NDrive launches Android GPS app with turn-by-turn navigation

The Android GPS navigation market is becoming a crowded field, and NDrive has announced that it has will join the crowd with the release of its app into the Android Market. Previously seen on iPhones, NDrive has debuted on the Android Market to compete with Google Maps Navigator and several other GPS apps.

NDrive provides turn-by-turn voice directions, multiple-location itineraries, and marking locations as favorites. It includes other standard GPS features like support for trip planning, quick re-routing to adjust to missed turns, and a points of interest search engine that includes contact information and descriptions of each location.

Maps for various countries are available and range from €25.00 – €45.00 depending on the country. There are also regional maps available for portions of Europe and Africa. Maps are downloaded and run on the phone, making it possible to search and navigate even if a data connection is lost. NDrive is compatible with Android 1.5 – 2.0, so everyone from G1 owners to Hero users should be able access the app (No word on 2.0.1. support but I doubt that anything has changed in that version of Android that would present a problem for most apps).

Here’s a video of NDrive working on iPhone:

NDrive is available in the Android Market. Here is a breakdown of map costs, which can be on the pricey side. Let’s hope the product is good enough to warrant that much money. Visit NDrive for more information and an even bigger list of feature explanations.

Americas

• USA – €25.00
• Canada – €20.00
• Mexico – €45.00
• Chile – €45.00
• Colombia – €45.00
• Venezuela – €45.00
• Brazil – €45.00
• Argentina – €45.00

Western Europe

• Western Europe – €70.00
• Benelux – €45.00
• France – €45.00
• Germany + Austria + Switzerland –  €45.00
• Great Britain and Ireland – €45.00
• Italy – €45.00
• Iberia Premium (Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar) – €45.00
• Portugal – €45.00
• Scandinavia – €45.00

Eastern Europe

• Eastern Europe – €60.00
• Bulgaria – €45.00
• Greece – €45.00
• Hungary – €45.00
• Romania – €45.00
• Russia – €45.00
• Turkey – €45.00

Africa and the Middle East

• Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe) – €70.00
• Morocco – €45.00
• Gulf (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar) – €80.00
• Asia and the South Pacific
• Hong Kong and Macau – €45.00
• Indonesia – €45.00
• India – €45.00
• Singapore and Malaysia – €45.00
• Taiwan – €45.00
• Thailand – €45.00

Australia – €45.00

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Waze launches new holiday contest, language feature, and Foursquare support

I’ve always been impressed by the way that Waze has turned its GPS app into a game. They’ve held several contests and games designed to encourage people to drive around and gather road data, strengthening the driver-sourced maps along the way. Today, Waze added another game for the holiday season, along with support for new languages and integration with FourSquare.

The Waze “Treasure Hunt Contest” incorporates the app’s “road goodies,” which are icons that can earn drivers bonus points in the rewards/ranking program that Waze uses as an incentive to map building. For the holiday edition, winter-themed goodies like snowflakes, candy canes, and gift boxes will spread over maps. If a user notices one of these goodies on his her map, that person will have the option to drive towards it and send data to Waze that improves service in that area. That person will also be rewarded for his/her troubles when driving over treasure chests that can be Waze account bonus points or redeemable unnamed prizes. (More information available at the Waze blog)

Waze also enhances the social gaming factor by integrating with Foursquare. Android users can now “check in” to locations with Foursquare through Waze, which can lead to improved standings and a Waze “Road Warrior” Badge in Foursquare (lost? click here).

Most important of all, the app has translation and language support for more languages. Spanish or Italian-speaking readers will be happy to know that they can now operate Waze and hear turn-by-turn directions in their native tongue. True to Waze’s community-driven approach to map building, the language support is actually the result of users organizing and helping the team translate the app into that language. Waze has a Wiki set-up to encourage translation of any language in their “Operation: Translation” program. Bosnian, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Dutch, Finnish, French, and Russian are in the pipeline, but anyone willing to contribute can start a new language project.

Who wants to take bets on how long it will take for a group of people to try to start a Klingon translation?

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Google Goggles: visual search and augmented reality app for Android

Google has made two announcements today that will add on to it’s already extensive presence in mobile search. Android users can now “Search by Sight” with Google Goggles, a visual search option for Android. Simply snap a photo of a book, landmark, business card, barcode, or artwork, and the app will return Google search results for that item. Google Goggles even includes an augmented reality element for local businesses. When the app is launched facing a business front, GPS and compass technology helps reveal a store name. Tap the name to see more.

UPDATE: THIS APP WORKS ONLY ON ANDROID 1.6 OR HIGHER, SO HERO AND OTHER CUPCAKE PHONES CANNOT USE IT.

Google Goggles is an app that performs Google queries based on images rather than entered text. It will not always perform well on cars, animals, plants, or appeal, but it’s a strong entrance. I’m surprised that this is available because just yesterday I was responding to someone wondering if there was an Android app that could provide a tour guide to an area or contextual information about items in an art gallery. Less than 24 hours later, here’s Google adding yet another layer to its search portfolio.

Google also announced “What’s Nearby” for Google Maps on Android 1.6 or higher. Update the Maps app in the Android Market and you will be able to take advantage of the new feature.

To use the feature just long press anywhere on the map, and we’ll return a list of the 10 closest places, including restaurants, shops and other points of interest. It’s a simple answer to a simple question, finally. (And if you visit google.com from your iPhone or Android device in a few weeks, clicking “Near me now” will deliver the same experience [video].)

Of course our future plans include more than just nearby places. In the new year we’ll begin showing local product inventory in search results [video]; and Google Suggest will even include location-specific search terms [video]. All thanks to powerful, Internet-enabled mobile devices.

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How to remotely lock, wipe, and locate Android phones with WaveSecure

Those HTC “You” commercials remind me that the first thing I do when leaving the house is look for my phone. Before I even grab the car keys or wallet required for me to go anywhere, I instinctively place more importance on my phone. So you can imagine how me or any other Phone First person would respond if I lost my phone. How would I find the phone, backup my data, or prevent others from misusing my it?

A winner of the Android Developers Challenge 2, WaveSecure answers all of those questions. WaveSecure is an app and web service that allows Android users to maintain a link to their phone in the event that it is lost or stolen. By logging on to the WaveSecure website, users can lock the phone to prevent use, track it’s location within a general area, backup SMS/contacts/call logs/media, wipe phone data, and restore data if the phone is found. Here’s a video showcasing how easy it set-up and use WaveSecure.

If WaveSecure doesn’t meet your needs, consider trying the very similar Mobile Defense. We selected Mobile Defense as one of the Top 50 Android Apps.

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