Homer is just one of over 70 different celebrity voices that are available on the TomTom website, and you don't need to buy a special edition nav unit to experience it. Registered users of TomTom devices can purchase Homer's voice online for only $12.95, but you'll have to download TomTom HOME on your computer if you haven't already done so.

We're guessing that there will be plenty of Simpson's fans that'll be more than happy to download Homer to their TomTom, but we're not sure how this will play out for the rest of us. After all, Homerisms are pretty damn funny, but when we hear the same things over and over again, the novelty wears out pretty quickly. Hit the jump to view the press release.

[Source: TomTom]

Issuing voice commands to your vehicle's infotainment system used to be an arduous task that rarely, if ever, produced the desired effect. New systems, like Ford's SYNC, have cured many of those ills and BMW is on track to bring voice recognition to the next level later this year.

Beginning in September, BMW will roll out its new voice control system, allowing users to issue direct spoken commands to manipulate both the navigation and audio controls.

The most revolutionary – if obvious – implementation of the system will be with navigation, letting the driver to speak the destination by specifying the place, street and number. With audio, the user can select an artist, album, title or even the genre of music, but at launch it will only be accessible through the vehicle's built-in media library, with external media player support coming 2010.

For all the details, make the jump for BMW's press release, along with two videos showing the new system in action.

When Hyundai's sparkling Genesis Coupe debuted earlier this year, we heard from many of you who were excited about the rear-drive model's performance prospects. More than a few we spoke with, however, expressed disappointment that it did not arrive in showrooms with an optional in-dash navigation unit, particularly since Hyundai was plainly targeting premium competitors like the Infiniti G37. Well, we've just returned from the company's HATCI facility (Hyundai-Kia American Technical Center, Inc.) in Ann Arbor, and we're happy to report that we've been given an in-depth look at a prototype of the company's next-generation system that will find its way into the Genesis Coupe beginning later this summer.

Fair Warning: The accompanying photographs are of a rough engineering prototype unit, but we thought our readers would appreciate the early look. As is typical of such mules, the instrument panel is more than a bit tired looking from having its "head unit swapped out more often than you change your underwear" (so says Dan Bedore, Hyundai's quick-witted P.R. manager).

Click on the jump to get the full skinny.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.

In the event of a crash, vehicle sensors gather up information and connects an OnStar adviser to a vehicle. OnStar can then contact emergency services and provide information regarding the severity of the crash, with information about airbags deployed and type of impact.

In the past, OnStar advisers would have to give emergency services a detailed description of the location of the accident.
Subscribers to the telematics system will benefit from new technology that will enable OnStar to electronically transmit precise longitude and longitude coordinates directly to the 911 center. Where available, the Automatic Location Identification (ALI) data display will show the authorities exactly where you're located, with almost zero opportunity for error.

While OnStar didn't always sound like such a great deal, real-time directions and accident assist makes it a near must have for anyone owning a GM vehicle. Now GM just needs to sell the service to other automakers so the General can make a tidy profit off of its investment. Hit the jump to see the GM OnStar press release.

A recent survey conducted by research firm NuStats and funded by GPS-maker NAVTEQ found that drivers equipped with in-car navigation units use 12% less fuel than their non-guided counterparts. The study focused on three groups of drivers in Germany. The first used no GPS at all, the second had a basic GPS and the third had a GPS unit that included traffic information. None of the participants had previously owned navigation units.

Once the participating drivers that had been given GPS units got used to relying on the computer's directions, some interesting results were observed. Drivers with navigation units ended up driving shorter distances and spent less time behind the wheel. As a result, these drivers used less fuel than motorists without GPS units. Want to know more? See the full press release after the break.

[Source: NAVTEQ via Jalopnik]

The Dale, Jr.-edition Spotter GPS has Junior gearing you up for the ride with "You drive, I'll ride shotgun." The portable device offers turn-by-turn directions and features Junior-isms like "Hang a right" and "Park it, we're here." The RightWay Spotter comes installed with 1.7 million points of interest, which includes a point-of-interest tour of Charlotte, North Carolina that can also lead you to some of Dale's favorite places. If that weren't enough, the GPS plays MP3s and videos, displays photos, and has an e-book reader, all for $299.

