Take a T.R.I.P. with Garmin and Suzuki

Looking for a new set of wheels?  Hoping for a navigation system to nicely compliment your new ride? Look no further. Earlier this week, Garmin announced it would provide an integrated navigation system for the new 2009 Suzuki SX4 Crossover as standard equipment. The Suzuki T.R.I.P. (Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play) sports a widescreen and offers drivers weather forecasts, local event listings, real-time traffic and fuel prices through the MSN Direct network. Pair a Bluetooth-enabled phone with the system for hands-free calling, route to lifestyle-oriented Suzuki-recommended destinations and enjoy up-to-date MSN Direct data effortlessly - all while navigating with this portable device. These models are scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms this summer, so keep your eyes open... this is one T.R.I.P. you won't want to miss!

Roger's Runway: SVT Obstacles

Last week I talked about the 3D traffic feature on the new Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) upgrade for the G1000. This week I am introducing the 3D obstacles that SVT brings to the cockpit. Garmin has had a database for obstacles ever since we introduced the GPSMAP 196 to customers. This obstacle database made its way to other portable aviation units, then to panel mounted units, and finally the G1000. With the SVT, the obstacle (like the traffic) shows up on the PFD and places it in relation to your flight path. So if you are slightly to the right of the tower, then it will show on the left-hand side of the PFD. If you are within 1000 feet of the obstacle, it will show up in yellow just letting you know that you need to proceed with caution. If you are within 100 feet, then the obstacle will be shown in red letting you know that you need to change course or you are going to have issues with that obstacle. Remember, obstacles are going to be classified as any man-made object that is 200 AGL or higher. If it is made out of dirt or granite, then it will be part of the 3D terrain.

   

Chicago Store: 405s have arrived!

If you were unable to visit the Garmin booth during last week’s Boston Marathon and become one of the lucky folks to be the first to own the Forerunner 405, visit (or call) the Garmin store in Chicago! We have both the black and sage green color options of the 405 with the heart rate monitors in-stock and available for purchase. Unfortunately, if you want the versions without the heart rate monitors, you will have to wait a few more weeks before they are available. The store is offering group training sessions on the Forerunner 405 every Saturday morning at 11am after the weekly Garmin Running Club.

The Garmin Running Club meets at the store every Saturday morning at 8 am and leads groups of runners on either a 3, 5, or 7-mile run along Chicago’s lake front running path. Runners can trial Garmin Forerunner products on a first-come, first-serve basis, as well as enjoy light refreshments after the runs. All runners of all levels are welcome to participate. See you there!

Forerunner 405: Get up to speed with hands-on demos

Must-have sport watch meets must-see TV in these brief training clips featuring our own blog editor and running expert, Jake. He’ll show you the hottest features of the new Forerunner 405 and teach you how to use the innovative touch bezel. We’ll be posting a whole series of these videos at this site. Catch a few now, come back for more clips later, including a segment where Jake goes head to head with Forerunner’s digital Virtual Partner. For all our customers who’ve been patiently waiting to get their hands on our newest GPS-enabled sport watch, we’re happy to say the 405 is now in stores, including our Chicago Store on the Magnificent Mile, and it's going like hot cakes. 

Ask Garmin: Viewing images on your nüvi

A picture is worth a thousand words, and that's where this week's Ask Garmin question comes to life. Jim asks, "I have a Garmin nüvi 650 and need to know how to add the pictures from my camera. Can you help me?" Don't worry Jim, the answer is simple. If you're like Jim and want to view JPEG images on your Garmin nüvi, or have your favorite image greet you when the device is turned on, follow these simple instructions and you'll be showing your favorite photo ops to all your passengers! First, download the images from your camera to your computer. Next, connect your device to a PC with a USB cord. Once connected, open the Garmin nüvi drive under My Computer. You will then see a Garmin folder, and inside there, a JPEG folder. Now, all you have to do is save your favorite images to that folder, and away you go! You'll find these images on your device under Tools>Picture Viewer. An alternative is to remove the SD card from your camera, and put it in the device itself to view images temporarily.

Remember, if you have a question, Ask Garmin... and check back every Monday for the answer.

Garmin Helps Save the Manatees

Garmin is the first GPS company to post "manatee zones" on its navigational charts of Florida, in an effort to keep boat propellers from harming the blubbery beasts and their habitat.  We worked with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program's Manatee Awareness Coalition to compile the data, and it's now available pre-loaded and free of charge on any new Garmin chartplotter.

In addition, we're including data for posted homeland security zones (military installations and the like) in Florida... which could potentially save your own bacon.

Wrench 'n' Win Contest: First Week Finalists

Well, it’s been a week since we announced the Garmin Garage Wrench ‘n’ Win Contest and we’re now pleased to release the first week finalists! Be sure to stop by today and take a look! We heard from Garmin Garage fans far and wide and we were quite impressed with all of the entries. There are still three weeks to go and we’re sure we’ll be amazed by the next rounds, too. So keep sending those sketches, drawings and ideas. We have lots of great prizes that we'll announce soon and remember - at the end of the contest, the winning entry will be voted on by all of you and it will then be turned into an icon for everyone to download!

