Navigon MobileNavigator

This release adds Text-To-Speech and iPod controls as well as some other minor changes. The Text To Speech allows the road names to be included in the navigation instructions giving the driver more confidence in the manoeuvre they are making. The iPod controls are also a very welcome feature as previously although you could set the iPod playing in the background if the playlist or album ended then you had to exit the Navigation application to change the music.

Also included in this release are: Location sharing, and automatic day/night mode switching.

The full Navigon Press Release follows:

NAVIGON Further Extends the Feature Set of its iPhone Navigation App
Second free update includes major additions such as spoken street names (text-to-speech), seamless integration of iPod functions, a location sharing feature and more

Hamburg/Germany, September 10, 2009 — NAVIGON AG, leading innovator in the navigation market, today announced availability of a second free update for the North American version of MobileNavigator for the iPhone. The update equips the NAVIGON app with a comprehensive set of innovative and sought after features.

The highly anticipated text-to-speech function lets the NAVIGON MobileNaviagtor announce street names in addition to turn-by-turn directions. It is the first on-board navigation app for the iPhone with this functionality. Instead of only stating “turn right”, the app informs the user to “turn right on to ‘Main Street’, enabling the driver to further concentrate on the road ahead and not become distracted looking for street signs. “With the addition of text-to-speech technology from SVOX, NAVIGON remains on the forefront of iPhone navigation options with the most solid feature set on the market,” said Gerhard Mayr, Vice-President Worldwide Mobile Phones & New Markets at NAVIGON. “SVOX offers high quality text-to-speech technology, characterized by a natural and clear sound as well as a unique polyglot capability – the same voice can speak multiple languages like a native speaker,“ said Eric Lehmann, Chief Sales Officer of SVOX.

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.

The NAVIGON solution sells for $89.99 in the Apple App Store and is equipped with maps of North America from NAVTEQ®. There are no subscription fees attached and no map downloads during navigation. The update is also already available for regional country versions of the MobileNavigator across Europe as well as for the Australian app.

For more information and FAQs, please visit: www.navigon.com/iphone.

Navigon MobileNavigator

iPhone 3GS unlocked

The iPhone Dev Team are continually playing cat and mouse with the Apple developers providing access to an open platform and the ability to use any SIM in the iPhone. This is termed as Jailbreaking and Unlocking. Although they had perfected the process for iPhone OS3.0 on the iPhone 3GS they were not going to release it until Apple launched the OS3.1 software. This is because Apple would work out the vulnerability used and close it. The release was pre-empted by the purplera1n jailbreak release using the same vulnerability so there was no reason not to release it.

There are 3 basic steps to Jailbreaking and Unlocking your iPhone 3GS, all of which are pretty simple and can easily be performed by anyone who is reasonably computer literate. I did this on my Macbook Pro. I found it really handy to have WiFi connectivity to download the unlock application over the air.

Warning Before you start this process be aware that you could potentially ‘brick’ your iPhone and this is a risk that you must assume yourself. There is no responsibility or comeback on any of the sites or application developers.

Adding the ultrasn0w source package

Step one: Save current configuration
To ensure that you can always revert back to an iPhone OS that can be Jailbroken and Unlocked you need to save 2 files that are specific to your iPhone. The tutorials on iClarified provide a step by step guide. Note that to download the .ipsw file you need to use FireFox as Safari will unzip and unpack the files. FireFox allows you to save the files as they are.

Step two: Jailbreak the iPhone
This is where things start to get tricky. Before you can unlock your phone you need to Jailbreak it. This is done using the iPhone Dev Team’s redsn0w software.  Again iClarified have excellent step by step tutorials.

Step three: Unlock the iPhone
With the Jailbroken iPhone you will have an application called Cydia installed. You use this to install the unlocking software. This is called ultrasn0w to use this you need to start Cydia, click on “manage” at the bottom of the screen, then sources, then “Edit” and “Add” finally enter “repo666.ultrasn0w.com” to load the ultrasn0w software. Follow the on screen instructions. The iClarified tutorial shows you how to do it.

iPhone 3GS ultrasn0w unlock

Step four: Configure your APN
After you have unlocked your iPhone and inserted your desired SIM you should get a signal, but you will not be able to access any data in your apps. To enable the data you need to run settings and then select general>network>cellular data network and complete the details for the APN of your carrier. If you dont know what the settings should be you can either Google for them or ask the support desk for your carrier.

To have got this far you will now have a jailbroken and unlocked iPhone 3GS that you can use anywhere in the World with any data SIM.

Our thanks to the iPhone Dev Team for their sterling work in developing redsn0w and ultrasn0w and to iClarified for the step by step tutorials.

AT&T Navigator for the iPhone

The AT&T Navigator application is free to download, but to use it you need to pay a monthly subscription of $9.99 directly to AT&T in your monthly billing. This is a double rule break. Firstly Apple states that all applications that require subscriptions or in-app purchases must be chargeable in the first place. Secondly AT&T are openly billing their clients outside the App Store (and assumable not passing Apple any commissions).

Now the question here is are Apple setting a president and does this mean that any developer can use the same principle to provide a subscription service? Or is it that the wireless carrier waves a big stick and demands one-off policy changes. Knowing Apple I would not think it is the latter, but I also doubt it is the former so what is really going on here?

Getting back to the AT&T Navigator it is compatible with iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS running OS3.0. Navigator is powered by Telenav and features voice guidance, 3D map, automatic re-routing and real time traffic updates as well as gas price search.

Even more interesting is the two competing navigation models that are coming to market: Onboard and Offboard. Onboard solutions are currently being charged at a high purchase price, but you have lifetime access with no additional charge, whilst offboard seem to be based on monthly subscriptions.

Onboard navigation is where the maps, and all the processing is carried out on the device whereas offboard navigation is processed on a server and downloaded to the device. Onboard navigation has the advantage of not requiring a wireless connection with everything contained in the iPhone. Offboard navigation has the advantage of the latest maps and route data, but you do need to have a wireless data connection for it to work.

Woah hold on are iPod Touch users second class Apple citizens? This was something that Apple had kept very quiet in the run up to the launch of the new OS, but I suppose alarm bells should have rung when there was no beta software for the iPod Touch.

The upgrade costs $9.99 on the US AppStore or £5.99 on the UK one.

iPod Touch OS3.0 Rip-off??