Navigon Licenses Data from RoadTraps.com

RoadTraps.com is missing thousands of locations from its North American database.  Yet companies like Navigon, Garmin and TomTom still charge $4.99 USA Speedcams for the In-App Purchase in the iPhone store.   RoadTraps.com is clearly operated by a company in Europe and have poor information.  The United States does not have as many speed fixed traps like Europe.  Navigon charges $44.99 for the North American app and $34.99 for the USA and Canada versions.  I commend their claim that they are the #1 Database in the World.  

Apple Needs TomTom's TeleAtlas Maps to Compete with Google Maps

The iPhone and iPad manufacturer Apple might buy the GPS navigation firm TomTom / TeleAtlas as it needs their mapping assets to compete with Google Maps. Analyst Ben Wood is out with some interesting predictions for 2011, including one that cash-rich Apple (AAPL) will by GPS firm TomTom. Wood, formerly at Gartner, is a top wireless industry analysts, and I’m not just saying that so he returns my calls. Better yet, you could expect a wave of useful location-based features to reach MobileMe, third party apps, and, of course, Apple's iAds system. And, of course, such a purchase could assist Apple should it decide to make a stab at the auto-electronics market.

• Company history 2001-2010
• US database coverage
• Total records in database as of January 31, 2010
• Types of locations in database and fines
• Red light cameras 
• Speed cameras
• Illegal right turn cameras
• Combination cameras
• Sample Los Angeles heat map of locations
• Sample Los Angeles pin map
• Screen shot of our subscriber platform
• Why partial crowd sourcing works
• How we get database updates
• News coverage
• Contributor web site form
• Home page screen shot
• Photos of signs and cameras on the street
• Monthly web site visitors chart
• Data syndication formats available
• Our advantages over competition 

One of the most common requests I get everyday is how do I get your red light camera database on to my phone for navigation?  Google users are smart, sophisticated and ahead of the curve when it comes to adoption new features and are demanding a red light camera / speed camera warning feature layer.  Here is an picture of how Photo Enforced Google Maps could be used on the Android phone for navigation:

Based on our test today it is fairly obvious that Google Maps still cannot handle thousands of data points very well and the tiles still need to be clustered or optimized on the server.  This is why it is important for our data to be accessed as a layer published by Google and won't be successful published by individual users at this time.  Here were the steps we took to upload Photo Enforced data to Google Maps unsuccessfully.

1st)  We tried to Create a Google Map on Google by uploading our database / KML file of our 5,000+ US fixed red light camera and speed camera locations.  We followed directions by adding map data from our KML file to the map.  This data seemed to get ingested fine but didn't give us any confirmation on the number of successful points and was limited how to display it.

2nd) I downloaded the My Maps Editor in the Android Market for my Android and it seem to find the file I uploaded to Google Maps successfully.  However, when I tried to load it onto the map it kept loacing for about 30 minutes and I was never able to use it.

3rd) I then tried to access the uploaded data on my Android phone from the Google Maps navigation on My Maps and that was unsuccessful as well.  The current navigation features on my Android phone include: Traffic, Satellite, Latitude & Wikipedia.  It also has a button below these layers for Clear Map and More Layers.   When you click on More Layers it gives you options My Maps, Wikipedia (again) and Transit Lines.  I would love to see a Traffic Cameras, Red Light Cameras and eventually Speed Cameras layer.

If anyone can help correct the problem we would appreciate your assistance.

PhotoEnforced.com is starting to get lots of requests from Google maps customers about using our fixed red light camera and speed camera database as a layer on Google Maps. I personally would like to see this as well being an Android customer myself. We have a database of locations geocoded and would simply like to provide this data to Google similar to Wikipedia. We are currently navigating our way to the appropriate people within Google to explore this relationship through our contacts. However, if anyone has a relationship with a product owner in the space please email us. jeff@photoenforced.com

Please Re-tweet this story on the right if you would like to see a red light camera database displayed on Google Maps, Google Earth and the Android Mobile Maps as a layer!

