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Logitech Cordless Keyboard for Wii

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The Wii remote is great when you want to swing a virtual sword or a virtual tennis racquet, but if you’re trying to browse the Internet on the Wii Internet Channel, laboriously pointing and clicking at letters gets old real fast. Happily, the Wii is designed to work with a standard USB keyboard, but those looking for a keyboard specifically designed for the Wii need look no further than Logitech’s Cordless Keyboard for Wii.

What It Looks Like
Logitech’s keyboard is a small (about a foot by 7 inches), lap-friendly device, and is the same shade of white as the Wii itself. Plug the keyboard’s receiver in a Wii USB port, put batteries in the keyboard and you’re ready to go. (There are buttons on the keyboard and receiver that one would expect to use to set up communication between the devices, but apparently you don’t need them, although I pressed them anyway.)

The design is similar to laptop keyboards, with the number pad and some other keys folded into the alphabet keys. Logitech has also squeezed in a couple of extra keys, such as an “OK” key that is equivalent to using your Wii remote to click an OK button (on a standard keyboard you would press alt+enter) and a Quit key. There are also zoom in, zoom out, forward and back buttons. These are all available on a normal keyboard (as plus, minus, cursor right and cursor left), but Logitech makes their use more apparent.

Pretty Good Overall
Unfortunately Logitech has made a couple of strange design choices. For example, the “OK” key should logically be next to the “enter” key, in the same way that Logitech has put the “quit” key next to “escape,” but instead “OK” is stuck in an out-of-the-way part of the keyboard.

Also, number pad functionality is accessed using a “FN” key that turns letters to number, a standard laptop keyboard method. I am used to using the number pad with my right hand, but because the “FN” key is on the right side of the keyboard, I have to use your left hand instead.

You still need to use the Wii remote for a lot of Internet navigation, but that is simply because the Wii browser does not support all keyboard functionality (such as page up or using the tab key to change form fields).

In spite of a few flaws, Logitech’s Cordless Keyboard for Wii is easier to handle than a conventional keyboard, mainly because of its small size, and does a good job of making browsing the Internet on your Wii easier. But it won’t do you any good at all when it’s time to swing that sword.


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Samsung Pixon 8-megapixel camera phone

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Samsung M8800 Pixon : Samsung unveiled a very slim full touch Samsung Pixon 8 megapixel camera phone. The Samsung Pixon phone will available in October 2008 to consumers who want to easily capture and share life’s unexpected moments anytime, anywhere they desire. Ever seen something and thought, “if only I had my camera with me”? Many people experience those perfect moments that cry out to be captured - a beautiful, indescribable or unexpected moment that should be kept and be shared with friends and loved ones. Capturing those moments has never been easy simply because people don’t walk around with their cameras on all the time. Missing those perfect moments will become a thing of the past thanks to the new Samsung Pixon.

Samsung Pixon 
Photos featuring friends and family doing funny things or having funny things done to them, bumping unexpectedly into a celebrity or a pet doing something hilarious were all moments which were difficult to capture before because getting a camera out and switched on always took so long. Now all of these will be wonderfully easy to capture because the Samsung Pixon 8 megapixel camera phone is as good a camera as a standalone digital camera. 

Samsung 8MP phone 
Being the world’s slimmest full-touch 8-megapixel camera phone, the Samsung Pixon handset boasts a 13.8mm slim design as well as many other great features. Not only does the outside look just like an actual camera, the Samsung Pixon also takes pictures like one with its x16 digital zoom, auto-focus, fast-shutter, face detection and geo-tagging. 

Samsung Pixon touch screen 
Yet, the Samsung Pixon camera cell phone is even better than an actual digital camera as it also comes with a 3.2 inch full-touch screen and integrated Photo Browser which allows fantastically easy photo sharing and viewing. The Samsung Pixon will completely satisfy those who are tired of camera-phones which look like cameras but have only a passing resemblance to a camera’s functions. 

