The module relays this information to your GPS unit via Bluetooth where you will be able to view a set of customizable gauges that provide details on things like fuel economy, RPMs, throttle position, intake manifold pressure, coolant temperature, intake air temperature, and emissions.

Awesome? Yeah, sure. Will it save Garmin from destruction at the hands of a possible Google navigation juggernaut? No, probably not. [Cnet via NaviGadget via Ubergizmo via DVICE]

An otherwise typical premium GPS, the 1690 ($500 by this holiday season) comes with two free years of nüLink! service—a wireless data plan with local Google search, traffic, weather, fuel price, movie, flight, event, and telephone listing information plus a bit of Garmin's proprietary Ciao social networking service thrown in. After two years, the service will cost you $5/month.

But while the nüvi 1690 sounds nice enough, I've had trouble getting excited about any current-gen GPS (based upon SiRFStarIII) just knowing that a faster, more energy efficient SiRFStarIV chip is in the works. [Garmin via GPS Tracklog]

The problem, of course, is that monthly fees will most likely be part of the deal—monthly fees that many GPS users are probably not willing to pay. Still, the nuvi 1690 appears to be on its way, for better or worse—although pricing and a release date have yet to be announced. [Electronista]

The Cost: $350 list; $310 online

The Verdict: Portable navigators are great, but they've reached equilibrium: Prices have never been better for the functionality you get, but if the 1350T proves anything, it's that there's nowhere they can go from here.

I hope you recognize that's not a complaint: Forget all those frilly features like voice command and Bluetooth, stuff that you love for a short while but (I fully admit) never use later on in the product's life. It's the basics that count, and the 1350T has basics, plus a slightly tweaked interface that improves on the old Nuvi experience without changing it too noticeably. It's faster than even the higher end Nuvis I've looked at, and has a streamlined main navigation screen that proves that, unlike TomTom, even when you have a winning formula, you have to keep tweaking it. Overall use is still the best in the business.

The "T": It's for "traffic" and it can be helpful if you use it correctly, though that's one of my only gripes: Delays show up in minutes, but there are times when you're sitting still for 5 to 10 minutes and you just see "0:02," and other times you are stuck only momentarily and it shows "0:07" or more. The problem is, it's a moving average. It's not saying you'll be stuck there for that long, necessarily, but that the overall trip arrival time has been changed. It's a bit heady, I think. That or it's simply inaccurate.

The real trouble with traffic is that the best way to deliver streams of information is via a cellular data connection—on demand. (The 1350T has a receiver, but it's not a communicator.) As it happens, nobody is willing to pay for a separate cellular connection to get traffic (and local search) data, because they already have phones that cost a load in monthly fees. Phones aren't yet ready to inherit the GPS world from the portable navigators, but the newest raft of iPhone apps, the latest SiRF GPS chip announcement, and Garmin's own dabblings in the cellular market, prove that it's just a matter of time.

The Ads: The weirdest part is that the 1350T is ad-supported. It's not annoying yet—there are only two ads that I've seen, for Best Western and Walgreens, and they tend to hover in the peripheries. But they could get a lot more frequent and more visible. At the moment, these national chains aren't really targeted to your route, but eventually, this system could suggest stuff at every turn along your route. Is that cool? Maybe, if it comes with like Big Mac coupons and stuff. But most likely not.

The End?: As I mentioned, what the 1350T represents is the logical end of the PND, a highly functional and almost comfortably limited device. We now face an unknown transition, during which time an awful lot of people will buy an awful lot of old-school priced-to-move navigators. [Garmin]

The first round of fixes, which are available in Garmin's WebUpdater app, will remedy signal acquisition, freezing and update prompt problems for of the Nuvi 7x5 series of navigators. Updates for the similarly afflicted 800 series, nüvi 8x5, Zumo 660, GPSMAP 620 and GPSMAP 640 hardware will be coming in "the near future," which, given how short the timeframe is on this issue so far, probably means no more than a few days.

Mercifully, for the unlucky folks whose nüvi 7x5 have been bricked by the prior update, Garmin is urging users to file for an RMA, and will fix or replace the devices under warranty. [Garmin]

The Price: Garmin says $800, but you can find it online for $690.

The Verdict: It's the best all-around GPS on the market, but there are too many halfway decent Garmin models for less than half the price.

The 880 isn't the first GPS with voice command, but it's definitely the best. The remote button that you strap to your steering wheel makes activating it easy, and being able to dictate addresses including obscure street names is only part of the fun. When you're in POI search, you can name popular locations ("Starbucks") or categories (it actually understands synonyms like "Fuel" and "Gas"). Most importantly, you can tap the button and say things like "Cancel Route" or "Volume Up," commands most likely to be issued while driving, ensuring you stay safer than if you were to try to do these things with your fingers while keeping your wheels on the road. The only problem with voice command is that, to function, it requires the remote (pictured above). If somehow you break off the remote or lose it, you will forever lose the ability to talk to your 880, so be careful.

