Navigon updates its GPS iPhone software in the US
I have a whole bunch of GPS applications on my iPhone (just got my upgrade to the new 3GS and boy is it an improvement!), but the one that has become my hands-down favorite is Navigon.
Now Navigon has made it even better with a huge update. The most important part of the update is that it includes Google search. No more fooling with POIs, though they are there if you want them, now you just enter your phrase and Navigon will search through Google and give you the results. If you want to find a taxidermist in Red Punk, Iowa, Navigon is the only one that will do it for you. The picture is a shot of the Google search screen. Their latest update also has a number of other important features:
Google Local Search
Enhanced pedestrian mode
Turn-by-Turn Route List Provides a detailed list of directions, which update automatically during navigation; eliminating each maneuvers in real-time.
Audiobook Mode Drivers can now enjoy even more of their iPod while in-route music and audiobooks without missing MobileNavigators clear text-to-speech navigation announcements. In music mode the volume is automatically reduced during the voice announcement. Now while listening to audiobooks and navigation, playback is automatically paused and rewound for one second while directions are given, and resumes playing when the directions stop.
Coordinate Input Employ longitude and latitude coordinates as a destination as an alternative to traditional input like an address or POI by name. Email geographical coordinates for precise location identification.
Emergency Help Tapping one of the predefined categories such as Police, Hospital, Pharmacy or Gas Station provides detailed textual description of current position sorted by distance. Includes list with the street name, zip, city, distance to next big intersection, and geographic location. Emergency Help tells you exactly where you are, so you can tell other how to get to you.
Favorites displayed in map Destinations marked as favorites by the user are now displayed on the map in a named flag icon.
Swipe Screen integration for Traffic Messages Users can browse Traffic Live messages with the flick of a finger.
Contacts as interim destinations One-tap sets contacts as an interim destination. Using contact groups in the phonebook as interim destinations is now also possible.
GPS display enhancements If the iPhone GPS signal becomes too weak during navigation, indicated by a red bar on the top of the display; MobileNavigator now calculates the approximate position and shows the estimated position in the map (grey positioning indicator) to provide better orientation. Active route guidance remains switched off but continues normal navigation until a valid signal is available.
3D map zooming As they navigate, users can now zoom in on the map section both in the 2D and 3D display using the iPhones intuitive fingertip control.
Country Info When the user crosses a country border, pointing out the countrys most important traffic regulations such as the maximum permissible speeds or alcohol limits.
Faster start-up
Fantastic new case for the iPhone
It has a kickstand at the back and will support the phone in the landscape or portrait modes. It's just wonderful for reading. Whenever I'm eating dinner or at the coffee shop I have my phone propped up in this case. Not much more to be said than that. The stand is easy to fold out, and a bit harder to put back, but no real trouble. It does add some, to me, unwanted thickness, but that's worth the convenience.
The case costs $29.95 and shipping is free 'till December 17. It is shipped from Nevada and the cases I've bought have arrived here in New Jersey only 2 days after I placed the order. Great service from our friends at the US Post Office. Unfortunately they don't have one for the Touch.
The Red Apple available for the Palm Pre
Winged Chariot has a new ereading application out for the Pre. It's a holiday bedtime story told on your Pre.
In addition, their book, Vroom, is also available for the Pre. It's nice to see some reading applications show up for that platform. Go over to Winged Chariot and take a look.
Palm in New York
Here's Palm table at the Pepcom show in New York City that I attended yesterday. It was a bit sparse, as they really only have a couple of products to show. But if I were them I would have spruced it up a bit so it didn't look quite so bare.
However, they showed the new pixi and here's a shot of it in my hand
I got to try out the keyboard and was surprised that it was pretty easy to type on such a small thing. The whole unit fits nicely in my hand, as you can see, and I can easily see carrying this phone in my pocket, even my shirt pocket. It's a pity they aren't on a GSM carrier because I would love to have one and slip my SIM into it when I wanted to travel really light. Well, maybe some day.
They also showed their Artist Series of back for the phone and I have only one word for them: Neat!! I would certainly be buying them all if I owned the phone.
Navigon updates its GPS iPhone software in the US
Navigon has released an important update to its iPhone software. Here is the press release I just received: NAVIGON, from the outset is committed to not only setting the industry standard for navigation capabilities on the iPhone, but also integrates iPhone-specific functionalities. The new update is the next step in this direction with seamless integration of iPod controls. Drivers can now enjoy the full range of iPod functionalities with a simple one-click from map access to artists, titles, albums, audio books, podcasts and playlist selections. The feature also takes advantage of the shuffle, and automatic playlist generating technology within iPod. The driver can listen to songs again or leave it to the device to generate a random selection. A new location sharing function makes it convenient to meet-up with friends and acquaintances, on the go. Users can share their own location, an address or a point of interest (POI) such as a restaurant or museum via email. If the recipients are MobileNavigator users, a simple link-tap provides the exact address. The navigation software starts automatically when the link is activated and guides the user directly to the destination, without having to input locations, and waiting for the search results. In addition, the app routinely changes the maps colors switching it between Day and Night Mode determined by time and location. This guarantees optimal display visibility at all times and allows drivers to recognize the route as quickly as possible to improve orientation. The MobileNavigator transforms any iPhone 3G, equipped with the new Apple OS 3.0 operating system, and any iPhone 3G S into a complete navigation device. It is the only iPhone navigation app on the market featuring Reality View™ Pro which displays 3D views of complex highway interchanges and exits helping drivers to orientate. Also unique are the branded POI’s along the route which make it easier to spot any points of interest that are on the way.
