Holiday flare around the track

There will be an extra touch of holiday flare around the 1.5 mile oval track of the Texas Motor Speedway during Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup series event. With only three races left in the season, Garmin has teamed up with the Richard Petty Driving Experience and driver Chad McCumbee, for the Dickies 500, where the Garmin logo will be featured prominently on the back side panels. The No. 45 Dodge will be decorated with a red bow (pictured left), reminding fans that it's never too early to start their holiday shopping!

Garmin sponsored driver Elliott Sadler and the No. 19 Best Buy Dodge will also be on the track this weekend in the Stanley Tools paint scheme. Elliott is currently 22nd in driver's points standings. We with both race crews the best of luck this weekend!

See Ryan Hall, Deena Kastor and Constantina Tomescu-Dita in NYC

We mentioned earlier in the week that we had a few good reasons for folks to stop by the Garmin booth at this weekend’s New York City Marathon expo. Ryan, Deena and Constantina will be signing autographs and talking to fans Saturday in the Asics and Garmin booths. These three amazing athletes were up against the world’s fastest marathoners this summer in Beijing, where Constantina of Romania came away with gold in the women’s competition. Another thing these Asics athletes have in common—they’ve all trained with the Garmin Forerunner 405. I’m counting on fellow blogger Jake—who’ll be at the Garmin booth and then running on Sunday—to find out what the pros like best about the 405. I have some hunches.

Garmin Hits Lauderdale

Things are underway here in sunny Ft. Lauderdale! The show started in the yachting hub of the universe at 10 this morning and has been busy ever since. The GPSMAP 640 is on display and has created quite the buzz with its intuitive automotive and marine operating systems. This all-in-one navigator is unique to the market as it operates as a true nuvi by land, and a dedicated chartplotter by sea. Of course many folks are stopping by the booth to see our huge, ultra-bright touchscreen GPSMAP 4000 and GPSMAP 5000 chartplotters with networking capabilities, and intrigued with the enhancement the BlueChart g2 Vision card brings to the screen.

Outside of the electronics tent, Garmin gear can be found around the piers. We walked one pier this morning, and found Garmin 5212s and 5215s on seven different vessels – the Maritimo c60, Queenship 60, Island Pilot and Sabre 42 just to name a few. To top things off, we spent some time aboard the Queenship 60, who in addition to two 5212s, comes equipped with the GHP 10 Autopilot System. If you're in the neighborhood, come see us!

See it on the BIG screen with a GPSMAP 696

Imagine this. You're at a surprise party waiting for someone to walk into the room so you can yell, "Surprise!" If the person is really and truly surprised, it's a great moment. It makes you smile. And today, we're having a similar moment with the aviation community. So, for all of our pilot friends -- Surprise! We now have two new aviation portables, the GPSMAP 695 and 696. We know this news may come as a shock because we historically announce aviation handhelds in the summer; however, the 695 and 696 are so amazing that we want pilots to be able to add them to their '08 holiday wish list or even trick-or-treat list.

The GPSMAP 695 and 696 are clean-sheet devices that take aviation portables to the next level. They have a gigantic, 7-inch portrait screen where you can display information like airways, electronic charts and weather. One of the many new features is an IFR map mode that displays a chart similar to standard enroute charts. The IFR map mode shows all the important features -- such as victor airways, jet routes, MEAs and leg distances -- and we've gone the extra mile by adding major visual reference points like rivers, state boundards, highways and railroad tracks. Another key feature is Garmin FliteCharts that lets you see an entire approach plate on the 696's display. FliteCharts will tempt you to reduce the amount of paper in the cockpit, which is OK if you use the charts in accordance with AC91-78 since the 696 has Class I/Class II Electronic Flight Bag capability.

Jake's Journal: Ready for another contest

The question I've been asked the most this week is "Are you ready?" As far as I know, yes. But to be fair, this is the first time I've run two marathons in a two-week span, with the New York City marathon coming up Sunday. Of course, this is the first time I've run two marathons in a calendar year. And yet it seemed like a good idea to stack my second and third marathons ever within a short time period. If I've already trained for one, I figure, why not cross two off my list. One of my friends here at work, who just did the Marine Corps Marathon, has two more 26-mile training runs planned before doing the Goofy challenge at Disney (a half and a full on consecutive days). So I know there are plenty of people who can do it. I just didn't know if I was in that group.

