Cell Phones Become Car Navigation Systems

Rand McNally Thursday released software that the company claims will provide low-cost turn-by-turn navigation for travelers. Users can install the program on standard cell phones.

The company said that its Mobile Navigator (MONA) software uses the global positioning system (GPS) and is aimed at people who don't want to spend a lot of money for in-car navigation systems. After the user downloads the software from the Rand McNally site, there is a $10 per month fee for the service, the company said.

Users can enter their destinations using their desktop or laptop computer to access the Rand McNally site. That information is then downloaded to the phone and the user accesses those addresses through the phone's normal menu system.

"With Rand McNally MONA, anyone who needs to get from place to place can access reliable GPS navigation affordably using the cell phones they already have, without spending thousands of dollars on an in-car navigation system," Robert Apatoff, Rand McNally's CEO, said in a statement.