This is a little bit odd because Google already has Places, which is a fairly similar (and actually quite good) service to Yelp—but Yelp is the biggest crowdsourced directory out there, and intimate mingling with Maps could make it all the more powerful. This is unconfirmed as of now, but we'll keep you updated if we hear anything else. [TechCrunch]

This fine gentleman was captured by a roving Google Van with a couple of friends, a cold one, and a t-shirt that's just a wee bit too small. Carry on, brave citizen of Canada! You're an example to all of us. [Google Maps via Geekologie, Jalopnik]

View 519 H St NE in a larger map

Maybe he is about to take a dump, maybe his lady's husband arrived home early and he escaped out a window. Who knows—but the whole thing strikes me as kind of sad. Either way, the other pedestrians don't seem to notice what's going on. Not Google though—you can bet they are all over it. [Jalopnik Thanks Avi!]

You need to download and install Silverlight to get the new Maps experience, which isn't too big a deal. It allows you to have smoother animations when zooming in or out as well as a pretty slick looking streetview interface, with trees and buildings looking cut out from their background, if a bit crudely. This is done using Microsoft Photosynth, which analyzes digital photos and creates a 3D model of the area. It's pretty damned impressive.

The real question is this: how did Bing streetview cars cover all this ground without everyone noticing? [Fast Company; Bing Maps]

That job description actually fits kind of perfectly with what Placebase did well in its former life—customization and tons of ways to layer multiple kinds of data sets onto maps, with an API that makes it easy to layer on said data sets. Here's more of the listing:

The iPhone has revolutionized the mobile industry and has changed people's lives and we want to continue to do so. We want to take Maps to the next level, rethink how users use Maps and change the way people find things. We want to do this in a seamless, highly interactive and enjoyable way. We've only just started.

As an engineer on the Maps team, your responsibilities will range from implementing low-level client/server code to implementing high-level user interfaces. You'll be responsible for implementing new and innovative features, fixing problems and enhancing the performance of Maps. You will work closely with the other engineers on the Maps team, other iPhone and iPod touch teams as well our partners in other companies.

Of course, it's also just as possible—if not more so—that Apple's sticking with Google for map data, and simply looking to add new and unique powers to its Maps application, to differentiate it from Google Maps on other phones (which in Android's case includes, exclusively, the awesome Google Navigation). [Apple via MacRumors via The Reg]

Now, good on AT&T for fighting back with more ads and not more silly lawsuits and all, but the Verizon holiday ad lineup is pretty strong, and I don't see many Verizon customers losing sleep over Luke Wilson covering a giant coverage map with post cards.

As tipster Eric notes, AT&T selectively does not mention Edge, 3G or voice/data distinctions in this commercial, opting instead for vague blanket statements like "AT&T covers 97% of all Americans, that's over 300 million people."

To the AT&T customers I ask: Are you comforted by Luke Wilson?

Along with the custom maps, the update brings more languages and better performance. Anyone managed to get the update yet? [Google Lat Long Blog]

The search engine has collaborated with the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services to add a Google Maps' service that will locate the nearest seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccine programs. Just go to this site and enter your city or postal code. Google says that the project has just started, so there are still locations with no information:

At the moment we have data for locations of flu vaccine directly from 20 states and counting. We are also continuing to add information from chain pharmacies and other providers in all 50 states; today, you'll find results from chains such as Walgreens, CVS and PDX participants, such as Kmart, Duane Reade, WinnDixie and Giant Eagle.

After reading about the many problems with the vaccine in countries like Sweden—where they have top notch healthcare—I think I will pass on this round, thank you very much.

There are four separate 3'x4' panels that represent Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. When they're combined, you've got one gorgeous piece of wall art.

I wouldn't try and take it on a road trip though. [Dude Craft via Neatorama]