My install experience with Snow Leopard
For all our Mac fans out there, I thought I should give you a brief report about my upgrade to Snow Leopard. I say brief because it went so smoothly that there isn’t much to say.
I upgraded both my MacBook Pro and MacBook and both upgrades went smoothly. They took about 45 minutes each and no glitches were encountered. Most everything seems to be running smoothly, even Windows XP under Fusion. As most sites have reported there are not a lot of obvious external changes. The upgraded Stacks is nice, but, for me, the best thing is the ability to use, finally, my mini Display Port to HDMI adapter and run my Toshiba 32″ HDTV at a native 720p as a display for the MacBook Pro. There is now a set of HDMI resolutions available in the Displays Preference panel. Previously, the HDMI adapter never really worked and I had to run the Toshiba via its PC input, giving me a display that was always a bit “wavery” and that never filled the screen quite right. Now it’s rock solid and the Toshiba’s screen tracks the MacBook’s screen exactly. I got that adapter, by the way, from Amazon for only $11.
The current problem is that neither my HP LaserJet P1505 nor my Epson Stylus Photo R800 work. Printer driver problems are common with this release from what I read. I think Epson has a new driver out, but I can’t find one for the HP. Luckily I don’t have a great need for printing right now.
You can find an excellent overall review of Snow Leopard at Ars Technica.
My iPhone comes back from the rain
Yesterday I was sitting outside reading an ebook on my iPhone. After a while I went inside, leaving the iPhone on the arm of the deck chair. A little while later a torrential rainstorm hit and I completely forgot that the poor iPhone was sitting outside. After a couple of rainy hours I saw it and brought it inside. It had been sitting outside, face down, in the rain for quite a while.
Well, it didn't work. The backlight wouldn't go on, but I could see the icons on the dark screen. None of the buttons worked. I shook it over the sink to get out some water, but nothing came out. So I figured the best thing to do was to leave it alone. I put it into the charging cradle, thinking that maybe by charging it I would create a bit of heat which would help dry it out. About 3 hours later the backlight started to flicker on and off. Then the backlight went off completely again and the machine started to boot up over and over again - and endless loop with a dark screen. By this time its 1 am, time to go to bed, so I just left it in the cradle. I had transferred my SIM to my Nokia so at least I had a working phone.
Got up the next morning and much to my surprise the iPhone was working perfectly! Put my SIM back in and I've been using it all day without a problem. What a relief! I have a 3G and I'm not eligible for a reasonably priced upgrade 'till December, so I would have had to use the Nokia until then. Last time I'll do that! I hope!
Navigon updates its GPS iPhone software in the US
Navigon has updated their US software. It also looks as if text to speech and traffic are coming. Here is the press release I received:
NAVIGON AG, the leading innovator in the navigation market, today announced the availability of a free update for its North American version of the MobileNavigator for the iPhone.
The free update adds a couple of new features and enhancements to the MobileNavigator. NAVIGON’s route planning function known from the companies PND line enables users to plan a route with different destinations ahead of time. Taking advantage of the iPhone’s own functionalities, a call POI function allows to directly call the number of a POI such as a restaurant or hotel by simply clicking on the number. It is also possible to save it to the user’s contacts. Furthermore, the update provides an optimized volume control when navigating and using the integrated iPod function of the iPhone at the same time. It also allows to decide which POIs should be displayed in the map view.
All current users of the NAVIGON MobileNavigator will get notified by the App Store and can download the update for free. New customers who buy the software in the iPhone App Store will from now on automatically receive an updated version. “NAVIGON is committed to providing the best navigation solution for the iPhone and is constantly working on new features,” said Gerhard Mayr, Vice President World-Wide Mobile Phone & New Markets of NAVIGON AG. “Our customers can expect a lot more functions to come, and spoken street names (text-to-speech) is one of the next additions that will follow soon. Of course we are also looking into offering a powerful real-time-traffic service.”
Best Pizza I've ever made!!
Make pizza dough however you usually make it and form into a pizza round (King Arthur Flour makes a good mix if you aren't used to making the dough). All the oil I used in this recipe is avocado oil, not olive oil. Avocado oil is much lighter and has a nice fruity aroma.
1. Take a head of garlic, cut off the top and roast it (wrapped in tin foil at 450 degrees for about 50 min.) After it's done squeeze out the cloves and mash them up with some oil and then brush the mixture over the uncooked pizza.
2. Cut an eggplant into slices and saute in oil. When brown lay it down on pizza as first layer
3. Saute a large onion until brown and add as layer 2
4. Get a mixture of various mushrooms and slice them. Add to the mixture a package of dried morels which have been soaked in hot water. (Fresh are better, but hard to find.) Squeeze out as much water as you can before adding. Saute all mushrooms in oil. Mix into mixture two teaspoons of truffle oil after they have cooled. This is layer 3
5. Take about a pound of Brie and cut off rind. Cut into small chunks and put on pizza as layer 4. This is the only cheese.
Cook at 425 for about 15-20 minutes. To keep the dough from getting soggy you can cook it for 5 minutes or so to harden the top a bit before adding any of the above ingredients.
You won't believe the result!
