Blaupunkt has introduced a Windows CE 5.0-based GPS unit with an unusual round form-factor. The "TravelPilot Lucca 3.5 Edition" features street-level mapping for 22 different European countries, according to the company.(Click here for a larger view of the TravelPoint Lucca 3.5 Edition)Within the TravelPilot's circular case is a 3.5-inch touchscreen display with 320 x 240 resolution. The device has 64MB of RAM and 1GB of flash, and storage can be added via an SD slot. Like many other Windows CE-based GPS devices, the TravelPilot can display photos or play music files loaded from an SD card, Blaupunkt notes.The TravelPilot is built around SiRF's Atlas III, a highly integrated SoC (system-on-chip) that includes a 396MHz ARM926EJ-S core, a 264 MHz DSP, and support for displays up to 800 x 480 pixels. A faster version of the company's Atlas II, the Atlas III runs Windows CE natively and has 30-channel, hardware-accelerated GPS baseband capabilities.According to Blaupunkt, the TravelPilot features maps supplied by TeleAtlas, which can be loaded as needed from a DVD supplied with the unit. GPS functionality includes a "go-home function" from anywhere, points of interest (POI) displays, and route calculation that can avoid toll roads, ferries, or specific highways. "Adaptive adjustment" can take driving behavior into consideration when calculating routes, Blaupunkt claims.The TravelPilot 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.)Specifications listed by Blaupunkt for the TravelPilot Lucca 3.5 Edition include:
Processor -- SiRF Atlas III (396MHz ARM926EJ-S core and 264 MHz DSP)
Memory -- 64MB RAM and 1GB flash
Display -- 3.5-inch touchscreen display with 320 x 240 resolution
I/O:
1 x USB 2.0
3.5mm headphone jack
DC input
Battery type/life -- 1400 mAh battery lasts approximately three hours
Weight -- 7 ounces (195 g)
Dimensions -- 4.3 (diameter) x 0.8 (thickness) inchesBlaupunkt did not release pricing or availability information, but the TravelPilot Lucca 3.5 appears to be on sale in a variety of European countries.