NaviGadget

We just got the word that TomTom is getting to release a device called Car Connect, that will let you use your existing car audio system for voice guidance, music, etc. The bluetooth device is compatible with TomTom GO 510, 910, and TomTom Rider.

The Car Connect’s capabilities is not limited to audio only. The device can also switch your navigator from day to night view as soon as you turn your headlights on.

Since installation does require messing around with the electrical wiring in your car, professional installation is suggested, and required for warranty. You must be using TomTom software version 6.52 or greater for TomTom Car Connect to work.

Your car will need ISO-compliant connectors or an “Aux in” socket to support Car Connect.

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Don’t get your hopes up just yet. This is not offered in North America. If you live in Europe, you can continue reading. The TravelPilot Lucca MP3 Edition from Blaupunkt is supposed to be one of their high end GPS navigation systems. The Edition unit offers European street level mapping of 26 European countries pre-loaded onto the 2GB internal memory. A nice feature is the SmartCradle, an accessory which allows for a hard-wire connection from the device to the vehicle’s audio system for voice guidance avoiding any unsightly wires on the dash which also features speed dependent voice volume output (GALA).

TravelPilot Lucca comes with an anti-glare 3.5″ color touch screen display and can play MP3 or WMA files while navigating. The way to transfer music to your Lucca is to use the MMC/SD slot, and while you’re at it, fell free throw in some family pictures because there’s an JPEG picture viewer on board.

Here are some other features:

• Integrated loudspeaker and GPS receiver
• Display of traffic sign information
• Route planning with multi-stop destinations
• “Go Home” function
• Speed limit warning (for fixed speed limits)
• Maps can be viewed in 2D or 3D
• Pedestrian mode: Take the unit out of your car and “walk the last mile”

HP today announced what we already knew about the HP iPAQ rx5915 Travel Companion. The device now shows up on HP’s website for a retail price of $600.

The slim and sleek HP iPAQ rx5000 series Travel Companion offers GPS navigation, digital entertainment which allows you to take your music with you, as well as your photos and videos. You can even surf the web and play games. For easy, turn-by-turn navigation, the device comes installed with TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 software and maps (no need to carry SD cards with you).

The HP iPAQ rx5915 will carry the SiRF Star III GPS receiver on board and will run Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC on a Samsung SC32442 400MHz processor. The device includes an integrated Wi-Fi and bluetooth antenna so that SD slot is free for whatever you need to do.

Takara just announced their first navigation system GP25 with 4″ wide LCD screen, handsfree bluetooth kit, and Destinator 6 navigation system preloaded with speed camera locations to keep you out of trouble.

Here are some of the main features:

• Receiver GPS integrated with chip SiRF III with retractable antenna
• Screen 4 inches with the format 16/9 and of resolution 480 X 272 pixels (WQVGA)
• 400 MHz Processor
• MiniUSB
• Software of navigation Destinator 6 with preloaded fixed radars.
• Maps of Europe, coming from Navteq, the first quarter 2006 and preloaded on memory board SD 1 GB
• Multi-media reader MPEG4, MP3 and JPG

In the box you’ll find a USB cable, a car charger, mounting kit and a carrying case. It should cost about 400 Euros.

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If you’ve been following Navigadget you must’ve heard about StreetDeck. It is basically a car UMPC that’s a colloborative effort with Intel. Now they pimped up this VW Passat and equipped it with Wi-Fi capabilities that let drivers stream music and download directions. The video demonstrates almost all the functionalities, including GPS. Just like most other GPS systems, StreetDeck uses regular maps, but it can also overlay Google Earth like satellite images onto your map.

You can learn more about StreetDeck on their own website and for further geekier details you join the forums at mp3car.

Another great review saying only the nicest things about the Mio H610. The H610, aside from a GPS navigation system also functions as a media player as well as a gaming device. Fast graphic processing capabilities combined with ‘anti-aliasing’ technique, and you have great looking maps (or games) on the 2.7″ color display. Weighing only 110 grams and measuring 2.32″ x 3.35″ x 0.74″ the H610 is truly a pocket sized system that can provide hours of entertainment thanks to its long lasting battery and 400MHz processor.

The H610 will be available as soon as October 2006 and should cost about $500.

The Mio H610 is the coolest GPS that we’ve played with so far. If you have a good vision it will be a great companion in the car and elsewhere. If not, you can still use it in “pedestrian mode”. Its navigational skills would almost make us forget that it is also a good flash-based Portable Media Player. What is certain is that the Mio H610 is a desirable gadget: virtually every person who touched it said: “I want one!”.

Video after the jump…
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Developed by Black Diamond Advanced Technology, the SwitchBack-PC is an industrial grade UMPC that can stand working in harsh environments. The SwitchBack (named that way because you can actually switch the hardware add-ons on the back of the device) is designed to meet or exceed military specifications for shock, vibration, dust, moisture and extreme temperatures.

