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Bus Driver Scalps Bus Thanks To GPS Guidance
We may be inching towards the future of autonomous vehicles, but we're not quite there yet and a bus driver in Seattle has yet to figure that out. This is just another instance of individuals putting too much faith into GPS navigation devices. Following the directions from a Garmin GPS navigation unit, the Seattle bus driver attempted to go under a low footbridge that was a bit too low as it managed to scalp the bus and injure five. The driver was carrying home the Garfield High School girl's softball team. This unfortunate accident does bring up an interesting conundrum. The driver had put the Garmin device on the "bus" setting and failed to notice the signs prior to the bridge. Obviously the driver is to blame, but how much consideration should Garmin and other GPS manufacturers take when including a "bus" setting?More »
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Send Google Maps, MapQuest Directions Directly To Your Garmin
OnStar isn't the only company to work with mapping software companies. Garmin recently announced the ability to directly send maps and directions to a Garmin GPS navigation system. Rather than taking the painstaking process of looking up an address, writing it down and inputting it into your Garmin GPS navigation unit, you can just plug your Garmin into the computer and use a simple command now integrated into Google Maps and soon to be integrated in MapQuest on April 15 to shoot the directions directly to the Garmin GPS unit. More »
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Garmin Tosses 4 More GPS Navigation Units Into The Ring
And here Garmin goes again releasing a relentless amount of GPS navigation units onto the poor, confused public that doesn't understand the difference between the Nuvi 350 and 360 (hell, I don't even know the difference). Now Garmin has used the
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Today Show Takes GPS Testing Seriously
Okay, we know Boston is a tough place for GPS navigation units, but we didn't know it was this tough. This morning, the Today Show pitted three drivers against each other using three different GPS navigation units from TomTom, Garmin and Magellan navigating in Boston. It seemed like a simple test, but Greg John, the driver using the TomTom needed to make it apparent he won by flipping the bird to WHDH anchor, Adam Williams after his victory. Greg John must have a lot of pent-up anger from having two first names. It's okay, buddy, it's just GPS, no need to be so hateful.
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NUDAR Turns Your GPS Into A Boobie Finder
GPS Navigation has been around for quite a few years and it's a damn shame that it has taken this long for a NUDAR to come around. NUDAR is a company compiling a GPS point-of-interest file capable of directing an individual to any establishment that would provide nudity, such as (and most popularly) strip clubs, but also including nude beaches, resorts, festivals,
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Garmin Stereotypes The Hell Out Of Women
Hey Garmin, everyone knows all women like to do is shop, eat at bistros, spend their man's money and forget where they parked, but you don't have to make it so obvious with this commercial for the Nuviphone. Check out the first part of the ad above, where a woman's inability to do anything productive with her life is pointed out. Oh, and Suzie, since you are obviously a
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Garmin Superbowl Ad Pokes Fun at Short French Emperor
Garmin has been keeping really busy this week. The GPS giant has been dropping hints all over the place about its Super Bowl ad that surprisingly (or maybe not, if you're a marketer who's savvy with these interwebs) isn't debuting during the Super Bowl, but rather online. The ad has gone live and it's all right, I guess. I've never been one of the "watch the Super Bowl for the commercials" kind of people, mainly because I have a horrible gambling problem and usually have a vested interest in the game. I'm sorry. So very sorry. But this ad isn't too bad. Kind of cute, kind of funny. It stars Napoleon, the diminutive Corsican who dominated all Europe long ago in the pre-Garmin era (we have GPS, Napoleon had Eclaireurs-a-Cheval—scouts on horseback). This commercial is also one less thing that I'll have to pay attention to Sunday when I'm plump with beer and brats and squandering February's rent. Or winning big! Like I said, I have a problem. [Garmin Gameday]
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Garmin Nuviphone: What Does It Mean For The GPS Biz?
Just when I thought Garmin was too busy releasing a relentless number of GPS navigation systems, they come out of nowhere with the Nuviphone, a full-blown cellphone based around a GPS core that's set for a third quarter release this year. No word on the carrier or price. With a variety of carriers and manufacturers marketing their own gimpy solutions to GPS on cellphones, what does this phone mean for the industry? Quite a bit, actually.More »
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Garmin, MSN Eliminate Unnecessary Address Entry on GPS Units
Garmin is taking steps in the right direction with a new service it recently announced. Everyone who has used a GPS navigation knows that entering addresses is pretty painstaking, so this new service—a collaboration between Garmin and MSN Direct—tries to eliminate that requirement altogether. It seems the service is pretty simple: beaming directions from a computer using Microsoft Live Search Maps directly to a compatible Garmin GPS unit. But the method they used to get to that point is an interesting one. More »
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The Ultimate Garmin Nuvi Shopping Guide
One of the biggest gripes about aftermarket GPS navigation systems is that there are simply too many choices. Seriously, do you really need to release a new model because it has microSD expandability rather than mere SD? Cut out the gadget diarrhea already. Enter Navigadget, performing a valuable service by breaking down all of the Garmin Nuvi GPS systems in a handy and convenient chart. It covers price, display size, battery life, text-to-speech ability, map choices, Bluetooth, MP3 player, remote control, voice communication, MSN direct, FM transmission and type of memory card slot. This is great, and I'll be the first to give Garmin top honors in the GPS realm, but as the chart suggests, the sheer number of options is a bit much. [Navigadget]
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Custom Garmin BMW Receivers for 1, 3 Series
Garmin has struck a deal with BMW to begin producing customized Garmin units for the 1- and 3-series vehicles. The Nuvi 360 will be the model of choice for BMW owners and will come with the usual array of features, including Bluetooth, MP3 player, street pronunciation and more. Unfortunately, the BMW-ified 360 isn't all that exciting. More »
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Garmin Nuvi 5000 Belongs in a Museum
It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it? Look at her, the Garmin Nuvi 5000; she's just so beautiful and elegant and deserves a spot on the dashboard of only the most elite luxury vehicles. Right? The Nuvi 5000 is Garmin's latest heavy hitting GPS navigation system announced at the CES show this week. More »
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What the? — is this Garmin's New Colorado 300 GPS Unit?
Apparently, this is the new Colorado (no, not that Colorado). Well, the picture says so, but we don't always believe in overly grainy pictures, especially when cameraphones nowadays can outperform many actual cameras. The Colorado 300 appears to be Garmin's latest, greatest and oddly shaped GPS unit. According to the leakee, the large round button on top does all of the control work. Another source says that it will be available in three versions: topography, inland lakes and coastal with all likely including city navigation software. More »
industry news
TomTom Offers Serious MoneyMoney for Tele Atlas
Making good street maps is a pretty tough gig, which is why TomTom and Garmin are in a bidding war for Tele Atlas, the only major unsold mapmaker left (Navteq was purchased by Nokia for $8.1 billion). TomTom, the leader in navigation equipment, raised the stakes by offering a whopping $4.2 billion. What's great about this, especially for Tele Atlas, is that the mapping company has lost money for the last 10 years. More »
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