There’s nothing wrong with Alpine’s new £250 PND-K3 Portable Navigation System, which was first unveiled at CES this January, there just isn’t anything too stand-out either. The unit runs a 4.3-inch screen, sports maps of North America and related islands, includes a 3D view and 6 million points of interest, vocalizes turn-by-turn directions and street names, does Bluetooth hands-free and has moderate MP3 and WMA capabilities off its SD card slot. The “big” feature here is menu and map customization via 8 selectable color schemes, but the lack of live traffic info this price range isn’t winning Alpine any points. If you’re finding all this appealing, you should be able to pick one up as of today.
Built-in breathalyzers haven’t become quite the mainstay that many other features have in GPS units, but it looks like they’re starting to become a bit more common, with AVMap only the latest to debut a navigator that promises to tell you if you’re fit to drive or not. Apparently, its new Geosat 6 Drive Safe navigator is a standalone version of the built-in option that was available on Peugot’s 107 “Sweet Years” edition car, with it boasting the same 4.8-inch touchscreen, built-in Bluetooth, and text-to-speech features as before. No word on a price just yet, unfortunately, and it seems safe to assume that this one will only be available in Europe.
Here’s a nice little idea from Sony to give its in-car navigators a bit of added appeal.
Upcoming devices as well as current models with upgraded maps will be able to offer information on petrol prices of local garages.
With fuel costs at an all-time high you can save quite a bit by filling up your tank at garages that charge a few pence less per litre, so getting this sort of information on the move, particularly if you travel a lot, could mount up to noticeable savings over the course of the year.
It’s unclear how well integrated this is at present, but much like many new tweaks and gimmicks on satnav devices, it’s rare to see one company produce something unique without the others following suit.
If you didn’t know already you can already check the prices of garages in your area from your computer using the PetrolPrices.com website, so if you’re keen to avoid paying over the odds you can try this out from the link below.
As if the iPhone 3G launch could really have any more misinformation floating around, we’ve got yet another tidbit that needs clarification. Shortly after Apple’s second iPhone was announced, out flew a report from Reuters suggesting that TomTom already had iPhone navigation software ready to go. French site Mac Generation was able to get ahold of TomTom spokesperson Yann Lafargue, and here’s the gist of what he had to say. First off, the aforementioned Reuters statement was said to be inaccurate, though he did affirm that an iPhone version of the software was running in the labs and working “pretty well.” Unfortunately, the question of “will you guys ship this for the iPhone?” was answered with a “We don’t know” style response, but he did clarify that the questionable SDK verbiage we saw wasn’t an obstacle at all. Click on the image to check out the full interview — hope you’re fluent in French and / or machine translation!
The Binatone T430 adds extra justification for having a PND in the car by combining two technologies in one. By adding a colour rear view camera function, Binatone has met two consumer demands in one package providing huge savings over their discreet alternatives. The full featured turn by turn PND automatically switches over to rear view mode when reverse gear is selected. A full installation kit is supplied for the camera, which has been designed for mounting under or over the rear number plate using the existing screw holes. The camera is linked wirelessly to the system on the dashboard but is connected by cable to a reversing light on the car to provide a power source and trigger to the camera.
The T430 is the first Binatone system to feature Navigator 7.0 high performance software. Although easy to use for beginners, advanced features such as personal data management, advanced route planning and the ability to create and export track logs offer professional driver features. The T430 includes Bluetooth for hands-free call handling. Mapping covers the UK and Ireland with a full European map upgrade also available. The software includes safety camera locations and plays MP3/MP4 files from the SD card slot.
Binatone continues to expand its sat nav range with the launch of the C350BT PND with integrated Bluetooth for use as a hands free speaker phone – and all for under £100!
When connected wirelessly to a mobile phone, the sat nav screen automatically converts into a keypad when receiving incoming calls. Similarly, the keypad can be used to dial out. The speaker is turned on and off (to accept or disconnect calls) by pressing one easily accessed button on the system.
