Although they're generally known as the driver's best friends, GPS-enabled personal navigation devices can do a lot more than that, as they can guide users in rough terrain areas, on mountain trails and so on. However, most PNDs are rather fragile to be taken on such adventurous rides and this is the reason why the Lowrance company has launched the XOG Crossover Road-Trail-Water GPS Navigation system, which informs users of their whereabouts wherever they might be.

Thus, the XOG is a lot more rugged and tough than the normal devices from the PND family, but that doesn't mean that its level of functionality has been diminished in any way. Thus, the device has been fitted with a bright, 3.5-inch (8.89 cm) diagonal 16-bit color touchscreen display with a 320 x 240 pixel resolution, lighted during nighttime by a white LED. Furthermore, it sports simplified touch menus and allows users to view the navigation maps in the following modes: 2-D Track Up, 2-D North Up and Elevated 3-D.

The device's GPS-related components are quite OK, since the XOG features an internal, precision 12-channel GPS antenna with superior tracking sensitivity, as well as built-in, turn-by-turn NAVTEQ street Navigation detail with voice and visual guidance, plus over 3 million POIs. Moreover, the XOG supports all current plug-&-play map/chart options from Lowrance (FreedomMaps, Fishing Hot Spots PRO, LakeMaster ProMaps and NauticPath), as well as Navionics Classic and Gold charts, which means that it can be used in just about any type of environment the user might want to.

As in the case of most GPS navigators available on the market, the XOG also includes a full-featured stereo MP3 audio player for playing audio files loaded on an SD memory card, as well as a full-featured picture viewer that displays JPEG photos, the whole assembly being powered by a Li-Ion battery.

Unfortunately, no pricing or availability details have been provided as of now, but we'll sincerely be looking forward for this one, taking into account the advanced level of versatility it provides.

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