It’s all about the data. The just-announced Garmin FR70 Fitness Watch doesn’t care where you’ve been or where you’re going. It only cares about your body while you’re wearing it. Despite coming from Garmin, the FR70 doesn’t have GPS. It only tracks and monitors the body’s vitals and then presents this info in a coherent fashion through Garmin’s online service making this a fine watch for indoor or outdoor training. → Read More
If you’re looking to get preemptive with holiday weight watching, Garmin’s got an app for that.
The company today released the Garmin Fit app, which tracks speed, pace, distance, time, calories, and with the addition of Garmin’s ANT+ accessories, heart rate, and cadence. The app also maps out the user’s workout and uploads it directly to Garmin Connect, all for $.99. → Read More
It’s interesting to chart the size and shape of fitness watches over the years. The first Garmins looked like protein bars melted to your wrist by this new one, the Forerunner 910XT, looks as svelte and lithe as the marathoners who will probably wear it. The 910XT costs about $400 and will be available next week.
The new model supports Garmin’s Connect online service as well as their clever Virtual Racer feature that pits you against a ghost runner. It’s good for swimming, biking (with the appropriate add-ons), and running. Optional bike mounts allow you to slap it to your handlebars and then take it off when it’s time to swim.
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I’ve used quite a few heart rate monitoring watches in my day. I’ve played with Suuntos and Nikes aplenty, with whosits and whatsits galore. But the RCX5 is different in its utter simplicity. Designed to be worn while swimming, running, or biking, all of the smarts are actually in the optional sensors, leaving the watch itself as basic as a $20 Timex with a few tricks up its sleeve.
The base kit – that is, the watch, heart rate band, and a battery – costs $349. Although the watch and sensors are ostensibly OS X and Windows compatible, you’re going to be more comfortable using the software on Windows. I had some issues with the Mac sync and it wouldn’t work at all for me using a MacBook Air. It did work on my Mac Pro at home. → Read More
Garmin Ltd. and Navigon AG just announced that the two companies have reached an agreement and a subsidiary of Garmin will acquire the privately-held navigation company. The financial terms of the transaction was not released.
German-based Navigon pulled out of the North American PND market in 2009 and has since focused on the European region and smartphone apps. It’s likely that these two areas of investment were key to Garmin’s interest. We reviewed Navigon’s last US-centric GPS units in 2009 and while they were competent, failed to eclipse Garmin’s or TomTom’s models in anyway. → Read More
As rumored, GPS device company Garmin has bought its European competitor Navigon AG. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but previous reports have indicated that the company was acquired for roughly $72 million. Navigon will operate as a subsidiary of Garmin.
Similar to Garmin, Navigon, which is based in Germany, develops navigation software and GPS devices. The company also offers navigation applications for the iPhone and Android. The company has an estimated seven percent share in portable navigation devices in Europe. → Read More
The Garmin eTrek series has long been the go-to outdoor GPS unit. They’re affordable, capable, and, as I’ve learned, able to survive numerous drops from a tree stand. Garmin just outed the latest editions that bring a far amount of new features to the line. → Read More
Some GPS units are meant for rugged work in the mountains while others rarely leave the comforts of the city. The just-announced Garmin Montana can do both. Not only is it powerful, but it’s rugged and features various mounting options for different usages including windshield and dash. There’s a 4-inch dual-orientation screen and even a 5MP autofocus camera. It’s powered by either a 16-hour LiON pack or three AA batteries for even more versatility.
The Montana, as we’ve said several times, can pull double duty and to that end can display both turn-by-turn navigation, marine maps, or topographic maps. There’s even satellite data available if owners are willing to buy the subscription. The Montana 650t will be available for pre-ordering shortly for $699. Click through for a quick ad spot. → Read More
Garmin’s latest edition to its long-standing Forerunner brand is easily the sexiest yet. Even the GPS-connected watch is slimmer, it still packs in the features with a glove-friendly, high-res touchscreen. But it’s not the screen that’s important. Nope, it’s the training apps that attempt to justify the $350 price with the ability to upload and download different routes to the Garmin Connect web service. From there runners can attempt to best their own times or even other runners. Of course the 610 packs all the heart rate monitoring and distance measuring you’d expect with the Training Effect feature. → Read More
Attention, geocachers! Garmin has a new device that may be worth your while. It’s called the chirp (yup, lowercase “c”), and it works in conjunction with Garmin phones to ensure a “more interactive and enjoyable geocaching experience.” Sounds fun. Not that I’ve ever been geocaching, but it seems like a swell way to spend an afternoon. It certainly beats trolling message boards all day long. → Read More
The Garmin Forerunner line is a study in overkill – but in a good way. I’ve been using Forerunner for years and these latest two models look like worth contenders in the race to produce the perfect running watch.