As you can see in the video, with the exception of its inability to understand "Cancel" or "Exit" while performing certain functions, it responds extremely well to natural speech:

We've said repeatedly that Garmin is the best bet for anyone shopping for GPS, and the 880 demonstrates this to be the case. It doesn't mean it's perfect, it's just by far the least infuriating navigator on the road today. Garmin often adds features later than others, but this only strengthens its predominance, since those like TomTom and Magellan—not to mention the innovative but ailing Dash—rush revolutionary features without spending time on core interface issues, and fail because of it.

Some of the 880's perks do not get me excited: I have yet to meet a Bluetooth speakerphone that doesn't result in people yelling that they can't hear me, a problem having as much to do with every different phone's cheap-o Bluetooth chip, no doubt. I also am very underwhelmed by the MSN Direct service that the 880 offers ("free" for 3 months). Its main feature is the traffic reporting but that information, even in massive metro areas, has proven to me to be absolutely useless. The 880 is as dumb as the lowliest GPS when it comes to awareness, and my hope is that historic traffic trends will soon be better integrated at the map database level—i.e. with Navteq and Tele Atlas—in order to make routing more smart even without the need for connectivity or any kind of realtime guesswork.

Some of you may realize that this review is long overdue. One reason is that, when I first got the 880, it had some bugginess that I'm glad to say has been fixed with a firmware update. Another reason for the delay is that I wanted to see how long it would take to stop using the voice commands. Sadly, it didn't take very long, but in prepping for this review, I started using the voice commands more, and realized that it's an asset I shouldn't so readily overlook. Just don't lose the remote, or you lose the feature. [Product Page]

The Financiapocalypse can't stop Christmas, but it can sure as hell suck some of the joy out of it. At the very least, it's probably making you reconsider just how much you wanna spend on toys for yourself and others this holiday season. You're probably looking to cut corners here and there, on dollar-store Christmas lights, iPod knockoffs and the like. That's all fine and dandy, but we've made a list of things you can't afford to cheap out on, because doing so will bite you in the ass later. Still, since we like you, we're also sharing how to save a bit of money in the process, so the whole not-cheaping-out thing doesn't hurt as much.

Graphics Cards

When you're configuring a laptop online, you get a ton of options unless it's a Mac (ooooo burn). Anyway, the popular wisdom is that juicing the processor is always the best way to allocate your dollars to boost performance, since more megahertz is more betterer, right? Wrong. Take this Dell Studio configuration here. Spending $75 on the discrete ATI Mobility Radeon is a way better buy than $50 200MHz upgrade to the processor.

The performance difference those couple hundred megahertz buys you is negligible, while a discrete graphics card from ATI or Nvidia will deliver serious performance benefits over Intel's integrated graphics crap. This is especially true if you do even light 3D gaming, HD video playback or anything else mildly graphically intensive like running Vista's Aero interface (oooo another burn). Also, if you plan to keep a laptop for more than two years, buying the graphics card makes it more future-proof, since Windows 7—and many resource-intensive apps—will grab hold of graphics cards for extra computing muscle, too.

Memory

Memory (aka RAM) is another place to sock your computing dollars instead of blindly bumping up the megahertz. Adding RAM almost always gives your computer a more noticeable performance boost for the same price (especially if you're going from like 1GB to 3GB), allowing you to multitask more and run crazier programs without dragging your computer down. And really, you shouldn't even try to run Windows Vista on anything less than 2GB. (If you can get 4GB and run Vista 64-bit, that's really magical.)

There is a trick to this, however. You don't buy the extra RAM as part of the computer configuration process, since your computer maker of choice will charge you by the arse-hairs for it. Instead, if you're comfortable doing an at-home installation, buy a laptop with the lowest amount of RAM, then buy it separately from Newegg, who even has a helpful tool to pick the right RAM that won't blow up your computer. Crunch the numbers first, of course, but chances are, in big RAM jumps, you will save money.

Another memory tip for those taking the not-as-hard-as-it-sounds cost-cutting step of building their own desktop PC: DDR2 memory is significantly cheaper than DDR3 memory ($60 vs. $120), and at equivalent speeds, the performance difference isn't very noticeable. Your best bet—following our not-skimping guidelines—is to get twice as much DDR2 memory for the same price.

Camera Lenses

The secret about DSLRs that Nikon and Canon don't wanna tell you in the middle of their arms race is that what really matters is the glass—the lens. A Canon 20D—or hell, an XT—with an awesome lens will take better pictures than a 40D with a crummy lens every single time. Besides, if you really want to maximize your DSLR's potential, you're going to need to expand beyond the kit lens that came in the box. It's literally like getting new glasses after a decade of avoiding the eye doctor. Unfortunately, like glasses, camera lenses are one of those things where price really does tend to be commensurate with quality. Don't expect fire sales.

Don't go crappy, instead go used. A used or refurbished lens is always cheaper than a brand new one. Of course, you should always buy from a reputable retailer with a good warranty and return policy, in case there's something wonky with it. (That applies for new lenses too, really.) Here's a list of places to buy used Canon glass. With older lenses, there might be a few caveats like the lack of autofocus, but as Charlie at Gadget Lab notes in his account of using some more "antique" Nikon glass, the experience with those limitations can actually be rewarding, and help you learn about more photography in the process. (And isn't learning why you got a DSLR in the first place?)

