TomTom and Android - My View

One of the lingering questions in the turn-by-turn navigation industry is why TomTom has failed to answer the challenge that Android has presented them.  Because of TomTom's (near) silence on the issue, we are left to speculate.  Here is my speculation.  TomTom does not have an Android solution for one of the following reasons:

• They want a solution but can't get it out the door for technical reasons.
• They don't want a solution and view it as a strategy to compete with Android. (Doubtful)
• They view partner solutions as "good enough."

Each of these are viable reasons, based on TomTom's own actions.

Let's start with public comments made by TomTom executives in 2009, yes almost 3 years ago.  In 2009, senior VP for TomTom onboard mobile Benoit Simery was quoted as saying "We cannot ignore such a successful platform as Android."  Well, it is three years later.  You've done a pretty good job of ignoring it so far.

Android was growing in 2009, no question.  Today, however, Android's popularity dwarfs what it was in 2009.  It would be one thing if TomTom was blind to Android's growing popularity in 2009, but clearly they weren't.  Clearly Android's popularity exploded since that statement was made.  Yet, not only was TomTom unable to muster a response to that popularity that allowed them to ride the popularity wave upward, they remain without an answer to this day, nearly 3 years later.

In the spring of 2011, another TomTom executive, Corinne Vigreux made a public statement that "(they) are currently working on an Android version."  TomTom would have been better served by Ms. Virgreux not saying a word.  To state that, yet not deliver almost a year later, fuels technical incompetence discussions.

TomTom publicly announced the need to address Android in 2009.  They publicly announced, two years later, that they are working on an Android solution.  Now, nearly a year after that, they still haven't delivered. 

TomTom's own mobile discussion forum is dominated by two discussions posts, both discussing Android.  Between the two posts, they have received 27,000 views - by far the most of any posts on the forum.  Yet, despite TomTom's willingness for their two executives to speak publicly about Android on two occasions, they have allowed these two threads to develop and be viewed over 27,000 times without a single comment.  

If TomTom truly wants an Android solution but can't get it out the door for technical reasons I question their technical competence.  ALK, Navigon, Waze, Mapquest, Sygic, NDrive, NNG and others are all on at least their second generation Android products.  There is no reasonable explanation for why a technical problem is preventing TomTom from getting a first generation product to the Android market.

I rule out TomTom not wanting an Android product as a (misguided) strategy for how to compete with Android, given the two executive comments highlighted above.  If there has been a change of heart at TomTom about Android then TomTom owes their customers a similar pubic statement indicating that they will not support Android.  Close the door on the issue if that is the case.

If TomTom is content with partner solutions like Route66, my personal opinion is that this is a highly misguided strategy.  Maps are becoming a commodity.  Automated map correct solutions, such as those being used by Waze, will make solutions like TomTom MapShare obsolete in my opinion.  TomTom appears to have no answer.

In my opinion, the only company today, with the power to differentiate their maps from a competitive perspective is Navteq.  TeleAtlas has greatly improved from years ago, but I personally do not believe they are equal to Navteq when it comes to the details.  Compare the text of a Navteq freeway exit sign image to the text of a TomTom freeway exit sign image and you will see what I mean.  Navteq's text is usually 100% accurate when compared to the actual freeway sign. The TeleAtlas text is usually close, but often times appears to have been built from the Exit number and intersection road names only, positioned on a sign to look like a sign.  They often lack the specific text of the road signs themselves, like the city name, landmark and other details that are unrelated to the actual exit number or road name.

All of this leads me to this conclusion, which is my personal opinion:  TomTom does have two pieces of valuable intellectually property left, that are currently not commodities.  However, their lack of an answer for Android squanders any remaining advantage of that intellectual property on a daily basis.  I believe that the US market will look back at TomTom and say "remember when TomTom screwed up their Android strategy?  They had a shot at one time."  Will TomTom become tomorrow's Kodak?

TomTom's remaining, valuable intellectual property is IQRoutes and HDTraffic.

Clearly TomTom/TeleAtlas had a competitive advantage over Navteq with IQRoutes.  Navteq is in catch up mode on that feature.  But TomTom is allowing Navteq to catch up.  A competent TomTom strategy would have been a strategy that leverages the head start of IQRoutes and builds on it to remain far ahead of Navteq.  Smartphones, both Android and iPhone, had to be a key part of that strategy for it to work.  TomTom is blowing that opportunity.

IQRoutes (and HDTraffic) needs users.  Users are TomTom's probes for these features. These features are nothing without users.  For these features to remain accurate and thus valuable, they need to continue to be fueled with user data from a growing user base.

TomTom should be doing everything in its power to continue to build its user base, in order to preserve the value of its intellectual property of IQRoutes.  Instead, TomTom has been completely incompetent on an Android strategy, which has resulted in not adding users. For users that have switched to Android as their navigation choice, TomTom gets nothing from them.  Out of nearly 1,000,000 potential customers PER DAY, TomTom get NONE of them.  TomTom is allowing Waze to succeed at TomTom's own game because of TomTom's lack of a competent Android strategy.  Do you think TomTom will ever get those users back?  I think not.  Even if TomTom eventually does come up with a competent Android strategy, they have given their potential customers so long to use a competitor's solution that I think most of them will say "so long TomTom" for good.  

But in my opinion, TomTom still has a small chance.  They do still have a large customer base and solutions like Waze have a long way to go in mid to small markets where IQRoutes is more complete.  If you read a TomTom Facebook post, you will see that it is getting increasingly difficult for them to not get bombarded with customer posts blasting them about their lack of Android presence on nearly anything TomTom posts there.  While that has to be unbelievably frustrating and perhaps embarrassing for TomTom, they should see one sliver of good news in the current situation:  customers still care.

When customers quit caring and asking for a TomTom for Android solution, that is when TomTom should be very, very worried.  That day is not far off.

