New Device Features Location Based Social Networking, Real Time Traffic Updates, Fuel Pricing, Flight Status, Local Search.
Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), and AT&T* announced that AT&T will provide the wireless network connection for the nüvi 1690, a portable navigation device (PND) with a built-in wireless module planned for release later this year.
The nüvi 1690 will come equipped with Garmin’s nüLink!, an industry leading, feature-rich service that will provide customers mobile access to Google™ Local search and up-to-date local information, including traffic, weather, fuel prices, movie listings, flight status, local events, and white page telephone listings. The service also features Ciao!™, Garmin’s exclusive location-based social networking system that connects multiple networks into a single portal for Garmin users.
“The nüvi is a powerful time-saving tool that takes the mystery out of where you are, where you’re going, and the best way to get there – whether it’s to an important meeting, a child’s soccer game, or across the country on a road trip,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “We’re pleased to deliver this compelling, real-time content across AT&T’s nationwide network, delivering the ultimate navigation experience.”
“We look forward to providing the network connection that will deliver an exciting new breed of timely wireless data, helping redefine on-the-go navigation for consumers and keeping them connected and informed,” said Glenn Lurie, president, AT&T Emerging Devices and Resale.
The U.S. version of the nüvi 1690 will be offered with two years of free Garmin nüLink! service, making it the first online PND to offer an extended period of online features included in the purchase price of the device. It will come equipped with preloaded maps of North America and is expected to be available in the fourth quarter for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $499.99. Following the first two years of service, the Garmin nüLink! subscription renewal price for data services is $5.00/month.
The nüvi 1690 is Garmin’s first mobile navigation device to transform traditional social networking into location-enabled social networking. Through Ciao!, a patent-pending social network application that links multiple location-centric social networks onto one application, customers have the option of sharing their whereabouts with friends and family. Ciao! users will see their friends’ location on a map and then be able to navigate to that location.
The nüvi 1690 will also come standard with ecoRoute™, an innovative application that helps customers stretch their dollars and conserve fuel by creating routes that are optimized for using less fuel. When a user selects the “less fuel” option, the nüvi will determine a fuel efficient route based on fuel consumption rates, estimated driving speeds and vehicle acceleration data. Customers can then develop better driving habits by reviewing the results of ecoRoute’s Fuel Report and Mileage Report. When used in combination with nüLink!’s fuel prices, customers can not only optimize their routes but also can choose their refueling locations in order to minimize the cost of vehicle operation. Fuel prices in the U.S. are updated daily.
The nüvi 1690 also features Bluetooth® Wireless Technology that makes it possible to receive and place phone calls directly from the nüvi, once paired with a wireless phone. It can be paired with over 200 Bluetooth enabled phones, and a driver can retrieve and dial numbers using a supported phone’s contact list, the phone’s call history log, or the nüvi’s preloaded points of interest database.
The nüvi 1690 boasts the most comprehensive set of points of interest (POI) search capabilities offered by any online PND, delivered through nüLink’s Google Local and white page telephone listings. Google Local brings online POIs to customers’ fingertips and lets them search for destinations by name or key words just like they are accustomed to doing on their personal computer. In addition, Garmin has created a “quick search” feature that lets users search Google Local via categories like food, lodging and fuel, rather than typing a word or phrase into the Google Local search box. Customers can also use the nüLink!’s white page telephone listing feature to search for a person’s street address by their first name, last name or phone number.
In addition to the local search feature, Garmin nüLink! offers a plethora of other online services. Local events and movie listings help customers find interesting activities wherever they might travel. Real-time flight status takes the stress out of traveling to the airport with up-to-the minute arrival and departure information for major air carriers. And the Garmin nüLink! traffic feature provides the best-in-class information from NAVTEQ to help customers navigate in and around congestion.
Customers can also opt to use the nüvi 1690’s preloaded POI database to search for a location and then receive turn-by-turn, voice prompted directions to the destination. The nüvi 1690 includes lane assist with junction view so drivers will see a realistic presentation of road signs and junctions along the route, as well as arrows that indicate the proper lane for navigation. These features make it easy to navigate unfamiliar intersections and exits because the nüvi guides drivers to the correct lane for an approaching turn or exit. Map and traffic data is provided by NAVTEQ™ – a world leader in premium-quality mapping.
Garmin’s nüLink! coverage area information is available at www.garmin.com/nulink. Additional information is available at www.garmin.com.
About Garmin International Inc.
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin and nüvi are registered trademarks and Ciao!, nüLink! and ecoRoute are trademarks or service marks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Bluetooth is a registered trademark of the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
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