Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Lost? GM making Turn-by-Turn navigation standard on most 2007 models]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/30/lost-gm-making-turn-by-turn-navigation-standard-on-most-2007-mo/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/30/lost-gm-making-turn-by-turn-navigation-standard-on-most-2007-mo/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/30/lost-gm-making-turn-by-turn-navigation-standard-on-most-2007-mo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

GM announced today that it will be making its OnStar Turn-by-Turn navigation system standard on a number of 2007 models and that the first year of service will be free. Owners of vehicles already equipped with OnStar can also have the service activated through an optional $100 OnStar package upgrade within their first year of use. Turn-by-Turn is considered an "off-board" GPS navigation system because the heavy lifting is done by OnStar advisors and a centrally-managed remote database. Users just push the blue OnStar button, tell a real person where they want to go and voice-guided directions will be pumped through the vehicle's stereo system. It features automatic route corrections and the ability to pick up where it left off after an unscheduled Mountain Dew-induced bathroom break. The system's centrally managed database also continually updates itself with points of interest, so when the main vain needs to be drained again you can call up an OnStar advisor and ask how many miles until the next McDonalds bathroom. Hold on to your wallets, though. After the first initial year of free service, Turn-by-turn navigation will cost OnStar users an additional $299 per year. Yowsers. A couple years of that would easily pay for a nice third third-party navigation system. But then who would you talk to?

[Source: OnStar]

Lost? GM making Turn-by-Turn navigation standard on most 2007 models originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Aug 2006 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nav systemnavigationnavigation systemNavigationSystemNavSystemonstarturn-by-turnWed, 30 Aug 2006 13:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Taking OnStar for a test drive]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/10/test-driving-onstar/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/10/test-driving-onstar/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/10/test-driving-onstar/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

TechnoRide recently navigated using OnStar's new "Turn-by-Turn" navigation system to see how it worked. Turn-by-Turn works by OnStar downloading a route's directions into the vehicle. Voice prompts are uttered where to go, turn, etc., like a standard navigation system. TechnoRide used a Cadillac STS as their test vehicle.

The driver found the system worked. Voice prompts would notify when approaching a turn and which direction to go. But lack of visual cues, either maps or text, could make things confusing. And if the driver misunderstood the directions and had to turn around, OnStar would notify them, for example, to turn 'south' and leave it to the driver to figure out where 'south' was.

General Motors, which owns OnStar, plans to roll out the Turn-by-Turn option for all its 2007 vehicles. Pricing has not been announced thought it's expected to match a similar feature available on cellphones.

[Source: TechnoRide]

Taking OnStar for a test drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Apr 2006 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>directionsdownloadOnStartest-driveTurn-by-Turnvoice promptsMon, 10 Apr 2006 20:03:00 EST