• PC World
• »Tech Industry

A WiMax GPS?

DMedia, which markets PNDs in the U.S. under the NavTour brand, was showing off prototypes of GPS devices that incorporate WiMax for receiving data. According to DMedia, WiMax--a fourth-generation wireless broadband technology that Sprint is planning to launch in the United States this year--will support streaming multimedia on PNDs, delivering a video of a point of interest rather than just a still photo, for example.

DMedia also showed a sleek next-generation PND, the G4; with its chic translucent black bezel, it looks more like a high-end TV than like a GPS device. Among other features, the G4 has an SD slot to accommodate cards where you've stored movies and music that you want to play on the device's media player. The G4 is also Bluetooth-capable, so you can use it with your phone as a hands-free device.

DMedia will offer customers MSN Direct service, as will NCC, a company that has introduced a new line of ruggedized Goodyear-branded GPS devices. Asus, best known for its notebooks and motherboards, is entering the handheld GPS market as well.

Landmarks in 3D

In a few short years, Taiwan-based Mio Technology has grabbed a 10 percent market share in the United States. thanks in no small part to distribution in Radio Shack. The company's new C620 PND will introduce special 3D maps from map data company Tele Atlas that show general topography and major landmarks in three dimensions. For example, the Eiffel Tower will pop up on the display as you approach it, and when a road becomes hilly you'll see the ups and downs. These 3D mapping features are launching first in Europe.

Mio also announced that all of its new devices will use Sirf InstantFixII GPS chips, which promise to establish a device's location significantly faster than their predecessors did. Sirf is a leading provider of GPS chips for smaller PNDs, PDAs, and cell phones.

Delphi, an automotive after-market firm, showed off its Dual-View GPS technology, which lets the driver look at maps while the passenger sees a movie or other content on the same screen.

See PC World's ongoing coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show at our CES InfoCenter.