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BlackBerry Storm to support Global VZ Navigator in Q1?
While Verizon Wireless isn't exactly following hot on the heels of AT&T with its purported Global VZ Navigator, phoneArena has it that the carrier's BlackBerry Storm will become VZW's first handset to support the software later this quarter. Not that such news is a big shock given the worldly capabilities of this here smartphone, but it's still good news for globetrotters who'd rather not carry a dedicated PND. We're told that the service will go for $20 per month, with Mexico, Canada, France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom being supported right out of the gate.
Cydle introduces T43 navigator with Bluetooth, HD Radio support
Lookie here -- we've got yet another new entrant into the portable navigation market, but thankfully, Cydle has decided to differentiate a bit with the inclusion of HD Radio support. The company's one and only model (for now, anyway) is the T43, which features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, the latest version of Cydle 3D Map and Cydle XE Map, HD Radio support, real-time traffic via the traditional RDS-TMC as well as the newer HD Radio-based method and Bluetooth for good measure. It'll reportedly hit Best Buy shelves in the not-too-distant future, though there's no price mentioned.
Navigon keeps PNDs fresh with downloadable data packs
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.
TomTom / ECLIPSE AVN4430 in-dash nav system snags CES Innovations Award
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 pageRead - ECLIPSE win the 2009 CES Innovation award
Navigon teams with Rand McNally to put a little travel in your PND
Not that we haven't seen navigator manufacturers partner up with travel companies before, but it's still pretty rare to hear of a PND maker looking out for the travelers and not just the completely lost crowd. Here at CES, Navigon has just announced a partnership with Rand McNally (the first of its kind, we hear), which will result in Scenic Routers and City Guides from the aforesaid firm being available on Navigon devices. The guides will provide over 250 scenic routers and pre-planned trips across all 50 states (we're guessing the Road To Hana made the cut?) and Canada, and there's also information on the best attractions and landmarks in more than 1,400 US / Canadian cities. The new data packs will be available on select Navigon units as well as in retail outlets and Navigon.com this Spring for $19.99 each.
Nextar launching M3 navigator into South America
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.
Dashboard Devices to debut ENV line of in-car computers at CES
While we can't quite decide whether the carputer is a dying breed or simply a niche that never really took off, Dashboard Devices is hoping to revive it either way come January. The outfit will reportedly debut its ENV (Entertainment and Navigation for Vehicles) line as a two-part system. First comes the ENV-XC, which houses the main processor, graphics unit and other basic functionality; said brain can be paired with a choice of head units, including the double-DIN ENV-100 or the single-DIN ENV-50. Word has it that the double-DIN package will ring up at a staggeringly high $2,700, but we're also hearing that it'll offer "true dual zone" control, meaning that your robustious youngsters can have their own set of preferences in the rear while the grown-ups keep things comfortable up front. It'll also pack a WiFi module, voice activated functions, navigation, DVD playback, a 160GB hard drive, iPod compatibility, satellite radio support, Windows XP, a 7-inch touchscreen and optional WWAN. We'll be keeping an eye out for this one at CES -- but for $2,700, we're totally not going to be satisfied without a bona fide autopilot system.[Via Yahoo! Tech]
XRoad G-Map app brings bona fide navigation to the iPhone
At long last, iPhone users who have grown increasingly frustrated by using Google Maps as their primary navigational tool can find relief... sort of. Available right now in the App Store, XRoad's G-Map application requires no internet connection whatsoever in order to function; rather, it packs oodles of maps into a 932MB package that covers most of western America and a few sporadic locales on the east. We're a bit baffled (and angered) by the not-at-all-comprehensive coverage, but we suppose we can expect updates to patch the gaps in the near future. It provides most of the same amenities you're used to seeing on real-deal GPS units, including POI editing, memo capabilities, location searching, etc. A word of caution, though: early reviews don't seem too stoked about it, so you may want to gloss it over good before hitting your card for $19.99.[Thanks, Karel]%Gallery-39999%
Nextar throws in free traffic updates for life on Q4-LT navigator
Nextar has been pretty steadily adding newcomers to its Q4 family of navigators, and it's not about to let up now with CES just around the corner. The latest member, the Q4-LT, touts a 4.3-inch touchscreen, built-in speaker / antenna, text-to-speech support, 2D / 3D NAVTEQ maps of the US and Canada, 1.6 million POIs, an MP3 / JPEG player, rechargeable battery and of course, free traffic updates for life. Hope you're not too fond of the feature set, though, 'cause it won't even be available for purchase until Q3 2009 for $249.99.
