Jake's Journal: Kicking off a super weekend

To say it's a big weekend for Team Garmin would be an understatement. Everyone is still buzzing about the announcement of the nüvifone (click here for details). Several of my colleagues are heading to Vegas for the annual SHOT show, where hunters and outdoors enthusiast gather. And I'll be in San Jose for another great event with REI and Groundspeak, celebrating the recent launch of Wherigo, the new Colorado 400t and the limited-edition geocoin.

Of course, the headliner of the weekend is the big game on Sunday. And whether you're a Patriots fan or cheering for the Giants, we can guarantee you'll be smiling at some point during the second quarter. That's when our new ad will make its TV debut. You can get a sneak peek at the 30-second spot, the 60-second version and a special "making of" video by going to the minisite. And keep checking back for more fun extras!

Garmin's New York Surprise

As you may have heard, last night was a big night for us in the Big Apple.  We invited more than a hundred financial analysts, media, and industry muckety-mucks to a party at Gotham Hall, a beautiful space in midtown Manhattan.  Ostensibly, the purpose was to unveil our Super Bowl ad and to discuss "the future of Garmin and its products." Seems tame enough.

But we had a trick up our sleeve -- the nüvifone.  It's safe to say we took the audience by surprise -- ok, that's an understatement.  As we made the announcement, the audience collectively reached for their BlackBerries and iPhones to send the big news back to their offices.  In fact, there was so much wireless activity that it momentarily conked out our presentation!  No worries though, we recovered and the audience was dazzled.

Stay glued to this space for more reaction to both the nüvifone and the Super Bowl spot.

Super Sunday . . . a few days early

With all the excitement around Garmin today, we've decided to treat our blog readers to an advanced viewing of our Super Bowl Sunday commercial. Judging from some of your emails, quite a few of you didn't want to wait until Sunday to see our spot. And, being the nice bloggers we are, we didn't want to make you wait. So we figured we'd show it to you early. That's right - days before Sunday. Take a look now and then surprise your friends with your knowledge of the spot on Sunday. Be sure to stop by the minisite and take a look for yourself. We hope it's as much fun for you to watch as it was for us to make. 

Are you ready for some footage?

Good, because we've got even more behind-the-scenes takes from the shooting of the SB commercial. With three teasers down, do you think you have an idea of what's to come? Stay tuned to see where we'll take you next...

Roger's Runway: The big game in the sky

Once again it’s that time of year where somewhere in the United States a massive TFR gets placed over some unsuspecting airspace causing mass confusion for pilots and air traffic controls alike. This year’s lucky winner is the Phoenix Class B.  Since everyone here on the Garmin Blog is in a Super Bowl mood I figured this would be a good time to rehash how TFR’s are displayed on all the Garmin systems.  On the G1000 temporary flight restrictions are shown with a yellow circle on the MFD and on the inset on the PFD.  For the GMX 200 a TFR is represented by a yellow ring when active.  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 the Super Bowl then the TFR will show up starting off in yellow. Once the scheduled time for the TFR to become active arrives then the TFR on the display will turn red.  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.

Wednesday’s Sneak Peek

Well, the countdown to our Super Bowl ad continues. And in keeping with our three-day old tradition, we’ve got another clip ready for you to review. We’re only a few days away from the big game and we’re pretty excited. Around here, most groups are pretty divided about who will win. Are the Patriots going to run the table, or will the Giants stop the streak?  What do you think? Let us know and stop by our minisite to check out our newest clip. And remember to check back often ... we’ve got a lot planned and we don’t want you to miss out on any of the excitement. 

More scenes from the shoot

And, what would another teaser clip be without some more behind the scenes footage? Here's a few more pictures to tantalize your senses as the big game quickly approaches. Have a look and keep checking back for even more clips and tips!   

Another day, another teaser

Blog readers got a quick glimpse of our first Super Bowl teaser on Monday and now we’ve launched another clip today. We’ve already seen a lot of traffic heading this way, so we may have to release a few more goodies for you tomorrow. So far, you've got two clips and a few pics to review. Any guesses as to what’s going on?  Let us know what you think. And be sure stay tuned!
Things are happening quickly around here and you never know what you'll see next . . .

