Supreme Court says police must get search warrant to use GPS tracking devices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The US Supreme Court ruled today that police must first obtain a search warrant before using GPS devices to track a suspect's vehicle, agreeing with an earlier appeals court ruling but rejecting the Obama administration's position on the case. In delivering the decision, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the court holds "that the government's installation of a GPS device on a target's vehicle, and its use of that device to monitor the vehicle's movements, constitutes a 'search,'" and therefore violated the individual's Fourth Amendment rights. The case itself concerned a Washington DC nightclub owner and suspected drug dealer, Antoine Jones, who had his car's movements monitored for a month and was eventually sentenced to life in prison, only to see that conviction overturned by the aforementioned appeals court on the grounds that the police did not have a search warrant when they place the GPS tracking device on his vehicle.

Tech : Garmin StreetPilot app updated with live traffic cams

Garmin has pushed out an update to its StreetPilot app for iOS, and the available traffic information just got a lot more detailed.

The free update includes live weather and forecasts, but if you shell out for an additional $9.99 in-app purchase you get access to 10,000 live traffic cameras. The traffic cam functionality works in both the U.S. and Canada and makes a nice addition to the live traffic already included in the app. And you can create a list of favorite cameras in your area to check known trouble spots before you leave.

If you haven't downloaded the StreetPilot app yet, be advised that it'll set you back $59.99.

Rides : CSR sharpens indoor and in-car navigation with SiRFstarV, SiRFusion and SiRFprimaII

It's been a while since we last heard from CSR, but that changed earlier this week, when the company unveiled its new SiRFprimaII and SiRFusion platforms, alongside its SiRFstarV architecture. According to the UK-based firm, both SiRFstarV and SiRFusion are designed to provide more accurate geographic data and enhanced indoor navigation capabilities across PNDs and other mobile devices. SiRFstarV, the logical follow-up to CSR's SiRFstarIV architecture, culls location data not only from GPS, but from Galileo, Glonass and Compass satellites, as well as a range of radio signals, accelerometers, gyros and compasses. All this information is fed to the user via the SiRFusion platform, which combines data from radio systems and sensors to provide constantly updated location graphics. Together, both SiRFstarV and SiRFusion promise to help users find their way around both indoor and outdoor locales, within an accuracy range of ten to 15 meters.

The SiRFprimaII platform, displayed above, is strictly geared toward in-car navigation and infotainment systems. This system combines a SiRFprimaII SoC and TriG RF multi-GNSS radio with CSR's Bluetooth and WiFi technologies to create a multimedia rich, touchscreen-based in-car environment. Geared toward both ODMs and OEMs, this hardware-software combo enables drivers to get more reliable navigation data, while allowing passengers to stream video, surf the web and manipulate everything via remote control. As for that SoC, it's powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 app processor, features an LCD controller for displays of up to 1280 x 720 resolution, and boasts a pair of 3D graphics and video accelerators.

 

Press Release

CSR Takes Location to the Next Level with SiRFstarV(TM), SiRFusion(TM) and SiRFprimaII(TM)

Seamless Indoor and Outdoor Navigation for Mobile Devices; Premium In-Vehicle Infotainment Features for Mainstream Auto Markets

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 01, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Locations & Beyond Summit -- CSR plc today strengthened its leadership in the mobile and automotive location markets, announcing the launch of its next-generation SiRFstarV architecture, the SiRFprimaII SoC auto infotainment platform and the SiRFusion end-to-end location platform. Introduced to top industry executives at the annual Locations & Beyond Summit, the new CSR offerings take location to the next level, with SiRFstarV and SiRFusion enabling exciting new products that significantly improve the user experience for a broad range of location applications used indoors and outdoors on mobile devices and SiRFprimaII significantly improving the auto navigation experience for mainstream consumers.

"Whether it's localised search, social networking, mobile promotions or an intelligent mobile assistant, location is rapidly becoming a fundamental contextual element for delivering relevant information from the cloud to people on the go. Regardless of where people are, indoors or outdoors, in their cars or walking about, more accurate and reliable location is essential to enhance the consumer experience with a broad range of applications," said Kanwar Chadha, Chief Marketing Officer for CSR and founder of SiRF. "Since 1995, our vision has been to deliver innovations that bring the benefits of location to mainstream consumers. With our SiRFstarV architecture and SiRFusion platform, we are breaking the barrier to providing a seamless location and navigation experience to consumers, both indoors and outdoors. Our SiRFprimaII auto infotainment platform is designed to enable a premium automotive navigation, entertainment and augmented reality experience that is affordable for everyone."