Also - we appreciate all of the photographs but legal reasons prevent us from making icons based on photographs of actual production vehicles or mass-produced items. Apparently, it’s one of those “lawyer things”. Congrats to our first finalists and good luck to everyone!

nüvi 880 listens, earns Editors' Choice

Garmin's first portable navigation device with speech recognition capabilities - the nüvi 880 - just received its first review. To our excitement, the crew at PC Magazine enjoyed the new 880 so much, it also earned a prestigious award upon completion of the review. "It's well-designed speech recognition feature is a the real showstopper, though. Frankly, I'm hooked. This is the GPS device that I want on my windshield, and therefore it earns our Editors' Choice," they said. The review also highlights other bells and whistles of this premium navigator, such as the dynamic second generation MSN Direct content, the Where Am I? feature, Bluetooth wireless technology, and many other travel tools nüvi users have come to know and love. Check out the full review and see why everyone is talking... and how nüvi is listening!

Slipstream’s Trent Lowe is Best Young Rider at Tour de Georgia

“Tenacious Trent” Lowe of Garmin-sponsored Team Slipstream/Chipotle won the honors of Best Young Rider at the 2008 Tour de Georgia. High honors for an under-25 rider and even more potent since he held the title previously—at the ripe young age of 20. Trent also got podium time yesterday, finishing the Tour second in the overall classification. Teammate Christian Vande Velde finished seventh. Belarusian rider Kanstantin Sivtsov of Team High Road finished first with a slim margin of just 4 seconds. Next up on the Slipstream touring calendar: Giro d’Italia, a 21-stage race beginning May 10, followed by the Tour de France, starting July 5.

Check out the team’s latest Garmin featured ride, recorded using the Edge 705. This 40-miler packs 5,065 ft of total elevation gain. Download the course to your Edge and see how you measure up to the pros!

Sadler debuts Garmin at 'Dega

Race fans will get the first look at the No. 19 Garmin/Best Buy Dodge paint scheme at Sunday's much anticipated Talladega Superspeedway event.

Elliott Sadler and the No. 19 Dodge are getting ready to go in Talladega (of which 17 of the last 18 wins have been a Chevrolet), and have high hopes for this track. 

"From what we saw at Daytona and here last year, I can't see us putting on anything other than an exciting race," Elliott said.

After bad luck struck in Phoenix two weeks ago, the team sits 23rd in points going into this weekend's event. They'll take on the 2.66-mile track in a new GEM Chassis No. 238 car this weekend, that has never been raced. Make sure to tune in Sunday at 2 pm ET to see the new Garmin car and cheer Elliott on along the way!

Wherigo/Colorado geocoin contest heats up in final week

Saving their best for last, our Wherigo Builders finished up our contest in style. Jake and Brad the Engineer were perplexed, not just in sorting out the adventures the competing cartridges took them on, but in choosing a winner. In the end, they let the contest go up in flames.

"The story behind my Wherigo cartridge is based on a true story about a fire that happened down the road from me," wrote John "JDubPooch" about his entry that earned him a limited-edition Garmin geocoin. "The pictures are true pictures from the scene and links to the real videos about the fire."

Wow, John (or should we call you JDub or Pooch?) - that's how you blend the spirit of geocaching with the creativity of Wherigo. And those pictures look awesome on the huge, vibrant screen of the Colorado 400t. Speaking of the Colorado 400t, Jake just checked in from the road and said that he used his Colorado to stash a couple more geocoins at undisclosed caches in Pennsylvania.

For more about John's "Firehouse" cartridge and our two runner-up entries, click on the jump below.

Peg’s Posts: Customer stories from Sea Otter Classic

In a post earlier this week, I told you how much I love talking to customers at events like Sea Otter Classic and hearing their tales of adventure, training and competition. Meet a big-time Garmin fan who has guidance by Garmin everywhere and every way he travels. Jerry from San Ramon has owned an Edge 305 and immediately upgraded to the 605 with maps when it hit stores just a few weeks ago. He uses his new 605 with our topo cartography for extra detail to guide his 2-wheeled adventures. He also owns a GPSMAP 60Cx handheld, a nüvi 680 for his vehicle and a Garmin GPSMAP 430S, which is a combo chartplotter and sounder for water-bound excursions. Follow the jump for more customer stories and photos.

Jake's Journal: Healthy dose of Forerunner 405

This week's travels bring me to Emmaus, PA, the home of such fitness magazines as Runner's World, Bicycling, Men's Health, Women's Health, Best Life and Prevention. With a population of only 11,300 and several hundred healthy-lifestyle journalists employed here, Emmaus would appear to be up for the title of fittest city per capita (based on my unscientific research). Especially this weekend, when more than 4,000 runners crowd the area for the annual Lehigh Valley Half-Marathon and 5K.

