Mio Technology's Mio Knight Rider GPS might change the way GPS devices are sold. Are we just being nostalgic for the adventurous 80's?
We've seen celebrity voices on GPS devices before, but none have been such a perfect match as William Daniels doing the voice of KITT, the car from the Knight Rider TV series. This device had us giddy the moment Mio reps turned it on. It starts with the horizontal whoosh of light, and then greets the user in KITT's voice. Most impressive, though, is that Mr. Daniels pre-recorded 300 names into the device, so if you're one of the lucky ones (and we were), the Mio Knight Rider GPS will start by saying "Philip, I'll power up all system," or some other KITT-like phrase. It's such an ingenious, personal touch, we couldn't help but smile.
Besides the voice, the Mio Knight Rider GPS seems to be a clean, well-designed PND. The maps looked sharp and clear, and the device comes pre-loaded with the prerequisite point-of-interest database. But enough about the maps, did we mention it sounds like KITT? And when the unit is giving directions, red lights on either side of the display move up and down in an oscilloscope pattern, just like on the main console unit of the KITT car on the show!
We think that Mio Technology has really touched on something with this device. While the Mio Knight Rider GPS won't appeal to everyone, especially not Hoff-haters (don't hassle, please), we think it will find a good audience. More importantly, though, it's the first GPS we've seen that relies so heavily on the voice navigation experience. This is a great idea. We've never had a problem with the voices our PNDs have used, but we'd gladly pay $20 extra for KITT to tell us when to make U-turn. The Mio Knight Rider GPS will run for about $270 when it's released, which is only a $20 premium over the non-KITT version.
We also see a great future in this sort of feature and if Mio Technology is smart, they'll start snatching up the best licenses as soon as possible. We would love to see a GPS unit starring Anthony Daniels (Star Wars' C-3PO), or perhaps Governor Schwartzenegger has some time to do voice over work as the Terminator? Enough of actors providing voices as themselves, we'd rather be directed by our favorite characters.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Archive