SiRFstarV Architecture

The SiRFstarV architecture introduces a new approach to location and navigation. Instead of relying solely on GPS to determine position, the SiRFstarV architecture gathers real-time information from GPS, Galileo, Glonass and Compass (when operational) satellites, multiple radio systems, such as cellular and Wi-Fi(R), and multiple MEMS sensors, like accelerometers, gyros and compasses. It then combines this real-time information with ephemeris data, mapping, cellular base station and Wi-Fi access point database information, and other cloud-based aiding information using the SiRFusion platform. By fusing all this data, the SiRFstarV architecture is able to take location and navigation to the next level, providing precise location and navigation indoors as well as outdoors.

CSR is demonstrating the SiRFusion platform on an early implementation of the SiRFstarV architecture at the Summit.

SiRFusion

A breakthrough innovation to enhance the consumer experience with indoor and outdoor location- and navigation-enabled applications, the SiRFusion self-learning, end-to-end location platform "fuses" multiple radio signals and sensor inputs to constantly provide extremely reliable and accurate location. Mobile products using SiRFstarV and SiRFusion will be able to make a seamless transition between outdoor and indoor navigation as people make their way through countries, cities, neighbourhoods, parks, shopping malls, convention centres, airports, train stations or other large structures while continuing to utilise a variety of location-enabled services and applications. Unlike other systems that require costly manual surveys to build and maintain a database of indoor Wi-Fi radio locations, the SiRFusion platform constantly updates its database automatically using crowdsourcing techniques.

"Our research clearly indicates that location has quickly gained traction with consumers as an essential contextual component for many of the applications they use and depend upon with their mobile devices," said Tim Bajarin President of Creative Strategies, Inc. "The SiRFusion platform will shine a bright light into what until now has been a location dead zone, and should attract a lot of attention from mobile device makers as a way to extend the usefulness of location into any indoor setting for the first time."

SiRFprimaII

The SiRFPrimaII auto infotainment platform brings the features of premium, location-aware in-vehicle infotainment systems to the mainstream market. It integrates a multi-GNSS location engine supporting GPS, Galileo, Glonass and Compass satellites to improve the navigation system performance in obstructed environments, Combined with SiRFDRive(R) dead reckoning software, the SiRFprimaII delivers seamless navigation experience whether driving in dense urban canyons or through tunnels or multistory parking lots. Its powerful new 3D graphics and video accelerators, ARM Cortex(TM) -A9 application processor and other key components bring the ultimate in navigation and entertainment experiences to mainstream consumers. Its graphics and multimedia capabilities are also designed to make new concepts like augmented reality practical for the mainstream automotive market. In-dash or on-dash, the rich multimedia, touch user interface and powerful computing capabilities of the SiRFprimaII SoC combined with CSR connectivity and audio technologies enable OEMs and ODMs to focus their limited resources on creating highly differentiated, feature-rich navigation and entertainment systems at competitive price points.

 

Press Release

CSR SiRFprimaII™ Platform Brings Premium Navigation and Infotainment System Features to the Mainstream Auto Market

Innovative Platform Supports Worldwide Satellite Systems, Robust Connectivity and Rich Visualisation

Locations & Beyond Summit, San Francisco, CA – 1 November 2011 – CSR plc (LSE: CSR; NASDAQ; CSRE) today introduced the SiRFprimaII auto infotainment platform, a comprehensive solution that raises the bar for the next generation of connected, location-aware in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems. The SiRFprimaII platform helps IVI makers reduce their product development, manufacturing and BOM costs and quickly bring the features of premium navigation- infotainment systems to the mainstream automotive market.

"Our vision is to enrich the mainstream consumer auto navigation experience, in-dash or on-dash. With its support for all global navigation satellite systems, robust connectivity capabilities and next-generation applications like augmented reality, the SiRFprimaII platform is a great step forward in that direction," said Kanwar Chadha, Chief Marketing Officer for CSR and founder of SiRF. "With today's simultaneous launch of the SiRFprimaII platform for the automotive market and the SiRFstarV™ and SiRFusion™ platforms for mobile devices, we are taking the mainstream consumer location experience to the next level."