Pixon has the image quality of a regular digital camera 
Geesung Choi, President of the Samsung Telecommunications Business, said Samsung is a company which constantly tries to innovate to improve consumers’ lives, to make things easier and more fun. “Now everyone will be able to ‘get their pics on’ so much more quickly and easily. For the first time you will have a digital camera on your phone capable of delivering the quality of image of a regular digital camera. The big benefit is not just the ease with which people will now be able to capture and share camera phone shots, but the quality of those shots when taken,” President Choi added.

Samsung Pixon price & availability 
The Samsung Pixon mobile phone will be available first in France in mid-October and soon to be available in most of European countries and Asian countries.


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New DS Model Announced

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October 1, 2008 - Nintendo has just announced a new model of the Nintendo DS. Called the Nintendo DSi, the unit is a smaller handheld that features larger screens, an SD card slot for digital downloads and MP3 playback, and a .3 megapixel camera (640x480 resolution). It is roughly 12% thinner than the current DS Lite model.

Using the touch screen, users will be able to adjust pitch and playback speed of MP3s as well as edit photos taken with the camera.

The Nintendo DSi handheld will have browser software built-in and have access to a DSWare store where gamers can spend Nintendo Points on software. Nintendo will give gamers 1000 points for free if they visit the store by March 2010 -- games will feature four price structures: Free, 200 Points, 500 Points and Premium (800 Points).


The Nintendo DSi will not feature compatibility with Game Boy Advance games due to the lack of a GBA cartridge slot. Though it hasn't been revealed by Nintendo, it's likely that peripherals such as the Guitar Grip for Guitar Hero will not work with the DS-i handheld.

The system will be released November 1st in Japan for 18,900 yen (approximately $180 US) in white and Matte black colors. As of right now, the system is a Japan exclusive.

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Apple iPod Nano 4G

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Apple's fourth-generation iPod Nano returns to the original long, light, and slender formula that put the series on 
the map. Offered in an attractive range of nine colors for both the 8GB iPod Nano ($149) and 16GB iPod Nano ($199) models, Apple has yet again raised the MP3 player bar.

Design
The Nano 4G feels impossibly light and thin, with a seamless metal construction that prevents it from snapping like a twig. A slightly curved design gives the Nano 4G the essence of an 
airplane wing, repeating the rounded design themes of Apple's iPhone 3G and second-generation iPod Touch. Compared with the short, squarish design of last year's Nano, the long, tapered body of the fourth-generation Nano is more comfortable to grasp.

Curved glass now covers the iPod Nano's screen, giving it better resilience against scratches--in theory. The curve of the glass screen lies flush with the slight curve of the Nano's body, and although the glass is inherently glossy and reflective, we didn't notice a diminished viewing quality compared with last year's Nano.

The shape may have softened, but the dimensions of the fourth-generation Nano are nearly identical to the second-generation version, measuring 3.5 inches tall by 1.6 inches wide by 0.25 inch thick at its center--the thinnest iPod yet. The Nano's 2-inch screen size remains unchanged from the previous model, as well as its 1-inch wide scroll wheel control. Headphone and dock connections are located on the bottom of the 4G Nano, and a sliding hold switch makes a reappearance on top of the player (another throwback to the second-generation design).

Because Apple has flipped the Nano's screen on its side, menus and user interface get a dramatic overhaul from last year's model. Menu text size has increased slightly and album cover art takes up less real estate on the main menu. In a bid to increase the accessibility of the Nano for people with impaired vision, Apple has included a font size setting on the fourth-generation Nano that makes its menus more legible--a nice feature even if you have 20/20 vision. The Nano's music playback screen now presents full-screen album art by default, and Cover Flow view is zippier than before, offering alphabetization letters below the covers when you quickly flip through your collection.

Features
All of the features from last year's Nano have migrated to the fourth-generation model, including music, video, and podcast playback, as well as extras such as photos, calendar, games, alarms, stopwatch, contacts, notes, and clocks. Apple also added a few features that make the 4G Nano more compelling than its predecessors.

