Find your way home with Homer

When driving on the roads, a sat nav is, some would say, a vital part of modern in-car equipment, making sure we reach the destination without consulting a map or asking directions. The only problem is the typical default voice...which is normally mechanical, plain and has about as much personality as a plank of wood.

Fortunately, personalising your sat nav is now an option and with a wide variety of voices to choose from, it was only a matter of time before one voice reigned supreme.

Homer Simpson, star of The Simpsons, has been officially recognised by the Guinness World Records as the most downloaded sat nav voice, beating off competition from Darth Vader, Ali G and Brian Blessed.

The voice, provided by Simpsons actor Dan Castellaneta, has been downloaded thousands of times, with the US accounting for more than 40% of the sales.

Developed by Locutio Voice Technologies in partnership with the Gracie Films Worldwide Brand Division and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products (FCP), the voice has outsold competitors by nearly three to one.

Locutio Voice Technologies chief executive Chris Hilton said the success of Homer Simpson has encouraged them to bring more Simpsons characters to satellite navigation systems.

“Homer was the breakthrough GPS voice that firmly established the category. It has been a real pleasure working with the Gracie Films Worldwide Brand Division and FCP to bring the original voice of Homer to GPS devices for fans of The Simpsons to enjoy on their journeys.”

As Mr Burns would say: Excellent...

Photo © Joe Shlabotnik via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Labels: Dan Castellaneta, GPS, Homer Simpson, sat nav, The Simpsons