One of the topics sure to be discussed this weekend is the Forerunner 405, which will be the star of Garmin's booth after making its debut at the Boston Marathon. The 405 has received rave reviews for its sleek design, touch-sensitive bezel and wireless data transfer. Check out this review from DVICE, which starts by saying "The Garmin Forerunner line of GPS-enabled watches just took a giant leap in techno-goodness. If you’re a runner or walker, you're going to like the way this new Forerunner 405 ($300) measures and records your speed, distance, elevation and even heart rate." Click here for the whole review.

Slipstream on top down south

After sweeping the team time trial ride yesterday at the Tour de Georgia, Garmin-sponsored Team Slipstream/Chipotle is leading in nearly all of the results categories. Best young rider jersey was passed from Tyler Farrar to teammate Trent Lowe. Tyler continued to move up in the points classification, earning sprint jersey honors, and the Slipstream team leads all others in the overall team classification with 12” over second-place Astana and 18” over team High Road. Team director Jonathan Vaughters dedicated Friday’s race to teammate Timmy Duggan, who was injured in a crash in Wednesday’s race. Since Timmy, an excellent time trialist, couldn’t race, his teammates pulled off a big win in his honor. Our thoughts are with Timmy for his continued recovery and with the rest of the team as they head into 3 more days of racing, finishing with a circuit race in Atlanta on Sunday.

MapQuest site sends to Garmin: A step-by-step demo

We're all about options. From the wide variety of nuvis and intuitive features we offer to the ways that you can use them to maximize your time and minimize your stress. So we're excited to show you yet another way you can search, save and find your destinations - whether it's a quick lunch or a weeklong vacation. We recently announced a collaborative effort with MapQuest that lets you send the results of your online trip planning directly to your Garmin GPS device. It's fast, free and so easy to use that Jake can show you the simple steps in just a few seconds in this video.

The Rides Keep Rolling In

Since we announced the contest at the beginning of the week, we’ve been flooded with lots of great ideas for the Garmin Garage Wrench ‘n’ Win Contest. We are sure going to have our work cut out for us when we pick the five weekly finalists. It’s been great to get such creative ideas and we can’t wait to see what’s next. So keep those sketches coming and remember – we can only use drawings of original artwork and ideas. As much as we’d like to create icons for your personal vehicles, we have a feeling we’d be hearing from some lawyers pretty quickly if we used real-life vehicles. Send those sketches, drawings and ideas our way and you might just see your icon brought to life in the Garmin Garage!

Talladega kick-off contest

Talladega Superspeedway is home to this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499. If you're not one of the 175,000 fans that have a seat at the largest track in the circuit, here's a fun way to score some No. 19 gear while you're watching from home. Since this weekend's No. 19 car will debut the Garmin paint scheme, here's a friendly competition for all of the Garmin/ Elliott Sadler fans out there. Be one of the first few folks to send in the correct numbers to the following bits of trivia, and we'll send you a No. 19 Elliott Sadler t-shirt, Garmin-style. Good luck and we'll see you back here on Friday for the race weekend preview!

By the numbers...

Elliott has earned how many pole awards in his racing career?

An avid hunter, Elliott uses the Garmin Astro dog-tracking system with his Tennessee Walker hunting dogs. How many dogs can he track at one time with an Astro?

One week from today, Elliott will what age? 

Roger's Runway: Traffic at 2 o'clock

By now you've probably heard of the G1000's new Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT). The main feature of SVT is the 3D terrain, but here in Kansas and other areas lacking those big pieces of rock better known as mountains, we pay lots of attention to the other features SVT brings to the table, such as traffic. Normal traffic systems display the track in a top-down or bird's eye view. The G1000's SVT shows 3D traffic at the approximate position in relation to your attitude. If traffic is about 1,000 feet above you at your 2 o’clock position, then the SVT will display the traffic on the PFD at 2 o’clock and slightly above the horizon. Instead of straining your eyes and neck to figure out where the aircraft might be in relation to the horizon, SVT helps you locate the traffic quicker and take action sooner. Since they say a picture is worth a thousand words, check out these screen shots and you'll see how much easier it is to identify traffic with SVT.

Photos for Fodor's could win a nüvi 760

Have you taken a journey to Juneau? Dropped anchor in Anchorage? Do you believe there's no place like Nome? Submit your photos to Fodor's and you could have a chance to win a free Garmin nüvi 760 as part of their "Show Us Your Alaska" photo contest. Click here for details on how the Fodor's giveaway will reward shivering shutterbugs.

With its widescreen navigation and preloaded points of interest, the nüvi 760 is perfect for any vacation or business trip. And the nüvi 700 series is there to help when drivers need it most, answering two of the most common questions: “Where am I?” and “Where’s my car?” To add to your traveling experience, supplement the nüvi's vast database of locations with Fodor's Travel Guide. Just plug this handy card into your nüvi and get helpful details about the destinations that you discover. Good luck!!