In reference to: Official Google Mobile Blog: Layers come to Google Maps for BlackBerry (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google announces turn-by-turn GPS navigation today for the Android. It’s currently in beta testing, and will be available for FREE on phones using Google’s Android 2.0 operating system. The GPS navigation includes a tons of unique features (many of these are part of the features you’d see planning a route using Google Maps through a regular web browser).

Google just forced the traditional GPS navigation companies to rethink their business models releasing what may be a far superior product for free. It is not a standalone navigation app. Rather it taps into a lot of the resources Google makes available on the Web, including Google Maps, Streetview, voice recognition, and sophisticated search. Google is happy to give its navigation app away for free because it leverages many existing technologies it has already built for the Web, and it encourages more people to use Web-capable phones and do local searches on them. Its strategy is to give the software away for free, and make money on the search ads.

GPS navigation apps are among the most expensive, and most lucrative, of all mobile apps. However, these paid navigation apps (Navigon, TomTom, CoPilot, MapQuest, GoKivo and Sygic Mobile) are at an immediate disadvantage.  Maybe the race will become which company starts licensing the most useful third party data to differentiate themselves?  The big question is when does Google Maps start incorporating points of interest features from users?  PhotoEnforced.com is an example of a map data source where the advertising business model is completely aligned with Google Maps.

Google could very well make it available to other phones as well, and that is what has investors worried. The new Google Maps Navigation app will be included on Motorola's upcoming Android phone, the Motorola Droid, and will provide turn-by-turn directions based on up-to-date maps and business listings from Google Maps. The Google Maps Navigation software will also be made available to other Android devices running the newly unveiled Android 2.0 software.

Shares in GPS manufacturers Garmin and TomTom fell today following the annoucement from Google that upcoming Android handsets will include free navigation software.  Following the announcement shares of Garmin fell 17.2% to $31.88 and TomTom shares fell more than 20% to €8.11.

PhotoEnforced.com would like to help Google Street View and contribute our database of fixed red light camera locations for the U.S. We have built the database organically over the last 8 years since 2001 and think the Google Map users would like to have access to the data. I was originally hoping to verify locations contributed to our open database on Google Street View. It then became apparent that some of the Street View images are not up-to-date. For example, I did a Google Street View search for Rosecrans Ave & Hindry Ave., Hawthorne, CA 90250 and was unable to locate the red light camera that is currently installed. I drew an image of where the camera location should be located above.

PhotoEnforced.com/US already has thousands of red light cameras already published on a Google map for view and it would be great to get this data syndicated onto Google Maps so I could use the data on my Google Android phone on T-Mobile.


in reference to: 90254 - Google Maps (view on Google Sidewiki)

Crowd sourcing has become a hot investment topic lately having seen a number of presentations in the last week at Demo and TechCrunch50. There seems to be a nice ecosystem of mobile applications and data syndication partners building who all have one thing in common, freemium business models. I see a bright future for companies like Aha Mobile who begin to shape next generation navigation driving experience on Smart Phone devices.
in reference to: AHA Mobile Inc. (view on Google Sidewiki)

First Driver-to-Driver Network Answers the Question “What is The Driver Ahead of Me Experiencing?”


News Facts

• Aha Mobile, Inc., the company that keeps drivers informed about the world around them by safely connecting them to each other and to relevant information from the Web, has launched its first consumer experience - the Aha application for iPhone users.

• The company, which soft launched its application two weeks ago in Los Angeles, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area, has expanded road and traffic coverage in the following major metropolitan areas: Dallas and San Antonio, TX, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Miami Beach, FL, Seattle, WA, Washington D.C. The company will continue to add road and traffic coverage in more cities in the coming months.

• The free application is now available for download in the iTunes App Store.

• Aha’s application is the first driver-to-driver network that answers questions such as “What is the driver a mile ahead of me seeing out his window?” and “What is traffic like now on my route to work?”

• Aha’s application is designed for use at 65 MPH and gives you information, either audibly or in an at-a-glance format, about the roads and photo enforced camera locations nearby.

• It also connects drivers to personalized Web data about nearby services and destinations, such as restaurants, coffee shops and bathrooms.

