Raytel announces EGO Drive GPS navigator

Raytel has announced that at next month's CES expo, it will be demonstrating the EGO Drive, an unusual GPS navigator. While it includes a 4.3-inch touchscreen and 2D or 3D mapping, the distinguishing factor may be its wireless remote control knob, which lets users handle some basic functions without having to lean over to the dash or pull it out of a pocket.

The unit further features advanced Bluetooth support, which not only enables hands-free calling but also stereo audio streaming. Users can play MP3, WAV and MPEG-4 files on the system, with data being copied either to internal memory via USB, or held on SD cards up to 2GB in size.

Some other highlights of the player include speech-to-text voice recognition, the ability to read SMS and MMS messages, and inputs for stereo audio or composite video sources. Traffic information is fed through built-in TMC support. As yet, Raytel has not revealed the EGO's pricing or release date. [via NaviGadget]