Colorado in Chicago

Envious when you watch Jake’s demonstration video on the Garmin Colorado handheld? Can’t find the Colorado at your local dealer? Getting dizzy clicking back and forth between the minisite and Garmin's big game day teasers? Visit the Garmin Chicago Store today to experience the full line of Colorado units available. Not only do we have the Colorado 300, 400t, and 400c models in stock, but we also have a full assortment of accessories and maps to complement your Colorado. Feel how easy it is to navigate the menus with the Rock n’ Roller Wheel. See how the 3D topographic maps pop out of the large screen. Purchase one from the store and you’ll receive a free one-hour tutorial from one of our very knowledgeable and helpful product experts as part of our Chicago GPS Academy training program. Keep it tuned here for details on our upcoming Wherigo event in February.

Slipstream & Garmin: Lean. Clean. Training Machine.

You've seen Garmin's name at NASCAR races, on English Premier League uniforms and during the world's biggest sporting event (click here for a sneak peek at this year's Super Bowl ad) - and now we're joining forces with one of the fastest teams on two wheels. Garmin is sponsoring Slipstream's elite cycling team by furnishing the riders with our new Edge 705 cycling computers for their training. Slipstream, a team dedicated to cleaning up the sport of cycling, will be able to share workout data and courses wirelessly through the Edge 705. Coaches and teammates can then analyze that data on Garmin Connect. Slipstream's support vehicles will use the nüvi 770 to navigate effortlessly around North America and Europe. Click for more details about the sponsorship and Slipstream Sports. Ride on.

The making of....

In addition to the minisite's teaser clips, here are some behind-the-scenes takes from the making of Garmin's Super Bowl commercial. We'll keep 'em coming as the days pass, but in the meantime, stay tuned to the blog for your next sneak peek at what's to come during the big game!

The Countdown Begins

As some of you may have already read, Garmin is airing a commercial during Sunday’s Super Bowl. While we don’t want to let you know exactly what you’ll be seeing, we do want to give you a few hints about what to watch for. So we’ve created a minisite and released a teaser clip for you to view. We’ll have three teaser clips in all, so you’ll have to stop by every day and see what’s new. And for all of you who are curious about a possible encore performance of Maposaurus, we can definitely say that’s not going to happen.  He’s taken an early retirement and was last seen searching for geocaches with his new Colorado. Stop by the minisite today and see our first clip!

Colorado and Wherigo Make Splash in Seattle

   

Hundreds of geocachers and outdoor enthusiasts found shelter from Seattle's snowflakes and raindrops on Saturday, only to eagerly head back out into the elements. Such is the draw of Wherigo and the new Colorado 400t. Continuing what we first saw in Vegas and hope to experience next weekend in San Jose, More than 300 curious cachers came to REI to test-drive Wherigo and the 400t. As a bonus, Garmin and Groundspeak (the geocaching gurus) brought a few limited-edition Colorado/Wherigo geocoins. About 20 lucky winners heard their numbers called during the raffle. Everyone else was encouraged to keep an eye on the Garmin blog and Wherigo.com for more special events and promotions. And before you know it, a coin might show up unannounced at a cache near you. Stay tuned, and enjoy these scenes from Seattle.

Jake's Journal: Calling all Seattle geocachers

You know it's a good 30-hour period when you can go from running mountain roads in single-digit temps to seeing the latest and greatest ideas in the outdoor industry to chatting with the biggest names in geocaching. I started my Thursday with a 10-mile run in snowy Salt Lake City (this time my Forerunner 405's Virtual Partner didn't know what hit him), and finished it by telling an impressed Outdoor Retailer crowd about the 405 and Colorado 400t.

This morning, I flew to Seattle to meet with Team Groundspeak in preparation for Saturday's Wherigo event at REI. As I type this, geocachers are already visiting Groundspeak's lobby and counting down the hours until they get to try Wherigo on the Colorado 400t. There's also a good chance that a few lucky raffle winners will walk away with the new Colorado/Wherigo geocoin. If you can't make it to Seattle tomorrow, or San Jose next weekend, keep watching for events and promotions near you!

Peg's Posts: Tour of California... here we come

From our snow and ice-encrusted roads here in the heartland, the cycling season seems months away. But in just 23 days, the Amgen Tour of California kicks off in Palo Alto. The prologue event features a time trial that will take riders around a 360 loop on the Stanford University campus. Should make for an exciting venue for spectators, and Garmin will be there as an exhibitor, showcasing our new Edge 605 and 705 bike computers.We took everything that was great about our 205 and 305 models and added mapping and color displays.