• Aha is not a navigation application but is instead designed for daily use when you already know how to get to your destination.

Unique Product Features

• Get “Nearby” Alerts for Things You Care About: Are you hungry, want to grab a cup of coffee, or need to take a bathroom break? Select “yes” to any of those questions and Aha’s “Nearby” function alerts you to places along the way, like restrooms from SitOrSquat or highly rated restaurants from Yelp. Aha will also alert you to red-light and speed cameras as you approach them, using data from Photoenforced.com. At 65 MPH, less is more, so Aha only gives you the relevant results pre-filtered for your preferences and location.

• Listen to Live, Personalized Traffic Channels: Like a radio station dedicated to the roads you care about, Aha lets you listen to traffic “Shouts” (or voice notes) from other drivers without taking your eyes off the road. Aha also uses best-in-class INRIX traffic data to tell you how traffic is flowing and alert you to congestion or accidents on the major road segments around you, without requiring you to study a map.

• “Shout” Out Your Own Traffic Reports: With Aha, every driver is a virtual traffic reporter. Simply tap the microphone icon to record and share a 15-second traffic report to help the drivers around you. Your Shout automatically feeds into the road and city-specific Shout Rooms based on your current location.

• Be Entertained in the Car! Aha also wants to make driving fun. For example, the “Caraoke” Shout Room lets you send out a 15 second recording of your radio sing along, then get rated by other drivers. In the “#%& Drivers” Shout Room, let off steam by venting about a bad driver or your frustrating commute.
Executive Quotes

“Aha is uniquely delivering information that every driver wants in a new and better way that doesn’t involve studying tiny maps while you drive. Sometimes you want to hear a live traffic report from a driver ahead of you, and other times you want relevant information from the Web, like a nearby coffee shop,” said Robert Acker, President and CEO of Aha Mobile, Inc.

“Regardless of the source, Aha filters and customizes the information you want based on your preferences and location, presenting it in a format that limits driving distractions and helps you make smart choices along your familiar routes.”
User Quotes

“I frequently run into traffic in my patrol car, particularly on event days at the Del Mar fairgrounds,” said Aha beta tester and San Diego Deputy Sheriff Marshall Abbott. “Even with some state-of-the-art tools at my disposal, I turn to Aha for the latest conditions on the roads I drive daily. I use it to know when traffic is backed up a few miles ahead of me so I can decide if I should bail for another route. Aha’s at-a-glance information is a very efficient way to get me the information I need.”

“Every day when I get in the car, I run Aha to check the Los Angeles freeway traffic before I leave my driveway,” said Aha beta tester David Whelan. “It quickly gives me a good idea of which route to take to work - in typical LA fashion, I have many routes to choose from. Then, I flip into "Nearby" mode while I drive to get alerted to coffee shops and other places I want to know about along the way. I have found that Aha is far less distracting and more efficient way to get this information than the in-car navigation system in my BMW.”
Images, Assets and Product Demo Video

• Click here to view Aha’s quick product demo videos

• Click here for product and feature images

Blog: ahamobile.com/blog for more information and product updates
Twitter: @ahamobile
Twitter: @photoenforced
Facebook: Join Aha Mobile Fan group
Facebook: Join PhotoEnforced.com Fan group

About Aha Mobile, Inc.

Aha improves your driving experience by keeping you informed about the world around you while you are on the road. To do this, we built the first driver-to-driver network that connects drivers to each other and to relevant information from the Internet. You can record and share your own personal traffic reports to help those around you, or listen to a customized traffic channel on the roads you travel. Aha also alerts you to the nearby things you need – like a great cup of coffee or a restroom. With Aha, drivers share their experiences with one another and help each other on the road.

Founded in 2008, Aha began by building a connected back-end platform that can power any number of devices – from portable electronics to in-car systems. Through our first application, designed for the iPhone, we created a 65 MPH interface (information is delivered audibly or in at-a-glance visual formats) that gives drivers the answers they need while minimizing driving distractions.

Based in Palo Alto, CA, Aha is backed by Venrock and led by a team of executives with nearly four decades of experience developing automotive and location-based services applications.