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April 17, 2013

Telenay's Scout for Phones Updates Include 3D Buildings and Landmarks, Crowd-Sourced Traffic Information

Personalized navigation provider Telenay, Inc. recently revealed that it will add new features and updates to its free Scout for iPhones and Androids personalized GPS navigation apps later this year.

One feature to look forward to will be 3D buildings and landmarks. The 3D graphics, created using the screen space ambient occlusion technique mainly used in the gaming industry, will showcase nearby buildings and landmarks in major metropolitan cities throughout the United States. This will provide drivers with a better sense of where they are, especially if they are driving in a place they don't know.

"Our primary goal in adding 3D integration into Scout for Phones is to help drivers navigate unfamiliar areas," Ryan Peterson, director of product management, traffic and navigation at Telenav, said in a statement. "With that goal in mind, we are focusing on ease of use, realistic but subtle graphics, and intuitive views. It's about providing drivers with additional context on the road so they can better navigate their surroundings with just a quick glance."

On the topic of updates, drivers will be able to report traffic incidents such as accidents or road hazards as they happen, which will then be integrated into the app's traffic and congestion database so that other drivers can see and change their own routes accordingly. By incorporating crowd-sourced information and adding traffic and congestion information for arterial roadways, Telenay will be expanding its traffic coverage by five times its usual amount.

To provide a more comprehensive view of driving conditions, the app will also update drivers on upcoming traffic and offer faster alternate routes without drivers even having to touch the phone. Moreover, the app will update mid-route so that drivers can see traffic flow information for up to 15 miles ahead. In order to provide faster and clearer images and navigation information, the app will also be updated to include a vector-based traffic display.

"With more than 50 percent of American workers spending at least 20 minutes getting to work each day, traffic is a daily grind for a lot of people," Peterson said in the statement. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve our traffic data and how it's shared in the app. We hope to help alleviate some of the stress of daily traffic for our customers by implementing these updates this year."




Edited by Rich Steeves


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