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This item you see here to the left is a one-of-a-kind silver bullet used by Garmin Man to slay the dreaded Maposaurus. It derives its power through a polymerized space age alloy of nuvite and...
Aw heck, folks, it's just a thermos. But it is limited edition, and it does keep your favorite beverage hot or cold fairly well. And it can be yours if you're the first to send us the lyrics to the music video. Now get to work.
By now you've seen our music video and watched in amazement as the lead singer has given an entirely new meaning to "Grab Your Garmin." Here's a behind-the-scenes interview with Steve Grimmett....the guy you've been trying to imitate when singing "GPS power will save the day. Grab Your Garmin, blows maps awaaaaaaaaaaaaay!"
For pilots in Southern Florida, this weekend the airspace will be fun to navigate through. The Super Bowl will have the mother of all Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) surrounding the city. While most general aviation pilots will not be allowed near Dolphin Stadium I can assure you that there will be aircraft flying in the TFR. If you want to avoid having a USAF F-16 on the wing of your plane, better make sure you understand how TFR information works on Garmin units. For the portable units that display TFR information, the TFR will show up in red. If the TFR is not a pop-up TFR and planned ahead of time like a dignitary visit, then the TFR will first show up in yellow. Once the scheduled time for the TFR to become active arrives, then the TFR on the display will turn red. For the GMX 200, a TFR is represented by a yellow ring when active. On the G1000, temporary flight restrictions are shown all the time and will be represented with a red circle on the MFD and on the inset on the PFD. The Garmin systems will not show all TFR’s that are active so make sure you do a final check with flight service to get the latest NOTAMS.
I have to say that I am trying as hard as I can to seem enthusiastic today. It seems I am being outdone by Garmin Man and Maposaurus. They've been here for a week and they've got all kinds of cool stuff. Not only do they get wallpapers and videos but they get to be in the Super Bowl commercial too! I have been dealing with these things on a case-by-case basis and just when I thought it was all over, this happens. They each get their own Custom Vehicle Icon. One of the icon's is Garmin Man's spaceship. The other one is Maposaurus's favorite mode of transportation. He folds himself up into a paper airplane to get where he needs to go.
I figure they owe me big time. I'm expecting my very own Chet Sportscar or Motorcycle. I think that's fair...don't you?
Our little buddy Maposaurus might be a luddite when it comes to navigation, but like 34 million other beings on this planet, he's a 21st century MySpacer. Click here to get an eyeful of the Swami of Origami in full digital MySpace glory.
Get it while the getting's good...Garmin Man and Maposaurus desktop wallpaper. This is what you've been waiting for, right? Click the links below for various size images of the ones on the left. Enjoy!
Garmin Man Wallpaper
Maposaurus Wallpaper
Sure, all of us here at Garmin are really map haters. But in all honesty, we don't hate Maposaurus. In fact, over the past few weeks of working on our Super Bowl campaign, we've kinda grown fond of the little bugger. That's why we put together this touching, heartwarming, behind-the-scenes look at Garmin's most reviled yet misunderstood villain. Watch with us, won't you? And don't hate the monster, hate the map.
Garmin Man has been so busy saving the world that he hasn't spent much time on his personal life. This unfortunate plight has put him in a time crunch. As soon as the Super Bowl commercial airs, everyone will want a piece of him because he is famous and no one will take the time to get to know the real Garmin Man. Being the proactive guy that he is, Garmin Man has decided to let the world get to know him before the commercial airs. Check out his MySpace page and sign up to be his friend, http://www.myspace.com/garminman
And to see a behind the scenes interview during the filming of the Super Bowl music video, watch his YouTube interview here.
Even though the film schedule for our Super Bowl commercial was intense, we were able to capture a few moments alone with Garmin Man for a one-on-one interview. This behind the scenes footage will prove he's a regular Joe...with a cool suit.
Congratulations to "Kelster," who correctly identified Garmin Man's car as a Ford Cortina, which was marketed in Great Britain from 1962 to 1982. Some much-coveted Garmin schwag is on its way.
Now, for a new contest. Be the first to send us the complete lyrics of our music video and we'll shoot some Garmin-branded trinkets your way.
