Announcing the Review Us Contest – Win an iPad!
While there’s a lot of hype about different devices coming out this summer, there is still one device we think is hard to beat – the Apple iPad. Why do we think that? Simply put, iPads are slick, give you access to thousands of apps, are easily portable, and are amazingly FUN! Seriously, what’s not to like?
Now, if you recall, we actually gave one of these beasts away a few months back. To enter, we asked people to take photos of themselves at their favorite location and send them into us. It was that simple and after all was said and done, we ended up receiving a lot of great entries. More importantly, we had a lot of fun putting on the contest and enjoyed giving away the iPad to the lucky winner! In fact, we had so much fun with the contest that today, we’re announcing we’ll be giving away another Apple iPad!
The Prizes
1st Place Prize: Apple iPad 16g
2nd Place Prize: 5th Generation 8GB Apple iPod Nano
3rd Place Prize: Three winners will receive a $25 gas card
3 Steps to Enter
1. Just write a blog post review of TeleNav GPS Navigator, Sprint Navigation, or AT&T Navigator.
- Must be a minimum of 400 words (no maximum limit)
- Must include a general review and a rating out of 10.
- Tips for the review: talk about pros & cons, your experience with it, who you would recommend it for, etc.
2) In the blog post, you must link back to this contest blog post.
3) Finally, just send your blog post URL to KenjiO@TeleNav.com
Entries will be accepted up until June 25th at 11:59pm PST. The winner will be announced on our blog on June 28th!
Note: Please write honest reviews and opinions. Writing a positive review will not increase your chances of winning.
See the official rules here.
Good luck!
Featured TeleNaver: Charles Cooper
“How do you use TeleNav?”
As TeleNav’s social media dude (for the record, not my official title), part of my job is to be the voice of the customer to our company. That’s why when you say something, whether it be here on our blog or on our Facebook or Twitter page, it doesn’t just stop there. A lot of the time, I shoot it on up to the rest of our company, whether that be to a product team or all the way up to our CEO. When you say something, I hear it and I make sure others do too.
As part of my role entails interacting with customers, one aspect of my job I really enjoy is getting know the community around our brand and the individuals who make it up.
“What’s your name? Where are you from? How do you use TeleNav? Coke or Pepsi?” 
These are just some of the questions I was curious about recently so I asked and someone responded. I’d like to introduce you to him.
Meet Charles Cooper, our first (of hopefully many) Featured TeleNavers!
THE BASICS
Name?:
Charles Cooper
What is your occupation?:
I.T. Support Supervisor for a University in Cambridge, MA
Where are you from?:
Central Massachusetts.
Would you consider yourself to be tech-savvy?:
As an I.T. professional I work with technology on a daily basis. I recently made the decision to go back to school and I’m attending my classes online. My alarm clock is Wi-Fi enabled! (www.chumby.com) My car is voice enabled thanks to Ford Sync powered by Microsoft. I’m lost without my smartphone. Technology is in every facet of my life. I’m the person many of my friends and family go to for technology buying decisions or technical support.
HOW YOU USE GPS NAVIGATION
On what devices do you use TeleNav?:
I currently use Sprint Navigation powered by TeleNav on my Palm Pre. I also have a 2010 Ford Fusion equipped with Ford Sync; which I recently found out the Navigation is powered by TeleNav.
What kind of GPS navigation user do you consider yourself to be?
I think of myself as a casual GPS user. I say casual in the sense that I use the technology without thinking about it. If I don’t know where I’m going I don’t worry about it or put any effort into planning how to get there, I just whip out my phone. Once I reach a destination, plans can change…TeleNav adapts with me. TeleNav has become such an integral part of my life that it has become habit. I confident in never having to pre-plan my routes or even carry maps because I know the technology will reliably get me to where I’m going.
When do you tend to use us? 
