Jan 13

SPOT Assist: Worlds First Satellite-Based Roadside GPS Safety Network

Posted in: gps, navigation, satellite, Today's Chili

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Born of the satellite solutions provider Globalstar Inc, the SPOT Assist roadside GPS safety network is positioned to give OnStar a run for its money.

The company says that it is the world’s first satellite-based roadside GPS safety service. Unlike OnStar — a cellular based emergency system offered electively on GM models — the SPOT Assist relies on GPS tracking and satellite communications. Its Track Progress feature even sends and saves locations and allows emergency contacts to track progress using Google Maps.

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Jan 08

Navigon keeps PNDs fresh with downloadable data packs

Posted in: gps, nav, navigation, Today's Chili

As if a partnership with Rand McNally wasn’t enough, Navigon‘s giving prospective buyers even more reason to hand over a pinch of their savings. Starting this Spring, Navigon GPS owners will be able to download several new content decks for their devices, including Red Light Camera data, a North American expansion pack, a European map, 3D landmarks and extended POIs. All of the new material will be hosted on the company’s Fresh platform, and pricing ranges from $19.99 for each Rand McNally guide to $129.99 for European maps on North American PNDs. Hit up the read link for specifics on each.

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Navigon keeps PNDs fresh with downloadable data packs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 08

CES 2009: Ford Upgrades Sync

Posted in: audio, bluetooth, MP3 Digital Audio, navigation, Today's Chili

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Microsoft’s Sync, a voice-activated communications and entertainment system available exclusively on new Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles, will receive several major upgrades as part of its 2.0 release.

According to The Detroit News, the second-generation version of the Bluetooth-wired system was unwrapped at CES last night and will include new features such as traffic updates for selected routes, turn-by-turn directions, weather for specific areas, and personalized news, including sports scores, stock listings, and entertainment highlights. First introduced in the 2008 Ford Taurus, the upgraded Sync will be available free of charge for three years on all 2010 Ford models.

Stay tuned for more on this and other hot Microsoft tech as we continue to bring you the latest straight from the CES floor. You can also learn more about Ford Sync here.

For PCMag’s full CES coverage, go to http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,2806,2235882,00.asp.

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Jan 07

2010 Scion xB RS 6.0

Posted in: gps, ipod, navigation, Today's Chili

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Scion fans with a taste for car tech will want to check out the xB Release Series 6.0, a limited production version that features an array of navigation, entertainment, media tools, and other options centered around a 5.8-inch touch screen Audio Visual Navigation (AVN) head unit—although so far (for mysterious reasons) the company has chosen only to release a couple of vague, black-and-white photos of it.

The AVN head unit features flash memory, voice recognition, MSN Direct, and Bluetooth connectivity. It also comes with an SD card reader, iPod connector, and a USB port. It’s satellite and HD Radio ready, and can play DVDs and iPod videos whenever the transmission is in park. The owner can also customize the display and choose from over 32,000 colors.

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Jan 07

TomTom / ECLIPSE AVN4430 in-dash nav system snags CES Innovations Award

Posted in: nav, navigation, Today's Chili, tomtom

TomTom and Fujitsu Ten are back with a new in-dash nav system. An update of the ECLIPSE AVN2210p, the AVN4430 houses a removable 4.3-inch WQVGA touchscreen TomTom GPS (which also functions as a stand-alone unit), as well as a full-featured CD / DVD / MP3 / WMA player, iPod audio and video support, iPod controls and a USB port. This guy is the winner of the CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering award, so keep your eyes peeled for it when you hit Las Vegas.

[Via GPS Review]

Read – AVN4330 product page
Read – ECLIPSE win the 2009 CES Innovation award

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TomTom / ECLIPSE AVN4430 in-dash nav system snags CES Innovations Award originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 05

Nextar launching M3 navigator into South America

Posted in: nav, navigation, Today's Chili

Hey, they don’t call this thing the International Consumer Electronics Show for nothing, so it shouldn’t come as any big surprise to see Nextar unveiling a trio of new navigators that are destined for routes in South America. PNDs for Argentina (M3-AR), Brazil (M3-BR), and Mexico (updated to the M3-MX1) are all scheduled to go on sale in early 2009, with each model packing its respective country maps as well as a multimedia player, 3.5-inch touchscreen, text-to-speech support, oodles of POIs, an integrated antenna, rechargeable Li-ion and a stylus for no good reason good measure. All three will sell for $249.99, and the full release is after the break.

Continue reading Nextar launching M3 navigator into South America

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Nextar launching M3 navigator into South America originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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