I’m out of town for a few days, doing a little sightseeing and enjoying some blissful “me time” while my husband attends a conference in Dallas. Scouting the city has been a cinch with nüvi. It helps me avoid the foreignroadasuarus creatures that prey on out-of-towners. With nüvi, I’m just a few screen taps away from getting to any address or destination. Yesterday, I used it to route to White Rock Lake Park for the running trail, which the hotel courtesy staff had recommended. My Forerunner and I like to try out new courses, and I enjoyed this run, though the lake effect winds had me wincing at times. Today, shopping’s on the agenda, and thanks to the SaversGuide plug-in for nüvi, I can look up stores, attractions, services and restaurants that offer discounts. Wanna be an unaccidental tourist? It’s easy: Grab your Garmin, take on the world.
The buzz has begun. Everyone is talking about Super Bowl commercials....and a few are even talking about the game. If you're interested in reading about Garmin's Super Bowl commercial and others, here are some article links: The New York Times, USA Today, Associated Press and The Kansas City Star. And if you're just joining us and need to catch up, watch our Super Bowl music video here. More to come soon!
Inquiring minds want to know, what's Garmin Man's favorite GPS? Since the blog team is pretty tight with Garmin Man, we can testify that he has used just about every Garmin product at one time or another. Our Super Bowl music video just happens to catch him using a nüvi 600-series. Can you blame him? After all, who needs the pseudo boost energy drinks give when you can have a nüvi 680 with real-time traffic info, fuel prices, weather reports and movie listings. Now we’re talking…that’s a real edge. Don’t believe us? GPSLodge.com and Engadget’s nüvi 680 reviews explain it even better.
Because Maposaurus is a gargantuan horrifying monster, we decided to protect the world by filming our commercial on a set. After all, had we filmed it on location we could have started a War of the Worlds-like panic and mass exodus. Not a good thing. Here are a few glimpses of the Maposaurus on set....BIG Maposaurus...itsy bitsy cars, highways and trees.
And for our second contest -- The first person to email us with the make and model of Garmin Man's car will be the proud owner of Garmin swag. You'll probably need to watch our music video to find the answer.
We have a winner! Warren was the first to answer our trivia contest naming our lead singer's former bands. The schwag is in the mail, Warren.
Check back soon for our next Grab Your Garmin, Take on the World trivia question.
Whether your fighting a Maposaurus or a SandtrapRex, we're here to help. As of today, you can grab an eTrex and head out to the golf course. Check out today's announcement with GolfLogix and our eTrex. Read the full story here.
I'm sorry that I didn't post yesterday but Garmin Man was up late last night putting the finishing touches on the downloadable version of Garmin Training Center for Mac and I had to stand in for him. Hey, someone's gotta be second in line to fight off the evil Map-o-saurus when Garmin Man is otherwise engaged. It's a tough job, but I feel it's the least I can do. Of course, his shiny silver suit may say it's one-size-fits-all, but we all know what that means. I just do the job in street clothes. Anyway, you can now download the Mac version of Training Center from our website while it's still hot. Get it here.
Notice a change to our weekly aviation column? That's right, we're now bringing you tips and tricks LIVE from Roger's Runway. Where's Roger's Runway you ask. It's right next to Harry's Hangar and Dave's Diner...yeah, we didn't think you'd buy that answer. Rog works in Garmin's aviation product support and knows all about everything Garmin that flies. If you're wondering what happened to Prop, Spinner & Tailwheel, don't worry they're still alive. They may even make an occasional guest appearance, but they've decided to hand the reins over to Roger. Here's Roger....
Would you like to get a ju mp start on the training for WAAS? Garmin has come to your rescue with manuals, an upgraded simulator, and a video that will have you flying those WAAS approaches in no time. Garmin has been shipping new GNS430/530 WAAS units for about a month now and I know a few of you are slated for upgrades in the near future. New manuals for the 430W and 530W are both on the Garmin website and can be download for free. Also, we have added a new simulator to the website that represents the new WAAS units. For those of you that want to see what a WAAS approach looks like, start practicing with the free simulator. Finally, we have added a free WAAS training video you can watch that explains WAAS and the differences between the legacy and WAAS units.
Shooting this 30-second Super Bowl spot was a huge amount of fun... so much fun in fact, we realized that we had FAR more good footage than we could use in 30 seconds. So, being the high-tech hipsters that we are, we commissioned a music video. Click on the graphic to view this epic piece of cinematography.
And here's the first of many contests: the first commenter to tell us our musician's former band affiliations wins some cool Garmin schwag.
Yes, that's right, the rumors are true -- lil' ol' Garmin is running a 30-second spot in the Super Bowl on February 4th. And yes, you've come to the right place for updates, extras, and insights on the commercial. Stay tuned to the blog for more fun today and every day leading up to the big game.
Click on the jump to read the official skinny.
