Garmin on Wednesday introduced a new Custom Maps capability that lets users take existing paper or digital maps and upload them to their portable Garmin navigators. The free service is compatible with Dakota, Oregon and Colorado outdoor GPS handhelds. Those using Macs and PCs can use the service.
The flyer for Best Buy's Black Friday/Thanksgiving sale has been leaked on the Internet ahead of its official release thanks to a copy posted today. Among the 'doorbusters' are a $300 PS3 bundle that includes two games, while an Xbox 360 bundle with six games will carry the same sticker price. Another front-page deal involves a 46-inch, 120Hz LED-backlit Samsung HDTV with free home delivery, hook-up and recycling for $1,600, or $1,000 off.
Garmin and Asus have announced that the nüvifone M20 has been updated with Microsoft's latest Windows Mobile 6.5 software. The software provides a revamped home screen, with touch-optimized icons and access to the variety of apps available through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile. Users can also take advantage of Facebook and Microsot's My Phone service.
Garmin on Monday introduced a new series of portable GPS devices meant for use by pilots and drivers alike. Making up the aera series are the aera 500, aera 510, aera 550 and aera 560 touchscreen devices, which combine the simplicity of Garmin's in-car navigation units with the feature set and GPS accuracy necessary for pilots. The multi-mode devices switch between auto and aviation mode quickly.
Shares of GPS device makers Garmin and TomTom plummeted today through a combination of their quarterly results and the launch of Google Maps Navigation. Following both low guidance for Garmin's next quarter as well as poor results from TomTom, shares for the two fell 16.4 percent and 20.8 percent respectively and remained low through the entire trading day after news of Google's free, turn-by-turn mapping service became public.
Garmin has recently quietly began offering its latest portable navigation device, the nuvi 1450. It uses the same 5-inch, 480x272 resolution touchscreen as the costlier 1490T. Unlike that device, however, there is no Bluetooth support or live traffic updates and consequently brings it down to a budget level.
More than a year and a half after it was originally announced, Garmin's nüvifone G60 has received an official launch in the US through AT&T. The GPS-centric phone originally meant to compete with the pre-GPS iPhone centers on a deep navigation app based directly on Garmin's dedicated nüvi in-car units with some accommodations for mobile users: it not only works as a pedestrian device but will remember when it was last attached to its car mount, helping owners remember where they parked. It shares the same-strength GPS receiver and should provide a quicker lock than most smartphones.
Garmin said on Thursday that it has teamed with wireless provider AT&T to provide the mobile data connection for its upcoming nuvi 1690 GPS mapper. The cellular access gives the nuLink feature integrated into the nuvi 1690 a connection to Google Local searches as well as updated local information that includes traffic, weather, fuel price, movie listing, flight status, local event and white page listings. Users can also connect with other Garmin users thanks to Garmin's Ciao social networking system.
Garmin on Thursday said it would soon begin shipping its latest portable navigator, the nüvi 1690. The device has a built-in wireless module that connects to Garmin's nüLink service which allows users to access Google local search as well as traffic, weather, fuel prices, movie listings, flight status and more information. They can also connect to Ciao!, Garmin's location-based social networking system. In the US, buyers will get two years of free nüLink access.
Garmin on Thursday said it would soon begin shipping its latest portable navigator, the nüvi 1690. The device has a built-in wireless module that connects to Garmin's nüLink! service which allows users to access Google local search as well as traffic, weather, fuel prices, movie listings, flight status and more information. They can also connect to Ciao!, Garmin's location-based social networking system. In the US, buyers will get two years of free Garmin nüLink! service.
Garmin on Tuesday brought the price of its cycling GPS downwards through the Edge 500. The blue-and-white unit is pitched as the best of both worlds and tracks all the core features, including actual positional and speed data as well as the estimated calories burned and amount of climb or descent. It can similarly pair with wireless sensors either specific to Garmin or which support the ANT+ format, such as cadence or heart rate monitors, and will use that information to improve the calorie rate and other data already being tracked.
Garmin has let slip more details on three upcoming nuvi GPS units, beginning with the 1690. The model is described as having a 4.3-inch WVGA display, along with North America maps, text-to-speech conversion, and Bluetooth support for hands-free phone calls. The centerpiece is an EDGE data connection, which can retrieve data relating to traffic, flights, weather, fuel costs, movie times and local Google searches.
Garmin's plans to enter connected GPS units in earnest have been uncovered thanks to an FCC user manual filing (PDF) for its first receiver under the title. First shown only in testing, the nuvi 1690 will have a built-in cellular modem and will use an in-house service known as nuinfo that would let users find information through Google Local Search and receive temperature updates for their current area courtesy of the title bar. The data link will also be useful for live traffic updates and provide a means of searching for fuel prices and flight times.
