Slashgeo

GPS Tracklog links to a video tutorial on making your own custom maps compatible with Garmin GPSr devices. This type of information is highly useful for any Garmin owner (such as myself!) wanting maps beyond the Garmin Mapsource products.

There is also a link provided to the original Groundspeak forum thread listing tools used, as well as a link to a second video tutorial.

On his blog Niall Kennedy, compares three publicly available mapping APIs and demonstrates that "Yahoo! offered the fastest performance, the smallest total download, and the smallest memory footprint." Update: 08/08 21:01 GMT by S : All Points Blog adds a recent post on the Google Maps API vs Yahoo! Maps API.

Garmin has made another good step toward assisting developers by providing a centralized location listing the various XML formats used in data transfer with Garmin devices.

"General introductions, FAQs, and schema documentation are provided for the various formats."

Formats include Garmin-specific formats (TCX, AXM) as well as formats created by others (GPX, KML).

The Map Room shortly discuss the new MapQuest Beta and its blog. From the blog: "The beta’s upgrades are to MapQuest’s user interface, which was, let’s be honest, so last century; the features are outlined here. The problem is, these features have been offered by MapQuest’s competition for years — it’s October 2007, and only now is MapQuest allowing its users to input addresses in a single input box." All Points Blog also offers their own analysis of the new beta and links to a TechCrunch article. See also previous related stories below.

All Points Blog has an article detailing how Google is slowly gaining ground in the web mapping arena. From their summary : "This [Google Maps up 7%] throttled down MapQuest's lead over Google Maps significantly, falling from 429 percent more visits a year ago to just 126 percent more visits.

Still, MapQuest has more than 50% of mapping hits to Google's 22% and Yahoo's 13% (and dropping)."

For more information, as well as links to the actual article, head on over to All Points Blog.

A few geoblogs covered the announcement by Garmin, traditionally focusing on GPS devices, of a smartphone named Nuviphone [multiple screenshots], due later in 2008. From the Wikipedia stub: "The Garmin nüvifone is an Internet-enabled mobile phone and personal navigation device manufactured by Garmin. It makes use of a touchscreen with virtual keyboards and buttons, similar to Apple's iPhone." It has GPS capabilities, from the PR: "“This is the breakthrough product that cell phone and GPS users around the world have been longing for — a single device that does it all.” The nüvifone is an innovative mobile phone that has a wide range of advanced yet easy-to-use features. The all touchscreen device is the first of its kind to integrate premium 3.5G mobile phone capability with an internet browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and personal navigation functions in one device. When powered on, the 3.5-inch touchscreen display reveals three primary icons — “Call,” “Search,” and “View Map” which allow the user to effortlessly master the nüvifone’s functions." Some related stories below.

After previous API efforts, MapQuest launched a significant update and Free Edition of their new MapQuest Platform. From the announcement: "We've taken nearly all the features of our platform and made them freely available to developers. We believe that Free Edition provides developers a comprehensive toolset and flexible APIs so they can build well, whatever they want. Developers can choose the programming language of their choice and the features they need to build the applications they want, the way they want." It's worthed to quickly look at everything they offer. See also related stories below.

CNNMoney.com expresses a dismal view of Garmin's future. As I read through the article, I heard a voice yelling "Hey, I'm still here!", but no one was listening. As portable electronics get smaller and more, well, portable, single-purpose devices are losing relevance fast. A device that isn't always connected to the great information stream is a second-rate digital citizen these days. "Garmin's going to need more than Google Maps to keep from getting lost in this crowd.", the article says.

I say, Garmin should join Dash and put cell communication in their GPS's. That ought to keep 'em alive a little longer!