Engadget: Anyone’s who’s bought a car with a built-in nav system knows the pain of seeing their expensive accessory totally eclipsed by even the cheapest external GPS units just a year or two later — everything from UI to multimedia integration progresses so fast it’s almost not worth it.
That might change soon, though — Harman and Mercedes are working on a “hybrid” nav system that combines the easy replaceability of an external PND with the integration and sleek looks of a built-in system.
The goal is to build a standard design that can upgraded quickly so the screen and controls will be mounted on the dash in a cradle, while a second hidden “processing box” will handle the actual GPS system, music storage and playback, and Bluetooth connectivity.
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