Boston.com Panasonic Strada F-Class Car Navigation System image:40100:0::0

Besides providing directions via satellites, the Strada F-Class navigation system by Panasonic will also allow the drivers to control gadgets at home.

The Strada F-Class will connect to the home via any Internet capable mobile phone. Drivers can use the touch screen in the navigation system to control various functions in the home. They can control the lights on or off to make it appear as if someone is still inside the home or they can control the air conditioning or lock the doors. The system costs $3,400.

The system requires a home server to communicate with the navigation systems, a Web-enabled camera and other devices to link the whole home.

According to Naohisa Morimoto, an official from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Panasonic’s parent company, the home servers cost about $1,900 in Japan and they also make cheaper ones. About 2,000 homes in Japan have the Net-linking systems.

Panasonic hopes to sell about 8,000 of the Strada F-Class monthly in Japan after they go on sale June 13. There are no overseas sales plans.

Here is the English translation of the product page in Japanese.