Car And GPS (1858)

Mio C720t satnav follows Navman built-in digicam

But not clear whether using NavPix database

27 September 2007 18:20 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Mio has announced a new GPS in the US that includes a built-in digital camera.

Called the Mio DigiWalker C720t, the device like some of the Navman satnav models combines a GPS receiver with a two-megapixel camera.

Other features include real-traffic updates, a 4.3-inch widescreen display, text-to-speech driving instructions and enhanced Bluetooth capabilities.

As with the newly launched Navman S90i, the integrated 2-megapixel camera allows users to embed GPS coordinates into images and navigate back to the photographed location, however what isn't clear as yet is whether Mio, whose parent company also owns Navman, will ask its customers to tap into the Navman branded NavPix service.

Business card recognition software is also included with this feature, automatically inputting data into your contacts list by simply taking a photo of a business card.

"We are confident that the C720t will dramatically alter the perception of GPS technology", said Kiyoshi Hamai, North American sales director, Mio Technology Ltd.

"Mio Technology is committed to moving beyond simple driving directions by combining GPS with other portable technologies, and we see the ability to navigate to destinations shown in photos and to sort images by location as a natural evolution of the Mio Technology promise. We're thinking outside the car."

The Mio DigiWalker C720t will cost $599.95 in the US and is available from today. We are awaiting confirmation as to whether it will be launched in the UK from Mio.