Navigation Maps Update Questions

On this note there's Police: Google Maps giving dangerous directions, too | Internet & Media - CNET News. And, Samsung's taking a jab at Apple (no surprise): Samsung knocks Apple Maps in Sydney marketing stunt | Apple - CNET News.

 

The manager in charge of Maps at Apple was fired, and now Apple has to do damage control.

 

WWSJD

 

For all the noise about iOS 6 maps, one can now use Google Maps again. It's at Google Maps for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad on the iTunes App Store. I just downloaded it.

It has turn by turn directions w/voice prompts and has "brought back" street view and public transit directions.

 

lol, this post came to my email address at the same time jay leno mentioned it oooooooooooooo

 

^^^
LOL! I have a season pass for Leno on my TiVo. I don't watch it much but I guess I'll check it out tonight. It's only 8:46 pm here.

 

Can we stay on topic here? It's a Prius chat room -- not an iPhone-bashing, Google, Garmin, TomTom, etc., chat room.

I bought a PiPA in early November 2012 and noticed the HDD's map version was something like spring of 2012 (don't remember exactly). But I am very much interested in learning if there's a map update available for the PiPA, and if it's free vs. $$.

If someone has relevant information on Navigation Map Updates for the PiPA (or even PiP), please contribute.

 

I think you should just visit your nearest dealer.

 

Alright, great news. Called three different dealers.
First dealer (Berkeley) thought I wanted to upgrade my MATS instead of my MAPS and sent me to the parts department. After waiting on silent hold for a minute, I hung up.
Second dealer (Walnut Creek) thought I wanted the DVD, even though this car doesn't have DVDs. Asked him to check anyway, he said the updates come out once every 2 years, so there's no info about a 2012 model yet (this was what I basically suggested months ago when it first came up).
Third dealer (Oakland) wasn't available and I left a message with a service advisor. Maybe he'll tell me that it's free and updates OTA?

btw, this is why I was so surprised when getting my USB Entune update at the dealer took a total of 10 minutes. I'm used to this kind of IT incompetence from dealers so I was really surprised at the time. This experience just showed me that nothing has really changed.

 

Toyota Map updates come out annually, in November.

 

so.....November has come and gone.....anybody get the Toyota Map?

 

So I went to Berkeley Toyota in person today. A few thoughts
-service guys are clueless about this. Don't even bother talking to them about it.
-parts guy actually knew what he was talking about. Apparently, the updates still come on DVDs even though the car stores the data on flash drives. The price for an update is $200 regular, $169 with coupon. Apparently for last year's update, Toyota required all dealers to charge $169 and no more. That requirement wasn't "enforced" this year, so the manager decided to hike the price.
The parts guy also mentioned that "major" updates occur only once every 2 years and that even though there is a fresh update that just came out, he thought that some of the part numbers hadn't changed from last year.
What a mess. I also liked how he attempted to make it seem like $200 was a great deal because for "previous generations" it used to be $250. Also, the price includes just the part, you have to perform the upgrade yourself (or pay the service department to do it).

 

How can I tell which version / year maps are on my base model?

 

No idea. There should be a way but I have yet to find it without some special maintenance/service mode.

 

Seen on another forum:

To check the map version press SETUP button, touch GENERAL and scroll down to SYSTEM INFORMATION and select that.

And from Toyota (August 2012):

Toyota vehicles equipped with Navigation receive the latest map data available at their time of manufacturing. Because Toyota has not yet issued first map updates for the Display Audio system with Navigation and Entune, we can advise that all Toyota vehicles equipped with this system are currently running the latest map data that is available.

Toyota publishes updated map software on an annual basis, and we issue upgrade discs to our dealerships in Fall of each year. Because the Display Audio system is a new design that does not use a DVD-ROM for its map software, Toyota is preparing a new distribution method for your vehicle's future map updates. Details will become available through your dealer's Parts department in the coming months. Please speak with your Toyota dealer's Parts Manager beginning in or around October to discuss when map updates for the Display Audio system will become available.

 

Oh my god thank you. This makes much more sense. Goes to show you that even the guy who seemed to know what he was talking about which just putting out BS.
Thanks!

 

Not too much of a surprise there, sadly, but it's now almost January - where's the update?

 

Pip was supposed to become available in Canada like in August and people got their first deliveries this month. I wouldn't hold my breath.