Garmin, Thales, DeLorme, & Mobile Crossing add new mobile GPS devices

- by Gary Thayer, News Editor

Las Vegas, Jan. 6, 2005 -- (MobileVillage) -- At the Consumer Electronics Show that opens today, DeLorme, Garmin, Thales, and Mobile Crossing are each introducing new mobile navigation and mapping devices based on GPS (global positioning system) technology.

Garmin introduced a new iQue Pocket PC model with Bluetooth, while Thales has added three new models to its Magellan eXplorist line of receivers. Both products are available starting this month. DeLorme previewed two products, a GPS receiver for laptops and a new handheld for use with DeLorme's topographic and street mapping software, which will be available in April and July, respectively.

Mobile Crossing WayPoint

WayPoint 100 and 200 is Mobile Crossing's GPS-enabled Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003. WayPoint has a 3.5" color transflective touch screen, 400Mhz Intel Xscale processor, and 224Mb of memory. Features unique to WayPoint include TurnAlert and GPS Demand Paging. GPS Demand Paging is Mobile Crossing's customized version of Microsoft's paging mechanism, modified to improve routing performance. TurnAlert is a safety feature that flashes a lamp in the driver's peripheral vision to signal coming turns even under low visibility conditions.

The higher-end WayPoint 200 features self-configuring Bluetooth GPS and comes with a one-year subscription to traffic and weather services. The 200 model can also connect to the Internet on the road via available Bluetooth phones. Once connected, the WayPoint 200 displays real-time weather and traffic.

Other features on both models include:

• CompactFlash and Secure Digital / MMC slots
• Spoken Directions and One Button Voice recording
• Adjustable Detail Levels, & Thumb Wheel for Instant Map Zoom
• Toll and Freeway Avoider
• Moving Maps and Personal Landmarks
• Clock automatically set to Atomic (Satellite) Time
• Vehicle Mount with amplified speaker
• Media Formats: MP3, WMA, WAV, WMV, MPG, ASF

Waypoint comes with Gismo Backup, Wisbar, GPSInfo software. Mobile Crossing did not provide pricing information for Waypoint, and plans to release the product "soon" on its web site.

Garmin iQue M5

Garmin's new iQue M5 is a Windows Mobile-based GPS Pocket PC that integrates Garmin's Que GPS based mapping and navigation applications. New to the M5 is an embedded Bluetooth transceiver that allows the user to establish wireless connections with computer systems and Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phones, other PDAs and printers.

The iQue M5 features the latest Pocket PC software, Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, which supports portrait/landscape screen orientation for viewing of documents, videos and Web content. The iQue M5 is powered by a 416-MHz Intel PXA 272 microprocessor, and comes with 64MB of RAM, 64MB of ROM and automated data back-up.

Featuring a built-in basemap of North and South America, the iQue M5 shows major roads, railways, lakes, rivers and borders. Garmin includes its MapSource City Select CD, so users can download map data, look up five million points of interest (POIs), and navigate to an address in the U.S. and Canada. European or Pacific Rim basemaps are available on an accompanying CD. Garmin says that international versions of the iQue M5 will feature respective basemaps, mapping software and language support.

The integrated Que applications allow users to see where they are on an electronic map, look up a point of interest and route to it -- following voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions to their selected destination. If users miss a turn, the iQue M5 automatically recalculates a new route to get them back on track. Other mapping features include the ability to specify roadways to avoid and find POIs near the current route. The M5 even offers POI searches that are based on user habits. Another patent-pending feature attaches a "location stamp" to a profile in the user's contact database or appointment calendar.

The GPS antenna on the iQue M5 folds flush with the back of the unit. Garmin says it has patented the special antenna release switch that when triggered, starts up the device for navigatation. The antenna can also be adjusted for signal reception.

The iQue M5 will be available this month for about US $750. The standard package includes a USB synchronization cradle, AC wall charger, automotive mount with an integrated speaker and 12- volt adapter, protective flip cover, stylus, MapSource City Select CD, companion CD with owner's manual, and reference guide.

Garmin GPS 60 & GPSMAP 60

Garmin is also debuting its GPS 60 and GPSMAP 60 handheld GPS navigators. The 5.4 ounce, waterproof 60 series has a 160 x 240 4-level grayscale display and LED backlight, and can run 28 hours (typical use) on two AA batteries, according to Garmin. For data transfer, the units offer both USB and serial connections.

The GPSMAP 60 has a routable North and South American basemap and 24 MB of internal memory for use with Garmin's MapSource software. With MapSource City Select for example, the GPSMAP 60 offers automatic turn-by-turn route calculation with tone prompts to addresses or points of interest -- a feature normally found in higher-priced GPS navigators. The GPS 60 is a non-mapping unit that comes pre-loaded with a 1 MB city point database, and the unit is compatible with the MapSource Points of Interest CD.

Both the GPS 60 and the GPSMAP 60 can store up to 500 waypoints, 50 routes, and 10,000 track points. The units also offer a dedicated geocaching mode, indoor/outdoor GPS games, an alarm clock, sunrise/sunset and moon phase tables, and optimal hunting and fishing times.

The GPS 60 and GPSMAP 60 will be available this month and retail for about US $193 and $322, respectively. Both units will ship standard with a lanyard, belt clip, USB interface cable, owner's manual and quick-start guide.

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