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Filed under: Features, GPS, Interviews

GPS is becoming ever more prevalent in our lives — the cost of a handheld unit has plummeted in recent years, more and more cellphones are coming with GPS built-in, and millions and millions of new cars ship with integrated nav units. So it seemed like a good time to sit down with Jocelyn Vigreux, the president of TomTom USA. He chatted with us about the company’s recently-introduced MapShare feature, the new TomTom GO 720, and whether or not standalone GPS devices have a future.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me this afternoon. Tell me about MapShare.

Well, MapShare is a technology that TomTom is introducing that allows TomTom users to dynamically change map attributes directly on their device. There are five or six things that you can do right now. One is to offer block-by-block traffic directions for a given street; it’s also possible to reverse traffic direction for a given street., change the name of a street, edit POI’s by changing their position, changing their names, or changing a phone number.

This is something that’s looking at navigation from just a step ahead. It’s kind of Navigation 2.0. It is really empowering to users to create better maps. The second part of this, which brings all the power to this feature, is being able to not only share this with the community of TomTom users out there — so I will be sharing my changes, I will be sharing what I have done on my device — but I’ll also be able to take advantage of what the rest of the community all around the world has done.

Continue reading The Engadget Interview: Jocelyn Vigreux, President of TomTom USA

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Peter Rojas

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Sick of the iPhone but like the whole touch-screen thing? Great, then you’ll be happy to hear that the Neonode N2 is prepped for sale. Starting this summer, the phone that led the way for the iPhone (their words) will be up for grabs. No 3G or WiFi (or even EDGE) of course, and the launch will be limited to “south-eastern Europe,” but hey, it’s a start. Maybe we’ll get a bit more info after the launch party in Athens (Greece, not Ohio).

[Thanks, Guillermo V.]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

There is no doubt that both Hi-Def disc formats are a work in progress, and the latest update (for second-generation HD DVD players only) from Toshiba keeps HD DVD’s interactive content at least one step ahead of Blu-ray. This latest update will help HD DVD fans enjoy web-enabled content included on a few titles like Warner’s Blood Diamond, which hits the streets tomorrow; the update also resolves a few other issues such as the dreaded chroma bug. Like previous updates, you can download it directly to the player, (if it’s connected to the Internet) or request a free update disc from Toshiba.

Read — Blood Diamond’s web-content
Read — HD DVD chroma bug
Read — Firmware download

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Ben Drawbaugh

Filed under: GPS

The Holux GR-239 is a Bluetooth GPS device with a very simple, cigarette lighter centric design: simply plug it in to your car’s lighter socket, and it gives your Bluetooth-enabled device access to GPS data. It’s also capable of feeding out its signal over USB — if you don’t mind wires all over the inside of your car — and is based around the prolific SiRF Star III chipset which supports external antennae. It’s selling for £60 in the UK right now, but there’s no word on availability elsewhere just yet.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Conrad Quilty-Harper

Filed under: Laptops

As you may have noticed, Intel and Nicholas Negroponte’s OLPC Foundation haven’t exactly been getting along, with the two not only competing against each other, but even going so far as to take their spat to the national TV level. Now, however, it looks like the two might possibly be ready to put their differences behind them, at least according to a report by BusinessWeek. While details are unsurprisingly light, the magazine says that the two “may be ready to bury the hatchet,” and that Intel and OLPC execs are now “in talks regarding how they can work together.” Still pretty low on the likelihood meter to be sure, although, as we’ve seen lately, anything can happen.

[Via The Inquirer]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Donald Melanson

Filed under: Laptops

Hot on the heels of last week’s smattering of new systems, Toshiba has straight-busted out of the gates again with a completely new entry to their lineup — the Satellite U305. Aimed at students and small businesses, the lightweight (4.6 lb), 13.3″ laptops come in a range of configurations, but all feature Intel 965 chipsets, SuperMulti CD/DVD-R drives, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the models:

• Satellite U305-S5097 - Intel Pentium 1.86GHz dual-core T2130 processor, 1GB RAM (maxium 4GB), 160GB hard drive, 802.11b/g, Intel GMA 950
• Satellite U305-S5107 - Intel Core 2 Duo 1.73GHz T5300 processor, 2GB RAM (maximum 4GB), 160 GB hard drive, 802.11a/g/n, Intel GMA 950, Bluetooth 2.0, fingerprint reader
• Satellite U305-S5127 - Intel Core 2 Duo 1.80GHz T7100 processor, 2GB RAM (maximum 4GB), 200GB hard drive, 802.11a/g/n, Intel GMA X3100, Bluetooth 2.0, fingerprint reader

In addition to the new Satellite line, the company has added three new variations to its Qosmio F45 collection, called the Qosimo AV. The entertainment-targeted laptops all include Harmon-Kardon speakers, built-in subwoofers, Dolby Home Theater technology, and boast Core 2 Duo 1.66GHz T5250 processors, 15.4″ WXGA displays, and 802.11a/g/n. Toshiba also announced the addition of Intel Centrino Duo processors and HD-DVD drives to the current P205 gang.

Read — Satellite U305 press release
Read — Qosmio F45 AV press release
Read — Satellite P205 press release

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: Gaming

We’d like to officially congratulate the Sony marketing team for graduating from offensive to merely “sending the wrong message.” Sony Italy is handing out fake books complete with fake hands to disguise PSP play from those pesky authority figures. There’s even a helpful outline of the book you’re not reading to get you out of any jams. LeVar Burton will be so disappointed.

[Via The Raw Feed]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Paul Miller

Filed under: Peripherals

Granted, we’ve never had too much luck with those knockoff ink cartridges ourselves, but that doesn’t mean that printer (and therefore, ink) manufacturers aren’t looking to halt sales of the profit stripping units in any way possible. Aiding them in their quest is Cryptography Research Inc., which is currently developing “chip technology aimed at helping printer manufacturers protect this primary source of profit.” Essentially, the CryptoFirewall chips would make it harder for printers to utilize counterfeit or “off-brand” substitutes, which leaves consumers stuck sans a choice and left to pony up whatever they must in order to get that essay turned in the next morning. The company claims that its technology will be ready to cripple new printers sometime next year, but hey, the hackers in the crowd are just salivating for yet another challenge.

[Via Slashdot]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

written by Darren Murph