Right, we know — it’s probably the hideous FCC photograph that’s turning us off on the design, but there’s still something here that just screams 1997. Nitpicking aside, the so-called Bluepeaker is a multifaceted device that provides GPS data to Bluetooth-equipped phones, PDAs and laptops, all while doubling as a BT speaker (audio streaming is obviously supported) or a BT speakerphone (handsfree is a lock). The unit itself can get juice via any powered USB port or AC wall charger, and we’re told it should last for around 200 hours in standby mode. Sadly, the FCC isn’t really much for handing out pricing details, but we’ll be sure to keep an ear to the ground.

[Via Slashgear]

Filed under: GPS, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

Bluepeaker weds GPS, speakerphone and Bluetooth into one ugly puck originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW’s latest iDrive system is actually rather remarkable, but even it will look aged compared to ILENA. Intelligent Learning Navigation, as it’ll be formally known, will reportedly pay attention to your daily driving habits in order to better predict routes and possibly even save a pinch of fuel. Details about the actual inner workings are still a bit vague (and German), but we’re also told that the system will include an intelligent feature that recalls driver preferences based on his / her Bluetooth cellphone. When driver A steps in and pairs things up, the seat will automatically move to their preferred setting, their favorite stations will queue up, etc; obviously, changes are automatically made when driver B steps in for the return leg. There’s no word on when this system is expected to leapfrog the existing navigation system, but you may want to hold back on that impending European Delivery trip if you just can’t live without a GPS that learns.

[Via BMWBlog]

Filed under: GPS, Transportation

BMW purportedly working on adaptive ILENA navigation system originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The GPS circuitry in the iPhone 3G could be used to do more — a lot more, in fact — than it currently does, and it looks like Apple might have an eye on an angle most people wouldn’t have considered (in other words, something other than turn-by-turn). Digging through iPhoto ’09’s innermost sanctums has apparently revealed references to some sort of asynchronous geotagging capability, whereby selecting locations from an app on the phone (or iPod touch, as the case may be) could be transferred directly to iPhoto and associated with events — perfect for shooting with, say, a real camera while toting your phone in your pocket. Of course, the capability is purely vestigial for now — no announcement has been made, and there’s no way for users to access this directly — so Apple could’ve spiked it or has it queued up for a future firmware update. Time will tell.

[Via iLounge and Ars Technica]

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras, GPS, Handhelds

Apple to use iPhone’s GPS to geotag locationless photos? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GiSTEQ — the GPS phototagger folks — are back on the scene with TripBook, a novel approach to the art of mileage tracking. The idea is simple: You plug the device into your vehicle’s lighter, at which point it powers up and preserves all the sordid details of your journey — time, distance, route and so forth. Once your saga concludes (or, as Joseph Campbell once put it, when you return “to the world of common day”) the data can be exported to your PC (sorry, Mac users) for creating IRS-compliant mileage reports. The device, vehicle adapter, USB cable and all pertinent software and manuals are available from the manufacturer for $99.

Filed under: GPS

GiSTEQ USB dongle makes trip logging quick, easy, and utterly heroic originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mio has had some fun products in the past (well, at least one), and if you’re among the great number of our mitzva-observant readership this item should be right up your proverbial alley. The Ma’amin (Hebrew for “Believer”) is a GPS unit available in Israel. Besides the maps and the POIs (including holy sites, synagogues, cemeteries, and ritual baths) this guy includes the Book of Psalms, a Hebrew calendar, and plenty of prayers and blessings. Additionally, the device keeps things on the up and up by only speaking in a man’s voice and cutting out the telephone and internet access. Prices start at around $240.

Filed under: GPS

Mio’s Believer GPS puts POIs, Book of Psalms at your fingertips originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clarion’s ClarionMiND MID / PND has been a long time coming but, with the first few non-3G-equipped units now out there in the wild, we’re finally starting to get some reviews of the device, one of which comes from the folks at Mobile Tech Review. As you might expect, there’s quite a bit of compromises to be found both as an MID and a GPS device, although it does seem to be considerably more well-suited to the latter task than the former. The biggest drawback on that front, it seems, is a weak built-in speaker that may not be powerful enough to overcome road noise. Things seem to be decidedly more lackluster when used as an MID, however, a situation that isn’t helped by its underpowered 800MHz Z500 processor, its 850mAh battery, or its custom Linux distribution, which handles the basic internet-browsing tasks just fine but makes it difficult to install any third party apps. Hit up the link below for the complete rundown.

