November 2, 2006 We just love ruggedised electronics that can take a bit of rough and tumble and the odd dousing in water so the new US$550 Magellan CrossoverGPS introduced at SEMA was a natural. The rugged, IPX-4-waterproof device is designed to provide navigation for both driving and outdoor adventures. Available in December, the traffic-ready CrossoverGPS is a cross between two products, delivering a quality car navigation experience plus the functionality of handheld GPS receivers for the outdoors from the company that first brought the technology to the consumer market. Preloaded with both street maps and topographic contour maps, the CrossoverGPS guides users from door-to-door in a car - and from point-to-point where the road ends - so they can enjoy driving, off-roading, hiking, geocaching, boating, fishing and more, all with one GPS device!
Vehicle Navigation: Magellan CrossoverGPS offers voice-and text-prompted turn-by-turn driving directions with pre-loaded street-level maps for the 50 United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The easy-to-use system features a 3.5 inch color touch-screen display with a 3-D birds-eye map view. The vehicle navigation mode delivers the fee-free SmartDetour feature to help drivers route around freeway traffic; SayWhere directions with audible street names for extra driving confidence; and optimized multi-destination routing for the quickest and most efficient routes when making several stops. Its searchable directory of nearly 2 million points of interest helps users easily find restaurants, lodging, gas stations, banks and other useful businesses and services. The system also provides a MP3 player and photo viewer for added entertainment value as a travel companion. In addition, users have the option to add real-time traffic capabilities to avoid delays and get to their destination faster.
Outdoor Navigation: To help users find their way through land areas without streets, Magellan CrossoverGPS delivers pre-loaded topographic contour maps, plus the ability to create and go to waypoints and routes or backtrack. The outdoor navigation mode provides guidance using GPS coordinates for geographical locations, such as the latitude and longitude of a starting point and a desired destination. Other convenient features, like the compass screen and the ability to save a base camp location, make the Magellan CrossoverGPS easy to use even for novice navigators. The integrated battery lasts up to eight hours for extended cord-free operation during outdoor activities.
Similar to Magellan GPS receivers for outdoor navigation, the CrossoverGPS allows users to load mapping software via optional SD memory cards to enhance navigation capabilities for hiking, off-road excursions and water sports. The Magellan software line provides additional topographic maps to enhance the detail of the topo content preloaded on the Magellan Crossover. In addition, Magellan MapSend Lakes and MapSend BlueNav XL3 provide useful information like fishing hot spots and marine charts for saltwater activities.
Add Real-Time Traffic Capabilities
Available in early 2007, the optional Magellan TrafficKit will allow the Magellan CrossoverGPS to display map screen icons that show traffic jams and conditions that impede the normal flow of traffic, such as accidents road construction and lane reductions. Drivers are automatically rerouted around traffic unless they choose to see traffic alerts for information only. Drivers can also choose to see all or specific types of incidents, and can learn details about each by touching the associated icon. The TrafficKit will retail for US$99, which includes three months of traffic service.
Small, powerful and portable, the Magellan CrossoverGPS measures 3.4 x 4.3 x 1.1 and weighs 8.5 ounces. The system has a built-in lanyard hook and ships with a Sports Guard sleeve for easy gripping and protection in any environment.