If the used route frightens you, another approach is to go with a cheaper camera, and spend the extra money on quality glass. And guess what? Just because a new camera model pops out every six to nine months, it doesn't magically make the older models take less excellent pictures.

Portable GPS Navigation Devices

What? The GPS navigation in your phone isn't enough? Okay, it probably isn't if you actually get behind a wheel to go places. There are lots of GPS navigation devices, and some of them look pretty good for pretty cheap. We're gonna get real specific with our advice here: Get a Garmin Nuvi. Every. Time.

We've road-tested pretty much every navigation device out there, from the smartest cellular connected machines to the dumbest WinCE systems falling off the truck from China, and time and again, we come back to the Nuvi. That's not to say you have to spend $200 more on a navigator. Maybe you could track down last year's top models that are now on sale. The maps wouldn't have changed that much in 12 months. Regardless, even if the Garmin is $25 or $50 more than the TomTom or Magellan on the shelf next to it, get the Garmin. The product will last longer and be more simple to use, resulting in your happiness and the happiness of the people stuck in the car with you. It's worth the extra scratch.

Headphones

Like liquor, strippers and accountants, when it comes to headphones, you get what you pay for. In this dimension there's no such thing as good $2 headphones. You might tolerate them because you know don't any better (or you are simply a knowing masochist) but I guarantee you, they sound like the Tin Man's rusty ass.

You may recall that our amazing, extensive no-BS headphones battlemodo breaks down the best and the worst in every price category worth considering, and is a great place to start. The trend of the piece, you might notice, is that you can't go wrong with Shures, which don't cost as much as some audiophile earphones, but generally have list prices starting at $100. Good news, my favorites for the money, Shure's E2c sound-isolating headphones, now can be had for $60 easy, or as low as $40 on sale. Some people prefer those to their current replacement the SE110 (the E2c's are slightly bassier), that list for $100 but sell for $75 at Amazon at the moment. I know that a few editors at Gizmodo prefer the SE110s, but either way, the "hundred dollar" headphones stomp the cheap-skate models.

That's the real point: The extra $40 for a good pair of headphones delivers such a fantastical world of difference—especially to those commuters and workout buffs who spend a decent amount of time wearing them—that it is very much worth the extra cash. The only "catch" is that you will finally hear how bad your MP3s sound if you ripped them at a super-low bitrate. MP3s under 192Kbps might need to be re-ripped, since you will hear actually, at long last, hear the compression.

Your Turn

Alright, that's five from us. Surely you guys have got advice on other gear and accessories you should never skimp on. If so, though, you better be prepared to share ways to buy them cheaper than list price. Retail is for suckers! Come on, let's hear from you in the comments.

More Advice for the Black Friday Fray:
• The aforementioned Ultimate Survival Guide.
• 5 Gadgets You Can't Skimp On (And How to Save Money Buying Them)
• Best of Black Friday Deals Complete Roundup">All the best deals in one place
• Plus these late breaking ones from Cupertino: Apple Black Friday Deals Include Some Decent Third-Party Discounts
• Warnings: 7 Crappy Black Friday "Deals" That Aren't Really
• How To Choose an HDTV on Black Friday (or Any Day)
• How to set up that new HDTV you just got.

Photochop Contest:
• Brutally Honest Black Friday Ads Showcase Retailers on the Brink

Why You Might Want to Avoid Shopping on Black Friday, altogether:
• 10 Reasons We're Doomed: Black Friday Edition
• WalMart Worker Trampled to Death by Deal-Crazed Black Friday Shoppers

[Complete Black Friday Gadget Coverage at Giz]

The nuvi 765T adds Bluetooth(R) wireless technology for hands-free calling and supports a powerful advanced audio amplifier for a stereo Bluetooth connection. For transatlantic travel, nuvi 775T adds mapping of North America and Europe. The nuvi 785T features an MSN Direct receiver with trial subscription that includes updated information about traffic conditions, fuel prices, weather reports, movie listings, headline news, stock quotes and local events.

The nuvi 265T and 265WT will be available with preloaded comprehensive coverage of North America. For transatlantic travel, the nuvi 275T comes standard with mapping for North America and Europe. These nuvis are available in vibrant 4.3" or 3.5" screens that display shaded digital elevation mapping. All models will announce street names in their voice prompts, advising drivers to "Turn right on Elm Street," rather than "Turn right in 500 feet."

All seven units are expected to be released in October at prices ranging between $300 and $700 for specific models.

Aug 27, 2008 07:00

Garmin(R) Expands Affordable nuvi(R) 2x5 Series, Offering Hands-Free Calling and Lifetime Traffic Alerts
OLATHE, Kan. —(Business Wire)— Aug. 27, 2008 Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the next evolution of the popular nuvi 2x5 series, adding top-of-the-line features to this family of affordable navigators. The nuvi 265T, 265WT and 275T enhance upon their 2x5-series predecessors with Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling and provide free traffic alerts.