The 705 gives cyclists options for wireless heart rate, speed/cadence or both. Plus, it’s compatible with third-party ANT+Sport-enabled power meters, making the Edge 705 the only bike computer to give cyclists GPS position data, maps, heart rate, cadence, elevation, power data and more on one display. Whether you’re racing at the elite level, training for your first century ride or you’re a weekend warrior cranking out the miles, the new 605 and 705 are the ultimate tools to give your training the edge.

Project Geo-trashing

Here's a "green" idea that I couldn't help but share - Judging from the many comments and e-mails we have had come in, I know many of you have big plans for that glorious day when you can finally get your hands on the recently announced Colorado 400t. Well here's an idea to add to your list that's worthy of some attention. After what he called a disheartening kayak run down the Mississippi River, Mike, with CleanUpTheRiver.com, has come up with an idea for a global (positioning) approach on the rising problem of pollution. Familiar with the popular geocaching game (in which participants find hidden treasures on a high-tech scavenger hunt with a GPS in hand), Mike's approach involves finding the not-so-glamorous hidden (or not-so-hidden) trashes instead. Through his journeys, he has started an inventory of the significant pollution problems along stretches of the river, by geo-tagging the large object or debris. But while this is just the beginning in Mike's area of the woods, we think this idea could spread to other places, too.

So, while your out hiking in the woods, floating down the river, or camping with your friends, mark the large trash items you see, as a waypoint with your Colorado, or other Garmin hand-held device and send Mike an email or start your own inventory of the local area of your choice. Plus, with your Colorado, you can even navigate the digital shots you see on your computer, with the built-in picture viewer. So get on out there and make a difference today... then tell us about it, we'd love to hear your story!

GeoTours: Now playing on a Garmin GPS near you

We love to hear of inventive new uses for our devices and GPS technology. Here’s one that started as an honors project for a couple of engineering students at Kansas State University three years ago. Scott Rock and Lane Roney developed a GPS-based tour of the KSU campus, complete with audio files noting historical facts and anecdotes along the way. Their tour guide was developed for use on Garmin’s iQue® 3600 PDA. These enterprising students didn’t let the tour end with an A in the class. They went on to launch a web-based company, Geovative Solutions, which provides GPS software and solutions. Check out their GeoTours product, where you can create media-rich GPS tours on various mobile devices. Pack your tour with audio, images and text descriptions, then download to your Garmin GPS and it’s on with the tour! See how one customer took GPS tours to new heights — helicopter tours of L.A. with a Garmin nüvi!

Roger's Runway: Don't forget your rebate!

As a friendly reminder, if you purchased a GMX 200 and GWX 68 radar between May 1 and December 31, 2007, then you only have days left to get a $2000 rebate.  The GMX 200 and the GWX 68 that you purchased entitles you to a $2000 rebate from Garmin, but the rebate needs to be postmarked no later than January 31, 2008 (which is next Thursday).  You can download the rebate form from the Garmin website.  I can bet that $2000 would go a long way to pay for some gas or the next annual.

Endeavour: A new Cat in town

If you recall last week’s entry I wrote about a fast Zebra... well the animal theme continues this week with Cats. Big Cats. Check out Endeavour’s new 48ft Powercat - 48ft long, 18ft wide, 20ft high with room for 12 of your closest friends. I recently caught up with this Cat in Tampa Bay and was able to help the new owner with his Garmin 5212 Touchscreen Multi Function Display. The owner had recently taken delivery of the boat and was proud to show off his new Garmin unit. He plans to take the boat to the Bahamas for a bit and then cruise extensively... maybe up to the Chesapeake Bay this summer.

The 5212 is the primary GPS unit on the boat.  It has all the charts that the Customer will ever need built in to the unit.  That’s right...high quality, highly detailed NOAA charts of the entire US coast line plus Explorer Charts of the Bahamas and Exumas all built in. The owner opted to add Radar (GMR41), Sonar (GSD22) and live XM weather (GDL30A) to the display so he has all the information needed to make navigation decisions at a glance. As you can see from the picture, you can even split the screen so you can see all 4 options GPS, Radar, Sonar and Weather at one time. Here’s a tip... say you are in split screen and decide you want to focus on one function like GPS. Well if you touch the screen on the GPS panel...it immediately shows that panel full screen so you can input a waypoint or plot a course.  When you are done hit the “Back” button and it goes back to split screen. Cool.

