navigation

Released just yesterday as part of iOS 6, Apple's new Maps app is already facing criticism around the world over a slew of geographic errors.

The app has been faulted for misidentifying cities, using incorrect icons, and even failing to display certain locations. Many of the complaints so far seem to be coming from Europe.

For instance, Irish Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has asked Apple to remove the airline icon for Airfield House. The problem? Airfield House is not an airport but a farm, according to Ireland's Breaking News. Shatter may be worried that pilots relying on … Read more

One of the biggest changes users will notice in iOS 6 is the Maps app. As you may be aware, Apple has stopped using Google Maps to power it, opting to go with its own solution.

You're still able to search for venues or points of interest, find phone numbers, and get directions and drive times. In addition, you'll now also have access to Yelp reviews and voice-guided turn-by-turn directions and a new 3D map view.

Editor's note: Not long after the iOS 6 download became available, many people began noticing significant problems with the new mapping app, … Read more

Part of the buzz surrounding Telenav's Scout -- the rebranding and reimagining of its Navigator app -- at CES 2012 centered on the announcement that the app would boast compatibility with Ford's Sync AppLink sometime "later this year." The GPS software developer also hinted that an Android version of the app was in the works. "Later this year" arrives today, as Telenav has announced and launched Scout for Android 1.2 with its new Car Connect premium functionality.

Scout for Android is similar in scope to the iPhone version of the app. Upon launch, … Read more

American Airlines will be the first commercial carrier to have all of its pilots replace their paper-based reference flying manuals with Apple's iPad.

The airline announced today that it received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to "to use the Apple iPad in the cockpit during all phases of flight."

All pilots fly with a kitbag that contains necessary flight information, navigation charts, and reference materials for when they're in the air. American is dubbing its new kitbag with the iPad an "Electronic Flight Bag." Switching from paper manuals to the iPad will save … Read more

No longer will Android users have to watch longingly from the sidelines while iOS users get all of the navigation app love from GPS app and hardware provider TomTom. TomTom has announced that it is putting the finishing touches on an Android version of its turn-by-turn navigation app at IFA 2012 in Berlin with a projected launch window of October 2012. (That's just over a month from today, so technically those users will have to watch just a bit longer.)

Not that Android users have been left without turn-by-turn options while TomTom has been hard at work on its … Read more

Google Maps for Android has offered turn-by-turn directions for automotive use since 2009. It wasn't long until walking navigation was added in 2010. Finally, transit direction made the jump to turn-by-turn navigation back in June of this year. Today, with the version 6.11.1 update to the Google Maps app, cyclists can get in on the turn-by-turn fun with the addition of bicycle route navigation.

Cyclists will be able to view turn-by-turn directions on a live updating map after selecting a destination and affixing their phone onto the handle bars, or they can simply listen to the spoken … Read more

With the likely release of Apple Maps as part of iOS 6 next month, independent navigation app makers will have a tough time competing against this free, preinstalled software. But Telenav seems poised for the fight, as it made an update to its Scout navigation app for iPhone today that includes the option to download maps, making the app useful even where there is no cell phone connection.

This new version of Scout also brings in voice commands, which will mean drivers can tell it to find destinations by business name, as one example.

When we reviewed the previous version of Scout, it stood out for its excellent route guidance, as long as the free app was upgraded with the $10-per-year voice prompts. Although we have not yet seen Apple Maps' route guidance capabilities, it would do well to emulate Scout. … Read more

Every smartphone available today (and even the not-so-smart ones) comes equipped with some sort of GPS or A-GPS system that allows it to be aware of where it is in the world and where it's headed. Likewise, most of these phones have some sort of mapping and navigation software to allow you, the user, to take advantage of that positioning data to get from where you are to where you want to be. In the case of most Android phones, that software is Google Maps.

Google Maps is great. We love it and we know that most of you love it -- most users will probably never really see a need to use another navigation app and that's perfectly fine. But there are a number of reasons to look beyond Google: maybe you're a navigation geek; maybe you're just curious; or maybe you're just nostalgic for the days when MapQuest reigned supreme. If, for whatever reason, you would like to try an alternative to the stock Android navigation app, there are a number of free options available for you to play with.… Read more

I've thought about it a lot, and much as I'm enamored with smartphones' navigation capabilities, I still think it makes sense to own a dedicated GPS.

But only a dedicated GPS that comes with lifetime map updates -- and, ideally, lifetime traffic reporting as well. The last thing I need is another gizmo that I have to keep paying for.

So here's a gem: Wal-Mart has the refurbished Magellan RoadMate 2036T-LM GPS for $59.98, plus sales tax in most states. You can pick it up for free from a Wal-Mart store or, interestingly, a Fedex Office … Read more