"Many customers want a simple-to-use, low-cost personal navigator, but find themselves in need of premium add-ons along the way," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "These devices add two of the most popular premium features - traffic alerts and hands-free calling - to an affordable, yet powerful navigator."

In addition to features offered by other members of the nuvi 2x5 family, these new navigators boast lifetime traffic alerts from NAVTEQ Traffic that allow drivers to steer clear of traffic accidents, road closures and construction. These devices come standard with a traffic receiver that will provide alerts in the coverage areas, and no subscription fee is required. Thanks to Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, these nuvis make it possible for drivers to make and receive calls using the unit's built-in microphone and speaker. For states which prohibit the use of handheld cell phones while driving, the Bluetooth hands-free option is ideal. With the patented auto time zone feature, these nuvis will automatically adjust your time zone while navigating. All nuvis in the 2x5 series include Garmin's new HotFix(TM) feature which automatically calculates and stores critical satellite information for fast satellite reception. For the ultimate in awareness, these compact nuvis will also display the speed limit for major roadways.

The nuvi 265T and 265WT will be available with preloaded comprehensive coverage of North America. For transatlantic travel, the nuvi 275T comes standard with mapping for North America and Europe. These nuvis are available in vibrant 4.3" or 3.5" screens that display shaded digital elevation mapping. All models will announce street names in their voice prompts, advising drivers to "Turn right on Elm Street," rather than "Turn right in 500 feet."

Using Garmin's unique Web site - Garmin Connect Photos - users can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google's Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nuvi, for a photo-rich navigation guide. With Garmin's "Where Am I?" feature, nuvi is always aware of a driver's surroundings. At any time, drivers can look up their exact location including nearest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address and intersection.

Aug 27, 2008 07:00

Garmin(R) Introduces nuvi(R) 7x5 Series with Lane Assist, Giving Drivers a Clear Picture of the Road Ahead
OLATHE, Kan. —(Business Wire)— Aug. 27, 2008 Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the next evolution of the nuvi 700 series, adding state-of-the-art technology to this popular line of advanced navigators. With lane assist, the nuvi 7x5 series provides drivers with a clear illustration of what lies ahead on their route.

"Garmin's nuvi 7x5 series uses lane assist to make navigation clearer and easier than ever before," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "The lane assist view takes the guesswork out of driving through a busy intersection or an unfamiliar city. Drivers will no longer have to speculate which turn lane to be in, or what lane leads to which exit - that's nuvi's job."

This new and improved series gives clear guidance on a 4.3" touchscreen that details upcoming maneuvers and specific driving directions, including road sign detail and arrows indicating the proper lane for navigation. In some areas, a 3-D transparent view of buildings appears, giving drivers a more realistic depiction of their location. The nuvi 7x5 series also features accelerated map-drawing and routing capabilities, and makes screen zooming even smoother than before. For faster satellite prediction, nuvi 7x5 has Garmin's HotFix(TM) feature which automatically calculates and stores critical satellite information.

The nuvi 755T, 765T and 775T will come standard with a traffic receiver that provides lifetime traffic alerts in coverage areas from NAVTEQ Traffic. The cost of the traffic receiver is included with the purchase of these devices - no subscription fee is required. The nuvi 765T adds Bluetooth(R) wireless technology for hands-free calling and supports a powerful advanced audio amplifier for a stereo Bluetooth connection. For transatlantic travel, nuvi 775T adds mapping of North America and Europe. The nuvi 785T features an MSN Direct receiver with trial subscription that includes updated information about traffic conditions, fuel prices, weather reports, movie listings, headline news, stock quotes and local events. For more information on MSN Direct services and coverage areas, visit http://garmin.msndirect.com. To give motorists the highest degree of awareness, this series of advanced navigators also displays speed limits for major roadways.

In addition, each nuvi 7x5 also comes standard with the popular "Where Am I?" feature, enabling drivers to look up their exact location including nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations at any time. Drivers can also associate their favorite images with saved locations using Garmin's own unique Web site - Garmin Connect Photos - where users can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google's Panoramio photo sharing community.

[Garmin]

SOUTHAMPTON, England, July 22

Garmin the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced its first multi-use nüvi portable navigation device (PND) dedicated to walking, cycling, scootering, driving and boating in one rugged easy-to-use unit. The nüvi 500 series comes equipped with the latest technology from Garmin including NavTeq sophisticated mapping data and the ability to accept different types of mapping including TOPO for outdoor navigation and Blue Chart cartography for marine usage.

Clive Taylor, Garmin's Director of Product, said, "The nüvi 500 series is a true chameleon in the gadget world, it extends the use of GPS across the range, from walking to cycling to driving to boating. It's ideal for individuals or families who want to go and explore the great outdoors in every way they can. With the built-in compass and integrated Wherigo(TM) and Geocaching player the sat-nav's use is extended beyond just navigating: Users can enjoy the fun of the many family treasure hunts and adventures available online."

