Following the success of the ViaMichelin Traffic application for iPad, Michelin has extended its offering with the launch of the first edition of the 2011 Michelin France map for iPad. The application can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store.

The quality and extensive content of Michelin maps combined with the flexibility of digital technology.

The 2011 Michelin France map, which has been optimised for the iPad screen, enables users to:

• Access three scale settings so that they can easily move about, zoom in on maps and refine their searches:
  - 1:1,000,000, the scale of the Michelin France map.
  - 1:275,000, the intermediate scale.
  - 1:200,000, the scale of the Regional maps and the Michelin France atlas.
• Launch rapid searches for a specific city.
• Display hotels and restaurants from the Michelin guide, as well as tourist sites selected in the Michelin Green Guides, using geolocation technology.
• Interface using the same graphic standards and same symbols as the printed Michelin maps.

Another advantage is that all map data is embedded in the iPad, which means no Internet link is necessary.This reduces possible connection costs and ensures that the maps are accessible at all times.

Users can consult the offline application from their home country when preparing their trip or when travelling in France and zoom at their leisure on the dynamic maps that are displayed, with no Internet hook-up costs.

In addition, users whose iPad is equipped with a GPS chip or who have Internet access can geolocate themselves instantly,move about on the maps and zoom at their leisure on the dynamic maps that are displayed.

Updated every year with new infrastructure data from across France, Michelin maps ensure that readers have access to the latest road and tourist information. Convenient and easy to use, they allow travellers to quickly get their bearings and visualize their surroundings.

Available in five languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish), the 2011 Michelin France map can be downloaded for £7.99.

The launch of the new TomTom Via device today makes TomTom the first satnav provider to bring a hands-free solution with Voice Control to mid-range devices.  Packed with innovative features and designed for convenience, the TomTom Via makes premium navigation accessible to all.

“The TomTom Via brings high-end navigation to the mid-market – without compromising quality and convenience,” says Damian Woodward, VP sales and marketing at TomTom.  “From the exciting new Voice Control and hands-free calling, to the market-leading IQ Routes™, it’s everything drivers need for a truly effortless driving experience.”

TomTom Via drivers also get the added benefit of TomTom Speed Cameras.  This points out fixed speed camera locations on the road ahead, helping drivers to stay safe and relaxed.

A first for the mid-range market, Voice Control lets drivers operate their device simply by talking.  They can input addresses and navigate with ease – all without taking their hands off the wheel or their eyes off the road.  On Via 120 and 125 models, TomTom also brings hands-free calling (via Bluetooth®) to the mid-market audience, allowing drivers to use their device as a car-kit for their mobile phone.

The TomTom Via also provides a reliable Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) at any time of the day based on intelligent IQ Routes speed profiles collected from millions of users.  Now drivers can relax and go with the flow, knowing exactly when they’re due to arrive.

The TomTom Via also has the added convenience of a brand new foldaway mount which is integrated with the device, so it’s always there when drivers need it.  This clever mount easily attaches to the windscreen and, using the optional mounting disk, drivers can turn the device 180 degrees – a sensor flips the screen the right way up, enabling them to position it wherever suits them best.

And that’s not all: with the TomTom Via, drivers can see more and drive easy thanks to a new user interface, plus a choice of a 11cm (4.3”) or 13cm (5”) touch screen for the easiest operation.  And every device comes with new, richer maps covering an additional two million kilometres of roads in greater graphical detail, putting more information at drivers’ fingertips.  All this is wrapped up in a stylish,brushed aluminum design, with the diamond-cut screen bezel edge.

For premium navigation for the mid-market without compromising convenience, it has to be the TomTom Via.

New research has found that motorists face a ‘postcode lottery’ when it comes to the policing of speed limits on British roads.  RoadPilot – Europe’s leading supplier of GPS speed camera data – found that speeding drivers are up to 100 times more likely to be caught in Greater London than in some other areas of the country.

The study identified that Greater London now has 16 per cent of the UK’s roadside speed cameras, more than Scotland, Wales and Ireland combined.  The West Midlands, which includes the actively-policed city of Birmingham, has the second most strictly-enforced speed limits (with 7.4 per cent of all cameras), followed by West Yorkshire (6.7 per cent), Lancashire (5.7 per cent), and Staffordshire (5.0 per cent).

