Garmin Mobile Application to Offer New Features on BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile Smartphone
Written by Garmin
Monday, 31 March 2008
LAS VEGAS, March 31 -- Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin
Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) , the global leader in satellite navigation,
announced today upgrades to Garmin Mobile that include a new
user-friendly interface and Google Local(TM) search.
These upgrades will be available on a variety of handsets and platforms including BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile smartphones. These new features are in addition to a long list of rich features and real-time content included with Garmin Mobile's current subscription based service that includes turn-by-turn, voice prompted directions, as well as traffic, weather conditions and forecasts, fuel prices and more. Garmin will display the Garmin Mobile enhancements at its CTIA Wireless trade show booth (#6639) in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 1-3, 2008.
When the new Garmin Mobile application is launched, customers will first notice the new nuvi-like interface, with "Where To?" and "View Map" icons on the smartphone display. Once "Where To?" is selected, colorful icons such as "Address," "Recent Finds," "Food and Hotel" and "Google Local" streamline the number of keystrokes required before selecting a destination and receiving turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions. If a turn is missed en route, Garmin Mobile automatically recalculates the route based on the user's current location. Garmin Mobile has an extensive points of interest database -- places like hotels, restaurants, ATMs, gas stations, airports, and more -- thanks to the over six-million integrated points of interest and Google Local search. Garmin Mobile is also integrated with the phone's address book so that users can navigate directly to a contact's address stored on their smartphone.
The Google Local search capability lets users harness points of interest information via the World Wide Web. It allows users to look for locations by typing in key word searches as they would if they were on their desktop computer. If looking for a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi access, simply type the phrase in the search box and a list of venues will appear based on proximity to the user's current location. In addition, Garmin has created a "quick search" feature that lets users search Google Local via categories -- such as food, lodging, fuel, and more -- rather than typing a word or phrase into the Google Local search box. Detailed information can be displayed including descriptions, business address & phone numbers, and a user-contributed rating, where applicable. Once the user selects a location, they can save the destination to their favorites folder, call the destination, or navigate to it with Garmin's intuitive turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions.
In addition to navigation, Garmin Mobile includes free access to constantly-updating information like real-time traffic, fuel prices, weather forecasts, and more.
Since Garmin Mobile is a subscription based solution, mapping data is stored on Garmin's servers, not on the device itself. Therefore, customers have the advantage of the most up-to-date mapping information available directly from Garmin's servers. In order to access Garmin's network, the smartphone must have a data plan for network access.
The newest version of Garmin Mobile is rolling-out on BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile OS smartphones in July 2008. For more information about Garmin Mobile, visit http://www.garmin.com/mobilephones.
About Garmin International Inc.
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) , the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications -- most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin's products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at http://www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin is a registered trademark, and Garmin Mobile is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
Google and Google Local are trademarks of Google Inc. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Hackday - Tips, Tricks, OpenData sources, and Developer Resources for Mobile Application Developers - Hackday events are becoming quite common, many local government
agencies embracing the format and opening the doors, and their data
vaults, to local developers, hackers, and those simply looking to mashup
some data. Read on for Tips, Open Data sources, Developer Tools, Mobile
Dev resources and more!
Using QR Codes to Deliver Maps Electronically - cartographers
are tapping into technology in the form of Quick Response Codes (QR
codes) to help promote, sell and deliver maps electronically. Ted
Florence discusses QR codes, what they are and how they are useful for
maps and map producers.
10 Resources To Help You Get Started Programming with Python-
There's no question that if you want a head start in your career as a
GIS Analyst, programmer, or other technology professional that Python
programming is a must. Just look around on twitter, follow some geo
hacks on Google +, check out the developer resources, and attend a
GeoGeek meetup of WhereCamp and you'll hear about python.
58% Use Location-based Apps Despite Privacy Concerns- A telephone poll of 1,000 Americans shows that many people are concerned
about geolocation, which uses data from a computer or mobile device to
identify a physical location
The Really Big List of Mapping, Geo location Mobile developer resources, APIs and Tools - The Mobile Ecosystem... no question that mobile is huge and
the opportunity for developers, in particular, geo developers! There's
loads of developer resources on the web so to help the developer,
here's a listing of just some of the fine dev resources, blogs,
toolsets and more to consider when developing or porting your app to a
smartphone or Tablet.
Mobile Technology Feature - Top 10 Business Apps for Android - Android has become one of the most popular mobile operating systems
in the world due to advanced software, competitive manufacturers, and an
app market that is filled with exciting and useful applications. Read
on for this fine Top 10 List compiled by tech writer, Blake Sanders
ArcGIS.com Mashup Tutorial with Flickr and Foursquare data-
Here's a simple "how to" tutorial on working with the free ArcGIS.com
to easily import KML or RSS data from Flickr and foursquare into ArcGIS
to create your own custom map mashup.
Most Users of Free Photo Apps Say Adding Cool Effects is Most Useful - Adding cool effects
to photos was rated as the most useful thing by more than halfof
consumers surveyed using free online photography services, according to
CatchFree a free
online service that helps people find the best free mobile and web applications
to perform useful tasks.
Flickr GPS Photo Tag Tip - Here's a tip for Flickr users who want to share their GPS information
with their photos. note, in order to do this you'll need to be
capturing photos using a GPS-enabled or GPS-aware camera (see you're
smartphone hardware settings to ensure that GPS or location sharing is
turned "ON)".
Social Location Directory
Do you have a location-aware application, social location service or other location-sensitive service that you'd like to share with us? Please browse this growing directory of Social location Services and feel free to leave a link to your favorite service! See the Directory HERE
Featured Events
Location Business Summit USA - The biggest meeting place for hands on knowledge and networking within
the mobile and location industry. Continuing on from the massive success
of last year’s events in Silicon Valley and Amsterdam, join the biggest
and best companies in the community at the most influential LBS focused
summit in the world. San Jose CA
Wavefront Summits - Wavefront Wireless Summits Week 2013 connects
technology solution providers with global business leaders to
accelerate ideas and market opportunities.
The Underground Guide To The iPhone:
The iPhone is – if I may say so – one of the greatest mobile
revolutions of the past decade. More and more, mobile phones seem to
materialize out of our wildest dreams. Because of the tight integration
of third-party applications, you can do nearly everything with your
device — be it gaming, working, fooling around, and of course phoning.