Filed under: GPS, Handhelds

ClarionMind MID / PND gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For those less interested in QWERTY keyboards and more inclined for something navigation-centric, Nokia’s announced the 6710 Navigator slider and 6720 classic handset. Both phones dedicated GPS service with real time drive-and-walk navigation, and full regional maps. Outside of that, you’ve got a 5 megapixel camera to capture the memory of our adventure. The 6720 is coming out second quarter of this year for 245 euros, while the 6710 Navigator will be popping in third quarter for 300 euros.

Update: More details from the fact sheets. The 6720 classic’s got a 2.2-inch TFT QVGA, music player with support for MP3, AAC and WMA, FM tuner, and a dual-LED flash. Standby time is 20.5 days and talk time is 5 / 8.5 hours for 3G and GSM, respectively. The 6710 Navigator’s sporting 2.6-inch outdoor optimized QVGA with ambient light detector, support up to 16GB microSD, 18.5 day standby time and 4.5 / 7.5 hour talk time for 3G and GSM, respectively. Both handsets feature built-in A-GPS and Nokia Maps 3.0, a web browser and Carl Zeiss optics for the 5MP camera.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS

Nokia’s GPS-centric 6710 Navigator and 6720 classic announced originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 04:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s not that hybrid GPS systems are all that new, it’s just that most are working totally under the radar. Skyhook’s hoping to get its rendition out in the open a tad more via a new partnership with Texas Instruments. The company’s XPS hybrid positioning system is now cleared for integration within TI’s NaviLink and WiLink mobile solutions, though there’s no mention made of who all is drooling to get this into their phones. In short, Skyhook’s XPS works by detecting WiFi hotspots, raw GPS readings and cellular IDs, and then comparing that information against a known database of geo-located points. In theory, this stuff could totally amp up the location abilities of most any handset, but in reality, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it get swept away and forgotten just like the eerily similar announcement between Skyhook and Broadcom. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Skyhook XPS integrates with TI’s NaviLink and WiLink mobile solutions

Filed under: GPS, Wireless

Skyhook XPS integrates with TI’s NaviLink and WiLink mobile solutions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We got a bumpy car ride through Barcelona, and handled the newly spruced-up and official Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 along the way. The phone has come a very long way since we last saw it, with a snappy, smooth interface, and nary a glitch or crash. The touchscreen keyboard — usable in portrait and landscape modes — is no pretender to the iPhone’s throne, but is one of the best we’ve seen on a resistive touch device. We also found the WebKit-based browser to be one of the smoother ones we’ve seen outside the T-Mobile G1 and the iPhone. The phone is pretty slow when reorienting itself or entering certain applications, and, as feared, there seems a general lack of depth to the functionality of the actual “smartphone” features like calendar or contacts, but the location-based services — in the car and out — really do bring a lot to the table.

Update: we added a video after the break, pardon the bumps!

Continue reading Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 hands-on (Update: now with video!)

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Handhelds

Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 hands-on (Update: now with video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After learning that TeleNav would be releasing dedicated turn-by-turn GPS navigation for one of our favorite devices — the G1 — we got more than a little excited. Thankfully, we’ve had a chance to take the software for a spin before its February 24th release date, and these are our findings.

• The software is really snappy, snappier than a lot of dedicated GPS units we’ve used.
• Finding satellites can be a major pain sometimes, and the signal can drop while you’re driving (see video), which could be a major headache if you’re on a trip and you really don’t know where you’re going.
• The app doesn’t seem to eat up much space (it occupies 4MB on the device), so it appears to be pulling map data OTA. That’s a good thing if you’re worried about filling up your G1, but bad if you need info quickly or you’re not in a data-gettin’ spot.
• We experienced a crash while it was fetching satellites. The software is still being tweaked from what TeleNav tells us, so we’re going to assume that won’t be an issue once it’s on the market.
• The traffic, restaurant, and gas station services are top notch and pretty speedy (once it figures out where you are). Since a lot of GPS units aren’t pulling live data on surrounding businesses or traffic / weather info, this is a nice touch.
• The speaker volume on the G1 is probably a bit quiet if you’re cranking on a highway — that could be an issue if you’re really relying on what Stephen King calls “the GPS voice.”
• As expected, it’s a power hog, so plan on having an adapter in the car if you’re going to get any use out of this.

Continue reading An Engadget adventure with TeleNav’s G1 GPS software: hands-on, impressions, and video

Filed under: GPS

An Engadget adventure with TeleNav’s G1 GPS software: hands-on, impressions, and video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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