GPS

Today, Sony announced the immediate retail and online availability of its Sony NV-U73T and Sony NV-U83T portable navigation systems. Announced back at CES 2008, both models focus on safety and have text-to-speech technology, nearly 5 million points of interest with branded icons and preloaded maps of the United States and Canada. They're equipped with SiRF StarIII GPS chips, but the units also have a feature called Position Plus that includes pressure, gyro, and acceleration sensors, which should provide for more accurate positioning even when driving through tunnels and in between tall buildings. In addition, you can perform certain functions … Read more

Of all the odd combo devices on the road today, this one actually seems to make some sense. Portugal-based NDrive has developed what it calls "the world's first GPS navigation system with a breathalyzer," according to NaviGadget.

There are other car breathalyzers that have been developed, of course, including some that prevent the engine from starting if the driver is past the legal limit. But the built-in GPS system might provide additional incentive for motorists to buy one of these portable devices, which appear to be destined for the European market for 200 euros, or about $297. … Read more

It's not often that you get people volunteering to get stuck in traffic. However, that's exactly what happened today in Northern California. About 150 students from the University of California at Berkeley participated a project devised to test the potential of using GPS-enabled, internet-connected cell phones as aids for reporting real-time information on traffic congestion. The test by the university was done in collaboration with Nokia, and the California Transportation Department. Real-time traffic services are nothing new. Services from Satellite companies, such as XM and Sirius, as well as maps from Google and Yahoo provide color-coded estimates of … Read more

This idea is so obvious, no one thought of it until now. Uniden is launching a line of interoperable GPS devices and radar detectors. Uniden's Trax line of GPS devices offer standard functionality, such as route guidance, text-to-speech, and either a 3.5- or 4.3-inch screen. The Trax line uses NavTeq maps, and has what Uniden says is the fastest satellite acquisition among its competitors. Uniden's line of radar detectors is the LRD series, which detects X, K, KA, VG2, Laser, Ultralyte Laser L2, and Pro Laser 3 guns. Apparently, you will be able to plug the … Read more

Garmin makes GPS devices. Garmin makes navigation software and accessories for cell phones and smartphones. Garmin makes cell phones...wait, what? Yep, you read right. Today, the GPS manufacturer took the wraps off its first smartphone at a press event in New York: the Garmin Nuvifhone. It's a GSM/HSDPA mobile that runs on Garmin's own operating system and focuses on, no surprise, navigation. The device will come preloaded with maps of North America (or Eastern or Western Europe for all our international readers) and points of interest. In addition, it offers turn-by-turn voice directions, Google Local Search … Read more

"Have you heard about the new 16-valve Skoda...it's got eight valves in the engine and eight in the radio." The old ones, as they say, are the oldest--and how times have changed since Skoda was the laughing stock of the auto world. The Czech carmaker, which is part of Volkswagen group, has announced that its flagship Superb sedan (that's its name--we'll have to reserve judgment until we see its official unveiling at this year's Geneva auto show) will come with VW's latest hard-drive-based touch-screen navigation system.

The RNS 510 system, which includes … Read more

One of the benefits of portable navigation systems is voice-guided directions, and if you've got an in-car GPS that has text-to-speech functionality, even better. Continuing along those lines, there's a new technology that's just starting to show up in devices now: voice commands. With this capability, you can perform certain tasks with the sound of your voice. Since this is an emerging trend, there are just a handful of units with this feature, including these three from top manufacturers TomTom, Magellan, and Garmin.

Click here to see GPS devices with voice commands.

A company with the unwieldy name of Making Virtual Solid has developed a new way for drivers to follow GPS directions, a virtual line projected onto a car's windshield. The technology, called Virtual Cable, uses existing heads-up-display components and standard GPS navigation systems, but would have to be factory-installed. From videos on the company's site, the system looks very usable, and a big improvement over current route guidance systems. The beauty of Virtual Cable is that it shows route guidance over real streets, as opposed to navigation screens, which show arrows on a map that the driver then … Read more

We've been overwhelmed by all the automotive tech announcements and new products at CES. During our first day, we've seen new car stereos and GPS devices, new services from both XM and Sirius satellite radio, and Ford's play to be the carmaker most talked about at the show. Here are a sampling of blogs we've posted from 2008 CES:

New Garmin Nuvi 800 series features voice commands A new trend in GPS devices lets you enter destinations with spoken commands. The Garmin Nuvi 800 is one of the first to offer this capability.

Eclipse updates its all-in-one navigation system with the AVN6620 … Read more