CES 2007: Harman Kardon announces GPS/PMP combo

Las Vegas (NV) - Harman Kardon, mainly known for its speaker systems, is entering the GPS navigation market with a portable device that can also play music and videos. The GPS-500 is PlaysForSure-compatible and is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. What makes this device interesting is that it comes with an integrated battery that allows users to listen to music or videos (or use the GPS functionality) stored on the device even if the unit is not connected to a wall-mounted AC adapter, a USB or an in-car cigarette-lighter.

However, the drawback - and you know there always is one - is the limited integrated memory of the GPS-500. It only comes with 2 GB of flash memory, which can be expanded by up to 4 GB via mini SD cards (which can either hold music or video data). As of now, we are still waiting for the company to respond to inquiries where the navigation data is stored and how users can acquire additional navigation data.

The GPS-500 will be available in March for about $500.

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