GPS

It’s been quite awhile since Mio’s LEAP K1 was introduced overseas, but now we’re getting an up close and personal look thanks to one particular unboxer over at Mobile01. The two-faced mobile looks like a typical handset from the front, but upon flipping it over, you’ll find another side to this critter — one that fancies GPS navigation. We’re not too sure how we feel about having to safeguard displays on both sides of the handset, but if we had access to plenty of screen protectors, we suppose we could get used to all that added functionality. Hit the read link for lots more pics.

[Via iTech News]

While many GPS manufacturers seem to be still seeing how much they can milk out of minor feature updates and monthly subscription fees, Navigon is going for the jugular with the new 2200T. The 3.5-inch-screened nav device offers up free real-time traffic updates for life — a service that usually will run you $10 a month — in addition to fun stuff like Reality View Pro (3D images and actual road sign text), Lane Assist Pro and text-to-speech, all for a mere $229. Three years of map updates will cost you $80, but the built-in maps for US and Canada should get you pretty far. We saw the 2200T at IFA, and while it’s nothing so special to look at, that price is going bruise up some of the competition. No word on when this will hit stores, but our guess is soon.

If there’s one problem with modern GPS devices it’s that they’re “highly complex” — at least that’s what you might think if you’re a frequent Hammacher Schlemmer shopper. Believing that people find things like touch screens or buttons a little too much, the gadget company has created what it calls a “GPS Homing Device.” For a penny under $80 (roughly the price of a real nav system) the over-sized key fob lets you mark your current location and then, after an exhausting day of bargain hunting, find your way back to where you began just by following an arrow — all without relying on the help of the parking lot attendant. Makes a great gift for the directionally-challenged shopaholic in your life.

[Via Chip Chick]

MiTAC already did a bit of GPS reshuffling to start the year off, and now it seems a bit more of that will be required. Magellan — the makers of the RoadMate, Maestro and Triton navigation systems — has entered into a “definitive agreement to sell its consumer products division to MiTAC International,” which goes a long way in explaining why development was suddenly halted last month on the promising Maestro Elite 5340 connected GPS. The deal is expected to close in January, and financial terms aren’t being publicly disclosed at present time. So, what’s this mean for both outfits at CES next month? It’s hard to say, but we wouldn’t count on a whole lot of new PNDs from Magellan. Hear that TomTom? You’ve got some slack to cover.

[Via GPSTracklog, thanks Rich]

There’s certainly no shortage of devices out there that promise to alert you when you’re approaching a red light or speed camera, but if you’re looking to keep things as simple as possible, you may want to consider this new so-called GPS Angel device, which pares things down to a couple of buttons and blinking lights. As with similar devices, you’re also able to sync it up to your PC to ensure you have all the latest camera locations (Mac users are on their own, unfortunately), and you don’t have to worry about a monthly or yearly subscription fee for the service. Head on past the break to check it out in action, and get ready to fork over $129 if you think it’ll do the job for you.

They’re far from common, but we’ve definitely seen modular GPS concepts before. If this leaked FCC documentation is any gauge of reality, however, TomTom will be making those wild, wild dreams into something entirely more tangible. The DUB1 is an up and coming navigator which is designed to operate in a snap-in portal located in your nearest dashboard or in the palm of your nearest hand. It’s likely that said portal will be a double-DIN aftermarket accessory, but we suppose TomTom could nail down contracts with automakers to provide it from the factory. There’s little left to do but wait and see, but given just how nuts Garmin went at CES 2008, don’t be shocked to see this as one of the many coming from its main rival in just under a month.

[Via NaviGadget]

If you’ve been itching to get your GPS on but weren’t feelin’ the $9.99 monthly charge for VZ Navigator, today is a good day. Verizon 8330 Curve and 8130 Pearl devices have finally been (somewhat) decrippled, as users over at HowardForums are reporting that the GPS in the aforementioned devices started working once they applied the 4.5.0.97 update. As this is an unreleased firmware version, we’re unsure if this was an intentional measure, or simply an epic mistake. But one thing we’re sure about is that if Verizon does shut this down in the next firmware update, the backlash will surely be enough to whip up one heck of a Storm. Unfortunately at this point, it’s only working in BlackBerry Maps, while Google Maps is left out of the party; but hey, we’ll take whatever we can get.

[Image via Boy Genius Report, thanks Nate]

It’s hardly the first example of the technology — we saw a very similar system from Delphi in action at CES last year — but Mercedes-Benz’s new SPLITVIEW COMMAND system appears to be one of the first instances of it being used in a production vehicle, and that certainly counts for something. From the looks of it, the system is very similar to the Delphi one, with the 8-inch display able to let the driver keep an eye on the GPS while the passenger simultaneously watches a DVD or something equally distracting on the very same screen. That’s done with the use of a special filter that masks the display and only lets the proper pixels slip into view depending on where you are seated. No word on what sort of premium the system will demand, if any, but it’ll apparently be available on all S-Class models starting in the summer of 2009.

[Thanks, Ashley]

The baby Jesus in the manger continues to be too enticing a prospect for some sticky-fingered pranksters, apparently. We’ve seen GPS tech harnessed on a small scale in the past to stave off such thievery, but now the counter-attack is going national. LightningGPS and their partner BrickHouse Security have announced that any house of worship or school can rent and use their GPS devices (and hidden cameras!) free of charge throughout the holiday season to protect the baby G and his family, the menorah, and uh… Santa. Nice to see they’re covering all the religious bases here.