TomTom Rider 550: updated forever, even via Wi-Fi [5 THINGS TO KNOW – EPISODE 4]

Increasingly complete, increasingly easier and more connected. We could summarize the guidelines for the evolution of the TomTom Rider like this. In fact, the new features are accompanied by an important development that supports them to make them more usable and this also involves the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection with your mobile phone, in order to make connected services usable. Let's analyze them in detail with the fourth of the five episodes of our #5Things to Know.

Our story, which after having analyzed the appearance, functions and benefits that derive from the use of the new TomTom Rider 550, now dedicates itself to something that is now essential for a high-end product: connectivity. The Rider is equipped with two technologies, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The first is useful above all for the practically automatic download of map and speed camera updates, the other for exploiting the network connection of your smartphone, to make functions available that provide "live" updates, such as TomTom Traffic, for example.

With Wi-Fi, updates become very easy, as well as free for life

Once upon a time, updates were a significant problem, there's no denying it, which hindered the durability of navigators over time. The high cost of the updates, in addition to the need to follow procedures that were not too easy and which required physically connecting the navigator to a PC, could lead to the evaluation of replacing the product, even if it was perhaps still perfectly functional. Now the Rider 550 promises to remain your faithful travel companion for a very long time, without the need to do practically anything. Thanks to the free, without time limits, updates of maps and positions of speed cameras (Tutors, both fixed and mobile), but also of the ways in which they can be downloaded. In fact, an initial configuration is enough to make the Rider 550 able to control and download everything automatically. You will then simply need to take it with you into your home or to an area covered by a previously registered Wi-Fi network (this involves setting the access credentials) and it, without any further steps, will check the availability of the updates (it is possible to also manually) and, once confirmed, it will download and install everything. Alternatively, the physical connection via USB mode is also available.

Bluetooth to make the Rider 550 truly connected

The presence of Wi-Fi is a nice convenience, but while we are out and about on the motorbike, the Rider 550 would hardly be able to access the information necessary to support "live" features, such as TomTom Traffic, in this way. So interaction with your mobile phone, via Bluetooth and a free application that must be installed on your smartphone, opens up a world of new possibilities. All of this always without constraints and costs of any subscriptions, it is free and without expiration. In addition to this, as we have already told you, Bluetooth allows you to access functions of your mobile phone, such as calls and messages, or Google Now or Siri, but also to share a route and access MyDrive. Thus it is possible to plan an itinerary sitting at the PC and send it with one click to the Rider 550, to be ready to go. Or simply send him the destination to reach, or download the track of a route, in GPX format. This allows you to follow, possibly even off road, the road previously saved or found online. It therefore opens up the possibility of setting and following a route chosen based on a myriad of factors, including altitude, tortuosity, but even the difficulty and level of preparation for off-road driving.

Our #5Things to Know we will conclude by talking about a service that uses the Rider 550 connection, TomTom Road Trips, with which you can discover new itineraries and use the navigator to plan your two-wheeled adventures.

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