Alpine's Blackbird Portable Navigation Device Incorporates NAVTEQ Traffic RDS(TM)
biz.yahoo.com
Wednesday September 13, 3:30 pm ET
CHICAGO, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NAVTEQ (NYSE: NVT), a leading global provider of digital map data for location-based solutions and vehicle navigation, has been selected to provide real-time traffic information to Alpine Electronics of America, Inc., an industry-leading manufacturer of high- performance mobile electronics, for its portable navigation device, Blackbird (PMD-B100). The Blackbird already uses NAVTEQ® maps.
Blackbird has a built-in Radio Data System (RDS) traffic tuner and is now capable of receiving continuously updated NAVTEQ Traffic RDS flow and incident information in 42 U.S. markets. Visual notification of congestion conditions and incident alerts allow drivers to see potential delays so they can choose to avoid traffic problems. The Blackbird also offers a detour option, which gives drivers the choice of avoiding a congested area and taking another route.
"Alpine and NAVTEQ's longstanding working relationship provides a solid foundation for the evolution of new product developments," said John MacLeod, Executive Vice President - Connected Services, NAVTEQ. "Together, we are committed to meeting driver expectations for accurate, real-time traffic information integrated with our comprehensive map data."
NAVTEQ Traffic RDS aggregates, verifies and quality checks data from a variety of industry traffic sources. Features include:
-- Traffic flow information for highways, freeways and major expressways.
The Blackbird designates the use of red squares to show average speeds
between 0 and 10 miles per hour and yellow diamonds for speeds between
11 and 45 miles per hour.
-- Scheduled and unscheduled incidents along a route. Scheduled incidents
include road construction, closures and sports events. Unscheduled
incidents include accidents, disabled vehicles and weather-related
issues. Additional information on each incident, such as lanes affected
and time of occurrence is available by selecting Blackbird's incident
icon.
Launched in spring 2006, Blackbird offers features such as pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada, full turn-by-turn voice-delivered driving instructions, six million unique points of interest, an SD card slot for MP3 music playback, and a 3.6-inch LCD touch-screen monitor.
"With our mission to provide an informed, stress-free driving experience, NAVTEQ Traffic RDS service is a natural complement to the Blackbird's comprehensive, highly flexible navigation features," said Steve Witt, Vice President - Marketing, Alpine Electronics. "Whether in familiar or unfamiliar territory, the Blackbird with the traffic service is an essential tool for drivers." |
