Garmin nuvi 260 GPS Speaks Street Names

Garmin unveiled a much-needed affordable GPS device in the nuvi 200 series. The new Garmin nuvi 260 is capable of calling out street names instead of giving never-really-approximate distances. For example, instead of saying "turn right in 100 feet" you get to hear the street name instead. While this feature is already available in several premium GPS devices, the nuvi 260 appears to be the only budget GPS device to offer this useful feature.

The Garmin nuvi 260 comes in a thinner form factor and is apparently easier to mount on the car. As usual, the home screen lets you enter a destination or search a category. If you miss a turn, the nuvi 260 recalculates an alternate route - again telling you the street names. With over six million points of interest and maps of the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, the 260 is a useful addition. Other goodies on-board this GPS device include an image viewer, calculator, currency converter, world clock and unit converter.

The nuvi 260 also comes with the Garmin Lock, a theft prevention system for the GPS. A 4-digit PIN controls the functionality. In addition, you can also use preloaded maps with customized POIs, including school zones and areas with safety cameras. The GPS comes with a 3.5" touchscreen. For additional memory, it supports SD memory cards.

Expected in August 2007, the Garmin nuvi 260 retails for US $499.99. Packaging includes a vehicle suctino cup mount, power cable, dashboard disk and manual.