Autoblog

To bring you every GPS device on display at CES, we'd need to start GPSblog. Instead we're gonna hit the ones we think stand out from the crowd, like the Navigon 7100 you see here.

While the thing to do these days for GPS manufacturers is to cram everything they can into that black box on your dash, Navigon is taking a simpler approach. No MP3, no video capability, no Bluetooth. The 7100 gives directions like a good GPS box should.

It's not a low-end device, though. Navigon helps you get where you're going efficiently and safely. Imagine speeding down the interstate and your nav system says "take next exit." If you're stuck in the center lane, which way do you go? Navigon tells you which lane you need to be in, and on the screen shows representations of the overhead exit signs you'll be seeing.

The 7100 will keep you out of trouble, too. In the upper left corner of its screen is displayed the speed at which you should be driving if you want to avoid the cops. It'll keep you out of trouble when searching for a place to eat, too. Navigon has exclusive rights to use Zagat data to help you make decisions on restaurants while on the road.

The 7100 potentially saves you money as well, with a lifetime subscription to traffic data. No more paying monthly fees to know how congested your route is because the price of traffic info is covered in the $500 street price.

It's a good looking device, too, as you can see from our gallery of high-res photos. The company's full press release is available after the jump.



NAVIGON NAMED CES BEST OF INNOVATIONS 2008 DESIGN AND ENGINEERING
AWARD HONOREE
NAVIGON 7100 Selected as Top In-Vehicle Accessory

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®) named NAVIGON as a Best of International CES Innovations 2008 Design and
Engineering Awards Honoree for the NAVIGON 7100 personal navigation device (PND). Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the trade press to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products. Selected as the Best of Innovations 2008 honoree in the In-Vehicle Accessories category, the NAVIGON 7100 features stunning 2D and 3D map views, easy to navigate menus and exclusive functionality. The NAVIGON 7100 shakes up the me-too GPS category with smart features that make the device easy to use, help reduce driver stress
and provide meaningful real world context.

The NAVIGON 7100 boasts many industry exclusive features, including lifetime subscription-free real-time traffic to empower drivers to re-route around congestion. NAVIGON's Reality ViewTM reduces driver stress by providing photo-realistic images of complex highway interchanges. Additionally, Lane Assistant bolsters confidence by guiding drivers to the best lane relative to the route. Advanced text-to-speech technology provides spoken driving directions and street names, so drivers can focus on the road.

"We are extremely honored to be named a CES Best of Innovations Design and Engineering Award honoree," said Andreas Hecht, NAVIGON's President for the Americas. "We are very proud of the family of products we have introduced to the US market. Receiving this honor from the prestigious CEA validates the innovative thinking we have put into developing the best products in the navigation category."
As a widely renowned consumer technology awards program that began in 1989, the prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards recognize achievements in product design and engineering. It is sponsored by CEA, the producer of the International CES, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, and endorsed by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), the voice of industrial design, committed to advancing the profession through education, information, community and advocacy.

The NAVIGON 7100 will be displayed at the 2008 International CES, which runs January 7-10, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase will feature honorees by product category at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, Booth #70621. Best of nnovations honoree products will also be displayed at the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center, next to Experience CEA, and at CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES on Saturday, January 5. The Innovations entries are judged based on the following criteria:
• Engineering qualities, based on technical specs and materials used
• Aesthetic and design qualities, using photos provided
• The product's intended use/function and user value
• Unique/novel features that consumers would find attractive

About NAVIGON
NAVIGON INC. is one of the world's leading providers of navigation products and software solutions. NAVIGON makes its own navigation brand consumer products and creates software solutions for OEM customers operating in personal navigation, wireless, and automotive sectors. Founded in 1991, NAVIGON employs more than 400 people and has offices in Asia, Europe and North America. For more information, visit www.navigon.com.