Comments on: TomTom IQ Routes for older devices?

By: JOHN DOC

JOHN DOC — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 12:56:17 +0000

GOING TO EUROPE AND GREECE IN 3 WEEKS (5/7/09) WOULD LIKE TO DOWNLOAD SAME ON A NEW TOMTOM 130S I JUST ORDERED
WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO ORDER AT A LOW PRICE ?

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:47:16 +0000

Get IQ Routes on TomTom 720 920

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:51:11 +0000

Jason, you can read a few more of my thoughts in this thread. Here is what I think… First, it is worty of mentioning that it isn’t uncommon for a company to offer different products based on the same hardware, with different software, at a different price.

With that said… I expect the following is going on. TomTom wants to sell the new 730 and 930. To do that– they need to hold a few features “above and beyond” the 720 and 920. They’ve done that.

Now people with the older device will want those new features. TomTom will hold off offering it for a couple of months to get some traction with the new devices, offer a “sale” on the maps now, and then offer the upgrade in the next map cycle coming up.

That way they continue to sell the x30 series, give those who want a map update now a discount, and then in a month or so start selling the maps at full price again to those who want to upgrade to the new features. That is my guess anyway.

More info very shortly on my 720 experiment.

By: JASON

JASON — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:45:25 +0000

Ok, so i called Tom Tom and they confirmed “The Hardware of the 920/T and the (30 Are identical. and she stated that the only difference is the “software”. When asking her “Well if everything is the same except for the software, wouldnt the new IQ mapping software work just the same on my 920T and which time she stuttered and kind of chuckled as she said, no sir we cannot confirm that it is compatible with your unit. But she could not explain why it would not be compatible if the actual hardware unit is the exact same. My conclusion would be that if you simply purchase the new 8X map for $99 you should be able to install it on your unit just the same. Am i missing anything here? Tim what are your thoughts? Does this make sense? I was seriously considering on buying the new 930 but after that call, why should i? I could just pay $99 to thwart Tom Tom from making me purchase a whole other unit and it would work the same…. Any thoughts from anyone please??

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:07:09 +0000

I’ve noticed that the map selector for the 720/920 now says this:

IMPORTANT: The maps currently available for the GO 920 do not support the new advanced lane guidance feature.

I’m encouraged by the phrase “currently available” and the fact that the lane guidance icon now shows on the 720/920 with the newest application. It sounds like a map update purchase will be required, but it sounds like they are hinting that it will come, perhaps in the next Q update.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:06:54 +0000

Tom, all you would need to do is say “no” when it asks if you want to provide the data to Google when you setup the device. Then you are not giving up any of that data. You need to specifically opt in for them to collect it.

gatorguy – the same could be said for the tracklog feature in the Nuvi– and it might be even easier for them to obtain by taking your device.

But again, let’s leave this thread for the topic of IQ Routes for older devices and take this discussion to either the forums or the IQ Routes page.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:02:12 +0000

Gatorguy,

Now *that’s* scary. I wonder whether other GPS manufacturers have such tracking. I also wonder whether, with a court order, that info could feasibly be extracted from a TomTom unit.

I will try to contact TomTom about this. I’ve been keen on getting a 730, but if I’m giving up a fair bit of privacy, I’d rather go to Garmin.

By: Gatorguy

Gatorguy — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:37:54 +0000

You know, Tom, I hadn’t really thought about it until you mentioned it, but since it is apparently logging that information, it’s probably only a matter of time before some smart attorney finds a way to access that info in someone’s divorce proceedings. Like we need another reason not to trust our gps’s.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:20:42 +0000

You would have to ask TomTom that one.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:05:39 +0000

Thanks for the always interesting articles, Tim!

I find it intriguing that this data is supposedly anonymous, and I’d like to hear more about what TomTom is doing to ensure that the data is properly anonymized. While the actual IP address or device identifier is probably left off the data, I don’t know how anonymous the actual data could be, if it looks like this:

Monday, 7:30 AM – departed 123 Mystreet Avenue.
Monday, 8:15 AM – arrived at 456 Workstreet Blvd (POI: IBM regional office)
Monday, 5:10 PM – departed 456 Workstreet Blvd
Monday, 6:00 PM – arrived at 123 Mystreet Avenue.
–
Tuesday, 7:20 AM – departed 123 Mystreet Avenue
etc etc.

You get the idea; it would be easy to figure out who this person is, where they work, where they go out for dinner, where they shop, etc. Call me paranoid, but this doesn’t sound very anonymous to me.

Any thoughts on this? Maybe a TomTom rep wants to chime in?

Thanks,
Tom (no relation