Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines... because we're happy to announce that Garmin will be sponsoring the Gillett Evernham Motorsports team and the No. 19 car in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. We've teamed up with Best Buy Racing, and are looking forward to spending a lot of time in victory lane with driver Elliott Sadler. Elliott is a racing fan favorite and Garmin enthusiast and the Garmin family is excited to be on board with him in the drivers seat.
At the start of the season, Elliott and the No. 19 car took home a 6th-place finish in Daytona, and after last week's race in California, Elliott is 13th in drivers points standings. The No. 19 team heads to the city that never sleeps this weekend for the UAW-Dodge 400 where drivers will take on the 1.5-mile superspeedway of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Watch Elliott burn up the track this Sunday as the team debuts the Stanley Tool paint scheme with red, yellow and orange flames on the black car background. This brand new car has only been tested in Las Vegas in January. Catch the action on Sunday, starting at 3:30 on Fox.
And keep it locked here every Friday for a race re-cap and a look ahead to that weekend's event. Good luck, Elliott!
Peg’s Posts: Forerunner 405 or 305 — which is best for multisport?
A recent blog query from reader Josh posed this question: Forerunner 405 or 305 for multisport training? Here’s the straight scoop. The Forerunner 305 is our true multisport trainer because it’s optimized for a quick-release mount that lets you snap the unit from a wrist strap to a bike mount in seconds. The 305 also has a multisport mode, which allows you to switch between sport modes (running, biking or other) with one button press. You can customize the order of the sport modes and choose to include transition time or not. During the activity, you’ll simply press the lap button and the screen changes from your run settings (let’s say your main page is set up to show distance, time and pace) to bike settings (distance, time, speed). Your overall activity time will be recorded as well and the data will be linked together as one activity when you upload to our online analysis site. The 305 is available in a multisport bundle that includes the quick-release wrist strap and bike mount, speed/cadence sensor for the bike and a free year’s subscription to MotionBased (soon to be Garmin Connect).If you already have a 305, you can purchase a quick-release kit and speed/cadence sensor separately.
The new Forerunner 405 is our latest GPS-enabled sport watch with cool features like automatic wireless updates to your computer and touch bezel operations. The 405 is ideally suited for runners training for marathons and other road races. You can use the 405 for cross-training on the bike using the bike mount, though it’s not a quick-release design. You would have to place the 405 on the mount and fasten the band. The 405 is compatible with the speed/cadence sensor as well. There is no dedicated multisport mode on the 405, but you can switch to biking mode so that your activity will be tagged as biking when your data automatically uploads to the computer, but you cannot link running and biking activities together.
Hope this helps you choose the Forerunner that’s tailored to your training.
It's okay to cheat on your car... if only for a weekend. So says the new ad campaign from Avis Rent a Car. And we agree - especially if you're taking the wheel with Avis Where2, where customers can take advantage of enhanced traveling features with a Garmin nüvi 780. Available to rent with any Avis vehicle, this handy traveling assistant with MSN Direct puts traffic conditions, fuel prices, weather reports, movie listings, local events, news and stocks at your fingertips. According to Avis, renting a car should be an exciting adventure ... but don't let your everyday car know that. Watch the clip below that depicts an old, dirty (and, dare we say, jealous) Saab wondering what type of fancy traveling tools Avis will provide its owner while he's away.
Coffee, donuts... and GPS devices. That's right, Garmin has teamed up with Tim Hortons, Canada's coffee and donut fast food restaurant chain and largest food service operator, for the "Roll Up the Rim to Win" promotion. This delicious promotion started Monday and will give customers a chance to win until May 27, 2008. Simply "rrroll" up the rim of your Tim Hortons' hot beverage for a chance to win one of the many fabulous prizes. A lucky 20,000 customers will win a $50 Quickpay Tim Card, 100 rollers will score a Bayliner Boat package (engine and trailer included), and 35 folks will win a brand new 2009 Toyota Matrix XR AWD to roll around the city in. And the icing on the donut... 5,000 rollers will take home a Garmin nuvi 250, customized with a Tim Hortons start-up screen and full database of the more than 3,000 locations (see images below).
