Hello Empeg Friends,

I've been on a long hiatus from the board, I really miss everyone. I just wanted to update everyone on what I've been up to the past few years. Some years back, there was a great deal of talk about navigation and maps. Since there was a scarcity of good map data, I went out and began contacting the big players in navigation maps hoping to strike a deal to do empeg navigation.

However, this was not to be. The costs for the maps are prohibitively expensive at the time, but it did get me thinking.

So since then, I've decided to go 100% into building a Navigation Device that I could live with. This last week, we released our two new GPS receivers for those out there already with a PDA. In the coming months, we will release our first Navigation PDA. It's a PDA with 224Mb of memory, of which more than half of that will be dedicated to maps and POIs.

I've not made the prerequisite press releases or major promotions yet, as we are quite busy building the company up, setting up the web site, fixing hardware bugs, fixing software, and doing lots of active development. I did put the site up for previewing, for anyone here that would like to take a look and offer any suggestions. Mobile Crossing.

Finally, in the next few weeks, I will be filling in remaining spots on my beta test candidate list for the California area. I'm looking for a few more people who happen to do a lots of driving to do some testing. Selected candidates just have to come by and get set up with a nav PDA.

Anyway, that's it.

Calvin

Looks cool. I've been wanting to investigate handheld navigation after I started driving a nav equiped lexus occasionally. I've PMed you about my willingness to beta test.

"Bluetooth as an accessory" would use the same slot as the GPS right? Does it have a walking or hiking mode? Maps for other countries? (I havn't finished perusing the web site yet, so these may be ansewered)

Matthew

PMed ya.

We do not require a Windows desktop. :-)

Are you in the Bay Area?

Thanks,
Calvin

We have maps of other countries, but I'm still trying to organize the maps for the US in a usable fashion. The POI data is really the biggest problem right now. I have a database of millions of points of interest, and much of it is dirty in one way or another. I haven't figured out a good way to clean up this data in a hurry. If I could, I would have data for other countries out much faster.

Regarding walking and hiking mode. At this point, we only have a few conceptual ideas but nothing developed to handle this. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Calvin

I would love to be a part of it, but I do not live in the Bay area....Can I still Beta test?

When things let up a little and we get a chance to turn the guns on solving the hiking problem, I'd like to really do it right. I'm thinking designing something that uses elevation data, to build isocontour trails on the fly would be nice. A function to calculate the optimum place to get the nicest view, say, from a certain side of a mountain, would be nice. But I don't have the time or resources to attack the problem the right way, yet.

Calvin

Where are you located? I'll be looking for beta testers outside of California after this next testing cycle.

Calvin

I live in Minnetonka, Minnesota...a suburb of Minneapolis....thanks!

If you want someone to test New York and be able to compare it to a Street Pilot III, give me a holler.

Calvin,
I could do some testing in the raleigh/durham area of NC if you need it...

Sean in NC

I live in Northern Virginia if you ever need any testing for that area. And I visit my dad a good bit in Winchester, VA up in the mountains.

Hey, count me in for testing in New Mexico... If you decided you needed to.

I might have missed it on your website, but how much is the Bluetooth GPS? Will you be coming out with an SD card GPS?

I'd be interested to see how your maps for Houston compare to Street Atlas 2004 Handheld. Their maps for some of the newer suburbs are really funny, unless of course you make house calls for a living like me.

hey calvin,

i happen to be a network consultant in the los angeles area. i do about 100 miles of driving a day going to different clients. if you want to beta test with me, it would be great.

Digs on Boston.

Hi,

We don't have any plans to come out with an SD GPS. It would be cool to have, but at the level of production currently, the cost is prohibitive for most people. If your PDA doesn't have a Compact Flash slot, I would recommend obtaining an SD Bluetooth card and our Bluetooth GPS. In the long run, the Bluetooth capability will give you more options. I just talked to our online dealer (everything-mobile.com) and recommended that they obtain some SD Bluetooth cards.

The Bluetooth GPS is $209 special only until labor day.

If you want more information on the Bluetooth GPS, there is a review out.

Thanks,
Calvin

Send me an email (cchu at mobilecrossing.com) with your full contact info, current employment, and what you just posted. I'll send you the candidacy information.

Thanks,
Calvin

Our maps will be better. :-)

are you talking about for all of us?

I'm accepting requests for candidacy. Those chosen for the beta test will know when they get an email back stating that they've been selected. If you're not on the candidacy list there is no chance you can be selected so it won't hurt to drop me an email.

Calvin