Navigon MobileNavigator iPhone Update Adds Social Media – 3D Terrain Views and MyRoutes

Navigon announced today an update for their iPhone MobileNavigator application.  We reviewed both the iPhone and Windows Phone version of the Navigon MobileNavigator earlier. The iPhone version has been around a little longer and had some minor updates.

The latest update adds Social Media connectivity. A simple tap on a icon will post your current location and your ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) without leaving your navigation screen. The social media account that work with the application are Twitter and Facebook.

Another update which is part of the free upgrade are the Navigon MyRoutes. This feature will analyze driving habits, patterns, location, time/day and provides up to three routes clearly displayed in-map with ETA, distance and driving times for each.

The Panorama View 3D will give you an orientation of your surroundings. The information comes from NASA’s height and terrain data. This added feature will be available for $9.99 in the app store.

Below is the full press release

NAVIGON Announces iPhone App Update with 3D Terrain Views, Social Media Integration and Intelligent Routing

First Navigation App to Integrate Twitter and Facebook Functionalities

 Macworld Expo and Conference, Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA (February 9, 2010)—NAVIGON AG, the leading provider of mobile phone on-board navigation, today announced a significant update for MobileNavigator, the most feature-rich navigation app available on the iPhone platform. Extending comprehensive functionality, the update adds three innovative features: in-app Connection to Facebook and Twitter, Panorama View 3D with 3D terrain views powered by NASA data, and personalized route delivery via NAVIGON MyRoutes, an intelligent direction provider. NAVIGON is showcasing the update prior to its launch in spring at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, February 11-13, booth #575.

 “NAVIGON, an industry first to launch an on-board navigation app on the iPhone platform, remains ahead of the competition by consistently delivering first to market, full-feature updates. Apple’s App Store is ideal for delivering our latest innovations to our users,” said Gerhard Mayr, vice-president worldwide mobile phones & new markets, NAVIGON. “The upcoming fifth version not only redefines routing capabilities on the iPhone platform but also integrates social media connectivity, and outstanding, reliable 3D environment views.”

 Further enhancing the proficient iPhone connectivity capabilities, MobileNavigator allows users to broadcast current position, destination and ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) to favorite social media outlets, Twitter and Facebook, without navigation interruption. The easy access in-app icons seamlessly launch and the Twitter feature automatically limits input to the maximum 140, and provides a character countdown.

 Complementing the elegant iPhone UI, Panorama View 3D delivers 3D map views through digitized cartography rendered from NASA’s height and terrain data. The full 3D view delivers an accurate depiction of surrounding environment, and what lies ahead with digital landscapes that include elevations, shadows, and geographic images. Panorama View 3D is integrated in-map, independent from the phone’s data connection.

 NAVIGON MyRoutes takes personalized route recommendations to a new level with intelligent, customized direction planning. The feature analyzes individual driving data and designs customized routes. Up to three choices with distance and ETA are clearly displayed in-map for each. One primary recommendation based on the user’s driving habits, the day of week and time of travel is provided and the additional two alternatives provide options to choose a preferred route.

 MobileNavigator transforms the iPhone into an inclusive navigation device that relies on the GPS receiver, independent from a cell or wireless signal, to provide the most feature rich on-board navigation application. MobileNavigator offers a familiar, yet streamlined user interface that offers intuitive visual feedback and readily accessible connected features, which takes the efficiency of mobile navigation to new heights. It is the only on-board iPhone navigation app available that includes Google Local Search, Reality View™ Pro, branded in-route POI’s, seamless in-app iPod controls, enhanced pedestrian mode, Traffic Live, and soon in-map social media connectivity in one application.

 NAVIGON is dedicated to delivering premium navigation software for multiple mobile phone platforms. The company recently launched MobileNavigator for Windows Phone and announced an application for Android phones. According to the latest market data from Canalys, NAVIGON is the industry leader of on-board/perpetual navigation solutions for mobile phones in the U.S. with a market share of 23 percent.

 Version 1.5.0 Feature Highlights:

 Connection to Facebook and Twitter: A simple icon tap posts users current position, destination, and ETA without navigation interruption.

 Panorama View 3D: True 3D in-map views obtained from NASA’s height and terrain data enable intuitive orientation of surrounding environment, and what lies ahead with digital landscape elevations, shadows, and geographic images. Panorama View 3D is integrated in-map, independent from the phone’s data connection. The Panorama View 3D feature will be available via an In App Purchase.

 NAVIGON MyRoutes: Analyzes driving habits, patterns, location, time/day and provides up to three routes clearly displayed in-map with ETA, distance and driving times for each.

 Pricing and Availability

MobileNavigator is available for $89.99 in the Apple App Store and is equipped with maps of North America from NAVTEQ®. Special Macworld promotion: MobileNavigator for $69.99 and one time in-app purchase Traffic Live for $19.99 (regularly $24.99) from February 5-15. Panorama View 3D will be available via an In App Purchase for $9.99.

 Besides being available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, the NAVIGON app also runs on first-generation iPhone or an iPod Touch. Additional accessories are required for GPS navigation on these devices.

 For more information, please visit: www.navigon.com/iphone.