The new waterproof nüvi 500 series combines the latest Garmin navigation technology including Hotfix(TM), detailed NavTeq mapping, millions of points of interest (POIs) and traffic avoidance compatibility, for the times when sitting in a traffic jam is not an option. In addition, the nüvi 500 series comes standard with Garmin's popular "Where am I?" safety feature. At any time, with a single tap of the car icon, drivers can display their exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations and recovery service telephone number. In addition, with Garmin Connect Photos, users can choose from millions of geo-located images provided by Google's Panoramio to photo-navigate on land or water.

With one touch, the nüvi 500 transitions between walking, biking, driving or boating mode;

Walking and outdoor pursuits

Ready for the great outdoors, the nüvi 500 models display shaded digital elevation mapping on the 3.5" water-proof touchscreen. This series comes standard with a compass page, track log and a removable, rechargeable battery for extended outdoor use. The integrated Wherigo(TM) and Geocaching player means the nüvi 500 series is ideal for getting the family to enjoy the great outdoors with the many downloadable 'adventures and treasure hunts' available online. Optional TOPO mapping will give additional detailed maps.

- Wherigo is a toolset for creating and playing GPS-enabled adventures in the real world. Use GPS technology to guide you to physical locations and interact with virtual objects and characters. http://www.wherigo.com

- Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game where individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, the visitor may be provided with a wide variety of rewards, all a visitor has to do is ensure that if rewarded, they leave a gift for the next person who finds the cache. http://www.geocaching.com

Cycling/scootering

Where the nüvi 500 series stands out is in its ability to fit comfortably on a scooter or bicycle. Its user interface is easy to control and, with directions via Bluetooth and a scooter mount as standard in select European markets or optional extra everywhere else, it's a great fit for getting around the busy town centres of Europe. The nüvi 500 series has a rugged design with UVA/B & fuel resistant material and bright clear screen that can be seen even in strong sunlight. If the weather turns and the rain comes down, its waterproof body ensures that the turn-by-turn directions get you to your destination using the most direct route and in the quickest time.

Driving

The nüvi 500 series' intuitive interface greets you with two simple questions: "Where To?" and "View Maps." Touch the colour screen to easily look up addresses and services and get voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions to your destination. It comes preloaded with City Navigator(R) NT map data European region or individual country. It's packed with millions of POIs and features digital elevation maps that show you shaded terrain contours at higher zoom levels. With the nüvi 500 series, you can also upload custom POIs such as 'The Good Pub Guide' and 'Falk-Marco Polos Travel Guide' offering thousands of great places to drink, eat and visit.

Boating

When loaded with optional BlueChart(R) g2 Vision marine cartography, the nüvi 500 series is great on the water, providing detailed chart-specific information, spot soundings, inter tidal zones, wrecks, port plans, restricted areas and more. The nüvi 500 is ideal for the occasional boating enthusiast who wants one navigational device for foot, car, bike or boat.

The nüvi 500 and 550 for Europe come preloaded with either country-specific City Navigator NT Map Data (500) or full European City Navigator NT Map Data (550) with detailed street and topographic mapping.

The nüvi 550 will be available in the UK in September at a RRP of GBP299

See the Garmin nüvi 500 series on Stand N118 - British International Motor Show at ExCel, London - 23 July - 3 August 2008: http://www.britishmotorshow.co.uk

[GPStracklog]

Sure, you might be worried that GLaDOS will trick you into thinking you're heading towards Six Flags or the bakery, all while directing you to drive into the gaping maw of an active volcano. But you've just got to keep telling yourself that it's just a voice on an otherwise-reliable Garmin Nuvi. It's actually not an official voicepack; it's a pet project of Ryan VanMiddlesworth. But if you own a Garmin Nuvi, you can go ahead and download it now. [Project Page via Engadget]

Mark Spoonauer's Laptop Mag is running an extensive UI video from their exclusive hands on of the Garmin nuvifone. [Laptop mag]

Garmin(R) Provides Navigator for Samsung Mobile Phones

OLATHE, KA UNITED STATES

LAS VEGAS, March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Garmin International
Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite
navigation, announced today that select Samsung mobile phones will have the
benefit of Garmin's intuitive turn-by-turn, voice-prompted navigation
directly on the phone. Samsung Mobile Navigator by Garmin is based on the
popular Garmin Mobile(TM) XT navigation software, and Samsung phones with
this navigation capability are expected to be available in Europe and other
parts of the world in several months. Garmin will display the Samsung i780
and other examples of its mobile phone navigation solutions April 1-3,
2008, at the CTIA Wireless trade show in Las Vegas.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061026/CGTH082LOGO)

"Garmin is pleased to offer Samsung users a rich navigation experience
with the same intuitive user interface found on other Garmin personal
navigation devices," said Roger Jollis, Garmin's director of OEM & mobile
marketing. "Garmin's on-board and off-board phone navigation solutions are
now available on over 500 different handsets, including Samsung mobile
phones."

"We are pleased to provide Garmin's advanced navigation feature on
Samsung's i780 and other Windows Mobile based smartphones recently
introduced to the European market. As navigation features become rapidly
popular among various mobile features, Samsung is continuously investing to
provide the best of experience to our consumers," said YongBae Lee, vice
president of mobile communication division, Samsung Electronics, of Samsung
Electronics.

