TomTom's Smarter GO Sat-Nav Device March 07, 2008

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TomTom has introduced new technology in its forthcoming sat-nav device that promises to pick best route for your journey based on real-life data.

The new TomTom GO 930T, which replaces the 920T, uses something called IQ Routes which uses real average speeds that have been measured on roads instead of the maximum quoted road speed to choose the best route. According to TomTom, in half the cases tested the new GO 930T picks a faster route for the driver.

This routing technology is based on anonymous historical speed profiles gathered from millions of TomTom users over the years and coves more than 10 billion kilometres of driven roads. The other new feature is Advanced Lane Guidance, which displays difficult junctions and marks the lane you need to be in for turns.

Harold Goddijn, TomTom’s chief executive officer, commented:

“Everyone knows that traffic on a Sunday is different to traffic on a Monday, and this is exactly what has been taken into account on the new TomTom GO. IQ Routes delivers what we call ‘intelligent routing’ – an even smarter and efficient way of planning your daily route.”

The key features of the 930T are:

4.3” widescreen 16:9 format LCD (WQVGA: 480x272 pixels)
CPU 400 MHz
4 GB internal flash memory
SD card socket
High sensitivity GPS receiver
Bluetooth™
Battery lithium-polymer (up to 5 hours operation)
Dimensions: 118 mm x 83 mm x 24 mm
Weight: 220 grams

The device will ship at the end of April. No price yet.-Martin Lynch

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