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March 17, 2009 2:28 PM PDT

Alpine PND-K3msn hits the road with MSN Direct

by Bonnie Cha

Alpine PND-K3msn

(Credit: Alpine Electronics)

On Tuesday, Alpine Electronics announced that it is now shipping its latest in-car GPS, the Alpine PND-K3msn. The device offers a lot of the same navigation features as the Alpine PND-K3, including text-to-speech functionality, integrated Bluetooth, and highway junction view. The main difference between the two models is the addition of MSN Direct services.

MSN Direct brings real-time information to the PND-K3msn, such as real-time traffic, weather forecasts, gas prices, and movie times. There's also a "Send to GPS" feature that lets you find addresses and businesses from your PC on Live Search maps and then send them wirelessly to your GPS.

With the purchase of the PND-K3msn ($299.95), you get a three-month complimentary subscription to the MSN Direct services, but after that you will have to pay $49.95 per year or a one-time fee of $129.95. Also, be sure to check out the coverage map to make sure you can get the services in your area.

Bonnie Cha is a senior editor for CNET, covering smartphones and GPS. When she's not testing the latest gadgets, you can find her chasing after her crazy lab or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California. E-mail Bonnie.
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About Miss Direction

Bonnie Cha is a senior editor at CNET.com, covering PDAs, smart phones, and GPS. Though she didn't grow up in an era where GPS was widely used or readily available, she really wishes she had. Perhaps then she wouldn't have gone through the horrifying experience of her dad putting the car in reverse on busy I-95 just to make the exit for Disney World. In Miss Direction, Cha answers your questions about GPS, discusses the latest industry news and trends, and shares her tales from the road.

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