And for the troops stationed in Kandahar, the Tim Hortons location there has a special offer in store for you, too. Special edition Kandahar baseball caps will be given to 1,000 lucky rollers, five soldiers will win $1,000 USD, and 100 will be outfitted with a new Garmin eTrex Vista.
In addition, both promotions will have more than 31 million instant win food and drink prizes... so really, this is one roll you can't afford not to take!
If you enjoy helicopters, then earlier this week you needed to be in Houston, TX for the Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2008. This everything-related-to-helicopters show is the premier event for the helicopter industry. Along with 522 exhibitors, Garmin was of course there displaying our entire line of aviation products. The big announcement from the show was MD Helicopters choosing Garmin as their exclusive avionics provider on MD’s single engine line. When you purchase your 2008 model helicopter, you will be guided by a GNS 430W, listening to a GMA 347, talking on a SL40, and be followed by a GTX 328. Garmin is excited to provide these helicopters pilots with the latest in avionics.
March is around the corner, and spring is in the air. For many college co-eds (and for those of us who still act like we're in college), that also means spring break is near. Whether you've picked a specific destination, or plan on seeing where the road trip leads you, a Garmin nüvi is a spring break essential. And we're not alone in thinking the nüvi 780 definitely fits the bill as a perfect traveling companion. The GPS Lodge crew just posted a full review of the 780, and says they have no problem recommending this device to others. Their reasoning is three fold: accurate traffic features, the ability to search and compare gas prices, and the route optimization. So if you're driving to the beach or to the slopes, make it easy on yourself (and your passengers) and check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare gas prices, check movie times, local events and more through the 780 with MSN Direct. Don't forget the sunscreen!
Many of you have been wondering about, well, a lot of things. We wanted to give you one easy place to turn for answers. So every Monday, we're bringing you a new feature: Ask Garmin. Just send a question to garminblogs@garmin.com with Ask Garmin in the subject line, and we'll track down an answer.
Today's question: When can I buy an Edge 705 or a Forerunner 405? OK, we're kind of cheating here, because this is a combination of two of the most common questions since we introduced these revolutionary fitness devices. And we have great news - the Edge 705 is shipping to stores as we speak! So check with your local bike shop, and get ready to lose yourself in the ride.
As for the Forerunner 405, we could tell right from the get-go that this powerful fitness watch doesn't shy away from the spotlight. So it only makes sense that it would hit the streets going stride for stride with the world's best runners. Look for the Forerunner 405, with its touch bezel and wireless data transfer, to hit the ground running at the Boston Marathon. Where it goes from there is up to you.
We wrapped up the final weekend in February the same way we began the month - greeting geocachers and giving them the chance to get their hands on a Colorado. And once again, they were pleased with what they saw. Nearly a hundred midwesterners took advantage of a mild Saturday in Chicago and joined us on the second floor of Garmin's flagship store on Michigan Avenue.
Participants were welcomed by Jeremy Irish, president of Groundspeak, who talked about the history of geocaching and creation of Wherigo. Then Shauna, also of Groundspeak fame, took tutorial groups outside to play and learn. Once they returned, any feedback and questions were gladly taken by Brad, Tom and Jerad, Garmin engineers who made the trip to hear people's thoughts on the Colorado. Big thanks to geocacher Amy D. for sending us her pictures! To learn more about the Colorado, click here. To get the latest software for the one you own, click here. And to find out how you can get a Colorado/Wherigo geocoin (just like the people who showed up Saturday), keep checking the blog!!