The SiRFprimaII platform launch includes the SiRFprimaII SoC and TriG RF multi-GNSS (global navigation satellite system) radio, which together can support all global navigation satellite systems. As part of its system platform strategy, CSR is offering a comprehensive solution of pre-integrated and validated hardware and software that provides all the infrastructure necessary to bring navigation and a modern family room infotainment experience into the car. This comprehensive platform solution combines the CSR SiRFprimaII SoC and the TriG RF radio with the CSR8311™ Bluetooth® and CSR6031™ Wi-Fi® solutions and CSR Synergy™ integrating software to form the heart of a robust, touchscreen-based system that lets drivers navigate reliably and passengers entertain themselves with DVDs or streaming video, enjoy hi-fi stereo audio through speakers or wireless headsets, use a remote to control everything, connect their laptops via Wi-Fi and much more.

"The second-generation SiRFprimaII SoC and the new TriG RF front end form the nucleus of a pre-integrated hardware and software platform solution that embodies all our core competencies in location, connectivity and multimedia technologies and is designed to support the features and quality needs of our automotive customers," said Charlie Lesko, General Manager of the Automotive Business Area at CSR. "Our comprehensive platform reference design helps our customers reduce their product development time and cost and enables them to quickly bring innovative auto navigation and infotainment systems to market that are affordable for mainstream consumers everywhere."

The complete CSR platform solution is also supported by all the CSR location, connectivity and audio enhancement software, including aptX® high-fidelity wireless audio technology, CVC™ noise reduction and echo cancellation, SiRFInstantFix® and SiRFDRive® location advances and more.

SiRFprimaII SoC

Utilising 40nm CMOS process technology, the CSR SiRFprimaII SoC combines a powerful application processor, multi-GNSS baseband location processor, DDR3 and NAND flash memory controllers, analog power management functions, superior audio codec, hardware accelerated full 1080p HD multimedia decoding, hardware 3D graphics acceleration, LCD touchscreen controller for displays up to 1280 by 720, PHY/UART/GPIO interfaces and more in a single package.

The powerful ARM Cortex™-A9 application processor, running at speeds up to 1GHz, delivers more than twice the throughput of the original SiRFprima device, providing plenty of muscle to run the latest navigation, entertainment, communication and information apps. And with three to four times more powerful graphics and multimedia acceleration compared to the first generation, the SiRFprimaII SoC delivers crisper, smoother operation for a more pleasing user experience and enables emerging technologies like augmented reality.
TriG RF Multi-GNSS Radio

Utilising 40nm CMOS process technology, the TriG RF front-end global navigation satellite system (GNSS) radio is an advanced multi-GNSS solution that improves the location and navigation performance of SiRFprimaII and other CSR auto navigation SoCs. Supporting all currently planned global navigation satellite systems, including GPS, Glonass, Galileo and Compass (when operational), the TriG RF radio's multiple GNSS positioning technology is designed to take advantage of these satellite systems to improve position availability and accuracy at low cost.

Availability and Pricing

The industrial-grade SiRFprimaII SoC and TriG RF radio devices are available now for products slated for manufacturing starting in 2012, and auto-qualified parts are planned for 2013. An evaluation board and form-factor reference design are available, including board-support packages, for the Android™, Microsoft® Windows® CE and Linux GENIVI operating systems. Please contact CSR for pricing information.

Ohio Appeals Court Strikes Down GPS Vehicle Spying

Fifth District Ohio Appeals Court ruling meant to influence higher courts against allowing warrantless GPS vehicle tracking.Although the US Supreme Court is expected to settle the issue of GPS tracking of motorists soon, a three-judge panel of the Ohio Court of Appeals, Fifth District ruled 2-1 earlier this month against the warrantless use of the technology. The majority's decision was likely designed to influence the deliberations of the higher courts. On November 8, the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the GPS case US v. Jones. The Ohio Supreme Court is also considering Ohio v. Johnson in which the Twelfth District appellate court upheld warrantless spying.

