Becker's Crocodile: A GPS device for manly men
The Becker Traffic Assist 100, or Crocodile, is optimized for international use. It communicates in 28 languages and, in some cases, different voices.
(Credit: Becker)If you're planning to hop on your Harley and travel the globe, you're not going to want some wimpy little GPS device attached to your hog. You're going to want something rugged and water-resistant, with a tough name like "Crocodile."
That's just the nickname of the Traffic Assist 100, from Becker. It's meant to evoke the stylized reptile skin finish on the mobile navigation system, which has a turn-by-turn view optimized for motorcycles.
The device, which Becker is unveiling this week at the IFA electronics fair in Berlin, is a rubber-coated, water-resistant version of the Becker Traffic Assist Z 201, and it shares some standard features with its precursor, such as visual or acoustic warning signals for speed limits. It also has 2GB of integrated flash memory with preloaded Navteq data for 42 European countries, and it features menus and text-to-speech instructions in 28 languages.
The 4.3-inch wide-screen color display has day and night views featuring a touch-screen graphic guidance system designed to make it easier for bikers with a closed visor to read the monitor in low-visibility conditions. For better orientation in cities, buildings are displayed as 3D models.
The Crocodile also comes loaded with more than 1,000 photorealistic 3D images of European landmarks, including the Reichstag building in Berlin.
Oh, and it has a smart-speller function, which could come in handy, particularly if you're an American roaring through the backwoods of Poland.
The Crocodile will be available in October for 300 euros (about $438).
Other rugged GPS devices:
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie. 