Garmin Nuvi Speed Limit Alerts - A Lost Opportunity

My current Garmin GPS is a Nuvi 3490LMT.  I've owned it for about 2 weeks.  Prior to that, I've owned about 8 Garmin GPS devices going back to the very first StreetPilot III.  But after owning the 885T, I took a couple years off from Garmin products due to my frustration with Garmin's products and their support.

As I've said here before, Smartphone Link is what brought me back to Garmin again.  But that doesn't mean that my frustration with Garmin has gone away.  Little things that I've encountered over the last 2 weeks have fueled that frustration again.

The Nuvi 3490LMT, until next month, is the top of the line. It does one thing: it is a PND.  It is priced the same as most smartphones and some tablets - both of which are devices that do much more than a PND does.  In my opinion, for Garmin to continue to sell $399 PND in a smartphone world, it better do navigation better than anything else can do navigation.  In many ways, the 3490LMT delivers on that expectation. But in some ways, and they are seemingly simple things, Garmin drops the ball.  Dropping the ball on the little things reduces the justification for buying a $399 PND and further props up their smartphone competitors.

One opportunity that Garmin is squandering is the handling of speed limits.


Navteq map data has historically been best in class. It remains to be seen how crowd sourced solutions like Google Map Maker, Waze and OpenStreetMaps will change that.  But today, I'd argue that given all the characteristics that make a map accurate (roads, road class definitions, speed limits, freeway signage, etc.) Navteq remains best in class by a large margin.

Navteq's knowledge of speed limits is very, very good. It amazes me to drive down rural highways in the middle of Iowa and see the speed limit indicator change almost simultaneously with the speed limit sign as you drive through a small town.  Companies that use Navteq data have an advantage to leverage.

Garmin leverages Navteq's quality speed limit data in a half-hearted way at best.  They should do better.

Why does this matter?

It is rumored that with the release of iPhone 5, Apple will implement a built-in turn-by-turn navigation solution based on some quite acquisitions that they've made. Clearly Android has had that advantage for some time now, which has created pressure on traditional PND manufacturers like Garmin, TomTom and Navigon.  If the iPhone includes this capability as well, the pressure on Garmin and TomTom will only increase.

Garmin must continue to innovate and be better than anyone else for customers to continue to justify spending as much as a smartphone for a dedicated PND device. Google Navigation and any future built-in iPhone solution will NOT have Navteq maps. For the remaining time that Navteq remains best in class, Garmin should leverage that advantage to the greatest extent possible.  They aren't.

Garmin's current implementation of a speed limit alert feature seems to smack of a company that thinks it is the king of the marketplace  - resting on their laurels, rather than a company that faces an ever increasing challenge to their entire consumer business model in the near future.  It is almost as if they just want to check off a marketing spec sheet box that says "speed limit alerts" rather than actually improving the feature to make it useful.

My most significant complaint about Garmin's current speed limit implementation is the inability to use the feature without actually looking at your GPS.  Currently, the only speed limit alert that Garmin has is a "feature" which turns the speed limit sign on the screen red in color when the speed limit is exceeded by 1 MPH.   This means that the user is informed that they are exceeding the speed limit only on the off chance that they happen to be looking at their PND screen.  The technology should permit so much more and customers of a $399 PND should be demanding it.

Here is what Garmin should do to fix their current speed limit alert implementation:

1. Garmin has a TTS engine on the GPS.  USE IT.  There should be no reason that Garmin can't use the TTS engine for a simple "Speeding Alert" message.
2. A notification of speeding at 1 MPH over the posted speed limit is not useful.  Car speedometers don't permit a visual accuracy of 1 MPH.  No one cares if they are speeding by 1 MPH.  No policeman cares if a car is speeding by 1 MPH.  There is no way that knowing you are speeding by 1 MPH provides any safety benefit whatsoever.  It is a complete waste of a potentially useful feature.  Garmin should give customers a simple menu option to select the speed overage that they care about.  At a bare minimum, the alert should be set at an overage that actually means something, such as 5 MPH.

There shouldn't need to be a blog written to address the two things mentioned above. Customers should have expected that kind of improvement from one firmware version to another shortly after speed limit alerts was first introduced.

What Garmin should be doing, is moving beyond the fixes noted above, in order to continue to innovate and leverage the quality of the Navteq data they have.  Garmin should be adding features such as:

• Proactively warn customers of an upcoming speed reduction on their route such as when driving into a small town where the highway speed limit changes from 55 MPH to 35 MPH or other drastic changes using TTS voice alerts.  "Caution: Speed Limit Reduction Ahead."  Now that is useful use of the available Navteq data.

Garmin: use the differentiating data that you have at your finger tips and give us differentiating features.

Garmin Smartphone Link Advanced Weather - Half baked or Another Broken Feature?

I am 10 days into my experience with Garmin Smartphone Link. Since my initial post my clear excitment for the strategy has wanned somewhat as I've run into some technical problems.

Something is not right with Smartphone Link Advanced Weather. At least I hope it is a technical problem. If this is how it is intended to work, then I've been duped into thinking Garmin got the Smartphone Link strategy right. If this is "how it works" I was clearly wrong. Advanced Weather is a premium annual subscription option in Smartphone Link. Here is what Garmin says about it:

So far, the animated radar images have worked fine - as have the current conditions and the forecasts. Today's problem is with the severe weather alerts feature. Today we had our first instance of severe weather in my area. As I am driving on a route, my Nuvi alerted me. Cool, a weather alert! Look at the black weather warning icon below:

A few minutes later while at a red light, I clicked on the black weather alert cloud. I looked forward to reading about this weather alert. Here is what I got:

I got nothing. What I expected on this screen was the text of the severe weather alert at a minimum. I thought that Garmin might surprise me, given that it is a GPS, and actually show me more than text. Perhaps they will show me a map with the area of the alert highlighted - maybe with an overview map of my current route overlayed? Nope. Instead I get a black screen.

Yes, Smartphone Link was connected fine. Yes, my phone had a data connection. Yes, other Smartphone Link services were working. That isn't the problem.

