TomTom adds Map Share so users can update their own maps

Here's a rather cool idea from the TomTom folks. An update available today to the TomTom iPhone nav app s (price varies depending on countries covered) allows you to edit the information on your maps and then submit those changes for others to access using what TomTom calls Map Share. This feature is also present on many dedicated TomTom GPS units.

Map Share lets users edit street names, set driving directions and block and unblock streets directly on the maps, and then share those changes with the TomTom community. Once the changes are verified, everyone gets updated maps. The updates come automatically once a week, or you can force a check on demand.

That feature should go a long way toward answering complaints that navigation apps like TomTom's, with built in maps, are never as accurate as apps that provide navigation data on the fly. Of course, even freshly downloaded maps can be out of date, so that really isn't a very compelling argument.

The TomTom nav apps are on sale for the holidays. The US version is US$39.99, while a North American version covering the US and Canada is $49.99.

View Tags

Source: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tomtom-u-s-a/id343289842?mt=8

Categories

iPhone

Here's a rather cool idea from the TomTom folks. An update available today to the TomTom iPhone nav apps (price varies depending on...

Add a Comment

Sign in »

4 Comments

Filter by:

Christian Beuschel

i am trying to decide between navigon or tomtom. i cant find real good info on either. I heard tomtom is pretty good but it doesnt let you listen to music as easily as navigon. i also heard that navigon wont even tell you what side of the street your destination is. does anyone have a preference?

January 11 2011 at 11:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Christian Beuschel's comment

David Pavel

@Christian Beuschel: This is why iTunes needs to have trials. I've been doing a LOT of research lately since both USA versions are fairly cheap right now *Navigon USA is $24.99 while TomTom USA is $34.99 at the time of writing this*

Here's why I'm going with TomTom. Initially, when GPS apps were first released to the iPhone, Navigon won hands down. But throughout last year everybody is saying TomTom really stepped up their game.

I heard their IQ Route feature is ahead of Navigon as well as the new mapshare feature. You can download user changes to their maps. This leads to highly-accurate maps which are always updated.

I'm not sure about the iPod music integration, but with a GPS app my main goal is to get to my location quickly and accurately and based on my research, it seems as though TomTom is doing a better job at this point in time.

NOTE: The app TomTom is replacing for me is Copilot Live USA, since it was only said to get map updates until the end of 2010.

February 13 2011 at 9:24 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

brian

i wouldnt call it tomtom's "cool idea"
navigon added this about a week ago, plus it existed in other apps such as waze

December 20 2010 at 8:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to brian's comment

Kleinias

@Brian,

I don't think most people know or care who started this first, that being said, apparently TomTom has had this features (on some of its stand alone GPS units) starting somewhere in 2007. It is probably as much TomTom's "cool idea" as much or more than it is either of the other brands you listed.

December 25 2010 at 2:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply