Disqus
Those of you still waiting to put hands on the Garmin-ASUS nuvifone M20 or G60 will probably still have to keep waiting a bit longer (unless you’re in Asia). But, if you can make do with a GSM-connected personal navigation device (PND) in place of a GPS-optimized smartphone, the Garmin nuvi 1690 might fit the bill. The FCC has just cleared the Garmin nuvi 1690, and its integrated GSM radio, for duty in the US.
The nuvi 1690′s GSM connection could provide the PND with traffic updates, weather information and possibly even web-connect POI searches. We won’t know how the GSM data connection will be used until Garmin goes official with the nuvi 1690, but we do know the nuvi 1690 won’t be making any voice calls. The integrated Bluetooth radio will take care of all your speakerphone needs anyway.
Garmin nuvi 1690 FCC link (PDF)
[Via: GPSTracklog]
About The Author
Will Park
Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...
