Not a good day to be TomTom and Garmin

Posted in GPS by Conner Flynn on October 28th, 2009

Not a good day to be TomTom and GarminLooks like both TomTom and Garmin might be having a bit of a bad day to put it mildly, thanks to the announcement of Google Maps Navigation. As the graph shows, things are not looking good. Nope. Not at all.

GPS makers can at least take some comfort in the fact that the new Google Maps Navigation is available on Android 2.0 at the moment, which requires you to have a specific phone to download the maps real time. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

AT&T and Garmin announced G60 is coming to AT&T soon

Posted in AT&T by Shane McGlaun on September 30th, 2009

nuvifone-sbThe Garmin nuvifone has been on our radar for a long time now and we already know most of the specs of the G60. What we really didn’t know was how much the device would cost and what carrier it would be offered on. AT&T and Garmin cleared up those questions today.

The Garmin nuvifone will hit AT&T at a price of $299 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a new 2-year agreement. The Nuvifone Premium connected Services for the device will cost $5.99 per month and include traffic updates, white pages, weather, movies, local events, fuel prices and more.

Garmin Asus nuvifone available for purchase in Asia

Posted in ASUS by Shane McGlaun on July 24th, 2009

nuvifone-sbAsus makes all sorts of devices from computers to video cards and last year I got my hands on one of the firm’s first smartphones and found it lacking. Hopefully Asus has cleaned up its act now that it has teamed up with GPS leader Garmin.

Garmin and Asus have announced the new nuvifone models will be available in Taiwan on July 27. The devices will be in other areas of Asia by the end of August and hit the U.S. in the second half of 2009. Two models will be offered including the G60 and M20.

Garmin and BMW unveil new motorcycle GPS device

Posted in Garmin by Shane McGlaun on July 6th, 2009

garminbmw-sbWhen GPS devices first started to become popular as options on vehicles, they were mainly limited to high-end luxury cars. As the price of GPS technology has come down, more and more vehicles and motorcycles are adding GPS options and many are opting for portable navigation devices.

Garmin and BMW have announced the introduction of a new GPS device that is customized for BMW motorcycle owners called the BMW Motrrad Navigator IV. The device has custom BMW features including a custom mount, preloaded BMW dealer database, and audio and Bluetooth capabilities.

Garmin announces Foretrex 401 and 301 wearable GPS

Posted in Garmin by Shane McGlaun on June 17th, 2009

garminforetrex401-sb
Garmin makes GPS devices for just about every possible need. You can get a Garmin GPS for your car, you can get Garmin GPS in your airplane, and you can get Garmin GPS for your motorcycle. You can even get Garmin GPS for your wrist.

Gaming has announced two new wrist wearable GPS units called the Foretrex 401 and Foretrex 301. Both of the devices have high-sensitivity; WAAS-enabled GPS receivers and a USB interface in a waterproof device designed for skiers, campers, and military personnel to wear.

New Garmin Foretrex 401

Posted in Garmin by Conner Flynn on June 10th, 2009

New Garmin Foretrex 401This one is for guys who like to jump out of planes. Garmin has a new version of the Foretrex. The 401 is 20% smaller than the original Foretrex 101 and 201, though the display is the same size. It also sports a 2-axis digital compass, barometric altimeter and a USB 2.0 port. The most interesting feature is the Jumpmaster function, designed for static, HAHO and HALO skydiving, with options including forward throw, windspeed and HARP to ensure a safe landing.

The Foretrex 401 uses AAA batteries for up to 24 hours of use, and it has the ability to swap batteries on the road. You can get it for $250 starting June 16th.

Garmin Oregon GPS adds camera

Posted in Garmin by Shane McGlaun on May 7th, 2009

garmin-logo-sbGPS is becoming so common that even people who don’t really need one are getting them. Last time I saw my grandmother she had a GPS in the car. This is the same woman who goes nowhere she hasn’t been going for the last 30 years and is so cheap she washes paper plates. GPS has gone mainstream for sure.

Gamin has introduced new GPS units called the Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t. Both of the devices integrate a 3.2-megapixel camera that can geotag images and a 3-axis compass. The devices are designed to be carried on outdoor excursions rather than mounted in car.

Garmin shows off thin nuvi 1490T GPS device

Posted in Garmin by Shane McGlaun on April 17th, 2009

garminnuvi1490tThe last time I took my family on vacation without a GPS, I was irritated before we got out of town. I tried to let my wife read the map, which was a bad idea. Perhaps schools should teach basic map reading to girls when they take them out of class that one day during health to learn about girly parts and pregnancy. The easy remedy to this is to use GPS, which can be a marriage saver.