So I ran with my Forerunner 405, updated my software, listened to my Virtual Partner, shared training tales with Peg and chronicled my miles on Garmin Connect. Train, taper, race and repeat. And for you, another chance to win free Garmin gear: What will my time be in Sunday's New York City Marathon? Enter in the comments below, with appropriate coaching or smack talk, and we'll announce winners next week.

Autopilot now shipping and on display at FLIBS!

The Garmin crew is migrating south this week where you'll find us proudly displaying our impressive line of marine electronics at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Oct. 30-Nov. 3. While others are trick-or-treating for Halloween this weekend, we'll be showing off some treats of our own at the world's largest boat show... including the GWS 10 wind sensor, the GPSMAP 640 and VHF radios just to name a few. We also announced today, that our GHP 10 Autopilot is now shipping, and are excited to show it off at the booth as well. The show is open to the public, so if you're in the area, stop by and see us - we're in the electronics tent at Bahia Mar, booth #1305. Once things get kicked off tomorrow, stay tuned for more scenes from the show!

Chicago Store: GPS treats

It's almost Halloween and everyone’s getting ready to have a sweet holiday weekend. And in the spirit of Halloween, the Garmin store has a few treats in place for our customers, too. Now until Friday, customers can still get a Fishfinder 400C with the $50 rebate! In addition, the Astro DC 30 rebate was extended until the end of the year, so if you're looking to get the DC 30 (for yourself, or maybe as a gift for your favorite hunter) and already have a DC 20; hurry in while the rebate still stands. In addition to these, there are also a lot of great gift ideas at the store for any of you pre-holiday shoppers looking to avoid the long lines that will be starting in a few weeks. And, as another treat, we will be offering FREE open training seminars at the Garmin store starting soon, so keep your eyes on the store’s site for more details. Until next week, have a great holiday weekend and stay safe!

-Garmin Guru

Meet Ryan Hall at the New York City Marathon expo

We hate to name-drop, but when a guy like Ryan Hall is going to be next door, we can’t let that go unannounced. This weekend, thousands of runners will be in New York City for one of the most popular marathons in the world. If you’re among the lucky ones there for the big race, head to the packet pickup and expo and you just might get to meet Ryan and other famous athletes who train with our Forerunner 405. He’ll be signing autographs on Saturday, 3 - 4:15 p.m. in the Asics area adjoining the Garmin, booth (#332). Ryan is currently the American record-holder in the half marathon with a time of 59:43. This record-setting time paved the way for his marathon debut. Last year in New York, he awed the crowds with his 2:09:02 in the Olympic trials, earning him a trip to Beijing this past August. For more insight on this gifted runner who credits much of his success to a higher power, read "The Power and the Glory" from the September issue of Runner’s World. Stay tuned to the Garmin blog for updates on other athletes to watch for in NYC. For those who aren’t making the trip, you can still experience a piece of this race’s history. The film “Run for your Life”, on Fred Lebow, founding father of the NYC marathon, debuts in select theatres and is available on DVD today.

Garmin Garage: Meet Dr. Nightmare

Greetings ghouls, ghosts, goblins and all other Garmin Garage fans. We've got a new visitor around the Garmin Garage and his name is Dr. Nightmare. He's not your typical vehicle icon - in fact - he's not an icon at all. He's a voice bundle that's ready to put some spook in your commute. So instead of your typical voice prompts, you'll have a new co-pilot to lead you down the road. Dr. Nightmare is the perfect companion for our Boo! Bundle and he arrived just in time for Halloween. Stop by the Garmin Garage and grab Dr. Nightmare today . . . especially before the sun sets. The sooner we can get him outta the Garmin Garage, the better - he's been creeping us out all week long. Just make sure you have a compatible unit and you'll be ready to haunt your way down the highway. And if you want a sneak preview, click on the player below. But beware . . . Dr. Nightmare seems to have a mind of his own - and we're not even sure if it's his!

