Sony debuts hand-held GPS system

LAS VEGAS — Sony Electronics has entered the GPS tracking and navigation market with its recently unveiled nav-u portable navigation system.

The hand-held, compact device helps drivers map a destination, re-route around traffic jams, locate points of interest and then route them home again.

“The portable navigation industry is expected to grow more than 100 percent in 2006, according to NPD data,” said Allan Jason, vice-president for mobile electronics and portable audio products at Sony Electronics.

At the core of the NV-U70 is Sony’s 12-channel GPS receiver with proprietary RF technology and a built-in antenna, allowing the unit to receive
a satellite signal within seconds after it is turned on.

It has a brilliant, full color, 3.5-inch touch-screen display so drivers can see the screen in all lighting conditions. An intuitive, touch-screen
control enables easy route planning and destination programming. A resident two-way speaker system ensures that voice prompts are clear and audible.

Ready for use right out of the box, it has 1GB of imbedded flash memory preloaded with maps of the
continental U.S. along with more than 1.6 million points of interest. A DVD-ROM with full maps of Alaska, Canada, Hawaii and Puerto Rico is also included.

Updates to the mapping database are made by connecting the device to a PC’s USB port.

Easily held in the palm of a hand, the nav-u system can be transferred between vehicles. The device is cradled in a universal lightweight bracket that can be easily mounted on the windshield or dashboard of virtually any vehicle.

The NV-U70 nav-u model will be available in mid-February for about $700 US.