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TomTom has revealed more information about its plans to integrate social networking features into its iPhone and iPad app after teasing users with the news in September last year.

In addition to allowing drivers to automatically alert online friends via Twitter and Facebook when they arrive at their destination (a feature already offered by ALK CoPilot Live Premium for iPhone and Android), the latest version 1.10 of TomTom’s app can also plan routes based on Facebook events and places.

Precisely how this feature will be implemented is still unclear, but it looks like the new version of the app will include simplified Facebook access for checking on friends’ current statuses.

When a Facebook friend checks in at a particular place, TomTom will then be able to use that location data as the destination for a new route, which at least cuts down on the amount of typing it would otherwise require.

How useful such a feature will be obviously depends on how much use you make of Facebook and hopefully there will be an option to disable any automatic “John is using TomTom for iPhone to navigate to Dave at Costa Coffee (Croydon)” Facebook updates…

On a more serious note, the new option to automatically send an estimated ETA message to a recipient via SMS or email is perhaps more useful, particularly in cases where an arrival time is delayed because of traffic problems and it would be unsafe to attempt sending such a message by hand while driving.

TomTom for iPhone costs £49.99 and the new features introduced by version 1.10 of the app will be available as a free update.

[TomTom]