By Chris Scott Barr

Just yesterday I was commending Google for something as seemingly trivial as changing the way we check our voicemail. Today there is something far more significant coming from the company. As if we needed another reason not to spend a fortune on TomTom’s iPhone app and kit, Google has announced their new navigation software called Google Maps Navigation.

Imagine having traditional turn-by-turn navigation GPS functionality combined with Google Maps. That is essentially what you will be getting with Google Maps Navigation. This means not only will you have things like voice guidance and automatic rerouting, but a host of other awesome features. Hit the jump for seven that Google seemed most proud of.

The most recent map and business data
When you use Google Maps Navigation, your phone automatically gets the most up-to-date maps and business listings from Google Maps — you never need to buy map upgrades or update your device. And this data is continuously improving, thanks to users who report maps issues and businesses who activate their listings with Google Local Business Center.

Search in plain English
Google Maps Navigation brings the speed, power and simplicity of Google search to your car. If you don’t know the address you’re looking for, don’t worry. Simply enter the name of a business, a landmark or just about anything into the search box, and Google will find it for you. Then press “Navigate”, and you’re on your way.

Search by voice
Typing on a phone can be difficult, especially in the car, so with Google Maps Navigation, you can say your destination instead. Hold down the search button to activate voice search, then tell your phone what you want to do (like “Navigate to Pike Place in Seattle”), and navigation will start automatically.

Traffic view
Google Maps Navigation gets live traffic data over the Internet. A traffic indicator light in the corner of the screen glows green, yellow or red, depending on the current traffic conditions along your route. If there’s a jam ahead of you, you’ll know. To get more details, tap the light to zoom out to an aerial view showing traffic speeds and incidents ahead. And if the traffic doesn’t look good, you can choose an alternate route.

Search along route
For those times when you’re already on the road and need to find a business, Google Maps Navigation searches along your route to give you results that won’t take you far from your path. You can search for a specific business by name or by type, or you can turn on popular layers, such as gas stations, restaurants or parking.

Satellite view
Google Maps Navigation uses the same satellite imagery as Google Maps on the desktop to help you get to your destination. Turn on the satellite layer for a high-resolution, 3D view of your upcoming route. Besides looking cool, satellite view can help you make sense of complicated maneuvers.

Street View
If you want to know what your next turn looks like, double-tap the map to zoom into Street View, which shows the turn as you’ll see it, with your route overlaid. And since locating an address can sometimes be tricky, we’ll show you a picture of your destination as you approach the end of your route, so you’ll know exactly what to look for.

When it comes to Google, you rarely need to ask what the cost is. Like with so many of their other offerings, this one is also free. Unfortunately also like so many things Google produces, it is currently in beta. It will first appear on Android 2.0 phones, followed later by the iPhone and possibly other hardware. Something tells me that today isn’t a good day to be working at TomTom (or any other GPS maker).

[ Google ] VIA [ Crave ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Remember that awesome TomTom iPhone car kit that we told you about not too long ago. Well if you’re one that loves to blow unnecessarily large amounts of money on something only moderately useful, you’re in luck. Apple has finally started carrying the overpriced cradle over at their store for the promised $120 price. Don’t hurt yourself in your excitement to order it and purchase the $99 app that goes with it.

[ Apple ] VIA [ Crave ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Last month TomTom announced their first GPS app for the iPhone, which weighed in at $99. That’s one of the more expensive pieces of software out there, though on-track with some of the other GPS offerings. When I wrote about it, I expressed my disinterest in such an application due to its high price and the fact that it would be a huge drain on your phone’s battery. Sure, TomTom made mention of a Car Kit, which is basically a mounting kit for the phone which also serves to charge it. The real question was just how much this would cost you.

Well we finally have the answer to that question, and it’s just plain ridiculous. TomTom has announced that the kit will be available next month for the price of $120. To give you an idea, you can purchase the TomTom ONE XL for the exact same price. This device has a larger display (4.3-inches compared to the iPhone’s 3.5-inch screen) and as far as I can tell, all of the same features that are included in the iPhone app. So at the same price it might be a toss-up for some people, as having a full-fledged GPS application on the iPhone might be appealing.

Here’s where it gets really fun though. That $120 price does not include the software. That’s right, you’ll still need to pay $99 for the application. I really don’t know who was in charge of this over at TomTom, but they should be sacked. They’re offering all of the functionality of a $120 device for $220, and you have to supply the most important piece of hardware. I love my iPhone and all, but there’s nothing that could convince me to drop the cash on this grossly overpriced pair of products.

[ TomTom ] VI A [ CrunchGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Geotagging is nothing new, and the required hardware is finding itself into more and more cameras. After all, who wouldn’t like to know exactly where their pictures were taken? Well if your camera doesn’t have a built-in GPS device, it’s rather difficult to acquire the exact location of your shot. Thankfully devices such as the JOBO photoGPS exist.

