Alpine Electronics on Tuesday notified the press that its latest in-car GPS system, the PND-K3msn is now available for purchase. The unit's 4.3-inch touchscreen can display real-time traffic, weather, gas price and movie showtime information thanks to its compatibility with the MSN Direct service, but is otherwise identical to the company's existing PND-K3 unit. As such, it has text-to-speech functionality, Bluetooth pairing with compatible devices, and a highway junction view that makes it harder to miss turn-offs at complex intersections.

Users can also send Live Search maps to the unit from their PCs without resorting to cables via a Send to GPS function that is unique to the PND-K3msn in Alpine's line-up. An SD memory card slot lets users turn the PND-K3 into a portable music player but, sadly, there is no support for video files.

A three-month subscription to MSN Direct is included with the $300 PND-K3msn, with the service priced at $50 per year or $130 for a lifetime subscription thereafter.