One of the most unusual features of the SwitchBack UMPC is that it can run multiple operating systems at the same time (Win XP, Win Mobile, Win CE, Linux) without needing a reboot. The other unique feature is what gives this UMPC its name: the capability to switch between various hardware add-ons instantly. That means you can switch between a digital camera to a terrestrial radio within seconds and when you are finally lost you can just slap on the SAASM GPS receiver to find way to the base.

The Switchback runs on a Intel 1.0 GHz Celeron M processor and comes with a 40GB HDD. The display measures 5.6 inches (1024 x 600) and is actually viewable under direct sunlight. Other wireless services other than GPS include Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity and Wi-Fi b/g.

Weighing only 3lbs the SwitchBack is lighter than most other military grade personal computing devices.

Here are all the back modules that are currently available.

• Additional Battery
• Additional Processors
• Additional Hard Drive
• Digital Camera
• Scanner

• SAASM GPS Receiver
• SATCOM Radio
• Terrestrial Radio
• Laser Range Finder
• Breathalyzer
• Fingerprint Reader

• Barcode Scanner
• Mag-Stripe Reader
• RFID Reader
• Smart Card Reader

• Graphics Card
• Joystick Controller

Nokia, just yesterday introduced its new N95 to the public. We didn’t believe the N95 specs when we first heard about them. This new phone comes with integrated GPS that lets you plan your route, find your way home and get to know places you’ve never visited. You can also fly over more than 100 countries, zoom to street level and get details on more than 15 million locations around the world. There’s no word on what kind of GPS chip is installed in the N95, or if the required maps come on a SD memory card. But here is what we know about the memory on the device:

• Up to 160 MB internal dynamic memory for messages, ringing tones, images, video clips, calendar notes, to-do list and applications
• Expandable memory: 128 MB miniSD card
• Memory card slot supporting up to 2 GB miniSD memory cards

We don’t think 15 million POI’s can fit into that 160MB, so there’s a good chance you’ll have to carry a miniSD card with your maps on it. This multimedia phone which runs S60 (version 3) measures 99 x 53 x 21 mm and weighs only 120 grams!

With the Carl Zeiss optics on the 5 megapixel camera, you can capture print quality photos and DVD-like quality video clips. Photos and video clips can be enjoyed on a compatible television thanks to the device’s TV out feature and support for Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) technology.

Designed for High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) networks and with support for WLAN, EDGE and WCDMA networks, the Nokia N95 provides excellent coverage and speeds wherever you may be. In HSDPA networks, browsing the internet, reading email, streaming video and downloading large files can be carried out up to 10 times faster than with 3G.

The Nokia N95 also offers a first class entertainment experience with the combination of a large 2.6″ QVGA 16 million color display, impressive 3D graphics, built-in stereo speakers offering a 3D stereo effect, standard 3.5 mm audio jack, support for compatible microSD cards and mini USB for convenient data transfer. Browsing the internet on the Nokia N95 is a pleasure using the Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map, with new features such as a floating toolbar, password manager and auto complete, as well as web feeds with support for Atom and auto update.

The Dash Network which launched back in August now just demoed their prototype device. Called the Dash Express this device will be the only thing on the market that provides two way connectivity. This is a fundemental change from your regular GPS navigation device which only receives location info from satellites and marks your point on a locally stored map.

The Dash Express will have Wi-Fi connection that will enable you to get real-time information from Dash servers. This information will be collected from fellow Dash Express users who anonymously report their traffic conditions to other devices in the area. Using this information plust the historical data stored on the network, you’ll be given the option to take three different routes to save you the most amount of time.

If a driver selects a route and traffic slows, Dash will recommend a faster alternative, if one is available. A car with Dash approaching heavy traffic on a freeway will know whether it would be faster to exit or continue on the current route. While other personal navigation devices can report traffic incidents, the Dash Express is the only device that gives commuters the up-to-date traffic flow information they need to make smart route choices.

The Dash Express will be available in California in early 2007, and will be available all over US next summer. Company claims the Dash Express will be priced comparably to other GPS products on the market but they do not say just yet how much the price will be. Since there’ll be some data going from your hardware to the Dash Network, we’re pretty sure there has to be some sort of monthly fee. Somebody has to pay for that bandwidth!

Keep reading Navigadget - we’ll let you know as soon as its out.

u-blox announced the u-blox 5 family of GPS and Galileo-ready single chips and chipsets featuring an acquisition performance of under 1 second. The new chips feature SuperSense -160 dBm acquisition and tracking sensitivity, power needs of less than 50 mW and a footprint smaller than 100 mm2, making u-blox 5 receivers ideal for PDAs, personal navigation devices, cameras, cell phones, media players and other battery-operated portable devices.

The chips’ software contains an innovative jamming suppression mechanism that automatically filters signals from interfering sources, thus maintaining high GPS performance no matter what the environment. A built-in multipath detection and elimination mechanism endows u-blox 5 chips with best-in-class navigation in urban canyons.

We can easily say we are on the right track for integrating a GPS chip into every single electronics device!!! That may not necessarily be such a great thing for privacy though.