Garmin (News - Alert) has introduced the new nüvi 860, a portable navigation device equipped with menu speech recognition.

 

This latest offering from Garmin also includes features such as safety camera alerts, emergency location assistance, hand- free calling and photo navigation with Google (News - Alert) Panoramio.

 

Company officials said that users can mount a push-to-talk wireless remote to their steering wheel, which is used to activate voice commands - eliminating the need for additional set-up.

 

Once activated, the user can manipulate controls by speaking the words that correspond to buttons that are on the touch screen display, so that “almost any common task can be performed without touching the unit.”

 

Also, the nüvi 860's traffic receiver can display up to the minute traffic information to help with journey times and traffic avoidance, in addition a new custom application allows a user to select areas and individual sections of roads to avoid.

 

Officials said the nüvi 860 includes Cyclops safety camera alerts covering mobile and fixed camera locations, along with Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling when paired with compatible phones.

 

Officials pointed out that using the unit's speech recognition capabilities, users can find and dial phone numbers—specifically supported phones can even access their history log of received, missed and dialed calls, or nüvi's points of interest database—hotels, restaurants, department stores and more.

 

Moreover, this new premium PND also has a built-in FM transmitter, allowing users to wirelessly transmit turn-by-turn directions and street names, MP3s and audio books through their vehicle's stereo.

 

The nüvi 860 also comes with front-firing stereo speakers and a removable lithium-ion battery, and is loaded with European maps, and incorporates a internal GPS antenna.

 

Officials said that the nüvi 860 also includes many entertainment and travel tools including a music player (MP3) with free 40 downloadable tracks from emusic.com, audio book player alarm clock, picture viewer, currency converters and more.

 

The units also are installed with Garmin Lock, a patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined location.

 

 

Clive Taylor, director of product at Garmin, said that Garmin's nüvi 860 uses full menu speech control to make driving safer and easier, adding that it’s now possible to keep both hands on the wheel and tell the nüvi 860 what to do and where to go.

 

“Simple shortcut phrases like 'go home' will automatically take you straight to the map screen and route you to your home in a matter of seconds,” he said.

 

He also said that with the speech control and a Bluetooth link to a user’s phone, the nüvi 860 makes “calling safer” as it allows the user to interact with the phone totally hands free.