TomTom launches file-sharing service

You don't often get something for nothing. However, TomTom has launched a free content-sharing website for users of its GPS navigators.

The website allows one user to upload content, such as their unit's personalised start-up image, and then other folk can download it onto a TomTom. The manufacturer said users will have access to all sorts of content, including warning sounds and funny navigation voices.

TomTom's website allows users to download and upload content

Crucially, users won't be able to download regional maps for free. However, they will be able to download corrections to existing maps or overlay routes suggested by other users. Points of interest locations can be downloaded. A star system also allows users to rate the quality of content on the website, which sorts uploaded content according to its download popularity.

To access the site, users must connect their TomTom to a PC via the manufacturer's Home application. This then gives them access to the various forms of content, which they can either rifle through and download from or upload to.

Navman's been doing this for some time, through its NavPix system, and other satnav makers offer similar services - all of them out to find new ways to grow their products' feature lists now that the hardware does pretty much everything a traveller could want.

TomTom's content-sharing platform is available now here.