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.

Continue reading Nextar intros Q4-MD navigator, throws in MSN Direct free for a year

Filed under: GPS

Nextar intros Q4-MD navigator, throws in MSN Direct free for a year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS

Garmin reaffirms 1H 2009 shipment of nuvifone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, we’re pretty calloused when it comes to gadgets around here, but there’s just no denying that Reigncom’s (parent company to iriver) latest gizmo warmed our hearts at first sight. The freshly-revealed iriver NV mini is essentially a pared down version of the NV Life that hit in March and includes a 3.5-inch touchscreen (320 x 240 resolution), 4GB of internal capacity, a built-in battery good for 2.5-hours, Gini mapping software, a flash card slot for adding up to 8GB of storage and fairly robust multimedia player to boot. Expect it to bring smiles to many South Koreans very soon for ₩188,000 ($133).

[Via Hallyu Tech]

Filed under: GPS, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Reigncom reveals iriver NV mini: part PMP, part navigator, totally adorable originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NDrive’s GPS units may not ever make it over here, but it looks like folks in Europe now have two more models to choose from, which the company says are a full 40% thinner and lighter than anything else on the market. Those include the 3.5-inch NDrive Touch and 4.3-inch NDrive Touch XL, which are each available in 1GB and 8GB versions and include all the usual the GPS-related features, plus a few slightly less than common ones like a light sensor and, perhaps most notably, “gesture support,” though it’s not clear exactly what that entails. There’s no word on an exact release date just yet either, but it looks like they’ll run you between €139 and €249, or roughly $170 to $310.

Filed under: GPS

NDrive rolls out new NDrive Touch GPS units originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warm on the heels of its T30 PMP, Nextar is getting official with two new GPS units in its ever-expanding SNAP family. Up first is the SNAP5 — which predictably includes a 5-inch touch panel — followed by the 7-inch SNAP7. Both devices check in at just 0.7-inches thick and feature stereo speakers, text-to-speech support, US / Canada Tele Atlas maps, an SD card slot, a built-in MP3 player / JPEG viewer, 2D / 3D map viewing modes, a rechargeable Li-ion battery and a magnetic docking station (hence the SNAP moniker — get it?!). The duo is all set to debut at SEMA 2008 in early November, but they won’t go on sale in the US until Spring of 2009; at that point, you can grab the SNAP of your choice for $299.99 / $349.99, respectively. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Nextar intros 5-inch SNAP5 / 7-inch SNAP7 GPS units

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Nextar intros 5-inch SNAP5 / 7-inch SNAP7 GPS units originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Originally a $600 piece of kit and released at $400, Amazon and Dash have been drilling away at the Dash Express pricetag since its conception. The unit permanently hit $300 in June, but we’re getting the one-day-only vibe on this latest sale: Amazon’s offering the Dash Express Navigator as its Gold Box deal of the day for a mere $200 (monthly fees notwithstanding). Not bad for an internet-connected, ultra-extensible navigation device — in fact, not too bad for 4.3-inch GPS device of any sort, even if those maps are still mega-ugly.

Filed under: GPS

Amazon slashes Dash Express by $100 for the day originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While not packing nearly the pizazz offered in the AURA, Motorola’s two freshest navigators don’t look half bad. Up first is the dead-simple MOTONAV TN20, which provides spoken street names and turn-by-turn directions, NAVTEQ 2D / 3D maps of the continental US and a 3.5-inch touch panel. The slightly more sophisticated MOTONAV TN30 picks up where the TN20 left off and adds in maps of Puerto Rico and Canada, four million searchable points of interest, a 4.3-inch touchscreen and Bluetooth handsfree support. Both systems include a SD slot for updating maps, a mini USB port for charging, speed limit display with warnings and the obligatory on-screen speed, distance, arrival time, elevation, and distance traveled tidbits. If you’re into either, you’ll have to scoot over to the RadioShack most convenient to you and plop down $199.99 / $299.99, respectively.

Filed under: GPS

Motorola introduces MOTONAV TN20 / TN30 GPS devices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Garmin launched its updated 7×5 series of nuvi navigators back in August, but the high-end MSN Direct-equipped 785T is just hitting stores, and GPS Magazine says it’s a solid improvement over previous nuvis — but if you’re not willing to pay the $50 / year for the MSN service, you’re probably not going to miss it. The 785T drew high marks for its fast frame rate, nice 3D lane guidance / upcoming turn features, and semi-realistic building displays, but the MSN Direct traffic implementation was less accurate than the free traffic service built into lesser T-series nuvis, and download speeds for the service weren’t particularly swift. We’re not all that sold on the connected GPS concept yet, so we’re inclined to take the reviewer’s advice and pick up the otherwise-identical non-connected 765T, but click on for the full exhaustive review to decide for yourself.

Filed under: GPS

Garmin nuvi 785T reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When it was introduced two years ago, the premise of the Hybrid Dual Portable Computer was simple: mobile OS up front, Windows XP below, and ugly all over. The most recent refresh was a big visual improvement, but MIU apparently isn’t done, teasing another new version that looks far sleeker and packs an Intel Atom processor inside, though exactly which hasn’t been revealed. Beyond that, this pocket-wunderkind offers the same bevy of features as before, obviating the need for a separate nav system, PMP, e-book reader, netbook, and even in-car rear-view camera monitor. It’ll make phone calls too, and with GSM, GPRS, and CDMA connectivity, you’re pretty well guaranteed to be able to check your mail anywhere. No information on price or availability just yet, but hopefully the former stays close to the current version’s $500 and the latter extends to somewhere in North America.

[Via Pocketables]

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Handhelds

New HDPC from MIU offers sleeker shell and Intel Atom-power originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As with Jeep’s lackluster RT-300, Panasonic’s portable Strada CN-GP50U GPS is probably better left on the shelf. We know, it’ll be awfully tough to resist that magnificent 5-inch panel and the sleek black frame, but according to PC Mag, this thing is just so-so on its best day. For starters, the price premium over rivaling 4.3-inch units was tough for critics to justify, and coupled with a small POI database, sluggish performance and awkward destination / POI input, hope for success was pretty much extinguished. As if that weren’t enough to frighten you off, reviewers also noted that data fields in the map view were “small and difficult to read,” which probably should not ever be the case on — you know — a navigation system. We appreciate the effort, Panny, but we’d suggest nailing the basics next time before turning to pizazz.

Filed under: GPS

Panasonic’s portable Strada CN-GP50U GPS reviewed: not a winner originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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