TomTom, the Dutch mapping wizard that’s been keeping sat-navs honest since before your mum had Bluetooth, has cooked up something new. It’s called Tom by TomTom—and no, it’s not a boy band or a dating app, but a roadside companion that looks more like a desk ornament than a gadget for your car.

Unlike your usual dash-cluttering gizmos, Tom has no screen, no sultry robo-voice telling you to “turn left in 200 yards,” and no complicated menus to poke through while you’re trying not to die on the M25. Instead, it flashes at you. Literally.

Tom uses a series of LED lights and beeps to warn you about the things you’d rather not find out the hard way—speed cameras, potholes, traffic jams, lurking hazards. Think of it as the world’s most discreet back-seat driver, except it doesn’t nag you about your choice of gear.

The clever bit is that Tom doesn’t even need you to set a destination. The moment you fire up the car, it’s awake, sniffing out danger through the TomTom smartphone app that hums quietly in the background. No tapping, no faffing. Just warnings when you need them.

Of course, the app itself is the full-fat TomTom experience—turn-by-turn directions, live speed limits, map updates, and a camera database covering both Europe and North America. And it’s free. Yes, really. Free.

Tom the gadget, however, will set you back €79.99 when it lands this October on TomTom’s website, Amazon, and the usual retailers. Which, frankly, is less than the fine for getting caught in an average speed check zone because you were too busy arguing with Spotify.

So here it is: a minimalist driving buddy that doesn’t distract, doesn’t argue, and doesn’t demand a software update right when you’re late for dinner. If Alexa is the chatty friend who won’t shut up, Tom is the quiet one in the corner who only speaks when it’s important. And frankly, we like him for that.

Source: TomTom