A new Genius feature lets you create an instant 25-song playlists based around the musical characteristics of a single song. The Genius feature is easy to use, and the results are fun, provided your music collection holds enough songs to make interesting connections. To create a Genius playlist, find a song you like and hold the Nano's center button until you see a Start Genius menu option. You can save Genius playlists directly onto your Nano, and with automatic syncing enabled in iTunes you can also transfer them back to your computer. Oddly, the Nano's Genius feature won't work if haven't enabled Genius on your computer's iTunes software. If you find iTunes' Genius feature too demanding on your computer's resources or too invasive of your privacy (the feature reports your listening habits to Apple), then you'll need to live without the feature on your iPod as well.

The fourth-generation iPod Nano also adds the same tilt-sensor found in the iPhone and iPod Touch, which allows for some interesting control tricks. Giving the iPod Nano a vigorous shake, for instance, puts the music player into shuffle mode. Causal shaking caused by running or exercising isn't enough to trigger the Nano's shuffle mode, and you can always deactivate the shake-to-shuffle feature under the iPod's setting menu or by engaging the hold switch.

The Nano's new tilt-sensor is also useful for activating the iPod's Cover Flow music view when turning the device on its side (a feature cribbed from the iPhone). The iPod Nano also flips the orientation of video playback depending on which direction you prefer to turn the screen. Lefties rejoice! Unfortunately, we found it a little confusing to use the iPod's scroll wheel controls while holding the player sideways for video playback. You get accustomed to it, but it seems like an inelegant design solution coming from a interface-savvy company like Apple.

Apple makes it easier to make voice recordings on the fourth-generation iPod Nano by allowing microphone input through its headphone jack. You'll have to shell out for an Apple-approved headset, however, because our tests so far show that even iPhone-compatible headsets (Monster Beats, Etymotic HF2) won't work in this manner, while Apple's bundled iPhone headset worked like a charm.

The earbuds bundled with the fourth-generation iPod Nano are unchanged from previous models and do not include an inline microphone, either. Apple plans to begin sell compatible $29 and $79 headphones with in-line controls and voice recording microphones in October of this year.

An unprecedented feature found only on the fourth-generation Nano is the capability for vision-impaired users to hear menu, selection, and playback information read to them in a synthesized voice. You can enable this feature through iTunes, which generates the synthesized voice information and transfers it to your iPod Nano.

Performance
The fourth-generation iPod Nano's speed and usability is better than ever, but its sound quality and rated battery life haven't budged. Apple rates the battery of the fourth-generation iPod Nano at 24 hours of audio playback and 4 hours of video. Our CNET Labs team achieved an average of 23 hours of audio playback and 5.7 hours of video from the fourth-generation iPod Nano. The test results aren't bad, but the numbers are down slightly from the 29 hours of audio and 6.7 hours of video our same tests pulled from the third-generation iPod Nano.

Apple doesn't seem motivated to meddle with the sound quality of the iPod or introduce any new sound-enhancement settings beyond its traditional slew of EQ presets. While the iPod Nano doesn't offer the sonic richness and advanced EQ settings of a Sony or Cowon MP3 player, it does sound balanced and should please most listeners. Like all iPods, the fourth-generation Nano supports playback for MP3, AAC (including protected files), Audible, WAV, AIFF, and Apple Lossless. The Nano still doesn't support WMA music files, but you can always convert your WMA tracks to MP3 within Apple's iTunes software.

Video playback on the fourth-generation iPod Nano looks about as good as it gets on a relatively small 2-inch screen, although holding your iPod sideways takes some mental adjustment. A maximum resolution of 320x240 packed into a crisp 204ppi display makes taking in a full-length movie on your iPod Nano a legitimate (but silly) possibility. Compared with the flat screen of the third-generation iPod Nano, the fourth-generation's rounded glass screen makes it difficult to eliminate glare, but images still look remarkably bright and clear.

Like most portable video players, the iPod has specific file requirements for video playback, so you may have to spend some time converting video on your computer before transferring it. Fortunately, the iPod Nano's video formats are widely known by purveyors of Internet video, which often arrives preformatted for the iPod. Movies, TV shows, and video podcasts downloaded directly from Apple's iTunes store will always cooperate with your fourth-generation iPod Nano as well as videos formatted as H.264 or MPEG4 video in either MOV, MP4, or M4V file formats with a maximum resolution of 640x480.

