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Related Sections: GPS

TomTom's 720 GPS lets you be the mapmaker

tomtom_mapshare.jpg

Today, TomTom announced the new GO 720 GPS. It features a map-improvement technology that lets you change and improve the GPS maps. Crazy! Let's say there is construction slated to start next Monday on your normal route to work. You can change the map to include that information and then you send it to TomTom's site. When TomTom gets those changes, they check 'em (no joke) and then incorporate those changes into their database.

After that, everyone using the same Map Share software gets those changes when they log on. This improvement technology enables the community of Map Share users stay totally up to date. Now, new street names, reversed one-way traffic and even restaurants (POI) opening or closing will be current. Besides all this, the GO 720 is a full-featured find-your-way-home GPS.

 
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(1) Comments

Ledral24:
I really hope that the creators or TomTom don't actually expect to trust everyone that has an internet connection o...More »


Comments

By Ledral24 at 9:48 PM ON 06/10/07

I really hope that the creators or TomTom don't actually expect to trust everyone that has an internet connection or a TomTom to make changes to the mapping system. That is just asking for trouble. It may be dumb, it may be harmful, and it really makes no sense as to why someone would do it, but if left unchecked I'm certain someone will input construction, changes to the directions of one ways, etc., that do not exist. There are people who may think making false changes to the TomTom maps will thin traffic on their favorite root to work, or they may think it is funny and do it jsut for entertainment, but there is no doubt in my mind someone will abuse the map update system if given the chance.

I really hope they have some sort of system to check and make sure that all changes are legitimate before updating everyone's TomTom maps, otherwise the TomTom may go the way of the dodo when their customer base gets fed up with getting the run around, literally.


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