| CNN.com: Home Page - | International Edition - |  |
GM to unveil OnStar navigationAuto manufacturer plans to offer turn-by-turn navigation using voice commands rather than in-dash screen, paper says.February 7, 2006; Posted: 11:06 a.m. EST (1606 GMT)
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - General Motors Corp. plans a new version of its OnStar service that includes turn-by-turn navigation, the company announced Monday The service will be the first of its kind for OnStar and is designed to answer complaints that computerized automobile navigation systems are sometimes distracting and confusing to operate. The new service will use automated voice prompts to guide drivers to their destinations, as other navigation systems do. But, with the OnStar system, the user will be able to tell the destination to an OnStar operater and the route will then be downloaded to the car. Some other navigation systems allow the user to enter a destination by voice, but those rely on computerized voice recognition programs that can be tricky to use. As with typical in-car navigation systems, the route will be recalculated and updated if the driver leaves the programmed path. The newspaper said the new navigation service will be part of the seventh generation of the service that will be unveiled this week at the Chicago Auto Show, the nation's largest auto show in terms of visitors. GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner is to unveil the service Tuesday. The service will be introduced this spring on the 2006 Buick Lucerne, Cadillac DTS and Cadillac STS and be phased in on other GM vehicle models during the next two years as an extra-cost subscription service. GM is hoping the service will help give its vehicles a sales edge. OnStar, a 10-year-old service, had 4 million subscribers at the end of 2005. ________________ For more on what's due at the Chicago Auto Show, click here.
|
|
|||||||||||||
