App 9.054 released for GO x40

[mvl]

New app 9.054 has been released for the GO x40.

It updates the interface to the same interface as the GO x50 series, introducing many new features, and rearranging the layout of many screens. For those who want to see how to use the new app, see the European x50 manual here.

 

[mikealder]

Any UK based users need to be aware that this update would appear to break the HD Traffic/ Live connection, plenty of reports seen elsewhere, it is possible to roll back to a previous Navcore though to get the errant services working which clearly points at a bug in this new Navcore - Mike

 

[mvl]

Yes, I've seen those posts too regarding the UK live services. It doesn't seem to impact the USA, as my LIVE services are working fine on app.9.054.

One of the coolest new features on this app is the "favorite destinations" feature, which resembles magellan onetouch. Under startup preferences you can configure up to 5 favorite destinations, which can be routed to with only one tap upon poweron.

 

[vlbaindoor]

Yes, I've seen those posts too regarding the UK live services. It doesn't seem to impact the USA, as my LIVE services are working fine on app.9.054.

One of the coolest new features on this app is the "favorite destinations" feature, which resembles magellan onetouch. Under startup preferences you can configure up to 5 favorite destinations, which can be routed to with only one tap upon poweron.

Oh NO!

This update is offered as a default choice when one connects the 940 device to HOME software on PC and it updates the software and after that the UK Live Services would not be available.

I am getting a scary Red Screen which says there is a problem with my SIM card - Error Code 1008 and I am asked to contact Customer Support.

This is not good - not good at all.

 

[MeninBlackAv]

Error 1008

Should've taken your advice Mike. Updated my 740 to new navcore to find same problem with sim. Have rolled back and all fine again! Does anyone test software before release anymore???
Any news on updates/fixes would be much appreciated.

 

[ftwizard]

What method do you use to roll back to the previous Navcore?

 

[Michael Quinlan]

After a full backup I updated to the new app with no ill effects so far. I'm not too thrilled with the new layout of the status bar, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. On the other hand, I really like the new route summary screen, with the LIVE tab.

My guess is that there is something else in there that we're not seeing yet, as the changes I've seen so far are incremental, yet we've gone from 8.x to 9.x. I'm hoping that this version includes some means of specifying my vehicle type, but is just not visible because the current maps don't support such a feature. I have this in mind because within the last year, when entering map corrections, the older software asked me to specify my vehicle type.

This idea isn't coming out of the blue... I'm looking back to when ALG required both 8.x software and 8xx maps, and hoping that 9xx maps will make new functionality available with this software.

 

[mikealder]

Sorry to disapoint but you will need a TomTom Truck map which is supplied with a special version of Navcore for any sort of vehicle profiles such as weight/ height etc, the standard automobile maps don't offer the vehicle profile options even with Navcore 9 - Mike

 

[Michael Quinlan]

Oh well, the anticipation was fun while it lasted.

 

[mvl]

My guess is that there is something else in there that we're not seeing yet, as the changes I've seen so far are incremental, yet we've gone from 8.x to 9.x.

I don't expect any surprises. App 9.x was installed with the GO x50 lineup in Europe last fall, and the new features in the GO x50 press release were LIVE snapshot, frequent destinations, and Ecoroute.
- LIVE snapshot is the route summary/LIVE tab that you already noticed, and I agree it's a big improvement over app 8.x.
- Frequent Destinations is the OneTouch-like item I discussed earlier
- And Ecoroutes is now selectable on the new app, although I have yet to find a single route in the USA where Ecoroute didn't match fastest route.

Other app 9.x improvements like favorites retention with new maps, and alphanumeric street numbers (with the appropriate map) should be included in the upgrade too.

 

[mvl]

What method do you use to roll back to the previous Navcore?

See here for downgrade instructions.

 

[vlbaindoor]

Any UK based users need to be aware that this update would appear to break the HD Traffic/ Live connection, plenty of reports seen elsewhere, it is possible to roll back to a previous Navcore though to get the errant services working which clearly points at a bug in this new Navcore - Mike

I had copied the entire contents of the "internal" drive - as it gets mounted while I plug the device onto a Ubuntu (Linux) PC. I had copied them into a new directory on the Ubuntu PC. I do this quite often on a regular basis.

After this disastrous 'Application' upgrade, I mounted the "internal" drive again, deleted everything on the drive and then copied back all the files I had copied back onto the Tom Tom. After powering on the device again, I found the device in good working order. Though I must admit that I had to do this more than once to get it all right. I suspect that there are some hidden files (which did not get copied earlier).

The new buggy Navcore software seems to change the basic behaviour of the Tom Tom - in that the touch screen seems to get very sensitive and selecting specific option was quite difficult - for example what I believe is one touch on the right hand corner seemed to bring up the "Summary Map of Route" screen over and over again - it is as if there is some kind of keyboard bounce and the touch was being treated as being more than one touch. This was the second most important bug that I could not live with - apart from the 'live' services being unavailable - which was the most important bug.