While the decision taken by some councils to cut funding for speed cameras has hit the headlines in recent weeks, research by RoadPilot indicates that these changes will affect just 3 per cent of cameras in Britain.

“It is perhaps to be expected that London, as the UK’s largest city, would have the highest concentration of speed cameras, but the extent of the differences in number of speed cameras around the UK is very surprising,” comments James Flynn OBE, CEO of RoadPilot.

“The recent change to the way that speed cameras are funded has certainly affected some areas of the UK, but it is important to keep in mind the bigger picture.  Britain’s speed limits remain the most heavily policed in the world, and the recent cuts will only affect a tiny proportion of the country’s more than 5,500 speed cameras.

“Given that more than 56 per cent of all of the nation’s speed cameras monitor 30 mph limits, compared with only 3.6 per cent sited on roads with 70 mph limits, drivers don’t necessarily have to be ‘driving fast’ to risk collecting a fine and licence endorsement points.  With so many distractions on our roads, drivers need all the help they can get to keep fully aware of local limits,” concludes Flynn.

RoadPilot’s extensive database of UK and international speed camera locations is principally available to consumers via RoadPilot Mobile – the firm’s self-built speed camera location application for GPS Smart phones – which is now compatible with all 26 Nokia GPS handsets.  It can also be accessed through the ‘combined speed camera and traffic alert’ service available as a downloadable option with the Nokia’s Maps 3.0 satellite navigation software.

Spanning 26 countries around the world, RoadPilot’s database is endorsed through licensing agreements with some of the world’s leading organisations in the personal navigation, online mapping, routing and printed map sectors.

TomTom is making easy and smart navigation available to powered two-wheel riders everywhere, with the launch of TomTom Urban Rider.

This smart two-wheel navigator has a glove-friendly, intuitive screen and simplified user interface, but also ensures riders have the smartest navigation with innovative TomTom features like advanced lane guidance and IQ Routes™– all from just £249.

“With TomTom Urban Rider, we’re making navigation truly accessible to all users of a powered two-wheeler,” says Damian Woodward, VP sales & marketing at TomTom. “Whether you use your bike for the daily commute or for long rides on the open road at the weekend, it’s everything you’ll need in a great value package.”

The most noticeable feature is the simplified menu, which has just two buttons – ‘Navigate to’ and ‘Browse map’. This lets users get going without any hassle, and is made even easier to use thanks to the glove-friendly screen with its larger icons – perfect for gloved hands.

When it comes to safety, a welcome addition to the Rider products is advanced lane guidance. On the most difficult highway intersections, this provides a realistic 3D representation of the junction to keep users relaxed and safe.

For even better routing, meanwhile, TomTom Urban Rider features IQ Routes. This innovative TomTom technology uses actual speed data collected from millions of users to calculate the fastest route for any hour of any day.

And to help customers keep their map up to date between map releases, TomTom Urban Rider features Map Share™ technology. This lets them make corrections to their map and benefit from thousands of corrections made by TomTom users every day – free of charge.

For the serious riders out there, TomTom is also releasing TomTom Rider Pro. This comes with a Bluetooth® headset in the box, for loud and clear voice instructions and for making and receiving phone calls when on the road.

TomTom Urban Rider will be available from end of May 2010.  Priced £249.99 for UK/ Republic of Ireland maps and £299.99 for European maps.  For more information and to buy, visit http://www.tomtom.com

A number of new services and features are coming soon to the TomTom app for iPhone, including TomTom HD Traffic for real-time traffic speed and incident reports, and Local Search powered by Google. The latest update to the TomTom app for iPhone (version 1.3), which has been submitted to Apple for review, will offer these and other soon-to-be-announced enhancements to ensure an optimal, and even more intuitive, navigation experience.

“TomTom is fully committed to offering TomTom app users the services and features they demand most,” said Tom Murray, vice president of market development for TomTom Inc. “The latest update to the TomTom app for iPhone offers our highly sought-after real-time traffic service option, enhanced point-of-interest search capabilities and a wide range of other features.”

PocketGPSWorld.com are pleased to announce the release of CamerAlert on the Apple AppStore. Priced at £0.59 it is available now from the Apple AppStore.

