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Lumia line to get Nokia Drive update, fully cuts the network cord

Ahmet — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:08:00 +0000

When Espoo trotted out its “first real Windows Phone,” it did so with a bevy of exclusive features, one of which brought baked-in offline navigation. Since the announcement of that proud product launch, Nokia Drive’s been wrestled free from its polycarbonate chains, but the perks of being a Lumia owner are still incoming. Confirmed to Dutch site All About Phones, the Finnish company’s Mango phone in an N9 shell is due for an update that’ll bring full offline use of the app, ensuring those re-routed calculations don’t hinge upon a network connection. Sure, any geek with a WP7 handset’s set to get Maps sometime soon, but rest assured you and your sinuously tapered device are still the sole beneficiaries of Nokia’s robo-toned, front seat copilot.

Lumia line to get Nokia Drive update, fully cuts the network cord originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Navigon 2.0 arrives for iPhone with new name, lets users download maps by state (video)

Ahmet — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Navigation junkies have been pining for Navigon’s latest MobileNavigator application ever since our sneak preview at CTIA, but that wait is now over — at least for iPhone constituents. To mark its arrival, the app was re-branded as Navigon 2.0, and yes, it’s a free upgrade for current users. Most notably, the software now enables individuals to selectively load maps into their iPhone on a state-by-state basis — thereby creating extra headroom for more important uses. Additionally, Navigon fans will also discover a completely re-designed user interface along with an in-app purchase function that delivers quarterly map updates. Now through November 30th, new users may purchase Navigon 2.0 for $20 off the normal price of $49.99 for the United States or Canada, and $59.99 for all of North America. Curious to see it in action? We’ve included a demo video and the full PR just beyond the break.

Continue reading Navigon 2.0 arrives for iPhone with new name, lets users download maps by state (video)

Navigon 2.0 arrives for iPhone with new name, lets users download maps by state (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verzo launches Kinzo Android smartphone, on sale today for $459

Ahmet — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Remember the Kinzo, that mysterious Android smartphone from Verzo we teased you with this past summer? Well it looks like the Americano Czech company just launched its stylish, custom-skinned, FroYo-powered (?) device. Originally slated for a late-September release, the 12.3mm-thick handset — designed by Novague — goes on sale today on Verzo’s website for $459 (€420) contract-free. This buys you a 4.3-inch WVGA glass-capacitive TFT display, a 1GHz TI OMAP 3630 processor, 512MB of RAM, a five megapixel AF camera (with LED flash), a VGA front-facing camera, tri-band UMTS support (AT&T-compatible), quad-band GSM support, WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR plus the usual array of sensors. Power comes from a 1590mAh battery, and a microSD slot provides storage (an 8GB card is included). No word yet on essential features such as a compass, HSPA, or support for the Android Market.

The manufacturer plans to differentiate itself with free shipping, refined packaging and a full set of bundled accessories, including a leather case, quality headphones, a car charger and a car holder. While details about the Verzo GUI remain vague (tweaks appear to be primarily cosmetic), each Kinzo will include offline navigation software by Sygic. An app called TellME will provide “the basic means of communication between the users and the Verzo brand”. The company wants to establish a strong relationship with its customers by letting the community of owners suggest and vote on improvements to its product. Winning features will be incorporated into the next software update. Curious about this elegant mid-range Android smartphone? Check out the picture gallery below, and hit the break for the full specs, a promo video, and the obligatory PR.

Gallery: Verzo Kinzo Android smartphone

Continue reading Verzo launches Kinzo Android smartphone, on sale today for $459

Verzo launches Kinzo Android smartphone, on sale today for $459 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bert and Ernie TomTom voices tell you how to get, how to get to Sesame Street (video)

Ahmet — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:48:00 +0000

While some may seriously doubt their driving credentials, Bert and Ernie are the latest additions to TomTom’s voice navigation library. The two muppets join the slightly more sinister likes of Darth Vader and Jeremy Clarkson, who’ve already offered up their distinctive vocal talents to the in-car navi. Grab your rubber duckie and see how the recording session went down after the break.