The GPSMAP 496 received more accolades today. It was voted as one of Aero-News.Net's Top 10 Gadgets of 2006. See the full article here.
Today's USA Today educates the world about rental cars and the plethora of tech gizmos you can rent with the car. Next time you're at the rental car counter, try out a Garmin. We're the GPS of choice for seven of the eight major car rental companies -- Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, Dollar and Thrifty. See the full article here.
Rain. The 4-letter word that spells dread to any film director and sends producer and crew into plan B mode. Especially when a rain-out date isn’t an option. That was our fate last Thursday as we sogged through a 16-hour day of prep and shooting for a Garmin TV commercial. Fortunately, director Phil Boston, Alturas Redfish Films, had a “no problems, only solutions” philosophy that kept cast, crew and client going. Follow the jump for more photos and stories.
Continue reading "Behind the scenes for Garmin TV, part 4" »
Who’s pictured here with Peg? This was just one of the behind-the-scenes shots taken from Thursday’s shoot for the next Garmin TV commercial. Guess who it is, post a reply and the first correct answer (from a non-Garmin associate) gets a cool piece of memorabilia from the shoot!
I’ll have more photos and stories to share next week, but after nearly a week on the road, Peg needs a little downtime. If you travel much for business, you know how early mornings and late nights can put the pinch on your workout schedule. Thank goodness for Forerunner, foot pod and 24-hour hotel fitness centers. We were also grateful for the guidance of nüvi wherever we traveled. From airport to hotel to shoot locations, restaurants and more, nüvi got us there.
It's not every day we get to talk about pheasants in the humble Garmin Blog, but today is one of those rare occasions. We're in picturesque Des Moines, Iowa getting ready for Pheasant Fest -- an outdoor show sponsored by Pheasants Forever, a leading wildlife conservation organization. Over 20,000 hunters and outdoor lovers are expected to flock (sorry) to the show, which runs through Sunday. Of course, we'll be showing off the new Astro GPS Dog Tracking System, as well as much of our other outdoor and PND navigation equipment. So if you're in the Des Moines area, stop by and say hello.
Last fall, we posted a couple of times on our trip down to Port Mansfield, Texas for some light tackle offshore fishing with the Americana Outdoors TV show. As you'll remember, the GPSMAP 3206 with XM WX Satellite Weather came in handy -- pop-up thunderstorms were as plentiful as the fish. Click here to view the episode, or check your local listings to watch it from the comfort of your very own La-Z-Boy.
Today it was more preproduction meetings where we ironed out the details for the upcoming commercial shoot for Garmin personal navigation devices. The production team covered everything from finalized storyboards, schedules, location specifics, wardrobe, vehicles and a ton of other details. Follow the jump to see other pics. More stuff to come after the shoot.
Continue reading "Behind the scenes for Garmin TV, part 2" »
If looking for a GPS has you
overwhelmed with choices, we’re here to help. First, Scott at GPSLodge.com
has posted a great
article outlining the differences between nuvi models. If you want
something other than a nuvi, one of the best places to do a product line-up is our
product comparison page. If you still have questions, let us know and
we’ll do our best to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
Since everyone has a busy schedule, it can be hard to find time to keep up with the latest in avionics. Well Garmin has a couple of handy little pages on the website where you can check out up coming events to stay current on avionics trends. The first one is a list of trade shows that Garmin will be attending. Of course we will be at all the big shows like NBAA, Sun-N-Fun, and Oshkosh, but there are some smaller shows you might not be aware of that are in your backyard. The second handy little page is a list of seminars that are available at a Garmin dealer near you. Make sure you check back from time to time because new shows and seminars are added regularly. Looking at these pages on the Garmin website will help you plan ahead in your busy schedule
This week I’m traveling with a couple of coworkers, Patti, producer, and Brad, senior art director, plus a crew we’ve hired to bring the next Garmin TV commercial to life. Our first stop was L.A., where we met some talented folks from Alturas Redfish Films. Director Phil Boston has directed spots for Energizer, American Express and Billabong. Producer Karen Chen has been doing an amazing job of coordinating details in a very short amount of time.
What happens in the days leading up to a commercial shoot? Well, lots of discussions, planning and even acting out the script. Here, Phil and Brad read through the lines while John from Zoic Studios, the visual effects house, times them. Zoic is one of the top studios in the business and has done work for Acura, VW and XBox, as well as films such as Day After Tomorrow. Stayed tuned for more pics and stories as our shoot progresses.
As many of you know, Garmin recently attended the Macworld Expo in San Francisco. For my post today I just wanted to reiterate what our stance is on Mac support at this time.