Congratulations to team Slipstream for their outstanding performance at the Tour of California last week! After battling some of the worst weather conditions the Tour has ever seen, the team finished with a solid performance. After seven stages, the team won the overall team classification with 16" on team Astana. With four riders in the top twelve - David Millar, Christian Vande Velde, David Zabriskie and Tom Peterson - the guys in argyle dominated the final podium. The below pictures are from the final days of the Tour. Congratulations to the entire team once again... we had a great time cheering you on and watching the team stream into success!
With three top-ten finishes in stage 5, the Slipstream team is creating quite the buzz in the last days of the Tour of California. Even The New York Times is highlighting the teams stellar performances! The results from yesterday's stage 5, earned team Slipstream the first place spot in the team classification, while three riders - David Miller, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie - are now placed among the top six overall. Today's 105-mile stage six is underway, and tomorrow's final podium at Pasadena is less than 200 miles away. Riders will travel from Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita and will face four King of the Mountain climbs and three sprint lines. Watch the tour live and route on your favorite boys in argyle. Ride on, Slipstream team... keep up the great work! Check back on Monday for an entire tour wrap-up.
We're on the move again... and this time we're rollin' in on 18 wheels! We've hitched a ride with Circuit City and their huge Roadshow Rig, and are coming to a city near you. This weekend kicks off the tour in Atlanta, Georgia, at Supercross. Step inside this incredible ride, and you'll have the opportunity to check out twelve Garmin devices - nüvis, zūmos and Street Pilots of all shapes and sizes! If you want to get a taste of the action, video race games are also on board. This tour makes around 40 stops at Supercross events, local Circuit City stores, CC grand openings, and Good Guys events, so it's likely this rig will cruise into a town near you. Keep it tuned in here for more pictures and event locations. And hey, if the rig comes to your town or you pass it on the road, take a picture of you and the rig and we'll send you some Garmin schwag. See the rig, test a nüvi, score some schwag... nice!
The gun’s about to go off for the first rider out of the chute for stage 5 of the Tour of California. Today’s individual time trial starts and finishes in Solvang. It’s a 15-mile course with one short, steep climb. The kind of course that several of Team Slipstream’s riders will eat up, like three-time U.S. national time trial champ David Zabriskie, who was in sixth place overall after yesterday’s stage. Two other Slipstream riders are maintaining positions in the top 7 — David Millar in 4th overall and Christian Vande Velde in 7th. Team Slipstream is in 2nd place and today’s time trial could ultimately determine the overall winner when this tour rolls into Pasadena on Sunday. Those riders in argyle definitely have an edge. The Edge 705 is one of the tech tools they use to improve and analyze their performance in order to compete against the world’s best. Stay tuned here for a race recap or follow the live tour tracker.
In Miami and elsewhere, our multifunction displays are getting a lot of love. In fact, our new multi-function displays landed SAIL's 2008 Freeman K. Pittman Innovation Award in the electronics category. These MFDs take all the tools that mariners would want and incorporate innovative ideas from our automotive devices. And with a wide range of prices and sizes - and premium features such as high-def radar and touchscreen displays - there really is a chartplotter for every boat and budget!
Jake's Journal: Update your Colorado, join me in Chicago
At each of the stops on our Colorado/Wherigo road trip, we've made the same plea for feedback on the Colorado. Tell us what you like, tell us what needs work, and we'll do our best to make a great product even better. Just released this week, this free, downloadable software update is a perfect example because it: 1. Displays caches on the map. 2. Double the numbers of caches - to 2000! 3. Adds the ability to log caches as found. 4. Provides support for Colorado Field Notes, which allows you to auto-generate logged caches by sending a file from the Colorado to geocaching.com.
And don't forget that buying and registering a Colorado gives you access to a free trial premium membership to Groundspeak's geocaching and Wherigo sites. To learn more about the Colorado and Wherigo, join us on Saturday at the Garmin store at 663 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Sessions begin at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. I'll be there with limited-edition geocoins!