Anyway, now I am back to the good old 8.x navcore and everything works as before.

 

[mikealder]

This only applies to UK users, the only reason to bother with V9 on your x40 device as it currently stands is IF your Live services have expired as you won't miss anything. If you do have working Live services DO NOT "Update" the device, the update will break the units ability to connect to the Live servers - Mike

 

[vlbaindoor]

This only applies to UK users, the only reason to bother with V9 on your x40 device as it currently stands is IF your Live services have expired as you won't miss anything. If you do have working Live services DO NOT "Update" the device, the update will break the units ability to connect to the Live servers - Mike

I had mentioned this before, but seems to have gone un-noticed. Whoever is still using the new software what are your re-actions to the following:

The new software seems to change the basic behaviour of the Tom Tom - in that the touch screen seems to get very sensitive and selecting specific option was quite difficult - for example what I believe is one touch on the right hand corner seemed to bring up the "Summary Map of Route" screen over and over again - it is as if there is some kind of keyboard bounce and the touch was being treated as being more than one touch.
This was the second most important bug that I could not live with - apart from the 'live' services being unavailable in the UK - which was the most important bug for me in UK.

Have any of you found this 'undocumented feature' (read as bug) ? Or is it just me?

 

[wygde3]

I can confirm that I get the same sensitivity. I noticed it when I hit Navigate and all of a sudden it was calculating a route to my home. I realised that Home is in the same place on the screen as Navigate (once you've hit Navigate) so it looks like if you are a bit heavy with your finger it takes it as a continued press.

 

[vlbaindoor]

I can confirm that I get the same sensitivity. I noticed it when I hit Navigate and all of a sudden it was calculating a route to my home. I realised that Home is in the same place on the screen as Navigate (once you've hit Navigate) so it looks like if you are a bit heavy with your finger it takes it as a continued press.

Yesterday I had to drive around in an unfamiliar town and was trying to go to an office - but having reached there found that there is absolutely no car parking facility for visitors there - so I was left with no other alternative than go round look for a parking place close by. I ended up far away than I wanted to be so I had to get back to the office building so I wanted to navigate back to the office building and I had exactly the same experience.

I press on the Navigate icon and it starts navigating to home and it was quite annoying to get it to ask me for where to navigate - it kept on repeating the same 'navigate to home' thing over and over again.
Remember I was walking with this Tom Tom in my hand, bright sunlight on the screen did not help me see what was on screen either.

The other problem I found was the Tom Tom had some trouble getting the GPS satellite signal - I had to park indoors where the signal was not there, but even after coming out into the open, the device had trouble locating GPS signal. With old software I never had this problem.

So my over all experience with the new Navcore 9.x software has been "Pretty Annoying"

So I reverted back to my old trusted Navcore 8.x software.

 

[canderson]

When reporting the problem to TomTom (assuming you do), please advise them that the issue is a lack of adequate "debounce" - don't use the word "sensitivity" -- it'll probably just throw them off.

 

[wygde3]

Ah, debounce? Where do we get these words from?

 

[wygde3]

Debounce issue logged with TomTom. Not sure if/when i will get a reply as they still haven't come back to me on the Traffic HD issue for the 740 Live that I have.

 

[canderson]

Ah, debounce? Where do we get these words from?

Like many such words ("dialing" a phone number comes to mind), it comes from ancient history. Back in the day, keyboard buttons and the like were real mechanical contact devices. When you pressed one, it created continuity between two sets of spring metal contacts under the key. All the while, a computer was scanning those keys to see if any of them had been pressed, and subsequently released. When pressing the key, especially when done quickly, the mechanical contacts had a little "bounce" to them - or would appear to bounce if they were dirty. This would be seen by a fast processor as pushing the key, releasing it, and pushing it again - even though you were only pushing down. Instead of getting one "A" on the screen, you'd get "AA" or "AAA" (assuming you even had a screen!) Even gold contacts, while improving the situation, could produce this effect.

So the guys doing the embedded firmware got smart and added code that waited to look for a key release for a finite amount of time, avoiding the sense that you'd pushed the key multiple times. Once the processor saw contact being made, it delayed looking again right away - the period of the contact bounce as determined by the guys with the o-scopes, plus a little margin.

The firmware for doing this was the "debounce routine" and is still applied to various kinds of switches in electromechanical devices.

The analog in a touchscreen is that while you think you are just pressing down on the material, there are variations that occur just as you begin to press where the processor says "He's pressing a place on the screen - no he's not - oh yeah, he is." As a result, it sees 2 presses (like two "AA" on the screen from a keyboard) when you only intended one.