Waypoints – March 31, 2007

GPS and map news briefs from the past week:

Garmin

• Make your own custom vehicle icons for you nuvi.
• Win a nuvi 350.
• Garmin has posted a mobile buyer’s guide to help you figure out which of their products work with your cell phone.

TomTom

• TomTom has extended their deal on new maps.
• TomTom RIDER 2 is on the way, perhaps as early as next month.
• How to clear your route in your TomTom so you can listen to your iPod without interruption.

Other GPS hardware

• The PSP GPS is coming to the U.S. Via Digg.
• A Forerunner competitor.

GPS software, maps, data, etc.

• There may be some Mac software here that I haven’t covered before. Via.
• Garmin has posted firmware updates for the nuvi 350 and 660, StreetPilot c340, c530 and c550, GPSMAP 60Cx, 60CSx, 76Cx, and 76CSx, and the Quest 2.
• XM NavTraffic expands to six new markets — Fresno, CA: Jacksonville, FL; Montreal, QB; Salt Lake City, UT; Toronto, ON; and
  Vancouver, BC. In addition, Portland, OR gets expanded coverage with
  traffic flow data.
• SureShot GPS has added 5,000 new golf courses to their coverage. Here is more about GPS for golf.
• TeleAtlas has expanded their South American coverage.
• FreeGeoTools has an interesting post on the USGS seamless data distribution system.
• I’ve added Wikiloc.com to my GPS data search engine.
• Sprenzy reviews MotionBased.

GPS in the news

• Garmin has become part of an international incident.
• The FAA wants GPS for pilots navigating runways.
• San Francisco gets GPS-enabled electric trolleys.

Geocaching

• Geocaching.com makes "site of the week" at PCMag.com.Via Digg. If you’re an auto-only GPS user, and are interested in this fun game, check out our GPS for geocaching post.
• Another geocaching bomb scare.

Cell phones and GPS

• Garmin has added more features to Garmin Mobile.
• AAA info is coming to multiple cell phone carriers.
• InfoSpace local search is now available for free on certain BlackBerry phones.
• AT&T is partnering with TeleNav on a GPS-based workforce management solution.

Virtual globes

• Congress investigates Google Earth’s posting of pre-Katrina imagery.
• View classified ads in Google Earth.
• Google Earth gets an imagery update, as does Virtual Earth.
• Get monthly details on Google Earth imagery updates via their newsletter.

Updated GPS reviews

• Garmin Edge 305 review – I’ve linked to Singletracks.com’s Edge 305 review.
• Garmin Forerunner 201 review – Singletracks.com has also posted a Forerunner review, from a cyclist’s perspective.
• Garmin GPSMAP 60 review – I’ve linked to a review posted by Spare Weekend.
• Garmin StreetPilot c580 review – Finally, I’ve linked to the first consumer review of the c580, at GPSNow, and the first one at Amazon as well.

All the news that doesn’t fit

• Here’s a free kids audiobook for your nuvi.
• This is a great writeup on why it took so long to figure out longitude, and what the ultimate solution was. We’re talking way pre-GPS here. Via Digg.
• NAVTEQ has announced the winners of their Global LBS Challenge.
• The Map Room posts about Strange Maps.
• Here’s an article on location-based games.
• Teaching kids geography with GPS.