Las Vegas – Navigation supplier
Garmin is coming to International CES with new 5-inch portable navigation
devices (PNDs), its first tracking device for mass consumer use, and first
smartphone apps other than nav apps.
Pricing and ship dates were
unavailable.
For motorists, the company is
launching four models in the nüvi 24xx series with 5-inch touchscreen at
suggested retails ranging from $249.99 to $319.99. Two models at $279.99 and
$319.99 feature automatic speech recognition (voice activation), which would
make the $279 model the lowest priced PND currently on the market with voice
activation, the company claimed.
All four feature lane assist with
junction view, multi-point route planner, and maps for the U.S., Canada and
Mexico.???
The $249 nuvi 2450 features optional
lifetime traffic updates and optional lifetime map updates. The $299 nuvi
2450LM features optional lifetime traffic but includes lifetime map updates. At
$279, the 2460LT includes lifetime traffic updates, optional map updates, Bluetooth
hands-free and voice-activated navigation. The $319 2460LMT features includes
both lifetime map updates and lifetime traffic updates as well as Bluetooth and
voice-activated navigation.
Ship dates were unavailable.
For truckers, the company is
expanding its PND selection to two with the dezl 560T with 5-inch screen. It accesses
the NTTS Breakdown directory, tracks fuel purchases, logs hours of service and
in-state mileage, and downloads the data to a computer. Specialized routing
supports truck-related driving restrictions such as height, weight, width,
length and hazardous materials.
The device also offers
trucking-relevant points of interest, multiple point routing, and turn-by-turn
directions that speak street names. It also comes with free lifetime traffic
alerts in most major cities, lane assist with junction view, and hands-free
Bluetooth calling.
Garmin’s first trucking PND, the
nuvi 465T launched in 2009, remains in the line.
In tracking devices, the company
is launching the small, lightweight GTU 10 tracking device for tracking
children, pets, boats and the like. “This is our first tracking product for
mass consumer distribution,” a spokesperson said. “Our only other tracking
product prior to this has been the Astro, which is specifically for hunting
dogs.”
In apps, Garmin is launching three
driving-related apps. One is an Apple and Android app for the GTU 10 tracking
device, enabling users to spot the location of what they’re tracking on their
phone’s display.
A second app is the free
myMechanic app for Android, enabling users to monitor car performance. For more
detailed metrics, consumers pair the free app with the company’s currently
available ecoRoute HD accessory, a $99 Bluetooth-equipped cable that plugs into
a vehicle’s OBD II diagnostics port to send data to the app or to a compatible
Garmin PND.
A
third app, called ecoRoute, operates similarly to the ecoRoute capability on
select Garmin PNDs. It delivers limited information on the most eco-friendly
route to take, but the app can be combined with the ecoRoute HD accessory to
provide more information for increase fuel-efficient driving even more.