The present case began on January 14, 2010, when Franklin County Sheriff's Department Corporal Richard Minerd's investigation of a burglary brought him to a white Honda Civic in an apartment complex. Minerd slapped a battery-powered GPS tracking unit under the bumper that allowed real-time tracking of the vehicle's location, speed and direction of travel. Minerd did not seek a search warrant before acting.

Nine days later, the Civic appeared at the location of a robbery, and Minerd was able to follow the car back to the home of David L. White, who was caught with the stolen property. The Fifth District considered the question of whether it is ever acceptable for government agents to attach such devices to privately owned vehicles without a warrant.

"We respectfully disagree with our brethren in the Twelfth Appellate District," Presiding Judge W. Scott Gwin wrote. "We find for the reasons which follow that under the facts of this case a warrant was required before placing the GPS tracking unit on the suspect vehicle and to continuously monitor the tracking signal."

The panel majority took issue with the idea that attaching devices on the bumper of vehicles was ordinary conduct one could expect from any member of the public. The judges expounded on the importance of the Fourth Amendment in securing individual privacy against arbitrary government intrusion and concluded their colleagues were wrong in suggesting one has no expectation of privacy when parking on the street.

"When a person parks his car on a public way, he does not thereby give up all expectations of privacy in his vehicle," Gwin wrote. "There is no way to lock a door or place the car under a protective cloak as a signal to the police that one considers the car private... Upon observing a stranger underneath one's automobile, it is reasonable to believe that most citizens would sound an alarm. A response to the effect of, 'Well, you have no reasonable expectation of privacy in the undercarriage of your car so any stranger can crawl under there and attach a GPS tracking device' would be met with righteous anger and disbelief. A citizen would justifiably feel that his or her property has been defiled; her privacy breached and his personal security compromised."

Since the GPS unit allows surveillance capabilities far beyond anything that could be accomplished with traditional spying methods, the majority dismissed the argument that the device only captured information that could have been observed with visual surveillance. Without enforcing a warrant requirement, police could install permanent tracking devices on anyone's car whether or not criminal activity is suspected.

"We find that the GPS tracking device, remaining constantly in place, performs a search of much more substantial and therefore unreasonable duration and scope," Gwin wrote. "The installation of the device without consent upon private property is a 'search' subject to Fourth Amendment warrant requirements, in the sense that it is an unreasonable governmental intrusion upon the individual's constitutionally guaranteed right of personal security, personal liberty, and private property."

Tech : Garmin launches StreetPilot onDemand iPhone app, offers transit schedules

Garmin is best known for its in-car navigation systems, but today delved deeper into the realm of personal navigation with a brand new iPhone app for the eternally lost. For a dollar, you'll get standard walking, driving and public transportation directions, but go premium for $2.99 a month or $29.99 for the year, and you'll cop more add-ons designed to transform your iPhone into a full-fledged PND. Like the standard iPhone mapping system or HopStop, the subscription-based version of this app lets you integrate public transportation into your journey -- but the added feature here is the ability to view public transit schedules like you can in the Google Maps app for Android. It also has spoken turn-by-turn directions, Garmin's traffic routing and Google search, making it a handy alternative to a clunky navigation system.

 

Press Release

New Garmin(R) StreetPilot(R) onDemand iPhone app offers premium navigation starting at $.99
OLATHE, Kan./August 31, 2011/Business Wire - Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced that its new StreetPilot onDemand iPhone app is now available in the Apple App Store. Rounding out Garmin's diverse range of guidance options, StreetPilot onDemand provides iPhone users convenient navigation for walking or driving when they need it, with an initial $.99 download that includes 30 days of premium features. It is the first iPhone navigation app to include multimodal pedestrian routing, with bus and train transit schedules in many major cities. Additional premium features include spoken turn-by-turn guidance with street names, representation of 3D buildings and landmarks, traffic rerouting, photoReal(tm) Junction View and Google Local Search, among many others.

"Our new StreetPilot onDemand app is the perfect solution for anyone who occasionally needs navigation but still is looking for a premium experience and precise directions. There is nothing comparable in the App Store today," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "By including multimodal pedestrian routing, our new app is especially helpful for users in urban areas. The app seamlessly provides directions in the car and integrates public transportation when getting directions by foot."