Marketed in major European countries, the Samsung i780 has a sleek
design packed with the latest in business and consumer features including
global positioning system (GPS) navigation, fast HSDPA and EDGE
connectivity, Bluetooth, 802.11b and g wireless capabilities, full touch
screen with stylus, QWERTY key pad, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0
Professional operating system, 2.0-megapixel camera and front camera for
video calls. The i780 also delivers full Internet browsing, MP3 music and
FM radio.

The Garmin navigation software is on a plug-and-play microSD card, and
once a customer loads the card into the phone, the software automatically
installs. Customers may then use their phone to receive voice-prompted,
turn-by-turn directions to their destination. A 3D moving map on the
phone's display shows the user exactly where they are, and if a turn is
missed along the way, Samsung Mobile Navigator by Garmin automatically
calculates a new route. Users may key in a specific street address or
search millions of points of interest (POI) — places like hotels,
restaurants, shopping, and tourist attractions. Customers can also dial the
POI's phone number automatically — for reservations, hours of operation,
or other information.

Those using Samsung Mobile Navigator by Garmin also have access to
Garmin Online(TM), a free and subscription based online service that offers
dynamic content such as traffic, weather forecasts and safety cameras.
Garmin Online content varies by region.

Garmin Mobile(TM) Application to Offer New Features on BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile Smartphones OLATHE, KA UNITED STATES

LAS VEGAS, March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Garmin International
Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite
navigation, announced today upgrades to Garmin Mobile that include a new
user-friendly interface and Google Local(TM) search. These upgrades will be
available on a variety of handsets and platforms including BlackBerry,
Symbian and Windows Mobile smartphones. These new features are in addition
to a long list of rich features and real-time content included with Garmin
Mobile's current subscription based service that includes turn-by-turn,
voice prompted directions, as well as traffic, weather conditions and
forecasts, fuel prices and more. Garmin will display the Garmin Mobile
enhancements at its CTIA Wireless trade show booth (#6639) in Las Vegas,
Nevada, April 1-3, 2008.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061026/CGTH082LOGO)

When the new Garmin Mobile application is launched, customers will
first notice the new nuvi-like interface, with "Where To?" and "View Map"
icons on the smartphone display. Once "Where To?" is selected, colorful
icons such as "Address," "Recent Finds," "Food and Hotel" and "Google
Local" streamline the number of keystrokes required before selecting a
destination and receiving turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions. If a
turn is missed en route, Garmin Mobile automatically recalculates the route
based on the user's current location. Garmin Mobile has an extensive points
of interest database — places like hotels, restaurants, ATMs, gas
stations, airports, and more — thanks to the over six-million integrated
points of interest and Google Local search. Garmin Mobile is also
integrated with the phone's address book so that users can navigate
directly to a contact's address stored on their smartphone.

The Google Local search capability lets users harness points of
interest information via the World Wide Web. It allows users to look for
locations by typing in key word searches as they would if they were on
their desktop computer. If looking for a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi
access, simply type the phrase in the search box and a list of venues will
appear based on proximity to the user's current location. In addition,
Garmin has created a "quick search" feature that lets users search Google
Local via categories — such as food, lodging, fuel, and more — rather
than typing a word or phrase into the Google Local search box. Detailed
information can be displayed including descriptions, business address &
phone numbers, and a user-contributed rating, where applicable. Once the
user selects a location, they can save the destination to their favorites
folder, call the destination, or navigate to it with Garmin's intuitive
turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions.

In addition to navigation, Garmin Mobile includes free access to
constantly-updating information like real-time traffic, fuel prices,
weather forecasts, and more.

Since Garmin Mobile is a subscription based solution, mapping data is
stored on Garmin's servers, not on the device itself. Therefore, customers
have the advantage of the most up-to-date mapping information available
directly from Garmin's servers. In order to access Garmin's network, the
smartphone must have a data plan for network access.

The 255 units will also include street level voice prompts while the the less expensive 205 units will offer mapping choices such as the contiguous United States, Canada or regional sections of Europe. The nuvi 255W, 255, 205W and 205 will be priced at $373, $320, $266, and $213 respectively. [Garmin]

Features include:
• Google local search
• Garmin Online services - traffic, weather, fuel prices, hotel discounts, etc.
• nuvi-like navigation on the road or in pedestrian mode
• Email, text, IM functions
• Camera, video camera, MP3 and MPEG4/AAC

Garmin is promising to deliver it in the 3rd quarter, and says that while the PND market isn't dying, the cellphone is clearly a ripe opportunity. Only one problem, as quipster and NPD analyst Ross Rubin pointed out: "Hello and Welcome to nuvifone!" Damn, now I'll never get that voice out of my head. Have a look at all those pictures and the official press release below.

Garmin n vifone Takes Personal Navigation and Communication to the Next Level

New York/January 30, 2008/PR Newswire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN) and the world's leading GPS manufacturer, today announced its entrance into the mobile phone market with the n vifone, an all-in-one, sleek and slim, touchscreen device that combines a premium phone, mobile web-browser, and cutting-edge personal navigator. The n vifone is a work of art in features, design and functionality and is destined to transform how individuals connect, communicate and navigate their life.

