Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd., announced the nuvi 260W, a simple-to-use widescreen personal navigation device that speaks street names. The device was announced in conjunction with the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and will be on display at the Garmin booth #35832. The nuvi 260W includes a vehicle suction cup mount, vehicle power cable, dashboard disk, and owner's reference manual.

    The nuvi 260 series incorporates an internal GPS antenna that makes it thinner and even easier to mount in a car. The intuitive "Where To?" and "View Map" welcome screen allows users to quickly find a specific street address or establishment's name, or search for a destination by category. In addition to features offered by other members of the nuvi 200 family, the nuvi 260W automatically calls out street names. This feature lets drivers keep their eyes on the road while navigating through busy traffic and tricky roadways. The nuvi 260W also sports a sunlight-readable 4.3-inch touchscreen display.

    Turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions then guide the driver to their destination. If they miss a turn along the route, the nuvi automatically recalculates a route and gets them back on track, pronouncing the names of the streets along the way. The nuvi 260W includes preloaded detailed mapping of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico - with over six million points of interest, like hotels, restaurants, ATMs, gas stations, and more.

    "The nuvi 260W gives consumers the most sought-after navigation features, while eliminating many of the premium add-ons," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "The result is a PND that simply gets you from point A to point B - reliably, efficiently, and with style." The pocket-sized nuvi 260W also includes a built-in picture viewer, calculator, currency converter, unit converter and world clock. These new navigators are also compatible with Garmin's line of rich content such as the Garmin Travel Guide and Garmin Language Guide.

    For additional security, Garmin has included the Garmin Lock, an innovative patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location. Garmin has also added the ability for customers to add custom points of interest from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras.

Sidestepping the stress of navigation or travel begins with easy-to-use menus, logical options and intuitive features.

    - Automotive products help drivers reach their destination effortlessly while getting the most out of the journey
    - Marine units supplement detailed charts with essential data
    - Aviation technology provides everything pilots need at a glance
    - Fitness devices make every step of the workout more efficient.
    - Outdoor recreation options are available for hikers, campers and geocachers
    - Wireless applications bring the power of GPS to your smart phone