With the new multimodal pedestrian routing offered in StreetPilot onDemand, users can choose to integrate public transportation into their route. It is the first turn-by-turn iPhone navigation app that integrates train or bus schedules in the cities in which this service is available. Users can navigate to a destination from their current position (or set a different starting location), and the app provides turn-by-turn directions including a detailed itinerary of transit stops and instructions for walking to and from a bus or train stop. Beautifully rendered 3D buildings and landmarks make it even easier for pedestrians to find their destination.

The app also is a comprehensive driving assistant that integrates many of the signature features for which Garmin is known. This includes spoken turn-by-turn directions, photoReal junction views that show a realistic depiction of the junction as well as lane guidance and real-time traffic information that automatically routes drivers around gridlock. Users can easily find points of interest using Garmin's extensive database or Google Local Search. A new functionality suggests points of interest based on the users search history to provide faster and more relevant search results. The app also warns drivers when exceeding the speed limit and even provides an overview of the weather conditions at the destination, complete with a five day forecast.

The Garmin StreetPilot onDemand app integrates an extremely easy to use interface that is customized for the iPhone. It stores the maps and points of interest in the cloud, so they are always up-to-date. The comprehensive map options allow users to easily enable or disable features displayed on the map such as traffic information, 3D buildings and landmarks or points of interest.

Garmin StreetPilot onDemand is available in the Apple App Store for $.99 and includes turn-by-turn, voice prompted navigation and traffic rerouting for 30 days in the United States and Canada. Users can extend this initial period by subscribing on a monthly ($2.99) or annual ($29.99) basis. Garmin offers a special introductory price of $19.99 for the yearly subscription from August 31, 2011, to September 14, 2011. Even without a subscription, users can still view maps, lookup points of interest and create routes. A subscription is required for turn-by-turn voice guidance with automatic off-route recalculation, real-time traffic information and multimodal pedestrian routing.

StreetPilot onDemand complements Garmin's other newly announced automotive innovations that guarantee industry-leading navigation for every kind of driver and traveler. For a dedicated device that's built to navigate with ease and efficiency, the recently announced 2012 nFCviAE line adds robust features to Garmin's flagship product line at affordable pricing (details at www.garmin.com/move)

GPS : Garmin nüvi navigators get refreshed, countless new models for 2012

It's time for Garmin to refresh its lineup and flood the market with a slew of dash-mounted GPS devices. In total there are six new series of navigators, with countless models scattered amongst them. The "essential" nüvi 30, 40 and 50 (top left) lines come in three sizes: 3.5-inch, 4.3-inch, and 5-inch sizes (we're sure you can guess which is which), and cover all the basics including a lifetime's worth of free map updates. Stepping up a notch to the "advanced" 2405 (top right) and 2505 series (4.3-inch and 5-inch lines respectively) nets you Garmin's Guidance 2.0 system. The software includes niceties like 3D traffic updates (for free, of course) and photoReal junction view for finding the right lane at off ramps. Last is the "prestige" line -- the nüvi 3400 series -- ultra-thin, 4-inch devices that looks more like a phone than a navigator. The 3400s turn in the frustrating resistive screen for a capacitive panel and upgrade to Guidance 3.0. The 3.0 edition sports all the same features as its lower numbered sibling, but adds pinch-to-zoom, lane guidance and text-to-speech for incoming SMS messages. 

 

 Press Release

Garmin® Rolls Out 2012 Line of nüvi® Personal Navigation Devices
Posted August 24, 2011 | 09:00 AM in Automotive/Mobile | Permalink

OLATHE, Kan./August 24, 2011/Business Wire - Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the 2012 line of nüvis, featuring a tiered series of personal navigation devices (PNDs) to meet the lifestyle and budget of each customer and make choosing the right navigation device easier than ever before. New to the 2012 line are the advanced Guidance 2.0 and 3.0 navigation engines for a faster, more intuitive user interface and enhanced features that result in Garmin's most capable navigators yet.
"Whether you're a recent graduate headed off to college, a busy parent running the kids around town, or someone looking for the best in electronics, the tiered structure of the 2012 nuvi line makes it easy to pick the features and price point that are right for you," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "The Guidance 2.0 and 3.0 navigation engines bring features and capabilities that do far more than just get you from A to B. They make everyday driving easier and provide time- and fuel-saving benefits that only a dedicated device can offer."