Garmin marathoners run around the globe

‘Tis the season for marathons and Garmin runners have been making their mark at several top races. Yesterday, 30,000 runners took park in the 33rd annual Marine Corps Marathon through our nation’s capitol. Among those were a couple of Garmin associates who train and race with our Forerunner devices. Adam finished MCM with a time of 3:10:40, earning him a spot in the granddaddy of all marathons — Boston. Another Garmin associate, Kaye, set a PR at MCM with a time of 3:39:20, placing second in her age group. Kaye is a seasoned marathoner who’d previously qualified for Boston and will be running that one with her speedy spouse and youngest son. But Boston’s a whole six months away, so to the keep their training fresh, this fast family will be doing the Goofy Challenge in January—a half marathon followed by the full Disney marathon the next day.

nüvi 785T tested through and through

We know you've been waiting anxiously for the crew at GPS Magazine to post their review of the newest addition to the nuvi family - the nüvi 785T - with lane assist, Bluetooth and MSN Direct content. Well folks, wait no further! On Friday their thorough 17-page review was posted, claiming the 785T to be "inches closer to navigation perfection." From what's in the box to finding a restaurant, to traffic information and Bluetooth, this review covers it all, and gave this navigator 4 out of 5 stars. "Garmin's new 7x5T series is peerless in terms of ease of use, feature set, reliability, and hardware quality." Check out the full review for the rest of the scoop, and watch the video walkthrough for a closer look!

Get Your Garmin Fix

Around the Garmin blog, we’re always looking for ways to get our word out. In 2006, we tried skywriting our URL across the entire U.S. While we did enjoy limited success throughout parts of northern Montana, we didn’t get the results we were hoping for.  In 2007, we thought we figured it out when we rented hundreds of Clown-a-grams® to blanket the states. Again – mixed results. But now we think we might be on to something. After a bit of coding and some switch flipping, we’re pleased to announce our ‘Subscribe Via Email’ option. Located in the upper left-hand corner of the blog, this new functionality will deliver a daily dose of blog posts directly to your inbox. It’s quick. It’s easy. And it’s a great way to stay-in-the-know about all things Garmin-related – whether it’s a contest, an event, a new product release, or just a chance to win some more of Jake's stuff.

Of course, you can also subscribe to our RSS feed.  And if you’re not sure what an RSS feed is, we’ve included a quick video below from the good people over at Google. You can subscribe to the entire blog – or just individual feeds listed in the ‘categories’ section on the left. So however you choose to subscribe – RSS or email – you’ll get the freshest content available! Sign up today and put the Internet to work for you!

You're invited to Team Garmin's training camp

If you haven't been watching Team Garmin's blog this week, you're missing out. Among the highlights are a party for the argyle ages, cheers for the 2009 route through France, VeloNews' cover story on Christian and a trick-or-treater's goal to be Trent Lowe.

We'll start with the big news: You're invited to join the cyclists, staff and sponsors of Team Garmin and the rest of the Slipstream squad Sat. Nov. 22 at their training camp. As if you needed more reasons to spend a Saturday night in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, you'll get to party with the team and witness the unveiling of the 2009 roster. Enjoy an exclusive preview of the Sundance Channel documentary on our breakout 2008 season. Celebrate the team time trial win at the Giro d’Italia, the 4th place finish in Paris-Roubaix, the overall win at the Tour of Missouri and the epic 5th place finish in our first Tour de France. And at the end of the evening, we will raffle off one complete 2008 team edition Felt F1 road bike. That alone is worth the $25 cost of admission. Click here for details and reserve your spot today!

Cycle for Heart and Team Garmin ride for real causes

Today is gray, cloudy and cold. Knowing I wouldn’t venture out on the bike today and likely not tomorrow, I sweated through an invigorating early morning spin class at the YMCA. After my comfortable, climate-controlled workout, I thought about Chris Figureida, a cyclist I met several months ago who’s biking across the U.S., guided by a Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx. I checked the “track Chris” section his website. No rest day today. Chris has a 67-mile ride from the eastern edge of Oklahoma into Arkansas. Solo. I suddenly had an urge to go home, load up my bike, drive south ‘til I crossed Chris’s path and then bike along with him for some miles.
Read on to find out more about Chris and his mission.

Astro: It's Not Just For Pooches Anymore...

We've told you a bunch of times how the Astro GPS Dog Tracking System can change the way you hunt this fall.  But what we haven't told you is that it's also a great way to entertain the kids.  Allow us to explain.

A couple weeks back, one of your friendly blog editors met a longtime hunting buddy up in northern Minnesota for an annual ruffed grouse and woodcock hunting trip.  This was the first year that kids -- ages ranging from five to ten -- got the chance to tag along.  The hunting was tough and the birds were uncharacteristically sparse, but sharing the experience with the kiddoes made it a trip of a lifetime.