I use TeleNav pretty heavily for directions and locating POIs when I’m on vacation. Last year I went California for my first trip to the west coast. For me, going to California was like being blind folded and dropped off in some random place. Over a 10 day period, my girlfriend and I traveled up the coast from San Diego to Santa Barbara. We went to Disney World, Hollywood, Laguna Beach, and ate at places like Joe’s Crab Shack and In and Out Burger. We never once looked at a map. Each place we went to, we solely relied upon TeleNav to get us there and never got lost. TeleNav was also able to locate local restaurants by cuisine type in order to fulfill cravings for Mexican food and even find a convenient store when I needed to pick up some Advil for a headache. Without TeleNav on our vacation we truly would have been lost.
When I’m closer to home, I will use TeleNav to find a new restaurant opposed to going to the same local spot. One of the downsides of TeleNav is that I’m never a regular at any particular restaurant. In a single application I can get the restaurant phone number, call them and then get turn by turn directions. My girlfriend and I have two dogs Bailey a golden retriever and Layla a black lab, I use TeleNav to get directions to dog parks.
How many times per week would you guess you use us?
I use TeleNav at least a few times per week. Basically any time I’m going someplace I have never been before.
How long have you used us?
I’ve been using Telenav since 2004. TeleNav came pre-installed on my Nextel Motorola i730. This was my first phone that was GPS enabled. Back then there was no moving 3D map only audio guidance with directional arrows. I’ve used Telenav on the following devices:
- (Nextel) Motorola i730
- (Nextel) Motorola i860
- (Nextel) Motorola i870
- (Sprint) PPC-6700
- (Sprint) Sprint HTC Mogul
- (Sprint) Palm Treo 800w
- (Sprint) HTC Touch Pro
- (Sprint) Palm Pre
What features do you use the most? Do you have a favorite?
I love being able to search for gas by price. Gas prices are expensive and I’ve been able to find gas as cheap as a $0.10 per gallon difference using TeleNav!
What is your most memorable experience with TeleNav?
My sister lives in Virginia and I visit every few years or so. I’m not familiar with the area at all, but my sister is always amazed at how I am able to get around like I’ve lived there for years.
Do you have a name for “her” voice?
When I use Sync in my car I can tell there are two different distinct voices for Sync’s voice command confirmation and the voice for audible directions. I’ve heard that the Sync voice is called “Samantha” and that turn by turn direction voice is “Susan”. Care to comment? 
TECH TALK
What is your next “must buy” gadget or device?
The HTC Evo for Sprint. This device has been dubbed a “Superphone” by many tech blogs. The hardware on this phone is incredible two cameras, rear facing camera is 8 Mega Pixel, HD video recording, 4G, Internet sharing via Wi-Fi, HDMI out and of course it’s running Android. I’ve been looking to make the move to Android for a while because Google and 3rd Party Developers have done some really innovative things with Android.
If you could leave your house with only one gadget, what would it be?
My Palm Pre. It’s how I do business, communicate with friends & family, and stay up to date with what is going on in the world.
How many “gadgets” would you say that you use on a daily basis?
There are a few gadgets I use every single day. Those would be my Palm Pre, Jawbone Bluetooth headset, Motorola S9 stereo Bluetooth headphones and Zune MP3 player.
WORD ASSOCIATION
iPhone = Pretentious
BlackBerry = Entrepreneurial
Android = Conqueror
Windows Phone = Reborn
GPS Navigation = Necessity
FINISH THIS SENTENCE:
The earliest memory I have of the internet is…
My earliest memory of the internet involved AOL and constantly trying to redial to get on and eventually becoming excited when they added new phone numbers to avoid busy signals. Chat rooms and instant messaging were all the rage. I’ve slowly watched my AIM buddy list decline as more and more people switch from instant messaging to social networking sites in order to keep in touch. In the past I would constantly sign in to AIM when I got on a computer, now I go an entire day without signing in but check Facebook multiple times per day from my computer and phone.
The best piece of technology to come out this year (so far) is…
I’d have to say the best piece of technology to come out so far this year is The Palm Pre Plus for Verizon. As a Palm Pre users on Sprint, I’m envious of the Verizon users because they have a device that has more RAM, twice as much storage space and the mobile hotspot application which turns the Pre into a Wi-Fi hotspot!.
