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D'oh! With help from TomTom, Homer Simpson could be your co-pilot

By Matthew Shaer / June 16, 2009

Want to take a ride with Homer Simpson? TomTom, the GPS maker, today announced it would let users download Homer's voice to read directions aloud. Donuts not included.

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First it was the voice of KITT, the talking car from the popular television show "Knight Rider."

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Now Homer Simpson is getting his turn. Starting today, TomTom, a GPS manufacturer with US headquarters in Concord, Mass., will allow users to add Homer's voice to their navigation systems. The cost of TomTom's newest "voice skin" is $12.95.

According to press materials provided by TomTom, "Homer's hilarious, encouraging and sometimes unusual advice will ensure that drivers will not only reach their destination on time, but have a lot of fun along the way." With voice work by Dan Castellaneta, who plays Homer on the "The Simpsons," the download reportedly spits out advice like, "Take the third right. We might find an ice cream truck! Mmm ... ice cream."

TomTom, a Dutch company, markets upward of 70 preloaded voices in a variety of languages. English speakers can also download voice skins from actors Dennis Hopper, Kim Cattrall, and John Cleese, among others.

"Celebrity voice downloads are one of the many features TomTom offers to our customers to personalize their driving experience," Jocelyn Vigreux, president of TomTom, explained in a statement. "With Homer Simpson's voice helping them to navigate their trip, TomTom customers will not only travel safely and with less stress, but will also be highly entertained along the way."

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