Slashgeo

Tele Atlas introduces an online map feedback tool. From the press release: "[...] Map Insight, an online tool that allows users of Internet, personal navigation and wireless devices and applications powered by Tele Atlas data to quickly report changes to the company. [...] Changes to roads and points of interest occur every day, and the ability to quickly analyze and incorporate multiple sources of input is vital to generating maps that are fresh and highly accurate. [...] Map Insight adds an interactive, community-based perspective that Tele Atlas President and COO George Fink says is vital to the future of map development."

Slashdot discuss a story where TomTom admits its GPS satellite navigation device shipped infected with a virus. Their summary: "TomTom has admitted to a UK security journalist that a number of GO 910 satellite navigation units shipped with two Trojans installed on the hard drive. But still no sign of an official warning on the TomTom website."

All Points Blog links to a press release about a survey indicating GPS satellite navigation systems are good for drivers. From the PR: "Key findings: * The use of a satellite navigation device improves the driver's behavior when driving through an unknown area to an unknown destination; * The use of a satellite navigation system heightens alertness and reduces the stress levels of the driver; * Drivers who do NOT have the use of a satellite navigation solution have 12% more damage claims to their vehicles; * The use of a TomTom satellite navigation solution reduces the amount of miles driven by 16%; * The use of a TomTom satellite navigation solution reduces travel time when driving through an unknown area to an unknown destination by 18%; * The use of a TomTom satellite navigation solution reduces the workload (the amount of effort it takes the driver to drive) of the driver when traveling through an unknown area to an unknown destination." The study was done in The Netherlands and you can of course challenge the study's neutrality since it was mandated by the industry.

This is not major, but the following story reminds me of always double-checking information even when asking the source or experts. A friend of me is shopping for a satellite navigation system. Being said that Tom Tom is a very popular seller, my friend looked at their products and wondered why their GPS-SatNav do not support WAAS while many cheap handheld GPS do (example here). He asked Tom Tom support team about the lack of WAAS support for their GO910 product. I copied below the answer he got. This answers directly copies large chunks from the WAAS wikipedia page but that's not a problem to me, what is however, is how misleading the answer is. Am I the only one who feels this response does not tell us why WAAS is not supported and is misleading the customer to believe such support is full of "drawbacks and critical limitations" and "Many competitors’ least expensive receivers have a suggested retail price of approximately US$10,750." while these mainly applies to airborne industry?

redgeographics writes "According to this article, TomTom and 2 other manufacturers of car navigation systems are sued by Encyclopaedia Britannica. It appears that E.B. has filed patents for a computerized map viewing system and feels that the navigation companies are infringing on those patents. So... why did it take them so long to feel threathened? How will this affect our industry?"

ixcer writes "A joint press release announces that TomTom, the world’s largest navigation solution provider, will acquire Tele Atlas, the biggest data provider for navigation systems, including Google, Yahoo!, AOL and Nokia. The announcement starts this way... "TomTom N.V. (“TomTom”) and Tele Atlas N.V. (“Tele Atlas” or the “Company”), jointly announce that the expectation is justified that an agreement can be reached in connection with a public offer by TomTom for all outstanding shares of Tele Atlas at an offer price of € 21.25 in cash, (the “Offer Price”) per ordinary share (the “Offer”).

The Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Tele Atlas (the “Boards”), after having duly considered the strategic, financial and social aspects of the proposed transaction, support the intended Offer and conclude that the Offer is in the best interests of the shareholders and all other stakeholders of Tele Atlas. The Boards of Tele Atlas will, when the Offer is made by TomTom, recommend acceptance of the Offer by the shareholders of Tele Atlas."" Update: 07/23 17:41 GMT by S : All Points Blogs provides more links such as the Reuters article.

Slashdot discuss a new GPS navigation system which relies on 'wisdom of the crowds'. Their summary explains it more clearly: "The New York Times is running an article on Dash Express, a new navigation system for automobiles that not only receives GPS location data, but broadcasts information about its travels. Information is passed back to Dash over a cellular data network, where it is shared with other users to let them know if there are slowdowns or traffic jams on the road ahead. The real benefit of the system isn't apparent until enough units are collecting data in a given area - so Dash distributed over 2,000 prototype units to test drivers in 25 large cities." All Points Blog also links to a Wired article on Dash. In related stories below, I included many previous stories which aim at real-time traffic info from Nav Systems.

Two news item on Nokia/NAVTEQ. The first one found by Very Spatial is Nokia's plan to focus on pedestrian maps: " Halbherr declined to say how long it would take to produce a device for pedestrians after the Navteq acquisition, and admitted it would be a complicated task. "It's the locating technology and it's the map attributes -- these need to include more precise data. For example, you want to know the exact entrances to the subway station. For a pedestrian, a distance of 50 or 60 meters is a big issue."" And the second story, via GeoMusings, is NAVTEQ's MapReporter tool to submit updates to NAVTEQ's data by the casual user. See also Tele Atlas' Map Insight and TomTom's MapShare.