Argyle flies through Georgia

The cycling excitement rides on this week as the Garmin-sponsored Slipstream/Chipotle team competes in the 7-stage Tour de Georgia. Riders just finished the 115.7-mile stage 2 route that included one KOM in North Augusta and two sprint lines. For the first time, a circuit finish in downtown Augusta took the cyclists into South Carolina before returning to Georgia. The big news coming out of this stage was Tyler Farrar's fourth place finish! Tyler also took second in Best Young Rider.

Tune in tomorrow to watch the ride live, keep up with the results from each stage and check out the latest news from the boys in argyle. Good luck tomorrow, guys!

Help Wanted

When we opened the Garmin Garage last November, we never realized we’d be so busy. Well, now we’re asking for your help with the Garmin Garage Wrench ‘n’ Win Contest! We want you to design the next vehicle for the Garmin Garage. All you have to do is sketch out your idea and submit it to the Garmin Garage . We’ll collect all of our entries each week, choose 5 finalists and then post the finalists' submissions for everyone to view. At the end of 4 weeks, we’ll open up the voting and you’ll be able to choose your favorite. The winner will have their sketched-out idea turned into an animated icon for the Garmin Garage! We’ve got weekly prizes and a pretty nice grand prize for the lucky winner! So start drawing, sketching and sending those ideas our way. We can’t wait to see what you create!

Visit the Garmin Garage Wrench 'n' Win Contest page for details!

Ask Garmin: In case of emergency, where do I turn?

Today's Ask Garmin question comes from Dennis, who says: "I have a heart condition, and my wife and I like to travel in the Midwest. My wife wants to have an automotive GPS that will tell us where the nearest hospital is located. What options do you have available?"

The good news Dennis, is that Garmin has a lot of options that fit your needs. Our newly announced nüvi 700-series devices all boast the "Where Am I?" feature, that displays a driver's latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations. And for hands-free navigation, nüvi 800 series also displays these important locations when a driver speaks the phrase, "Where Am I?"

In addition to these powerful navigators, each nüvi 2x5 device also includes this popular feature. And don't forget, drivers can easily reference hospital locations on any automotive device by tapping the "points of interest" button, and then "hospitals." Thanks for writing in, Dennis, and enjoy your travels!

Peg’s Posts: Seen at Sea Otter—racing, Gary Fisher and wild life

Yesterday we wrapped up our fourth day at the Sea Otter Classic cycling show. There was plenty of action around the Laguna Seca Raceway on the final days. I managed to slip away from our booth to get some photos of the men’s short-track cross country race, dual slalom qualifying and the elite women’s road race. Our booth had a steady stream of customers eager for a hands-on trial of the new Edge 605 and 705 bike computers with built-in mapping. The well-traveled Garmin Jeep, decked out with a variety of Garmin units, was a popular destination for show-goers. We also got the thumbs up for our booth banners displaying Garmin’s sponsorship of Slipstream. Best of luck to the team in their performance at Tour of Georgia and congrats to Tyler Farrar, who stands 4th overall after stage 1. Follow the jump for pics from the lighter side of Sea Otter Classic.

 

And the winner is . . .

Phantom! Thousands of Garmin Garage fans voted for our commemorative one-millionth icon and now we’re ready to release Phantom into the wild. It was a runaway victory since the day the polls opened with this sleek, shiny icon taking an early lead and never looking back. We think Phantom will look great guiding you down the road and you navigate with ease. So swing by the Garmin Garage today to download Phantom and take a look around to see what’s new. We’ve got a lot planned in the next month or so and we think you’ll be excited by what you see! Thanks again to all of our voters!

Peg’s Posts: Garmin loves its customers, they love their Garmins

One of the greatest parts of my job is attending events like Sea Otter and talking to our customers. Hearing their stories about how they’re using our devices to give their training an edge, pace themselves for their next race or bike their way across the U.S. for a cause. Here’s a look at just a few of the customers I talked to at the show. Cathy visited our booth on the first day of the show. She just came by to tell us how much she loves her Forerunner 305, which she uses for running and cycling. Her husband said she essentially won’t run without it, and when the time came to purchase a GPS for their car, Cathy said she’d settle for nothing less than a Garmin. She also heaped praise on Garmin’s tech support for our online analysis site, MotionBased.

Here’s Matt, from Sacramento, who’ll be racing in today’s single-speed cross country race. He came by to get the course downloaded to his Edge 305. Check out the course maps Garmin created for all of the Sea Otter events, which gives athletes the chance to preview the route and see detailed course metrics online, then download to their Edge or Forerunner for course points and real-time pacing during the event. Next is Lisa, from Redlands who, along with her Edge 305, won the short-track event on Friday. Way to go Linda! Saving the best for last, you’ve gotta hear about Chris from Ventura, California.