CamerAlert is a Speed and Red Light Camera warning system for iPhones based on the world renowned PocketGPSWorld.com Speed Camera Database. It provides both audible and visual warnings as you approach a camera. When you are in a section of SPECs or Average Speed Cameras CamerAlert keeps track of your average speed to ensure you are aware of your average speed between each camera. To cut down on the number of “False Alerts” you are only warned for cameras that monitor your direction of travel.

CamerAlert works in two different modes: Map and List. In Map mode the main display is a map with the cameras positioned on it. This can be shown either as “North Up” or “Course Up”. The list mode simply shows a list of all the cameras in the area, highlighting the ones that you are approaching.

CamerAlert comes preinstalled with a Speed Camera Database. To insure you have the latest camera information we also offer a free Latest Database Guarantee which allows you to download the latest database after product registration. CamerAlert allows you to use your existing PocketGPSWorld.com membership to keep the camera data up to date. With weekly releases of the database it is important to download the latest speed camera information to remain safe.

If you see a camera that is not in the database then you can report it using CamerAlert. This feature can also be used to change information about a camera already in the database i.e. changing speed or direction information.

With the launch of a revolutionary CV-dedicated portable satnav device, Clarion has cut a major path to providing better, more accurate road guidance for commercial vehicles on Britain’s roads, and in Europe.

Whilst the demand for plug-and-go portable navigation by the car-driving public has triggered significant product development, the lack of a competent CV-specific equivalent for the truck market, has done little to ease the drivers’ burden.

But Clarion’s launch of the MAP690TRK CV portable navigation device – with its ability to designate routes according to the vehicle’s size, weight and other criteria – represents a considerable advance over present products on the market.

No stranger in the supply of in-cab audio, multimedia and navigation to CV manufacturers, fleet operators and independents, Clarion has designed and purpose-developed the product with functionality and ease-of-use at its core, including a unique, active cradle (AC709) with a 12-24 volt power input, stereo speaker output and built-in TMC antenna.

Route calculation takes into account bridge height, width and carrying capacity, tunnel height and width, road carrying capacity and water protection and/or hazardous material transportation limitations.

Trip assistance tools allow for the inclusion of loading and waiting times at pre-determined stops to be taken into account when calculating the ETA, whilst a travel time monitor tracks driving and rest times and alerts the driver when daily, continuous or break times are exceeded.

The MAP690TRK accommodates three different vehicle profiles, logging data on height, width, length, weight (actual and max.), weight per axle and trailer inclusion, whilst a mode of transport option allows use in the car as well as truck, making the new navigation device truly portable.

Two separate high-performance programmes – powered by a powerful 400MHz CPU – allow the MAP690TRK to display buildings both in the foreground and background. Buildings close to the driver appear see-through as you approach them, so as not to obstruct the view of the next junction, whilst buildings further away are textured and solid, making them lifelike and easily recognisable as reference points while driving.

The new PND also uses digital elevation model data to draw height and depth features, with hills and mountains rendered in 3D while you drive, to create the most realistic view, at any level of zoom. Elevation information is also applied to the road network for rendering of shadows, to display roads and bridges at their correct height for a greater clarity of route guidance.

The MAP690TRK is pre-installed with map data for 44 European countries whilst voice guidance is offered in 38 languages. To cater for UK and European driving, the MAP690TRK utilises both a 5-digit and 8-digit postcode search function, to direct you more accurately to your destination, and with the addition of built-in RDS-TMC traffic information and numerous driver alerts, commercial vehicle users are kept constantly updated with changing conditions.

To cope with the demands for an ‘always-connected’ communications network, Clarion’s latest portable navigation device also makes the most of Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free operation of Bluetooth enabled mobile phones and PDA’s, including on-screen phone book and touch-pad dialling.

Entertainment features on the MAP690TRK include audio streaming (A2DP) via Bluetooth and MP3/WMA playback through a built-in USB music player, a movie viewer, allowing users to download up to 8GB of MP4 video via MMC or SD card, and a digital photo album that allows the user to upload pictures via SD card or the built-in USB port.
The Clarion MAP690TRK is priced at RRP £399.00 inc. VAT, with the AC709 active cradle priced at £35.00. For more information on stocking, contact Clarion (GB) Ltd. on 01793 870400 or amsales@clarion.co.uk.