YARMOUTH, Maine — DeLorme, the company that pioneered GPS for laptops and PDAs, has now introduced the Earthmate® GPS BT-20, a uniquely versatile solution for deploying GPS navigation on either Bluetooth enabled PDAs and touch-screen phones, and on USB laptop PCs.

“The Earthmate GPS BT-20 provides the broadest spectrum of hardware-GPS compatibility on the market,” said DeLorme Marketing Director Caleb Mason. “It supports Palm both OS and Windows Mobile devices, and laptop PCs with or without Bluetooth. Even if you have a Bluetooth-enabled laptop, there are still going to be times when you’d prefer a USB connection —for example, if the receiver’s re-chargeable battery runs low. The Earthmate GPS BT-20 gives you that flexibility.”

The Earthmate GPS BT-20 features cutting-edge GPS technologies from STMicroelectronics and DeLorme, with fast satellite acquisition times and superior performance when dealing with reflected GPS signals—a frequent occurrence in urban settings.

The receiver comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that holds an 8-hour charge. A/C and 12-volt (lighter jack) chargers are included. The receiver can be used in-vehicle while charging, via either USB or Bluetooth connection.

DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2008 PLUS DVD software is included with the Earthmate GPS BT-20, for high-end mapping, navigation, and data management capabilities. The PC-based software is approved for use with Microsoft Vista (as well as Windows 2000 and XP). It also includes a handheld device application at no extra charge.

Street Atlas USA 2008 PLUS DVD software offers beautifully detailed, extensively updated street and road maps for both the U.S. and Canada, plus highways and major roads in Mexico. There are also more 4 million places of interest (U.S. and Canada) including restaurants, lodgings, fuel stops, attractions, exit services, businesses, and much more.

The software’s GPS capabilities include voice-guided navigation that calls out street names and exit numbers, spoken responses to questions or commands, back-on-track routing (in case of detours or unplanned side trips), and GPS Radar to locate upcoming places of interest (fuel, lodging, restaurants, businesses) while on the road. It also enables user-defined GPS settings.

With the software’s unique XData capability, an unlimited number of database listings can be imported from programs such as ACT!, Microsoft Excel, and others. The listings can be individually edited, and globally located by address. Once located, the program can generate automatic routes among the various stops for use with the Earthmate GPS BT-20 receiver.

Street Atlas USA 2008 PLUS DVD also includes 150 million residential and business phone listings in the U.S. and Canada, at no charge. Address locations for phone listings can also be displayed, and easily incorporated into driving routes. Yellow Page keyword and SIC searching are also available for business listings.

Links for photos, documents, and Web URLs can be inserted into the maps for high-impact presentations, and large-format printing is also enabled.

Users can even download available aerial imagery to their laptops, PDAs, or phones. The imagery can be used for real-time GPS tracking, and is ideal for identifying landmarks, determining land use (e.g., residential, agricultural, or open space), and much more.

The Earthmate GPS BT-20 is available wherever electronics and software are sold. It can also be ordered from DeLorme at www.delorme.com, or by phone at 800-561-5105. The suggested retail price is $149.95, with Street Atlas USA 2008 PLUS DVD software included in that price.

DeLorme is the longtime leader in innovative mapping and GPS solutions for both consumer and professional markets. The company’s trailblazing Street Atlas USA® and Topo USA® consumer software and Earthmate receivers have set the standards for GPS, routing, and travel planning capabilities. DeLorme XMap® software is expanding the GIS market through its advanced capabilities, affordable pricing, and ease of use. Today, the innovation continues with the Earthmate GPS PN-20 handheld receiver, the Earthmate GPS BT-20, and the DeLorme GPS2056 Receiver Module for OEM electronic systems. Located in Yarmouth, Maine, DeLorme is home to Eartha™, the world's largest rotating globe.