A few minutes later, driving on the route, I received another severe weather alert. This time the black cloud icon changed. Notice the '2' underneath the cloud symbol. That must mean there are now 2 severe weather alerts.

This time, after pressing the cloud, I come to this screen:

That is better! Now I see that I have been notified of 2 winter storm warnings. Great. Let's find out more. I clicked on each of the yellow banner icons:

I got nothing. Again. Over the course of the day, the cloud icon built up to 5 alerts in quantity with 5 identical  winter storm warning boxes with 5 blank black screens when you clicked them. Clearly there is no useful purpose in how this feature is currently implemented, assuming of course this isn't a technical problem.

 
Three explanations that I can think of:

1. The feature is half-baked and what I expect to happen above isn't done yet. In this scenario marketing had to get Smartphone Link out by CES and engineering wasn't ready. In that case, the fact that they are charging a subscription fee for the above is just bad business.
2. The feature is fully implemented but isn't working correctly.  In this case, some things clearly haven't changed at Garmin.
3. The feature is fully implemented and this experience represents what Garmin had intended the feature to do. If that is the case then run people. Run as far as you can from these subscription services in Smartphone Link because they are an utter waste of your hard earned money.

This feature is significantly lacking in substance.

1. Why show me multiple,  identical "Winter Storm Warning" icons if you aren't going to tell me the details of the multiple winter storm warnings? What good does knowing there are multiples of them do me?
2. What possible good do these warning provide me when you don't tell me anything about their location? Are they near my current location, along my route or near my destination? What time did they start? What time do they end? What is the nature of the weather event I'll experience during the time span of the alert?

Think about it Garmin. I HAVE a smartphone, or I wouldn't be using Smartphone Link. I HAVE free weather programs available from multiple vendors. I can access weather information with my voice on my smartphone with SpeaktoIt, Nuance Dragon Go, Vlingo and others. I don't NEED one more weather app. What I NEED is Garmin to leverage that weather content against my current location and planned route and present it to me in an innovative way that only can be done on a PND. The above, if that is truly it, fails badly at this.

Garmin Smartphone Link - Ideas for Improvements & New Features

If you read this blog you know my enthusiasm for Garmin's new Smartphone Link app for Android.  If you don't then read here to catch up.  Here is where I'll keep a running list of all the ideas for fixes, improvements and changes to the Nuvi with Smartphone Link.  Here we go:

• Add a proximity alert feature to photoLive traffic cameras. When you drive through the defined point, show a preselected camera video in split screen.
• Provide an indication of bluetooth connection status on the map screen.
• In my use of Smartphone Link I've found the bluetooth connection to be generally good but finicky at the same time. I've been driving for awhile and only when I by chance returned to the main menu screen did I learn that the Nuvi wasn't connected via bluetooth.
• Provide an ice warning when the weather data indicates precipitation and the temperature indicates < 32 degrees.
• Show the current temperature on the map screen while in a route. This is important when traveling in near-freezing conditions.
• Develop a "Meeting Travel Planner" in Smartphone Link.
• Read my phone's calendar.
• Read the address from my calendar appointment's Location field.
• Obtain my phone's current location.
• Calculate the travel time to my next appointment in the Garmin Cloud.
• Take knowledge of current traffic conditions into account.
• Alert me on my smartphone that I need to leave for the appointment, including a user defined amount of extra minutes.
• Pass the destination from the calendar appointment's Location field to my Nuvi.
• Send me on my way.

Subscribe to this blog to be notified as I add more ideas.

GSM or CDMA? Why YMMV with Garmin's Smartphone Link

I'm a couple days into the use of Garmin's Smartphone Link with my Nuvi 3490LMT.  

Today my 2 hour drive included a 1 hour conference call.  The Nuvi bluetooth provided for an easy, safe method of carrying on a conference call for that length of time.  I really don't need to carrier my Motorola T505 bluetooth speakerphone anymore.  One less device in my bag!

Bored, and 15 minutes into the call I realized that I no longer had traffic content.  Duh!  I have a CDMA phone.  And of course we all know from the AT&T iPhone commercials that only AT&T (GSM) allows you to enjoy simultaneous voice and data.  Using Verizon? Sprint? Another regional carrier using CDMA technology? Nope.  Sorry. You can have voice or data, but not both at the same time on the 3G network.

When Garmin fixes the Smartphone Link and GMT-60 issues so that Smartphone Link Live Traffic can be used while plugged into the GMT-60 I hope that Garmin thinks through how the Smartphone App and the GMT-60 should work for CDMA customers.

Without any proof to back up this statement, I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that today's typical customer of a $400 PND and the Smartphone Link app is a tech-savvy road warrior.  And being one of those likely means phone calls while on the road are a regular occurrence.

Based on what we know today, the HD Radio Traffic from the GMT-60 appears to take a back seat to Smartphone Link Live Traffic.  This means that it appears that if Smartphone Link is active and connected to your phone, the Nuvi uses Live Traffic only and not HD Traffic.

Take a phone call on a CDMA network though, and you've got a problem.  While your Smartphone Link app and Nuvi are still bluetooth connected during a voice call, your phone isn't receiving data from your CDMA cellular carrier so your Nuvi isn't receiving any traffic content from your phone.  Take a call on a long stretch of rural Interstate - no problem.  Take a call during the last 15 miles into downtown Chicago and you've got a problem!

If your using Smartphone Link, your Nuvi has this perfectly good GTM-60 HD Radio Traffic receiver sitting around doing nothing but providing power - it should be able to provide traffic content to your Nuvi in the event of a loss of content from the Smartphone Link app.

