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.

Still No TomTom Red Light Camera US POI Database Available

Here is an email I received from TomTom today posing the following question:  Is there a US photo enforced locations database is available on your navigation devices?  The answer was NO.  Read below. 

"Thank you for taking the time to contact TomTom Customer Support. My name is Amanda and we are always happy to help. I understand that you would like to know if US photo enforced locations database is available for developers. We understand your concern, please be assured I will do my best to answer your query. I would like to inform you that, US photo enforced locations database is currently unavailable for US developers. I regret for the inconvenience caused. We value your suggestions for improvements to our products and services. Suggestions are gathered and organized to understand the areas our customers are most interested in enhancing. Our Product Managers review all feedback to determine future enhancements and products. Many of our current products and updates offer features based on customer suggestions. We certainly value our esteemed customers like you."

The fact that no US photo enforced database is available is amazing considering PhotoEnforced.com started to receive interest from TomTom back in 2005 about licensing our database.  TomTom is known for trying to do everything themselves and that results in garbage in and garbage out.  The photo enforcement notification business is big for TomTom in Europe and probably a multiple million dollar business for them.  Why haven't they been able to get it going in the US with their mapping partner TeleAtlas?

Related Stories:
Garmin Red Light Camera Database is Crap
TomTom Red Light Camera Database is Crap

I have recently started using Google Buzz for Mobile on my Android phone and have become a big fan of its potential.  I  think its quite unique and more useful if you are only interested in regional data. However, there currently isn't a on Google Buzz to hear updates from other drivers or alerts around me without picking up the phone and looking at it.  See the picture above which is a sample Google Buzz layer on Google Maps screen shot.  I think buying Aha Mobile and integrating the technology into their system would further advance the technology and make it safer for drivers.

Palo Alto-based Aha Mobile have created Aha Radio, a free mobile application that transfers a broad range of web-based information into a customizable radio experience. Aha has created a unique backend platform that safely filters, prioritizes, and delivers Web-based information to drivers. Everything from instant personalized traffic reports to an audio translation of your Facebook wall and from up-to-the minute episodes of your favorite podcasts to personalized restaurant finders. They have also created the first driver-to-driver network similar to the old CB Radio. This allows users to listen to everything from real-time traffic reports to Twitter and Facebook updates as well as red light camera location alerts, without the added stress of fumbling with a device while driving.  Aha Mobile is also a licensee of PhotoEnforced.com's database of locations and will soon be using the data to give drivers verbal alerts of cameras locations near them.  I think thes definitely solves the distracted driver problems.  Check out the demonstration video above.

We Want Real Time Traffic + Photo Enforced Locations 

Traffic has been a hot topic lately with people debating which traffic providers.  Real time traffic data services are destined to be one of the biggest advances in GPS systems for the consumer. While GPS devices strive to provide the fastest route from point A to B, they generally do so by considering the most optimistic road conditions. This route should be the quickest assuming there are no traffic delays.  Live traffic reporting services aim to change that. But which traffic services are the best in the U.S. and what type of data is available, and how well does it work?

When a debate comes up over which traffic data provider is “better” the discussion almost always ends up  at which map has more colored roads. Their seems to be a pressure to paint more colors on more roads which is appealing to the traffic providers as it makes them look like they have more coverage in more places. To some extent that is true but if I am driving and traffic is flowing nicely.  I suppose I don't have to use the navigation or application on my phone and I can turn it off.  What if the traffic data providers starting thinking out of the box and provide other point of interest data to drivers like red light camera and speed camera information.  You might be even more motivated to constantly use a traffic app at all times even when traffic is ok.  Also, I really only care about where I am now and what else might be around me like red light cameras or speed cameras if traffic is flowing.

Sensors & Fleet Data
Traffic data suppliers, like traffic.com (owned by Navteq), INRIX (independent), TrafficCast.com collect data from road sensors, local departments of transportation, data collected from operators of large fleets of vehicles, and other manual sources such as traffic helicopters and listening to police scanners.  Traffic.com is rumored to be making a concerted effort to monetize its traffic applications through advertising as it is no longer independent and owned my a mobile phone company Navteq / Nokia. INRIX remains commercially focused on OEM car manufacturers and is rumored to be an IPO candidate in 2010.

Cell Phone Data
Other traffic data suppliers like Airsage (independent) collect information to by tracking congestion on roadways via your cellphone. This data is tracked "anonymously" through partnerships with companies like Verizon. Some criticize this method as being inaccurate especially in areas where there are lots of pedestrians on the street walking.  Google happens to be the largest customer of Airsage at the present time.

Visual and Voice Data
Some companies like Westwood One & Clear Channel use other drivers, helicopters and visual traffic cameras to broadcast on the radio to their listeners about problem areas around the city.  This method is very labor intensive and requires lots of people.  However, these methods are usually funded by advertising sales teams who sell radio air time.

I have to laugh every time I see one of our competitors claim: "Our red light camera database is the best because OUR  locations are verified."  Its a big fat lie and a half truth.  Here is a recent quote by a "no name" company in their press release:   "Unlike other safety cameras that use inferior databases which often depend heavily on unqualified and frequently incorrect user input, or old, expired data, the database contains data points that are continually verified through research and a network of professionals. The new camera locations are not just added in, earlier data points but are verified for continued relevance and are removed if they are found to be no longer in force. Our database was named the most accurate safety cam database in a recent category test."

10 things you should substantiate before licensing data from competitive red light camera database:

1) Verification of 3,000-7,000 locations with all 500+ cities, municipalities and county's is a LIE.

