Whereis Navigator GPS for phones gets live traffic information

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 24 March 2009 10:48

Your IT - Mobility

A new feature adds traffic intelligence to Telstra's turn-by-turn Whereis Navigator service for selected mobile phones.

Telstra launched the Whereis Navigator service back in 2005. Complete with voice guidance, it's an alternative to stand-alone GPS car navigation systems, and the subscription model means you get the latest data available without having to shell out for new maps every year or two.

Various improvements have been made to Whereis Navigator since its debut, and the latest is the incorporation of live traffic news. The service now routes drivers around trouble spots.

"Drivers are now able to keep their eyes on the road whilst Whereis Navigator automatically re-routes them around high-impact traffic incidents, providing users with a hassle-free driving experience," said product manager Layla Foord.

The traffic feed comes from the Australian Traffic Network, which also provides information to TV and radio stations.

This new feature is roughly equivalent to the TMC-based SUNA traffic update service broadcast via FM radio and usable by GPS navigation devices from several leading manufacturers. SUNA currently covers Melbourne and Geelong, Sydney, and Brisbane and parts of south-east Queensland.

The price of Whereis Navigator remains at $A15 per month or $A4 per day. A free seven-day trial is available.

Whereis Navigator - including the live traffic feature - works on various mobile phones including the BlackBerry Pearl, Curve, Huron and Bold; the HTC Diamond and Touch HD; the iMate 8502 and 9502; Nokia N85; Palm Treo Pro; and Samsung i617T (Blackjack 2).

The Nokia N95 and N96 work with Whereis Navigator but do not support the traffic information feature according to Sensis officials.