One of the most challenging and defining stages of the 2008 Tour of California, stage 3, brought many strong overall results for team Slipstream. After winning the Leader Jersey in stage 2, racer Tyler Farrar had to leave the stage after the second climb due to illness. But the team kept on and finished the stage with one racer, Thomas Peterson, in the top ten, and several top performers in all five King of the Mountain results. Overall the team finished second for the stage, and with stage 3 results complied, team Slipstream has currently coasted into a nice second-place standing overall.
In just a short while, riders will take on stage 4, the longest stage of the Tour. This stage repeatedly taunts and teases the riders with hilly, technical terrain. The 135-mile stretch from Seaside to San Luis Obispo includes three King of the Mountains summits. If you can't be there to see the Tour sights, you can watch the peloton span the beautiful seaside scene live on the tour tracker. We'll have more updates tomorrow as we wrap up stage 4 and pedal into the most important stage of the race. So tuck your favorite Chipotle burrito in your pocket, strap on your Edge and let's hit the road... or at least follow along with the professionals as they do it!
Yesterday was a huge day for the Slipstream Team, the Tour of California and all cycling enthusiasts who were locked into stage 2 of the tour. When we last posted about the Tour, Slipstream rider Tyler Farrar was in good standings going into the 115-mile stretch, and was definitely a rider to watch. Tyler lived up to the hype and after the second stage, was presented the Amgen Leader Jersey in Sacramento by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. After being presented with the yellow jersey, Tyler said this win probably tops any win he's ever had before. "I'm ecstatic to be racing in America, and to be wearing the Amgen Leader Jersey is a big deal for me and for the team." Tyler is joined by two other teammates in the overall top-10 standings thus far.
Today's 102.7 mile stage 3 from Modesto to San Jose, includes three category 4 climbs, one category 1 climb, and the epic, 4360-foot Mt. Hamilton HC climb. You can watch the tour live here, and easily identify team Slipstream in the peloton by their blue and orange jerseys (and Tyler in the yellow leader jersey). The time gap is currently 4 minutes, with 65 miles to go!
At Garmin, we take a lot of pride in what we do. And it's moments like these, that we're glad we have the opportunity to share it with others. Tonight we're pleased to have the honor of receiving the Ad Astra Award by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce at the Chamber's 2008 annual dinner. This prestigious award is given for business and civic excellence throughout the state. "The Ad Astra Award is the state business community's highest honor presented to a business that exemplifies excellence," Kansas Chamber President and CEO Amy Blankenbiller said. Thanks to everyone who helped make this possible!
The New Year started almost two months ago, but tonight starts the New Year for Garmin avionics seminars. Every year Garmin host sales seminars across North America at local avionics shops, special events, or trade shows for our entire line of Garmin avionics. These seminars are open to the public and can be attended by anyone who is interested in learning about Garmin units and wants to see the horizon. To keep you in the loop, Garmin provides a list of all the seminars that are currently scheduled. Make sure you check the Garmin website from time to time too, as we add seminars throughout the year. So if you going to be in or live near La Verne, CA, tonight is the night to check out a Garmin seminar.
It's been a busy morning around here... we just posted our Q4 2007 earnings, and are inviting you to listen in on the details. Tune in this morning at 11 am ET by logging on here, or call to listen in at 800-883-9537.
Cycling enthusiasts everywhere are eager to check out the new Edge 605 and 705 units, and we've been busy in the Garmin booth at the AMGEN Tour of California entertaining questions and comments from the masses. While folks get their hands on these new units at the booth, team Slipstream pedaled on with another top-ten finisher, Tyler, in Stage 1. That finish put Tyler second overall as the team headed into Stage 2 this morning. Be sure to catch up with us later for the results from Stage 2 of the Tour - where riders tackle some of the most challenging climbs of the entire race on the 115-mile stretch from Santa Rosa to Sacramento. If you can't come out to follow the tour first hand, track the tour here, and get a live look as the group rides through the rainy weather. We'll check back tomorrow from the Stage 2 finish line. Good luck team!
