Engadget: Now here’s a good idea: a built-in GPS navigation system that’s actually priced to move. Co-developed with Bosch, Nissan has put together a $400 (€265) option with a 5-inch touhcscreen, Bluetooth support for phones, USB connectivity for media players, iPod integration, XM Satellite and NavTraffic.

The Detroit News was certainly impressed, testing it on a new Sentra and calling it a moment where the benefits of the built-in nav systems outweigh the costs — although the display was maybe a bit too small for its liking. Look for it to these to hit in some of its lower-priced models starting this January. Hit up the source link for the full impressions.

Bosch nissan

Techradar.com: If Nissan has its way with a technology that it is about to trial in Japan, it could lead to the ultimate in privacy invasion – a giant computer network that tracks all pedestrians and all cars all the time.

The Intelligent Transport System is part of a long-running project at Nissan that aims to vastly improve the safety of its vehicles and the number of collisions they are involved in.

Its latest element calls for car computers to be linked to a central server via a wireless network and pedestrians to do the same through GPS-enabled mobile phones.

As you may have guessed, the system keeps an eye on pedestrians as they wander around and beams warnings to drivers when it thinks car and pedestrian might cross paths.

gps nissan

Digital World Tokyo: Lawbreakers and people who need to be told what to do will probably benefit most from the latest Japanese car-navigation system from Nissan, which warns drivers of the dangers of drunk-driving.

A recent upgrade to the space-age Carwings navigation system Nissan offers on all its cars comes with a nagging voice that is intended to help deal with Japan’s notoriously high Driving Under the Influence  problem.

Drivers starting their cars after 5:30pm will be warned by the sat-nav “Do not drive after drinking!” for all of five seconds, while the message changes after 5am to “Let’s continue safe driving today”.

Other technologies used so far in Japan that take a more active approach include NTT DoCoMo’s Videophone Alcohol Check System that uses mobile phones to check the sobriety of commercial drivers. The system uses a central computer that needs to be fed regular readings from a 3G phone fitted with a breathalyser. Drivers need to be seen via videophone testing themselves before the data sent by the phone to HQ clears them to drive or not.

carwings dui nissan sat nav

Gizmag: Nissan is set to begin testing an intelligent transportation system in Japan that allows vehicle-to-infrastructure communication to help reduce traffic accidents and ease congestion.

The system uses information obtained from nearby vehicles and roadside optical beacons to wirelessly alert drivers to potential danger from approaching vehicles.

It also provides drivers with fastest-route and traffic avoidance information.

This information is sent to the driver’s navigation screen where it is displayed as real-time maps showing the traffic flow and density.

nissan traffic guidance system

The world’s first car navigation system that features a terrestrial digital broadcast tuner supporting digital TV broadcasts will soon appear in select Nissan vehicles.

The HS706D-A system is a high-end model of Nissan’s original navigation series that has been available on the market since July 2006, and uses a JBlend-supported ARIB BML browser jointly developed by Sanyo and Aplix.

Japan’s television market is scheduled to fully transition to digital technology by 2011, and the digitization of television broadcasting is proceeding on a global basis.

Sources: Aplix Corporation and Wireless Asia.

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