iPhone GPS Apps From TomTom & Navigon Receive Updates

TomTom and Navigon announced updates to their turn-by-turn GPS navigation apps for the iPhone this week. TomTom's update for its $100 iPhone app includes a number of highly requested features, including text-to-speech directions and the company's popular Advanced Lane Guidance feature. Text-to-speech enables the iPhone to read the names of places and streets out loud. Advanced Lane Guidance provides a graphical view of complex intersections to help you navigate.

TomTom's latest version also has map and safety camera updates, a new Help menu, in-app control for iPod playback, and customizable audio warnings to let you know if you're speeding or approaching a safety camera. The free update from TomTom has been submitted to Apple for approval.



Navigon also announced updates to its $90 MobileNavigator North America iPhone app. The latest version features an extended-destination search that helps you find a destination even if you don't know the full address. You'll also be able to move your destination pinpoint at any time.

Perhaps the best addition to the MobileNavigator North America iPhone app is the availability of Navigon's Traffic Live feature. This add-on feature uses real-time traffic information to provide the fastest route, update travel times, and warn of incidents that might deter your trip. The traffic data is gathered from other Navigon iPhone users, commercial fleets, ClearChannel’s Total Traffic Network, and other GPS systems.

The Traffic Live add-on will be available for $20 for the first four weeks after its release and will increase to $25 thereafter. There are no ongoing service fees for Traffic Live, though a data plan is highly recommended so that you don't incur additional data charges.