GPS

This past weekend word leaked out that Mio Technology had a Knight Rider-themed GPS in the works, and now we can officially say that it's real. Since we were bound by NDA (nondisclosure agreement) till now, we couldn't really spill the full details when the news broke (please don't get me started on this) on Friday afternoon, but the floodgates are open now.

The Knight Rider GPS will indeed feature the voice of William Daniels (aka KITT), and there will be a database of names so you can customize the device to have KITT personally greet and … Read more

If you ever dreamed as a child (or as an adult) of owning a car like KITT of Knight Rider fame, you're dream is about to come true...sort of. Unless you're rolling in money, you can't have the actual Trans Am or David Hasselhoff, but you can have the next big thing. Word on the street is Mio Technology is prepping to release a Knight Rider-themed portable navigation system that uses the actual voice of William Daniels (the actor who provided the voice of KITT) to present you with audible directions. KITT's soothing voice will … Read more

Citing "outstanding results from our partners' recent Dads and Grads promotions," Dash Navigation today announced a $100 price drop for its Dash Express portable navigation system. You can now get the Internet-connected GPS for $299 rather than $399, though you will still have to pay for the Dash Express service after the three-month complimentary period is up ($9.99 a month with a two-year plan to $12.99 per month for month-to-month). Now, while we certainly think that the grads and dads promotion helped spur the price drop, we can't help but wonder if it also has … Read more

Never heard of MyGuide? We're not surprised since the Swiss company is only just building up its presence outside Europe. Come August, it will be rolling out its M.i.move, M.i.motion and M.i.more personal navigation devices preloaded with local maps. These will have Microsoft Outlook contact synchronization to spare you the hassle of manually entering the destination address, while dynamic points of interest display interesting information such as gas prices.

Its highest-end 4338 model will also feature rich wireless connectivity and multimedia functions. These include Bluetooth to convert the device into a handsfree speaker … Read more

How low can GPS receivers go? Newegg cracks the $80 barrier with the Delphi NAV200, currently selling for $79.99 with free three-day shipping. Even more amazing, this is a new unit, not a refurb, and you don't have to wait on a rebate.

Ah, but is the NAV200 any good? Will it get you where you're going? All signs point to yes, though CNET's review dings it for its slow operation and lack of text-to-speech capability. The reviews on Newegg's site are mostly positive, but sluggish performance is a recurring theme.

Maps of the U.… Read more

OK, maybe I was wrong. I'm a big enough person to admit it. You see, a couple of months ago, I wrote that there was no way that smartphones and cell phones with integrated GPS would take over the portable navigation device (PND) space, but now I'm having second thoughts. I'm not saying that PNDs will go the way of the dodo, but it could go the way of the PDA when smartphones really came on the scene. They'll still exist, but the demand will be less and their reach will be limited. They'll be … Read more

In news releases for Japan and the U.S., Mazda announced that the 2009 RX-8 is currently being shipped to dealers. The Japanese version can be had as a Type RS, with a better sport suspension, while the U.S. equivalent is the R3 sport package. In each case, the RX-8 gets fitted with Bilstein shocks, while Mazda fills the front crossmembers with urethane foam, which should give the RX-8 a smoother ride and better handling. The Type RS and R3 cars also get Recaro seats and 19-inch wheels. Mazda also redesigned the gear ratios on the RX-8's six-speed … Read more

Porsche offered details on its four 2009 911 models, which go on sale in September, which include a new navigation system and a double-clutch transmission. The 911 Carrera Coupe, 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera S Coupe, and 911 Carrera S Cabriolet also get their flat six engines fitted with direct injection, resulting in increased efficiency and performance. The cars don't look substantially different on the outside, although they do get LED tail and parking lights, along with an adaptive headlight system.

The 3.6-liter flat six-cylinder engine in the 911 Carrera gets a 20-horsepower increase to 345, while the … Read more

If you think GPS breathalyzer devices are intrusive, you'll love this next item from Japan. Engineers at iXs Research are developing a talking teddy bear that serves as an in-car navigation system, giving directions while sniffing out any alcohol on your breath with a sensor embedded in its neck, asking "You haven't been drinking, have you?"

As if that weren't irritating enough, this backseat-driving teddy also has sensors designed to detect reckless driving, such as sudden braking and acceleration ("Watch out!"). And as a "bonus," according to Pink Tentacle, the bear … Read more