To help keep the young'uns entertained, one of the favorite games was Astro Hide and Seek, which took one of two permutations.  In one, a kid would take an DC 20 transmitter (no, not strapped to their neck, but in a fanny pack...) and get a five minute head start to hide in the woods, and the other kids would track them down.  In the other version, the dads would hide the transmitter deep in the woods, and then give the kids a certain amount of time to find it -- if they beat the buzzer, a candy bar of their choice awaited them.

What's the point of all this?  Well, with the hunting season upon us, there may be some hunting dog owners out there who are still Astro-less.  Is the family CFO requiring a bit more justification before you spend money on hunting gear?  Try this line: it's for the kids, honey.

Nicely done, fellow hunter.  Nicely done.

Just like new: Update your Garmin software today

Free, fast and easy. Software updates guarantee you have the latest features on your Garmin device. And you don't have to be a technician or take a day off work to get it done. Our engineers and testers put our devices through some of the most rigorous conditions known to man. But sometimes it's the little things that can make an amazing device even better. That's why our teams take customer feedback to heart and offer solutions through free software updates at Garmin.com.

Simply find your product, click on Updates & Downloads and follow the simple instructions. To see an online demo on updating your Forerunner 405, click here for our YouTube videos. As Peg wrote in last week's blog post before the KC marathon, updating your software could mean the difference between being ready to start the race when the gun fires ... or having to wait for your watch to wake up. And for outdoor enthusiasts, the newest updates offer your Oregon or Colorado several enhancements that we've detailed below.

Cockpit Management Made Easy

With the seasons changing and winter on the way, you can pretty much expect lowering ceilings and IMC weather.  That means a variety of approach charts, low enroute charts, and printed weather charts.  This is normally a lot of clutter for the cockpit, but one thing that I think has really helped with cockpit management is electronic versions of charts on a Garmin Multi-Function display.  Anything from the GMX 200 to the G1000 can really lower the work load by displaying either FliteChart or ChartVeiw approach charts.  Electronic charts coupled with the weather displays makes navigating the seasonal conditions a lot less messy. 

Jake's Journal: A marathon with many winners

Ideal weather, a patient and persistent training partner, tons of support from every direction and the ultimate running watch on my wrist. These factors combined to make the Kansas City Marathon the best race I've done, exceeding my own expectations and most of the predictions from our fun-loving blog readers. On a brisk October morning, Garmin came through for me - technologically and psychologically. While my Forerunner 405 was tracking my time, distance and average pace through the streets of KC, many of my colleagues were pounding the pavement in the marathon, half and 5K.

Before we get to the winner of our "predict my pace" contest, I have a few thanks to dole out. To my wife, Jocelyn, who made sure I was rested, hydrated and at the starting line on time (which meant a half-hour early for her 5K). To Peg, my Hood to Coast teammates and the whole Garmin running crew, many of whom ran the half and stuck around to cheer me through the finish. To Matt, Drew and Daniel, who were there at the 16-mile mark to lie to us and say we looked good at the race's southern-most point. And to my buddy Rock, who stuck with me even when we were going too fast too early, talking too much on a course with too many hills and jeopardizing our shot at personal bests.

Garmin Garage: Boo! Bundle

Beware the things that go bump in the night! They've found their way to a nüvi near your just in time for Halloween. Introducing the Boo! Bundle - our newest addition to the Garmin Garage. It's been a strange last few weeks around the place . . . we'd work all day creating vehicles for you and then head home for the evening. Each morning, we'd return and find that the shop had been disturbed. A misplaced wrench here. A light left on there. And strange noises throughout. It had us pretty concerned and poor Scooter - he's had nightmares all week. Well, it finally made sense today when the Boo! Bundle showed up. And it looks like the trick was on us and the treat is for you! Now there are now 6 new additions to the Garmin Garage and we're happy to introduce: Dead End, FrankenScooter, Knuckles, Sugar Rush, Vroom Broom and Scary Scooter. Grab 'em all today and dress your nüvi, zumo, or StreetPilot up for all Hallow's Eve. And don't be scared - all of these icons are just dying to meet you! Happy Halloween from all of us at the Garmin Garage!