• What's getting it: It's Android OS 2.0 only for now. And will be available when devices like that ship. (Google demo'd the app to us on a Droid, FWIW.) Other platform support will be announced "by carriers and phone makers" when they're ready, but Google implied they are working closely with Apple now on it.
• How you tell it where to go: Addresses are input by either text or voice (using the same tech as in the iPhone's Google mobile app). But the app can take things like business names and restaurant types as well as soft queries like "that museum that has the King Tut exhibit" and return a list of suggested locations
• Traffic handling: The traffic data, as on Google Maps, is driven by multiple sources. Typically, this means data could be from local road authority services like the Bay Area's Caltrans department's highway cameras and services like Inrix, but also from cellphones using Google Maps.
• Price: It's free, and there are no ads. There's nothing like it in Apple's App Store that's less than $25 bucks a year.
• Turn-by-turn voice: There's only one English-speaking voice at the moment, but it does to text-to-speech, reading street names out loud.
• Does it work offline? Sort of. Maps cache along your intended route, so even if your connection dies along the way the route will still show you what you need to see, and text-to-speech voice synthesis of street names still works, too.
• Maps that never age: Like most cloud map services, you'll never need to update your map data, but you have to download route maps every time you head out (so you need cell service at the starting point).
• Unique views: It has satellite view, which is super cool for context on the street, but also, it has Street View. When you're supposed to turn, Street View images come up, overlaid with arrows. Same thing happens at your final destination. Since Street View images have metadata on direction faced and position, Google Maps Navigation intelligently draws the arrows where you're supposed to go. Sort of.
• Traffic UI: The traffic icon is simple—green, yellow and red according to flow of traffic, with your time of arrival next to the symbol. If you click on the traffic icon, the map zooms out to show congestion points along your route.
• Multi-destination routing? There's no way to setup multiple stops to help you plan a day's drive to many locations. But you can search for locations (gas, eateries) along your route, and those results will show up on the map as long as they're within a radius that moves long your path. You can also pre-determine your stops, and quickly queue up the next when you reach each destination.
• Navigate to point on map: You can tell it to navigate to a location by spotting it on a map and holding your finger down on that point.
• OS integration: You can bookmark locations as icons on your Android phone's home page.
• Layers? The data on the map, like traffic, satellite view and points of interest, are called layers. Google said it would be easy for them to add more layers, so its ostensibly possible to add things like Google Latitude support, and other neat tricks. Maybe they'll open up an API for it.
• Different UIs for different usage cases: There's a landscape and portrait mode, as well as a big-icon UI for dashboard usage.
• My fears on zero pricing, for the long term: If Google sells this in the App Store for zero dollars, those millions of bucks Apple makes off of GPS app sales will likely disappear. It's not for us to worry about until there's no more GPS competition except Google, and we're dependent on their pace of progress, but no competition is a bad thing. And it's a little strange that Google's search money is going to pay for a free map app that is competitive with stuff that costs $100 a year from full-time GPS makers like TomTom. Unfair is the word that comes to mind. But I can't say I don't want this app.

A visual tour of Google Maps Navigation:

With Google's increased focus on collecting map data (and less reliance on third-party map providers such as Tele Atlas) and Android 2.0's rumored turn-by-turn directions in the soon-to-be-released Droid, it's feasible that they are in fact making preparations to let out a new Google product.

Android and Me, who has dubbed this app as the Google Navigator (which seems like it would fit well enough with Google's naming pattern), predicts that we'll see it in 2010. Forbes doesn't care to throw out a date, but one thing's for sure anyway: A free app of this nature from Google could definitely shake up the mobile navigation game. [Android and Me; Forbes via Engadget]

Seth at ComputerWorld, who put this together, points to a post on GigaOm last year detailing the awesomeness of PlaceBase vs. Google Maps—mainly, customization and tons of ways to layer multiple kinds of data sets onto maps, with an API that makes it easy to layer on those data sets.

So maybe Apple wants these kind of intensive, custom geolocation mapping powers for the iPhone (and other stuff), or maybe Apple just wants to roll its own maps, so it's not depending on Google for the tiles. Which would actually go along with the same kind of independent streak we've seen in other areas from Apple, like designing custom chips for the iPhone (and maybe the Tablet) using its PA Semi acquisition, instead of using the same chips anybody can buy.

If Apple's got a new Maps app coming that's totally un-Googley, does that mean we can finally get a real Latitude app, since it won't confuse us anymore? Even if Google's tiles stick around in the iPhone Maps app for a while, Apple's definitely doing something with their new toy. [CW]

Nokia's Vice President of Devices Kai Oistamo wouldn't answer anything in terms of availability and when asked if the Booklet 3G netbook would be sold before the end of 2009 he again would not "disclose any dates on the product launch in North America."

Now we have to admit that both products look pretty darn good. The N900 could change our tune on Nokia's impending doom and the Booklet 3G has some unique netbook features including assisted GPS. But on the later I'm just not sure it will be worth the wait. And sure there is a lot of interest (Oistamo even says the video of it "crashed the YouTube servers"). Come on, it is Nokia's first laptop. But it will most likely be overpriced ($810 without subsides is ridiculous) with a few special features. You tell me, would you wait on the Booklet 3G?

Those who don't have money for two GPSes in the same car will need a map. Yes, a map. The kind you get from AAA for free (if you're a member). Jalopnik's got a set of instructions to teach (or refresh) your map reading skills so you can get back on the road like a pro. Like a boss. [Jalopnik]

I love maps, and this is my favorite city map after the axonometric view of midtown Manhattan. [Edushi]

The images were captured by ASTER, and then stitched together into a seamless map. ASTER—Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer—is the instrument taking maps of land surface temperature, reflectance and elevation flying onboard NASA's Terra satellite. Once the Global Digital Elevation Model was complete, it was divided into 23,000 GeoTIFF files, each covering 1 x 1 degree of the globe. You can download the map here. [JPL]