Continue reading Bert and Ernie TomTom voices tell you how to get, how to get to Sesame Street (video)

Bert and Ernie TomTom voices tell you how to get, how to get to Sesame Street (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pocket-Lint | TomTom | Email this | Comments

MyFord Touch Upgrade inbound, brings ‘faster, simpler, easier’ infotainment to your late-model whip

Ahmet — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:01:00 +0000

For better or worse, Ford owners have been basking in the overzealous infotainment ways of MyFord Touch for over a year now. Since then, the service’s been updated with amenities such as integrated Nuance voice recognition for SYNC, but now the Dearborn-based automobile monolith is taking things a few steps forward. Penned for release “early next year,” the MyFord Touch Upgrade will usher in a massive revamp across every nook and cranny of the system as a whole. Starting with the 2013 model year Flex, Taurus and Escape, drivers will be greeted by over 1,000 revised screens implementing an “improved look,” with an up to 40 percent increase in font sizes, a simpler — and more cohesive — GUI focused displaying only important info (for less clutter) and notably, doubly fast response times for touch and voice-based inputs. And oh yes, it gets even better.

Those with tablets will be pleased to know that multimedia playback will be supported via USB, while mobile phones will benefit from quicker automatic Bluetooth pairing and better echo and noise-cancellation. Ford has also baked-in voice support for sports buffs with Sirius Game Finder, as well as bibliophiles with Audible.com integration (which can also be touch controlled, should you desire it). Best of all, you’ll no longer need to recite any parenthetical or bracketed album info your music tracks may have, or the direction of street names when inputting addresses for directions. Speaking of, the TeleNav-enabled nav system will have further map detail courtesy of Navteq, with enhancements like more 3D imaging, “photorealistic” signage and better route planning thanks to “a database of historical traffic patterns.” If you’ve already got some miles on an existing MyFord Touch-enabled ride, no worries — Ford will give your system the upgrade pro bono when it’s available, taking all but a (hopefully) quick visit to your local dealer. Potential and current Ford owners will find more visuals in the gallery below and full details in the press release past break.

Gallery: Ford MyTouch upgrade press shots

Continue reading MyFord Touch Upgrade inbound, brings ‘faster, simpler, easier’ infotainment to your late-model whip

MyFord Touch Upgrade inbound, brings ‘faster, simpler, easier’ infotainment to your late-model whip originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MyFord Touch Upgrade inbound, brings ‘faster, simpler, easier’ infotainment to your late-model whip

Ahmet — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:01:00 +0000

Those with tablets will be pleased to know that multimedia playback will be supported via USB, while mobile phones will benefit from quicker automatic Bluetooth pairing and better echo and noise-cancellation. Ford has also baked-in voice support for sports buffs with Sirius Game Finder, as well as bibliophiles with Audible.com integration (which can also be touch controlled, should you desire it). Best of all, you’ll no longer need to recite any parenthetical or bracketed album info your music tracks may have, or the direction of street names when inputting addresses for directions. Speaking of, the TeleNav-enabled nav system will have further map detail courtesy of Navteq, with enhancements like more 3D imaging, “photorealistic” signage and better route planning thanks to “a database of historical traffic patterns.” If you’ve already got some miles on an existing MyFord Touch-enabled ride, no worries — Ford will give your system the upgrade pro bono when it’s available, ~~taking all but a (hopefully) quick visit to your local dealer~~. Potential and current Ford owners will find more visuals in the gallery below and full details in the press release past break.

Update: Ford has let us know that existing owners will not be required to visit their dealer for the upgrade, and will be receiving a USB drive allowing for a self-install in the mail. That said, you can still drop by your dealer after getting it to have the install done there.

