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| TomTom Launch On-Line Route Planner |
Date 3rd December 2008 |
 By Darren Griffin
TomTom have today announced the launch of an On-Line Route Planner service. This free web based service allows you to pre-plan a route and obtain detailed travel instructions and view live traffic conditions before you set-off.
The launch today is in BETA with testing taking place for a select number of testers. If you want to be involved visit the Route Planner web-site and register at http://routes.tomtom.com.
The Route Planner offers door to door planning with IQ Route data and HD Traffic information (Netherlands,
France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK). Routes based on this data will allow you to pre-plan your journeys and see precisely how your route looks.
Currently available in six languages (English, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Spanish) TomTom plan to roll out the service to its world-wide customer base following a successful trial.
I've been 'playing' with this for a few hours now and I have to say it looks and works great, lots of nice little touches, zoom with a scroll wheel mouse, right-click on the map to set your HOME location and start/destination addresses etc and a 'Send to TomTom' feature to import locations into your device via HOME.
UK Snow Road Closures
It's all looking very promising, you can even check HD Traffic issues on the continent (in those countries that have the service of course!).
Some More screen-grabs:
Close-up of a HD Traffic Incident
Plan a Route
Right-click on the map for pop-up menu options
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| Comments
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 Posted by pcaouolte on Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:07 pm |
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Any idea how to install the speed camera database onto it? 
Paul |
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| Posted by Graeme2812 on Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:36 pm |
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I looked up the address and it told me I was already registered and to "Watch my inbox in the coming weeks". Looks like it could be a useful feature as I hate having to plan a route on the small Go screen.
Lets hope the integrate the map overlay with traffic info in the 'Show Traffic' of HOME, as it still only directs you to the 'About' type page for HD traffic.
Could there be an issue for those with conflicting map versions here though? The Tomtom Route planner having the most up-to-date releases and the end user having varying versions. This would obviously cause a problem when importing routes etc would it not?
Could anyone see them making this as part of the Live services when this moves out of BETA? Especially if it contains the HD traffic info.
Interesting comment part way through the video where Mark Gretton comments on how every time someone make a call on there vodafone SIM they can then put that info on the map and determine the speed etc.
Can TT only extract the traffic info from the sim when a call/data packet is in use?
Also interesting how the Holland HD traffic overview was showing all the information like roadworks etc which is missing on the UK HD Traffic.
The route planner does look like a good concept so far however.
Graeme Bennett
Go 540 LIVE
App. 9.510.1234792.1 (2039,04/04/2013)
United Kingdom & ROI v945.6174 |
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| Posted by Darren on Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:41 pm |
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| Graeme2812 Wrote: | | Could there be an issue for those with conflicting map versions here though? The Tomtom Route planner having the most up-to-date releases and the end user having varying versions. This would obviously cause a problem when importing routes etc would it not? |
The planner does not export routes so that's not an issue, it's a planner only. You can export start/end points only.
| Quote: | | Could anyone see them making this as part of the Live services when this moves out of BETA? Especially if it contains the HD traffic info. |
Why, it's going to be a free service for all.
| Quote: | Interesting comment part way through the video where Mark Gretton comments on how every time someone make a call on there vodafone SIM they can then put that info on the map and determine the speed etc.
Can TT only extract the traffic info from the sim when a call/data packet is in use? |
The data supplied by the networks is not call dependent, I haven't watched the video but if Mark said that then it's a mistake or he was simplifying for the benefit if the viewers.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by 1ka on Thu Dec 04, 2008 6:54 am |
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It's going to have to be good to compete with Google Maps. This application is just brilliant.
If you haven't tried it lately, then the ability to plan a route, then grab a point and drag it to a new location as a via is great. It gives dynamic feedback on route length and time whilst you're doing it.
As for POI, Google's full of user generated POI, has pictures and links to Wikipedia. What more could you want. 
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| Posted by wibbly on Thu Dec 04, 2008 7:34 am |
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| 1ka Wrote: | It's going to have to be good to compete with Google Maps. This application is just brilliant.
If you haven't tried it lately, then the ability to plan a route, then grab a point and drag it to a new location as a via is great. It gives dynamic feedback on route length and time whilst you're doing it.
As for POI, Google's full of user generated POI, has pictures and links to Wikipedia. What more could you want. |
They've started showing trffic for the UK too recently. Not sure what adat it's based on - likely to be inferior to the TomTom HD stuff
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| Posted by Tanny on Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:23 am |
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Just registered looking forward to this when i get my chance.
Go 920
App 8.351
GPS v1.20, Boot 5.5120
Western Europe v865.3245 |
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| Posted by navver on Sun Dec 07, 2008 3:44 pm |
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graeme2812 Surely the HD traffic relies on a permanent data connection from your mobile phone to update your go about traffic problems. They will use this to get a fix on where you are.
Tomtom Go520, App 8.010, Map UK&ROI 810.1870 |
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| Posted by Darren on Sun Dec 07, 2008 3:47 pm |
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| navver Wrote: | | graeme2812 Surely the HD traffic relies on a permanent data connection from your mobile phone to update your go about traffic problems. They will use this to get a fix on where you are. |
No it doesn't. HD Traffic uses data collected from every Vodafone handset. It is used to compile movement data and this is extrapolated to calculate traffic patterns, hold-ups etc.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by 1ka on Sun Dec 07, 2008 3:59 pm |
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| wibbly Wrote: | | They've started showing trffic for the UK too recently. Not sure what adat it's based on - likely to be inferior to the TomTom HD stuff |
I believe that it's data from the Highways Agency and only covers motorways. From my experience, it'll be better than TomToms. I recall hitting a 4 hour tail back on the M6 and TT never even mentioned it 
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| Posted by Darren on Sun Dec 07, 2008 4:16 pm |
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| 1ka Wrote: | | I believe that it's data from the Highways Agency and only covers motorways. From my experience, it'll be better than TomToms. I recall hitting a 4 hour tail back on the M6 and TT never even mentioned it |
TomTom's RDS-TMC service used iTIS TMC data. TomTom's HD Traffic service is radically different and a lot more reliable and accurate using real-time data.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by Graeme2812 on Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:32 pm |
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| Darren Wrote: | | ....HD Traffic uses data collected from every Vodafone handset. |
How much of this data to TomTom actually use though?
Not as much as they'll have us believe I don't think.
| 1ka Wrote: | | I recall hitting a 4 hour tail back on the M6 and TT never even mentioned it |
I've seen me sitting in traffic and not had a single mention of it on my 540 either. Hence why why I think the above.
There still missing out information like closed roads that my 730 is reporting. (Several closed roads due to snow reported on the 730 but not the 540.) This leads me to believe there not tracking every Vodafone sim or passing on the same levels of info as SD like they'll have us believe.
Graeme Bennett
Go 540 LIVE
App. 9.510.1234792.1 (2039,04/04/2013)
United Kingdom & ROI v945.6174 |
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