It is my hope that Garmin improves the detection and switchover of traffic sources between Smartphone Link Live Traffic and GTM-60 HD Radio traffic in an intelligent way.  Clearly the Nuvi knows that the phone is in voice call mode because the Nuvi is capable of handling the call.  I think that Garmin should include logic where the Nuvi automatically switches to the GTM-60 HD Traffic receiver when the phone is in a voice call state.  Garmin could include a menu setting that asks the customer what cellular carrier they are using (or detect it somehow through the Smartphone Link app - is that possible?).  For GSM carriers - no switchover is necessary.  For CDMA carriers the switchover could be implemented.

With both the GTM-60 and Smartphone Link at the Nuvi's disposal, I hope Garmin doesn't settle for a complete loss of traffic content during a CDMA voice call as being an acceptable operating scenario just because one of two available sources isn't available any more.  Switch us to the other source Garmin - please!

A Note About Me

I am self-admitted GPS fanatic.  I have been for years.  I remember my first rental car when the Hertz Neverlost system was first rolled out.  When I learned that this was actually a rebranded Magellan system that consumers could buy I was elated - until I found out the cost.  The technology was reminiscent of cellular bag phones.  There was a huge "black box" that had to be hidden away somewhere with multiple cables running to the head unit.  And then I found Garmin and their StreetPilot III and I've never looked back.  Oh how fun those days were - when full map coverage meant a combination of City Navigator and MetroGuide and you hoped like hell that those two products matched up at their boundaries.  I remember a route from Des Moines to Madison, WI where the GPS told me the electronics equivalent of "you can't get there from here."   We've come a long way since those days!

Here is my GPS experience since then:

Nav experience: Garmin SP III, SP 2710, SP 2730, Garmin i5, Garmin c330, Garmin 760, Garmin 885T, Dash Navigation, TeleNav for Sprint, TomTom 740 Live, CoPilot Live v8, Navigon for Android, Navigon for iPad, ALK CoPilot Premium, Google Navigation, Waze, Garmin Nuvi 3490LMT w/ Garmin Smartphone Link.

I've actually owned and used all of those devices - some for hundreds of miles, some for thousands, many for tens of thousands.  In every case either the technology moved on, or I moved on from the technology (the i5? Wow was that painful!).  Each product's story is different - why I bought it and why it ran out of favor with me.

And now I found myself with the Garmin Nuvi 3490LMT w/ Smartphone Link.  It is, without a doubt, the single best overall navigation experience I've had.  The Nuvi 3490LMT by itself is not.  I let that product stay on store shelves for a long time, until the day that Garmin announced Smartphone Link.  Once it was announced (it's announcement was a surprise to me), I was at Best Buy within 2 hours with a 3490LMT in hand.  A month ago I would have been the first to tell you that there is no role for a $399 PND in a $299 smartphone world.  Smartphone Link proved me wrong.

I have an order placed for the 3590LMT as well.  I look forward to its ship date.  And when it arrives, my wife will enjoy a very nice 3490LMT product while I will take over the 3590LMT as my main GPS device.

Garmin has nailed it with the Smartphone Link app, initial problems aside, and I look forward to many miles of enjoyment.

Navigation Test - 1 Route, 8 Products

There are a a lot of reasons why people choose navigation products.  Today, there are a lot of choices to pick from.  Smartphone navigation has gained popularity in recent years on both Android and iOS platforms.  Dedicated PND's have seen their market share decline but they continue to try to innovate.  Garmin's release of Smartphone Link for Android is perhaps one of the most innovative approachs to the PND that we've seen in the last couple years.  I wrote about it here.

Arguably though, what matters most is accurate maps and timely ETA's.  Who meets that challenge the best?  I decided to try and find out.  I have, at my disposal, a Garmin Nuvi 3490LMT, a TomTom 740 Live, an iPad 3G and a Samsung Galaxy S2 Android smartphone.  Here is who I tested: Google Navigation, Telenav (for Android), Navigon* (for iPad), Mapquest (for Android), Waze (for Android), MotionX Drive, TomTom (TeleAtlas), Garmin (Navteq).  All products used were the current versions of the app, or current version of an available downloadable map. 

* Note: this test was done prior to Navigon's new app with the optional map update subscription, however, the test did include the most recent map version Navigon made available at the time. I could not test ALK CoPilot because they can't get their new software to run on some (my) US variant of the Samsung Galaxy S2.

There is a particularly challenging route in the Midwest that really separates the men from the boys when it comes to routing algorithms and map accuracy.  It is the route from Des Moines, IA to St Louis, MO.  Here is what that route looks like:

I picked this route because it provides so many challenges to overcome when determining the best route.  The highlighted route is, in my opinion, the best route to take.  Why?

• 99% of this route is a 4-lane divided US or State highway at a speed limit of 65 mph, with some limited 55 mph zones near towns. 
• There is only 1 through-town section where your speed has to reduce to slower speeds.  But it is also a good, and necessary, gas stop along the way.
• It is one of the shortest options when total miles are considered.

What makes this route challenging?

• About 60% of this route is known as the Avenue of the Saints. This is a federally designated highway system connecting St Louis, MO to St Paul, MN.
• The Avenue of the Saints starts in St Louis and the route above follows it completely until the route turns directly west halfway between Keokuk, IA and Mt Pleasant, IA.
• Note: The Avenue of the Saints continues directly north from where this route diverts to the west, through Iowa City, IA and eventually up to St. Paul, MN.
• To create this Avenue of the Saints, extensive construction was required over about a decade, to make this route 4 lane.
• As part of this extensive construction, a significant number of highway bypasses were constructed around small towns.  What used to be a 2 lane highway directly through many small towns is now a 4 lane highway bypass around nearly all of those towns.
• This route uses almost no freeways until the last 25 miles in the metro St. Louis area.
• There are many tempting alternatives.
• Des Moines to Kansas City to St Louis - it's all freeway.
• Des Moines to Davenport to Peoria to St Louis - it's all freeway.
• Des Moines to Iowa City then south to join this route - it's more freeway at least.

As you can see, this route is a great test. It tests the company's map accuracy.  It tests their road speed accuracy.  It tests their algorithm.  It test their bias for things like freeways.  And it tests their ETA accuracy.