Gallery: Ford MyTouch Upgrade press shots

Continue reading MyFord Touch Upgrade inbound, brings ‘faster, simpler, easier’ infotainment to your late-model whip

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Nokia Drive hacked, takes trip abroad to rival Windows Phones

Ahmet — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:04:00 +0000

While we knew that Nokia Maps would be arriving on the full range of Windows Phone devices, Nokia indicated that its Drive voice navigation feature would stay an Espoo hardware exclusive. Alas, it seems that enthusiastic WinPho meddlers had other ideas, already managing to transplant the Lumia series’ voice navigation functionality to Samsung’s Omnia 7 — and presumably any other handsets they’d like. No video proof’s been unearthed just yet, but it looks like Nokia’s first foray into a shared OS may require a tougher software lock-down.

Nokia Drive hacked, takes trip abroad to rival Windows Phones originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink My Nokia Blog | WMPoweruser | Email this | Comments

CSR sharpens indoor and in-car navigation with SiRFstarV, SiRFusion and SiRFprimaII

Ahmet — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:29:00 +0000

It’s been a while since we last heard from CSR, but that changed earlier this week, when the company unveiled its new SiRFprimaII and SiRFusion platforms, alongside its SiRFstarV architecture. According to the UK-based firm, both SiRFstarV and SiRFusion are designed to provide more accurate geographic data and enhanced indoor navigation capabilities across PNDs and other mobile devices. SiRFstarV, the logical follow-up to CSR’s SiRFstarIV architecture, culls location data not only from GPS, but from Galileo, Glonass and Compass satellites, as well as a range of radio signals, accelerometers, gyros and compasses. All this information is fed to the user via the SiRFusion platform, which combines data from radio systems and sensors to provide constantly updated location graphics. Together, both SiRFstarV and SiRFusion promise to help users find their way around both indoor and outdoor locales, within an accuracy range of ten to 15 meters.

The SiRFprimaII platform, displayed above, is strictly geared toward in-car navigation and infotainment systems. This system combines a SiRFprimaII SoC and TriG RF multi-GNSS radio with CSR’s Bluetooth and WiFi technologies to create a multimedia rich, touchscreen-based in-car environment. Geared toward both ODMs and OEMs, this hardware-software combo enables drivers to get more reliable navigation data, while allowing passengers to stream video, surf the web and manipulate everything via remote control. As for that SoC, it’s powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 app processor, features an LCD controller for displays of up to 1280 x 720 resolution, and boasts a pair of 3D graphics and video accelerators. For more details, check out the pair of press releases, after the break.

Continue reading CSR sharpens indoor and in-car navigation with SiRFstarV, SiRFusion and SiRFprimaII

CSR sharpens indoor and in-car navigation with SiRFstarV, SiRFusion and SiRFprimaII originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia Maps to be available for all Windows Phone handsets, sans voice navigation

Ahmet — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:35:00 +0000

Just because you don’t have a new Lumia handset doesn’t mean you won’t be able to use Nokia Maps — or most of it, anyway. According to ZDNet, Windows Phone users should expect to see Nokia Maps pop up as a free app on the Windows Phone Marketplace “within the next couple of weeks,” though offline voice navigation feature will remain restricted to the Lumia 710 and 800, in the form of Nokia Drive. No word yet on when the app will officially hit the market, but we’ll definitely keep a close eye on it.

Nokia Maps to be available for all Windows Phone handsets, sans voice navigation originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PhoneArena, My Nokia Blog | ZDNet | Email this | Comments

Apple reportedly acquires C3 Technologies, iOS Maps overhaul on the horizon?

Ahmet — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 23:04:00 +0000

Last we saw of C3 Technologies’ 3D mapping software it was making an appearance on Sony Ericsson’s X10, but if 9to5Mac turns out to be right, its next stop could be the iPhone. According to the publication, Cupertino recently scooped up the Saab spin-off and C3 execs have since been working closely with the iOS division. Earlier this year, Apple posted job listings, looking for developers to “radically improve how people interact with maps and location-based services.” On a related note, the outfit previously acquired Poly9, a web-based mapping company. So is the fruity one looking to up its street (navigation) cred? Is it finally ready to give Google Maps the boot? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Apple reportedly acquires C3 Technologies, iOS Maps overhaul on the horizon? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Oct 2011 19:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | 9to5Mac | Email this | Comments