Google has recently been offering free turn-by-turn navigation for Android phones in the US, and while that is great, our friends on the other side of the pond have had to make do without for some time now. Fortunately Google seems to have been listening, and word is that Google has been working with a company in the Netherlands to bring said feature to folks over in Europe. Speculation is that the company might be Navteq (which is owned by Nokia), and the recent withdrawal of Navteq from the Android market serves to further strengthen speculation. If Google were to start rolling out its free turn-by-turn navigation in Europe, and maybe extend it to Asia, companies that focus on GPS such as Garmin might start to shudder in fear.

While dedicated GPS navigation devices might be dying a slow death due to the proliferation of GPS capability in smartphones as well as equally able software, we would assume the inevitable might be still a long way off. TomTom's latest would be the EASE portable GPS navigator that comes in a bright red color to keep in line with the overall Valentine's Day theme. Apart from that, you get text-to-speech for spoken street names, a built-in Fold & Go Easy Port Mount that makes it a snap for the device to fold flat, increasing its portability. This is more or less a no-brainer GPS device since its EasyMenu user interface has a simple two-icon touchscreen menu to help you arrive at your destination in double quick time (saving precious seconds off navigating your way through a convoluted menu system, of course). You can pick up this potential Valentine's Day present for $119.99 a pop.

It’s rather cool that Google is busy taking pictures all around the streets for Google Street View, but there’s nothing stopping you from having a little fun at Google’s expense, right? It seems that some folks have managed to stick a GPS tracker on the Google Street View camera car, and now you can follow the car’s progress around Berlin using Google Maps. It feels kind of ironic that the car doing ground work for Google Maps (and Street View) would be tracked by Google Maps, but it’s also kind of cool. The car hasn’t moved in quite a while, so maybe the drivers discovered the device, or they’re taking a break. You can check it out if you want to know where the Google car (supposedly) is right now.

GPS navigation systems are great for helping you find your way around in unfamiliar territory, but there is a downside to it - maps that are not updated could end up leading you to a dead end, or even worse - a ditch. According to Google Translate's version of a German article, TomTom’s CEO Harold Goddijn mentioned that TomTom will be offering daily map updates (or once every two days at least) by the end of 2010 to make sure that your TomTom device will never be outdated in terms of maps. After all, many roads do change each year, and having an official update sure makes us more confident compared to user compiled data.

The relatively low key Garmin M10 smartphone is yet another handset that has received the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 upgrade, giving this 600MHz Qualcomm processor-powered device a more potent punch. Just to refresh your memory, the M10 is equipped with a 3.5" WVGA resistive screen display, 4GB of internal memory and a 5-megapixel camera. Needless to say, before taking that upgrade plunge, it is always advisable to make a backup of all your data lest something goes wrong somewhere.

Fine Drive of Korea just rolled out their Fine Drive iQ 3D GPS navigation system, where it comes with free 3D map updates, TPEG (for the latest reliable traffic information), a 7" display as well as the capability to switch between 2D and 3D versions of the map. Interestingly enough, the buildings aren't the only stuff rendered in 3D but the whole terrain of South Korea as well. In order for you to remain calm even when driving through traditional dead spots like a tunnel, the iQ 3D will rely on dead-reckoning to guide you through. Other features include weather and news update with DMB channels, 8GB of internal memory, 6W integrated speakers and software which can be used to calculate your carbon emissions. Expect it to cost around $336 after conversion.

SkyGolf has just rolled out its latest SkyCaddie SGX GPS-enabled rangefinder which boasts a 3" TFT LCD display and a lithium ion battery which is able to run for up to 14 hours straight, providing you with up to 30,000 pre-loaded and ground-verified maps. The SkyCaddie SGX is able to rotate the green automatically in order to match a golfer’s angle of approach, offering you all the distances required to hit the greens in order to improve your score. Avid golfers can check out the SkyCaddie SGX from this April onwards for $400 apiece.