The JOBO photoGPS sits atop your DSLR in the hot-shoe, and captures raw GPS data whenever you snap a photo. Later, when you download your pictures to a computer, you can also download the GPS data. The included software will then use the information it previously gathered and geotag your pictures. It can even add in information such as city, street POIs and more. $159 is a bit pricey, but also looks to be one of the easier geotagging solutions for existing cameras.

[ JOBO ] VIA [ GizMag ]

Those of you reading this from South Korea have a new GPS navigation device to drool over. The APSI C100 features a generously-sized touchscreen that can be removed from the windshield mount/dock and used as a portable media player. But when connected to the dock in your car the C100 can be used to control your sound/media system in addition to serving as a robust navigation device thanks to the Gini 3D software which features all of South Korea including accurate 3D renders of buildings and other structures.

[ NaviGadget - APSI C100 GPS navigation system ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I think I must be in a programming mood or something, since this is my second post involving minor amounts of code. Anywho, if you’re one of those people who thinks their friends actually care where you are at any given time, then here’s a little something that you might be interested.

You’ll need SSH access and dynamic DNS on your Palm Pre (yes, this hack is for Pre owners only) for this to work. Then you’ll add a few lines of code into a new php file (along with a few other steps) and you’ll be automatically tweeting your location every hour (or whatever interval you choose).

Bear in mind, the simple act of using this hack will probably result in a loss of followers (and real-life friends if you have any). Why? Because not only are you constantly updating people with the pointless crap you do throughout the day (see example 1) now you’re sending out your exact location throughout the day. Trust me, if you actually want people to know where you are that bad, you’re not important enough for them to care.

[ PalmPreHacks ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I’ve tested and used several different GPS units, and found my favorites to be from TomTom. The software on the two that I’ve used have seemed to be a little more intuitive than some of the others. Needless to say, I was happy to see the company finally release a GPS app for the iPhone. Of course it only took a few seconds to realize that I would never in my right mind buy it.

Why would I take such a firm stance without even digging into the details? Because I only needed to see the $99 price to realize that they were out of their minds. I have a TomTom One Third that I paid around $120 for earlier this year, and over at Best Buy I could get a brand new TomTom One 125 for $100. The software might have a few niceties to it, but why would someone pay that much just so they can drain their iPhone battery faster? Oh, and don’t forget that you’ll need to buy a kit to mount your phone in the car, adding even more to the cost (which TomTom is happy to sell you). Sorry TomTom (and the other equally expensive GPS app makers), it’s just not worth it.

[ TomTom ] VIA [ Crave ]

By David Ponce

We’ve been chronicling Russia’s Art Lebedev studios’ products for a long time. Ever since the Optimus Maximus keyboard, actually. Now we’re hearing about the Navigarius GPS concept. Its features are nothing out of the ordinary, it’s a GPS mapping device that attaches to your windshield like so many others, has touchscreen controls, USB, microSD, cigarette lighter adapter and a thin, detachable stand.

But it’s round.

Really, that’s its claim to fame and to be honest, we think it looks swell. If you’re going to be staring at this thing while trying hard not to get lost, it might as well look half decent. Of course, like many of Art Lebedev’s products, this is a concept that may or may not go into production. Pester them long enough and it might become reality, like with the Maximus Optimus. Just don’t expect it to be cheap.

Once again, keep reading for a few more pictures.

[ Art Lebedev's Page ] VIA [ Engadget ]

The Cheetah GPSmirror is a replacement rear-view mirror for your vehicle that uses GPS and a built-in database of speed traps and red light cameras (covering the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia) to apparently let you know when it’s ’safe’ to speed or run a red light. Voice, tone and visual alerts let you know when you’re approaching a camera, or even when you’ve gone over the speed limit, though something tells me anyone buying one of these is probably going to ignore those. ~$250 from Buy.com.

[ Cheetah GPSMirror Speed & Red Light Camera Detector ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

Looking for a GPS device that can take a licking and keep on tick… err, tracking a satellite signal? Well look no further than the pocket-unfriendly Solara Field Tracker 2100. The electronics and durable housing allow it to operate in a temperature range of -40C to +65C, and that includes the color LCD display which has been tested to -42C. If dropped in water less than 2 meters in depth you’ve got about an hour to remove it before any damage will occur, and it should keep functioning fine up to altitudes of 40,000 feet.

Best of all though, the FT 2100 connects to the Iridium satellite network allowing you to send and receive text messages, custom or pre-defined, no matter where you are on Earth. Sure, it’s only got enough storage to keep the last 10 messages received, but something tells me if I was trapped on a mountain I’d happily overlook that limitation. $880 plus $29.99/month with a 3-year contract for text messaging privileges.

[ Solara Field Tracker 2100 ] VIA [ Gizmag ]