"The n vifone is an all-in-one device offering unmatched integration of utility and function in a single mobile device," said Cliff Pemble, Garmin's president and COO. "This is the breakthrough product that cell phone and GPS users around the world have been longing for — a single device that does it all."

The n vifone is an innovative mobile phone that has a wide range of advanced yet easy-to-use features. The all touchscreen device is the first of its kind to integrate premium 3.5G mobile phone capability with an internet browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and personal navigation functions in one device. When powered on, the 3.5-inch touchscreen display reveals three primary icons — "Call," "Search," and "View Map" which allow the user to effortlessly master the n vifone's functions.

The n vifone is the ultimate multi-tasker. Calls are easily initiated by tapping the "Call" button and selecting a name from the contact list or by using the on-screen keypad. When the user is trying to juggle talking on their phone while entering their vehicle to start a trip, the n vifone makes the transition simple. When the n vifone is docked onto the vehicle mount, it automatically turns on the GPS, activates the navigation menu, and enables hands-free calling so that the user never misses a beat in the conversation and is able to begin routing to their destination with ease.

Customers familiar with Garmin's industry leading n vi product line will feel right at home using the n vifone's personal navigation features. It includes preloaded maps of North America, Eastern and Western Europe, or both, and allows drivers to quickly find a specific street address, establishment's name or search for a destination by category using the n vifone's built-in database with millions of points of interest. Turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions guide the user to their destination. If they miss a turn along the route, n vifone automatically recalculates a route and gets them back on track, speaking the names of the streets along the way.

The n vifone is Garmin's first device to include Google local search capability, which harnesses the vast point of interest information available from the world wide web. N vifone users can search for locations like "coffee shops" and Google will sort the results based on the user's current location and relevance. Information provided by Google includes a web-based rating so that users can select the most appropriate destination and route directly to it. In addition, the n vifone includes a web browser incorporating premium features and touchscreen operation for an optimum mobile browsing experience. The n vifone also includes personal messaging functions, including email, text, and instant messaging.

For the ultimate in safety, the "Where am I?" feature lets users touch the screen at any time to display the exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations. The n vifone also helps drivers find their car in an unfamiliar spot or crowded parking lot by automatically marking the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount.

In addition to navigation, the n vifone includes access to Garmin Online , an online service offering constantly-updating information such as real-time traffic, fuel prices, stock prices, sport scores, news reports, local events and weather forecasts.

The n vifone also includes numerous mobile entertainment applications. The built-in camera allows individuals to take a picture that will automatically be tagged with the exact latitude and longitude reference of where the image was taken. The user may then save the image so they can navigate back to the location, or email the image to a recipient who can navigate directly to the location. The n vifone also provides direct access to millions of geo-located landmark and sightseeing photographs available through Google's Panoramio picture sharing site. The Panoramio photo search feature enhances the enjoyment and adventure of sightseeing in an otherwise unfamiliar location. Other multimedia functions of the n vifone include a built-in video camera, MP3 and MPEG4/AAC.

Garmin anticipates that the n vifone will be available in the third quarter of 2008. Specific details about pricing and sales partners will be announced in the future. Additional information about n vifone is available at www.garmin.com/nuvifone.

The 260w adds almost another inch of screen real estate to the speedy, stripped down but highly recommended 200 series, stretching it to 4.3 inches. And when is a wider screen not an improvement? It's also got built-in Bluetooth for hands-free calling, using the system's own speech recognition to chug through contacts, and its music player supports MP3, Ogg (!) and FLAC (!!). And of course MSN Direct—the version of which is the only real update in the 700 series' new 780 model.

Super-Sized GPS Navigation: Garmin® nüvi® 5000

Olathe, Kansas/January 3, 2008/PR Newswire — Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), today announced a new series of nüvi navigators designed specifically for those seeking premium navigation features on a large, 5.2-inch touchscreen display. The nüvi 5000 was announced in conjunction with the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and will be on display at the Garmin booth (South Hall 4, booth #35832).

"The nuvi 5000 is ideal for those with larger vehicles that need navigation on a big screen" said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "With its easy-to-use interface and route planning features, it puts drivers in total control of the road."

With its large, touchscreen interface, the nüvi 5000 makes it easier than ever to obtain voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions, route calculation, and automatic rerouting if a motorist strays off course. Route planning is a cinch as the nüvi 5000 will save 10 routes, specify via points and preview simulated turns on the big screen. Additionally, it auto sorts multiple destinations providing the driver with the most direct and efficient route for errands, deliveries or sales calls. Drivers who want to keep track of where they have been can turn on the track log feature and see an electronic bread crumb trail that shows their previously traveled route on the display. If a driver wants to avoid an area, the nüvi's routing can be customized by choosing to avoid select roads and areas. Garmin has also made it possible for customers to supplement the pre-loaded maps with custom points of interest such as school zones and safety cameras.

All routing information is displayed on a digital elevation map that shows detail about the surrounding terrain. Users can select a configurable vehicle icon, which allow the user to travel along their route with a fun, customized vehicle-shaped icon - instead of a simple wedge shape graphic. The nüvi also displays speed limits for major highways and Interstates.