This route, with an actual speed that averaged no more than 5 mph over the posted speed limit took 5 hours and 35 minutes to drive with 2 refreshment stops that included a gas fill-up along the way.

Obviously, I could not use all 8 of these solutions while driving.  Instead, while parked at my starting location, I calculated a route to the same final address on all 8 products and immediately recorded the resulting ETA.  I did this on all 8 devices within 5 minutes of each other.  I calculated the route at approximately 10:00pm CST in hopes of minimizing any bias from traffic reports.

Here is how they did:

• Google Navigation: 6 hours 37 minutes (off by +1 hour 2 minutes)
• Telenav: 6 hours 28 minutes (off by + 53 minutes)
• Navigon: 7 hours 0 minutes (off by +1 hour 25 minutes)
• Mapquest: 6 hours 16 minutes (off by + 41 minutes)
• Waze: 6 hours 34 minutes (off by +59 minutes)
• MotionXDrive: 7 hours 11 minutes (worst result, off by +1 hour 36 minutes)
• TomTom: 5 hours 53 minutes (off by +18 minutes)
• Garmin: 5 hours 44 minutes (off by +9 minutes)

This is a single route.  This is not a comprehensive test of different routes. It is not a scientific test.  It is simply one real world example that applies to me personally.  For this route, on this day, there are some interesting conclusions:

• The so-called advantage of "online" maps isn't an advantage at all.
• Online maps should be more accurate because the latest maps is always available.
• In practice, for this route, every online map provider fails to live up to that claim and has squandered the leverage they could have.
• Online maps were actually some of the worst performers in the test.
• There is a curious difference between Navigon and Garmin - both Navteq customers.
• There could be differences between Navigon and Garmin's routing algorithm that accounts for the some of the difference in time.  In my experience, they are pretty close generally, on other routes.
• More likely, we are seeing a real life example of what Navteq gets accomplished in sequential map updates. As I stated above, this test was done before Navigon changed to their new quarterly subscription update option. Therefore, the Navteq maps in their app were older than the Navteq maps in the Garmin Nuvi.
• The crowd-sourced map approach doesn't yield best in class results.  Both Google Navigation and Waze are in the middle of the pack when it comes to the route time.
• While Google did select my opinion of the ideal route, their ETA is way too conservative - a common complaint about Google Navigation.
• Crowd-sourced "real world" speeds seem to be having an impact. TomTom IQRoutes, once considered the king of "real world" driving conditions seems to be continuing to hold its own, at least in this limited test.
• Garmin's ETAs were always pretty good.  It appears that with their map data now incorporating trafficTrends functionality, that their ETAs might be getting even better.  They clearly were spot on in this test.

Strike 1 for Garmin Support's Response on Smartphone Link

I've documented, in detail, my problem, testing and conclusions about a potential conflict between Garmin's new Smartphone Link Live Traffic service and the GTM-60 HD Radio Traffic service. You can read about that in detail by clicking here and here.

I also did what any good customer should do and filed a detailed support ticket using the Contact Us support feature on Garmin's website.  They have a specific menu selection for the mobile team, and the Smartphone Link product.  I would assume then, that this would go to someone knowledgable about the Smartphone Link app - someone who could start to assist in solving this problem.

Arrogance is not something I like.  But good lord Garmin, between my email below and this blog, I've spoon fed you 1000% times more than most consumers are going to on this problem.  Solve it.  Don't blow me off with marketing auto replies and call that support.

Here is what I sent Garmin (click to enlarge):

And here is the ridiculous response that I got (click to enlarge):

In response to a detailed technical support question, complete with screen shot example links, I get back basically an auto-reply marketing brochure for the product that I am having a problem with.  Note:  this is NOT the auto-reply that I got immediately after filing the support claim.  This is the "personal support" response that I waited 3 business days for.

I actually did call the 800 support number the night that I started having this problem.  Her response was "Is Smartphone Link a Garmin product?"  "Where did you get it?"  "What does it do?"  Really Garmin?

So between a clueless telephone support response and a I-could-care-less email auto-reply response, it appears that Garmin support is about what it was when I quit using my 885T out of frustration - useless for anyone that happens to know a thing or two about technology and electronics.

Really Garmin?  Is this the best you have to offer your customers who are purchasing your latest and greatest products?  Frustrating beyond belief.

Impress your Siri-Loving Friends: Garmin's Smartphone Link & SpeakToIt Assistant - Your iPhone Can't Do This!

Siri is cool. No question.  But it can't do it all.  Once in awhile I love to show my "no one does it better than Apple" friends something that someone does better than Apple.  That day has arrived with Garmin's Smartphone Link app for Android, a compatible Garmin Nuvi and Assistant by Speaktoit.  This is the closest you can get today, to natural language processing on a PND.

I've previously covered the awesome (and largely undocumented) features of the Smartphone Link app. Smartphone Link combined with Assistant by Speaktoit provides you with one of the most user friendly and fast navigation interfaces that I've ever seen.

Using Assistant by Speaktoit is beyond the scope of this post.  But it is voice recognition - how hard can it be, right?  The Assistant app can be started on Android in a number of ways.  A simple application shortcut can be installed on your main screen. There is a widget available for quicker access directly to the voice recognition engine.  Or the app can even be assigned to the long-press of the search key on your phone.  Take your pick.

Now for the Garmin integration.  Check it out:

1. Start Assistant using the method of your choice discussed above.
2. Speak your search such as "Show me the nearest coffee shops."
3. Within Speaktoit, you will see a Google Map "widget" of the nearest coffee shops.
4. Press the large quadruple arrow button (looks like a cartoonish "X' button) in the upper right hand corner to open the Google Maps app.  Speaktoit passes your spoken search query to Google Maps automatically. 
5. Now that Google Maps is open, follow the instruction in my previous blog post to pass this to your Nuvi.