The iTunes factor
Before you run off to buy a Nano for everyone on your holiday wish list, consider this caveat: whoever uses the Nano (or any iPod) will be required to install and use iTunes. No other piece of software has equaled iTunes in both praise and scorn from CNET's users. Some argue that iTunes is a top-notch media library tool and online music store, while others become infuriated by the software's insatiable demand for system resources and frequent updates.

Whatever side of the iTunes debate you take, know that iTunes 8 is a mandatory install for the fourth-generation iPod Nano. If you haven't used iTunes before or haven't upgraded the software in a while, we strongly recommend giving the new software a spin before committing to a new iPod.

Is it worth upgrading?
If you passed on last year's iPod Nano and are still holding on to a first- or second-generation Nano (or possibly an iPod Mini), there's no better time to bite the bullet and get an upgrade. Given its competitive price, attractive range of colors, and improved user interface, Apple's fourth-generation of the iPod Nano is its best yet.

If you own one of last year's iPod Nanos, however, there's little reason to make the jump to the fourth generation. The iPod Nano 4G's Genius playlists, shake-to-shuffle, and improved voice recording compatibility are fun features to have, but they're not worth $150-$200. That said, if you've filled up your 4GB third-generation Nano and want some extra room or if you need the additional accessibility features such as enlarged screen font and text-to-speech, the fourth-generation iPod Nano is an ideal choice.

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Nokia 5800 XpressMusic touchscreen phone launched

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After leaks, rumours, speculation and a even a brief cameo in the latest Batman movie, Nokia has finally made its touchscreen "Tube" phone official. 

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has been announced for the UK, offering a 3.2-inch touchscreen, HSDPA, AGPS, Wi-Fi, a music player and 3.2-megapixel camera. 

The definitive specs for the 5800 are a 3.2-inch nHD (6240 x 360 pixels) 16:9 display with up to 16 million colours, there's only 81MB internal memory but the handset supports up to 16GB microSD cards. 

The phone measures in at 111 x 51.7 x 15.5mm and weighs 109 grams. Talk time comes in at up to 9 hours, standby time is 17 days and music playback is said to be 35 hours. 

Angled as a mobile music offering adding a "human touch", Nokia says the Tube can be used one-handed with a drop down menu "Music Bar" giving access to the music player and Nokia Music Store that can be scrolled through with one thumb. 

The updated Nokia Music Player allows drag-and-drop transfer of tracks and playlist management, while there's a graphic equaliser, standard size headphone jack and built-in surround sound. 

The Media Bar gives access to the web and online sharing services, while the Contacts Bar does what you'd imagine it to - as well as giving you the ability to stick four contacts on your home screen for single touch access. 

The device gets AGPS and the Nokia Maps application and the 3.2-megapixel camera has Carl Zeiss optics, flash and is capable of capturing video. 

The 5800 XpressMusic will come bundled with a Nokia music headset, an 8GB microSD card, a carry case, a portable stand and a video out cable. Oh, and a plectrum for "true music enthusiasts". 

It will be available in silver-black, red or blue as a Nokia "Comes With Music" handset, with pricing set at a pre-tax price of £220 via the Nokia store when the handset is on sale in Q4, however expect that to be less when operators get involved. The Comes With Music version won't be out until "early next year".


Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Technical Specs

Operating System:

Symbian OS v9.4

Developer Platform:

S60 5th Edition

Frequency Band:

GSM 850

GSM 900

GSM 1800

GSM 1900

WCDMA 2100

WCDMA 1900

WCDMA 850

WCDMA 900

Regional Availability:

Africa

Asia-Pacific

CHINA

Europe

Latin America

Middle East

North America

Display:

Resolution: 360 x 640

Color Depth: 24 bit

CPU:

Single CPU

CPU Type: ARM 11

CPU Clock Rate: 369 MHz

Memory:

Max User Storage: 81 MB

NAND Memory: 256 MB

SDRAM Memory: 128 MB

Memory Card: Micro SD

Max Memory Card Size: 16 GB

Memory Card Feature: Hot Swap

Unlimited Heap size

Unlimited Jar size

Network Data Support:

