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High-end Navigon 8100T GPS features panorama 3D view

Navigon debuts the high-end Navigon 8100T GPS with a new panorama 3D view, as well as voice recognition and free real-time traffic.

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Bonnie Cha was a former chief correspondent for CNET Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
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Bonnie Cha

On Monday, Navigon introduced its most ambitious portable navigation device (PND) to date, the Navigon 8100T. The highlight of the device is something called Panorama View 3D, which brings a "true 3D" map experience.

Basically, the system uses NASA terrain data and provides digital elevations, so you'll see surrounding landscapes like rolling hills and so forth. While we've seen 3D building renderings in other GPS before (a la HP iPaq 310 Travel Companion) as well as 3D views of complicated intersections, the 8100T is the first to offer a full 3D view of your surrounding environment, giving you a better idea of what lies ahead. To build on the experience, the Navigon 8100T also has a built-in graphics accelerator and a large 4.8-inch touch screen.

Other visual aids on the 8100T include Lane Assistant Pro for lane guidance and Reality View Pro, which presents a photorealistic 3D view of complex highway interchanges. The rest of the PND's features are similar to the Navigon 7200T. You get free real-time traffic for life; address entry via voice; text-to-speech functionality; integrated Bluetooth; and Zagat ratings and reviews for certain points of interest. The Navigon 8100T will be available later this month for $599.