Customers also have the opportunity to receive dynamic content from either MSN Direct (U.S. only) or FM TMC (Traffic Message Channel) traffic receiver. Those selecting the optional MSN Direct receiver will receive enhanced, up-to-date traffic information, fuel prices, weather reports, enhanced movie listings, and news and stocks information for major metropolitan areas in the United States. In addition, owners may plan trips and look up destinations from their computer, via Microsoft Local Live, and then send locations and routes to the nüvi 5000. Customers who purchase the optional FM TMC traffic receiver will receive up-to-date traffic information for metropolitan areas in the United States and select European countries.

In addition, the nüvi 5000 displays a video signal from an external analog source, such as a back-up camera. When an external video source is active, the user may revert to the map display by touching anywhere on the screen.

Customers also have several entertainment options to choose from - an internal MP3 player, audio book player and games. The built-in MP3 player lets users browse music by artist, album, song or genre. Music can be loaded onto an SD card and is "drag-and-drop" easy - no special software is required. The nüvi 5000 is also compatible with audible.com, a subscription based audio book service. A handful of games are preloaded on the nüvi to help passengers pass the time. Additional games will be available in the future at HYPERLINK "http://www.garmin.com/games" www.garmin.com/games. All music or speech files can be emitted over the vehicle's existing speakers, through the nüvi's built-in FM wireless transmitter or via the unit's 3.5mm stereo output jack. The entertainment audio is muted when navigation instructions are given.

The nüvi 5000 is expected to be available in North America in February for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $799.99. It will be available in Europe in the second quarter of 2008.

It bears a resemblance to the pricier Nuvi 680 (now selling on the street for about $670) which we think is more likely its predecessor. If that's the case, it'll have quite a feature set. To give you an idea of a possible jumping-off point for this alleged Nuvi 700, the Nuvi 680 has a 4.3-inch touchscreen, traffic reports, an FM transmitter to send its voice directions to your car radio and MSN direct for feeding weather info and a lot more content into the device.

Given the precipitously plummeting prices of GPS units lately, Garmin's price tag on this upcoming navigator will be one of the more interesting parts of the intro. [NaviGadget]

Now I've gotten my hands on that cheap-o Nuvi 200 and I have to say, testing them side by side, they gave nearly identical performances in terms of warning me of turns, locking onto satellites, and ease of use. It thankfully didn't have the neat, but flawed MSNDirect service, and MP3 player. One thing omitted that I missed? The text-to-speech ability for reading street names during nav. Still, I'm in love with how it does the basics.

Here it is: A sub-$500 navigator with a kick-ass UI and pathfinding performance. Highly recommended.
– Brian Lam
Garmin Nuvi 200 [Gizmodo]

The nüvi 200 ($400) has maps of the contiguous United States, while the nüvi 250 ($500) adds Alaska and Hawaii, Canada and Puerto Rico to that range. Europeans and world travelers will be interested in the nüvi 270 ($600) with its mapping data of over 30 countries in Europe as well as all the maps of the other 200 series units.

What's lacking at this lower price? These pocket-sized slim GPS units don't have that widescreen or MP3-playing capability of their more-capable brandmates, but that might be a small sacrifice for this new price point. They don't look half bad, either. Garmin didn't say yet when these would be released. – Charlie White

Hit the gallery below for a good look at these easy-to-use GPS devices.

Garmin site

In addition to giving you real-time traffic reports, that MSN Direct connection lets you call up gas prices, weather conditions and even movie times. Along for the ride is Garmin's user-friendly interface and a "3- to 7-hour" battery life. Garmin will ship the Nuvi 680 sometime in the first quarter of this year for just under $1000. – Charlie White

Product Page [Garmin, via Mobile Whack]

Everything We Know of the Garmin Nuvi line [Garmin]

The GPS also has a high sensitivity SiRF star III receiver, built in traffic data, 700MB of internal memory for maps, a SD slot, a world currency converter, picture viewer, Bluetooth integration with a cellphone, and the usual Garmin interface that's sweet as a peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich. Bye, I'm going to go eat now.

Wait, one more thing. The GPS guys at GPS Passion forums say that the bigger screen is going to make the Garmin slower to respond than older gen models. We shall see in September, when this thing hits for a little less than $1000.– Brian Lam

Garmin Nuvi 660 [DX Chase and the Playas at GPS Passion. Their love for navigation never runs out of map data.]

On the other hand, you won't get nearly as much use out of the Language, Travel, or Savers Guides, all of which are additional content available on SD cards (for an extra purchase). nüvi features from older models, including MP3 support and 2D or 3D map rendering, remain.

The nüvi 360 also supports the RDS-TMC standard, which allows for traffic updates to be picked up and integrated with GPS data using an optional receiver.

You'll pay good cash for the flexibility of the device, with a suggested price of nearly a grand when the nüvi 360 launches in June of this year. And that's before any upgrades.

The 310, which includes only map data for portions of Europe and not the whole continent, should be available for slightly less.