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Michelin announced an in-car GPS unit that runs Windows CE 5.0.

Submitted by: John Warner on Dec 08, 2007 at 8:38 am Tagged with: Automotive, Telecommunications, wireless broadband Source: Michelin

Known for tires and restaurant guides, Michelin has now announced an in-car GPS unit that runs Windows CE 5.0. The compact X-970T includes hotel and restaurant reviews from the Michelin guide as well as maps of the U.K, Ireland, and mainland Europe, according to the company.

(Click here for a view of the Michelin X-970T)

Technically, the device offers standard fare, employing the SiRF starIII chipset and a 300MHz Samsung processor along with 64MB of RAM and 128MB of flash memory. Maps of the U.K. and Ireland fit into 1GB of storage, loaded via the X-970T's SD slot, while 2GB is required for the European mainland. (Norway, Sweden, and Finland have to be loaded from a supplied DVD-ROM if required, according to the company.)

The compact X-970T measures 4 x 3.5 x .8 inches (100 x 88 x 20 mm) and features a 3.5 inch QVGA (320 x 240) pixel display. According to Michelin, it includes a loudspeaker that delivers voice guidance in English and 13 other languages, including Polish and Flemish. Bluetooth is also featured, providing hands-free phone operation and letting the GPS device receive data updates.

Michelin says the X-970T also receives Traffic Message Channel (TMC) broadcasts via the FM Radio Data System (RDS), playing back only those that are relevant to a user's present position. (TMC is currently broadcasting in a variety of western European countries, with others expected to come online soon, according to TMC Forum, the TMC trade association.)

The X-970T weighs just 5.5 ounces (155 g), according to Michelin. It comes with a lithium-ion battery said to be good for three hours of operation, plus a USB cable, AC adapter, and cigarette lighter adapter. Also featured is a car mounting system said to attach the device to a windshield with a simple quarter turn.

Michelin did not release pricing or availability information, but the device appears to be available from various European dealers for about 200 Euros (approximately $300).