Choosing the best nüvi for any given lifestyle has never been easier as the 2012 models are categorized as Essential, Advanced and Prestige, with more details for each at www.garmin.com/move.

Essential: The nüvi 30/40/50 series is the perfect starting point for any journey, providing GPS navigation at its simplest with accurate turn-by-turn directions and spoken street names. These entry-level PNDs are budget-friendly and easy to use, making them a great solution for first-time drivers, students away at college, or as an extra navigator for the other family car.

Advanced: The nüvi 2405 and 2505 series offer sophisticated features at an affordable price, an ideal choice for the multi-tasking parent or the professional with a cross town commute. Advanced models come with Guidance 2.0, a new navigation engine with a faster, more intuitive user interface to enhance the speed and accuracy of searches and routing. Guidance 2.0 provides faster routing and map displays, more intuitive destination searches and the ability to see and select businesses on the map, eliminating the need to page through menus. Select models even offer voice-activated navigation for hands-free operation.

With Guidance 2.0, complex interchanges and exits are simplified using photoReal™ junction view, which realistically displays road signs and junctions along the route with photographic detail to clearly mark the correct lane to be in for interchanges and exits. Garmin's exclusive junction view database now includes nearly 60,000 junction views in the U.S. and Canada, 25 times more than in previous nüvi models.

Also part of Guidance 2.0 is 3D Traffic, providing a whole new experience that includes more than just live traffic data. As part of the world's most extensive traffic avoidance system, 3D Traffic checks traffic conditions 2 billion times per month using a multidimensional feed of real-time traffic data from quality sources including other Garmin nüvi owners, cellphone users, radio feeds, news stations, historical traffic data and fixed traffic sensors on major roads. With trafficTrends™, the nüvi automatically learns patterns for traffic flow and predicts where traffic will be. All of this data is sent to the nüvi to provide timely and accurate updates to keep you moving instead of sitting in traffic wasting time and fuel.

Prestige: The nüvi 3400 series, Garmin's premium line of PNDs, features Guidance 3.0 and the award-winning design of the popular nüvi 3700 series that reinvented the look and feel of personal navigation. At less than 9mm it's the thinnest navigator in the world. The design features pinch-to-zoom touchscreen interaction and automatic dual-screen orientation. With the most robust features available on any device, this product series is perfect for people who want top of the line electronics.

Guidance 3.0 is Garmin's most innovative navigation engine and includes all of the features of Guidance 2.0 plus more. Guidance 3.0 adds myTrends™, the ability for the nüvi to automatically remember frequent favorite route destinations and predict the destination without the user needing to activate a route. Also included on select models is Safe Texting, a text reader feature that allows the driver to receive and hear texts without taking their eyes off the road. And photoReal junction view is enhanced with Guidance 3.0 with Bird's Eye junction view, which highlights the proper lanes on complex junctions with overhead perspective.

3D Traffic is also improved in Guidance 3.0 using information from the HD Radio™ Broadcasting System to provide faster updates and more detailed coverage of side streets and other secondary roads in major cities. With Digital 3D traffic (available in the U.S. only) users will receive traffic updates every 30 seconds, up to 10 times faster than traditional traffic receivers, giving drivers the most real-time depiction of the traffic situation along the route.

The 2012 nüvi product line is expected to be available in October 2011. For more information about individual models, features and pricing, visit www.garmin.com/move.

Since its inception in 1989, Garmin has delivered 88 million GPS enabled devices – far more than any other navigation provider. Garmin's market breadth in the GPS industry is second to none, having developed innovative products and established a leadership position in each of the markets it serves, including automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, tracking, and wireless applications. Learn more about Garmin's products at Garmin.blogs.com or at http://twitter.com/garmin.