The NYC Metro Cuff is an " über urban matte metal cuff" capable of guiding you a la treasure map through NYC's intricate train system. No one will take you for a tourist as you compulsively check your "watch," studying the embossed map fervently while inching away from yet another passenger who dually loves garlic and despises deodorant. Order yours for $25 shipped. [design hype via Gearfuse]

Google has overhauled the navigation system entirely, so that you don't have to use the slow, unintuitive arrows to make your way down the street. Instead, your cursor is mapped on a rough 3D model of the scene, with a convincing sense of depth. Just click where you want to go, and Street View takes you there, making the transition with an unexpectedly convincing pseudo-3D effect

It also works for off-road sights, like storefronts or distant scenery. These items are mapped as well, so if you lead your cursor to, say, the front door of your house, Street View will automatically take you to the best possible viewpoint. The above video explains it all pretty well, but the upgrades are live, so you may as well just try it out. [Google via PC World]

Curtis describes the project like this:

This Google Earth project offers an extensive mapping of North Korea's economic, cultural, political, and military infrastructures. Through the topic menu, users of this program have easy access to geographical information on North Korea's agriculture projects, aviation facilities, communications, hospitals, hotels, energy infrastructure, financial services, leisure destinations, manufacturing facilities, markets, mines, religious locations, restaurants, schools, and transportation infrastructure. In addition to locations of economic interest, this map also displays anti-aircraft locations, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and Northern Line Limit Line (NLL), incarceration facilities, political monuments, political residencies, military bases, and nuclear facilities.

As you can see, it really includes everything you can think about, from nuclear power plants to military communication towers to ostrich farms to not-secret-anymore prison camps. And of course, all surrounded by all kind of crap and poverty, all courtesy of Kim Jong-il, one of the biggest asses in the history of evil dictators.

How did Curtis get all this info? Easy—and risky: Using his own trips and a network of curious amateur spies who have been visiting the country through these two years. Truly impressive work. [Get it here via Gadling—Thanks Genevieve]

In case you have not been paying attention to the news during the last few days, there's a pandemia going on. A spike of infections of the H1N1 Swine Flu—a mutation of a pork virus that jumped from pigs to humans—happened in the city of Mexico (103 dead already) and it is quickly spreading through the world now, thanks to airline connections.

Reading the map is very simple: We are all going to dieThe pink markers are suspect, the purple markers are confirmed, and deaths don't have a black dot in the marker. The yellow markers are negative, but I don't see any.

Have fun watching. While you can (added another map, which is getting updated faster.)

View 2009 H1N1 Flu Outbreak Map in a larger map

View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map

P.S. Stupid Apophis can't reach us in time! Hahahaha. Ha. But it looks like pigs are getting their revenge for all these centuries of crispy bacon and pork buns. [Google Maps]

Bonus post soundtrack:

Mr Dashwood spent months gathering all the letters of the alphabet, accumulating a collection that ranges from passable to perfect. These letters were spotted in Victoria, Australia, but the concept would work anywhere—if its citizens have the time and dedication to find it, then any country, state or city can have its own regional Google Maps font. [RhettDashwood via TodayandTomorrow]

UPDATE: Reader Matt sent us Geogreeting, a site which lets you create messages and e-cards using incidental Google Maps lettering.

It's cool because it uses open source maps that can be cached for offline use (unlike google maps), and uses the iPhone's accelerometer to augment and improve GPS accuracy. It also caches your max speed. My brother hit 46mph the other day, which is not so bad in slush. AND you can not only take geotagged photos from within the app, but you can mail yourself a Google Earth file with the tracks and the photos, or simply view them in Google Maps. It's a great app. The free version has all the functions of the paid $3 version, but you can't save more than one track. I have the paid one.

If you've got another GPS or phone platform, and can track your miles, I'll be collecting that data, too.
Just fwd your speed and mileage to the email snowmodo at gizmodo.com after we're done with the day. And no points for top speed. Be safe. Wear a helmet and all that. If you get hurt at our event it will ruin my day.
[Motion X GPS on iTunes: Paid, Free]

Snowmodo is our snow sport winter meet up at Lake Tahoe, California, with prizes, discounts, tons of fun snow activities, a party and GADGETS. If you can make it please RSVP and find out more info by clicking on the banner below. I'll let you wear my hat (below).

Actually, the Peek currently does do more than one thing—it sends SMS messages as well as email—but this is the first non-messaging application seen for the strange little device. Adding capabilities like this would be a boon to Peekers for sure, but would also blur its identity a little bit. The Peek is meant to be extremely simple, and adding a suite of mobile data apps would essentially make it a sort of bizarre smartphone-sans-the-phone, albeit one that significantly undercuts its competitors prices for the services it offers. UPDATE: Some commenters see a weather map here, which is even more bewildering. Perhaps a web browser? Or just a misinterpreted email picture attachment, as the Peek has supported for some time now? [Slashgear]

The 7300T (above) is the flagship 4.3-inch touchscreen GPS. Priced at $400, it features the standard text-to-speech, voice commands and Bluetooth connectivity we've come to expect in decent GPS units. But apparently it's also Navigon's first system to combine their Panorama View 3D and Landmark View 3D features into one system. In other words, you can view a complete 360-degree environment on your screen complete with landmarks.