Without tech, my life would be…
My life without technology would be pretty disorganized. I use my calendar on my phone to keep me reminded of appointments and meetings. I don’t have anyone’s phone number memorized anymore because it’s all in my phone. I’ve had power outages and I’ve just gone to sleep because I couldn’t do anything I normally do with no access to the internet. Sad, I know.
The first blog I look at every day is…
Engadget! I make it a point to look at Engadget Mobile to stay up to date on the latest mobile technology.
JUST FOR FUN
Which is better: Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi
Which is better: Mac or Windows?
Windows
Favorite food?
Any seafood, but specifically lobster.
Rollercoasters: love or hate?
LOVE rollercoasters. We have a six flags in Massachusetts; I’m hoping to get out there this summer.
What is your favorite TV show?
This year my favorite show is Fringe. I’m also a big fan of The Office & Lost.
———————————————————-
Thank you to Charles for taking the time to answer our questions and sharing his thoughts.
So my question to you is, how do YOU use TeleNav?
Let us know and you may just be our next featured TeleNaver!
Interview with Eric Zeman of PhoneScoop.com
Here on the official TeleNav blog (okay, so there are technically no “unofficial” TeleNav blogs), we’ve been sharing with you our interviews with some prominent writers & bloggers who cover the world of mobile, wireless & tech. Some of the recent posts feature the likes of Bonnie Cha of CNET, Jonathon Nguyen of LifeOnMyMobile.com, and Lisa Gade of MobileTechReview.com.
Today, we are really excited to share with you our next interview in the series. Next up? Eric Zeman of PhoneScoop.com!
New to PhoneScoop.com? Definitely check them out because if you’re into anything cell phones, they have it all covered from mobile devices to carrier info. to all the technology in between. In addition to covering all of the latest mobile news, PhoneScoop.com also features a very useful Phone Finder, a forum where you can get questions answered, and even has a glossary to help you find the definition of that mobile related buzzword (so that’s what haptic means!).
As you can see, PhoneScoop.com features a wide variety of very useful information for anyone looking for information on the wireless landscape regardless if you consider yourself a cell-phone n00b or mobile maniac. Be sure to check them out!
Thanks to Eric for taking to time to speak with us.
Please follow these links to find more on PhoneScoop.com:
Interview with Lisa Gade of MobileTechReview.com
From smart phones to netbooks and all things that lie in between, if you’re able to take it with you, put it in your pocket, and plug it in, MobileTechReview.com has it covered.
Recently at CTIA (okay, maybe not so recently?), we had the great opportunity to speak with the founder of the site, Lisa Gade. In our conversation, we covered a lot of ground, talking about how she got into reviewing mobile devices & applications, life as a tech reporter, her current phone recommendations, and a whole lot more!
Thanks to Lisa for taking time out to speak with us!
For more information on MobileTechReview.com or follow these links:
Jonathon Nguyen Talks Life On His Mobile
Just like most of you out there, I love reading tech blogs. From Gizmodo to GearLive, I probably blaze through about 30 different sites every day looking for the latest and greatest tech news and info. Among the top tech blogs in my rotation is a site called LifeOnMyMobile.com. This is a site that covers all things mobile and wireless and recently at CTIA, I ran into Jonathon Nguyen, one of their top writers. We ended up sitting down in the Sprint EVO 4G launch area where he let me interview him about CTIA, the next big phone, and a whole more! Check it out!
Recent posts by Jonathon on LifeOnMyMobile.com
Bonnie Cha: CNET’s Super Mobile Tech Reporter
Want the latest news on the mobile scene in cyberspace? Need to find a review on that cell phone that just came out? Or do you just want to compare different products based on the features you need? Well a website that would cover all of your needs then is this one you’ve probably heard about called CNET.com.
Recently, we had the great opportunity to get some face time with CNET’s very own super mobile reporter, Bonnie Cha, at CTIA in Las Vegas. We talked with her about a variety of different topics ranging from iPhones, BlackBerries, and CTIA buzz, to surf-tech and her tips for getting the most out of CNET.
Thank you to Bonnie for letting us speak with her!