This may seem like a convoluted process.  In reality it takes about 10 seconds from the time you speak your search to the time your Nuvi has the address.  Do it twice and it will become second nature. Handsfree. Voice Recognition. Natural Language Search. Fast.

Garmin's Smartphone Link - photoLive Traffic Camera Tips

Garmin's new Smartphone Link app for Android has only been out for a couple of days.  The excitement seems to be building about what this app can do.  In my view, the most powerful feature is greatly under hyped by Garmin, as I outlined in a previous blog post.

Another feature with some real promise is what Garmin calls photoLive Traffic Cameras.  This premium annual service is actually a feature already available on the web from the folks at TrafficLand. TrafficLand aggregates roadside closed circuit television cameras across the US.  On the TrafficLand website, you can view these cameras.

Garmin's photoLive Traffic Camera subscription brings these traffic camera images onto your Garmin Nuvi through the Smartphone Link app.  From either the Apps menu or the Traffic menu, you can access the camera video by clicking the myCameras icon.  It is important to note that this is NOT live video.  These are static snapshot images from a live video camera.

After selecting the myCameras icon, you see a grid of your favorite cameras and the Add A Camera icon. Selecting Add A Camera shows you a text list of the nearest cameras with a name based on their location.  You have to be familiar with the roads to know where these cameras are.  I recommend using the TrafficLand website as a reference where they show a map of each city and all the camera locations and names as you define your favorite cameras on the Nuvi.

Once you select a camera name on the Nuvi, you are presented with a more useful screen:

Add-A-Camera screen on Nuvi w/ Smartphone Link photoLive feature.

On this screen you are able to see the camera location on a map as well as the direction it is pointed.  This helps in selecting the cameras that are important to you.  Once you press Save, you will see your selected cameras on a 4x4 grid.  You can click any video in the grid for a full screen image of that camera.

Garmin Smartphone Link photoLive myCameras grid

In my testing, in a Sprint 3G service area, the cameras refreshed at a rate of 1 camera image per second.  I found it very acceptable.

There is so much potential for additional functionality with this service.  Lets hope that Garmin improves the photoLive service with some of these ideas:

Select Cameras Near Other Locations
If I am starting a trip from Des Moines to Chicago, there might be key cameras in the Chicago area that I will want to see on my route.  Obviously, I do not want to look for and select these cameras in route to my destination.  I want to queue up all the cameras of interest before I go as part of my trip planning effort.

Camera Organization
Once the ability to save cameras in locations other than my current location is implemented, then Garmin needs to provide the ability to organize sets of cameras.  For example, I might have a "Home" set of cameras, a "Chicago" set of cameras and a "Trip to Florida" set of cameras.

Automatic Display of Video
The photoLive app is just screaming for a proximity alert type function.  Imagine for example, a trip where on a certain point you can go the "north route" or the "south route" to your destination.  Traffic congestion could dictate which way you go.  Let's face it, today's traffic data feature of a PND is nice, but it isn't always accurate.  You can't replace human knowledge.

Imagine as you approach that "decision intersection" that a video from a predefined camera shows up in Nuvi split-screen style showing you the video of the latest traffic condition.  Now THAT could be useful.

It would seem straight forward to implement.  Select a point on the map and select a camera to display.  Done.  Drive.

POI Based Triggers for Video Display
When you leave your house every morning and select the WORK saved favorite one piece of information you might like to know is what does traffic look like on the freeway today?  Imagine a photoLive camera being assigned to your saved favorite definition. When you start a route to that saved favorite, a camera's video is displayed in split screen for a few seconds as you start out.  Coolness.  Better yet, the trigger could be time based.  When I select WORK between 7am and 9am, show the camera.

My hope is that as Garmin expands the utility of Smartphone Link, that they will start to use Smartphone Link as the user interface and configuration for some of these features then send the configuration to the Nuvi.  No matter how good PND's get, you can't beat the usability of the smartphone user interface.

Further testing of Garmin Smartphone Link Live Traffic points to GTM-60 compatibility issue

Early I posted a detailed blog post about my problem with the new Live Traffic subscription feature of Garmin's new Smartphone Link app for Android.  Well, some additional testing narrows down the nature of the problem.

I decided to try using my Nuvi 3490LMT with Garmin Smartphone Link while NOT connected to the GTM-60 HD Traffic receiver.  Low and behold, Live Traffic through Smartphone Link works!  And it worked solidly.  My Nuvi could go to sleep, my smartphone could go to sleep and time and again, upon waking either device up, Live Traffic came back to the unit through the Smartphone Link app.

Here is what the Nuvi shows just after reestablishing a bluetooth connection:

Nuvi 3490LMT connected to Smartphone Link but disconnected from the GTM-60

After a couple minutes of the Nuvi and the smartphone being awake with a bluetooth connection established, the message at the top said "Traffic up to Date" once again. 

Recall from the previous blog post that when the Smartphone Link app is connected to the Nuvi and the GTM-60 is plugged in, the screen looks like this:

Nuvi 3490LMT traffic screen while connected to Smartphone Link and the GTM-60 simultaneously.

If you disconnect the GTM-60 from the Nuvi, restart the Nuvi and connect to Smartphone Link traffic is restored.  Traffic is provided by Smartphone Link Live Traffic.

If you disconnect Smartphone Link, restart the Nuvi and connect the GTM-60 traffic is restored.  Traffic is provided by HD Radio Traffic.

If you connect both Smartphone Link and the GTM-60 to the Nuvi it appears that right now you get no traffic at all based on the problem illustrated in the picture above.  Of course the only way to power the Nuvi 3490LMT out of the box is the GTM-60.  So another method of powering the Nuvi will have to be used if you want to use Smartphone Link until Garmin solves this problem.