HSDPA

WCDMA

EGPRS

GPRS

HSCSD

CSD

Dual Transfer Mode (MSC 11)

OMA Device Management:

OMA Client Provisioning v1.1

OMA Device Management v1.1.2

Additional Info

OMA Data Synchronization:

OMA Data Synchronization v1.2

Additional Info

GPS Features:

A-GPS

Local Connectivity:

Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR

Bluetooth Stereo Audio

Micro USB

Nokia AV 3.5mm

Nokia microUSB Cable CA-101

UPnP

USB 2.0 High-Speed

USB Mass Storage

Video Cable Nokia CA-75U

Additional Info

WLAN Support:

802.11b/g

WEP

WPA

WPA2 (AES/TKIP)

Additional Info

Bluetooth Profiles:

A2DP, AVRCP, BIP, DUN, FTP, GAP, GOEP, HFP, HID, HSP, OPP, PBAP, SAP, SDP, SPP

Java Technology:

CLDC 1.1

JSR 135 Mobile Media API

JSR 172 Web Services API

JSR 177 Security and Trust Services API

JSR 179 Location API

JSR 180 SIP API

JSR 184 Mobile 3D Graphics API for J2ME v1.1

JSR 185 JTWI

JSR 205 Wireless Messaging API

JSR 226 Scalable 2D vector graphics API v1.1

JSR 234 Advanced Multimedia Supplements v1.1

JSR 248 Mobile Service Architecture for CLDC

JSR 75 FileConnection and PIM API

JSR 82 Bluetooth API v1.1

MIDP 2.1

Nokia UI API

Java API Access Permissions

Java Verified Root Certificate:

UTI Root

Symbian Certificates:

A, B, C, D

Browser:

HTML over TCP/IP

OSS Browser

WAP 2.0

Web Runtime

XHTML over TCP/IP

Additional Info

Flash Lite:

Flash Lite 3.0

Messaging:

IM

MMS+SMIL

SMS

Email Protocol:

IMAP4

POP3

SMTP

Email Solution:

Mail for Exchange

OMA E-mail Notification v1.0

Digital Rights Management:

OMA DRM Forward Lock

OMA DRM v1.0

OMA DRM v2.0

Windows Media DRM

Additional Info

DRM Delivery Method:

HTTP Download

MMS

OMA Download v1.0

Additional Info

Camera:

Resolution: 2048 x 1536

Sensor: CMOS 3.2 Megapixels

Focal length 3.7 mm

F-Stop/Aperture f/2.8

Focus range 10 cm to infinity

Digital Zoom: 3 x

Image Format: JPEG/Exif

Feature: Auto Exposure, Auto Focus, Carl Zeiss Optics, Flash, Self Timer

Video Resolution: 640 x 480

Video Frame Rate: 30 fps

Video Zoom: 4 x

Video Format: H.263, MPEG-4

Secondary Camera:

Resolution: 320 x 240

Digital Zoom: 2 x

Image Format: JPEG

Video Resolution: 176 x 144

Video Frame Rate: 15 fps

Video Format: H.263

Video Features:

Image Stabilization

Video Call

Video Editor

Video Player

Video Recorder

Video Ringtones

Video Sharing

Video Streaming

Video Formats:

3GPP formats (H.263)

Flash Video

H.264/AVC

MPEG-4

RealVideo 7,8,9/10

WMV 9

Additional Info

Audio Features:

Audio Equalizer

Audio Recording AAC

Audio Streaming

Bluetooth Stereo

Music Player

Audio Formats:

AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, MP4, M4A, WMA, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, Mobile XMF, SP-MIDI, MIDI Tones (poly 64), RealAudio 7,8,10, True tones, WAV

Additional Info

Document Formats:

Excel, PDF, Powerpoint, Word, Zip

Graphics Formats:

BMP, EXIF, GIF87a, GIF89a, JPEG, JPEG 2000, MBM, OTA, PNG, TIFF, WBMP, WMF

Extra Features:

