Sure, a Knight Rider GPS system is cool if you’re in your 40s and remember watching the show when it was first on, but what about people looking for a GPS navigator with a more contemporary cultural reference? How about GLaDOS from Portal, one of the best games of the last few years?
Two bits of news have come out of the Garmin camp today—the first of which involves Samsung phones getting their own navigation software based on the Garmin Mobile(TM) XT platform. The software will be available on smartphones like the i780 in Europe and elsewhere starting sometime in the next few months. Futhermore, Garmin Mobile users will be treated to upgrades including a new Nuvi-like interface and the addition of Google Local search starting in July. Press releases are available after the break.
Garmin has announced a few upgrades to its popular line of entry-level nuvi 200 GPS devices in the form of the nuvi 255 / 255W and the 205 / 205W. Fans of the series can expect improved mapping and routing features, faster satellite acquisition, navigation by photos, FM traffic updates and dynamic content from MSN Direct. The 255 units will also include street level voice prompts while the the less expensive 205 units will offer mapping choices such as the contiguous United States, Canada or regional sections of Europe. The nuvi 255W, 255, 205W and 205 will be priced at US$373, US$320, US$266, and US$213 respectively. [Garmin]
Today in a surprise announcement in New York City, Garmin announced the nuvifone, a full-fledged GSM HSDPA smartphone built on its own operating system with GPS navigation at its core—but e-mail and web browsing close to its heart, and a camera built in too. No pricing or carrier announcement has been made yet, though its likeliest compatible network is AT&T given the technology. (When T-Mobile launches HSDPA, it too will be suitable, and possibly more attractive than AT&T.)
