| portable Navigation gps Unit
You have already seen vehicle navigation systems in action, perhaps in a rental car or a premium SUV. Or maybe you have already bought an aftermarket in-dash or portable system. However, there is a solution that could be the killer application, capable of launching nav to the next level and makes it a must-have item for all of us unlucky enough to suffer long commutes. We're talking about a computer screen that displays traffic live, in real time, and can offer alternate routes around accidents and slow-downs before they become artery-clogging Sigalerts. This is something commuters could really get behind in a big way.
Cobra is definitely getting some attention with its brand-new portable navigation unit the NAV ONE 4500, which displays North American street maps from Tele Atlas on its 5-inch touch screen and provides real-time updates on traffic accidents and slow-downs in 48 major markets with live data from Clear Channel Radio's Total Traffic Network, received via FM radio. According to Cobra's Tony Mirabelli, this is the first portable nav system with live traffic "off-the-shelf, out-of-the-box, and into-your-car." Suggested retail is $1,099.95, plus a $59.95 annual fee for live traffic after the 3-month free subscription period has ended.
A number of other hardware platforms also get live data from Clear Channel, including nav systems from Audiovox, Garmin, and Magellan.
Not to be outdone by terrestrial radio, the two satellite providers XM and Sirius each have their own live traffic services currently in 22 markets using data from Navteq Traffic, which, according to Navteq, is aggregated from multiple sources, including police and emergency services, commercial traffic data providers, road sensors, traffic cameras, eyewitness reports, and real-time aerial surveillance. Navteq Traffic can display overlays of traffic flow on the map for the driver's chosen route, color-coded by speed, just like on your home or office computer but better, since it's real-time, when and where you need it on the road.
XM NavTraffic debuted in fall 2004 and Sirius just launched in fall 2005. The Alpine NVE-N872A Satellite Traffic-Ready Navigation System ($1,700, monitor sold separately) can receive signals from either service, depending on the tuner used. Sirius Traffic can be received with the new SIR-ALP10T tuner ($299). XM charges $3.99 per month for traffic on top of its satellite radio subscription, while Sirius bundles the two for $16.99 per month.
Regardless of the cost, the fact remains: live traffic data when you need it in your truck? Priceless.
