iPhonewzealand » GPS

App Review: MetroView NZ City GPS Navigation

Chris — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:14:25 +0000

We have reviewed a number of turn-by-turn GPS apps previously, but with the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand another big GPS Location provider has landed on our iDevices. MetroView NZ City GPS Navigation has been released into the wild to help fans get around, so how does it shape up?

© Crucias for iPhonewzealand, 29/09/2011.
4 comments
Post tags: app, GPS, iPad, iPad 2, iPhone, navigation, nz, review, turn-by-turn
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App Review: Quota

Chris — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 21:00:12 +0000

Most people have heard of Consume by now, in fact we did a review of it when it first came out. It has become the industry standard usage app for the iOS. However Bjango has not updated it for sometime and is not natively iPad compatible, which is leading to a clunky and rather utilitarian UI.

However, there is now a new kid on the block. Quota (by SouthFreo) may be new, but it is sleek, sexy and worth a look.

© Crucias for iPhonewzealand, 14/08/2011.
17 comments
Post tags: 2degrees, 3G, GPS, Mac, OS X, Usage, Vodafone, wifi, XT
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Facebook switches on ‘Places’ for New Zealand

Steve — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 03:28:43 +0000

John is at the chip shop. Mark is at the supermarket. Jane is on the loo. Yes, prepare for a flood of incredibly annoying location announcements from all your friends because Facebook has just flipped the switch on ‘Places’ for New Zealand – the location-aware feature announced last year that allows people with GPS-enabled mobile devices like the iPhone to announce their every movement, should they so wish. The service is live in the Facebook iPhone app right now, so if you’re that kind of person… get to it.

Sygic to force ‘upgrade’ from Mobile Maps to Aura?

Steve — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:31:31 +0000

Any of you that have been with us from the start will know that Sygic Mobile Maps was one of the first turn-by-turn apps produced for New Zealand and the first that we ever reviewed, and well… let’s just say it holds a special place in our hearts. A year or so after Mobile Maps hit the store, Sygic launched a second turn-by-turn app, Aura.

Since the launch of Aura, both apps have happily co-existed side-by-side as two distinct products, allowing consumers to choose which of the two suits them most and purchase accordingly. Now, however, it would seem that Sygic have disowned their first-born, and will convert Mobile Maps to Aura via a software update whether you like it or not. While we’re certain that Sygic are rolling out with the best of intentions, we don’t think it’s right. Read on for our thoughts.Read More

© Steve for iPhonewzealand, 14/02/2011.
10 comments
Post tags: app, Aura, GPS, Mobile Maps, sygic, turn-by-turn, update
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iGO My Way on sale with up to 50% off

Steve — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 01:47:55 +0000

For any of you who still haven’t invested in a GPS turn-by-turn navigation app, you may be interested to learn that iGO My Way (reviewed back in January last year) is currently on sale at $38.99 for the whole of February. It may be lesser known than the likes of TomTom or CoPilot, but it’s a perfectly capable app that is well worth your consideration. Click here to check it out on the App Store.

Competition: Win a free copy of Aura by Sygic (Updated – new way to enter)

Steve — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 01:25:37 +0000

A couple of weeks back, we took a look at Sygic Aura Australia & New Zealand, the next generation turn-by-turn GPS navigation app. Now, the good people at Sygic have kindly given us a redemption code for a free copy worth $64.99, and it’s yours for the taking. All you have to do is like our Facebook page, then post a video of yourself telling us why you deserve to win. Keep reading for the full details.

UPDATE: Wow, you guys are really camera shy! OK… you can now enter the competition in words instead of via video.

© Steve for iPhonewzealand, 29/10/2010.
4 comments
Post tags: Aura, competition, giveaway, GPS, navigation, sygic, turn-by-turn
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Accessory review: Kensington Dash Mount

Steve — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:43:02 +0000

My iPhone 4 is my car’s best friend. It’s my music source, my hands-free phone, and my GPS unit. But it’s none of these things without a suitable windshield or dashboard mount. After getting through two generic Chinese knock-off windshield mounts that I had gambled on (they were cheap) and lost, I realised it was time to spend some money on a ‘real’ car solution. I ultimately chose the Kensington Dash Mount from MacSense, but how does it stack up? Read More

