Innovations in GPS technology.. What more can they do ? (1 Viewer)

[Jaws]

Just wondering..
All the main players seem to bring out new models on a regular basis..
An awful lot of em have blue tooth and even internet connection built in..

In general they all do a good job of getting you where you want to be, with decent spoken directions and visual lane aids..

So what would you like to see added to a new model ?

 

[mjltigger]

I'm sure the issue for Garmin, TomTom et al is that the better smart phone navigation systems get, the more features they will need to add to provide a usp. My guess is they will continue to integrate mobile phone technology.

Voice control?
Built in dashcam?

 

[Jaws]

A lot already has voice control ( both our tomotms do ) but a built in dash cam sounds like a goer..

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[Peter & Elaine]

I think I read somewhere garmin has a option for dash cam on its smartphone app

 

[mjltigger]

Thing is my phone already does both of those things as well as sat nav.. what is it it that makes you have a dedicated sat nav rather than use a smart phone app just out of interest...

 

[Deleted member 29692]

The BMW one has what they call a "concierge service." The car has a SIM card in it, you press a button and it calls up the service. You speak to the person on the other end and tell them what you need - I'm going to the the NEC or I want the nearest McDonalds, or whatever you want and they find it and send it directly to the Satnav so you don't have to do anything.

You can also find a location on Google maps on a computer and send that straight to the car so you don't need to program it, just accept the route.

Both are more useful than I thought they would be.

I'm sure other manufacturers do the same things (I know they do for the Google maps thing)

Also the traffic updates and offering you a diversion that they all do it great.

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[Jaws]

Thing is my phone already does both of those things as well as sat nav.. what is it it that makes you have a dedicated sat nav rather than use a smart phone app just out of interest...

Maybe a lot of folk do not have a smartphone ?

 

[JJ]

A facility to lead me to where I left my glasses would be good...

JJ

 

[mjltigger]

Maybe a lot of folk do not have a smartphone ?

I'm sure that's the case for some. I was just wondering as I know a lot of people who have both and I was thinking whatever it is that prompted the additional purchase was probably the things sat nav mfrs should be improving and developing

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[scotjimland]

what is it it that makes you have a dedicated sat nav rather than use a smart phone app just out of interest...

have both but still prefer the dedicated sat nav.

I have Co-pilot (paid version) on my Galaxy S3 and it works well, but it is a smaller screen, not a big issue but I also find it more fiddly to use than my TomTom .. small touch screens and pork sausage fingers don't work well.. On one occasion the phone overheated and shut down..

Have used the phone when out walking in town and found it very useful.. but for car, I'll stick with a dedicated unit.

 

[Carol]

The BMW one has what they call a "concierge service." The car has a SIM card in it, you press a button and it calls up the service. You speak to the person on the other end and tell them what you need - I'm going to the the NEC or I want the nearest McDonalds, or whatever you want and they find it and send it directly to the Satnav so you don't have to do anything.

You can also find a location on Google maps on a computer and send that straight to the car so you don't need to program it, just accept the route.

Both are more useful than I thought they would be.

I'm sure other manufacturers do the same things (I know they do for the Google maps thing)

Also the traffic updates and offering you a diversion that they all do it great.

Now that is a idea that really appeals to me if they only made them for Motorhomes at a affordable price (eg £350) when our trusty old Tom Tom 700 Go gives up the ghost that would be a option I would like available.

 

[Jaws]

I'm sure that's the case for some. I was just wondering as I know a lot of people who have both and I was thinking whatever it is that prompted the additional purchase was probably the things sat nav mfrs should be improving and developing

For me personally it is ease of use ( and I get a LOT of fone calls ! )

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[DuxDeluxe]

Got a built in Comand system in the car which is excellent as it does everything. It cannot be long before car manufacturers fully integrate a dashcam into the whole thing as well. Suspect that there may be issues that we aren't aware of preventing this as it seems to be a no brainer

Dawn still uses our ancient tomtom even in my car as she finds the Comand system too intimidating.

 

[DBK]

Even with updated maps my garmin does not know about every road so it would be nice if it could learn and when I drive on a new road it remembered it. From experience it doesn't do this.

 

[Gellyneck]

Wouldn't be surprised if sat navs (dedicated and mobile phone) start giving advertising for local food \ fuel \ shopping outlets as you approach them! Heaven forbid!

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[buttons]

In sight displays will soon be commonplace bit like a fighter pilot has. With voice control of course.

