Pioneer is one of the best-known manufacturers of high-end audio accessories for the car industry, so it's no wonder that the company also got involved in one of the most important segments of this market, namely that of infotainment devices, which provide both navigation and multimedia playback features. And the company's latest offering in this field is the AVIC-X3 Sat Nav, due to be launched in September in Europe, a system that provides all the elements one needs in order to enjoy a safe, smooth and entertaining ride.

First of all, the AVIC-X3 is a high-end navigation system. Thus, beside the very accurate built-in GPS receiver, the device also sports a 3-D gyroscope and is capable of reading the car's speed pulse information, which means that it can deliver proper navigation information even in those areas where the GPS signal is weak (as for example tunnels or crowded urban areas). Moreover, the X3 comes packed with over 1.5 million POIs, as well as a built-in Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC) receiver, which keeps the driver constantly updated on what's going on ahead of him/her.

The system is also quite easy to control, since it features a bright anti-glare 7-inch touch-screen, which slides out of the dashboard whenever the user needs it. Moreover, Pioneer's X3 has the size of a standard car stereo slot, which means that it will feel quite at home in most vehicles.

As mentioned earlier, the X3 also provides quite a wide range of multimedia options, including CD and DVD playback, MP3, WMA, AAC and DivX compatibility. Moreover, the infotainment system from Pioneer is dual-zone, meaning that the passengers can watch a movie or play a video game on optional rear-seat screens at the same time that the driver is using the navigation system and listening to the radio up-front. Moreover, the system features quite a lot of auxiliary inputs, thus allowing drivers to hook up any external players to it, as well as an optional Bluetooth module.

Unfortunately, there's no pricing information available right now, but we'll keep you updated on the subject as things unfold.

We are just a few, but there are many of you, Softpedia users, out there. That's why we thought it would be a good idea to create an email address for you to help us a little in finding gadgets we missed. Interesting links are bound to be posted with recognition going mainly to those who submit. The address is .