TomTom starts directing traffic in Aalborg, Denmark, while BMW opts for iPod Out

The city of Aalborg, Denmark, hired TomTom to manage its traffic flows and provide better traffic information to drivers. TomTom will deliver the service via TomTom Custom Travel Times, its proprietary database of historical travel times.

TomTom can query the database for specific routes within precise time periods to develop highly accurate travel time measurements. “Our collaboration with the city of Aalborg demonstrates the recognized value that a private company like TomTom can deliver to government entities,” says Anne van Houwelingen, vice president of traffic solutions at TomTom. “With customized solutions based on our industry expertise, governments do not need to invest in establishing such system themselves.”

Aarlborg is one of six European cities involved in the ARCHIMEDES project, whose goal is to increase transportation efficiency and environmental stewardship. The city is the first to adopt TomTom’s service. In addition to Denmark, TomTom Custom Travel Times is now available in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, the U.K., Switzerland, Sweden, and Norway.

EU endorses ITS

The European Parliament voted in favor of creating an action plan on Intelligent Transport Systems. The plan will delineate a way to integrate ITS—electronic toll collection, congestion charging, and speed and road cameras—across Europe in the coming years. Members of the European parliament emphasized the need for interoperability across the EU and for laws that guarantee that ITS technologies won’t be used to infringe upon privacy and criminal issues.

Garmin shows how much ‘free’ navigation can cost

Garmin showed that ‘free’ navigation from Google Maps can, in fact, be exorbitantly expensive when roaming outside your home network. In a test, drivers traveled 185 miles from Calais to Paris using Google Maps Navigation on an Android mobile phone. Roaming charges for downloading maps amounted to £36 one way, which rivaled the cost of fuel. Garmin conducted the test four times and came up with the same result each time.

US Cellular and TeleNav launch Your Navigator Deluxe

US Cellular launched a new navigation service, Your Navigator Deluxe, to help drivers avoid traffic congestion, locate points of interest, and save on gas. The service is provided by TeleNav and features voice-guided, turn-by-turn 3D GPS navigation, speech recognition, real-time traffic alerts with one-touch rerouting, weather updates, and an online trip-planning site. The service is available immediately to US Cellular customers on most smartphones.

Mapquest opens Openstreetmap site

Mapquest beta launched a new platform that integrates OpenStreetMap data into its maps for the UK. The site—http://open.mapquest.co.uk/—is an independent offering based on open-sourced map data that will run alongside MapQuest’s existing UK platform, which is based on commercially available map data. MapQuest’s parent company, AOL, also announced a new $1-million fund to support the growth of open-source mapping in the US.

BMW selects iPod Out

BMW selected iPod Out, a feature that allows infotainment systems to display and control music lists on iPhones and iPod Touches. BMW will offer iPod Out in all BMW and Mini vehicles beginning in 2011. Apple is expected to broaden the technology to control apps in the dashboard, making it a competitor to Nokia’s Terminal Mode.

DriveGain iPhone app

DriveGain launched an iPhone app that helps drivers save fuel as they drive. The app offers visual and audio feedback on what changes drivers of manual cars can make to improve fuel efficiency. Notifications include when to reduce acceleration or shift into a different gear, as well as how to improve driving smoothness. By changing driving behavior, users can improve average fuel economy by 15 percent and save on average more than $200 a year, according to DriveGain research.

Telogis unveils fleet management alerts

Telogis unveiled the latest improvement to its Telogis Fleet platform: fleet management alerts. The instant pings provide critical maintenance and utilization information on a fleet's vehicles based on a variety of sensor data. Fleet maintenance managers receive configurable automated alert emails on a range of parameters, including battery status, oil change, tire rotation, tune up, temperature, and PTO utilization.

Telmap and Lonely Planet

Telmap announced the addition of Lonely Planet digital information to its mobile search, mapping, and navigation solution. Users will have access to all of Lonely Planet’s travel information, from must-see sites and experiences to top hostels, hotels, and restaurants in more than 800 cities and 150 countries around the world. Telmap believes the added resource will distinguish its solution with unmatched LBS content.

Andrew Tolve is a regular contributor to TU.