The OpenStreetMap-based app, already out there for Android users, can now be downloaded for iPhone and iPad. It’s a consumer play, but also a B2B showcase for Skobbler’s mapping technology. Read more »
Telenav’s latest iPhone update has some nifty new collaboration features, including the ability to notify friends and family or your ETA and for multiple users to converge on the same location. Read more »
Bad directions and misdentified locations are usually just inconvenient or annoying; they don’t usually lead to life-threatening scenarios. But police patrolling a remote national park in Australia are finding otherwise. The department recommends not using Apple Maps in the area. Read more »
Crowd-sourced mapping and navigation app Waze is getting a lot more social by allowing people to share their location, request rides and see which friends are navigating to the same place. The service is now up to 29 million users. Read more »
Ford is joining Chevy in offering a smartphone-based navigation app that integrates with its connected car platform. TeleNav’s new Scout for Sync AppLink doesn’t have all of the features or a full-bore nav system, but it could fundamentally change the in-vehicle mapping game. Read more »
Telenav’s Scout for apps is now available for Android and Windows Phone developers as well as anyone building a website. The HTML5-based platform allows anyone to embed turn-by-turn navigation into any app without turning their customers over to Google or Apples’ mapping software. Read more »
Standalone GPS navigation makers continue to face the battle against smartphones and location based service apps. At least one of them is embracing the change: TomTom first added support for Facebook Places and now it includes Foursquare, making it easier to get directions and check-in. Read more »
Tech giant Amazon is getting into the mapping business with the acquisition of New York-based 3D mapping startup UpNext. Read more »
It’s important to note with beta software that it’s unreleased for a reason. While iOS 6 is still in the early beta, it’s not too early to answer the question: How does turn-by-turn navigation in Maps for iOS 6 work? I tested out the new app. Read more »
If the FCC won’t let LightSquared launch LTE in its satellite spectrum, then the carrier wants the commission to find its network an alternate home on the airwaves. LightSquared still claims its 4G network will leave GPS unharmed, but it’s willing to consider a spectrum swap. Read more »
Geoloqi, a Portland Ore. start-up, said it’s ready to take location-based services to the next level with a new developer SDK that makes incorporating location services easy. The location platform enables real-time tracking, geo-fencing, messaging and analytics while remaining very efficient on battery usage. Read more »
Waze users on the iPhone will be able to operate hands-free, leveraging the phone’s proximity sensor to initiate commands. Users who normally keep the app running while driving to stay abreast of traffic conditions will now be able to navigate or report accidents or traffic. Read more »
LightSquared has asked the FCC n to impose future standards on GPS device design, claiming such requirements would allow GPS and its LTE network to co-exist peacefully. While LightSquared would appear to be taking the middle path, the proposal smacks of a political stunt. Read more »
LightSquared accused the commercial GPS industry of “rigging” government tests on the potential GPS interference problems of its LTE network and called for new rounds of tests from independent labs with no participation from GPS device makers. Read more »
PNT ExComm, the federal agency overseeing the national GPS satellite network, has concluded that any LTE network LightSquared would build, no matter how much it scales back its transmission power, would interfere with GPS devices nationwide. LightSquared’s hopes of building its network are quickly dwindling. Read more »
Nokia Maps, arguably one of the company’s best software products, now supports offline maps in Google Android and Apple iOS browsers, thanks to HTML5. The “neighborhood maps” are fairly small in geographical size but can help save money for those on limited mobile broadband plans. Read more »
Competition is certainly heating up in the realm of turn-by-turn navigation apps. There are lots to choose from for your iOS device, including many big names in navigation. But are the biggest names also the best? I took a look at the field to find out. Read more »
While almost no one is looking forward to Los Angeles’ so-called Carmageddon, an upcoming closure of a busy freeway, crowd-sourced traffic app Waze sees an opportunity to shine. The company is teaming with the local ABC affiliate to beef up ABC’s real-time traffic information for drivers. Read more »
Google today launched a tablet-optimized version of its Google Earth software for Honeycomb devices which truly showcases how solid Android software can run on a tablet. A 3-D graphics layer with textural buildings and contextual pop-ups make the application useful, informative and downright fun. Read more »
In its explanation of the collection of anonymized location data from iPhones, Apple provided a rare glimpse into its future plans. The company revealed it’s collecting traffic data from devices, too, in order to build “an improved traffic service” for iPhone users. Read more »
Like breadcrumbs, a series of acquisitions, job postings, and service changes lead to the conclusion that a major change in maps on iOS is coming. The latest clue is a strongly-worded job posting that indicates “radical” improvements are in the cards for maps on iOS devices. Read more »
Could Facebook’s social search patent mean that it is building an alternative to Google? If so, the social media giant will have to set itself apart in a field already crowded with big players and some innovative upstarts. Read more »
There seems to be quite a bit of confusion about what exactly “Assisted GPS” on Apple’s iOS devices is, especially regarding navigation-based app requirements. It can be a bit complicated, but understanding what it means could help you decide which iPad to buy. Read more »
Navigon today introduced its MobileNavigator software, which brings GPS navigation to Google Android phones in the U.S. With such a similar feature set to Google’s free Navigation solution for Android, how can Navigon compete with a $40 app? By combining augmented reality with points of interest. Read more »
Windows Phone 7 is due out by the holiday season, but Microsoft isn’t allowing Windows Mobile 6.x to wither away like a raisin in the sun. Today, the Bing team announced new turn-by-turn directions from Microsoft’s Tellme unit, but only on three U.S. carriers. Read more »
