I've been thinking about just this same thing, and how I'd go about structuring the solution so that you would not need previously mentioned internet connection. From what I've come up with, should be an easy to build solution once you had the blessing from Google.

 

Yah, I suppose you could download maps from google and burn them to a disk once every 1-3 months.

 

If you give the disc to me, how does my car know it was already installed in your car? Do our cars have internet now too??

I don't buy it...

Did you try it in someone ele's car?? If not, then we need to try it.

 

The updated DVD comes with a dongle that plugs into the service port on your MMCS. It allows only one update to be made from it.

My solution or updating the MMCS?

My solution involves a combination of an initial (or occasional) base disc based on the latest Google Maps data, along with checking/updating maps based on entered routes when your car has Internet connectivity (wi-fi and through your phone's bluetooth). It should be a pretty easy thing to get working, though it would require Google to be onboard (literally and figuratively).

 

TomTom has been doing that for a while. The catch is that not all cell phones support being tethered as if it were a wireless modem.

 

Sure, which is why you'd have the option of doing it through Wi-Fi or occasional bulk updates through DVD-R. The idea being, though, is that when you entered a destination and selected the route, the system would parse through that route against the latest data available to see if there was an update, and automagically refresh any map sections that had newer data on the server than you have in your cache.

the issue with data availability on phones is a completely separate issue. I view it like Pandora Link. If you have an iPhone, this is a killer feature. If you don't, then it's simply not going to be a deciding factor one way or the other. Systems equipped with persistent or ubiquitous network connectivity will have greater functionality.