Through a leaked product list, AT&T has revealed information on several upcoming phone releases. Included in these is the BlackBerry 9700, believed to be the Onyx; the latter has been described as a Curve 8900 with restored 3G broadband. Also mentioned is the nuvifone G60, Garmin's long-delayed smartphone, which concentrates on GPS navigation while still providing functions like web browsing.
Portable GPS device maker Garmin recently said its much-delayed nuvifone line, which was first announced in January of 2008, will be launched in the USA before year's end. A full advertising campaign will accompany the device. In a recent conference call with analysts, Garmin revealed the device is undergoing the final stages of testing with US carriers, though stopped short of naming the carriers.
An upcoming GPS unit from Garmin should support cellular data, FCC testing reveals. The nuvi 1690 is noted to support GSM, GPRS and EDGE connections, though for what purpose is unclear. The technology could be used to supply real-time traffic information, and/or updates to points of interest. Similar devices can access Internet content, such as Google searches or routes stored on a remote computer or website.
Smartphones from Apple and others should help the number of GPS-aware smartphones surge this year, according to a Strategy Analytics study. Shipments of the devices should spike a large 34 percent to 77 million phones and are chiefly credited to rapidly growing sales of devices like the iPhone, Nokia N97 or BlackBerry Tour. Many often have stronger mapping tools like BlackBerry Maps, Google Maps and Nokia Maps built-in, encouraging GPS use right away.
Garmin today offically threw itself into competition in the touchscreen phone arena by shipping the nüvifone G60 to its first market. The handset is now due to reach Taiwan on July 27th and should reach both Malaysia and Singapore by the end of August. The GPS-centered device is also now deemed "on schedule" for both European and North American launches before the end of the year, though carrier options (if any) and prices have yet to be detailed.
Portable GPS device maker Garmin has recently announced the upcoming release of its BMW Mottorad Navigator IV, which is based on the company's existing $800 zumo 660. The device was developed in conjunction with BMW to work with its motorcycles, and therefore has a customized four-button mount, unique though unspecified Bluetooth capabilities and a list of BMW dealers preloaded into its point-of-interest database.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sprint is hoping to embed its cellular networking in devices from at least Garmin, Kodak and SanDisk, a leak (registration required) on Tuesday suggests. The Wall Street Journal claims to known an individual aware of talks that would see Sprint provide Internet access on these partners' devices as it does with Amazon's Kindle 2. Such deals would have similar arrangements and have companies pay in bulk for the data used on the network rather than demand regular subscription fees from the device owners.
HP may be exiting the business of dedicated GPS devices if evidence collected by GPS Review bears out. An unnamed contact from HP has said that the company is dropping all its iPAQ devices where navigation has been a central feature, such as the iPAQ 310 Travel Companion. The statement is reportedly backed up by a support document that claims HP is shutting down its iPAQ website, where users go to register and update their navigation hardware; as of press time, the site remains active and points to the shutdown notice as premature.
Garmin at CeBIT today broke new ground for itself with two new nuvi navigators. The nuvi 1200 and 1300 are the first devices from Garmin to explicitly support pedestrian GPS mapping in urban areas; adding a CityXplorer map pack provides not only walking directions across parks and other areas off-limits in road-only maps but will also plot routes based on buses, subways and other public transit. To help, the devices themselves are also significantly slimmer than Garmin's exclusively automotive devices.
After being sued on Wednesday by Microsoft over a patent lawsuit, navigation systems maker TomTom responded on Thursday saying it has not breached any patents and "will vigorously defend" themselves in court, according to a Thursday report. Microsoft was hoping to have TomTom settle and has announced it remains open to a quick resolution if TomTom agrees to an IP licensing agreement, something the two companies have not been able to accomplish in more than a year of negotiations.
Garmin has announced that its Forerunner 405 and Forerunner 50 GPS watches can now upload fitness records onto Mac systems. The new ANT Agent software is used in conjunction with the USB ANT stick to transfer information to the computer. The data can also be uploaded to the Garmin Connect web-based portal that offers tools for performance analysis, progress monitoring and sharing results with others members.
Mobile partnership Garmin-ASUS on Thursday staked its claim at Mobile World Congress with the nuvifone M20, the second phone in the fledgling GPS navigator phone line. Unlike the G60, the M20 is based on Windows Mobile 6.1 and uses a heavily customized interface to provide turn-by-turn voiced navigation like stand-alone nuvi GPS units. It also uses the positioning for social networking through Ciao! and geotagging photos from the 3-megapixel camera.