MiTAC buys Magellan consumer products division: 'take it away, Maestro'
MiTAC already did a bit of GPS reshuffling to start the year off, and now it seems a bit more of that will be required. Magellan -- the makers of the RoadMate, Maestro and Triton navigation systems -- has entered into a "definitive agreement to sell its consumer products division to MiTAC International," which goes a long way in explaining why development was suddenly halted last month on the promising Maestro Elite 5340 connected GPS. The deal is expected to close in January, and financial terms aren't being publicly disclosed at present time. So, what's this mean for both outfits at CES next month? It's hard to say, but we wouldn't count on a whole lot of new PNDs from Magellan. Hear that TomTom? You've got some slack to cover.[Via GPSTracklog, thanks Rich]
TomTom DUB1 navigator works in-dash or on-the-go
They're far from common, but we've definitely seen modular GPS concepts before. If this leaked FCC documentation is any gauge of reality, however, TomTom will be making those wild, wild dreams into something entirely more tangible. The DUB1 is an up and coming navigator which is designed to operate in a snap-in portal located in your nearest dashboard or in the palm of your nearest hand. It's likely that said portal will be a double-DIN aftermarket accessory, but we suppose TomTom could nail down contracts with automakers to provide it from the factory. There's little left to do but wait and see, but given just how nuts Garmin went at CES 2008, don't be shocked to see this as one of the many coming from its main rival in just under a month.[Via NaviGadget]
Medion launches 5-inch GoPal P5430 GPS in Europe
It's been a nice little while since we've seen any new navigators from Medion, but the outfit's hitting back with its relatively forgettable GoPal P5430. The European PND sports a 5-inch touchscreen display, integrated TMC antenna, fingerprint sensor, text-to-speech functionality, an inbuilt FM transmitter and pre-installed NAVTEQ maps of Western and Eastern Europe. Like we said, forgettable -- but you should know it's priced at £175 ($269) just in case you're tempted.[Via NaviGadget]
Nextar delivers Q4-01 / Q4-02 4.3-inch navigators
We get the idea that the Q4-01 and Q4-02 are simply non-MSN Direct versions of the Q4-MD we've already seen, but we'll humor you anyway. The newest duo in the Q4 lineup includes a 4.3-inch touchscreen, voice-guided directions, NAVTEQ maps, an SD card slot, multimedia player and a rechargeable Li-ion to boot. The Q4-01 stops at just 50 states, while the Q4-02 adds in maps of Canada and Puerto Rico and includes six million points of interest. Both of these should be available right now in a variety of off-the-wall retailers, with the former listed at $299 and the latter $399. Oh, but you should know the Q4-01 will go for $99.99 on Black Friday (read: this Friday) at Kohl's and Kmart. Time to knock elbows, people. The full release is after the break.
Navigon launches "uber-premium" 4.8-inch 8100T navigator
In an effort to make sure you're well aware that the 8100T is the most premium possible, even better than ultra- or mega-premium, Navigon has definitively described the aforesaid navigator as "uber-premium." So, now that the bar is set at an unbelievably high level, how's about an outlay of the sure-to-be-phenomenal specs? We're talking a 4.8-inch display, brushed-metal housing, a 3D view using NASA terrain height data, free real-time traffic updates for life, voice destination entry, Bluetooth handsfree support, text-to-speech and an inbuilt lane assistant. The only question left is simply this: is all of that uber enough to warrant the $599 price tag?