Race report: KC Marathon, ½ and 5k

Some 8,000 runners converged on downtown KC last Saturday to pound the streets for one of three concurrent races. Last year, Jake kindly offered to be my pace setter and companion on my first half marathon. Though I had Forerunner to mind my pace, Jake offered far more amusement and distraction with his running commentary. This year, I trained and raced with one of my Hood to Coast teammates, Amy. Another H2C teammate, Steve, decided 2 days before the race that he’d join us. Our goal: to run it in 1:45.

nüMaps Guarantee now available!

New neighborhoods are built, points of interest move and highway exits change. With the nüMaps Guarantee program, when a customer starts using their new Garmin, they can be assured that their unit will have access to the latest version of road maps.

It's easy - after you purchase your new nüvi or zumo PND, register your unit at http://my.garmin.com within 60 days of the first use. If new map data is available anytime during that 60-day period, you can request and download the new data - free of charge - by following simple online prompts.

Register today to see if you qualify for the nuMaps Guarantee!

Kansas City Marathoners: on your mark, get set … go!

Less than 17 hours ‘til Jake and I toe the starting line for the big race in downtown KC. We’ll run the first 7.5 miles with a couple of our Hood to Coast teammates and training partners, Amy and Steve. Then our threesome will let Jake pound out his remaining 18.7 miles with the marathon crowd while we take the “shortcut” for the half marathon. As I was charging my Forerunner 405 today and making sure I had the latest software, I thought of a couple tips that could come in handy on race day or your next training run. For more tips, check out our series of quick training videos.

Forerunner 405 on YouTube, at KC Marathon

The Forerunner 405 is getting a hometown hero's reception this weekend during the Kansas City marathon, half and 5K. The GPS-enabled features, the touch bezel and the automatic, wireless data transfer are being praised by elite athletes and joggers alike as everyone learns more about Garmin's top-tier sport watch.

To help promote the learning spirit, we're taking our Forerunner 405 training videos to the masses. These feature-specific online tutorials are great for people getting to know their Forerunner, making last-minute preparations for a race or doing early shopping for the holidays. And now you can find more of them on YouTube, including a tutorial on the touch bezel and how to charge your 405.

And if you want to take part in our latest blog contest, you can predict Jake's KC marathon time. Click this link and take a guess in the comments, and you could win a Team Garmin shirt and a limited-edition Oregon geocoin.

An in-depth look at Garmin sonar

A few weeks ago we showed you a video that highlighted some sonar basics, and as promised, we have cued up a couple more videos with an in-depth look at the detailed data a sonar module can add to your compatible Garmin chartplotter over the the Garmin Marine Network. Powerful and ready to work for you, the GSD 22 is a dual frequency, ultra scroll digital remote sonar with ultra-fast refresh rates and deep water performance. If you've already got a sonar box set up in your boat, or - if you're interested in seeing what a Garmin sounder can do for you, watch the video below to learn more. We still have a few more of these videos in the can - and if there's something on (or something you're considering putting on) your boat that you'd like to learn more about, let us know -- and we'll do our best to show you the ropes!

Jake's Journal: My pain is your gain

Here's another chance to win free stuff. Last year, when you were asked to predict my time in the Chicago Marathon, one lucky winner walked away with a Garmin goodie bag. When I line up in downtown Kansas City on Saturday morning, I'll be putting months (or at least weeks) of training to the test. All you have to do is ponder a few seconds and take a wild guess.

What will my time be in the KC marathon? If you have the best prediction in the comments below, you'll win an autographed Team Garmin shirt* and a limited-edition Oregon geocoin. Some factors to consider: 1) My time last year in Chicago was 3:49. 2) This year's 21-mile training run was at an 8-minute pace. 3) Mile No. 20 was not fun. In either instance. 4) I have a pacing partner who has run two previous marathons, one in 3:35. 5) I have a Virtual Partner on my Forerunner 405 who can run whatever pace I tell him. For more hints, find me in the Garmin booth Friday at the Expo or follow my Twitter updates (I may take a break when I'm actually running).

*The fine print: Because Team Garmin is spread out over the world right now, the only autograph will be mine. You can choose to decline the autograph. Saturday's race begins at a brisk 7 a.m. CST, so you have until then to enter. Good luck. And at least you won't be the one walking funny afterward.

