Garmin launches a smartphone HUD for cars

For the years prior to my owning a smart phone, I found it very cumbersome to try and go back and forth from a printed out map to concentrating on driving. So my solution was to print out the directions as an image, flip it so the image was mirrored, and set it on my dash so that its reflection on my windshield would be visible and able for me to read while I was driving.

Some of my friends laughed at the work I would put into this practice, while others LOVED the idea saying it was one of the most clever things they had ever seen in their lives.

Now Garmin is releasing something that I can immediately understand how great it is. On Monday, the company announced the $129.99 HUD, a portable heads-up display for cars that can tether to your Smart Phone. With a compatible Garmin or Navigon mobile app, the HUD projects driving directions right on a vehicle’s windshield, just like I had been doing manually for years.

Obviously in my honest option, this is one of the smartest moves I have ever seen Garmin make. While most GPS’s are being phased out due to the advent of the Smart Phone, this device will help the company seeem relevant and show its worth to everyone, and for the price, The HUD appears to offer quite a bit of usefulness:

“HUD offers more navigation details than other portable head-up displays, yet presents them in a simplified way that doesn’t divert the driver’s attention from the road. The directions are easy to follow and allow drivers to navigate even the most challenging interchanges and traffic situations with ease.

HUD displays turn arrows, distance to the next turn, current speed and speed limit, as well as estimated time of arrival. It even lets drivers know what lane to be in for the next maneuver and alerts them when they exceed the speed limit. HUD also warns users of potential traffic delays and upcoming safety camera locations.”

While no word yet on when its available for wide release (or at least none that I could find as of yet), with a $129 price point this sort of attachment may seem a little steep but nevertheless something that I plan on adapting as soon as I can.