, pan and scroll menus, similar to the latest MP3 players and smartphones.

We’ll be reporting more about Mio from CES 2009… read »

As a rule, Men don’t need for directions. Now with that statement you probably think I’m going to be writing about a GPS Navigation Unit, but in fact I’m talking about the Holux GPSport 245 which is so easy to use that you don’t need to look at the directions! See how that first line makes sense now?

I’ve played with some of the GPS sport recorders out there and for some of them you definitely need to read the manual to understand how to get into all the different modes. Not with the Holux GPSport 245 though. With the dimensions of 82 x 53 x 23 mm and weighing in at 72g, this little device weighs has a large and very well organized screen.

There are six buttons on the unit. One each on the Left and Right side (Back/Esc and Enter respectively) and then on the front of the unit below the LCD are 4 function keys. read »

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute of Korea is working on a new system that can be embedded into your GPS navigation system to stop wasting of gas. The idea is to to prevent unnecessary fuel consumption and exhaust emissions by turning off the engine when there is no need for propulsion or air conditioning.

They’ll be displaying their systems at CES which includes Proactive Idle Stop (PIS) Control & Management, Vehicle Status Display, and a support of the interface with a navigation (Platform of PISCU) on USB.

This is all at research level right now so do not expect to see this in 2010 Hyundai’s.

We don’t know of too many ‘portrait’ mode GPS navigation systems. They’re almost always ‘landscape’. Unless it is H300 from an appropriately named GPS navigation manufacturer THEMAP. They’ll be at CES 2009 next week displaying this and many other GPS navigation systems.

H300 has a transreflective 3.5″ QVGA TFT LCD display, SD/MMC card slot for audio and video playback, and a 1200mAh battery that supposedly lasts you up to 8 hours in tracking mode, and 5 hours in navigation mode.

Other features include 3-axis magnetic sensor that acts as a digital compass, built-in TMC receiver for traffic updates, optional barometer, and bluetooth connectivity.

We’ll also be visiting THEMAP at CES; and see if H300 is as good as it sounds.

If you’re too manly to use a GPS navigation system but still can’t do without some directional assistance you may be interested in this digital compass from CanMore of Taiwan. Sure it looks hideous but you never know when it may save the day. Just keep it in your pocket for good measure.

Its dimensions are only 51×30x19 mm and it weighs less than 0.8oz. It has a north indicator, shows your heading in degrees in addition to cardinal and half-cardinal point (N, SW, etc..).

It is water resistant, has a backlight, and shuts off automatically to save battery.

We’re not sure if it’ll make it to the U.S. so we’ll stop by their booth at CES and ask them.

UPDATE: After Danny’s comment below we did a search for this little gadget. Amazon actually carries it as Digital Smart Satellite Compass for only $30.

I like to consider myself a very photogenic person. I’m not vain but I enjoy being the subject of everyone’s photograph (nope, not vain at all!). Well, that was until I received a letter in the mail from the state of Arizona with an unflattering picture of me along with a speeding ticket. Which brings me to introducing the new GPS Angel v4e! This little Road legal device is a red-light and speed camera warning system. The GPS Angel uses GPS technology to warn the driver of red light and fixed speed cameras. You might wonder if it uses mystical powers to know where these cameras are actually the GPS Angel connects to your PC (Mac not supported) and using the GPS Angel software it downloads the database of Speed and Stop light cameras from the Patriots Camera Database.

read »

Best Buy just updated their site with a new pink Samsung Instinct. You can get it from them without a contract for $600. Its status is still posted as “coming soon” so you may have to wait just a little more.

$600 maybe a bit too much but as you may have already guessed this is the ‘no strings attached’ price - without any 2 year contract subsidy. More than likely Best Buy will also offer a cheaper version with the contract and everything very soon.

As far as GPS features Sprint’s Simply Everything plan which is $99.99/mo. includes navigation. Yay!

Here are the features:

• Operates on CDMA 800/1900MHz networks
  For fast wireless data communication.
• Bluetooth wireless technology
  For use with a compatible Bluetooth enabled device.
• Sprint Power Vision network
  Provides convenient Internet access to news, sports, weather, e-mail and more.
• 3.1″ TFT screen
  With 240 x 432 resolution and 262K colors provides bright, clear images for navigating your phone’s features.
• 32MB user memory
  For storage purposes. Store additional data on the included 2GB microSD card.
• Built-in 2.0-megapixel camera and camcorder
  Capture high-resolution images or create your own video clips. With Sprint PCS picture mail you can share them with family and friends instantly.
• Sprint TV enabled
  Watch live TV and video-on-demand for instant entertainment. Sprint Music Store enabled lets you download songs instantly to your phone.
• Embedded GPS chip
  Utilize the E911 emergency location services network (where available).
• Picture caller ID
  See the caller’s identity before answering your phone.
• Speaker-independent voice dialing
  Say the name of a contact in your phone book and the number dials automatically without having to use the keypad.
• Sprint Mobile e-mail
  Send and receive personal or work e-mail so you’re always up to date.
• Hands-free speakerphone
  Lets you talk while driving.
• Up to 5.7 hours of talk time
  With a single lithium-ion battery. 2 standard batteries are included for a total of 11.5 hours talk time.