Electric cars and other fuel-efficient vehicles certainly have plenty going for them, but all that reduction in fuel consumption also has the side effect of reducing the money earned from gas taxes, which has prompted folks like Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski to turn to some alternative solutions to keep those funds rolling in. In the case of Oregon, Governor Kulongoski is proposing a mileage tax that would eventually replace the gas tax altogether, and make use of GPS units to determine just how far each person travels and bill them accordingly (Oregon is proposing a 1.2 cent per mile tax). To assuage privacy concerns, that information would apparently only be collected when the driver fuels up, and actual travel information supposedly wouldn’t be tracked. Obviously, that system would only work if everyone had a GPS, so the governor is proposing an increase in the standard gas tax in the interim, with drivers already equipped with a GPS unit eligible for a refund on the taxes paid. All of this also still has to pass the Oregon legislature to become law, but it certainly wouldn’t be the first time that the state broke with convention.

Filed under: GPS, Transportation

Oregon governor looking at GPS-based mileage tax to fund roads originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At long last, iPhone users who have grown increasingly frustrated by using Google Maps as their primary navigational tool can find relief… sort of. Available right now in the App Store, XRoad’s G-Map application requires no internet connection whatsoever in order to function; rather, it packs oodles of maps into a 932MB package that covers most of western America and a few sporadic locales on the east. We’re a bit baffled (and angered) by the not-at-all-comprehensive coverage, but we suppose we can expect updates to patch the gaps in the near future. It provides most of the same amenities you’re used to seeing on real-deal GPS units, including POI editing, memo capabilities, location searching, etc. A word of caution, though: early reviews don’t seem too stoked about it, so you may want to gloss it over good before hitting your card for $19.99.

[Thanks, Karel]

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS

XRoad G-Map app brings bona fide navigation to the iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nextar has been pretty steadily adding newcomers to its Q4 family of navigators, and it’s not about to let up now with CES just around the corner. The latest member, the Q4-LT, touts a 4.3-inch touchscreen, built-in speaker / antenna, text-to-speech support, 2D / 3D NAVTEQ maps of the US and Canada, 1.6 million POIs, an MP3 / JPEG player, rechargeable battery and of course, free traffic updates for life. Hope you’re not too fond of the feature set, though, ’cause it won’t even be available for purchase until Q3 2009 for $249.99.

Filed under: GPS

Nextar throws in free traffic updates for life on Q4-LT navigator originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some interesting news is coming out of the Garmin camp this fine morning, including word that the company somehow managed to buck all manner of economic trends and boost its holiday sales by 50 percent over 2007. (Apparently peoples’ 401(k) valuations weren’t the only things getting lost this year.) The company also confirmed that its Nuvifone, which is getting a bit long in the tooth despite being unavailable, is indeed still coming — but won’t be hitting Taiwan at least until Q2 of next year, and there’s no indication of whether we’ll be seeing it a little earlier ’round these parts. Finally, and most intriguingly, is confirmation of what the company plans to do first with that freshly laminated Open Handset Alliance membership card: multiple new Android phones are said to be in the works, due for release sometime in the second half of 2009. No further information is available, and while the smart thing might be for Garmin to focus on getting its first handset out the door before drafting a successor, we think any excuse for a new costume on our favorite green Android is a good one.

[Via GPS Tracklog]

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS

Garmin planning Android-powered handsets for late 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If there’s one problem with modern GPS devices it’s that they’re “highly complex” — at least that’s what you might think if you’re a frequent Hammacher Schlemmer shopper. Believing that people find things like touch screens or buttons a little too much, the gadget company has created what it calls a “GPS Homing Device.” For a penny under $80 (roughly the price of a real nav system) the over-sized key fob lets you mark your current location and then, after an exhausting day of bargain hunting, find your way back to where you began just by following an arrow — all without relying on the help of the parking lot attendant. Makes a great gift for the directionally-challenged shopaholic in your life.

