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It's Not a Good Day to Be a GPS Manufacturer
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Lizard_King
10/28/09

In reply to It's Not a Good Day to Be a GPS Manufacturer
Garmin's products have not advanced much in the last few years. I currently own a 60CSx, a Nuvi (260, I think) and a Edge 705 for my bicycle. The Edge is most similar to the CSx, but has some inherent flaws that make the CSx superior - mainly management of data through MapSource. Natively, only one route can be uploaded to the Edge, you gotta cut and paste to the Edge as a drive to get more. The Nuvi does not allow route uploads, just waypoints, it only allows route creation through those waypoints, which is a bear if you want a specific scenic route. Garmin's Mac software sucks ass - Roadtrip does not allow you to send maps to your device manually, it includes maps automatically for routes you are transferring. All of this is a long explanation of the following: Garmin consumer products have not advanced enough in the last few years, their tech has not gotten any better than the 60CSx, and only when used on Windows.

I am in the market for a Zumo, not only for GPS, but to transmit music via bluetooth, but the pricing is WAY out of line with Nuvi s of similar capabilities (as in 2-3x as expensive for a water resistant version with big buttons).

As far as I'm concerned, I look forward to Google taking the reigns - Garmin is slacking. #googlemaps
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Ryanrule
10/28/09

In reply to It's Not a Good Day to Be a GPS Manufacturer
If i had money, I would have shorted these stocks yesterday. #googlemaps
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tande04 promoted this comment Ryanrule was starred Ryanrule was unstarred

tande04
10/28/09

@Ryanrule: If you had money and had shorted the stocks yesterday the FTC would be all over your ass.

Or did I miss the rumor about this? #googlemaps
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exoren22
10/28/09

@tande04: You missed the rumor on this. #googlemaps
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tande04
10/28/09

@exoren22: Damn. #googlemaps
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Calzo
10/28/09

@tande04: I like how after you typed the fear of your mistake had set in. #googlemaps
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tande04 promoted this comment Calzo was starred Calzo was unstarred

tande04
10/28/09

@Calzo: Eh not really. I'm not one to short. Too much hassle for me at this point in my life. Thats a day trader thing. I already had money in Google and VZW (who looks like they might have gotten a bit of a bump out of this) so I can't complain too much. #googlemaps
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snitch
10/28/09

In reply to It's Not a Good Day to Be a GPS Manufacturer
Honestly most GPS Manufacturer have nothing to worry about, Keep in mind Google's Free GPS is not Totally free cause people will need data connection that runs them $30 a month, There's a bunch of phones that already come with Free GPS so i really don't see a reason for everyone on Wall street to start going crazy. #googlemaps
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fuchikoma promoted this comment snitch was starred snitch was unstarred

gover57
10/28/09

@snitch: and a lot of those phones don't use real gps either, they use a cell tower triangulation to find your position.

I personally wont be trading in my handheld gps device for a smartphone - if you hav eno cell service, the psuedo-gps wont work, and if they use real gps, i bet you they aren't waterproof or drop proof. i can toss my garmin handheld in a lake or river, pull it out and it's perfectly fine. Or drop it from a tree stand or down a cliff - fine (depending on the fall and impact). do this with any smart phone - its either dead from the water or smashed to bits... #googlemaps
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Kaiser-Machead promoted this comment gover57 was starred gover57 was unstarred

Kaiser-Machead
10/28/09

@gover57: I guess that really depends on what you do with your GPS. If you're a motorist and use your nav system while driving almost exclusively, things like being waterproof and drop proof are not as great a concern anymore. I just wonder how many people use their GPS mainly if not exclusively for their cars, rather than for navigating on foot or out on open water.

@gover57: But then you're dividing the cost of the data plan between the GPS and everything else you normally do with the phone. Since the phone will be using the data mostly for its telephony functions, the GPS is a more of a bonus. #googlemaps
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OCEntertainment
10/28/09

@gover57: A lot of what phones use cell triangulation? Android 2.0 phones? You know, all zero of those phones that are out now? Look, man. Your other points are good pros for dedicated GPS units. Don't go watering it down by making completely unrelated and pointless arguments. #googlemaps
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tande04
10/28/09

@gover57: GPS in almost all phones anymore is dedicated GPS not just AGPS. You still may need the data connection to download the map but if these download before (like google maps did) it won't be an issue until you get real lost. #googlemaps
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fuchikoma
10/28/09

@snitch: The severity of the drop is pretty shocking... did they tank this hard when the iPhone was released too? #googlemaps
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Jeb_Hoge
10/28/09

In reply to It's Not a Good Day to Be a GPS Manufacturer
I don't think this will be some grand killer of GPS companies. You'd have to get lots of people who use standalone units to convert over to smartphones and commit to data plans, and I don't think that's an easy sell when a typical GPS unit costs what, $150? $150 one time versus the same amount or more for the phone itself and then $100+/- each month is not a compelling financial argument. #googlemaps
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richstovy001
10/28/09

@Jeb_Hoge: No, but people are switching smart phones in droves. It's not as if people will switch to one JUST for navigation, but many who are switching anyway will ditch their PND or not buy one when they may have under other circumstances.

