NaviGadget

modbook has GPS

Mar 5, 2008 gps navigation 2 Comments

Modbook from Axiotron has been around for a while but we just found out that the latest Modbook also comes with an embedded GPS receiver.

In case you haven’t heard yet the Modbook is a tablet Mac with a touch screen. It is mostly designed for the artist, or other fancy professional with a price tag of almost $2300.

Axiotron Modbook run on Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard and uses a 2.1GHz processor. It has 1GB of memory, ethernet, USB, FireWire, Bluetooth and AirPort.

The Modbook also offers iSight camera, optical drive and of course the GPS receiver from SiRF which makes Navigadget very happy.

The ModBook comes with GPSUtility which is a small tool that can show the data stream being generated by the GPS and even a diagram showing the location of satellites and their actual signal strengths.

Once the ModBook gets a position fix it can also show a compass bar at the top of the window which displays heading as you move, speed, latitude, and longitude.

We don’t think the ModBook comes with an actual navigation software but we have confirmed that RouteBuddy does the job pretty well or optionally you can try this search on versiontracker.

RouteBuddy 1.4 brings nuvi support to Macs

Sep 7, 2007 garmin, gps navigation, software, tomtom 1 Comment

RouteBuddy, mapping and GPS navigation software for Macs, just released version 1.4 which now supports Garmin nüvi and zūmo devices for import and export of waypoints/POIs, routes and tracks. In addition, it also offers support for several TomTom devices (such as GO and Rider) for waypoints/POIs and route transfer.

If you are already using RouteBuddy the update is free but if you are a new customer you can expect to pay $100. Maps start from $40 and are available for the following countries/regions:

Americas

• Canada
• North America
• United States

Europe

• Austria & Switzerland
• Benelux
• Central Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Eastern Mediterranean
• France
• Germany
• Iberia
• Italy
• Scandinavia
• United Kingdom & Ireland

Asia

• Hong Kong
• Singapore
• Malaysia

Middle East

• U.A.E.

GPS navigation on iPhone?

Jan 15, 2007 gps navigation, phones 29 Comments

UPDATE (Aug 1st 2009) : It’s been a while since we published this article. Check out all the iPhone GPS navigation apps here.

Just a few months ago we were fantasizing about an iPOD with GPS functionality, or even an iPhone with GPS. Well, the wait is over, and iPhone is now a reality! It will be available in June – but we know some of you Navigadget readers are already making plans to use your iPhone as a GPS navigator.

If you read the specs of the new iPhone you must have realized there’s no integrated GPS chip on-board. Yes there’s Google Maps (as pictured above) which could help you figure out where you are but you’ll need to be connected to the internet for that to work. And we all know Starbucks Wi-Fi hardly makes it to the parking lot.

But no worries – iPhone does have bluetooth connectivity. So, you can get yourself a bluetooth GPS receiver, pair it with your iPhone, and you are set for the hardware part of things.

Of course you’ll need some software that can talk to the bluetooth GPS receiver. Then the software will be able to show your location on a map and give you directions. We have this feeling that Apple will release some sort of GPS navigation software until June that will work with your iPhone.

But let’s assume that’s not the case and see what options we have:

RouteBuddy – Can utilize Google Maps however the price does not include maps and even if you do get the maps you won’t have enough space for it since the maps for North America takes 12GB after it is expanded. Not to mention it doesnt give you directions. It is just a mapping software.

MAC GPS Pro – Also does not include maps. Doesn’t look like it can do navigation guidance either.

Garmin Mobile 10 – This is a bluetooth GPS receiver that comes with maps. However no support for Macs.

TomTom – Really cool software however no support for Macs.

So those are your software options. We’re not really Mac people here at Navigadget – so we maybe missing a few. Let’s all hope Apple releases a bundle (bluetooth GPS receiver + software) for a good price that works with iPhone. Go ahead and write a comment and let us know your thoughts.

RouteBuddy GPS navigation software for Mac OS X

Jul 26, 2006 gps navigation, software 1 Comment

RouteBuddy is a GPS navigation software for your Mac OS X. It supports many different manufacturers such as Garmin, GlobalSat, and many more because it speaks the NMEA language. You can connect your GPS receiver via USB or bluetooth, doesn’t matter for RouteBuddy. To bring the feel of vector based Google Maps, developers at RouteBuddy decided to team up with TeleAtlas, one of the biggest map suppliers of the world.

It can currently run on OS X 10.3.9 or higher, so feel free to download a free trial version your Tiger or Panther. Just like most other Mac software RouteBuddy is a little costly. Just the software itself will set you back 100 bucks. Then you also have to purchase the map of the region you’ll likely be using your GPS in. Their maps cover US and Canada and most of Europe as well as Hong Kong and Singapore. Maps cost between $40 and $70.