TomTom/Google sat-nav first test

By James Baggott

11th March 2008

The best things in life are free! Sat-nav manufacturer TomTom has revolutionised the points of interest (POIs) available via its units by teaming up with online maps service Google Maps – and the new data won’t cost drivers a penny.

Owners of TomTom sat-navs will know there’s a raft of official extras available for their gadget, but expanding the standard POI database is one of the most popular options. The Google Maps tie-in is a big step forward, as it brings the resources of the Internet powerhouse to the dashboard. You need the latest version of TomTom’s Home 2 software for it to work, while the download is large, at 23MB. But consider­ing it’s free, it’s well worth it.

On the Google Maps site, you use the search engine to select a business or loca­tion. The selection comes up with a flag on the map, showing the address, phone and website, where applicable. Once you have made your selection, click ‘send to GPS’ and it uploads the choice as a favourite.

It worked seamlessly, although only the name and co-ordinates are loaded. You don’t get the full address, while a phone number would be handy, too, as many sat-navs have Bluetooth hands-free built-in.