~Mio Technology turns 80's dream into reality with Knight Rider-themed GPS~
FREMONT, Calif., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Are you a lone crusader in the
shadowy world of navigation? Mio Technology, a leading worldwide maker of
portable GPS navigation devices, introduces the world's first NAVI-tainment
portable navigation device with the launch of the Knight Rider GPS. With a
design inspired by the original Knight Industries Two Thousand, or
K.I.T.T., the Knight Rider GPS by Mio brings the magic of the original
television series to your daily commute with a Knight Industries-approved
LED display and custom voice files. All that's missing is Michael Knight
and his patent leather jacket.
"The Knight Rider GPS by Mio is a groundbreaking entertainment branded
navigation system that's a super cool and natural extension of an iconic
television franchise," said Jeremy Laws, senior vice president of mobile &
broadband, Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group. "I mean, who are you
going to trust more than Mio GPS and K.I.T.T. to get you out of trouble
when you're lost in L.A. traffic?"
For an authentic Knight Rider experience, Mio partnered with Universal
Studios to become a Knight Rider licensee and collaborated with Navtones(R)
to include exclusive voice guidance and turn-by-turn directions featuring
the original voice of K.I.T.T., the most iconic TV car of all time. The
device's integrated randomized greetings and 300 custom names will welcome
you to your navigation experience. In addition to Mio's hallmark
high-quality navigation, the Knight Rider GPS features an active LED voice
synthesizer display that moves in sync with the voice, just as it did on
K.I.T.T.'s dash. The Knight Rider GPS can even be programmed to advise
drivers of speed limit infractions for those inclined to apply too much
turbo boost.
"I've been a fan of the Knight Rider TV show since it first aired on
Sept. 26, 1982 and the fan base is still going strong today," said Neil
Epstein, owner of fan enthusiast Web site, Knight Rider Online. "I have
been waiting 20 years for my car to be able to talk to me like K.I.T.T.,
and now with the Knight Rider GPS it is a reality for fans everywhere."
The Knight Rider GPS features a 4.3-inch widescreen interface, which
allows for more on-screen information and additional details about upcoming
intersections. More than four million points of interest will assist
drivers in locating gas stations, emergency assistance, hotels and
restaurants -- turning every trip on the road into an adventure. Like the
original K.I.T.T., which had multiple modes including normal, auto and
pursuit cruising, the Knight Rider GPS allows drivers to choose routing
modes including the fastest or shortest route and highway preference. In a
race against mobile assassins or your child's soccer schedule, the Knight
Rider GPS also features a SiRFInstantFixIII GPS receiver, which delivers
faster GPS signal locks so drivers can navigate as soon as they are ready
to drive.
Knight Rider GPS Product Specifications
With pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada, the Knight Rider GPS is
ready to operate in minutes with no computer set-up required.
GPS Receiver Channels 20 (SiRFstarIII), WAAS Enabled
Display 4.3" TFT with Touch Screen and 65k Colors
Storage Format SD/MMC Memory Expansion Module
USB V2.0
Weight 5.08 oz (144g)
Dimensions 3.54" x 3.30" x 0.94"
Price and Availability
Available later this quarter at many national consumer electronics
retailers, the MSRP for the Knight Rider GPS is $269.95 U.S. Visit
http://www.KnightRiderGPS.com for more information.
About Mio Technology
Mio Technology develops and markets products that enable users to take
advantage of the latest developments in mobile services. The company was
established in May 2002 and now has operations in Taiwan, mainland China,
Europe, North America, Australia, Japan and South Korea. Mio Technology has
more than 1,200 employees worldwide and sells and markets its products in
over 47 countries and territories. The company offers a wide array of
mobile navigation products, which today includes car navigation systems,
handheld navigation systems, GPS PDA phones and GPS PDAs, all designed to
enable people to explore and discover the world around them. Mio Technology
is among the world's top three vendors of mobile devices with integrated
GPS. The company is online at http://www.mio.com.
About Navtones
Los Angeles-based Navtones(R) is a global provider of celebrity,
specialty, and branded voice content for GPS navigation systems. Thousands
of drivers in more than 30 countries know what it means to "Nav It Your
Way" from installing Navtones(R) on their portable navigation devices.
Founded in 2004 with a mission to add entertainment to the daily commute,
Navtones(R) content is available to both consumers and navigation
enterprises via download and embedded license, respectively. To sample our
exclusive catalog or for more information, please check us out at
http://www.navtones.com.
About Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group
Universal Pictures Digital Platforms (UPDPG) is responsible for global
digital product development, production, licensing, distribution, and
growth strategy for the extensive catalogue of Universal's properties
across new and emerging digital platforms, including mobile, video game
consoles, personal computers, and other portable devices. With a worldwide
mandate to help shape the digital future of Universal Pictures, the Group
has offices in Universal City, California; London, England; and Tokyo,
Japan.
Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group is a unit of Universal
Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Universal Pictures is a
division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and
entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of
entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May
2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC
Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment
networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television
production operations, a leading television stations group, and
world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric
and 20% owned by Vivendi.
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