This does, however, sweeten the deal to get a smart phone for people who are on the edge.
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Jeb_Hoge promoted this comment richstovy001 was starred richstovy001 was unstarred

Jeb_Hoge
10/28/09

@richstovy001: I'd be really interested to see from all four major carriers how many of their individual subscribers have unlimited data plans. I bet the percentage is a lot smaller than most of us (Gizmodo readers, and typically tech-savvy earlier adopters) think. #googlemaps
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ArmTheHarmless
10/28/09

In reply to It's Not a Good Day to Be a GPS Manufacturer
Anyone know a good company that makes plastic suction cups to mount smart phones in your car? If so just @reply me with the ticker symbol.
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tande04 promoted this comment Edited by ArmTheHarmless at 10/28/09 1:36 PM ArmTheHarmless was starred ArmTheHarmless was unstarred

tucker
10/28/09

In reply to It's Not a Good Day to Be a GPS Manufacturer
Pun Alert! Who will be first to say their stock "took a wrong turn" or "stock could use it's own GPS"?
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Edited by tucker at 10/28/09 1:19 PM tucker was starred tucker was unstarred

TheSonOfKrypton
10/28/09

In reply to It's Not a Good Day to Be a GPS Manufacturer
lol....Considering Navigon exited the hardware business and instead fully focused on software, they must be having the biggest "OH SHIT!" moment right now. #googlemaps
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Tugsie
10/28/09

In reply to It's Not a Good Day to Be a GPS Manufacturer
When do we see the FCC ass-kickings at Apple for refusing to release this app? #googlemaps
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TheSonOfKrypton promoted this comment Tugsie was starred Tugsie was unstarred

TheSonOfKrypton
10/28/09

@Tugsie: How's the weather under that bridge? #googlemaps
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Thats Dr Bear to You
10/28/09

@Tugsie: "but Google implied they are working closely with Apple now on it. " - Post about Google Navigator

Come on dude try a little harder... #googlemaps
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TheSonOfKrypton
10/28/09

@Thats Dr Bear to You: He's a troll. That's the whole purpose of his life: misinformation. #googlemaps
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Tugsie
10/28/09

@Thats Dr Bear to You: It is completely plausible this could be a denied app. Apple has "continued to evaluate" the Google Voice app - probably due to the obvious conflict of interest - and at&t sells at&t Navigator as their premiere navigation solution on the device. The same conflicts exist, albeit on a different scale.

Couple that with Apple buying its own map company now and Eric Schmidt leaving the Apple board of directors - "working closely" may not play out. I have my hopes but the picture just isn't as rosy as it used to be. #googlemaps
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ploopsy
10/28/09

@TheSonOfKrypton: The weather is actually pleasant since the bridge is actually his moms basement lol. #googlemaps
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TheSonOfKrypton promoted this comment ploopsy was starred ploopsy was unstarred

Piker247
10/28/09

@Tugsie: Or, you can just use the Trapster app. It's free, uses google maps to navigate in real time, allows you to create routes, and tells you where the po po are. #googlemaps
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TheSonOfKrypton promoted this comment Edited by Piker247 at 10/28/09 2:35 PM Piker247 was starred Piker247 was unstarred

met2art
10/28/09

In reply to It's Not a Good Day to Be a GPS Manufacturer
"When possible, turn around. Recalculating..." #googlemaps
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Gordonium
10/28/09

@met2art: "No alternative routes available. Prepare for impact." #googlemaps
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OCEntertainment
10/28/09

@Gordonium: At least they've got OnStar in case of a crash. #googlemaps
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Fractal the Meek
10/28/09

@Gordonium: . #googlemaps
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anexanhume
10/28/09

@Fractal the Meek: It appears you've gone into the water. Paddle to the nearest docking station. Do not acknowledge the boy playing banjo. #googlemaps
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chauncy that billups
10/16/09

In reply to CHART OF THE DAY: Google's Massive Cash Flow In Context II
This is why google can afford to throw millions of dollars at small software ventures and then just shelve the ideas. #googlestock
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MooglesInMyFace
10/16/09

In reply to CHART OF THE DAY: Google's Massive Cash Flow In Context II
I just wanna know how much money Google is losing on YouTube.

That site has to just be a bottomless burn pit for dollars. #googlestock
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OCEntertainment promoted this comment MooglesInMyFace was starred MooglesInMyFace was unstarred

OCEntertainment
10/16/09

@MooglesInMyFace: A lot of Google's services just burn through money. You think Gmail is hosted for free? Or Android's developed by volunteers alone? And let's not forget Docs, Calendar, Reader, Wave, Voice, and of course their massive search servers that store every page their bot has indexed in memory.

The one money-maker they do have, though, is advertising. And apparently, it's a whopper. Which makes sense. Google gets tons of money each year from advertisers who enjoy their targeted, intelligent ads. Meanwhile, Google runs other services that boost their name and brand for pennies on the dollar of what they're ads bring in.