England's Bluetooth chip group CSR on Tuesday announced it is buying California-based GPS chip specialistSiRF for $136 million. The deal is expected to complete in the second quarter, after approval by SiRF and CSR shareholders as well as government approval. The buy-out sum represents a 91-percent premium on SiRF's shares after Monday's markets closed.
Garmin and ASUS on Wednesday morning announced a strategic alliance to design and sell co-branded mobile phones, including the launch of a new phone at the upcoming mobile conference in Barcelona, Spain and rebranded nüviphone (as the nüviphone G60), which was announced last week. According to the companies, both Garmin and ASUS have already begun joint development on a mobile phone product line, which will be known as the Garmin-Asus nüvifone series. The companies, which will leverage the companies’ navigation and mobile telephony expertise, expect to bring to market several Garmin-Asus nüvifone models in 2009, including a new model at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain, February 16-19, 2009.
Apple may not have any legal ground to stand on when it comes to waging war against competing multi-touch devices, claims an analyst with Global Crown Capital. Multi-touch has traditionally been a distinguishing feature of the iPhone, as it is based on original technology, and most touchscreen devices can detect only one finger at a time. Apple has vowed to defend itself against illegal imitators, an issue prompted by the announcement of the Palm Pre.
GPS maker Garmin has recently introduced the FR60 fitness watch that can connect wirelessly to compatible ANT+ fitness sensors such as heart rate monitors and foot pods. Meant for hardcore fitness aficionados, the FR60 is also compatible with select fitness equipment at gyms or homes and allows users to upload data to their PCs or Macs to keep detailed track of their workouts and fitness progress. The computer sync is done with the help of a wireless ANT Stick that attaches to the PC over USB.
Garmin this morning used the wake of CES to introduce two uprated eTrex models as well as a companion piece of software. The eTrex Legend H and eTrex Vista H rugged navigators both have a much more sensitive GPS receiver that both gets a quicker lock-on and is more likely to get a fix when tall natural obstacles might otherwise block reception. They also carry USB ports and 24MB of flash memory to carry detailed, monochrome terrain maps sent from a PC.
Garmin chose Wednesday to reveal its full slate for CES and led off with a new top-end model for its nuvi GPS units. The 4.3-inch widescreen navigator updates the 880 with a lane assist mode that also includes a junction view: drivers are not only told which lane to use for the next change but also shown the layout to properly follow through the next exit or intersection. It further brings an upgraded set of MSN Direct data services and now lets owners check their airport flight status as well as more detailed weather with Doppler maps, better movie listings, local events and the option of sending maps and routes from a computer.
Today's deals at DealNN include Blu-Ray players, Mac computers, GPS units and more. First up is the refurbished Samsung Blu-Ray player for $169.99 at TigerDirect.com. The 1.83GHz Mac mini is available at MacMall.com for $564.99 after mail in rebate. For today only J&R.com is offering the JBL Spyro 2.1 speaker system for $59.99. Currently the refurbished Garmin nuvi 260 GPS unit is priced at $129.99 at RadioShack.com. Lastly is the Wacom Intuos3 4x6 graphics tablet priced at $159 after mail in rebate.
Garmin has posted screen captures for its upcoming GPS-based cellphone, the nuvifone, providing hints as to the handset's features and capabilities. The screenshots come ahead of an expected official look at the device at next week's CES expo in Las Vegas. The nuvifone features a 3.5-inch touchscreen, the same size as that the screen on Apple's iPhone; the interface also appears to be familiar, with a layout that mimics the iPhone in terms of buttons, icons and window dimensions.
Garmin announced on Monday that it is disputing the sales figures and product rollout schedules published in a DigiTimes report from the same day. In the report, it was said Garmin will ship 18 million GPS units in 2008, citing the company's Asia Pacific marketing director, Tony An, as the source for the information. The story also had Garmin's Android-powered and GPS-enabled nuvifone be released into the Taiwanese market in the second quarter of 2009, with Android-based handsets coming as early as the second half of 2009. Garmin did not dispute that Android-based handsets are indeed in the pipeline.
Garmin Asia Pacific marketing director Tony An today revealed that the company's nuvifone will just be the first device in a series of phones. Where the original touchscreen, GPS-focused phone is now said to be due in the spring, An adds that the firm will develop multiple phones based on Google's Android platform to ship sometime in the second half of 2009. Details of the phones themselves are unavailable but should likely focus heavily on GPS navigation and will be helped by the built-in presence of Google Maps.
