HTC SmartPhone Include Photo Geotagging

HTC on Friday unveiled the Touch Cruise, a handset featuring built-in GPS and accompanying software. The new smartphone, an update to a similarly named HTC device released in January 2008, offers consumers a more compact form factor as well as new features.

The handset is the first to include a new photograph-tagging application from HTC, called "Footprints." The program enables owners who take pictures using the device's 3.2-megapixel camera to then add notes and audio clips while automatically identifying the photo's specific geographical location. In addition to identifying each snapshot with its specific GPS coordinates, Footprint also auto-names each picture with its general location or area.

Once it's time for show-and-tell, users can relive their travels photo-by-photo with the geo-tracking program, whether the pictures were taken indoors or outside, said HTC. The Touch Cruise also doubles as an in-car navigation system when docked in the accompanying car cradle. Users will receive turn-by-turn directions displayed on the handset's 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen. With HTC's TouchFLO technology, that means users can access their phone, contacts, e-mail, messaging, calendar and GPS apps with a simple touch.