Filed under: GPS, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Transportation

With Sharp throwing down a svelte in-car LCD ready to display nearly any automotive statistic (or roadtrip route) you’d ever need, and Chrysler planning to offer the MyGIG do-it-all device on upcoming vehicles, Panasonic is tossing in its own rendition to keep the competition on their heels. The Strada CN-NVD905U is an in-car navigation / head unit that boasts a 7-inch touchscreen, 30GB hard drive, built-in DVD / CD player, NAVTEQ mapping software, and support for Bluetooth handsfree operations. The trilingual GUI also touts automatic rerouting, and if you’re not already tuned into XM Radio, you can access Sirius’ real-time traffic data to avoid those crowded freeways on your commute back home. Additionally, it sports “iPod video connectivity” for rear seat and front passenger entertainment, but we’re sure all those snazzy movie functions are kept under wraps until you throw it in park. While there’s no telling how much dealers will end up charging for this in-dash machine, the Strada CN-NVD905U should start making noise (and keeping us on track) next Spring.

[Via Slashphone]

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Filed under: GPS

RoadMax and TeleType both look to be trying to lower the barrier of entry to in-car GPS navigation, each company recently announcing units that’ll retail for less than $400 US. RoadMax’s VMax 361 is the cheaper of the two, running just $349 and offering up a pretty no-frills approach, with a 3.5-inch touch screen, voice prompt navigation, 2D or 3D viewing options, and an SD card pre-loaded with maps of the US and Canada, and should be available in August or September. TeleType’s Windows CE-based WorldNav 3100 GPS comes in a little higher at $399, also packing a 3.5-inch screen but offering a bit more in the way of extras, including support for most audio and video formats you could ask for (including DivX and Xvid) along with 2D or 3D navigation and pre-loaded maps of the US and Puerto Rico. A premium version is available for $459 that adds a choice of male or female voice guidance (the basic version is female only) and more than 12 million pre-loaded POIs as opposed to just 3 million on the standard model.

[Via MobileWhack]

Read - RoadMax VMax 361
Read - TeleType WorldNav 3100

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Transportation

Japanese manufacturer Logitec — who, as we found out the hard way, is in no way related to the American Swiss firm Logitech — has just announced a colorful set of in-car DAPs that plug directly into your vehicle’s lighter socket. What’s more, the MP3- and WMA-capable LAT-FM300U includes both a built-in FM transmitter and line-in jack, so you can broadcast directly to your head unit from either the device itself or from an external player like an iPod. And judging by the $68 price tag and lack of storage information, it sounds like you’ll probably need to bring along a more capacious device on trips lasting longer than an hour or so, as we doubt you’ll be getting more than 512MB of flash memory when these drop in early August.

[Via Digital World Tokyo]

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Filed under: GPS, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Transportation

Brits looking for an in-car GPS solution that they can also throw in a sack and take along on a constitution will soon have a new option from Chinese manufacturer Shinco. The Voyager GPS 400 is a PDA-size receiver in white with a 4-inch, 480 x 272 color touchscreen, birds-eye view mapping, SD slot for MP3 playback, and preloaded maps covering the two million hottest destinations on the British Isles. You seem to get a pretty solid accessory pack in the box as well, with a windshield mount, extension antenna, decent carrying case, and both car and wall chargers standard. E-tailer Firebox is currently taking pre-orders for the Voyager, which is supposed to arrive on the 11th, for a very reasonable $420.

[Via Tech Digest]