Google unveils its for-free live sat-nav for mobiles.

Google promises free real-time, turn-by-turn directions for people following their phones. The Motorola Droid will be their 1st mobile equipped.

Maps Navigation includes a search engine to find addresses, Street View gives photos of locations and live traffic data make the system state-of-the-art.TomTom mobile sat-nav app now costs up to 67 euro so TomTom warns of lower prices. Stock prices for both TomTom and Garmin fell with Google's announcement. 

Go Google Maps Navigation

PNDs Break Sales Records in Europe

Who ever knew so many of us were so lost? Europeans bought 18.1 million units in 2008 (3 million more than 2007, and up 20%, says GfK. And at the average price of 192 euro, we made up 45% of the world market.

Germany led with 4.375 million PNDs sold, 22% up from 2007. Sales in E. Europe increased by 600,000 to reach 1.5 m compared to 16.6 m in W. Europe (up 15% from 14.5 m the previous year.)

Demand weakened in Q4 2008: Europe saw a 4% decrease for PNDs from same period in last year.

Price levels largely remained stable during the first three quarters of 2008 with an average price of approx. 200 Euros. In Q4 the average price sank to 170 Euros, caused by an increase in retail promotions. This put the yearly average at 192 Euros for the purchase of a PND in Europe.

The price span between the markets with the lowest average price revenue (Great Britain at 164 Euros, Portugal and Spain at 177 Euros) and those others (Belgium: 239 Euros, Czech Republic: 278 Euros and Slovakia: 282 Euros) was vast. With an average price of 198 Euros for PNDs in Germany, this market took a mid-field position.

For 2009 GfK predicts a further increase in demand for PNDs: almost 19 million units inEurope. On the world market, GfK says approximately 46 million devices will be sold.

Go GfK on PND

Bosch sells off their Blaupunkt car stereo unit. Blaupunkt’s aftermarket and audio components business becomes an independent company, while Bosch continues in OEM car electronics.

Proud new owner is Aurelius Group, a German holding company specializing in buying up medium-sized companies in throes of restructuring. Blaupunkt is at CES and will show "the first Internet car radio” (potential competitor to satellite radio, but needs an Internet-enabled phone to receive audio streams.)

Go Blaupunkt

With sales direct to consumers at only 2% of Cisco’s $40 billion business, Cisco wants to add yet another box or two to the home network. Cisco will introduce at CES a line of home entertainment products, including its own wireless digital stereo.

The appeal of the residential market is obvious. HP has updated its MediaSmart Server, a home network appliance for data distribution and backup, and something similar is may be coming from Apple.

Cisco, rich with $27 billion in cash in a recession, has no interest in selling TVs but it assumes that eventually all TVs will connect directly to home networks.

Ultimately, the company says it expects to make the most money by offering home video conferencing. For Big Business, Cisco sells Telepresence rooms to corporations for $40,000 to $300,000 each. Cisco is on record this year saying it will bring a cheaper version to consumers in the very near future.

At CES, Cisco also will show a social networking platform that hooks up entertainment and media artists with fans.

Go Cisco Goes Home, Your Home

Go ECI, for Home Networking Market