Attention geocachers and outdoor enthusiasts! If you missed the chance to join Groundspeak and Garmin during their Winter Wherigo Tour, you now have the opportunity to meet up with them in the Midwest. This Saturday, February 23, Jeremy from Groundspeak and Jake from Garmin will be hosting a special geocaching event at the Garmin Store in Chicago, where you will be able to experience the Colorado handhelds and the new Wherigo activity firsthand. The event will consist of three sessions, and each will have a presentation preceding tutorials on Wherigo.
We invite you to attend one of the following sessions: ▲ 10:00 am ▲ 1:00 pm ▲ 3:00 pm
Limited-edition Garmin/Wherigo geocoins will be awarded at all three sessions. We hope to see you this Saturday!
Just weeks ago, Garmin announced that it was joining forces with Slipstream Sports, one of the best cycling teams in the world. Pedaling ahead to today, both the Garmin and Slipstream teams are stationed throughout much of the Golden State for the Tour of California, an eight-day, 650-mile race that routes the world's top professional teams along the California coast. While we're busy showing off Garmin's new additions to our fitness line up -the Edge 605 and 705- at our booths, the Slipstream team is starting the week off right with some superior performances. Along with one individual 3rd place finish, the team had four top-ten finishes in yesterday's Prologue. Check back soon as we'll be uploading the team's data captured by their Edge 705 devices to our online analysis site, so you too can follow along in tracking their progress!
I was reminded today just how much I love my job. There's officially no better way to spend a Friday afternoon than on a sailboat off the coast of Miami in 80-degree weather with Garmin devices (and a good breeze) removing any trace of stress. Captain Karen and Ray, good friends of Garmin, showed us how to properly wrap up a workweek. They also showed my colleague Steve how to crank up the jib. Little did he know when he volunteered that it was one of the few strenuous tasks of the afternoon. But even several minutes of heavy cranking couldn't make him cranky. Each of us then took a turn behind the steering wheel (yep, that's me at the helm) as Captain Karen kept watch. We waved at fellow boaters who were excited to see the Garmin banners flapping in the wind. And all the while, our chartplotter, Colorado 400c and high-def radar kept us cruising in style.
It’s tiny. It’s powerful. And it’s constantly working. That’s the power of ANT+Sport, the wireless technology used in Garmin devices like Forerunner and Edge. ANT+Sport technology allows for wireless data transfer from accessories like the heart rate monitor, foot pod and speed/cadence sensor to Edge or Forerunner. The same technology goes even further for the Forerunner 50 and 405 by automatically transferring data to your computer once your workout’s done. On the new Edge 705 and Forerunner 405, it also allows for wireless unit-to-unit data transfer. For a playful demo on how ANT+Sport works, check out this link. Read on for more background on the magic of ANT+Sport.
The beauty of ANT+Sport technology is interoperability. Before you choke on the word, just know that it makes your life easier. If you have a device with ANT+Sport technology, it can talk with another ANT+Sport device. For example, if you own a Garmin Forerunner 305 (which comes with a heart rate monitor that uses ANT+Sport) and you want to upgrade to the 405 when it’s available, you can purchase the model that comes without heart rate and simply use the heart rate monitor you already own. Same goes for the foot pod, an accessory that measures your foot stride so you can use Forerunner indoors when GPS is unavailable. The foot pod can also be used with the Forerunner 50, our non-GPS sport watch, to calculate distance indoors or out.
The Miami International Boat Show is off to a great start, and already several stars are emerging. The huge touchscreen chartplotters - especially the 15-inch display - have had all eyes (and fingertips) on them. People love the clarity and ease of use of the new marine instrument displays. The high-def radar - and the way that it can overlay on 3D charts - is creating quite a buzz. And even the Colorado 400c, the new kid on the block, is rocking (and rolling) with its preloaded coastal charts for the U.S. and the Bahamas. So if you're coming to the boat show, swing by Booth 1689 and enjoy the fun for yourself. If you're nowhere near South Beach, you can at least enjoy these photos. (Or book a flight to Florida.)