Garmin has announced a new GPS device called the nuvi 1490T that has a thin profile and a large 5-inch screen. The large screen is touch enabled and can save five different routes to allow route planning in advance.

Garmin 405CX and 310XT Forerunner watches with GPS

Posted in Watches by Conner Flynn on April 2nd, 2009

Garmin 405CX and 310XT Forerunner watches with GPSGarmin is offering up two new watches in the Forerunner lineup. They look a tad, uh, fugly. The waterproof 310XT and the 405CX, which is the successor to the 405. Fugly they may be, but they pack in a lot of functions.

The 310XT features a tough waterproof shell rated for a depth of up to 50 meters, and 20 hours of battery life. Both the 310XT and the 405CX include GPS, wireless, data syncing and will track your burned calories. These are great watches for Athletes looking for a personal trainer on their wrist.

Garmin gets truckin’ with new GPS device

Posted in Garmin by Shane McGlaun on March 19th, 2009

garmin465t-sbI really like GPS devices and have owned several of them over the years. GPS is much better than having to stop and ask directions or having to listen to the wife tell me I need to stop and ask directions. I always figured that the big rigs on the road had built-in GPS, and I am sure many do.

Garmin has announced a new GPS device for long haul truckers that may make some want to upgrade even if their rig has GPS built-in. The new nuvi 465T is a GPS device that allows truckers to put in the length, width, height, and weight of their truck along with cargo type and the GPS device will find routes that the truck can safely and legally take.

Garmin unveils new nuvi navigation devices at CeBIT

Posted in Garmin by Shane McGlaun on March 3rd, 2009

Garmin nuvi 1300GPS devices are becoming very common for not only automotive use, but for those needing directions when walking or riding a bike. Garmin is one of the biggest names in GPS navigation and the company announced several new GPS models at CeBIT 2009 in Germany today.

The new models are in the nuvi 1200 and 1300 families and all offer thin profiles with the ability to give directions when driving or walking. One new feature of all the devices is optional CityXplorer maps that are available for select tourist destinations around the globe.

Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60 screenshots and specs

Posted in Garmin by Conner Flynn on February 12th, 2009

Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60 screenshots and specsThe Nuviphone M20 from Garmin and Asus will be out later in the year, but it won’t be the first collaboration to arrive. The first will be the Nuviphone G60 and here are the details and specs.

The device will feature a 3.5″ touchscreen display, HSDPA/3G connectivity, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, Built-in accelerometer, Pre-loaded maps of your region, 3 megapixel camera with geo-tagging ability, and the Ciao! location-based social tool

Garmin FR Fitness Watch Tracks Your Workout

Posted in Garmin by Shane McGlaun on January 30th, 2009

Garmin FR Watch
Watches today do more than watches could do in the past. I have seen watches that have cell phones built-in and watches that connect to the Internet. Garmin is a brand closely associated with GPS devices, but the company has a wider range of products and has introduced a new watch.

It would be easy to assume that the new watch offers GPS capability, but it doesn’t. The watch monitors data from your workouts and saves it for wireless transmission to your computer for analysis. The watch is compatible with any ANT+ fitness device like heart rate monitors, foot pods, or home and gym equipment.

Garmin showcases new MFD aircraft units

Posted in Aircraft by Nino Marchetti on January 22nd, 2009

Garmin GDU 375

Garmin added today a couple of new full function multi-function displays for those enjoying the light sport retrofit and experimental aircraft markets. The GDU 370 and GDU 375 are set to be available this March for around $3,300 and $4,000, respectively.

Garmin says these new seven-inch, portrait displays are designed to be viewable day or night. A variety of controls are built into these displays. For example, dedicated keys on the display’s right side have specific functions such as nearest, direct to, flight plan, zoom in/out and menu. The backs of these MFDs also have connection ports for external GPS and XM antennas, and a 50-pin connector for power/ground and interfaces.

Garmin offers up new motorcycle GPS unit

Posted in GPS by Nino Marchetti on January 13th, 2009

Garmin zūmo 660

Garmin has a new GPS unit for motorcyclists coming out in the first quarter of this year. It is called the zūmo 660 and it will price around $800.

The Garmin zūmo 660 is designed with motorcyclists in mind, said Garmin. It has a 4.3” sunlight-readable and customizable touchscreen display, “glove-friendly design” with left-handed controls and oversized touchscreen buttons. It comes loaded with street-level maps of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico that have over six million points of interest.





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