Although the 5212 has all the navigational charts that the owner needs built in, he opted to purchase a G2 Vision card for Southwest Florida and the Bahamas. The Vision Card gives the user additional features and information for a particular region...Satellite Imagery, Aerial Photo’s, Mariners Eye View, Fish Eye View and Auto Guidance. These additional features will add to situational awareness and make cruising in unfamiliar water a little easier. Check out our website for a complete listing of the Vision Card features.

Thanks for tuning in this week...I look forward to seeing you On The Water.

Jake's Journal: Wherigo on the road

Winter Outdoor Retailer kicks off Wednesday in Salt Lake City, and I'm looking forward to introducing more outdoor enthusiasts to the Forerunner 405 and Colorado series of handhelds. I'll also be telling people all about Wherigo, the exciting new activity from the people who brought geocaching to the masses. And just to throw in more fun, I'll be toting around a few of our limited-edition Colorado/Wherigo geocoins.

These trackable geocoins made their debut in Las Vegas and will only be available through special events and promotions. Two of those special events are coming up on the next two Saturdays in Seattle and San Jose, but we'll share more details later here on the blog. So how do you get one of these geocoins during Outdoor Retailer? Just find me walking around and say the phrase that pays - "I know Wherigo." I'll only have a few, so hurry!

Enjoy the scenery with nüvi 700 series

If life is more about the journey than the destination, you should take the nüvi 700 series along for the ride. Not only will the 750, 760, 770 and 780 guide you to any of six million preloaded points of interest, now they can take you on scenic drives as well. Garmin has teamed with MAD Maps to make a wide variety of breathtaking routes available for download at garmin.com, and they can be used with the nüvi 700 series and the 450 or 550 in the zūmo family of motorcycle products.

Click here to learn more about MAD Maps, and start planning your spring getaway today!

Peg’s Posts: Forerunner 405 — taking to the trails

The Forerunner 405 has accompanied me on a couple of new ventures of late, including my very first orienteering race and a couple of trail runs. I’m still new at the trail running thing, but I can’t think of a better way to endure the cold temps and snow than running on trails that bring new sights at every turn. Check out this map player file from a sloshy 7-miler I ran from over a week ago with my Garmin running buddy Steve. Yesterday, our run was on snow-packed trails, which we both preferred to the sludge!

Last week, in my Q&A on the Forerunner 405, I mentioned that the touch bezel interface on the 405 works even when wearing gloves. A reader posted a comment asking more specifics about this interface and whether it involves moving parts. The answer, straight from the mechanical engineer on the project, is that it uses a capacitive sensor, similar to a laptop touch pad. This means it’s not pressure sensitive and there are no mechanical or moving parts. Another question was whether the 405 will do a better job of maintaining GPS signal lock when you enter a tunnel, compared to the Forerunner 205/305. Answer: the performance should be about the same. However, we plan to supplement the GPS data with foot pod data, so if you buy the optional foot pod, this would compensate for even those minimal blips of lost reception by "filling in the blanks", per say.

Here's your chance to visit Colorado

While the Colorado made its official debut at CES earlier this month, we¹re now giving you a chance to get up close and personal with the device at our new minisite. We've highlighted all of the Colorado's innovative features including the Rock 'n Roller Wheel, paperless geocaching capabilities and details about Wherigo as well. So if you¹ve been wanting to take the Colorado for a spin, visit our minisite and give it a try.

nüvi Accolades

CES has come and gone, but the nüvi continues to receive props from the media.  The nüvi 350 and nüvi 710 are in the spotlight today because of the kudos given to them by I4U News and Personal Computer World.

If you've followed Garmin or this blog for any length of time, you know the nüvi 350 was our very first nüvi and it's still admired and loved by all.  Today, it received I4U's Editor's Choice Award! According to them, "our overall impression of the navigation is that it’s pretty much flawless. Easy to use, very fast and responsive, and always got us to our destination."  We couldn't agree more. The nüvi 350 is a great, small and portable personal travel assistant that makes traveling a cinch.

US-centric folks may think the nüvi 710 is a brand-spankin' new member of the nüvi family, but that's not the case. The 710 has regional European maps and is sold exclusively in Europe. Those across the pond are extremely familiar with it, and so is Personal Computer World who gave it four gold stars. According to them, it has an "Impressive range of features; very easy to use; and good performance on the road."