With many of our colleagues in Barcelona talking about the nüvifone, I somehow drew the short straw and was sent to the boat show. In Miami. This could be the best straw I've ever drawn (even topping bendy straws and twisty straws). Take Wednesday's assignment for example. Instead of boot camp, we had boat camp. Several members of Team Garmin gathered on a beautiful 60-footer to get more hands-on experience with our latest marine products.
Mother Nature did her part to give us a thorough testing environment. A mid-day monsoon showcased our XM Weather features and decreased visibility, making our big-screen radar and sonar displays more valuable than ever. And we loved our BlueChart g2 Vision with high-resolution satellite imagery, our new high-definition radar and the ability to switch between fish-eye view and mariner's view. Even the large monitors with touchscreen capabilities reveled in the rain. And we made a new friend - Pete the Pelican hitched a ride for a half-hour. Check out more pictures and screenshots below, and stay tuned for more from the Miami International Boat Show.
Roses are red... violets are blue... give the gift of navigation, and you'll benefit, too! If you've waited until the last minute to get your sweetie something special for Valentine's Day, we've got you covered. Give the gift that keeps on giving all year long - a personal navigation device! Stuff.TV agrees, a Garmin pink nüvi is just what she needs! Not only will a nüvi give you turn-by-turn directions day after day, year after year, but it just might save you some grief in return. So this year think outside the flowers and chocolate, and give her a whole nü way to travel, with a pink twist! But hurry, these pink nüvis are going fast... pick yours up today! (Flowers and chocolate certainly don't hurt, though...)
If you are an aviation fanatic as much as I am, then you always get excited when the Space Shuttle takes flight. Well last Thursday we got a first Space Shuttle fix for the New Year, and the shuttle Atlantis is well on its way to making the International Space Station a roomier place to live with the addition of the Columbus module. With launch of the shuttle I noticed the TFR above the Kennedy Space Center was a little odd. The airspace limits for a TFR usually vary between the surface to 3-5,000 feet. However, the altitude limits on the shuttle launch TFR (surface-10,000,000 feet) were to the extreme, keeping even a high flying SR-71 BlackBird or space exploring Star Ship Enterprise from flying over the shuttle launch. The 10-million-foot limit on the TFR is how an unlimited altitude TFR will be displayed on your Garmin portable units. So the next time you see a TFR that has a 10,000,000 foot limit, just remember that you are not going to fly over it any time soon.
We know (we hear it every day!) gadget gurus and navigation nerds everywhere are excited and anxiously waiting to get their hands on the Garmin nüvifone. Well for the mobile tech buffs that attended The Mobile World Conference in Barcelona this week, nüvifone wishes and sneak peeks were granted. The video below is a hands-on look from Phone Scoop. To accompany the video, here are a few more Garmin sightings from around the event as the final day approaches. It's been a busy few days!
Didn't have a chance to go to CES and get up close and personal with the nuvi 5000? Well, we've brought a bit of CES to you. Here's a quick look at the demo video. It took a while for us to post - with the nuvi 5000's large 5.2" display, we had to do some serious compressing to get it to fit within the friendly confines of the Garmin blog. Enjoy!
There's an old saying that you should do what you love and love what you do. Here at Garmin, we make that a reality by hiring people to focus on their areas of interest. David Downey is a classic example, and his story is being shared in this month's "Dream Jobs" issue of the engineering magazine IEEE Spectrum.
Being a software engineering team leader and father of a large family, David laughs when asked about spare ti
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines... because we're happy to announce that Garmin will be sponsoring the Gillett Evernham Motorsports team and the No. 19 car in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. We've teamed up with Best Buy Racing, and are looking forward to spending a lot of time in victory lane with driver Elliott Sadler. Elliott is a racing fan favorite and Garmin enthusiast and the Garmin family is excited to be on board with him in the drivers seat. 
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Yesterday was a huge day for the 