Forerunner 405 is Boston's best buy

Yes, you asked for it, and we're delivering it.  On the running world's biggest stage no less. In anticipation of the Boston Marathon, the granddaddy of distance running, we started selling the highly anticipated Forerunner 405 fitness watch at the Boston Marathon Expo.  The response has been overwhelming. Before the Boston Marathon even begins, we're going to deplete the stockpile we brought to Beantown. And why not? The Forerunner 405 has all of the GPS-enabled features of its predecessors and adds wireless download, a touch-sensitive bezel, unit-to-unit data transfer and the HotFix feature that quickly locks on satellite signals. But don't sweat it - we're bringing the Forerunner 405 to a running shop or outdoor retailer near you. And keep watching our blog for feature-specific tutorials focused on the Forerunner 405 and other products.

Jake's Journal: When in doubt, let it ride

All muscles are not created equal. That's the only way that I can explain my showing this morning at Bicycling Magazine's group ride. Well, that and the disclaimer that I'm a recreational runner who enjoys trying new things. Like cross-country skiing. And geocaching. And road biking on the hills of coastal California with some of the industry's best cyclists. Fortunately, I forfeited any inhibitions - and pride - long ago.

Even with the sweet ride I borrowed - a SuperSix from Cannondale (thanks for the loaner, Bill) - my legs weren't what I would have expected. Ask any triathlete or duathlete, and they'll tell you that you use completely different parts of your legs for cycling and running. And that's the logic I'm sticking to after dragging my deadweight up a neverending hill along the 17-mile Drive. And that's another thing, notice the capital "D" on Drive? Somehow our tour of 17-mile Drive resulted in a 30-mile ride. It's equations like that that push kids away from math. All in all, though, it was a wonderful outing. Peg and I had a blast hanging out with - and keeping up with - the group. The Edge 705 charted our progress perfectly, and my Forerunner 405 was the perfect training partner. And a huge thanks goes out to Steve (pictured above) from Bicycling for sticking with a longtime runner and helping him find his way on wheels. Now where was Steve when I tried skiing?

Peg’s Posts: Spinning our wheels with Bicycling Magazine

It’s day two of the Sea Otter Classic bike show and it promises to be a jam-packed day of racing. Jake and I started our day with a 30-mile road bike ride with Bicycling Magazine and their media guests. Our route took us through some beautiful scapes along the Monterey Peninsula and Pacific Grove. It was a great chance to test our new Edge 705 units with color mapping, elevation, speed, distance, heart rate—the works. Also a chance to try out some top-of-the-line bikes. I was lucky enough to get a loaner Ruby S-Works bike from Specialized. Talk about one smooth ride. Thanks to Allie from Specialized for setting me up! Specialized has put a ton of research and effort into designing women’s frames bikes, and it shows. Now it’s time for Jake and I to refuel and then meet up with our colleagues at the Garmin tent. I’ll be here for two more days of cycling action, so watch for more pics and stories to come.

Jake's Journal: California Caching

  Maybe it's because I spent last weekend driving through snow flurries. Or it might be that I knew I was dodging midwestern hailstorms. Or it could be that I was just giddy in anticipation of my first Sea Otter Classic. Whatever the reason, I was feeling adventurous and generous on a sunny day in California. So Peg and I went geocaching with our colleague Brandi and a Colorado 400t, and we left behind a few surprises: a limited-edition Garmin geocoin and another coin given to me by Brad the Engineer. Happy hunting, and be sure to send us a note if you find the cache and the stash. Also - if you can't view the video below, it can be found here.

Sea Otter Classic Shifts into High Gear

It's Day 1 at Sea Otter Classic, and Peg, Jake and the team are off to a great start. The Garmin Jeep, decked out with hands-on devices on display, made the voyage from Kansas to California to be the centerpiece of our tent. Then there's the larger-than-life banner celebrating our sponsorship of Slipstream's elite cycling team. And the Edge 705s that we're selling are quickly filling up people's wish lists. With the number of people stopping by the booth, it's easy to forget that this is just the beginning, typically the slowest day of the Sea Otter spectacle. Think Lollapalooza meets state fair with a little Olympics thrown in - all on two wheels. Look for updates from Jake and Peg, and let us know if there's anything you want us to check out. And if you're coming to Sea Otter and planning to do some rides, stop by and have the guys from Garmin Connect/MotionBased download the courses for free.

Roger's Runway: Flying Glass with Quartz Mountain

Last week at Sun 'n Fun, Garmin announced the latest edition to the integrated glass cockpit - the G950 avionics suite. The first company to select this newest family member is Quartz Mountain Aerospace for their 11E. Many of you are probably wondering what the difference is between this new suite and the G1000 system. Well, the G950 shares many features of its big brother G1000; it uses the same displays, has the same weather ability, and the same terrain and obstacle data. The G950 even has the ability to display the Garmin SafeTaxi and FliteCharts. The biggest difference between the two is that the G950 does not come with the GFC 700 autopilot. That being said, the G950 is a good fit for OEM customers that desire to have G1000 capability but are willing to do the certification on their own. I got a chance to see the 11E at Sun 'n Fun, and I can definitely say that the G950 will be a good fit for this airplane.

