Get ready to throw those maps away and stop saving up for that overpriced GPS unit because now you can get the TeleNav GPS Navigator system for your Palm Treo 680 and other Palm Treos in the US.

TeleNav Inc., the first company to launch a GPS navigation system on mobile devices in the U.S., announced on November 22, 2006 that TeleNav GPS Navigator is now available on the recently-launched Palm® Treo™ 680 smartphone along with the other Treo smartphones currently available from Palm in the U.S. For just $9.99 per month, TeleNav GPS Navigator offers unlimited turn-by-turn voice and on-screen driving directions, pedestrian mode for use while walking, full-color moving maps, information and directions to more than 10 million business listings including frequently updated fuel prices.

"The availability of TeleNav GPS Navigator for our current U.S. Palm Treo family means our customers can experience the convenience and value of mobile navigation no matter which Treo they prefer or what network they are on," said Mark Bercow, senior vice president, business development, Palm, Inc. "TeleNav’s proven experience in developing cutting-edge location-based services means we can feel confident that our customers are getting one of the most dynamic, feature-rich and cost-effective solutions available."

According to a recent survey from industry research firm In-Stat, more than half of all wireless customers surveyed would like navigation capabilities on their mobile devices.

"As market awareness increases and more and more carriers offer LBS-capable devices, the demand for mobile GPS navigation will grow dramatically over the next couple of years," said David Chamberlain, principal wireless analyst at In-Stat. "The key to providing customers with the applications so many say that want - like TeleNav GPS Navigator - is to increase the number of compatible mobile phones."

I have many friends who would like to have navigation capabilites on their phones. Most of my friends own vehicles that don't have in-car GPS systems so the TeleNav GPS Navigator would be perfect for them to have on their phones. It does state in the TeleNav press release though that a Bluetooth GPS receiver is required to use TeleNav GPS Navigator on Palm Treo smartphones and can be purchased from www.telenav.com.

Here are some of the features on the TeleNav GPS Navigator:

• Biz Finder – Find businesses and services, including ATMs, restaurants, hotels, parking lots, shopping malls and more. Then easily navigate to them with the click of a button. Biz Finder also allows users to quickly look up and call the phone number for a business, saving money on unnecessary 411 directory calls.
• Fuel Finder – Save money by finding the lowest gas prices within a five-mile or wider radius.
• Full color moving maps – See colorful maps of specific GPS locations and pan and zoom the map to view the surrounding streets.
• Easy destination entry – TeleNav GPS Navigator provides four methods for address entry – preplan your trips on www.telenav.com, type in your destinations directly into your phone using the keypad, dictate your destination using TeleNav’s unique voice recognition address input system, or choose a business from the Biz Finder.

TeleNav making its TeleNav GPS Navigator available on the Palm Treo 680 is exciting news. The TeleNav GPS Navigator has all the benefits of an expensive, in-car GPS navigation system, plus a lot more. How cool that you can find restaurants, coffee shops, and hotels, get turn-by-turn driving directions by voice and onscreen, and even find the lowest gas prices near you! I especially like that feature since gas prices are currently so high. For $9.99 a month and all those cool features, I think the TeleNav GPS Navigator sounds like a great deal.

Be sure to read the full press release and check out the TeleNav GPS Navigator on TeleNav's website so you can find out all the details on this wonderful service. And look for a future review of the TeleNav GPS Navigator by Harv Laser!