January 8, 2008
Sony takes a different route with satnav
Portable navigation devices should be a godsend for finding your way around the vast Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and there are plenty of new ones to choose from on display in the booths.
Garmin has refreshed its lineup and announced a $100 plug-in that GPS-enables a laptop, with its familiar mapping software and directions included.
Magellan said its next generation of devices will have a wireless connection that allows them to connect to Google Local Search to find businesses in their area and get directions to them.
Sony has re-entered the category in North America with two new devices, the nav-u NV-U73T and NV-U83T. They are much-improved successors to Sony’s first effort, the NV-U70 unveiled at CES two years ago. The company says it planned an update to the U70 before deciding to "go back to the drawing board" for these models.
I was given a pre-show demo and was impressed with a non-electronics feature – a suction-cup base that provides a rock-solid connection to the dashboard but, with the release of a lever, can be easily moved and remounted.
The high-end 83T has a 4.8-inch touch-screen display, which offers a dual-view as the driver approaches turns and gesture commands - drawing a roof with a finger, makes the destination become home. A POSITION Plus feature uses a pressure sensor, gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor to judge altitudes and give better indications of position when a view of the GPS satellite is blocked.
The 83T also includes a built-in microphone and Bluetooth to add hands-free phone calls with Bluetooth-equipped cell phones. The 73T should sell for around $350 from February and the 83T for $500.
This batch of announcements could cause a rethink by Silicon Valley start-up Dash Navigation, which made its internet-enabled Dash Express available for pre-order last month at a rather costly $600 and with monthly charges of $10-$13.
