The First Photo Mapping Sat-Nav Device: NDrive April 23, 2008

In an effort to make getting from A-to-B even easier, NDrive has launched the G280 and G800 sat nav devices which have swapped out interactive drawings for real 3D photos of UK cities.

Well, not all of them, but enough to make these devices more interesting than your run of the mill sat-navs. NDrive’s photo mapping is currently available for many of the UK’s biggest cities, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen, Liverpool, Cardiff, Leeds, Glasgow, Newcastle and Sheffield, among others.

According to the company, photo maps make it easier to see where are going and you get to actually see your destination before you set off.

The photos maps are viewable from 5 different perspectives: 1 birds-eye view and 4 diagonal views. The diagonal modes should prove useful for use in Pedestrian Mode, allowing you to see the very street you are on.

The software used is UK and Ireland TeleAtlas Q1 2008, which comes stored on an 8GB memory card. For areas not covered by photo maps the software reverts to the usual TeleAtlas mapping. The specs for both devices are as follows:

G280
3.5” LCD (320x240) touch screen, resistive display.
3D Photo Navigation
Built in Loudspeaker and 3.5mm headphone jack
Input/Output USB 2.0
Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery (non-removable)
8GB SD Card including UK and Ireland maps (spare storage for additional maps and media)
Multimedia player with support for audio, video and photos (MP3, WAV, AVI, ASF, GIF)
Calculator and games
Dimensions= 90/75/188mm
Weight= 140grammes

G800
4.3” LCD (320x240) touch screen, resistive display.
3D Photo Navigation
Built in Loudspeaker and 3.5mm headphone jack
Input/Output USB 2.0
Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery (non-removable)
8GB SD Card including UK and Ireland maps (spare storage for additional maps and media)
Bluetooth connection
FM Transmitter
Multimedia player with support for audio, video and photos (MP3, WAV, AVI, ASF, GIF)
Calculator and games
Dimensions= 121/83/200mm
Weight= 210grammes

The G280 and G800 are shipping now and cost £199 and £315, respectively.

[NDrive]

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