2) No sources or history for their data being added, removed and/or methodology for gathering data (thieves)

3) No info on the number of locations in the database (fear of being incomplete)

4) No volunteers on the ground in the hundreds of municipalities (no goodwill)

5) No press coverage and blogger or user credibility (because they copy)

6) Refusal to have a "bake off" competition to substantiate their data (fear of being wrong)

7) We were the U.S. pioneers in 2001 which is 3 times longer than any competitor (late to the game)

8) PhotoEnforced.com has had well over one million people visit our site (brand recognition)

9) Google Street maps pictures are old and cannot verify new cameras (nice try)

10) Business models borrowed from Europe which has 40K (5x) locations (Google Ads changing the game)

We have by far the most complete database of 7000+ locations contrary to what the companies with deep pockets and PR will try to promote. What our competitors don't know is that we have a public database and a private database for our customers. Our public database is 95% accurate but there are some phantom locations purposely inserted to keep thieves from copying the entire database which has been done many times. Just to be clear we encourage individual users to download and use the data in their local markets and give us accuracy feedback for free.

Over time we eventually ferret out false locations because of our enormous consumer reach of nearly 1,000 ticketed drivers per each day visit our web site. We think more than half of people who think they receive tickets look online at our site for sources to verify the locations and come to our site first from a Google search engine query.  Also, we have had numerous former employees from each company tell us that they in fact they use Photoenforced.com as their primary source of data.

If any competitors would like to post a rebuttal to my accusations please do so below.

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)

We are also pleased to announce that we have executed an agreement with a major manufacturer of mobile phones and mobile navigation products to include the AURA (TM) database in their North American and European navigation products that will be released early next year." said Jim Bazet, Cobra's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

"This is a significant step in our plan to make AURA the preeminent provider of photo-enforcement alerts globally and is expected to contribute to revenues and earnings in the second half of 2010. Moreover, PPL generated an increase in sales due to the strength of their new product introductions - mobile navigation products tailored to the needs of the professional driver and the recreational vehicle owner. Cobra has recently launched in the U.S. a mobile navigation product for the professional driver that utilizes this successful PPL platform. We are aggressively pursuing new opportunities and expect a substantial improvement in fourth quarter results."

Cobra Electronics (Ticker: COBR) Reports Third Quarter Results | Reuters: 

How much due diligence did the "licensee" (Navteq owned by Nokia Ticker: NOK) do on where Cobra acquired the AURA database information and how they plan to keep the information fresh?

See related articles:

10 Questions about NAVTEQ's Speed and Red Light Camera Database
Red Light & Speed Cameras POI Database

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)

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.

We would like to alleviate some of the confusion in the marketplace. Navteq is NOT currently a customer of PhotoEnforced.com and we have no idea where they have acquired their data from.

However, PhotoEnforced.com has been the #1 sole source and pioneer of gathering red light camera and speed locations in a free open database since 2001. There are many databases in the market described above who copy our data and use this data and sell it. If you are considering licensing or using the NAVTEQ speed and red light camera locations database you might want to ask them the following questions first . . .

1) Why are you missing about a 1000+ locations?
2) What sources for acquiring the original 5000 locations?
3) Are your sources for the data stealing content?
4) Sources for updates on new locations and changes?
5) Proprietary research (?) when PhotoEnforced.com is free?
6) Any right turn and red light camera / speed combo cameras?
7) Why did it take you so many years to release a product?
8) Can you deliver updates to the locations in real time?
9) How do you charge for the database?
10) Publishing fines with the location be a copyright violation?

NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions, announced today at Telematics Detroit 2009 speed and red light camera locations are now available for the NAVTEQ(R) map of North America. NAVTEQ Camera Alert(TM) includes up-to-date information about the exact location of speed limit cameras, red light cameras, as well as combined speed and red light cameras in 5,000 locations throughout North America.

"Automated cameras are proliferating across North American cities," stated Cindy Paulauskas, vice president Americas map and content products, NAVTEQ. "And our proprietary research indicates that these types of warnings are a highly valued feature in countries where this navigation system functionality is available. Providing our customers with quality North America camera location information helps enable solutions that give drivers better knowledge of maximum speeds and traffic signals - with alerts at the right place and at the right time."

See related posts:
Cobra Electronics Licensing Data to Navteq?
Red Light & Speed Cameras POI Database

As of today we have a fresh new version of the database on the site that has taken into account all of our user updates and new locations. Thank you again to our loyal users who regularly supply updates. A number of cities have revised their fines upward in 2008 and some have taken down cameras. Our database currently has 3,700 active red light camera and speed camera locations in the database. Stay tuned for an exciting new map technology that we are in the process of implementing. We are considering using these new maps along with our database. See www.deadcellzones.com for a preview of the look an feel. We also have a number of local web sites who are using our data and we are happy to see it.

We are scheduling meetings for the CTIA Wireless Show in Las Vegas on Arpil 1-3rd. We are not planning on having a booth but and will reserving meeting rooms as needed. Please contact us if you are interested in meeting with us about licensing our data for your maps, advertising or marketing partnerships:

I think our photo enforced data could be a killer application if syndicated on Google Maps. However, my emails are never answered and still sense there is a lot of "NIH" at Google. Data transparency of photo enforced locations is a big problem and is primarily a local issue in the U.S. A complete and accurate data set of these locations will always be hard to find as long as local U.S. governments lack the transparency necessary to track all of the thousands of locations. Google could play a big role in management and tracking of these locations if they simply decided to get behind our vision and help us syndicate the data. It has taken me eight years to build the database of locations and will not stand for the all of the mapping giants copying our data!

PhotoEnforced.com has launched new regional maps of Red Light Camera locations for Washington DC, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County and Riverside. More regions will be launching soon.