Engadget, Readers Choose nüvi 770 as Best of 2007

We're excited to announce that nüvi 770 just added another trophy to the Garmin collection. Already honored by National Geographic Adventure Magazine as 2008 Best of Adventure Gear, the nüvi 770 pulled off a sweep in the 2007 Engadget Awards. The readers voted, the editors debated, and both groups selected nüvi 770 as the GPS Device of the Year. Click here to see the other winners.

The nüvi 770 has preloaded maps for North America and Europe, a widescreen display, an FM transmitter, hands-free calling, traffic alerts and more. And premium navigation capabilities, such as route planning and a handy locator, gave Engadget's readers and editors even more reasons to cast their votes.

Chicago Store: Harbor hoopla

For the mariners here in Chicago, today is more than just the day their taxes must be filed with the IRS. The 15th of April also signifies the unofficial start of boating season for the Windy City crowd. Most of the major harbors here in Chicago are owned and controlled by the Chicago Park District, and they are not open year-round. So while the "Official" opening of the Harbors isn't until May 1, the Park district allows many boaters to access their slips starting April 15. There are four major harbors near the Garmin store on Michigan Avenue: Monroe Harbor, DuSable Harbor, Diversey Harbor, and Belmont Harbor. Those of you familiar with the former Meigs Field may remember DuSable Harbor, which sits between the former lakefront airport and Lakeshore Drive. With all of the harbors and breakwaters around the Chicago shores, a high-tech Garmin Chartplotter - such as the new GPSMAP 5215 - will certainly help you find your way. For those of you without charting for Lake Michigan, grab region 2US016R in either regular Bluechart format or on a pre-loaded G2 card, and you'll be navigating in no time. If you need a Garmin datacard loaded or need to update your pre-loaded chartplotter, we have the capability to do that right in the store. If you're in the area and would like to have this done, give us a call here at the store and we'll be happy to assist. Happy Boating!
   

Eager Cyclists on Edge of Their Seats

Cyclists of every genre will convene this week at Sea Otter Classic in California, many of them with Edges strapped to their bars. And as the Edge 705 and Edge 605 make their way onto store shelves and bicycles around the world, positive reviews have been pouring in. The latest comes from bikeradar.com, which starts off by saying straight out, "The Garmin Edge 705 has been probably the most eagerly anticipated new widget of the last six months among bike-riding gadget fans."

Other highlights: "Key features for bike riders include the ability to plan, upload and follow a route; record a route and download it to a computer; and to set a destination and get directions as you ride."

"There's a lot to absorb to get beyond the basics of the Edge 705 ... but Garmin has done a great job of keeping things clear and easy to find." And finally, "The workout function lets you, for example, set a time and distance for a ride, or specific portions of it, and see how you are doing against your target, which should appeal to time trialists."

Ask Garmin: Forerunner 405 or Forerunner 305

Anticipating the release of the Forerunner 405 at the Boston Marathon, an e-mailer asks "What's the difference between the Garmin Forerunner 305 and 405?" Aside from the specs on our "click-and-compare" table, the two biggest differences with the 405 are the innovative touch bezel and the wireless data transfer. The touch-sensitive bezel controls the bulk of the functions while making the 405 look more like an everyday watch. The wireless transfer is easy to use when sharing data unit-to-unit, and any new data automatically downloads when you're within range of your PC's ANT receiver.

Available in a multi-sport bundle that maximizes its potential for duathletes and triathletes, the Forerunner 305's power, versatility and reliability have made it a must-have training tool. So it's hard to go wrong. Runner's World UK discusses some of the differences in their thorough 405 review, and Robin Adams, a New York sports anchor and fitness nut, just blogged about using a Forerunner in marathon training and said "Garmin is the way to go!"

Photographers focus on GPSMAP 60CSx

As the days get longer and warmer, outdoor enthusiasts are hitting the trails and planning summer adventures. And whether you're hiking, climbing, running, cycling, boating or geocaching, there's a Garmin device perfect for your excursion. The recently released Colorado series has been dominating the discussion lately, but don't forget about the GPSMAP family. Before the Colorado 400t came on the scene, the GPSMAP 60CSx set the standard for excellence in outdoor handhelds.

"As soon as you hold the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx you are aware of the fact that it is a high quality product," writes Dennis Hissink in his review for PMA, an international group of photography experts. "The waterproof and shockproof housing not only feels solid but also has a perfect hand-fit." And if anyone can offer credible praise for the display on the 60CSx, it would be these well-trained eyes: "The large 1.5 inch x 2.2 inch TFT monitor stands out and is a 256 colour high resolution reflective colour monitor."