[Via Chip Chick]

Filed under: GPS

GPS homing device gets you back where you started, nowhere else originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Okay, so maybe the unlocking of the GPS on Verizon BlackBerrys wasn’t an accident after all — and maybe hell has frozen completely over. WMExperts is reporting an official statement released by the carrier claiming that GPS has remained locked down on many of its models simply because it hasn’t met Verizon’s “performance goals,” which granted, sounds like a crock — but to Verizon’s credit, they’re the ones getting the phone calls when things aren’t working smoothly, not the phone’s manufacturer. Still, when you consider that VZ Navigator runs a pricey $9.99 a month for WinMo devices, the financial motivation was certainly there to keep it locked down, so maybe customer dissatisfaction with the policy has reached a boiling point or Verizon is simply realizing that they’re not milking enough money to bother. Specifically, the Touch Pro, Saga, and Omnia have all been mentioned as getting fully unlocked, standalone GPS via firmware updates in the first half of next year.

[Via Brighthand]

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Handhelds

Verizon relents, promises to open GPS on some WinMo phones next year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s certainly no shortage of devices out there that promise to alert you when you’re approaching a red light or speed camera, but if you’re looking to keep things as simple as possible, you may want to consider this new so-called GPS Angel device, which pares things down to a couple of buttons and blinking lights. As with similar devices, you’re also able to sync it up to your PC to ensure you have all the latest camera locations (Mac users are on their own, unfortunately), and you don’t have to worry about a monthly or yearly subscription fee for the service. Head on past the break to check it out in action, and get ready to fork over $129 if you think it’ll do the job for you.

Continue reading GPS Angel promises to keep watch on red light and speed cameras

Filed under: GPS

GPS Angel promises to keep watch on red light and speed cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MiTAC already did a bit of GPS reshuffling to start the year off, and now it seems a bit more of that will be required. Magellan — the makers of the RoadMate, Maestro and Triton navigation systems — has entered into a “definitive agreement to sell its consumer products division to MiTAC International,” which goes a long way in explaining why development was suddenly halted last month on the promising Maestro Elite 5340 connected GPS. The deal is expected to close in January, and financial terms aren’t being publicly disclosed at present time. So, what’s this mean for both outfits at CES next month? It’s hard to say, but we wouldn’t count on a whole lot of new PNDs from Magellan. Hear that TomTom? You’ve got some slack to cover.

[Via GPSTracklog, thanks Rich]

Filed under: GPS

MiTAC buys Magellan consumer products division: ‘take it away, Maestro’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Every once in a while we’re reminded that Garmin’s Nuvifone — announced nearly a year ago — still exists, and this time around it’s none other than the FCC doing the reminding. The curiously-named “Calf” from ASUS turns out to be the Nuvifone once you click through to the label diagrams, and test documentation reveals that 3G is being tested on both Bands II and V — that’s North America-friendly 1900 and 850MHz, for those who aren’t up to snuff on their spectrum terminology. With gub’mint certification under its belt, maybe we can push that 1H 2009 release window to 1Q, eh, Garmin?

[Thanks, cl347bv]

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Handhelds

Garmin Nuvifone gets FCC approval originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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They’re far from common, but we’ve definitely seen modular GPS concepts before. If this leaked FCC documentation is any gauge of reality, however, TomTom will be making those wild, wild dreams into something entirely more tangible. The DUB1 is an up and coming navigator which is designed to operate in a snap-in portal located in your nearest dashboard or in the palm of your nearest hand. It’s likely that said portal will be a double-DIN aftermarket accessory, but we suppose TomTom could nail down contracts with automakers to provide it from the factory. There’s little left to do but wait and see, but given just how nuts Garmin went at CES 2008, don’t be shocked to see this as one of the many coming from its main rival in just under a month.

[Via NaviGadget]

Filed under: GPS

TomTom DUB1 navigator works in-dash or on-the-go originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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