Gadget gurus review new 705T series

Our newest navigators with lifetime traffic and lane assist are shipping to stores as we speak! If you'd like to learn more about the latest and greatest members of the nüvi family before you pick one up, you're in luck -- the hands-on product reviews just keep rollin' in! Today the crew at GPSTracklog posted their review of the nüvi 755T, calling it "intuitive and a joy to use." Check out the full review for a closer look at the lane assist and 3-D building view features, lifetime traffic, a whole host of screen shots and more. And stay tuned, a nüvi 785T review is on its way...

Ben and his Edge 705 explore trails around Lake Tahoe

Garmin-sponsored triathlete Ben Collins shares his training and racing experiences with the Garmin Edge 705 and Forerunner 405.

Today I arrived in Incline Village, NV. It’s a break from the monotony of PT and orthopedic visits and from doing out and back runs on the side of a completely flat bike trail in Seattle. My knee is feeling better and I’m finally starting to get back into somewhat normal training. With just 29 days left in the season, that’s a great thing. So here I am in a new town, getting ready to train by myself on uncharted roads and trails (to me). Today I went for a short spin to get the airplane out of my legs, and realized why so many people come to Lake Tahoe for a vacation. It is beautiful here! I was so captured by the sights that I alternated between being nearly hit by cars on the highway and nearly drifting off the side of the road. Later in the day I ran with my friend Courtenay Brown on part of the Xterra US National Championship course, which was way more fun than my bike trail at home. Now, if I can relearn to breathe at 6,400 feet, I’m in for a great weekend training trip.

Ask Garmin: So many favorites, so little time!

Run home, drop the dog at the vet, take your son to the dentist, stop by your in-laws, drop by the babysitter, attend a business lunch downtown and at the end of the week make time for your favorite restaurant on the opposite end of town. If this is anything like your typical week (or day for that matter), this week's Ask Garmin question is probably something you've thought about before. Janet asks: "How many favorites can I save on my nüvi 760?" If you're like Janet, and the majority of Garmin users, you've probably got a lot of places you frequent and a lot of locations you'd like to save as favorites to your device. Well, save away - almost all of the Garmin nüvi devices can store up to 500 favorites. The exception: the nüvi 5000 can hold 3000 favorites, and the nüvi 2x5 series can hold 1000.

Saving your favorites is easy and ultra convenient. Once you've entered the address or found your destination through a POI search, simply hitting "save" will store this spot as a favorite. If you've got a question like this that you would like to have answered about using your favorite Garmin device, send us an e-mail and check back here every Monday for the answer!

Furnace Creek: 508 miles by bike

It’s been nearly 6 weeks since my last great adventure with Jake and several other Garmin associates—the 197-mile Hood to Coast Relay. While we reveled in the highlights of our 24 hours of misery in good company, teammate Byron said simply “too much downtime.” We soon learned that Byron’s bucket list included another run at Furnace Creek—a punishing 508-mile nonstop bike race that swings through Death Valley. Temps can hit 110 in the day with little reprieve once night falls.

This was the third time for Byron to race the 508. By the way, he’s also done 22 marathons (many of them barefoot) and competed in Ironman. This year, Byron (or The Raven, his chosen race name for this event) and 3-man crew had Garmin devices for navigation and communication for every mile. For the bike, Byron was guided with an Edge 705 loaded with the course ridden last year by a relay team who finished in 33 hours. A nuvi in the support van helped the crew find gas and water, and a set of Rino 120s allowed rider and crew to converse and find each other. Byron: “This is a race made for a Garminized bike and pacer vehicle. It gets pretty lonely out near Badwater at 1-3 in the morning. The racer really starts to look for feedback from the exhausted crew. No need to bother them if you have the 705; it’s got everything I need plus entertainment in case I want to humor myself and find out how far the nearest Starbucks is.” Check out more photos and race reports here.

Tis' the season for travel....

If you're traveling to or through the Denver, Tampa, Orlando or Miami airports in the next couple of months, keep your eyes open for Garmin as you're walking through. Airport goers traveling through these areas are sure to catch a glimpse of our newest advertising campaign. If you're in Denver, "Give a lift. Give a Garmin" this ski season. For those wanting to arrive fashionably early in Miami, "Give a look. Give a Garmin." If Orlando is part of your travel plans, "Give a thrill. Give a Garmin." And while in Tampa, "Give a getaway. Give a Garmin" before you head to the beach for fun in the sun.

