| Windows PND sports cellular modem |
Nov. 14, 2008
 TeleNav announced a Windows CE GPS device that includes a built-in GPRS cellular modem. The Telenav Shotgun offers real-time traffic updates and "intelligent rerouting," provides online map and POI (points of interest) updating, and lets users send destinations to their devices from desktop PCs, says TeleNav.
(Click here for a larger view of the Telenav Shotgun)
TeleNav's Shotgun is the second PND (personal navigation device) we've seen that comes with an integral cellular modem and bundled data service. Like Best Buy's Insignia NS-CNV20, the device is touted as being able to look up real-time traffic information, get updated gas prices, and receive destination addresses from a desktop PC.
TeleNav's Shotgun provides real-time traffic updates
(Click to enlarge)
According to TeleNav, users can pre-plan trips by visiting the company's website, then saving addresses in a "My Favorites" folder that will automatically be uploaded to the Shotgun next time they turn it on. In addition, a "My TeleNav" web browser add-on -- available as a Firefox extension or Internet Explorer plugin for desktop computers -- is said to allow sending addresses to the PND simply by highlighting them on any website, then clicking on an toolbar icon.
As with the Best Buy offering, the "TeleNav Connected Service" doesn't require device purchasers to sign up with a cellular provider. However, following a three-month free trial period, the service does impose monthly fees ranging from approximately $10 to $12.
Connectivity is said to provide regular updates to the Shotgun's maps and database of 11 million POIs (points of interests), the real-time traffic alerts, and the desktop integration mentioned above. However, if Shotgun purchasers do not renew their subscriptions, the device retains its core GPS functionality, says TeleNav.
The Shotgun is reportedly based on SiRF's Atlas III, a highly integrated SoC (system-on-chip) that includes a 396MHz ARM926EJ-S core, a 264 MHz DSP, and support for displays up to 800 x 480 pixels. A faster version of the company's Atlas II, the Atlas III runs Windows CE natively and has 30-channel, hardware-accelerated GPS baseband capabilities, according to SiRF.
SiRF's Atlas III
With an unspecified amount of RAM and flash storage, the Shotgun has a 4.3-inch touchscreen display. Measuring 4.9 x 3.1 x 0.75 inches, the PND ships with a rechargeable battery, car and home chargers, plus a mounting arm and cradle, TeleNav says.
Features and specifications provided by TeleNav for the Shotfun include the following:- Processor -- SiRF Atlas III clocked at 396MHz
- Memory -- n/s
- Display -- 4.3-inch touchscreen display
- Wireless:
- GRPS cellular modem
- 30-channel GPS receiver
- Other I/O -- n/s
- Expansion -- n/s
- Battery -- Internal battery, rated for 2.5 hours of operation
- Dimensions -- 4.9 x 3.1 x 0.75 inches
- Weight -- 4.4 ounces
Given that Windows Mobile phone manufacturers are refining their devices' GPS capabilities, there might not seem to be room in the market for both connected PNDs and GPS phones. Pharos Science, for example, just launched Smart Navigator, Windows Mobile software that's claimed to provide phones with real-time traffic information and POI updates, as well as features previously associated mainly with dedicated PNDs.
However, says David Chamberlain, principal wireless analyst with In-Stat, "We have found through several recent consumer surveys that mobile handset navigation and PNDs may actually be complementary rather than competing. More than 30 percent of consumers that we surveyed said they would consider buying both."
Further information
For reviews of TeleNav's Shotgun, see the PC Magazine website, here, or GPSReview.net, here.
TeleNav says the device is available now for approximately $300, with three months of connectivity. After the three-month trial period, service costs approximately $12 on a month-to-month basis, or approximately $10 a month with a two-year contract. More information may be available on the company's website, here.
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