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GPS units pack in features
As the devices become ubiquitous, manufacturers add technology to justify higher prices.
Associated Press
Published January 9, 2008
LAS VEGAS - They can plumb the Internet for the latest movie times, news headlines, stock figures and gas prices. They'll even help you skirt traffic, find a parking spot or make a phone call. Oh, and they'll navigate for you, too. The latest global positioning system devices on display at this week's International Consumer Electronics Show are roving information portals - well beyond the first turn-by-turn GPS guides with maps and directions. Now practically taken for granted, GPS is available for tracking hikers, boaters and pilots, and it's routine in cars, sports watches and cell phones. As a result, plain-vanilla portable navigation devices have plunged below $200, forcing manufacturers to fight for ways to continue commanding premium prices. Their response: to cram as many extra features in the devices as possible. At CES, Garmin Ltd. announced the Nuvi 880, which debuts in the second quarter for $1,000, and the 780, out next month for $800. Both get real-time information from Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Direct system, which requires a subscription of $50 per year or $130 for the life of the device. The more expensive model has speech-recognition so drivers can bark their commands. As useful as the Microsoft system is, it provides one-way communication only, from the Internet to the device. Other new navigation units are harnessing cellular networks to let users send information back upstream. The upcoming Dash Express GPS device will let users conduct Web searches for locations, products, movie times, or cheap gas - and then direct them to the destination. The $600 gadget by Dash Navigation Inc., created in partnership with Yahoo Inc., also makes the ambitious promise that it can combine data from conventional traffic-monitoring systems with the power of user-based intelligence. Monthly service fees starting at $10 will be required for the connected features. Magellan Navigation Inc., which is partnering with Google Inc. to provide local business listings on a $1,300 car-navigation unit, expects to eventually let users send contacts and calendars to their devices. "We want the portable navigation device to be relevant to everyday life instead of just turning it on to get directions," Magellan CEO Nelson Chan said.
[Last modified January 9, 2008, 00:11:10]
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