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 Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin and nüvi are registered trademarks, and photoReal and myTrends are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Notice on forward-looking statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. All statements regarding the company's future product introductions are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management's current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 25, 2010, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of such Form 10-K is available at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Cell Phones : AT&T revamps global data packages, gives international travelers (slightly) more for their money

Let's face it: roaming internationally, particularly when it comes to mobile data, is a terrible decision. And we've got the breakdown to prove it. Thankfully for you, said decision just became marginally less terrible thanks to a handful of plan revisions from AT&T. The new international data package tiers are slightly less galling than the ones they're replacing, but they're hardly what we'd consider a bargain. Folks looking to roam overseas in around 100 qualified nations will see $24.99 / month net them 50MB of global data (up from 20MB), while $49.99 / month gets 'em 125MB (up from 50MB). The $99.99 monthly package provides 275MB (up from 100MB), while the $199.99 / month tier offers 800MB of data (up from 200MB). Even still, the avid jetsetter can blow through 800MB in a single workday abroad, and none of these new options hold a candle to an unlimited rental from a firm like Xcom Global. Still, it's a huge relief to see a major US carrier moving international data rates in the right direction, and hopefully we'll see sensible figures published in our lifetime. The world ain't gettin' any smaller, you know?

 

International Travelers Can Use A Lot More Data With New Global Packages From AT&T

Available July 17, New Packages Will Offer Better Value and More than Double the Data Allowance in Over 100 Countries

Dallas, Texas, July 12, 2011

AT&T* today announced a new lineup of AT&T Data Global Add-On packages that will make it more affordable than ever for wireless customers to enjoy data services while traveling internationally. Launching July 17, the upgraded packages** give customers more than double the data allowance of current packages and offer additional savings.

The new international data package tiers are:

* 50MB package for $24.99/month compared to the current 20MB package for $24.99/month
* 125MB package for $49.99/month compared to the current 50MB package for $59.99/month
* 275MB package for $99.99/month compared to the current 100MB package for $119.99/month
* 800MB package for $199.99/month compared to the current 200MB package for $199.99/month

Designed to give customers the freedom and flexibility to use data abroad, without having to search for a Wi-Fi hotspot, the new packages make it more convenient and affordable for international travelers to use their smartphone, tablet or laptop to stay in touch via email, update their status on popular social networking sites and enjoy convenient access to information such as maps and directions.

"Mobile data is a huge part of our customers' wireless experience-whether they are in the United States or traveling around the globe," said Bill Hague, executive vice president of International, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "We've long offered more phones that can be used internationally than our competitors, and now we're delivering industry-leading value with redesigned international data packages."

AT&T's wireless customers enjoy a robust selection of world phones and international discount data, messaging and voice packages, along with the broadest global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider. With voice service in more than 220 countries, AT&T customers can travel around the globe and make and receive calls on the same wireless number they use at home. AT&T also offers data roaming service (email, web browsing) in more than 200 countries, including 3G speeds in more than 140 countries, including Japan and South Korea. Coverage is also available on more than 140 major cruise ships.

For more information on other AT&T international services, including discount packages for messaging, voice and international long distance services, as well as travel tips, visit www.att.com/global.

Tech : TomTom user data sold to Dutch police, used to determine ideal locations for speed traps

We like it when the accumulated speed data from GPS devices helps us avoid traffic incidents and school zones. As it turns out, though, there are some other uses for the same stats. Dutch news outlet AD is reporting that such data captured by TomTom navigation devices has been purchased by the country's police force and is being used to determine where speed traps and cameras should be placed. TomTom was reportedly unaware its data was being used in such a way, but if the police would only agree to sell the data on the location of its speed cameras and traps back to TomTom, why, this could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Update: TomTom has issued a statement, which we have embedded after the break. To be totally clear all this data is being collected anonymously and the police have no idea exactly who is speeding, just that speeding has taken place.

Update 2: We have an English-language video from TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn embedded after the break. In it he says that the company will "prevent that type of usage" of the navigation data going forward. So, no need to turn off the 'ol GPS when you're late for work tomorrow morning. 

 

1) Customers come first at TomTom;

When you use one of our products we ask for your permission to collect travel time information on an anonymous basis. The vast majority of you do, indeed grant us that permission. When you connect your TomTom to a computer we aggregate this information and use it for a variety of applications, most importantly to create high quality traffic information and to route you around traffic jams.

We also make this information available to local governments and authorities. It helps them to better understand where congestion takes place, where to build new roads and how to make roads safer.

We are actively promoting the use of this information because we believe we can help make roads safer and less congested.

We are now aware that the police have used traffic information that you have helped to create to place speed cameras at dangerous locations where the average speed is higher than the legally allowed speed limit. We are aware a lot of our customers do not like the idea and we will look at if we should allow this type of usage.