I reach the following conclusions with this test:

1. Smartphone Link Live Traffic does indeed work through the Android app.
2. There is a problem with a peaceful co-existence between Smartphone Link Live Traffic and the GTM-60's HD Radio Traffic.
3. From the screen shot above, one of two things appears to be happening:
1. When the Nuvi is plugged into the GTM-60 and Smartphone Link, the Nuvi really isn't getting any traffic content at all, as the screen above is showing you.  This incompatibility needs to be resolved by Garmin. Or....
2. The Nuvi indeed IS getting traffic content through Smartphone Link Live Traffic despite the above screen shot.  This screen, could be showing you only the GTM-60's status and since Smartphone Link Live Traffic seems to trump the GTM-60 Garmin didn't think through the presentation and content of this screen when a user is using Smartphone Link Live Traffic.

So, if you are loving life with the Smartphone Link app and bought the Live Traffic feature, it appears that you need to either run the Nuvi on battery for short trips or run it on a non-traffic receiver power adapter.  Let's hope Garmin gets this straightened out quickly.

Garmin Smartphone Link - Live Traffic problems surface

Yesterday I discussed Garmin's new Smarphone Link app for Android.  You can read it here. Within hours of posting the story, I began to run into problems with the Live Traffic feature of Garmin Smartphone Link as I dug deeper into the app.

While HD Traffic works great on my Nuvi 3490LTM, my $19.99 Live Traffic service does not.  Why do I need both?  As Garmin explains in this FAQ, Live Traffic through Smartphone Link allows you a potentially greater coverage area than HD Traffic does.  I bought Live Traffic as a backup, so I thought.  Turns out that Garmin doesn't appear to have thought through the issues of using HD Traffic with Smartphone Link Live Traffic very well.

A technical issue appears to be preventing me from receiving Live Traffic from Smartphone Link. The Nuvi doesn't appear to be smart enough to know it isn't receiving Live Traffic from Smartphone Link and switch over to try HD Radio Traffic. It just sits there using Smartphone Link without receiving traffic at all.

What does this mean for real road trips?  It appears to mean that Live Traffic isn't a backup at all. It is an either/or proposition.  If you aren't receiving Live Traffic for whatever reason, HD Radio traffic won't be there to back you up.  The only option appears to be to turn off Smartphone Link entirely, which turns off all its other great features as well.  That is a poor design choice.
Short of being able to handle a switch between Smartphone Link Live Traffic and HD Radio Traffic automatically and intelligently, the Nuvi badly needs a user setting to switch between the two services.

As you can see below, everything is swell with traffic on my Nuvi 3490LMT with HD Radio traffic. I've got a strong signal and am receiving traffic reports.  I've disabled Smartphone Link for this picture.

Nuvi 3490LMT using HD Radio Traffic

Enabling Smartphone Link breaks the traffic service it appears.  In the photo below, you can clearly see that my Smartphone Link Live Traffic subscription is active.  Other Smartphone Link services work fine, so my bluetooth communication with my Nuvi is clearly functional.

Nuvi 3490LMT Smartphone Link Subscription Services Status Screen

Look what happens to my traffic function now.  The photo below was taken within 30 seconds of the HD Traffic photo above.

Nuvi 3490LMT using Smartphone Link Live Traffic

As you can see, the traffic content is gone.  The message "Traffic up to Date" has been replaced with "Waiting for Traffic Data."  The text on the right provides tips for diagnosing bad traffic reception.  The content of this message deals with the Nuvi's HD Traffic receiver attached to the car cord.  This is irrelevant when using Smartphone Link because the traffic doesn't come from that receiving any more.

I've watched this screen for 15 to 20 minutes and the message "Waiting for Traffic Data" never goes away.  The Nuvi also doesn't hande the switch back to HD Traffic very well.  When you turn off bluetooth, the HD Radio traffic signal strength bar returns, and it populates with screen bars to indicate the HD Radio traffic signal is back.  However, the mesage "Waiting for Traffic Data" remains.  You have to physically turn off the Nuvi (hold down the power button for several seconds) then start it back up.  At that point, the HD Traffic content comes back.

Once you purchase Smartphone Link Live Traffic there is no way to turn it off and still use the other services.  You are stuck.  I completely deleted the bluetooth pairing between my phone and the Nuvi and deleted the Smartphone Link app from my phone.  I reinstalled the Smartphone Link app and paired my phone and Nuvi again.  My thinking was that since the Live Traffic Service was an additional in-app purchase, if I reinstall the app, I might have to actually go back into the act of purchasing Live Traffic again before it would recognize that I already purchased it and reactivate it.  Nope.  As soon as you open Smartphone Link, it must check in the background what services you've purchased and reactivate them automatically.

I contacted Garmin phone support.  That went no where fast.  When the rep's questions start with "What is the name of that app?"  "Is that an app that Garmin makes?"  and "What does the app do?"  you know that you are not going to get resolution to a technical problem like this.

Garmin does have a support email menu selection specific to Smartphone Link.  I've submitted this problem to them. I was greeted with a message to expect a 3 day wait, so I wait.

Problems with a new v1.0 app are to be expected I suppose.  Garmin clearly needs to work through issues with this app and I hope they do so soon.

For now, I'd stay away from Smarthphone Link's Live Traffic add-in until Garmin has responded to this problem and it appears to be working as expected.  I'll post updates on the blog.

Garmin Smartphone Link - Revolutionary (undocumented) Power Brought to the PND

Today, Garmin announced a seemingly modest new capability to a subset of it's Nuvi lineup.  Garmin's Smartphone Link is an Android (sorry iPhone users) companion app that provides some interesting new connected features.  You can download it here for free from the Android Market.


This app is a welcome enhancement to a somewhat stale PND marketplace. It appeared as though there were two distinct camps developing: smartphone nav apps or PNDs. Take your pick. With the limited popularity of connected PNDs, it seemed as though there was little hope for a product that intelligently blended the two together.

Not anymore.  Garmin, in my opinion, has successfully blended the smartphone and PND world together with their Smartphone Link app.  Given the new features this approach brings in its 1.0 introductory version, it is very exciting what might be in store for us in the future.


