Waypoints – November 10, 2007

Waypoints is a collection of GPS news shorts from the past week…

Garmin / TomTom / Tele Atlas

• The Financial Times thinks Garmin has become a takeover target. They list Siemens, Qualcomm and Microsoft as potential buyers. Via APB.
• Why Microsoft should buy Garmin.
• TomTom ups the ante.
• And acquires a 28.3% stake in Tele Atlas. So, as GPS Business News reports, "…should Garmin win this bidding war, it may have to contend with a company in which TomTom has a significant shareholder stake and is a major customer."
• From Barron’s – "In the end, neither Garmin nor TomTom believes deep down that the other company, or Nokia for that matter, will play fair and keep prices reasonable…They also worry that as new mapping features
  become available, the other wouldn’t make these quickly available to a
  rival. The bottom line is that they don’t trust each other." Via BlinkGeo.
• Are there significant barriers to entry for a new map data company?

GPS software, firmware and map updates

• TomTom is discounting map updates to get more customers using Map Share.
• GpsPasSion has a thread going on the Magellan RoadMate updates.
• DeLorme posts a PN-20 firmware update.
• Maptech releases Terrain Navigator Pro 8.0 with one meter color NAIP imagery for much of the country.
• TrainingPeaks gets an update.
• Photo geotagging – an evaluation of Flickr, Picasa and Panoramio. Via Digg.

Maps and aerial imagery

• Free Canadian topo maps for Garmin receivers.
• Aerial imagery of Afghanistan.
• 3-D street maps in China!
• A huge relief map of British Columbia.

GPS hardware

• A little more info on the Magellan RoadMate 1200.
• A backcountry test of five GPS receivers — the Lowrance iFinder, DeLorme PN-20, Bushnell Onix 400, Garmin Rino 530HCx, and Magellan CrossoverGPS.
• A round GPS.
• A GPS system for Qatar and other GCC countries.
• A review of the HP iPaq 310.
• And a review of the ViaMichelin X-970.
• Another Dash video demo.
• A MapMyIndia screenshot. Via Digg.
• Netropa Intellinav 3 review.

GPS in the news

• One of the more bizarre ways a GPS has saved someone’s life.
• And GPS saves a guitar. Via Ublip.

Just geography

• Test your geography knowledge. Via StumbleUpon.
• The biggest map store in the world.

Virtual globes

• Google Earth to run on the Google mobile phone platform.
• Weather layers in Google Earth.
• Google Maps at the gas pump. Can you say "ad revenue?"

All the rest

• Here’s the 411 on Whrrl, a social mapping website.
• In Germany they’re adding the whole phonebook to GPS receivers.
• How to use your watch as a compass. Via Digg.

Updated GPS reviews

• Garmin eTrex H review – OscarCookie provides a geocacher’s perspective.
• Garmin eTrex Legend HCx review – Backpacker Gear Test checks out this handheld.
• Garmin nuvi 370 review – A user-review at GpsPasSion.
• Garmin nuvi 750 review – I’ve linked to a consumer-authored review at GPSNow.
• Garmin nuvi 760 review – I’ve linked to reviews at GPS Lodge, GPS Magazine and CNet.
• Lowrance iWAY 600C review – Associated Content rated this unit highly.
• Mio GPS reviews – I’ve linked to a Mio forum I just became aware of.
• TomTom ONE review – Here’s a brief review.
• Navigon 7100 – A review on Squidoo.