June 26 - 8:10am EDT   Garmin on Friday kicked off the launch of a new outdoors GPS line. The Dakota 10 and 20 are both ruggedized but small and built to to be simple with a touchscreen interface borrowed from the high-end Oregon line. It lacks the earlier model's camera but has 850MB of internal memory to handle both map data as well as waypoints and geocache data synced from a Mac or Windows PC. [full story]

June 24 - 4:45pm EDT   Portable navigation device maker Garmin has recently publicly acknowledged the issue with its nuvi 7x5-series devices that causes them to shut down. Calling it a firmware error that causes some devices to perform an unprompted GPS software update and in some cases shut down, Garmin announced it is "working diligently on a solution." Users began reporting the shutdowns earlier this week, leading many to believe the error originates from a new firmware update. [full story]

June 16 - 11:10am EDT   Garmin-ASUS at CommunicAsia on Tuesday said that its decision to launch Android phones next year will mark the end of the partnership's custom Linux variant. The nuvifone G60 will now be both the first and last phone to run the in-house OS and all future nuvifones will either use Android or else, like the M20, Windows Mobile. Reasons for the switch haven't been explained to CNET but likely center on both the true smartphone-level feature set as well as the reduced work of using an existing OS rather than developing from scratch. [full story]

June 16 - 9:40am EDT   GPS hardware maker Garmin on Tuesday announced it will double its wrist-mounted Foretrex range, adding to the current Foretrex 201 and Foretrex 101 with the Foretrex 301 and 401. The devices are flexible enough to be used by families or military personnel, and feature a built-in, high-sensitivity GPS receiver, waterproof and rugged construction with a USB interface. Hikers or mountain bikers can save their trail as a series of points via the TracBack feature, and up to 500 waypoints can be saved in memory. [full story]

June 12 - 10:35am EDT   Dutch shares of native GPS device maker TomTom spiked on Friday morning after speculation rose that Apple is mulling getting a stake in the company. Following Apple's WWDC presentation Monday that saw TomTom introduce an iPhone GPS app and a matching car kit, some investors claim to have heard that TomTom being singled out and its tight integration of software with the iPhone are advance evidence of Apple wanting to invest a minority amount in the European firm. The rumor is not universal, however, and some openly doubt the likelihood of such a deal. [full story]

June 5 - 2:45pm EDT   In spite of warnings of delays, Garmin president Cliff Pemble today at a shareholders' meeting said the company was "getting very close" to launching its nüvifone line on sale in the US through a carrier. The touchscreen GPS phones are now through the second stage of carrier testing and thus not far away from being used. Surprise demand from providers meant the company had little reason to follow original plans and release the phone at full price but unlocked. [full story]

May 11 - 1:05pm EDT   Garmin told its investors on Wednesday that it has once again moved back the planned release date of its G60 and other nuvifone smartphones to the second half of the year, and won't, as previously reported, be coming out in June. According to a recent TWICE update, the company is currently taking the phones through the testing phase of the certification process and carriers are very interested in the smartphones. No detailed release date has been given, however. [full story]

May 8 - 11:15am EDT   TomTom may be stepping up its efforts to produce turn-by-turn iPhone GPS through a low-key recruitment effort. A job listing for an iPhone app developer doesn't mention the company but asks for someone to develop navigation software in Amsterdam, the location of TomTom's headquarters. The term would start in May or June and last for at least six months. [full story]

May 7 - 9:20am EDT   Garmin on Thursday announced the upcoming release of the Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t touchscreen handheld GPS devices, unique in that they offer a 3.2-megapixel camera, complete with geotagging capabilities. The autofocus camera has a 4x digital zoom and stores images on the device's 850MB of built-in storage space, Other common features include a 3-inch touchscreen viewable in direct sunlight, a 3-axis compass and a waterproof design. [full story]

May 4 - 11:25am EDT   NAVIGON today said it would quit its GPS device business in North America but may offer its software on the iPhone and other platforms in return. The company doesn't tell GPS Business News how quickly it expects to leave but says the decision stems from too-stiff competition at the low end of the GPS business. Where its business had been comfortable as long as large rivals like Garmin and TomTom kept their navigator prices higher, the push down to as low as $99 (for a TomTom ONE) has left NAVIGON with little way to differentiate itself. [full story]

April 28 - 1:15am EDT   Today's DealNN deal of the day is on the Garmin eTrex Vista handheld GPS. It is regularly priced at $299.99, but has been reduced by $160 to $139.99 and includes FREE shipping at Amazon.com. It features a waterproof casing that provides protection in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes and comes pre-loaded with basemaps of North & South America viewable on the 2.14" LCD display. [full story]

April 17 - 12:30pm EDT   Garmin-ASUS' long-delayed nüvifone G60 is now expected to show in June, a direct source claims. Talking to Reuters, the insider says the first LiMo-based (Linux Mobile) phones will ship in June and, by extension, that the G60 will be one of the early models. The GPS-centric handset has been repeatedly delayed since its January 2008 unveiling and has been given a first-half 2009 release timeframe that would support the latest claim. [full story]

April 16 - 8:50am EDT   Garmin today updated its nüvi GPS mapper line with a new, especially high-end model. The 1490T is one of the company's largest ever and has a 5-inch touchscreen that provides both more information about the road as well as a more comfortable view; with the extra display size, the back is also about a quarter thinner than most of Garmin's lineup. As a flagship, it also gets much of the better features, including the new pedestrian GPS for walking, free lifetime traffic updates and multi-route prediction with lane guidance. [full story]

April 3 - 8:50pm EDT   Electronista at CTIA had a chance to take a closer look at the Garmin-Asus nüvifone M20. The handset offers a smaller form factor than the G60 and looks more like a phone than a GPS navigator. Every dimension has been shrunk, with 17 mm cut from the height and a width reduction of 6 mm. The M20 is described as a phone with GPS functionality, while the G60 is more of a GPS with phone functionality. The company also dropped the Linux operating system for Windows Mobile 6.1. [full story]

April 2 - 1:55pm EDT   Garmin on Thursday announced the upcoming release of a pair of new fitness watches, including the Forerunner 310XT and Forerunner 405CX. The former is waterproof down to 50 meters (164 feet) and thus meant for water sports as well as running and cycling and will be packaged together with a waterproof heart rate monitor as well as in a stand-alone version. Compared to the current Forerunner 305 that it's based on, the new watch has improved battery life, now rated at 20 hours, as well as a more comfortable design. [full story]