 

[mjltigger]

In sight displays will soon be commonplace bit like a fighter pilot has. With voice control of course.

You can already get this for mobiles but they are pretty basic.. no map view I've found yet and they tend to be pretty poor in the daylight on most windscreens. I think some French cars have something built in for speed etc but it uses a slide up perspex screen rather than the actual windscreen

 

[Robert Clark]

If all sat navs were connected to a central network they could help manage congestion by sharing the traffic between a number of different roads.
It would also be good if they offered an option to take a scenic route
And also suggest the best times to make a trip based on known rush hour data

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[mjltigger]

If all sat navs were connected to a central network they could help manage congestion by sharing the traffic between a number of different roads.
It would also be good if they offered an option to take a scenic route
And also suggest the best times to make a trip based on known rush hour data

Try Waze if you have a smart phone.. I think that's what you mean. It learns routes you drive and you can add things that are of benefit to other users such as road and traffic conditions..and has voice control etc.

 

[barsteward]

Maybe a lot of folk do not have a smartphone ?

In my case I have both Sat-Nav and a phone both of which are getting a bit long in the tooth so the decision now is a new phone or a new Sat-Nav.

This I think is going to be the problem for the Sat-Nav manufacturer.

 

[buttons]

You can already get this for mobiles but they are pretty basic.. no map view I've found yet and they tend to be pretty poor in the daylight on most windscreens. I think some French cars have something built in for speed etc but it uses a slide up perspex screen rather than the actual windscreen

As soon as the demand is there the tech will get better. Pilots have it so just needs to be mass produced for the car markey

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[mjltigger]

Google maps also uses live and historic road speed data to support routing.. I believe this is available as a subscription service on some dedicated devices but the live feed back to the server from a smart phone makes it easier to build it in as part of the concept

 

[Jaws]

Even with updated maps my garmin does not know about every road so it would be nice if it could learn and when I drive on a new road it remembered it. From experience it doesn't do this.

The Tomtom does learn to some extent as far as I can work out.
Every time I connect the thing to the computer for updates ( sometimes 2 or 3 times a week ) it not only downloads but does a wee upload too.

 

[Moodybrook]

App for finding golf balls in the rough, now that would make me buy a smart phone. (not placed there by myself of course )

PS there are gps devices available that calculate fairway yardages on just about any golf course. Does anyone know if there is an app for smart phones that do similar ?

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[Jim]

I'd like TOM TOM to improve its screens. The touch sensitive stuff is 10 years behind the times and not very responsive at all. Sometimes keying in addresses is the hardest part of the journey.

 

[Jaws]

I'd like TOM TOM to improve its screens. The touch sensitive stuff is 10 years behind the times and not very responsive at all. Sometimes keying in addresses is the hardest part of the journey.

Try a Garmin motorcycle one Jim !! Now they really are fun to say the least !!!

Sometimes the skin on my digits is so dry I cannot even get the iPad to respond.. Garmin screens ( on occasion ) can be a total nightmare ( for me !! )

 

[tonyidle]

I'd like TOM TOM to improve its screens. The touch sensitive stuff is 10 years behind the times and not very responsive at all. Sometimes keying in addresses is the hardest part of the journey.

I think TomTom is taking the p***. They're resting on their laurels as market leader. They use a resistive touch screen (disappeared from anything else more than 5 years ago), updates are abysmally slow, the CPU is slow & it has 'black & white' routing (two options - fastest and shortest). fastest is what you would expect but shortest is line-of-sight and will lead you through a 20mph housing estate complete with speed humps to save a couple of hundred yards. Microsoft AutoRoute is miles ahead with its preference sliders which it used even before Microsoft bought it.

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[SandJ]

App for finding golf balls in the rough, now that would make me buy a smart phone. (not placed there by myself of course )

PS there are gps devices available that calculate fairway yardages on just about any golf course. Does anyone know if there is an app for smart phones that do similar ?

See here put this in Google


golf gps app

 

[Deleted member 29692]

In sight displays will soon be commonplace bit like a fighter pilot has. With voice control of course.

It's an option on Mercs now. Head up display on the windscreen.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Wouldn't be surprised if sat navs (dedicated and mobile phone) start giving advertising for local food \ fuel \ shopping outlets as you approach them! Heaven forbid!

That would only be a tiny step if any of them wanted to do it. You can already have graphical POIs so it wouldn't take much to have something flash up as you approached one. I suppose people may argue that it would be a distraction/safety issue

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