We started shipping our Mac-compatible version of Training Center at the Expo. This will be available for download on the Garmin website by the end of this month. This product will be compatible with our Forerunner 205/305 and Edge 205/305 units.
Our next step are Mac-compatible versions of our WebUpdater software that is used to updated unit firmware and the POI Loader application for Custom POI's. Both of these software programs will be available to download in Q1 of this year.
This is only the beginning. We are not going to stop working on reaching full compatibility for all of our software titles. It has taken longer than we thought it would but we are just as committed now as we were when we started this last year. Thanks for your patience.
Our nuvi lineup is known as the be-all, end-all Personal Travel Assistant -- and one of the things it'll assist you with is finding a top-notch meal. Thanks to our optional Travel Guides, you'll not only get turn-by-turn directions to restaurants, you'll get reviews and recommendations. North American Travel Guide data is provided by Fodor's, and European data is provided by Marco Polo. Trust us -- these things are really indespensable if you do any amount of traveling... check out the New York Times for more info on high-tech foodies and their must-have gear. One other thing... the Travel Guides also give great advice on hotels, attractions, and secrets on seeing the world like a local.
GPSmagazine.com has published an overview of the newest nüvi, the nüvi 680. According to them, "Garmin has done a nice job implementing the MSN Direct features without
cluttering up their excellent, simple to use interface." Read the full story here.
We've returned to the frozen tundra of Olathe, Kansas after several days in (warm and sunny) Orlando at the SHOT Show. As you'd expect, the Astro was the feel-good hit of the event. In fact, one legendary dog trainer on hand called Astro "the most significant piece of dog training gear to come on the scene in the last 30 years." We'll take that!
U.S. News & World Report has featured Garmin in their Best in Business section. If you've ever been curious about how we do what we do, this overview is for you. Pick up the issue on newstands, or read the full article here.
Good Bye, Adieu, Cheerio, Ta Ta, Hasta La Vista...CES is over. It was a great show. If you cruised around CES, you saw several of our partners (Kenwood, NAVTEQ, MSN and XM -- just to name a few) with Garmin navigators on display. Whether you were at their booth or ours, the story was the same. People were eager to have a hands-on experience with our devices by typing in their home address, searching for a local restaurant, or checking fuel prices. If you missed us at CES, visit a Garmin dealer. They're around all year long and there's probably a store close to your house -- what a deal! We'll be back at CES next year with more great devices that you won't be able to live without.
Martin Luther King Day is Monday, which means some people have a three day weekend. If you're planning to make the most of the holiday by hitting the slopes, make sure you find out what's a "must have" before you launch down a black diamond. Forbes Traveler named the Garmin Rino as a "cutting edge ski gadget." Read the full article here.
We promised there’d be news on the fitness front at CES, so here’s the scoop on two new accessories. Our previously announced foot pod is now available for purchase — just in time to rescue your running routine when winter’s chill makes you turn to a treadmill or indoor track. The foot pod allows you to use your Forereunner 305 indoors (when GPS satellites aren’t available) and track your distance, pace and calories burned. And, of course, you'll still get the heart rate data from your HR monitor. The foot pod, which attaches to the top of your running shoe (threads through laces for secure fit), transmits distance and pace data to your Forerunner. And it’s all stored in Forerunner’s workout histories, just as when you're running outdoors.
The other accessory, a quick-release mount for the Forerunner 205 and 305, is designed for multisport athletes who want to swap their Forerunner from wrist to bike. The kit comes with a wrist strap and a bike mount. Athletes simply snap the Forerunner head unit in and out of the wrist or bike mount when transitioning between sports.
If you didn’t make it to San Fran this week for the huge Macworld conference and expo, we’ve got the pics right here. Our loyal Mac fans have been anxiously waiting for Mac compatibility, and we’re happy to be the first GPS manufacturer to offer direct Mac support. Garmin Training Center software is now compatible with Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger." This software for our Forerunner and Edge fitness products lets you analyze and store workout data, create and schedule advanced workouts and download courses for training. Our web-based analysis application, MotionBased.com, has offered Mac compatibility since last spring. Macworld attendees will have a chance to snag a CD with the new Mac-compatible Garmin TC software. Others can download it from our site later this month.
We've added a new GPS to our motorcycle fleet. A few months ago we announced the zumo 550, and here at CES we unveiled its kid-sibling, the zumo 450. It has many of the motorcycle specific features that have made the zumo 550 so popular -- glove-friendly controls, waterproof and ruggedized, and preloaded maps. If you're looking for a good, all-around motorcycle navigator, and don't care about XM or Bluetooth, the zumo 450 is made for you.
