Here’s a rather rather cool idea from the TomTom folks. An update available today to the TomTom iPhone nav apps (price varies depending on countries covered) allows you to edit the information on your maps and then submit those changes for others to access using what TomTom calls Map Share. This feature is also present on many dedicated TomTom GPS units.
Map Share lets users edit street names, set driving directions, and block and unblock streets directly on the maps, and then share those changes with the TomTom community. Once the changes are verified, everyone gets updated maps. The updates come automatically once a week, or you can force a check on demand.
That feature should go along way toward answering complaints that navigation apps like TomTom’s, with built in maps, are never as accurate as apps that provide navigation data on the fly. Of course, even freshly downloaded maps can be out of date, so that really isn’t a very compelling argument.
The TomTom nav apps are on sale for the holidays. The US version is US$39.99, while a North American version covering the US and Canada is $49.99.
TomTom adds Map Share so users can update their own maps originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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