The 410 has a heartrate monitor, touch bezel, GPS tracking, and a unique training feature that pushes you through your runs. The 210 is a bit less ostentatious but still feature-rich with GPS and heartrate training.
Click through for basic run-downs of each model. → Read More
Quickly now, quickly. T-Mobile has reduced the price of the new Garmin phone to $129 (that’s including rebate). This isn’t exactly surprising given that the phone is trying to survive in an iPhone and Froyo world. So if you were ever on the fence for the little guy, well, no time like the present. → Read More
>Details are bit light right now as this thing is anything but official. GPSTracklog managed to dig up some details about the upcoming replacement to the beloved 60CSx and it seems to bring a whole bunch of new features to the form factor. → Read More
I think the standalone GPS device is all but dead – I’m a pessimist that way and I know that your parents and mine both use standalone GPSes but that’s because we never showed them how to use the ones on their phones – but Garmin is still churning out some nice-looking models. → Read More
Garmin makes great GPS watches. I’ve been wearing them for years. They’ve added to that proud pantheon the 110, a SiRFstar IV watch with optional heartrate monitor designed to tell you a few simple pieces of data including speed and distance. The 110 is described as the “easiest” Garmin device out there and if you’ve ever messed with other watches, you’ll know that, while powerful, Garmin’s UI was a little rough. Inspired by the countless runners who have the same request at race expos and retail outlets – “Show me the Garmin watch that has GPS and is easiest to use” – Forerunner 110 is the ideal entry-level device for easily tracking progress and goals in exercise and training. In addition to displaying time and distance, Forerunner 110 shows pace in one of two ways, averaged out either over the current lap/mile (if auto-lap is enabled) or over the duration of the run. Runners wearing a Garmin heart rate monitor (included in some bundles or available separately) can monitor how hard they’re working while they exercise as Forerunner 110 displays current heart rate data and features heart rate-based calorie computation. Between workouts, the simplified menu system helps users review run data, change auto-lap, set an alarm or edit the user profile. The new chip adds better satellite reception and can last eight days on one charge in GPS standby or eight full hours of training. It comes in “fashionable” pink and red. Click through for the full press release. → Read More
Newsflash: birds see a LOT of stuff thanks to the fact that they can fly. Garmin wants to give you the same sensation (minus the flying part) with its new “BirdsEye Satellite and Aerial Imagery” feature, “an annual subscription service that gives users the option of loading highly-detailed photo-based maps to select Garmin handheld navigators,” according to a recent press release. → Read More
Amazon’s got a one-day deal on the 4.3-inch Garmin nuvi 855 GPS at $160, down from $190. You can still get it by Christmas with one- or two-day shipping, too. → Read More
Alright, everyone, settle down. I know the Google Maps Navigation stuff is pretty amazing, but let’s not write off the traditional GPS makers just yet. They’re not going anywhere for a while. Your parents and friends will see to that.
Hopefully the sudden market loss that companies like Garmin and TomTom saw yesterday will wake the companies up and see that they are doing it wrong. They are in the habit of producing 78 different versions of the same GPS. Each model steps you up $20 and adds another feature. It’s a ridiculous business plan and totally opposite what successful companies are doing.
But it’s true. Google dropped a bombshell on GPS makers yesterday with its free navigation tool that trumps almost anything currently available. The Android 2.0 app is about as robust as you can get thanks to the always connected Android OS and almighty Google. You can simply say “Where is the Best Buy in Flint, MI” and it will take you there. All this is free from the “do no evil” company, Google. → Read More
Google released a new mobile navigation app today and GPS navigation companies such as Garmin And TomTom saw their shares take a plunge. The announcement shaved $1.2 billion off of Garmin’s market cap alone. Its shares are down more than 16 percent so far today to $31.60. TomTom’s shares are down 21 percent to $8.11.
And this is just for an Android app. But Google could very well make it available to other phones as well, and that is what has investors worried. GPS navigation apps are among the most expensive, and most lucrative, of all mobile apps. → Read More
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