GPS has so many practical uses, and every now and then, folks find new things to do with GPS. Now a recently filed patent application by TeleNav shows some interesting information regarding location-based blogging. With that in place, instead of just tagging location information on a picture or video, TeleNav envisions location-based blogging to be able to categorize geotagged multimedia, offering useful content to the readers. So if you’re looking to see all the pictures taken from the top of a tall building, it should be able to help you out. Another example would be if you’re hiking and want to blog about some information regarding a cave that you found, location-based blogged would certainly come in handy. If you want the nitty gritty on this patent, check out the patent filing.

QStarz rolled out its latest BT-Q1000eX GPS data logger which boasts an update frequency of 5Hz - translated to everyday terms, that would mean GPS updates of up to 5 times each second, which is pretty impressive. It will also come with a MTK II GPS chipset, 42-hour battery life, enough memory to store up to 400,000 waypoints, a relatively short 15-second satellite fix time, vibration sensor and a beeper. You will also find QSports and QTravel software pre-loaded, where the former will aid those who lead a healthy lifestyle with its sports database management, while the latter has built-in Google Maps and visualization UI for its owner to manage his/her travels easily.

Timex has unveiled its latest GPS-ready watch that is actually pleasing on the eyes, known as the Ironman Global Trainer. You will get features such as real-time speed, pace and distance thanks to its built-in SiRFStar III module within, alongside being able to withstand being underwater up to 50 meters deep. A customizable display will let you view all the relevant performance data, while compiled reports can be viewed over your computer as well. The Ironman Global Trainer GPS watch will also play nice with the Timex heart rate and bike sensors as well as third-party power meters thanks to ANT+ wireless technology. Shipping commences this May for a yet unannounced price.

Some of us are looking out for the Lenovo ThinkPad X100e which ought to hit selected markets in Q1 this year, featuring new dual core AMD Athlon and Turion processors, but Lenovo ups the ante by introducing yet another variant which will feature Gobi 2000 3G and GPS capability. With this latest announcement, you have the choice of an AT&T SIM card or open SIM cards that hail from either Verizon or Sprint. The Gobi-enabled variant will start from $649 upwards which costs a Benjamin more compared to the base model. Get this only if you absolutely need an Internet connection most of the time without having to place yourself at the mercies of Wi-Fi hotspot availability.

Keeping track of the elderly, especially those who are hit with memory ailments can be a rather tricky job, but good thing the Aerotel GeoSKeeper system works by helping you keep tabs on the wearer's location. It comes in a wrist-worn form factor, featuring the combination of a cellphone and GPS system, although we are left rather bewildered at the lack of a built-in clock which would certainly be useful to check out the time at a glance. How does the Aerotel GeoSKeeper system work? Well, it will alert you whenever the wearer ventures out of pre-set safety zones, while calls can be made to selected numbers via the appropriate button.

Garmin’s latest Nuvi 1490TV has a feature that’s out of the norm for GPS devices, and in case the name didn’t give it away, we’re talking about digitally broadcast TV (and audio) channels. DVB-T and radio isn’t all that common in the USA, but if you’re over in Europe (where this device was unveiled), you’ll be able to make better use of the features of this device. One of the benefits of DVB-T is that the content is free, including the 50 channels and 24 radio stations from all across Europe. The device sports a 5-inch display, which should make viewing a pleasure. One rather curious feature is that the device will disable the TV functionalities when you’re on the move, which is probably a safely measure to prevent you from watching movies while driving, though it seems a waste that the passenger won’t be able to watch it too. The Garmin Nuvi 1490TV will be available across Europe in early April 2010, and will be going for about 300 Euros.

Nokia dropped the bomb on Personal Navigation Devices makers by announcing the availability of "free navigation" for its family of smartphones, globally. This means that navigation packages with turn-by-turn directions inside that cover 74 countries in 46 languages alongside detailed maps for 180 countries are now available for free. Those packages used to cost between $70 and $100 just yesterday.

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