Accelerometer Sensor

Flight Mode

FOTA Firmware over the Air

Nokia Maps 2.0

Open C API's

Proximity Sensor

Stereo FM RDS Radio

Stereo Handsfree Speakers

Still Image Editor

SyncML

Themes

TV Out

Input Methods:

Touch Screen

Product ID:

0x2000DA56

Power Management:

2.0mm Charger Connector

Battery Capacity:

BL-5J 3.7V 1320 mAh

Talk Time (estimated):

GSM: up to 8.8 hours

WCDMA: up to 5 hours

Standby Time (estimated):

GSM: up to 16.9 days

WCDMA: up to 16.6 days

Size:

111 x 51.7 x 15.5 mm

Weight:

109 g

Local Video Playback:

30 fps

Messaging Feature:

OMA Multimedia Messaging Service v1.3

UAProf Link:

Profile 1

Developer link:

Developer Home Page



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Canon announces new anti-reflective lens coating technology

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OKYO, September 17, 2008—Canon Inc. today announced the development of Subwavelength Structure Coating (SWC), a new coating technology for camera lenses that minimizes ghosting and flare caused by reflected light. SWC is used in Canon's concurrently announced large-diameter, wide-angle EF24mm F/1.4L II USM lens for EOS-series SLR cameras.

Reflections are caused by large changes in the refractive index of light at the glass-air boundary on the surface of a lens. To date, efforts to take advantage of light interference and minimize reflections have consisted of applying a thin film of coating onto the lens surface, but this approach can fail to provide adequate protection depending on factors like the light's angle of incidence, and sometimes leads to ghosting and flare.

Canon's special SWC coating, a new type of anti-reflection technology, minimizes reflections by aligning countless wedge-shaped structures more minute than the wavelength of visible light on the surface of a camera lens.

These wedges continuously change the refractive index of light at the glass-air boundary of the lens, thereby eliminating the boundary where the index undergoes large changes. This lack of large change in the refractive index drastically reduces reflections. SWC therefore realizes superior anti-reflective capabilities in environments where previous coating technologies could not, particularly in situations involving light with a large angle of incidence.

Utilizing SWC technology on large-curvature lens elements, which are mainly found in wide-angle lenses, will significantly minimize the occurrence of ghosting and flare caused by reflected light in environments that have posed problems in the past.

Canon will offer high-performance lenses that deliver excellent image quality by actively incorporating SWC technology in future lenses, especially those containing large-curvature lens elements.


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New Released Navigon 7200T

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For those looking for both style and substance, the Navigon 7200T combines an elegantly designed black housing with an extra-wide 4.3-inch flatscreen  that provides photo-realistic images of virtually every highway intersection and exit complete with sign text and lane guidance. Pre-loaded with maps of both the U.S. and Canada, the 7200T comes with free real-time traffic updates (for the life of the device) and allows users to reroute with the touch of a button. Other features include Bluetooth handsfree communication when paired with your cell phone, text-to-speech capabilities for turn-by-turn directions with street names, ZAGAT restaurant ratings and reviews, and millions of pre-loaded points of interest

Never miss your exit again with the photo-realistic Reality View Pro with actual road signs and lane guidance. The features and functions of the Navigon 7200T are controlled via intuitive, easy-to-use animated menus that use predictive text input to quickly and easily select your city, state and address. It comes pre-loaded with complete maps of the U.S. and Canada, providing you with superbly accurate, seamless door-to-door directions wherever your vehicular travels might take you. It's powered by a 600 MHz Centrality Titan I processor and runs the Microsoft Windows CE Net 5.0 operating system. You can load additional optional maps via MicroSD memory cards or by connecting to your PC with the USB 2.0 port.

Free Real-Time Traffic Updates for Life
Only Navigon gives you free real-time traffic updates for the life of your device. No subscriptions or additional hardware needed. Just open the box, turn it on, and get instant access to traffic information ahead. The Navigon 7200T alerts you of traffic troubles and provides alternate routes  for more than 110 cities across the U.S. and Canada. Whether the jam is caused by congestion, accidents or construction, our familiar red-yellow color-coding with incident icons makes it easy to tell exactly what's going on, where it is and with one click, the best way to get around it.


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