Good business isn't about minimizing losses, but maximizing gains. So long as they can keep up their superior ad targeting systems, they can burn through as much money as they have. And frequently do. #googlestock
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sortius
10/16/09

@OCEntertainment: It's actually quite a powerful business strategy. By making your biggest products cash losers and your biggest money makers merely integrated into the product, if a product dies, it's a slight loss in profit backed up by a massive reduction in loss. Essentially if someone like Microsoft actually does kill a free service of Google's they'll almost be doing them a favour.

If MS really did want to get a leg up rather than trying to drive Google into the ground, they'd be attempting to bridge the gap with Google and offering paid for time in their apps/sites - maybe even focus on great products rather than trying to take down your competitors. Then again, that'd be crazy. #googlestock
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Firebrand
10/16/09

@sortius: Huh?? I don't really understand your logic...
"By making your biggest products cash losers and your biggest money makers merely integrated into the product"
So they DO make money from their "cash losers" then??

"Essentially if someone like Microsoft actually does kill a free service of Google's they'll almost be doing them a favour."
Then how about their "biggest money makers merely integrated into the product" thing? It got killed too right?

The thing is, if some of Google's popular features die, most likely they're suffering bad rep like Yahoo and it'll severely affect they stock. #googlestock
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chauncy that billups promoted this comment Firebrand was starred Firebrand was unstarred

MooglesInMyFace
10/16/09

@OCEntertainment:

yeah, but if the website(youtube) itself isn't bringing in any money at all, and they just take a loss on it, how is that good business? Even if other parts of google can pick up the slack for youtube it doesn't change the fact that youtube is a money pit.

just my opinion. I don't know how any of this stuff works haha. #googlestock
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OCEntertainment
10/16/09

@MooglesInMyFace: If you fail to see the logic, then the only thing you're missing is the scale.

Let's say for my day job, I get paid $500/hour. Hey, I can dream can't I? Well, that amounts to $20k a week, or little over a million a year. On that kind of money, I can afford to pay for a nice house, all utilities, college tuition for the kids I probably have and still have some left over to sink into my dream DeLorean (If I'm gonna dream, I'm gonna make it rock). Sinking a few hundred to a thousand a week into that thing is hardly hurting my salary. It's a money pit, but it's one I can afford.

As another real world example, for the longest time, Sony was selling the Playstation 3 at a loss per unit. As in, every time you bought a PlayStation 3, Sony lost money, since it cost more to make them they were charging for it. Yet, they made enough profit on games and peripherals to more than make up for it. Nintendo has banked on this strategy for years, selling cheaper than average systems, and yanking money out of your nose through cheap plastic peripherals.

A single product can take a loss, even consistently, if the revenue streams of the company as a whole make up for it. Even if YouTube is losing money, until it threatens Google's huge ad revenue, it's existence is an asset....like as a place to put ads. ;-) #googlestock
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TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H.
10/17/09

@OCEntertainment: Actually Nintendo as Never banked on that strategy... ever. Every Nintendo console ever sold has been sold at a profit, because unlike Sony or Microsoft who can fall back on their revenues from other divisions, Nintendo only makes games.

Thus, even at launch every Wii unit sold made Nintendo money. And then Nintendo made even more money from all the games and addons.
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Edited by TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H. at 10/17/09 5:37 AM

OCEntertainment
10/17/09

@TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H.: You'll forgive me. I didn't intend to imply that Nintendo sells console units at a loss. But, as you say, they're a game company. Their larger revenue streams come from games and peripherals. My guess is that the profit margins for many games and certainly a lot of plastic peripherals is a higher percentage than the console itself. This allows Nintendo to invest money in research into things that lead to things like the Wii's motion controls. And whatever other projects that failed before the Wiimote came into being.

The point is to not view any one product as an isolated revenue stream that must sustain itself. #googlestock
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brdystyls000001002
10/16/09

In reply to CHART OF THE DAY: Google's Massive Cash Flow In Context II
I think TW put that on themselves with the whole cap issues.
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Don Nguyen promoted this comment brdystyls000001002 was starred

Michai
10/16/09

In reply to CHART OF THE DAY: Google's Massive Cash Flow In Context II
Cash flow is one thing, but throw in overhead, labor, and materials and I be willing to bet Google and Microsoft are closer, in terms of profitability. #googlestock
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Don Nguyen promoted this comment Michai was starred Michai was unstarred

EminiSP
10/16/09

@Michai: I dont agree. If MSFT didnt pay dividends they would be closer to 30-40 billions in reserve. You cant compare a performance to a investment stock. Compare google to apple. They dont issue dividends. #googlestock
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smackswell
09/22/09

In reply to Puma Index Application Strips Girls as Stocks Go Down
:( the Aussie index is doing disappointingly well right now....
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met2art
09/22/09

In reply to Puma Index Application Strips Girls as Stocks Go Down
There once was a guy named Madoff
Whose investors never got paid off
But he got a sweet app
With girls who unwrap
For each American who gets laid off
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shorty63136
09/22/09

@met2art has an invisible star: Ah, I do love a good limerick.
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