That's the Navigon side. The Rand McNally side is that 250 special routes can be loaded onto the device, with themes like scenic getaways and regional trips.

As for the 4300T, it's pretty much the same thing without Panorama View functionality, free extras like Zagat ratings or the stylish bezel.

CHICAGO, MARCH 2, 2009 - NAVIGON, the leading innovator in the navigation market, today announced the next generation of NAVIGON's highly acclaimed 7000-series platform, the NAVIGON 7300T. The ultra-stylish personal navigation device (PND) showcases an array of innovative features, including a new level of 3D visualization showing surrounding landscapes and important landmarks, Free Real-Time Spoken Traffic Updates and next-generation Voice Control, helping the user to control the device hands-free by speaking a wide variety of commands.

For the first time, NAVIGON combines its highly praised Panorama View 3D and Landmark View 3D features in one device, the NAVIGON 7300T. This gives the user a real 3D experience showing surrounding landscapes as well as important landmarks. Panorama View 3D brings a true 3D experience to the NAVIGON 7300T's map using NASA terrain height data to provide geographic guidance complete with rolling hills and digital elevations. Landmark View 3D shows hundreds of richly-textured 3D landmarks across the U.S. and Canada such as the Empire State Building and the White House, as well as sports stadiums from coast to coast.

As an industry-first, the NAVIGON 7300T includes the new intelligent NAVIGON MyRoutes™ feature, taking individualized navigation to a new level and introducing a unique way of intelligent and personal route planning. The feature provides up to three route choices with distance and ETA calculated for all entered destinations, factoring in speed limits, construction and traffic as you're driving. All routes are clearly displayed on a map with ETA and driving time giving the driver a choice. The system continuously saves the driver's individual driving data in order to provide the best individual route possible and recommends a route based on the user's driving habits, the day of week and time of travel.

NAVIGON takes its pioneering tradition in real-time traffic a step further by making it even easier to recognize issues ahead and route around traffic. The new NAVIGON 7300T now speaks traffic updates in addition to presenting them on the display. It also displays an alternative route around traffic on a map including the up-to-date ETA and distance. NAVIGON offers spoken real-time traffic updates for free for the life of the device. No subscriptions or additional hardware needed. Covering 95 markets across the U.S. and Canada, the NAVIGON 7300T will audibly alert you of traffic troubles and provide alternate routes.

The NAVIGON 7300T also boasts an all-new Voice Address Entry and Control feature, that not only makes inputting addresses simple, but also allows the user to control the device hands-free by speaking a wide variety of commands. This means that the driver can use the menu, adjust the volume or answer phone calls simply using his or her voice. Additionally, NAVIGON has designed the new voice-based feature to operate using more casual, less specific, language. For instance, the device volume can be increased by saying a variety of commands in much more casual language, such as "increase volume to eight" or "please make it louder."

NAVIGON's 7300T device is the first GPS system on the market to feature Rand McNally Scenic Routes content. Based on Rand McNally's Best of the Road ® series, the NAVIGON 7300T includes over 250 routes such as Weekend Getaways, Scenic Tours and Regional Trips. These routes show the most beautiful vistas and breathtaking landscapes the U.S. and Canada have to offer. Scenic routes are a perfect option for a unique vacation to enjoy with the whole family or as an alternative to normal highway driving.

Building upon NAVIGON's tradition of developing products that channel the company's heritage of fine German engineering and design, the NAVIGON 7300T takes style to a new level with an extra-wide, flat-panel touchscreen enclosed in a sleek, frameless piano black housing. NAVIGON's design focus goes beyond the exterior of the 7300T. When compared with other GPS devices, NAVIGON's rich maps and menus provide for a more sophisticated, intuitive interface.

"NAVIGON continues its pioneering tradition of driving more useful and innovative features into every new product we introduce," said Michael Roach, NAVIGON's president for the Americas. "The 7300T is the pinnacle of NAVIGON's vision, combining our uncompromised design focus with a set of unmatched, relevant, next-generation features. The 7300T is truly a stand-out, delivering an experience that adds a greater level of peace of mind, productivity, and adventure than anything else on the market today."