Geocaching saves the day for lost hikers

Geocaching has been described as a worldwide phenomenon, an online scavenger hunt and the perfect family activity. Now it's being called the key to a recent rescue in a search for stranded climbers on Mount Hood in Oregon. The hikers, equipped with a cell phone, were able to make contact with authorities after spending a night in a snow cave, according to news reports. But the two men were disoriented and had no way of describing their location. Until they stumbled across a geocache. Because the location of the cache was known, searchers were able to zero in on the climbers' location and guide them to rescue just 13 hours after they first learned the men were missing.

The climbers are now officially "trackable items".

Jake's Journal: At Red Rock with Runner's World

Somehow I ignored the temptations of the snooze button at 5 a.m. in my Las Vegas hotel room so that I could join up with Sean and Brian from Runner's World to exercise with new devices and exorcise our Vegas vices.

We arrived at Red Rock Canyon before sunrise, ready for a 10K with a couple Forerunner 405s and an abundance of clean, brisk air (a rarity on the Vegas strip). We also had a Colorado 400t to show us the topographic detail of our surroundings in stunning clarity. And the 3D elevation perspective confirmed the challenge ahead on our hilly route. So we set a pace for "the little man" inside our watch, the Forerunner's Virtual Partner that is always on and adjustable. And though our 5K uphill was rewarded with a 5K downhill, by the end we were gassed. The little man wasn't. Sure, the screen of the 405 showed him leaning over and catching his breath (well ahead of us), but we all knew that he was baiting us for the next challenge. There are two things I've learned about the Virtual Partner: He's always ready, and he always hits his pace. Undeterred by our three-way tie for second place, Sean, Brian and I did some video footage of the 405 and the Colorado. To watch the videos, click here for Forerunner 405 and here for Colorado 400t.

Rino to the rescue in Iraq

A note from Sgt. Anthony Slate landed in our inbox:

I am writing you today not only to thank you for making an incredible product as the Garmin Rino 530, but also to tell you how the capabilities of this GPS used in our everyday situations have saved and will save more Marines' lives.

There are remarkable differences between this GPS and those issued to our battalion. The Rino is able to download, in color, accurate military map data in the area of our operation, peer-to-peer positioning, sun and moon data, and the extensive tracking memory. Now, I am not going to go on about what you already know about your product, but I will tell you about a particular instance and how your product was used efficiently to link up with another reconnaissance team that was receiving fire in the hours of darkness.

Roger's Runway: Special Delivery!

How do you get 30 air conditioning units, which weigh on average 700 pounds a piece, onto a building in 1 hour and 20 minutes?  Easy, you call in a helicopter! This past Saturday, St. Louis Helicopters brought their Eurocopter AStar to Garmin to help place new air conditioning units onto the warehouse expansion that is currently under way at our corporate headquarters. Since the roof is so large, a normal crane was just not going to reach into the middle of the warehouse. The pilot of course, did not have any problem finding Garmin because the helicopter was fully equipped with Garmin avionics including a GNS 430, GTX 330, and a GMA 340. You can say that it was a homecoming of sort for the avionics.

Garmin SWERVes Into Detroit Auto Show

Garmin is showing off our SWERV Jeep Storm Tracker at the Detroit Auto Show.  The vehicle sports a customized Panasonic radio with speech recognition and nuvi-style navigation, MP3 and XM capability, and a back up camera.  As you might have read, Garmin is partnering with Panasonic on some automotive OEM projects.  Both companies have some unique talents, and we think by cooperating, we'll be able to offer some cutting-edge electronics for vehicles.  Stay tuned!

Garmin at Macworld

Several Garmin team members are at Macworld this week, and if you're at the show we encourage you to stop by and say hi! There has been much speculation about what Mac-related products we're working on, but the guessing is over. Here's the press release and we also have a new place on our site where you can find all things Mac.

Garmin France sponsors arctic expedition

Grab your coat, bundle up, and follow amateur explorer Stéphane Guist’hau as he makes a 40-day trek above the polar circle and to the Barents Sea! With only his dog on one side, and his Garmin GPS units in hand, Stéphane gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "grab your Garmin and get out!" During his expedition, he will be traveling more than 340 miles on land and frozen lakes and rivers - most of the time without any path to follow. With the help of his Garmin GPSMap 60CSx and his zumo 550, today marked day one of his journey. Stay tuned as our French counterparts will be adding trip news and updates on-line, as they come in. From everyone here in the States, we wish Stéphane the best of luck on this Garmin expedition of a lifetime!