BIOS: Technology Means Business

Sony has announced the launch of the NV-U51 nav-u system with one touch navigation feature.

Simply sketch a line or shape on the screen’s map with your finger and the new Sony nav-u will guide you safely and surely to your chosen destination, says Sony.

This unique ‘Gesture Command’ function improves driver safety and concentration by reducing the need for fiddly option selection or scrolling through on-screen menus. The draw and go feature enables commands such as ‘go home’ or ‘find the nearest petrol station’ to be made with a quick stroke of a finger on the touch screen.

The NV-U51 is apparently easy to use thanks to its large buttons and icons and a new top-level menu that gives you immediate access to ‘Navigation’, ‘Search Nearby’ and other key functions. It even displays nearby points of interest such as airports, petrol stations, bars and restaurants in 3D view mode to make it easier for drivers to get their bearings in an unfamiliar environment.

The NV-U51 features a new slim line design that includes a high-brightness 3.5-inch screen with a special anti-glare coating to reduce unwanted reflection in bright sunlight, so you can always see the screen no matter what the weather. Also included is a new mount system with a high adhesive flexible gel so that is stays secure to either a windscreen or dashboard, even at low temperatures when other adhesives have previously come unstuck.

The unit also comes with one month’s free subscription to Speed Camera locations and an update service. A handy feature that warns drivers with an audible ‘beep’ when approaching a speed camera. A 12-month subscription of camera location updates is also available online as an optional service.

The Sony NV-U51 is equipped with a new generation SiRFstarIII GPS chipset, which delivers a more accurate, positive navigation experience; a major benefit for areas that have proved difficult to lock into satellite signals.

The NV-U51 has an embedded 512MB memory with single region mapping data plus a low power consumption for a battery life of up to 6 hours from a single charge from the built-in battery. A car battery adapter and AC power adapter for use at home are also supplied with the unit. The NV-U51 will be available from December 2006.

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