SLIDESHOW (3)

Slideshow | All Shots

Garmin International used CeBIT, Europe's premier electronics trade show, as the platform for launching the expansion of its "C" series StreetPilot automotive GPS devices with the Garmin StreetPilot c550, as well as two new models in its nüvi line of Personal Travel Assistants.

The c500 retains the same basic form factor and screen size of the c330, but adds Bluetooth capability along with an integrated microphone and two speakers. There's also an external microphone and stereo output jack. These new capabilities enable users to place hands-free calls when connected to a compatible Bluetooth phone. Users will be able to dial phone numbers on the c550's touch screen from their personal phone book, or from the call logs on Bluetooth-enabled phones. Phone calls can also be made directly from the c550's built-in POI (point-of-interest) database. The c550 is expected to be compatible with more than 200 models of cell phones.

Also new on the c550 is a "high bright" display that promises to be more readable in bright sunlight, and the c550 includes a traffic receiver that's integrated into the power cable. Three months of traffic data is included with the purchase of a c550. After that, owners can subscribe to the Total Traffic Network for $60 for 15 months.

The new Garmin nüvi models—the 310 and 360— have also added Bluetooth capabilities, as well as an integrated microphone and speaker. These new features enable integration between Bluetooth capable phones and the nüvi. As with the c550, users will be able to dial phone numbers on the nüvi touch screen from their personal phone book, or from the cell phone's call logs on Bluetooth-enabled cell phones. Phone calls can also be made directly from the nüvi's built-in POI database.

European customers have a choice of the nüvi 310, for which they can purchase regional maps, or the nüvi 360, which includes full European mapping. The North American version of the 360 includes pre-loaded maps of Canada, the United States, and Puerto Rico.

The nuvi 310 and 360 is expected to be available in June, while the StreetPilot c550 is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2006. Pricing for all three is yet to be determined.

Be sure to check back on www.pcmag.com for a product review when test units become available.

Spring is only a couple of weeks away, and yet it's still in the 30s here in NYC. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the gusts of wind.

How does one survive the cold temperatures? For starters, you'll want to invest in a good jacket. But if you're willing to spend some extra dough, consider Gerbing's Union Ridge Heated Jacket. It provides your chest, back, arms, and neck with warm, toasty heat. All you do is plug the jacket in to a 12-volt DC power source. It's also water resistant with Urethane coated on the inside and Teflon coated on the outside. 

For added comfort during the cold weather, you can connect your Heated Jacket to Gerbing's Heated Gloves ($139) with the available plug in the sleeve. You can also hook the jacket up to the Heated Pants Liner ($199) and Heated Pants ($229).

The Union Ridge Heated Jacket is available for $329.

[Found via Ubergizmo]

People have been speculating like mad regarding Origami, Microsoft's super-secret new software, and there are pictures aplenty on the Web of the wacky prototypes cropping up. You can read about the Ultra Mobile PC concept on Intel's site, but there's not much info up there, and all the guessing on the Net is confusing at best. According to Mary Jo over at Microsoft Watch, "UMPCs will allow users to connect to the Internet, check e-mail and even do things like make VOIP (voice-over-IP) phone calls, manage photos, listen to music and watch video." But that's just the UMPC. Here's the interesting fact: While there are definitely going to be UMPC products soon, like these neat thingys, Origami is a related but different concept. Mary Jo thinks it's a shell that runs on Windows and provides media functions, sort of like Microsoft's Media Center. The guys at Engadget think it's a new iteration of the Tablet PC. I think it's a new iteration of the Apple Newton. Either way, it's cool as heck and everyone wants one.

The company that brought us the RoboSapian and RoboRaptor is coming out with a very, very different kind of robot: It's an intelligent media hub with facial recognition, text-to-speech and media management, and it can also serve as a surveillance unit for watching the baby and guarding your home. SCOTY (which stands for Smart Companion Operating Technology) is a 2-foot-tall, space-age-looking series of lighted panels; the top two can swivel. 

PC Magazine's Lance Ulanoff was lucky enough to get a preview of SCOTY. Says Lance:

Built as part of a joint venture with Philips Electronics, SCOTY is many months from release. Still, the prototype we saw used its head-mounted video camera to recognize us, microphones on top of the uppermost panel to hear us, and speakers to greet us and respond to our commands... You'll be able to talk to SCOTY and have him play music from one of your networked PCs. In addition, SCOTY's software will allow it to tell you when you have new mail and even read it back to you.

 

I can't wait to try this one out. Read more of Lance's report here.

 

 

I don't know how many times I've waited at my local movie theatre to buy a ticket, only to finally get my tickets and miss the first fifteen minutes of the film. Then there's the time I tried those machines to purchase a movie ticket, only for it to be "out of service." The fastest solution seems to be the Internet to purchase and print out your tickets, but what if you're driving around and suddenly have the urge to see Curious George or When A Stranger Calls?

Simple. I'll just pull out my red Sanyo PM-8200 cell phone and go to Fandango Online to purchase my movie ticket. Sprint Nextel is the first wireless carrier to utilize Fandango Online in which the movie ticket is sent to the user's handset and can be read by a barcode reader at the movie theater.

Fandango.com also offers movie information, directions, and movie-specific wallpapers, games, and ringtones. 

Too bad you can't use your phone to order popcorn so it's waiting for you at the Concession Stand.

[Found via Wireless Week]