Admittedly, we were kinda hoping it would only instruct left turns, which, in the words of our tipster, might go something like this:

"Alright y'all are gonna go down here a ways, then turn left. Keep going then turn left. Merge over to the high side and and at the next corner turn left. Then make an immediate left. Continue down this stretch of road then y'all need to turn left...

Follow the jump to watch a video of the real Dale, Jr. telling you how it's done. Thanks for the tip, Derek!

[Source: Twice]

Anyone who uses a satnav regularly knows the feeling of looking at the directions being given – or actually trying to follow them – and wondering "WTF?" Try an experiment and plug one of your regular destinations into your satnav and see what it spit out; seven times out of ten you'll wonder "Why would it tell me to go that way?"

A driver in England has once again followed the instructions from his car's GPS system as if he were Abraham heeding instructions from The Almighty. Headed to a friend's house, the driver was told by his GPS to go up a steep walking path, and he did so. Luckily the path was lined by a fence, because when the driver crested a hill, he slid down the path and into the fence, which stopped him from going over a 100-foot cliff.

Fortunately, he was unhurt, although charged with careless driving. Never forget: trust your good sense before you trust your satnav...

[Source: The MIrror]

More and more people are adding electronic gadgetry to their car's arsenal after their initial purchase, which often makes sense since it almost always costs less to add audio equipment or GPS navigation from an aftermarket company than it does to spec if from the factory.

Sadly, recent statistics prove that you'd better be careful with that shiny new piece of technology. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 24,700 portable navigation systems were swiped in 2008, representing a whopping 700% increase over 2006. While the number in thefts has rocketed skyward, the number of units sold have likewise gone supernova, leading us to wonder if the actual percentage of thefts over units in service has changed appreciably overall.

Apple's iPod is also attractive to thieves, who stole 17,000 of the little music players in '08. Perhaps the rise in iPod thefts helps explain why half as many car stereos (14,000) were stolen last year than in 2006, although we are willing to bet that automakers' continued move away from standard-sized, non-integrated head units is also a major factor.

Our common sense advice? Add-on nav systems and iPods are portable for a reason... remove them from your car when you leave it parked. Disaster averted.

[Source: Ecommerce Journal]

GM is out to win hearts and minds, one OnStar-equipped vehicle at a time. The General is talking to other carmakers about offering OnStar, which would be a return to previous practice. The service was linked with six other brands in the past, including Audi, Acura, and Lexus, but the ties were cut around the time cellular communications switched to digital from analog.

Now OnStar is ready to start adding friends to its profile again, and not just in the U.S. and Canada: the General is looking at expanding into other countries. GM says the driver aid has been getting more profitable for GM over the years, and that's in spite of reduced car sales. About 20% of used car buyers have been adding the service, which has kept the six-million-strong subscriber base growing. This looks like a good situation all around: GM makes money, customers get services, call centers don't need to be replicated. We just hope that the partners keep in-car navigation as well -- that turn-by-turn stuff is for the birds.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Navigon and Rand McNally have teamed up to develop some interesting new GPS features that make it easier for users to personalize their trips.

Landmark View 3D is s a $40 upgrade for Navigon's 2200T model and has the ability to display 600 North American landmark buildings in 3D to aid directions... or at least add some novelty to your nav. In keeping with the tourist theme, scenic routes and city guides will be available for $20 each. The scenic routes will feature weekend getaway suggestions, picturesque tours and regional trips. More than 1,400 cites are covered in the guides and routes can be customized to fit your interests. And for another $30 a year, Navigon owners can now be alerted to red light camera locations.

Headed overseas? Add maps of 38 European countries to your Navigon for $130. The update comes pre-loaded on an SD card and covers 4.5 million miles of road and millions of points of interest. The new features will be available for download from the Navigon Fresh software website sometime in the Spring.