GPS Capability Enhanced in Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007

Microsoft today announced improved GPS (global positioning system) functionality in a new version of its travel and mapping software.

Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 With GPS Locator includes a new receiver from Pharos Science and Applications, the SiRFstarIII, for mapping locations to GPS coordinates. The new GPS locator is ten times more sensitive than its predecessor in the previous version of Streets & Trips, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 With GPS Locator sells for $129 in the United States, while the standard version of the software is available for $40.

How It Works

To use the new locator, customers can plug the GPS receiver included with the software into a notebook PC's USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, after which they can view maps and travel routes in real time. Buyers who want to use the locator wirelessly can purchase the necessary Bluetooth dock or CompactFlash card adaptor directly from Pharos, Microsoft said.

Besides mapping routes for people traveling by car, Streets & Trips includes points of interest--such as gas stations, hotels, restaurants, and national parks--on the map, in case travelers want to stop along the way.

In a press statement, Helen Chiang, a product manager at Microsoft, said that better GPS capability in Streets & Trips will give users of the software more confidence that the journey they've mapped in the software is the correct one.

Pharos, headquartered in Torrance, California, sells GPS navigation tools and location-based services for mobile devices.