AAA is releasing AAA Mobile, a mobile software suite which combines turn-by-turn GPS navigation with other location based services. For instance, users of the AAA Mobile will be able to access AAA’s Diamond Ratings for information about hotels and restaurants, as well as find various points of interest in their TourBook guide. In addition, the application will provide users with the list of AAA-approved auto repair shops, an option which is always nice to have.

AAA Mobile is selling on a pay-for-use basis, and the cost will be $9.99 a month. It is available through Sprint (NYSE: S) and will work on the following devices: Samsung M500, Samsung M510, Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) SCP-7050, Sanyo M1, Sanyo SCP-8400, Sanyo MM-9000, Sanyo SCP-3200 and LG 550 (Fusic).

[Via: Gizmodo]

No you don’t need a fancy new phone with built-in GPS to get driving directions. GPS will naturally help you get the information about your current location, but you can do just fine without it too…

The new service called Dial Directions figured out users who don’t have one of the latest GPS-enabled devices should also be able to experience the taste of the location based services, hence their service works on any phone that can receive text messages. All you have to do is dial DIR-ECT-IONS (that’s 347-328-4667) on your cellphone, and answer a few quick questions about where you’re going and where you’re starting. Then within seconds, you’ll receive directions via text message. That’s it — there’s no complicated interface, nor any tech knowledge required to use their service. The idea is in using a combination of speech-recognition software along with the text messaging to deliver driving instructions to the people in Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York, with more cities to come in the future.

[Via: textually.org]

Sprint (NYSE: S) is about to introduce a new social mapping service called “loopt” to its users. With the new service, customers will be able to find and connect with friends, share their location and status messages, send proximity-based messages and view geo-tagged photos and content on-the-go. What this means is that as a loopt user, you will be informed when one of your buddies in the area near you, watch his/her photos of some particular area, and all in all connect in a better way.

Of course, the new service will not work on all handsets — loopt promised that it should work on more than 25 Sprint and Nextel phones. Plus, in order to use the new service you will be charged $2.99 per month, plus standard data charges. Wondering why data charges are not bundled with the service? Kinda stupid… Still, sounds like a great service nevertheless. And yeah, it should be available within weeks. Stay tuned…

Now, that’s what I call a useful technology. I can’t count the number of times I needed a toilet within a second in the other city. The solution was always entering the closest restaurant and doing my thing in there. Thanks to the advancement in mobile technology and solid thinking of guys and gals behind MizPee, that problem is now solved.

The new service helps you find the closest, cleanest toilet near you. All you have to do is access their site on your mobile device, enter the city and address and voila… you’ll get the list of toilets in your proximity. But that’s not all, MizPee will also provide you with an entertaining reading material once you get there. Sounds like a complete service to me. What do you think?

[Via: textually.org]

Here’s an elegant GPS solution for all of you who are looking to add some navigation apps on their handsets, yet dislike the idea of a separate Bluetooth GPS receiver.

Read the full article »

Finally someone figured out that we don’t like wires in our cars. The Holux GR-239 Bluetooth GPS receiver is as simple as it can be — all you have to do is plug it into your cigarette lighter and off you go. No messing with the cables, no worries about battery life — it’s all built-in there. Plus, there’s also an option to connect via USB cable in an unlikely case that your device doesn’t support Bluetooth (or in case you’re using some old laptop).

The Holux GR-239 sports a high sensitivity SiRF Star III GPS receiver that can track 20 satellites at once and also has the option to use an external antenna. At the moment, it’s not available in States — it sells for £60 in the UK.

[Via: Navigadget]

It didn’t took much time for the first iPhone-dedicate social networking site to launch. Basically, iPling adds a “location twist” in the mobile social networking and targets iPhone users only. The new service is designed to allow iPhone users to discover and communicate with people who share similar interests (i.e. love Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)). Registering is free, and as far as I see, you could try it out to exchange your initial iPhone experience with the similarly-minded people. Otherwise, you could wait for the iPhone optimized versions of MySpace, Facebook and other social networking sites that you currently use.

Full release after the break.

Read the full article »

TeleNav GPS Navigator 5.2 has been released by the California-based TeleNav, Inc. Aside from the standard navigation features, the new version also packs some social networking features. For instance, it allows users to send their current location to any other mobile phone. Furthermore, TeleNav 5.2 also enables users to share addresses of their favorite businesses (restaurants, hotels, movie theaters) and to read, rate and review them directly from a mobile phone. Finally, there’s the Fuel Finder feature for accessing information on local gas stations with the cheapest prices for that day.

The new version of TeleNav GPS Navigator is available immediately on select phones. The service is offered to customers for $9.99 per month for unlimited use. Current customers using TeleNav GPS Navigator on supported phones can access the new version by re-downloading TeleNav GPS Navigator. For more information on which phones support the new version, visit TeleNav’s site.

Cingular/AT&T (NYSE: T) has announced that its customers with BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) 8800, Pearl, 8700c and the new BlackBerry Curve can now access to traffic information and rerouting services through TeleNav Traffic.

The new service is designed to help AT&T customers get they way around the city traffic, by alerting them through voice and on-screen prompts to traffic slowdowns and incidents along their programmed travel route — and by providing them with an alternative routes. Read the full article »

Sprint (NYSE: S) today begins offering Slifter, a GPS-enabled mobile search application/service that allows consumers to use cellphones to find products in retail stores. Based on the GPS signal, consumers can easily search through 65 million products at 30,000 store locations and find out where they can buy certain products and at what price. Next, once the desired product has been found, users make shopping list, which later they can share with friends via text messages.

Alex Muller, founder and CEO of GPShopper, the company that develops Slifter, said that through the connection with Sprint, “many people will say, ‘Gone are the days where I have to drive from store to store to find what I need.’ ” Using cellphones, he said, they’ll discover “there’s a place just around the corner that has the product in stock.”

The Slifter costs $1.99 a month, and is available to all Sprint subscribers with data plans. (via: wsj)