Garmin Mobile is getting Google Local search!

[vaxick]

Just came across a press release from Garmin announcing that Google Local search will be included in the latest edition of Garmin Mobile that will be released next month! Should make for a killer feature as this will basically keep the POI database on Garmin always as up to date as possible.

I have no idea what the subscription based solution statement is about though.

Edit: Looking on their site it appears the subscription based junk is for Blackberry users.



LAS VEGAS/March 31, 2008/PR Newswire —Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today upgrades to Garmin Mobile that include a new user-friendly interface and Google Local™ search. These upgrades will be available on a variety of handsets and platforms including BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile smartphones. These new features are in addition to a long list of rich features and real-time content included with Garmin Mobile’s current subscription based service that includes turn-by-turn, voice prompted directions, as well as traffic, weather conditions and forecasts, fuel prices and more. Garmin will display the Garmin Mobile enhancements at its CTIA Wireless trade show booth (#6639) in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 1-3, 2008.

When the new Garmin Mobile application is launched, customers will first notice the new nüvi-like interface, with “Where To?” and “View Map” icons on the smartphone display. Once “Where To?” is selected, colorful icons such as “Address,” “Recent Finds,” “Food and Hotel” and “Google Local” streamline the number of keystrokes required before selecting a destination and receiving
turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions. If a turn is missed en route, Garmin Mobile automatically recalculates the route based on the user’s current location. Garmin Mobile has an extensive points of interest database – places like hotels, restaurants, ATMs, gas stations, airports, and more – thanks to the over six-million integrated points of interest and Google Local search. Garmin Mobile is also integrated with the phone’s address book so that users can navigate directly to a contact’s address stored on their smartphone.

The Google Local search capability lets users harness points of interest information via the World Wide Web. It allows users to look for locations by typing in key word searches as they would if they were on their desktop computer. If looking for a coffee shop with free Wi Fi access, simply type the phrase in the search box and a list of venues will appear based on proximity to the user’s current location. In addition, Garmin has created a “quick search” feature that lets users search Google Local via categories – such as food, lodging, fuel, and more – rather than typing a word or phrase into the Google Local search box. Detailed information can be displayed including descriptions, business address & phone numbers, and a user-contributed rating, where applicable. Once the user selects a location, they can save the destination to their favorites folder, call the destination, or navigate to it with Garmin’s intuitive turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions.

In addition to navigation, Garmin Mobile includes free access to constantly-updating information like real-time traffic, fuel prices, weather forecasts, and more.

Since Garmin Mobile is a subscription based solution, mapping data is stored on Garmin’s servers, not on the device itself. Therefore, customers have the advantage of the most up-to-date mapping information available directly from Garmin’s servers. In order to access Garmin’s network, the smartphone must have a data plan for network access.

The newest version of Garmin Mobile is rolling-out on BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile OS smartphones in July 2008. For more information about Garmin Mobile, visit www.garmin.com/mobilephones.