Updated apps from Sygic offer more GPS navigation goodness for NZ

Steve — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:45:14 +0000

If you’ve read through our GPS navigation app reviews, you’ll know that we’re pretty big fans of Sygic’s Mobile Maps app. A few weeks back, Sygic’s ‘next-gen’ GPS app, Aura, hit the Store but we never got round to reviewing it. Well, now Aura has received a significant update in the form of version 2.0, and an update to the original Mobile Maps has hit the store, so we thought we’d take a look to see whether either app has what it takes in today’s GPS market. Read More

Two more turn-by-turn GPS apps for New Zealand hit the App Store

Steve — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:35:02 +0000

Two more major turn-by-turn GPS apps built for New Zealand have hit the App Store: Sygic Aura and Navigon. In what’s becoming an increasingly competitive market, these two apps will need to bring a feature set and price that stand out – so have they hit the mark? Keep reading for a sneak peek at both, with full reviews coming soon.

New: Navigon MobileNavigator NZ

Dan — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 03:39:32 +0000

Navigon is a long-established and favoured app in overseas markets such as the US, so it’s good to see a New Zealand version finally materialise. Also priced at $84.99, it appears to be a no-nonsense solid app with an enviable reputation, so Sygic will have its work cut out in trying to steal the lime-light.

New: Sygic Aura Drive Au & NZ

Dan — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 03:38:24 +0000

Sygic Aura is the professional turn-by-turn car navigation app, that changes everything.
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TomTom 1.3 adds new features….. just not as many as for other countries

Dan — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:33 +0000

So as everyone who has the app knows, and probably a lot of you that may not, TomTom 1.3 was released a few days ago. We looked at it and decided not to review it, we can’t review every single app that gets released, but what did interest us and many of our users was the lack of some of the features that are available to other countries. We received a number of emails asking us to contact TomTom to find out why some features are “missing” from the New Zealand version of the app.

Hit the ‘read more’ link to see what we got, what was missing and TomTom’s response to our email.

Sygic announces next-gen GPS app, Aura: looks amazing! (video)

Steve — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:45:50 +0000

Sygic, creators of one of our favourite GPS navigation apps, Mobile Maps, have announced their next-generation ‘real 3D’ GPS app, Aura. Described rather excitedly as a “dream come true”, it promises to be a “professional car navigation meets pedestrian-centric application with social networking in a single real 3-D futuristic product”. Phew! Got that? We have to say… it looks fab with densely and slickly-animated 3D buildings and topography, and best of all a New Zealand version is coming. We’ll be going hands-on with an in-depth review once the app is released but in the meantime read on for the full press-release, screen-shots and a video demo to whet your appetite.Read More

Competition Winners: iGO My Way 2009

Dan — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:08:07 +0000

Well here you go guys and gals, the answers and winners of our iGO My Way 2009 competition are below. Congratulations to the three of you and thanks to everyone who entered. Read More

Competition: Win one of three copies of iGO My Way 2009 worth $104.99 each

Steve — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:30:42 +0000

With thanks to the good people at NNG Global Services Inc., we have three copies of iGO My Way 2009 Australia / New Zealand (the GPS navigation app) to give away. Read on for details of how to enter.

A message from TomTom

Dan — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:02:57 +0000

So we said once we got a response about the TomTom car kit charging issue we would let you know. Well here it is, the “official” response from TomTom. Now sit down, get a coffee and be prepared for a bit of a read as this may take a while….

TomTom car kit charging FAIL

Dan — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:59:19 +0000

Ok so recently I went on a trip from Christchurch to Dunedin, the perfect opportunity for me to play with my TomTom car kit and really give the tun-by-turn apps a run for their money…. or so I thought.

Review: iGO My Way 2009 Australia / New Zealand

Steve — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:12:44 +0000

Another day, another GPS turn-by-turn navigation app! Or at least that’s the way it seems with so many coming along recently. This time we’re looking at iGO My Way 2009 from NNG Global Services of Hungary. By now the turn-by-turn GPS navigation app market is becoming pretty saturated with some very solid offerings from reputable companies already on the table, so any new entrant is going to have to put out something pretty compelling to compete with the established choices — so does iGO cut it? Read on for our review.

Ten things you should do with your new iPhone

Steve — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:14:15 +0000

So you got a new iPhone for Christmas, huh? Lucky you! Learning how to use your iPhone is the easy part, but there are some essential things you need to know to get the most out of your new toy and to make it safe. Here are our ten golden rules.Read More

© Steve for iPhonewzealand, 30/12/2009.
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Post tags: cases, GPS, iPhone Basics, iPhonewzealand, lock, mobileme, passcode, plans, ringtones, safari, sync, turn-by-turn
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Sygic Update Available now

Dan — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:52:50 +0000

Just in…. Sygic version 8.0.1 is available now with a raft of updates.

