Wednesday, June 14, 2000
High-Tech Car Navigation Systems To Debut This Summer

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Companies are rolling out car navigation systems with new features and DVD-ROM drives as they compete to attract people flush with cash from their summer bonuses.

Matsushita Communication Industrial Co. on June 20 will introduce a system that can pick up GPS (global positioning system) satellite signals in difficult-to-reach underground parking lots. The system will sell for 272,000 yen with a monitor.

Denso Corp. on Thursday will unveil a model that has an internal modem so it can be linked to a cellular phone. It can also function as a speaker phone, thanks to a compact microphone, speakers and a telephone button. The device will come with a monitor for 258,000 yen.

Alpine Electronics Inc. in early June began marketing a car navigation system that uses information from a telephone directory to search for routes to any of 30 million houses throughout the country just by entering a person's name or telephone number. It can also access traffic information. A set with a monitor is priced at 275,000 yen.

(The Nikkei Industrial Daily Wednesday edition)