“Although this is not the first system of its kind, we expect it to be the best priced on the High Street,” explained Adrian Green, Binatone Sales and Marketing Director. “With a suggested retail price of £99.99 we want it to encourage people to try the Bluetooth feature and use it as a ‘2 in 1’ device. Even though we are now introducing more sophisticated products to our sat nav range, it is still our policy to offer great value for money.”
The unit is slim and light and includes the latest Sirf Atlas III chipset for fast satellite signal connection. It features Navigator 7.0 high performance software which is easy to use but also offers a range of more advanced features such as: personal data management; advanced route planning; create and export track logs; save and load planned routes.
Other features include: UK and Republic of Ireland maps which can be updated to pan-European coverage Pre-installed safety camera locations Hundreds of thousands of Points of Interest Full UK seven digit postcode search Slim design and 3.5″ wide screen touch-screen LCD 2D/ 3D navigation Picture viewer via SD card slot Integrated rechargeable battery
New TomTom GO range features unique IQ Routes™ technology and Advanced Lane Guidance ~
– TomTom, the world’s leading portable navigation solutions provider, today announces the retail availability of its new flagship range:
• TomTom GO 930 Traffic: SRP £399.99 inc VAT
• TomTom GO 730 Traffic: SRP £329.99 inc VAT
• TomTom GO 730: SRP £299.99 inc VAT
• TomTom GO 530 Traffic: SRP £279.99 inc VAT
• TomTom GO 530: SRP £249.99 inc VAT
The TomTom GO x30 series comes with a fresh new look and high quality user interface. It features TomTom’s award-winning software, the latest navigation features and content including IQ Routes™, Advanced Lane Guidance and Map Share™, as well as Bluetooth® hands-free connectivity. Drivers also have easy access to detailed traffic information through the RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver, which is included in the box in the Traffic models.
TomTom’s innovative new IQ Routes™ technology provides users with the most efficient route planning on the market today. It considers all possible options to its final destination, taking into account any situations that may delay a driver’s journey, such as traffic on roundabouts, speed bumps or traffic lights. It also takes into account the traffic situation on weekends and weekdays, ensuring the TomTom GO always selects the fastest route, putting drivers back in control of their daily route planning.
The new TomTom GO x30 series will replace the current TomTom GO x20 range (GO 520(T), 720(T) and 920T). The products are available in stores now across the UK.
Coming soon: The first hybrid navigation system that combines the power of an in-dash device with the convenience of a portable system.
The NavGate AVIC-F500BT lets you add fast, accurate and reliable navigation features and extended entertainment options to your car without having to change your existing audio system.
Designed to integrate with virtually any factory audio system, NavGate “sits” on your dashboard, relaying route guidance, phone conversations and audio through your car speakers, acting as a gateway to bring you:
Reliable, accurate navigation with traffic alerts (TMC)
Bluetooth compatibility to give you wireless, safe phone use whilst driving
A complete entertainment hub with iPod, USB and SD-card compatibility
Increased safety with voice guidance and Text-To-Speech support
The system will be available throughout Europe in the Spring.
If you’ve ran smack into any flavor of foreign object while waiting impatiently for your navigator to “recalculate,” you’ll likely be salivating for Sanyo’s latest duo. The NVA-MS1280DT and NVA-MS1180DT each feature a 4GB SSD drive (though the former adds a 4GB SD card and DVD support), a 7-inch QVGA display, 43-watt x 4 internal amplifier, MP3 / WMA / AAC playback, a 1-seg TV tuner, 3D maps, FM tuner and iPod support. In all seriousness, the SSD is bundled in not so much for its speed, but for its reliability — either way, we can’t help but be enamored. Both units are slated to land in June for ¥181,650 and ¥155,400, respectively, so it’s fairly easy to see those solid state discs aren’t being thrown in gratis.
