August 28 - 9:30am EDT   TomTom used the prelude to the IFA expo to introduce an update to its GO GPS units. While cosmetically similar to earlier models, the GO x40 LIVE series is billed as the first to have an extremely detailed history of the travel times for roads in its coverage area, letting its IQ Routes feature automatically pick the best route to avoid traffic congestion at rush hour regardless of the actual street. The upgrade also adds HD Traffic support for European maps that TomTom claims is the most accurate of its type and which can catch unusual spikes in traffic that IQ Routes may miss. [full story]

July 2 - 12:45pm EDT   The European Commission has approved an acquisition of map maker NAVTEQ, Nokia has announced. With this validation in hand, the company says it has met all regulatory concerns, and plans to complete the buyout within a matter of five days. "NAVTEQ will play a key role in our Internet services strategy," reads a statement from Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. The acquisition will also likely save the company money on licensing, as it has previously had to pay companies like NAVTEQ for each use of a map on a phone. [full story]

June 13 - 10:35am EDT   TomTom has in fact produced real-time navigation software for the iPhone, according to one of the company's French representatives. Yann Lafargue denies allegations from other sources, which first said that Apple's SDK license forbids real-time navigation, and then that TomTom itself had no internal prototypes. "Since the SDK became available," Lafargue observes, "some of our engineers tried to put Navigator on the iPhone. And the first tests showed that it worked well for the most part." [full story]

June 12 - 10:45am EDT   GPS maker TomTom may not be developing iPhone software at all, allegations say. A source within the company claims that despite public statements that TomTom has developed iPhone software, and has plans to sell it, there are actually no software prototypes in existence. The source adds that an e-mail memo was circulated through TomTom on Wednesday, with the message that "we haven't officially announced anything, we're just commenting to the press on a 'reactive not proactive' basis." [full story]

June 11 - 9:55am EDT   Apple may be attempting to block competition when it comes to GPS navigation on the iPhone, developers have observed. In the most recent version of the iPhone SDK, Section 3.3.7 of the license agreement tells users that "applications may not be designed or marketed for real time route guidance; automatic or autonomous control of vehicles, aircraft, or other mechanical devices; dispatch or fleet management; or emergency or life-saving purposes." [full story]

May 14 - 4:30pm EDT   European Commission officials today cleared GPS maker TomTom's plans to buy Tele Atlas. The government body says the buyout "would not significantly impede" competition in GPS navigators and attached no restrictions to the deal, which lets TomTom use an in-house source for its own maps. Although the possiblity exists for TomTom to artificially limit competition by blocking sales of Tele Atlas maps to outside companies, the existence of its rival Navteq makes that "unlikely," the Commission says. [full story]

May 6 - 1:10pm EDT   TomTom, maker of GPS devices like the ONE and the ONE XL, has no plans to build its own cellphones, according to a report out of Taiwan. DigiTimes cites a "top executive" from TomTom Asia, who says that the company will continue to focus on in-car navigation units, and accompanying content and services. TomTom has been collaborating with ASUS and HTC on navigation features for their own handsets, using parts from still more companies. [full story]

April 29 - 9:40am EDT   TomTom this morning updated its long-serving ONE and XL lines to make them easier to carry. The 3.5-inch ONE 130 and the widescreen, 4.3-inch XL 330 use refinements in hardware to slim down their bodies considerably compared to the original GPS devices and are designed to be more easily removed from a car either for pedestrian use or for safety: a new mounting system dubbed EasyPort lets users keep the mount attached to the receiver for transport and can even slide into a pocket through a collapsible arm. Larger speakers on either-size map device improve direction notices in noisy situations. [full story]

April 24 - 1:35pm EDT   TomTom on Thursday launched its Rider 2nd Edition portable navigation system made for motorcycle riders. The systems utilize a Cardo scala-rider Bluetooth headset to relay instructions and allow for hands-free calling. The 2nd Edition was upgraded with more features from the company's in-car units, including Map Share that allows users to share voice messages, points of interest or even itineraries via Bluetooth. A new Help Me! button can either connect riders with or find the nearest emergency services and roadside assistance. [full story]

March 3 - 12:25pm EST   Navigation mainstay TomTom has announced two new GPS units, the GO 730 and 930. Successors to previous models, one upgrade comes in the form of graphics, which have alpha blending and a more elegant user interface; the software will now also display lanes for upcoming turns, and even sign posts or 3D renderings for potentially confusing intersections. Each unit has further been enhanced with a technology called "IQ Routes," which takes into account the average speeds of a road at different times, and will thus give a more realistic sense of driving time. This is likewise used to find alternate routes which are nevertheless faster than linear ones. [full story]

February 11 - 9:25am EST   HTC has taken its turn at Mobile World Congress to release one new phone and upgrade two of its crossover devices. Spotlighted in the show is the P3470; originally codenamed the Pharos, the touchscreen phone centers on GPS mapping and supports either TomTom or CoPilot software for its navigation. A navigation wheel also helps it navigate through large lists more quickly than possible with just a directional pad. HTC also delivers a 2-megapixel camera and microSD storage with the phone, which ships first to Europe later this month but will support quad-band GSM and EDGE data for a possible rollout in North America. [full story]