At first look the Garmin 1490tv looks like any other in-car Satellite Navigation device, however the 1490tv has something extra, an in-built digital tuner giving access to over 50 Freeview TV channels and 24 radio stations across the UK With Nokia, Google, the Dell Streak, the iPhone and many more smartphones now providing satellite navigation, the likes of Garmin and TomTom are forced to provide more features. Adding digital tv and radio is a great example of this. Owners of the Gamin 1490tv can now listen to in-car digital radio without the need for DAB radio, 3G or wifi connectivity. The Garmin will continue to play stations such as Absolute Radio while receiving usual driving instructions and map visuals. The Garmin 1490tv provides another way to listen to Absolute Radio in great quality while in the car. With over 12 million homes in the UK now relying on Freeview to receive digital TV and Radio, Garmin’s choice of this proven technology will almost certainly prompt a similar response from rivals TomTom. Perhaps TomTom will include a DAB chip in a future model. Extending this a little further with 3G connectivity means the use of technologies such as RadioDNS are then easily possible. The Garmin 1490tv is available now at around £300 direct from the Garmin website.