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Tungsten and other Palms get wireless GPS with Michelin maps

Widget UK has started shipping "the first low cost satellite navigation solutions for use with Bluetooth Palm PDAs." It brings the PTA - personal travel assistant - to Palm OS users.

The Kirrio Navigation Pack for Palm OS and the Kirrio Bluetooth Navigation Pack for Palm OS (PPAH0237 price £380 inc VAT) deliver a remarkable satellite-based vehicle navigation and mapping system for handheld enthusiasts.

Both kits are in stock now at Widget and through other resellers and include:-

i) a Globalsat GPS Receiver

ii) ViaMichelin's MapSonic Europe navigation software for Palm

iii) an adjustable support bracket and three convenient vehicle fastening systems.

"GPS systems based on Personal Digital Assistants which give vocal instructions have been one of the clear success stories of 2003," said Widget's Mark Needham. "To date, almost all have been available only for the Pocket PCs. The Kirrio kits bring the same hands-free, safe vehicle navigation to the Palm OS."

Kirrio's kits use MapSonic software, owned by its software partner ViaMichelin. The MapSonic's route calculation algorithms work out the shortest or the quickest route to your destination.

What makes them better than in-car navigation systems is simple: they work when you get out of the car. "You can navigate to your hotel, and find no car park. So you tell it to find the nearest car park; and it takes you there, turn by turn. And now, you have to find your way to your hotel. You won't do that with an in-car GPS," a Bluetooth SIG spokesman summarised.

The Mapsonic works out shortest (or quickest) route not just by road, but also taking into account whether you're travelling on foot or in your vehicle.

Its voice guidance system "makes it the perfect travelling companion for anyone journeying across Great Britain or Europe," said Widget. The MapSonic software covers Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. It currently supports five languages.

The MapSonic software offers a considerable number of zoom modes, allowing users to see entire countries on-screen right down to a single street with all its details. MapSonic also features accurate street number management, allowing you to locate the exact address you need easily and efficiently.

MapSonic even includes a handy search function which provides an instant listing of all streets or places that match your search criteria - just jot down a few letters of the street name and in seconds you'll have a selection of locations to pick from.

Finally, it can link directly to your Palm's built-in address book so you can select departure and arrival points right from your address book's contact list.

Finally, there's a Points Of Interest (POI) listing, divided up into such categories as rest areas, airports, post offices, hotels, petrol stations and more. Looking for a place to refuel or stop to sleep for the night? Just use the POI technology built into the MapSonic software and you'll be expertly guided to the location closest to you.

Widget UK Ltd distributes mobile computing accessories, to retail and trade channels and to the public via www.widget.co.uk

Contact Mark Needham at mark.needham@widget.co.uk for details.

More info about Kirrio is available online.

The system is part number PPAH0236 price £299.99 inc VAT, and works with the following models: Tungsten T, T2, T3, C, Zire 71 and the Sony PEG-NX60, PEG-NX70, PEG-NX73V, PEG-NX80V, PEG-NZ90, PEG-TG50.