In addition to a number of new features, the NAVIGON 7300T is equipped with features that have become hallmarks of NAVIGON's premium navigation experience. Reality View™ Pro and Lane Assistant Pro provide that extra direction when you need it most-so you'll never miss an exit or a turn again. Advanced text-to-speech technology helps you keep your eyes on the road by providing spoken driving directions and street names. Only NAVIGON can show where to wine, dine, and unwind with a built-in, exclusive ZAGAT guide that includes more than 27,000 listings across the U.S. and Canada spanning hotels, nightclubs, attractions and golf courses. With NAVIGON's exclusive Exit Guide feature, you can take the guesswork out of highway travel by searching upcoming exits for the restaurant, rest area, hotel or gas station of your choice. DirectHelpSM provides instant access to directions and phone numbers to nearby emergency service providers. A new Clickable POIs feature guides you to destinations shown on the map with one click. The latest generation of NAVIGON software makes entering and finding information fast and simple with fewer clicks.

The NAVIGON 7300T sells for $399.99 (MSRP) and will be available at retailers in Q2 2009. It is compatible with NAVIGON's optional FreshMaps accessory, which provides up to 8 map updates over two years for $79.99 (MSRP). If the user activates FreshMaps within 30 days after purchasing the device, the price is only $39.99.

For more information and images, please visit www.navigon.com.

The NAVIGON 7300T features include:

NAVIGON MyRoutes™
Free Real-Time Spoken Traffic Updates
Voice Address Entry and Control
Panorama View 3D and Landmark View 3D
Rand McNally Scenic Routes
Clickable POIs
Reality View™ Pro
Lane Assistant Pro
Fast Destination Entry
Bluetooth® Hands-Free
Advanced Text-to-speech
Zagat® Ratings and Reviews
Exit Guide
DirectHelpSM
Speed Assistant
Multi-Destination Trip Planning
Automatic Standby Feature
Favorites as POI
Coordinate Input
Automatic Day/Night Mode

CHICAGO, MARCH 2, 2009 - NAVIGON, the leading innovator in the navigation market, today announced two new widescreen GPS devices, the NAVIGON 4300T max and 3300 max. These are the first intelligent GPS devices on the market to deliver personalized route recommendations based on individual driving habits.

NAVIGON MyRoutes™
As an industry-first, the NAVIGON 4300T max and 3300 max both include the new intelligent NAVIGON MyRoutes™ feature that takes individualized navigation to a new level and allows a unique way of personal route planning. The feature provides up to three route choices with distance and ETA calculated for all entered destinations, factoring in speed limits, construction and traffic as you're driving. All routes are clearly displayed on a map with ETA and driving time giving the driver a choice. The system continuously saves the driver's individual driving data in order to provide the best individual route possible and recommends a route based on the user's driving habits, the day of week and time of travel.

"Our new NAVIGON MyRoutes feature proves once again that NAVIGON is truly leading innovation in the GPS category by offering the user an intelligent and individualized route recommendation," said Michael Roach, NAVIGON's president for the Americas. "While others continue to compete on price at the expense of the user experience, NAVIGON is dedicated to delivering superior features and superior value across our portfolio. Any device can get you from point A to point B, but the real challenge is delivering an experience that helps our customers overcome the challenges they face every day on the road. Both the NAVIGON 4300T max and the 3300 max meet those challenges."

The NAVIGON 4300T max and 3300 max represent the next generation of portable navigation and carry forward NAVIGON's uncompromised tradition of innovative and useful features that clearly showcase unparalleled value relative to anything else in the market. The NAVIGON 4300T max is packed with premium features that assist with any challenge you may face on the road – including traffic, construction, phone calls and poorly marked exits. Additionally, the value-oriented NAVIGON 3300 max delivers an exceptional array of stress-busting features that provide more guidance than comparable products.

The NAVIGON 4300T max
The NAVIGON 4300T max delivers a navigation experience unlike any other, offering a unique combination of style and exclusive, useful features. Boasting a wide 4.3″ touchscreen with a chrome-accented, piano-black housing, the NAVIGON 4300T max helps you overcome anything the road throws at you. Real-Time Spoken Traffic Updates automatically notify you of upcoming traffic congestion and re-route you with the touch of a button. Traffic alerts are not only delivered audibly, but are also free for the life of the product. And for the first time on a GPS device, the NAVIGON 4300T max includes valuable Rand McNally navigation content including Best of the Road®, Weekend Getaways, Scenic Tours and Regional Trips. An all-new Bluetooth® hands-free application lets you manage your phone calls while keeping your hands on the wheel.

The NAVIGON 4300T max also showcases many of the trademark premium features that have placed NAVIGON as the leading innovator in the market, such as Reality View ™, Text-to-Speech, Exit Guide and Lane Assistant Pro. With a combination of superior features and style, the NAVIGON 4300T max is the clear choice for those looking for a complete navigation experience.

The NAVIGON 3300 max
The NAVIGON 3300 max provides more for less. The device is fully loaded with more useful features and better guidance than any other device in its class offering a superior value that goes well beyond the basics.

