Coming up in early April of 2008, Sony will release and ship out the Sony Nav-U NV-U73T. This will be a cutting edge navigation system that will help drivers everywhere navigate with ease.

Navigation Features
One of the most alluring navigation features of the Sony Nav-U NV-U73T is the gesture commands. Just by simply drawing or gesturing a programmable shape on the widescreen 4.3” touchscreen, the unit will automatically navigate to a specified location. The ease is undeniable. Just by simply drawing a “O” on the screen the Sony Nav-U NV-U73T loads up the directions to go home.

Vocal commands will also direct the driver as he or she drives. This provides comfort and ease, especially when driving in heavy traffic and it is difficult to safely look at a navigation screen for a specific exit. This is just one of the many features that can provide safety for the driver.

The Sony Nav-U NV-U73T has a 2GB internal flash memory that is preloaded with maps and directions of the entire United States of America, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This feature saves the user from spending extra money to buy the maps for these countries outside of the United States. For those whom travel to Canada often will really come to appreciate this helpful feature. In addition to the 2GB internal flash memory, the Sony Nav-U NV-U73T is expandable with a Memory stick slot.

Another feature that is very helpful is the TMC Traffic Information. This feature displays live traffic information, traffic conditions, length of the conditions, and the average speed of traffic on the screen. A driver can then reroute his course according to the traffic and his destination. For any driver that has commuted on the freeway knows how helpful this information can be. Any driver that has commuted in the heavy freeway traffic in Southern California can almost consider this feature a must when in the market for a GPS unit. It would be so convenient to know when there is a wreck on the freeway, exactly how far traffic is backed up, the speed of the traffic traveling through the collision site, and the fastest, most efficient way to avoid the slowdown. Why wait in traffic when the slowdown can be avoided altogether.

Similar to rerouting through a heavy traffic area, the Sony Nav-U NV-U73T can help redirect us if we make a wrong turn. Sometimes drivers get confused when driving in a new area or a new part of town. Sometimes a wrong turn is made and they are brought off course. The Sony Nav-U NV-U73T will detect this and automatically redirect with the next best route or the most efficient way to get back on the original route. As this feature is becoming a standard on most GPS navigation units, Sony does not forget to leave it out.

Size and Design
Many drivers that have used these GPS navigation units will agree that they do not want a large bulky unit or a really ugly one that will stare at them every time they get in the car. The Sony Nav-U NV-U73T provides drivers with both an agreeable size and a pleasant look. The size is comparable to many of the navigation units that have come out recently. It is 5-1/4"W x 3-1/8"H x 13/16"D, which renders it an perfect size. Not too big that it is in the way, but large enough that it comfortably fits the widescreen 4.3” touch display. The two-tone black and silver trim will compliment the interior of most vehicles nicely and bring a stylish look to the dash.

When it comes down to a GPS unit that has what driver are looking for, the Sony Nav-U NV-U73T really comes through. It might not have all features of some other top of the line GPS navigation units, but it definitely has enough to fulfill the need of the average driver and especially the commuter.