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CaptinAcademy · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:08 pm Post subject: Demise of GPS as we know it?

Of course you'd have to be in cell range for it to work but.....

Google’s New Mobile App Cuts GPS Nav Companies At The Knees
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by Erick Schonfeld on October 28, 2009

Google released a new mobile navigation app today and GPS navigation companies such as Garmin And TomTom saw their shares take a plunge. The announcement shaved $1.2 billion off of Garmin’s market cap alone. Its shares are down more than 16 percent so far today to $31.60. TomTom’s shares are down 21 percent to $8.11.
And this is just for an Android app. But Google could very well make it available to other phones as well, and that is what has investors worried. GPS navigation apps are among the most expensive, and most lucrative, of all mobile apps. TomTom sells its iPhone apps for $50 to $100, with a different app per country.
Google just cut the traditional GPS navigation companies at the knees by releasing what may be a far superior product for free. It is not a standalone navigation app. Rather it taps into a lot of the resources Google makes available on the Web, including Google Maps, Streetview, voice recognition, and sophisticated search. You can use voice search just as you would look for something on Google’s search engine. “Where is the Pizza Hut in downtown Palo Alto”? If Google’s search engine can find it, then so can Google’s navigation app. Garmin and TomTom can’t compete with that kind of Web-scale computing power.
And Google is happy to give its navigation app away for free because it leverages many existing technologies it has already built for the Web, and it encourages more people to use Web-capable phones and do local searches on them. Its strategy is to give the software away for free, and make money on the search ads.
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BringThaPain · Finger Mullet Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Posts: 27

I say, power to the consumer. I just got an android phone. Maybe I can use this.

Bluffer · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:04 pm Post subject:

Still can beat a compass and brains! Laughing

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TeamMorningWood · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:58 pm Post subject:

What Apple is doing with the iPhone in GPS is crazy. There are many GPS apps for iPhone as well for a few bucks that work as good as any Garmin. When the 4G network is up and running those hand held or dash mounted GPS units will be considered antiques.
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Chef Lefty · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:45 pm Post subject:

funmeters1 · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 319

Remember, a cell phone needs a radio tower to work where the regular GPS uses satelites. I do have an IPHONE and the GPS that comes standard with it works pretty good in fact it worked better than my GPS when I was in Tennessee last week. Still, if you dont get a signal then it ain't going to work.

Mansfield Mauler · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 6:53 pm Post subject:

the gps in your phone works independent of the cell signal..it may have to download maps from the net depending on what software you use...my android phone can also use the relative position of the cell tower it is connected too, however..

funmeters1 · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 319

I'm just saying the phone GPS is dependent on cell towers and the regular GPS works off satelites. I'm wondering if my cell phone GPS will help me find that great spot 50 miles down PINS

robul · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 26 Jun 2007 Posts: 2677

Mansfield Mauler · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:35 am Post subject:

funmeters1 · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 319

Thanks for the info. It looks like I'm a couple of generations behind on current technology

robul · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 26 Jun 2007 Posts: 2677