Featuring a wide 4.3" touchscreen, the sleek and slim NAVIGON 3300 max packs a host of stress-busting features to get you where to want to go with fewer headaches along the way. Innovative features like Reality View™ for Exits and Lane Assistant Pro provide that extra direction when you need it most-so you never miss an exit or a turn again. Keep your eyes on the road with advanced text-to-speech technology that provides spoken driving directions and street names. With NAVIGON's exclusive Exit Guide feature, you can take the guesswork out of highway travel by searching upcoming exits for the restaurant, rest area, hotel or gas station of your choice. DirectHelpSM provides instant access to directions and phone numbers to nearby emergency service providers. A new Clickable POIs feature guides you to destinations shown on the map with one click. The latest generation of NAVIGON software, along with NAVIGON's SmartSpeller feature to help guide through the entry process, makes entering and finding information fast and simple with fewer clicks. Basic yet brilliant, the NAVIGON 3300 max delivers useful features at a greater value to help make your everyday travel less stressful.

The NAVIGON 4300T max and 3300 max devices sell for $279.99 and $199.99 (MSRP) respectively and will be available at retailers in Q2 2009. Pre-orders can be placed at the following retailers starting March 9: Amazon.com, CompUSA.com, Crutchfield.com, JR.com and TigerDirect.com.

NAVIGON offers a variety of additional content and upgrades for both devices. NAVIGON's optional FreshMaps accessory provides up to 8 map updates over two years for $79.99 (MSRP). If the user activates FreshMaps within 30 days after purchasing the device, the price is only $39.99. Zagat® Ratings and Reviews showing where to wine, dine, and unwind are available as an upgrade for $19.99 (MSRP). The NAVIGON 3300 max is also compatible with NAVIGON's new Real-Time Spoken Traffic Updates and Rand McNally Scenic Routes accessories, with respective prices of $99.99 and $19.99 (MSRP).

For more information and images, please visit www.navigon.com.

The NAVIGON 4300T max features include:

Free Real-Time Spoken Traffic Updates
Rand McNally Scenic Routes
Bluetooth® Hands-Free
Reality View™ Pro

Both the NAVIGON 4300T max and 3300 max devices feature:

NAVIGON MyRoutes™
Clickable POIs
Lane Assistant Pro
Reality View™ for Exits
Fast Destination Entry
Advanced Text-to-speech
Exit Guide
DirectHelpSM
Speed Assistant
Multi-Destination Trip Planning
Automatic Standby Feature
Favorites as POI
Coordinate Input
Automatic Day/Night Mode

[via CrunchGear]

And so the alternate universe looks like a trippy zebra. Who knew?

Update: Tipster Clint is manipulating time and space, without a doubt. Here's another tear in space-time, arguably better/creepier than the first! (seriously, rotate the camera—it's everywhere!).

[Google and Google - Thanks, Clint!]

Google's released Latitude, a Maps tool that allows for automatic tracking of friends in real time, using a laptop, Symbian 60, Blackberry, WinMo and soon, iPhone or Android.

Laptops and cellphones (when not using GPS) can locate to a fair level of accuracy using geotagged Wi-Fi and cellular tower points in a database that Google's collected on its own, perhaps while doing Streetview photography. Or you can set your location manually. Google told me that there's no set standard for how often the map updates your location. Rather, they have an algorithm that depends on how often the device has moved, historically, and how much battery your device has left. You can also sign out of the service entirely, and set per user preferences on whether or not certain friends can see your location at all, or if only on city-levels of accuracy.

Google says its been useful for family members to find out if they're stuck in traffic, or on their way home. I tested the service with some people I know, but its been hard to say if its useful for a guy who has loved ones in generally predictable places. I generally know where my friends are, more or less, or can find out by texting them. I'd probably use this service more often while skiing or picking up friends at the airport, but not day to day. I mean, sure, I can turn off my privacy, but wouldn't people used to seeing your location at all times be suspicious if you suddenly turned off permissions when you want privacy?

Then again, maybe it would be nice to know when my father is playing golf in HK (all the time) or when Lisa is eating at her favorite place in Tokyo for Ramen, or where my brother is on tour with his band. That would be interesting, I suppose. But most of the time, most of us are in front of our computers. Until we're not. And that's where the phone clients come in.

Most phones will be able to keep the map location updated in the background. Except the iPhone. What the iPhone users can do, as a work around, is to lock the phone with the Google app running. That'll keep the phone updating until batteries die.

The Blackberry, WinMo and Symbian phones and laptops/Desktops can use Latitude now by downloading the most recent version of Google Maps or hitting Http://google.com/latitude. The iPhone gets it with an updated version of the increasingly powerful Google app, soon, as does the Android powered G1.