Click here for a comparison of the GPSMAP 60CSx and the Colorado 400t, choose the one that's best for you - and then head to the great outdoors!

Sun 'n Fun and WAAS Ride Along

Sun 'n Fun has come and gone and it was a great show for us. At times, it felt like the entire state of Florida was there to see what we had to offer. Of course, everyone wanted a demo of the G1000's new Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT), and can you blame them? One glance at the G1000's SVT 3D terrain, traffic and obstacles will make any pilot drool.  The really great thing about SVT is that it's retrofittable, so any G1000 pilot will have a chance to fly with SVT in the future. Those not flying with the G1000 yet are likely flying with the GNS 430/530, and we received numerous questions at Sun 'n Fun about the benefits of making the 430/530 WAAS compatible. Flying magazine recently published an article on WAAS, and it's great reading for those who want to get up to speed. For those who want the super short, cliff notes version of WAAS, you can watch two of our newest WAAS commercials (and then visit Flying's site to get the details).

Sounds of Sun 'n Fun

The Sun 'n Fun fly-in is still going strong and will be throughout the weekend. Our booth is packed to capacity as attendees learn which of our products are best for them. For those that have never been to Sun 'n Fun but plan to visit us this weekend in Lakeland, Florida, don't forget that we do portable software updates at the show for FREE! Yep, I said free. Just bring your portable aviation device (not panel mount cards) with you to our booth and we'll do a software update on the spot. The software update will only take a few minutes and it will help keep your portable GPS in top shape. While you're at our booth doing the software update, you might also hear some of our commercials over the airways. Here's are two more WAAS radio commercials for your listening pleasure.

Peg’s Posts: Gearing up for Sea Otter Classic.

Next week, Jake and I will be at the Sea Otter Classic cycling extravaganza in beautiful Monterey, California. This show packs 10,000 athletes and 50,000 fans onto the Laguna Seca Raceway venue for four days of nonstop 2-wheeled action. If you’re among the throng of cyclists and fans, stop by the Garmin booth to say hi and check out the new Edge 605 and 705. The 705 is the first bike computer to give cyclists GPS positioning, maps, altitude and wireless speed, cadence, heart rate and optional power—all on one display. We’ll also let you get your hands on the new Forerunner 405 with the sleek touch bezel that lets you select features with just a tap or a scroll. As we’re wrapping up in Monterey, another team from Garmin will be hitting the streets of Beantown for the 405’s debut at the Boston Marathon. Tune in next week for more from Monterey.
 

Sadler qualifies second for Phoenix race

The excitement is high for the No. 19 Best Buy Racing team as they gear up for tomorrow's race in Phoenix. Driver Elliott Sadler and the No. 19 Stanley Tools Dodge qualified in second place for the Subway Fresh Fit 500, just outside the pole with a lap of 263.984. Cup drivers will take on the flat-one mile oval of Phoenix International Raceway this weekend, and the team says PIR is the perfect place to get the point battle back on track. Elliott is currently in 20th place in Drivers Points standings, 163 points behind the 12th position. Tune in Saturday night at 8 pm ET to catch all the action.

And although Elliott will be turning up the heat in the orange, yellow and red-flame Stanley Tools paint scheme tomorrow, here's a first look at the No. 19 Garmin paint scheme that will debut at next weekend's Talladega race!

Jake's Journal: Forerunner 405 Tips and Tricks

I grew up surrounded by teachers - both parents, my sister, aunts, uncles, friends' parents, even my grandma, who turns 90 on Saturday. I grew up not knowing that anyone worked during the summer. (I'm still not a big fan of the idea.) So I'm excited to get the chance to spread the word about the many features and functions of the highly anticipated Forerunner 405. The first tutorial video, shown below, will get you started on your first run. More quick clips will follow and focus on key features of the Forerunner 405, which will make its debut at the Boston Marathon. We'll also be covering other Garmin products, so send us an e-mail and tell us which lessons you'd like to see come to life.

Every Vote Counts

Although the polls have been open for a little more than a day, we’ve already heard from thousands of Garmin Garage fans. If you haven’t already voted, be sure to stop by our Garmin Garage voting page to cast your vote for our one-millionth icon. So far, the car seems to have taken a sizable lead . . . but we’ve still got almost a week to go!  After you’ve voted, you may want think about what you’d like to see next in the Garmin Garage. We’ve been so busy working on vehicle icons lately; we haven’t had much time to consider what we’ll build next. So start thinking and keep stopping by the Garmin Garage – we might just swing the shop doors wide open and ask for your designs!  Stay tuned – things are really starting to pick up speed around here! 

New commercials hit the airwaves

Here's a first look at some of our brand new WAAS aviation commercials that have just taken off. Have a look and let us know what you think. And be sure to stop by often because there's more to come!