Holux quietly introduces 5-inch GPSmile 62 navigator
What comes after the GPSmile 61? Why, the GPSmile 62, of course! The predictably titled successor to the big-bezeled unit we spotted at CES earlier this year has surfaced, though there's no real indication that it's coming stateside. Thus far, we're seeing a 5-inch WQVGA display, an "edge-free" design, an SD card slot, integrated speakers and a removable rechargeable battery to boot. You'll also find a built-in multimedia player as well as Bluetooth, and the TMC support should keep you posted on real-time traffic. You're hopelessly riveted, aren't you?[Via SlashGear]
Sanyo trots out a few new Gorilla navigators
Sanyo's gone a few months now without popping out a new Gorilla navigator, but as of this week, you'll be forced to live with slightly antiquated jungle-themed GPS units no more. For starters, the outfit introduced a pair of SSD-based in-car units, the NVA-GS1580FT and NVA-GS1480DT; both of these feature a 400MHz CPU, while the former adds a 1seg TV tuner. Moving on, we've got the NV-SD750FT and NV-SB510DT, both of which are meant for aftermarket installation on your dash / windshield. The former includes a spacious 7-inch LCD, while the latter touts a still-respectable 5.2-inch panel. 'Course, we don't expect any of the new beasts to gallop, swim or fly over to US soil anytime soon, but those in Japan can sink their teeth in next month for between ¥75,000 ($759) and ¥155,000 ($1,569).%Gallery-36151%[Via Navigadget]Read - Sanyo NVA-GS1580FT and NVA-GS1480DTRead - Sanyo NV-SD750FT and NV-SB510DT
Dash cuts 50 employees, drastically changing business model
It's hard to say if Amazon's recent fire sale of the Dash Express was an indicator of all this, but Dash is making some serious changes, regardless. Reportedly, the outfit has slashed 50 employees -- or around two-thirds of its workforce -- which will leave 30 workers who will operate primarily in engineering and support. According to now-CEO Rob Currie (who has replaced founder Paul Lego by Lego's choice), Dash "wanted to launch its device in the retail channel, but the economic changes made it rethink its business focus." To that end, Dash will actually cease making and selling its own hardware, and instead it will "license its platform to makers of automobile on-board navigation systems, smartphones, netbook-style mobile internet devices and other consumer electronics." So, what does it all mean? It could mean that the connected Dash platform is on the way to an automobile or cellphone near you, but we suppose only time will tell. As for existing Dash owners? Continued software updates and an online Dash Driver Network has been promised.
Navigon launches 5100 max / 2090S GPS units at RadioShack
We had a respectable hunch that Navigon's 5100 max would be hitting US shelves in short order, but we weren't aware that it'd be launching alongside a friend. As for the 5100 max, you'll find a 4.3-inch touchscreen, Reality View Pro / Lane Assistant Pro technology, handsfree Bluetooth support, text-to-speech, an Exit Guide and free real-time traffic updates for life. The little sibling (dubbed 2090S) checks in with a 3.5-inch touch panel and most of the same internal niceties already mentioned save for Bluetooth. Look for the cute couple right now exclusively at RadioShack (or RadioShack.com) for $299.99 / $199.99, respectively. Full release after the break.
Nextar intros Q4-MD navigator, throws in MSN Direct free for a year
Nextar's not only introducing a sizable duo in its SNAP line at SEMA 2008, it's also introducing a navigator with MSN Direct support. The Q4-MD will boast a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, Tele Atlas maps covering all 50 US states along with Canada, access to 1.6 million points-of-interest, 2D / 3D map viewing modes, an SD card slot, MP3 player / JPEG viewer, USB connectivity and a rechargeable Li-ion battery. Most notably, you'll receive a free year of up-to-the-minute traffic reports, current / three-day weather conditions, news headlines, stock quotes and local event listings via the aforesaid MSN Direct service. Expect to see this one in stores for $329.99 in Spring 2009. Full release is after the break.%Gallery-35552%
Garmin reaffirms 1H 2009 shipment of nuvifone
Man, a lot -- a lot -- has happened in the mobile space since Garmin went public with its then-mesmerizing nüvifone. Nearly a year later, it's become but a blip on the radar behind the Touch HD, G1, XPERIA X1 and iPhone 3G. Nevertheless, Garmin has come out and reaffirmed that the long-awaited handset will actually not be delayed once more, and that the "first half of 2009" shipping estimate is still valid. Let's just say that $500+ price tag we saw floating around back in May better be substantially lower whenever this thing finally gets around to hitting up a store shelf.