Sunday, March 18, 2012

Google Maps May Be Adding Speed Limits

 

The above image was posted on Reddit in September

The above image was posted on Reddit in September

Since the advent of the smartphone, the GPS market has been fighting an uphill battle to prove to consumers that smartphones really can’t do everything. While standalone GPS devices are a bit more expensive, there are still some things that they do better than the almighty smartphone including signal reliability and better directions. But, it looks like that list might be getting shorter by the day.

Last month, several Google Maps users reported seeing speed limit indicators in the bottom corner of the Google Maps app. Waze, which Google purchased fairly recently, already had this capability so it’s not a huge surprise, but it is definitely worthy of note. read more

Google Maps to Allow Offline Routing, Navigation

google maps

I know that for most of you, smartphones are never going to replace GPS. And honestly, I can’t blame you. However, at Google’s latest I/O conference today, the search and technology giant announced an upcoming improvement to its Maps program that takes away one of the biggest pitfalls of smartphone navigation: connectivity. read more

TomTom GO Mobile Launched for Android

TomTom GO Mobile

While no one can deny that dedicated GPS devices are more reliable when it comes to directions and navigation, smartphones are just so convenient many consumers have a hard time justifying the additional expense on a separate device. Well, in order to stay on top of consumer trends, TomTom announced earlier this week that it was debuting a new mobile app for consumers to replace the old TomTom Navigation App.

This new app is called TomTom GO Mobile and like the old TomTom Navigation app, includes almost exactly the same features as you would find on a dedicated TomTom device including traffic, points of interest, offline maps, 3D imaging, quick searches and more. The app is free to download on Google Play but an iTunes version has not been released. The app is available in a range of countries. read more

HERE for Android Adds Indoor Maps

HERE

We’ve talked a lot about indoor location and navigation in the last few months. Undoubtedly, it’s one of the main movements in GPS right now, and there are dozens of companies that are working towards finding a solution to helping people find their way inside of large buildings.

One of the newer names to the indoor location scene, Nokia, announced earlier this month that it will be including indoor mapping of more than 11,700 locations in 76 different countries as part of its HERE Maps app, available for Android. The company hasn’t released a whole lot of information about the indoor mapping or how it works, but from what I’ve seen, it looks pretty decent. Maps are 3D digital renderings of buildings, and users can swipe, swivel and probably even zoom to their hearts content while searching for directions. read more

GPS App Takes You on an Audio Tour

 

Detour app

Andrew Mason, one of the founders of the popular group coupon app, Groupon, recently launched a new app that utilizes GPS and interesting historical facts and annotations to create audio tours to take locals and visitors to little known locations with local history. The app is very new and is currently only available on iPhones, with Android support expected soon.

“Most of the audio tours that exist today are about what’s popular inside museums,” Mason told US News. “What we are trying to do is turn the world into a museum.” read more

GPS & Augmented Reality Show Berlin Wall History

time traveler AR

Through augmented reality, you can see what Berlin was like when the Berlin Wall was built.

There is nothing I enjoy more than seeing GPS used in unusual and creative ways. Recently, a German company has created a TimeTraveler app that allows visitors to learn about the Berlin Wall through GPS-based augmented reality. Available on both iPhone and Android devices, this cool app lets your phone act like a window to the past. read more

Stay Organized with GPS Location Based Reminders

EasilyDo is one of many apps designed to help organize your life with location-based services.

EasilyDo is one of many apps designed to help organize your life with location-based services.

If you are anything like me, there are days when I have the memory of a goldfish and end up making multiple trips to the same places and forgetting things anyway. Fortunately, I must not be the only one, because there are several apps available for iPhone and Android that are designed to send location-based reminders using GPS. Need to pick up milk? We now have an app for that. read more

Best GPS Apps for Android

Garmin universal smartphone mount

The Garmin universal smartphone mount makes using your smartphone as a GPS practical.

 

Smartphones are incredibly powerful machines, capable of just about anything. So why is it so hard to find a good, functional app? We have searched through dozens of apps and found what seem to be the best free and paid apps on the market for Android. Many of these are also available on iPhone. read more

Garmin Navigates GPS App Territory for iPhone and Android

hand-holding-samsungThe release of Garmin’s new smartphone app, Viago, gives fans a chance to utilize Garmin’s powerful GPS software on their smartphone. Available on both Android and iPhone, the basic Viago app costs only $2 and offers a range of features such as Worldwide maps, address search, turn-by-turn navigation in your region, realistic junction views, lane assistance, current speed limits and posted speed limits. The interface is clean and simple and looks sharp. But what makes this app both powerful and pricey is the ability to customize with premium add-ons which can cost anywhere from $5 to $20 depending on the add-on. read more

Garmin HUD+ Android and Windows apps use Navigon interface

Garmin Navigon HUD Plus app

Garmin Navigon HUD+ app

Well, I sure got that wrong. What’s that they say about assumptions? Turns out that the free Garmin companion app for the HUD+ is basically the Navigon app, at last when it comes to the Android and Windows platforms. At least all you iPhone users get the familiar nuvi-like interface. Color me disappointed. read more