It looks really incredible, and we're totally installing it right now. Can't wait to see what the historical imagery turns up! [Google Earth via Twitter/Harry McCracken]

The full list of cities is Belo Horizonte, Berlin, Bordeaux, Brasilia, Cairo, Capetown, Caracas, Chicago, Copenhagen, Dallas, Dortmund, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Ekaterinburg, Essen, Frankfurt, Genoa, Guadalajara, Hamburg, Helsinki, Johannesburg, Kazan, Köln, Lille, Lisbon, London, Lyon, Madrid, Marseille, Medellin, Mexico City, Melbourne, Monterrey, Montreal, Munich, Naples, Nizhniy Novgorod, Oslo, Paris, Perth, Portland, Porto, Porto Alegre, Prague, Pretoria, Recife, Rennes, Rio de Janeiro, Samara, San Francisco, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Tunis, Vienna, Warsaw.

[Google via TechCrunch]

We're not sure how old these photos are, but they're supposedly of updated "Boxters, Caymans and even a 911". Is nothing safe? Do I have to put on my pants when I leave my house? I, for one, will not stand for this. [Street Maps! via Garage 419 via Jalopnik]

The company is releasing a series of atlases for the Kindle, which will be purchased, delivered and consumed like any other ebook on the platform. The first maps, for Northern California, Southern California, and Washington, will be available for $1.99 each, and like the Rand atlases of your childhood, will probably be exhaustive.

There's nothing expressly wrong with the concept, and the price could well be worth the utility, but the fact remains that putting static map collections on an ebook reader only accentuates how outmoded they are, and how artificially limited the powerful Kindle is. Regardless, the Kindle's search function and the carefully indexed maps will provide a workable map solution for that small Kindle-equipped, Google Maps-forswearing slice of the population. [eCoustics]

The 8" Celestial Globe is fairly typical during the day, spinning like any other spherical map of the Earth while providing the illusion that you care about geography and global politics. But at night, the system's built-in light sensor illuminates the globe with a map of 88 constellations. The Celestial Globe is available for $55. [Shop via Craziest Gadgets]

The new Maps 3.0 Beta adds 3D topography and landmarks for 216 cities, high-res satellite photos, improved pedestrian directions and better turn-by-turn support. You can also plan a route online via Nokia's desktop Ovi service and then sync it immediately back to your phone. Anyone using S60 FP2 can download the new Maps beta today—Nokia's acquisition of Navteq is definitely showing its benefits here.

The new Messaging upgrade ties in all of your email and IM accounts, providing push services for some accounts and more syncing via Ovi if you have a 1GB Ovi Mail account. Messaging with Ovi sync will launch later this month.

So if you're using a Nokia S60 piece, go grab these updates. [Nokia Maps 3.0 Beta, Nokia Messaging]

NAVIGON, the leading innovator in the navigation market, today announced the launch of its new flagship product, the NAVIGON 8100T.

With a handsome, brushed-metal housing and an expansive 4.8” display, the NAVIGON 8100T is an über-premium GPS navigator offering an unmatched feature set for those looking for the best navigation experience available – a perfect hybrid of style, substance, performance and precision. It is the first GPS navigator on the market with NAVIGON’s revolutionary Panorama View 3D. This new feature brings a true 3D experience to the map using NASA terrain height data to provide geographic guidance complete with rolling hills and digital elevations. The unit’s extra-large 4.8” widescreen serves as the perfect frame for the panoramic 3D views.

The NAVIGON 8100T offers Free Real-Time Traffic Updates for Life – automatically alerting drivers about traffic issues ahead and rerouting with the touch of a button. Features like Voice Destination Entry, Reality View™ Pro and Bluetooth® Hands-Free make navigating roads easier and less stressful. Employing NAVIGON’s next-generation software, the 8100T is a top performer, requiring very few clicks to enter a destination.

“The NAVIGON 8100T raises the bar on innovation and design in the PND category,” said Michael Roach, NAVIGON’s president for the Americas. “Once again, NAVIGON is at the forefront of market innovation by introducing real 3D environment views to the market with Panorama View 3D.”

The NAVIGON 8100T sells for $599 (MSRP). It hits online retailers in November 2008 and is available with NAVIGON’s breakthrough optional FreshMaps, which provides up to 12 map updates over three years for $79.99 (MSRP).

The NAVIGON 8100T features include:

• Panorama View 3D. True 3D environment views come to the navigation experience. The road ahead is displayed with surrounding landscapes and digital elevations. This detailed geographic guidance helps drivers see what lies ahead. The impressive views are supported by a built-in graphics accelerator.

• Free Real-Time Traffic Updates for Life. Real-time traffic updates allow routing around congestion by including traffic flow, incidents and alternate routes and works for the lifetime of the product right out of the box without any registration processes, fees or additional hardware. Across 95 markets in the U.S. and Canada, the NAVIGON 8100T will alert drivers of traffic troubles and provide alternate routes.

• Voice Destination Entry. Advanced voice recognition allows drivers to specify their destination by simply speaking the address. NAVIGON’s distinctive iconic interface guides the users through the process.