What can an Air Data Computer do for you? Many things when tied to a GNS 530/430. Once you realize what an Air Data computer can do, you will wonder why you did not install one sooner. Those getting the WAAS upgrade will pick up a new feature. When doing a holding pattern with the GNS 530/430 you will see a wind corrected holding track instead of the normal oval shape. This will make you look you look like a pro because every holding pattern will be perfect. An Air Data computer will take airspeed, heading and temperature information and input those into the Density Altitude/TAS page in the Aux section. With this information, you will be able to get winds aloft information in real time. On the navigational maps pages, you will see a wind vector arrow appear showing you the direction of the wind. Oh, and just as a disclaimer...it is not Garmin’s fault when you start noticing that wind vector always pointing to the nose of the airplane.
The first picture is with the WAAS hold and the second is of the same approach without WAAS.
If you haven't heard about the newest gadgets announced at CES, you haven't been watching enough TV. All the major TV networks are doing tech round ups, and several Garmin products have been included. Yesterday, CNN had the Astro and CNBC had Garmin Mobile 10. Watch them here!
CES is a huge show. We're talking 1.8 million square feet of exhibit space with over 2,700 exhibitors. From monstrous 106" TVs to colossal cell phones, you can find it all here. And of course, if you're looking for the ultimate in GPS, you can find it at our booth (#36212). We've even placed a few big hints outside to make it easy to find us.
It’s sleek, stylish and ready for a night on the town. Some of the hottest news at the Garmin booth at CES right now is the nüvi 680 with content from MSN Direct. With the 680, you can get real-time, on-demand travel information including traffic, movie times, gas prices and weather forecasts. Pair that with nüvi navigation and you’re just a few screen taps away from looking up a movie, getting turn-by-turn nav to the theater and maybe checking the weather forecast and locating the lowest gas prices for a fill-up. And don’t worry about traffic slowing you down along the way. MSN Direct traffic data helps select a route that avoids delays and if conditions change en route, nüvi will automatically alter your route to minimize delays. The 680 has all the features of the nüvi 660, including hands-free calling.
The MSN Direct content is also available on the new StreetPilot c580, which is based on the c550 platform. Both come with one year of free service to MSN Direct. Garmin is the first to offer real-time content from MSN Direct on personal navigation devices. For more info, go to http://garmin.msndirect.com
Today's the opening day of CES and we're showing off all our new wares. Here are some pictures of the Garmin booth taken before the show opened. We'll post more info and pictures soon.
Ever had your Forerunner or Edge show erratic heart rate readings at the beginning of a run or ride? Happened to me just last week. Less than a minute into my run, my Forerunner 305 is bleeping away, alerting me that I’m in zone 4, 5, 6. This can’t be. I haven’t even worked up a sweat. Ahh sweat — the missing element in establishing a good connection between your heart rate monitor and your ticker.
In cooler temps, it may take longer to work up a good sweat, so we advise wetting the sensor pads on the back of the chest strap before you put on the heart rate monitor. That way, you’ll get more accurate and consistent heart rate readings even from the beginning of your run. Plain water works fine, but if you want to get fancy, you can try a conductive electrode gel. Make sure the monitor fits snugly to your chest, positioned just below your breastplate.
Stay tuned to the Garmin blog next week for news of product intros and enhancements at CES, the huge international trade show for all things tech. Our consumer and automotive products will be in the spotlight, but we’ll also be sharing news on the fitness front. More in future posts.
I figured it would only be fitting to give you a sneak peek for Training Center on the Mac on my last post before going to Macworld. I know a lot of people out there have been using the term "Vaporware" in regards to our Mac support but I can assure you that it is all moving forwards.
I'll have more information to state next week on upcoming Mac software but for now, I can give you some screen shots of the Training Center software we will be releasing next week. If you're in the Bay Area and are going to the Macworld Expo, look us up!
Pardon us for only posting once today, but we promise you it'll be a doozy. We're introducing a veritable potload of new products for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week. We've cooked up some new PND's that have Microsoft's MSN Direct, we've got nuvis for international men (and women) of mystery, the zumo has a new little brother, we've given an in-dash feel to the StreetPilot c550, we're now in seven of the eight top car rental fleets, and we've even created the must-have canine accessory for 2007.
So hey, we've been busy... cut us some slack. Stay tuned to the blog for more ruminations on our new stuff and live dispatches from the Big Show in Sin City.
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