June 12 - 10:35am EDT   Dutch shares of native GPS device maker TomTom spiked on Friday morning after speculation rose that Apple is mulling getting a stake in the company. Following Apple's WWDC presentation Monday that saw TomTom introduce an iPhone GPS app and a matching car kit, some investors claim to have heard that TomTom being singled out and its tight integration of software with the iPhone are advance evidence of Apple wanting to invest a minority amount in the European firm. The rumor is not universal, however, and some openly doubt the likelihood of such a deal. [full story]

June 9 - 9:40am EDT   NAVIGON today signaled its intent to compete against TomTom's iPhone app with software of its own. A version of MobileNavigator will use iPhone OS 3.0's support of turn-by-turn GPS to provide the same driving directions as many of its dedicated GPS units, including its Reality View, lane and speed assists, and its notification of road signs. Owners can play music from their device's existing library, plot routes based on contacts' addresses and auto-resume navigation after taking a call. [full story]

May 4 - 11:25am EDT   NAVIGON today said it would quit its GPS device business in North America but may offer its software on the iPhone and other platforms in return. The company doesn't tell GPS Business News how quickly it expects to leave but says the decision stems from too-stiff competition at the low end of the GPS business. Where its business had been comfortable as long as large rivals like Garmin and TomTom kept their navigator prices higher, the push down to as low as $99 (for a TomTom ONE) has left NAVIGON with little way to differentiate itself. [full story]

March 2 - 8:35am EST   NAVIGON today hoped to claim an edge on higher-profile GPS navigator rivals with three devices that each have at least one major new software feature. The 7300T, 4300T max and 3300 max all add a new MyRoutes feature that calculates as many as three separate paths to the same destination. Drivers can see the arrival times for each and pick a route based on their individual tastes. NAVIGON also claims a given device will remember the user's driving experience and will suggest a particular route based on driving patterns and when owners normally drive. [full story]

February 20 - 4:00pm EST   Today at DealNN there is a wide selection of electronics from GPS units to Bluetooth headsets at discounted prices. Most notable today is the refurbished Navigon 2100 GPS navigator from eCost.com. This GPS unit is priced at $59 and features a 3.5-inch color touchscreen display with pre-loaded coast-to-coast maps of the lower 48 states in both 2D and 3D modes. [full story]

November 10 - 9:00am EST   NAVIGON today launched its first 8-series GPS unit as both its highest-end device and as a claimed first for the industry. Through built-in 3D hardware acceleration -- still rare among navigators -- the device can render a bird's eye view with textured, dimensional terrain data from NASA that represents hills and also makes a distinction between forests and other regions. [full story]

November 3 - 9:55am EST   Navigon on Wednesday announced the release of the 5100 max personal navigation devices, spotted earlier this month at the FCC, along with the 2090S. Both units sport Navigon's newest software that can generate routes quicker and makes entering information faster and easier thanks to the company's SmartSpeller software. The 5100 max uses a 4.3-inch touchscreen display with a 16:9 aspect ratio that will display real-time traffic updates. Buyers get these updates for the life of the unit without having to pay any additional subscription fees or having to buy additional hardware. [full story]

October 8 - 5:00pm EDT   A new Navigon portable GPS system is expected to come to market in the next few weeks, as it has been spotted undergoing testing at the FCC on Wednesday. The new unit, to be dubbed the Navigon 5100 max, is expected to include Bluetooth connectivity, a 4.3-inch screen and text-to-speech capability. A lifetime traffic update service is also to be part of the feature-set, along with Zagat ratings for restaurants stored in the point-of-interest database. [full story]

September 15 - 8:00am EDT   NAVIGON today rolled out one more GPS device aimed at raising the very entry level. The 2000S has just a 3.5-inch touchscreen but carries the same software features as larger models, including the real-time appearance of street signs, a lane assist mode and a special emergency mode that supplies both nearby locations and phone numbers without the step-by-step process. [full story]

September 3 - 10:55am EDT   NAVIGON in the wake of IFA switched its attention back to North America with the launch of a budget GPS that has features that were once saved only for higher-end units. The 2200T makes good on a recent promise by the company to offer free traffic warnings for the lifetime of its devices and is currently the least expensive device of the type. Even entry-level customers can now reroute around traffic jams and accidents without having to pay for a subscription, the company explains. [full story]

August 26 - 12:05pm EDT   NAVIGON readied itself for the fall today by launching a replacement for its highest-end GPS unit. The 7200T brings both a new interface that the company claims is the fastest for entering a destination but also adds a detailed 3D view where landmarks are represented as true objects. The addition gives drivers a quicker way to recognize stops or turning points without reading street names or waiting for voiced directions. [full story]

March 4 - 2:55pm EST   As a companion piece to its 2100 max updates, NAVIGON today also unveiled the 8110. The GPS receiver takes the line above its normally budget-minded focus with a larger 4.8-inch wide touchscreen and a brushed metal shell instead of glossy black plastic. The mapper is also the company's fastest with a dedicated 3D graphics chipset, a 533MHz main processor, and 128MB of RAM, all of which contribute to a smoother experience, according to the GPS maker. [full story]

March 4 - 11:50am EST   Matching introductions by other GPS navigation unit manufacturers, NAVIGON today updated the 2100 series with two new GPS units. The US-only 2100 max and the North America-wide 2120 max continue to be some of the lowest-cost 4.3-inch GPS units available but now add a DirectHelp feature that provides quick access to emergency services. Invoking the tool automatically finds nearby drug stores, hospitals, and car repair services, providing quick directions in cases where even slight delays could prove dangerous. [full story]