Nvidia GPU powers Audis new Nav system

Audi's new Q5 sports navigation graphics empowered by chip maker Nvidia, along with a radically updated dashboard interface, which Audi calls the Multimedia Interface, or MMI. Integrated into the new navigation system is an automotive grade Nvidia graphics processing chip, allowing the Q5 to display 3D renderings of urban centers on its navigation system.
Along with outlined buildings, some landmark buildings in major urban areas will be rendered with textures, making them easier for drivers to recognize from screen to real world. Audi is also including 3D topographics maps, so you can get an idea of what the terrain ahead looks like. Traffic conditions will also be displayed on the navigation system. In the Q5, the maps are shown on a seven inch screen with LED backlighting.

Beyond the graphics upgrade, Audi is going to a hard drive-based navigation system, which allows more detailed maps and faster rendering over a DVD-based system. The car's 40 gigabyte hard drive will keep 10 gigabytes reserved for music, so CDs can be ripped to the car, a feature becoming increasingly common with a new generation of automotive infotainment packages.

Audi is also boasting new speech-to-text technology, which will not only let you enter addresses to the navigation system by saying full city and street names, but will also process the phonebook of a paired Bluetooth phone. With this system, you will be able to say the name of anyone in your phonebook, and have the car make the call. Audi has also upgraded the MMI hardware, adding a joystick onto the top of the console.

As if that wasn't enough, the vehicle's in-dash system will also boast support for external USB storage media, built-in Bluetooth, satellite radio, and even a SIM card slot that'll effectively turn it into a quad-band GSM cellphone much like Porsches current system in Europe.