Festive price-drops for all the major GPS apps

Steve — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:00:23 +0000

‘Tis the season to be frugal, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la! For any of you out there who still haven’t invested in a turn-by-turn GPS app, now might be a good time to treat yourself as all of the major GPS apps for New Zealand are enjoying price-drops for the festive season including Sygic Mobile Maps, TomTom, CoPilot and iGo My Way (a review of which is coming soon as it’s a new release). Hit the link for more details.

$6.49 to enable Text-to-Speech in CoPilot update

Steve — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:28:18 +0000

In a somewhat questionable move, CoPilot have enabled text-to-speech in their recent app update, however there’s a catch… they want you to pay for it.

App Review: NDrive New Zealand….. another turn-by-turn app

Dan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:59:30 +0000

When you think you are done with all the turn-by-turn apps, along comes another. We received a number of tip offs yesterday letting us know that NDrive New Zealand had hit the AppStore. But at a cost of $84.99 how does it fair, is it a Sygic/TomTom/Co-Pilot beater??
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TomTom car kit NZ pricing announced

Dan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:51:49 +0000

Here’s an update we’ve been waiting for (it seems like was ages ago we first announced this). The TomTom car kit for iPhone should be available within a week and the price……..Read More

Sygic update now available

Dan — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:24:39 +0000

Well folks, after only a couple of days and hot on the heels of TomToms release Sygic have released an update as well. Gotta love competition
Head past the read more to see what’s included in this update and hit the link to download.
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TomTom update now available

Steve — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:09:49 +0000

Tips have been flooding in that version 1.2 of TomTom’s iPhone GPS app has just hit the App Store. There’s no doubt that it certainly has some ground to make up against the competition, so do the new features cut it? Continue reading for details of what’s included in the update.

Review: TomTom car kit

jasetaylor — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:03:37 +0000

After months of impatient waiting with little chance of seeing the Tomtom car kit hit the New Zealand retail market anytime soon, I decided to source one via the UK. I had a friend purchase one from the Tomtom UK website and mail it to me in NZ. Hit the link to read my review of the cradle and find out if it’s worth the cash!

CoPilot update has permission to land [updated]

Steve — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:54:03 +0000

We have word from ALK Technologies, the team behind CoPilot, that an update for their GPS navigation app has been approved by Apple and is being rolled-out across the App Store as we speak. Hit the link for the low-down on what’s new in the update and some screenshots.

Competition: Win a copy of Navionics Marine: New Zealand [UPDATED]

Steve — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:30:24 +0000

Here’s one for the boaties! With thanks to good people at Navionics, we have four copies of Marine: New Zealand to giveaway worth $15.99 each. Want to enter or find out more about this app? Then read on! [UPDATED! Now less effort required to win! Joy!]

Google Maps update with built-in turn-by-turn navigation heading to iPhone

Steve — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:18:25 +0000

Ouch. Did you hear that? That was the sound of a hundred hearts missing a beat over at TomTom / Sygic / ALK headquarters. Google has just announced an updated version of Google Maps for Android that includes built-in turn-by-turn GPS navigation that makes use of all the technologies already present in Google Maps such as its satellite imagery, StreetView, and even voice search… all free. And according to TUAW, the iPhone version has been submitted to Apple where it is currently awaiting approval.

Review: CoPilot Live Australasia

Steve — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:00:51 +0000

Yesterday’s launch of CoPilot Australasia was a surprise indeed, but a welcome one. New Zealand typically gets overlooked in so many ways so it’s great to say that we’re now officially spoiled for choice when it come to GPS navigation apps for our iPhones. CoPilot arrives third to TomTom and Sygic Mobile Maps, but does it have what it takes to take the crown?

CoPilot Live Australasia now available on the App Store

Steve — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:03:20 +0000

New Zealand just got a whole new load of GPS navigation love in the shape of CoPilot Australasia [iTunes Link]. Priced at $94.99, the app is another major GPS app in the same vein as TomTom and Sygic and features maps for both Australia and New Zealand. American and European versions of CoPilot have been out for a wee while with Gizmodo even naming it ‘Best Cheap GPS App’. We will be testing the app on the mean streets of Christchurch today and will report back with a full review either this evening or tomorrow morning, so keep your eyes peeled here is the review. In the meantime hit up the ‘read more’ link for the official blurb to whet your appetite!

