Engadget gets hands on with GlobalTop HD100 GPS HUD

We said we'd keep you posted, and we meant it. Sister site Engadget just had a brief fling with the GlobalTop HUD GPS device at CeBIT. Unfortunately for them, the demo didn't happen in a car, but rather on the show floor. They said the heads-up display was quite visible on the tinted portion of the demonstration screen, but when they moved it to the more windshield-like clear portion to the side, it all but disappeared. In all fairness, it was a prototype, but we join Thomas Ricker in our skepticism when the device is set to drop next month in Europe for about $100.

We talked about this affordable Bluetooth/GPS system a little while ago and liked the sound of it. The device has a lot of promise because it theoretically projects your speed and other vital info onto your windshield so you can focus your eyes on the road instead of the gauge cluster. Heads-Up Displays (HUD) have been around for eons, mostly used in aircraft, and have proven very effective. Being able to have important information in your field of vision is a great step up in terms of safety, but only if it doesn't distract the driver, and more importantly, only if it's visible. Again, we'll keep you posted. But like Engadget said, perhaps it's best to wait for a full review or an in-car demo of your own, before laying out your hard-earned cash on this one.

[Source: Engadget]