TomTom GPS at GPS Gazette

Another new GPS System by TomTom has leaked through the FCC. This Time it’s the TomTom Go 715 after the TomTom DUO and the TomTom ONE XL. Like it’s predecessor the TomTom GO 710 it sports Bluetooth functionality for hands free calling but what appears to be a new feature is that it has a SIM card slot that will allow users to make calls and send text messages for the 715 itself. By looking at the manual it appears that the 715 is an upgrade mainly targeted at the business market with software that allows the user to receive and manage orders and to communicate with his office about the status of the orders. I guess we will have to wait until the CeBIT to see if these new model will be a replacement of the 710 or just an addition model targeting mostly the business part of the market.

The first information about an upcoming GPS System by TomTom called TomTom DUO are starting to appear online. First there was a report of an unknown TomTom unit appearing on FCC and later on a post by GPS Review it was mentioned that this brand new unit will be called TomTom Duo. Not a lot of information is available yet but it appears that it will be coming with a docking station equipped with an FM transmitter that will provide navigational directions, as well as music from external players such as the iPod through the car’s sound system, . Other features that have been mentioned include SD, hands free Bluetooth calling and voice SMS and a tweaked interface. More information and the official announcement are expected at the CeBIT.

TomTom unveiled today its new logo that in about a month will be used on all TomTom products. The logo isn’t that different from the previous version but it has a more fresh feel.

The logo is an evolution of the current logo and consists of the word ‘TomTom’ spelled in black, capitalized letters and features TomTom’s famous red hands embracing a transparent ball.

Press Release

After a report yesterday and quite a bit of press coverage TomTom issued today a press release verifying that a number of TomTom 910 manufactured between 9/2006 and 11/2006 were infected with a virus. However, they state that

The viruses that were detected present an extremely low risk to customers’ computers

Press Release

Technorati Tags: TomTom GPS, GO 910, GPS, Virus

TomTom announced the launch of the FM Transmitter Mount. This new accessory will allow drivers to hear driving directions and make hands free calls from their car’s radio.

From the press release:

TomTom GO users simply dock their TomTom GO on the new FM Transmitter Mount, tune the car radio to an unused FM frequency and select the same frequency on the TomTom GO. Turn by turn navigation instructions, hands free calls and music can now be heard in HiFi through the car stereo, without any unsightly cables cluttering the interior. The seamless integration between the TomTom GO and the car stereo also ensures that music stops when navigation instructions are played or (hands free) phone calls are made.

Pricing,Availability and Compatibility

The FM Transmitter Mount is compatible with the TomTom GO range and is expected to start shipping in about a month with a price tag of €49.95

Press Release

The first reviews of the new TomTom devices have started appearing on the web. TomTom 910 has been reviewed by the the Laptop Magazine.
A little background info about TomTom’s features and specification:

4.0 inch widescreen WQVGA screen (480×272 pixels, 64,000 colors)
CPU 400 MHz
RAM 64MB
Lithium-Ion battery (4 hours operation)
20Gb Hard disk
High sensitivity SiRF Star 3 GPS chipset
Preloaded maps of Europe, USA and Canada

The editors of the Laptop Magazine report

Despite the outdated POI data we encountered and the high price, the TomTom GO 910’s remarkable ease of use and plethora of useful and fun features help it blow away the competition.

Read the whole review

Technorati Tags: TomTom 910, GPS, review

TomTom GO 910 will be the higher end of the new TomTom GO GPS series. It will share the same improvements as the TomTom GO 510 and 710 including the new design, the high quality 4inch touch screen and the software improvements. However it will have a number of additional features. According to TomTom it will be the first portable navigation device featuring multi-continental map coverage including the whole of Europe, the USA and Canada. It will also a number of extras such as a fully integrated MP3 player for playing audiobooks, music and podcasts as well as text-to-speech functionality and a 20 GB hard drive for storing your music files.

The TomTom GO 910 is expected to start shipping in April along with the rest of the new TomTom GO GPS devices.

Via PocketInfo

Technorati Tags: TomTom, GO 910, GPS

TomTom GO 710 will be the mid-end model of the new TomTom GO series. As with it’s smaller brother the TomTom GO 510 it will have a new design and a high quality 4 inch LCD touch screen. According to the TomTom announcement it will also feature improved GPS reception performance, improved software and it will come with the free software application TomTom HOME which will serve as a portal, enabling users to easily manage, download and store content from their computer.

Availability and pricing information of the TomTom GO 710 are expected in April.

Via PocketInfo

Technorati Tags: TomTom, GO 710, GPS

TomTom announced yesterday the launch of a new TomTom GO range. The new TomTom series includes the TomTom Go 510, 710 and910. The TomTom Go 510 will be the low-end model of the new TomTom Go series, however no information about pricing is yet available. Some of the new features of the TomTom Go 510 include.

New Design
High quality, extra wide, 4 inch LCD touch screen
Improved GPS performance
Software Improvements
Improved hands-free calling functionality
SD card slot

TomTom GO 510 is expected to start shipping in April.

Via PocketInfo

Technorati Tags: TomTom, GO 510, GPS

Garmin, has filled a lawsuit against TomTom in a Wisconsin Federal Court. Garmin contends that TomTom is infringing on five Garmin U.S. patents held by Garmin. Among those patents is one that protects Garmin technology designed to calculate which streets are important enough to a driver’s route to be displayed on the device’s on-screen maps and therefore simplify the maps showing a vehicle’s location.

TomTom rejects Garmin’s claims. However, market analysts called this lawsuit bad news for TomTom and noted that if Garmin wins this case, TomTom will be forced to stop marketing it’s products in the US market.

Via Kansas City Star
Technorati Tags: TomTom, Garmin, lawsuit, patent, infringement