First ever GPS digital camera coming in June

ATHENS, GREECE -- The Taiwan-based digital camera OEM Altek unveiled an 8-megapixel consumer digital camera with built-in GPS and automatic geotagging. The camera is expected to ship by June, and will be the world's first, according to the company.

This camera is clearly not the first device to combine GPS and digital camera funtionality. Some GPS devices have a built in digital camera (but are designed primarily for GPS navigation). And some higher-end cameras have GPS features. This may, however, be the world's first pocket-sized consumer point-and-shoot camera with integrated GPS functions.

Beyond the GPS functionality, the camera is pretty standard, and sports a 3-inch touch screen.

Photos can be automatically geotagged, then shown based on where they were taken in Google Earth, Google Maps or Flickr's geotagged photos service.

Another use for geotagged photos is that you can just snap a picture of a restaurant or other spot, and later get directions from wherever you are to that location.

GPS-enabled digital camera will be great for "anywhere computing" extreme telecommuters, because photos are usually geographically based. They can help you remember where you took various photos and let you build a travel journal that's based on a map. It's likely that within a few years, most high-quality connsumer cameras will feature built-in GPS.

Note that Altek is an OEM, so the camera will be sold under another brand, which was not announced.