Breaking: Common sense prevails, law is to be amended

Steve — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:40:34 +0000

We have just received an email from the press secretary to Steven Joyce, Minister of Transport, in response to an email we sent to Andrew Knackstedt of the NZ Transport Agency this morning. In it, we have received confirmation that the Road User Amendment Rules 2009 is to be amended to allow the continued use of GPS Navigation apps in mobiles phones.

Report and Petition: the New Zealand government are about to make your iPhone GPS illegal

Steve — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:48:41 +0000

According to an article on stuff.co.nz this morning, the Ministry of Transport’s Road User Amendment Rule 2009 which will become law in November, will outlaw the use of satellite navigation apps on mobile phones, even if it is mounted to the dashboard.
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Sygic Mobile Maps revisited

Steve — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:34:55 +0000

As reported earlier, a major update of Sygic Mobile Maps 2009 [iTunes Link] has gone live through the App Store today. Weighing in at around 350MB, it’s a fairly hefty download which introduces a good amount of new features and a number of improvements and fixes. One of them – text-to-speech – is an exciting and major introduction which could give it quite an edge over the competition. But how does it stack up in real-life use?

Sygic Mobile Maps update available now

Steve — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:28:05 +0000

It’s been a long time coming but the update for Sygic Mobile Maps 2009 Australia / New Zealand (and international flavours) is now available. We’ll be reporting in-depth on the changes later on today once we’ve had a chance to take them in, but read on for a brief round-up of the changes.

TomTom iPhone car kit – with video

Dan — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:38:33 +0000

We have been receiving a lot of questions about the car kit for TomTom, so we thought we’d get in touch with them to get some answers. Unfortunately at this stage they haven’t given us any details on pricing but have said that they expect it will be available at the end of summer (US). Here’s what they said….Read More

App Review: TomTom New Zealand

Dan — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:43:28 +0000

Well, we’ve had a chance to put it through it’s paces and here it is, the first review of the TomTom iPhone App.

This app needs no introduction and I would suggest that most people have heard of TomTom. They are quite the household name when it comes to Turn-by-Turn navigation and finally the wait is over, from what feels like such a long time ago when it was announced at WWDC in June. Read More

Tomtom New Zealand released

Steve — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:57:34 +0000

The New Zealand version of Tomtom’s turn-by-turn GPS navigation offering for iPhone has been released today. The app is priced at $119.99 and we will be reviewing it in full later on today once have reviewed it now we’ve had a chance to put it through its paces, so keep your eyes peeled for updates.Read More

Sygic Mobile Maps update brings new features

Steve — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:46:23 +0000

Sygic have posted details of new features coming to an update on Sygic Mobile Maps 2009 Australia / New Zealand on iTunes. They include:Read More

Review: Google Latitude for iPhone

Steve — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:00:43 +0000

Let the stalking commence! Yesterday, Google announced the release of Latitude for iPhone. For those unfamiliar with this lesser-known Google application, Latitude is a somewhat controversial app that lets you see the real-time location of your Google contacts, provided they have given you permission. The service is limited to use in just five countries right now – but guess what? New Zealand is one of them!

Review: Sygic Mobile Maps 2009

Steve — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:00:56 +0000

Convergence, sweet convergence. First your iPhone let you chuck out your iPod, your PDA, your dusty old filofax and even your lame netbook. Now, you can burn your road maps and even bin your in-car GPS, thanks to iPhone 3.0 and the introduction of turn-by-turn GPS apps. The first such app to hit The Store in New Zealand is Sygic Mobile Maps 2009, but is it any good?Read More

TIP: Beat the traffic and be on time using your iPhone

Steve — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:33:13 +0000

Ah, winter. Those cold, dark mornings aren’t exactly conducive to getting your arse into gear and getting to work on time, are they? If you’re anything like me you dither around in the morning trying to keep warm and telling yourself “just another minute” before forcing yourself out the door to go to work. And then, as if as punishment from some time-keeping God, you hit traffic. Bad traffic. Or, if you’re bussing, the bus whizzes past you before you get to the bus stop and the next one is 20 minutes away. However with the right tools on board your iPhone, this reality needn’t be yours.
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