What is so revolutionary about this app is what is unadvertised and largely uncovered so far today.  At first blush, the free features of this app are very ho-hum. There aren't many.  The app gets a little bit sexier with the optional subscription services, but the uptake on fee-based services remains to be seen.  But underneath the hood, there is an incredible feature to be discovered and IT...IS...FREE.

Garmin's Smartphone Link Android app actually delivers to your PND, complete Google Maps search integration, integration of most 3rd party apps "locator" functionality, full Contact file address integration and complete calendar appointment address integration.  Read on!

At CES, Garmin has released new PND models that include the Smartphone Link capability.  But, it was nice to see Garmin extend the capability backward into some of their available current models as well.

At first look, the Smartphone Link app appears to be limited on features, especially free features.  However, under the hood is one of the most powerful PND capabilities to come to market since the demise of Dash Navigation. The obvious features will be dealt with here.  They have been widely covered.  What is important and spectacular are the undocumented capabilities of this app.  They are truly remarkable.  Here they are:

Garmin's Smartphone Link app for Android allows you to:

1. Use Google Maps on your phone, search for anything and instantly send any search result to your Nuvi.  Full Google Search on your Nuvi!
2. Use any 3rd party app that includes a Store Locator that is based on Google Maps and instantly send a search result address to your Nuvi.
3. Use your Android Contact file and send any contact's address to your Nuvi.
4. Use your calendar (Google or Microsoft Exchange) and send any street address entered into the calendar appointment's "Where" field to your Nuvi instantly.

That's right folks...it is all there, and it is FREE!  There is nothing better than a working example.  Here we go:

These directions are for my Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic Touch 4G on Sprint.  The exact sequence of keystrokes may be different on your phone.  I will assume that you've downloaded and installed Garmin's Smartphone Link app on your phone.  I assume you've paired and connected your Nuvi to your phone.  If so, continue on:

Google Maps or another app has likely claimed "default" status for some of the features on your phone.  We need to clear that default status to demonstrate these capabilities.  Don't worry.  This isn't a hack or something underhanded.  It is easily restored at any time of your choosing.

1. From your phone's main home screen, select MENU, then SETTINGS.
2. From the SETTINGS menu select APPLICATIONS.
3. Select MANAGE APPLICATIONS.
4. Scroll to find the "Launch By Default" section.
5. Click CLEAR DEFAULTS. If you have some other navigation app (like Waze, Navigon or others) that have claimed this default status, you need to clear that also. If you aren't sure, try this
1. Go to your Contact app on your phone.
2. Open a contact.
3. Scroll down to the Contact's street address.
4. Click it. The mapping or navigation app that opens is the app that has claimed the default status.  You need to clear that app's default status as described above.

Now the fun begins.

1. Open Google Maps on your phone.
2. Search for Pizza Hut.
3. Click on this results icon in the lower left hand corner of Google Maps.
4. Click on your desired Pizza Hut location.
5. Click the DIRECTIONS button.
6. On the directions screen, press the blue arrow.
7. Be prepared for awesomeness.

Since you cleared the defaults, you've opened the door for Garmin's Smartphone Link app to provide you a bit of sweetness.  At this point you should see a screen that says "Complete Action Using" and then a list of apps.  The list of apps depends on what is installed on your phone, but the news of the day is that Smartphone Link presents itself as an option here!

Warning: if you are a Google Navigation user too, I would recommend that you do NOT check the "Set As Default" box before clicking on Smartphone Link.  If you do, it will pass every Google Map selection to your Nuvi, rather than giving you the choice.  By leaving that box unchecked, you have the choice every time: send it to your Nuvi or send it to another app.

When you click Smartphone Link, look up at your Nuvi.  That Pizza Hut location will be instantly passed to you Nuvi, ready for you to say Go!  Oh, so awesome.

Garmin has just opened up the entire world of Google Maps to your Nuvi and I hope the world gives Garmin a big, sloppy kiss for it.

This mechanism of passing Google Map results is what opens up the other functionality mentioned above: passing Contact addresses, Calendar appointment locations and 3rd Party Store Locator functionality.

To navigate to ANY contact on your smartphone on your Nuvi without entering anything into your Nuvi, give this a try.  First, we need to enabled a Google Lab's feature in Google Maps.  Open Google Maps and do the following:

1. Click the MENU button in Google Maps.
2. Select SETTINGS.
3. Select LABS.
4. Scroll down and enable Bubble Buttons by clicking it.
5. Exit Google Maps.

Now for the contact functionality.

1. Open your Contact app.
2. Search or browse to any Contact.  Click it to open it.
3. Scroll down to find the contact's street address.
4. Click on it.  The address should immediately get passed to Google Maps.
5. Because you enabled Bubble Buttons above, your Contact's location should be marked and the text window should have a phone icon on the left and the infamous blue arrow on the right.
6. Click the blue arrow.
7. TaDa!  Click Smatphone Link and your contact's address is instantly sent to your Nuvi.

Finally, calendar functionality, though you've probably figured it out by now. It goes without saying that you must have a valid street address listed in your calendar appointment's "where" field for this to work.

1. Open your Calendar app.
2. Select an appointment.
3. Click on the address listed in the appointment.  The address should immediately get passed to Google Maps.
4. Because you enabled Bubble Buttons above, your Contact's location should be marked and the text window should have a phone icon on the left and the infamous blue arrow on the right.
5. Click the blue arrow.
6. TaDa!  Click Smatphone Link and your contact's address is instantly sent to your Nuvi!

The utility of this capability is endless  When traveling, imagine giving your smartphone to your traveling companion and asking them to search for a stopping place for gas, food, a hotel, etc.  You drive.  They search.  When they find something, they zap it to your Nuvi instantly.

This is a stunning feature. Why it is undocumented is beyond me.  Garmin SHOULD be jumping up and down and waving their hands about this significant, free feature of their new Android app.  Regardless, it is a great feature and one that has drastically increased the capability and usability of anyone that has a compatible Nuvi and an Android smartphone.

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