GPS information

According to WSJ TomTom and Sanyo are joining their forces to sell their devices to car makers.

Japanese Sanyo announced yesterday that it will team up with Dutch TomTom to grab more market share in North America and Europe where the auto industry is supposedly picking up.

The collaboration between Sanyo and TomTom will supply auto makers with customized in-dash GPS navigation systems as early as 2010.

Sanyo has been making GPS navigation systems in Japan since 1993 where factory fitted sat nav system are more common place. On the other hand North Americans and Europeans are more into after market, windshield mounted, unsightly, portable systems.

Sony Japan announced yesterday the NV-U75 portable navigation system. The feature-rich GPS device features a 4.8-inch WQVGA display, maps of Japan, voice-guided turn-by-turn directions with lane information, direction signs, 3D intersection views, and real-time VICS traffic information. The unit has 8 GB of built-in flash memory, Bluetooth, and Blu-ray disc playback compatibility as well. The Bluetooth feature allows KDDI cellular subscribers to transfer data from their cellphones over-the-air to the NV-U75. The new Sony GPS unit will only ship in Japan.