03/01, 7:35am
Mio V780 borders on GPS, MID, tablet arenas
Mio today helped kick off CeBIT by launching an unusual crossover device. The Moov V780 offers the customary GPS navigation but carries a 7-inch, 800x480 display that turns it into a media tablet. It touts a web browser with Flash support as well as Exchange-capable e-mail, multi-touch capable music and photo browsers, and a dedicated YouTube client. A relatively fast 600MHz processor and graphics give it enough power to decode 720p video at native resolution through an HDMI output.
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02/08, 3:35pm
Vodafone handsets spotted ahead of releases
European wireless provider Vodafone will launch a number of new handsets and other personal electronics relatively soon, including the first handset with a screen that has a resolution of 1280x1024. Made by Taiwan-based Qisda, the QCM-330 will have a 4-inch touchscreen and otherwise sport an accelerometer, Wi-Fi, 3-megapixel camera and support for high-speed HSDPA networks. Thus far, the Motorola Droid has one of the highest resolution screens in a handset, at 854x480.
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07/29, 4:15pm
Mio intros Moov M300, M400
GPS maker Mio has announced it will soon offer two new portable navigation devices, the Moov M300 and M400. The identical devices are called Navman M300 and Navman M400 over on Mio's English website, with the former offering a 3.5-inch screen that has a 320x240 resolution, and the latter sporting a 4.3-inch LCD with 480x272 resolution. The Moov M300 will come with a map of France pre-loaded, while the Navman M300 will have a map of the UK and Ireland loaded onto its storage space. The M400s get mapping data for 23 European countries. Either way, users get speed radar locations, and free updates for one year.
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06/24, 5:20pm
Mio Amber smartphone due
Taiwan-based PDA, smartphone and navigation device maker Mio Technology is due to soon release a Windows Mobile 6.5-powered handset, the Mio Amber, according to some leaked specs and images. The device, codenamed Mio Amber, will reportedly sport a 3.6-inch, 800x480-pixel touchscreen display and a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus. Another VGA camera will face the user and allow for video calls.
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05/20, 10:55am
Tele Atlas 3D city images
Digital map and dynamic content creator Tele Atlas on Wednesday announced it will soon offer 3D, photorealistic images of major European city centers called Advanced City Models. Meant for in-car and portable navigation systems, the highly detailed images match the actual surroundings and help users find locations and services. The images were developed in conjunction with Norway-based BLOM, which provided Tele Atlas with aerial imagery of the city centers.
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05/13, 9:15am
Mio Moov S401 S501 for US
Mio today upgraded its Moov GPS units with a pair of large-screen but low-cost models. Falling in line with a late rumor, the S401 and S501 both have Mio's more recent Spirit user interface, which brings both clearer navigation and unique tricks such as "docking" point of interest searches for quicker access, mixed-term keyword searches and the ability to memorize certain routes and places for later. Owners can also convert locations from Google Maps on a computer to a GPS-friendly format.
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03/03, 3:00pm
Mio Explora K70
Rather than focus on its navigators, Mio today launched the Explora K70. One of the company's first phones to depend almost exclusively on its 3.5-inch touchscreen for its interface, the phone is also the company's first to carry 3G over HSPA as well as the firm's signature GPS in a single device. Appropriately, the K70 draws on Mio's experience with GPS and has turn-by-turn navigation with a bird's-eye view.
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01/12, 2:15pm
Mio intros four PNDs
Mio introduced four new Moov portable navigation devices in its booth at the recently-concluded CES, each sporting new Spirit software interface that is meant to be both simpler and more intuitive to use. Hinted at near the start of this year, the interface borrowed from the Navman line will offer more POIs, at 12 million, along with faster access, less cluttered map views and text-to-speech functionality. A 3D Junction View feature is added in the new flagship model, the S556, which has a 4.7-inch touchscreen display and Bluetooth support that allows for hands-free calling.
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01/02, 8:25am
Mio Spirit GPS to Hit CES
Mio will bring the Spirit interface from its recent Navman units to US shores next week, the company says on its corporate blog. The company provides few details itself but has revealed the OS in the past to support touchscreen features that are normally unavailable on other navigators, such as dragging interface elements on the screen, displaying geotagged photos, and 3D representations of not just landmarks but also complex junctions.
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12/15, 10:05am
Magellan sells GPS arm
Personal GPS device maker Magellan Navigation announced on Monday that it will sell its consumer products division to MiTAC International, according to a report today. MiTAC is Magellan's competitor, as it makes its own GPS devices, including the Mio Knight Rider GPS. The deal is expected to close sometime in January, with more details as part of a more official, final announcement expected to be released before then, most likely at CES.
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07/08, 11:45am
Mio Knight Rider in Summer
Mio today firmed up details of its Knight Rider GPS device for North America. In addition to a look that reflects the original Knight Rider series' KITT car, the normal navigation voice has been replaced by original KITT voice William Daniels; turning on the device gives a randomized greeting with Daniels speaking any one of 300 first names as well as turn-by-turn directions.
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06/23, 4:05pm
Mio Knight Rider GPS
Portable navigation system manufacturer Mio on Friday announced its latest offering, Knight Rider, that pays tribute to the TV show of the '80s. The unit features the voice of Knight Industries Two Thousand, otherwise known as KITT, which was voiced by William Daniels. Upon power-up, the unit asks "Hello Michael, where do you want to go today?" before proceeding to give audible directions in the same voice.
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03/24, 8:45am
Mio Moov for US
Quickly following its European launches earlier this month, Mio today launched its Moov GPS units in US-friendly versions. The 3.5-inch Moov 200/210 and 4.3-inch Moov 300/310 are the first Mio navigators to include Mio's own mapping software and also integrate SiRF's newest InstantFixII receivers to provide a fix in as little as five seconds -- an important factor in downtown driving where a dropped update means a missed turn, Mio claims. Both Moovs also provide text-to-speech conversion to speak street names and come preloaded with maps of the entire US and Puerto Rico.
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12/18, 10:30am
Mio C620 and C620t GPS
Mio today released its anticipated C620 GPS navigator, bringing with it features not often seen in most GPS units. The 4.3-inch touchscreen device is the first from Mio to ship with the company's 2008 GPS software and adds an advanced level of 3D compared to most GPS units. In bird's-eye view mode, the C620 provides full, 3D representations of major landmarks and also provides elevation for bridges and significant inclines; drivers no longer have to be caught by surprise by changes in the road or their relative positions. The software is also clearer in pointing out signs ahead and is faster to get its bearings than on old models.
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