2) This is what we really do with the data;

- We ask for your permission to collect historical data. You can opt in or opt out and can disable the data collection function at any time.

- If you are using a LIVE device, you receive traffic information in real time and you automatically contribute to generating traffic information.

- We make all traffic data anonymous. We can never trace it back to you or your device.

- We turn anonymous data into traffic information to give you the fastest route available and route you through traffic jams in real time.

- We are working with road authorities around the world to use anonymous traffic information to help make roads flow more efficiently and safer.

- Our goal is to create a driver community capable of reducing traffic congestion for everyone.

Rides - Tech : Pioneer in-dash navigation line keeps drivers Connected while staying focused on the road

For this year’s CES, Pioneer showed off their new in-dash navigation systems, the AVIC-Z130BT and AVIC-X930BT, which allows drivers to connected to social networks, local searches and traffic services while keeping their focus on the road. Instead of looking to mobile devices for social media updates, drivers can now be fully drivers entertained, informed and up-to-date with smartphone connectivity to Aha Radio for Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Traffic and podcasts, Pandora internet radio and App Mode.

The AVIC-X930BT will be available in March, and the AVIC-Z130BT will be available in April for suggested prices of $800 and $1,200, respectively.

AVIC-Z130BT:
In addition to a comprehensive map database from Tele Atlas, the new double-DIN AVIC-Z130BT features 4GB of flash memory, a 7-inch WVGA touch screen display, a 3D graphics accelerator, DVD playback, Dual Zone capability for rear seat playback, built-in Bluetooth for hands-free calling and music streaming, USB connectivity2for iPod/iPhone connectivity, SD card slot, back-up camera input, built-in HD Radio and is SIRIUS XM3 satellite ready. Another cool feature is its voice recognition ability, including the ability to input destination addresses by voice.

The AVIC-Z130BT offers Clear Channel’s Total Traffic Network service for free via a Radio Data Service-Traffic Message Channel (RDS-TMC) tuner. With the included RDS-TMC tuner, ND-TMC10, the traffic service provides an overlay of real-time traffic events and conditions on the navigation map.

AVIC-X930BT:
The new double-DIN AVIC-X930BT features 4GB of flash memory, a 6.1-inch WVGA touch screen display, a 3D graphics accelerator, DVD playback, built-in Bluetooth for hands-free calling and music streaming, USB connectivity for iPod/iPhone connectivity, micro SD card slot, back-up camera input and is SIRIUS XM satellite and HD Radio ready.

Rides - Get OnStar in Any Car With Retail Rearview Mirror

After almost 15 years of keeping OnStar exclusive to its own vehicles, GM is finally making the service available as an after-market add-on for other cars. The OnStar mirror should be compatible with most cars on the market when it comes out this spring for $299. On top of the retail price, you'll also have to cough up for an OnStar subscription ($18.95 per month or $199 for the year), and pay for installation (which will likely be performed by Best Buy, which just has a stellar track record). While you'll be able to call OnStar operators for help or to track a stolen vehicle, you'll be missing out on some of the more advanced features, like remote door unlocking (in case you leave your keys in the car). The OnStar mirror does have Bluetooth, though, and can act as a hands-free speakerphone.

With more people toting smartphones packed with GPS receivers, it's harder and harder to make the case for OnStar. The biggest selling point of the original service has been the tight integration with GM vehicles, which allows for remote door opening and car diagnostics, but the retail version of the product won't be able to offer such features. If you happen to be a fan of OnStar service -- but not GM cars -- this might appeal to you, but we doubt it will suddenly double OnStar's subscriber base.

Tech : Garmin StreetPilot app does turn-by-turn on the iPhone and iPad for $40

When Garmin curtailed its hardware partnership with Asustek late last year, you had to know the company would make a comeback to the mobile front in some shape, fashion or form. Starting today, the iPhone and 3G iPad both get the all-new StreetPilot app, which costs $39.99 and provides you with turn-by-turn navigation from the guys who make their living from the stuff. It undercuts TomTom's $49.99 offering for iOS, while offering real-time traffic data, voice commands, lane assist, address book integration so you can navigate directly to your buddies' addresses, and multitasking support. It's looking like a pretty comprehensive piece of premium navigation software, which, if previous rumors bear out, should be landing on BlackBerry devices as well pretty soon. Jump past the break for the press release.