• Uncompromising Design. The 8100T takes NAVIGON’s love for design to a new level. The silver brushed-metal housing serves as the ideal frame for an extra-large 4.8” widescreen display. The complementary premium car mount echoes the design of the 8100T, plus it has additional functionality too. The charger is built-in, users simply dock the device on the mount and it automatically stays charged.

• Reality View™ Pro. Never miss an exit again with the next generation of Reality View –providing more coverage in more places. Reality View Pro displays photo-realistic 3D views with actual road signs and lane guidance for virtually every highway interchange and exit that drivers will encounter.

• Lane Assistant Pro. Helps drivers prepare to make an upcoming exit or turn by providing clear visual lane guidance. NAVIGON’s second generation of Lane Assistant provides a lane map complete with arrows and actual road geometry.

• Fast Destination Entry. The latest generation of NAVIGON software makes entering and finding information fast and simple with fewer clicks. NAVIGON’s SmartSpeller feature helps guiding through the entry process.

• Bluetooth® Hands-Free. The integrated Bluetooth® feature helps keeping both hands on the wheel while still staying connected. The NAVIGON 8100T acts like a Bluetooth speakerphone to hold conversations without all the distractions. As an added feature, Microsoft® Outlook contacts can be imported to the NAVIGON 8100T with NAVIGON Sync.

• Advanced Text-to-speech. Spoken Directions with Street Names lets drivers keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road with advanced phonetic text-to-speech technology to ensure proper pronunciation of streets.

• Zagat® Ratings and Reviews. Only NAVIGON can show where to wine, dine, and unwind with a built-in exclusive ZAGAT guide that includes over 27,000 listings across the U.S. and Canada spanning hotels, nightclubs, attractions and golf courses. With millions of standard points-of-interest and branded icons onboard users always have a gas station, restaurant or golf course at their finger tips.

• Exit Guide. NAVIGON’s Highway Exit Guide enables users to search upcoming exits for one of six POI categories – food, gas, lodging, rest areas, auto service or shopping. And, with one click, the NAVIGON 8100T navigates there.

• DirectHelpSM. Help is a click away with this DirectHelp, providing instant driving directions to and contact information for nearby hospitals, police stations, roadside assistance, and pharmacies.

• Top-Notch Performance. NAVIGON’s new software gets to the right route in less time. NAVIGON’s new software platform delivers our most responsive interface to date and supports incredibly fast route calculation times.

Also with:
• Speed Assistant
• Multi-Destination Trip Planning
• Automatic Standby Feature
• Favorites as POI

This is exactly what blogger Mike Blumenthal did recently, and if it doesn't seem like that big a deal to you now, know this: In September Blumenthal interviewed a San Francisco florist who had the same thing done to him. Business tanked to the tune of 30%, as customers were redirected or misdirected when searching for floral arrangements or those "sorry I boinked my secretary bouquets" that are all the rage today. That super-connected device you're carrying in your hip holster? It really is a weapon now, so be wary.

So Blumenthal, whose blog is dedicated to talking about Google Maps and Yahoo Local Search, "hijacked" Microsoft's listing to prove a point. Most businesses, big or small, have not yet warmed to local search, nor do they understand the power of that tool (see: the 30% anecdote, above).

Who else was guilty of negligence on the Google Maps front? Try Apple, Morgan Stanley, Coca-Cola, GM, Lehman Bros. and Wachovia (although those last two probably aren't worried about a 30% drop in local business). The ultimate irony is Google has not claimed its local listing either, although Blumenthal doubts this local search loophole will exist too much longer after his investigation.

The lesson in all this is be careful. Next time you pull out the ol' iPhone and do a search on local mega-powerful software companies (e.g. for a job interview), you might end up at the Bunny Ranch. [Blumenthals]

Part of the US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency NextView program, the SUV-sized GeoEye-1 launched yesterday in a Delta II 7326 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California—without exploding. Hours later, GeoEye's ground station in Norway confirmed that the rocket had delivered its payload right on target. The satellite was alive, fully armed and operational on its 423-mile orbit above the Earth.

Built by General Dynamics, the GeoEye-1 is equipped with a next-generation camera made by ITT. This camera can easily distinguish objects 16 inches long, with 11-bits per pixel color. In other words: this thing can see the color of your shorts. It will be up there, looking at your pants every single day, the time it takes for it to complete one orbit. And it will keep doing that for more than ten years, its expected life.

Of course, there's nothing new here until you notice the huge Google logo on the rocket, signaling the fact that Sergei and Larry own the exclusive rights to the GeoEye-1 images. Yes, no other company will be able to access this information, only Google. And they will be there, available for the public in Google Maps and Google Earth.

But don't fret, tin-foil hatters, because Google won't be able to access the highest resolution images because of US government regulations. Sure, the other guys will, but then again, their big bad satellites can see closer than this one. Still, you can rest safe that your underpants will be safe from public scrutiny. For now. Unless you do like me and keep flashing them around. [GeoEye, Wikipedia, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency via Cnet]