See Bonnie Cha links here:
- Bonnie Cha on CNET
- Verizon teases HTC Incredible, coming April 29
- Review: Sprint Overdrive Mobile Hot Spot
Video: Bonnie Cha Reviews the HTC HD2
Interview with Al Sacco, Mobile & Wireless Blogger for CIO.com
From BlackBerries to iPhones and everything else that falls in between, if there’s one guy who knows it – it’s Al Sacco, the man who covers all thing mobile and wireless for CIO.com.
Recently, we had the great opportunity to talk with him and during our time, we asked him a lot of questions which included:
- What is his favorite gadget & apps?
- What is one thing people don’t know about life as a blogger?
- Best consumer tech product ever created?
- Most underrated consumer tech product ever?
- Guilty pleasure movie?
- And more!
Interview with Al Sacco, Mobile Blogger for CIO.com by TeleNav
Big thanks to Al for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk with us. To find out more about Al or to find some of his posts, please follow the links below!
A Blogger Lost in Florida
We love stories.
Photo by CameronParkins
Don’t you? If nothing else, isn’t life all about a good stories? Whether you’re talking with your friends about that crazy vacation you went on last summer or about that one time that one thing happened to that one guy, you’d probably agree that there’s nothing better than a truly great story.
For us here at TeleNav, that’s no different – we LOVE stories. We especially love the ones about how the products we work on every day are actually affecting our customer’s daily lives.
That’s why we were happily surprised today when we discovered that Doug Goldring of JustAnotherMobileMonday.com, posted his experience with Sprint Navigation (powered by TeleNav) while down in an unknown area of Florida after attempting to use a different GPS system provided by the car rental company. In it he says:
After about a half hour of driving around, hopelessly lost, I finally found a place to pull into a parking lot, grabbed my car charger out of the trunk, and plugged in my phone. I fired up the Sprint Navigator app (which is powered by Telenav), and away I went.
Thank you to Doug for posting this story (read the full post HERE).
This story and those similar to this, don’t go unnoticed by us here at TeleNav. When we receive or discover a customer story, internally we circulate them around to variety of different people on a lot of different teams – in fact, it’s not unusual for these to go all the way up to our CEO, HP Jin. What may seem like just another blog post to you, is a very big deal to us here because it gives us confirmation here at TeleNav that what we’re working on is helping to make our customer’s lives easier.
Have an experience with our products that you’d like to share? If so, we’d love to invite you to share in the comments below.
7 Words Contest: Let The Voting Begin!
The Voting Has Begun!
So here we are folks – we’ve widdled it down to five finalists and you now get to choose who will win an Apple iPad.
Starting today you can vote for your favorite 7 Words Contest entry and we will continue to take your votes up until Friday, March 19th. After that, we will close the polls and will announce the winner on Monday, March 22nd!
Don’t feel too bad about choosing one over the other though – at this point, they will all walk away with a prize! However, only the one (Neo?) will walk away with an Apple iPad.
Who should that person be? That’s our question for YOU - so get out there and get voting!
Aaron B.
Shawn S.
Robert C.
Tashanna F.
Alexander F.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Voting has now ended. Please stayed tuned as on Monday we’ll be announcing the winner! (And yes, I stayed up till midnight just to close the poll. Time for bed…)
7 Words Contest: The Finalists
And then there were five.
It’s Hump Day folks and as I told you I would be, here I am with the top five photos submitted to our 7 Words Contest. Was it an easy process to pick the top five knowing that one of these folks would walk away with an Apple iPad? Absolutely not. It was very difficult – painstakingly so. In fact,I believe one of our judges even ended up with an injury – a paper cut… So to say that this contest hasn’t taken a toll on us, would not be the truth. But it’s all been worth it because we think we’ve chosen the best of the best of the photos which were submitted to the contest.
So here they are folks – the final five. Now it’s up to you to decide who walks away with a brand new, fresh from the tree, Apple iPad!
On Friday, we’re going to be taking votes for who you think should win our 7 Words Contest and we’ll leave it up till Friday, March 19th. Then on Monday, March 22nd, we’ll announce the winner!
It’s that simple so take a good, long look and evaluate which one you think is the best because now YOU get to choose who walks away with our prize!
Aaron B.
Shawn S.
Robert C.
Tashanna F.
Alexander F.
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