Roger's Runway: Flying through the announcements

This has already been a busy week for Garmin at Sun 'n Fun. As you may have heard, so far we have announced the G1000 with SVT, the G950 with launch customer Quartz Aerospace, and enhancements to the GMX 200. Sun 'n Fun is also the first public showing of the GPSMAP 495. Since many of you go to shows like Sun 'n Fun to do some shopping, let me tell you about these enhancements that are being done to the GMX 200 and help you start an upgrade to your panel. All new GMX 200’s delivered after April 7, will come with FliteCharts and SafeTaxi at no additional charge. With FliteCharts loaded to your GMX 200 you now can go paperless in the cockpit because the GMX 200 classifies as a Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag. With the addition of SafeTaxi to the GMX 200, taxiing at airports just got safer. Having used SafeTaxi at airports like Chicago’s Midway and Wichita’s Mid-Continent airports, it is worth it's weight in gold. Also if you want to make updating easier, you can order a second card at a reduced cost. For those of you that already have the GMX 200, but do not have FliteCharts and SafeTaxi, you can still add them to your unit. Just get in touch with a Garmin authorized dealer and they can order the upgrade for you. 

One Million and Counting . . .

We need your help! The Garmin Garage opened in late November and since that time more than one million free vehicle icons have been downloaded. So we’re giving you the chance to help choose which icon will represent our one-millionth download. Voting is easy – simply head over to the Garmin Garage and take your pick. The polls are open for a week. After that, we’ll announce the winning icon. Thanks again for all of your support – we couldn’t have done it without you. And be sure to stop by the Garmin Garage often . . . we’re working on a lot of great new vehicles and we've been so busy, we may need your help again!

On the Radio at Sun 'n Fun

We're having fun in the sun here in Lakeland, Florida, and have made several announcements you should know about -- if you don't already. On Monday, we announced Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) certification and enhancements to the GMX 200 that include SafeTaxi and FliteCharts.  On Tuesday, we announced the G950 and Quartz Mountain Aerospace is the first OEM to select this new cockpit. And of course, you can't forget about the WAAS announcements we made earlier that are sweeping through general aviation. Here are two of our newest WAAS radio spots that just began airing at Sun 'n Fun.

Two spots below. #1 = Alien UFO #2 = Can Opener

Wherigo Geocoin Contest Enters Final Week

TeacherMike continues to impress us with his Wherigo cartridges, and the latest entry from the Week 3 runner-up was awarded the top prize in Week 5. Mike's persistence serves as a lesson for everyone hoping to win a limited-edition Colorado/Wherigo geocoin in the final week of competition. In the spirit of Monday night's NCAA championship thriller, we're expecting everyone to give it their best shot as time expires in our Wherigo contest.

The challenge in "My Dog Goes Where I Go or Help Find Rex" is to help a boy find his lost dog. "This cartridge takes you around the campus of the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL," Mike says. "This one addes a timer at one point, multiple choice answers, and the use of the inventory."

Let the Sun 'n Fun begin

This stunning picture has made a name for itself as one of the most frequently asked about photos on the Garmin home page. Pilots and Garmin avionics fans from near and far have written in wondering where this scenic runway is located in hopes of making it their next destination.

But before we fill you in on the details, we want to hear from you! And since today kicked off this year's Sun 'n Fun avionics show in Lakeland, FL, what better way to start a week of flying fun than to have a giveaway?

If you think you've got it figured out, be one of the first to send the Garmin Blog crew a note with the correct answer and we'll send you some cool Garmin schwag! Good luck and keep checking back for more updates from the show.

Biking and hiking: Colorado 400t does double duty

The Colorado 400t has been receiving a lot of praise lately, but you don't have to take our word for it. Check out what others are saying about this popular portable...

In an in-depth review of the 400t, the crew at GPS Lodge says it's,"rugged enough for the trails, and not a bad choice for my bike touring and riding either, where I want some basic navigation too. The ease of use, and wireless features combined with the ability to get heart rate monitor information makes it a great choice for me as an all around device." If you're still not convinced, check out what the Geeks to Go had to say when they went outside and played with the 400t, and of course you can visit our minisite for an interactive view of the entire Garmin Colorado series.

Ask Garmin: Who’s right? Forerunner or the race course?

A Forerunner customer who recently ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8k in Chicago asked us why the distance shown on her Forerunner varied from the official race distance of 5 miles … or 4.9709695379 if you want to be ultra precise. If the distance shown on your Forerunner is slightly more than the official race distance, it just means you weren’t cutting corners—quite literally. According to the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) course measurement guidelines (pg. 20), a road race course is defined by the shortest possible route a runner could take without being disqualified. For most races, a certified measurer rides the course on a bike, staying near the curb and taking every available tangent. This ensures that all runners will run at least the declared race distance. After the race, if Forerunner shows that you ran a little farther, this just accounts for extra steps you took to run around others participants, hit a water stop or stay to the middle or outside lane.