Jake's Journal: Meet me on Michigan Avenue

Josh looks confident. Jackie looks contemplative. Steph looks aggressive. Amy looks relaxed. Mathew looks professional. I look like I just realized I'm supposed to run 26.2 miles. Collectively, we are the runners you see in the Garmin store's new window banners for this weekend's Chicago Marathon festivities. My wife was understandably surprised when I was one of the six Garmin employees picked for the photo shoot. "Don't they have, you know, real models for that?" But that's how we do things at Garmin. Engineers are athletes and vice versa. Pilots do public relations. Hunters and hikers are head honchos. Boaters go from sails to sales. And a bald blogger can be larger than life on Michigan Avenue.

This weekend, the running world gathers in Chicago, and at the heart of the activity is Garmin's flagship retail store. And though all of our markets are represented among the hands-on displays and demos, the focus is on fitness as the fall marathon season hits its stride. Even Christian Vande Velde gets in on the action, and you can buy the Team Garmin jersey here at the store. And although I'm flying home tonight and not running this weekend in Chicago, I'll be here in spirit - and in the Forerunner 405 tutorial videos showing in the store's second-floor auditorium. In the comments below, let me know if you're doing Chicago and how it goes. Or tell me if you're running Kansas City or New York, and I'll keep an eye out for you. I'll be the guy who looks like he just realized....

Tales from the trails: Edge 705 leads to happy endings

Everyone loves a happy ending. We especially love them when our products play a pivotal role. Take, for example, the story sent to us from one of our friends at Backpacker and Bicycling magazines. An avid GPS enthusiast - in work and play - Mark Harrison took his Edge 705 out for a ride. He came home without it. Until, like any loyal companion, it found its way home days later. Click here for his tense tale.

Our next adventure started closer to home. Inside our building, actually. Dave Wilson is a product designer for Garmin and, like many of our employees, an avid cyclist. His first sentence says it all. "Twelve years later, finally the Leadville 100 belt buckle is all mine." If you're not familiar with this grueling mountain bike race, you have to read Dave's description below to appreciate it. If you know anything about Leadville, you've probably already skipped this sentence and jumped ahead.

Send to GPS with Microsoft Live Search

You’ve got to hand it to the smart folks in Redmond (specifically, Microsoft employees – but we’re sure everyone else in town is pretty nice, too.)  They know a thing or two about software and that’s why we’re excited to release another Send to GPS option. We’ve partnered with Microsoft for quite some time now. Their data keeps many nüvi owners in the know – providing them with traffic details, weather forecasts, movie times and more. And now, if you’re a Microsoft Live Search user, you have the ability to search and save destinations directly to your compatible Garmin GPS device. You can send your data via MSN Direct or straight from the web. In this video, we’ll show you how to find your destination online and send it to your compatible Garmin device. Follow along with Jake, our resident blog star, and see just how easy it is!

NBAA: Taking it all in

Today is the last day of a very successful NBAA Convention. According to those in charge of the show, it was a record year for attendance. I can't speak for the whole show, but the Garmin booth was definitely busy and our King Air G1000 retrofit news received lots of attention.

As I walk by booths one last time before catching a flight home,  I'm struck by two things: 1. Garmin is everywhere. Whether it's a G1000 in the cockpit or a company doing a "leave a business card and win a nuvi" give-away, the Garmin brand was on just about every aisle of the show.

2. I'm constantly amazed at how much goes into an airplane that I never think about. I mean really, when you sit on a commercial airplane, do you ever wonder about the engines and who made them?  Or how about the seats and the type of material they're made of? Unless you're in that business, I highly doubt those areas are top-of-mind when you board a flight. However, at NBAA, you can talk to experts from companies that specialize in all the parts and pieces that make airplanes what they are today -- a phenomenal way to travel around the world for business or pleasure.

Click the jump or go to Flickr to see more show pictures.

Jenna begins her training “down under”

Garmin-sponsored triathlete Jenna Shoemaker shares her training and racing experiences with the Garmin Edge 705 and Forerunner 405.

A lot has changed for me over the past few weeks. I traveled to Suixian, China (a remote county southwest of Beijing) for an Asian Cup race. I was expecting warm and humid conditions but was instead met with overcast skies and very cool temperatures. As a result, sitting in the front pack, which refused to work, resulted in frozen athletes heading out onto the 10k run course. After struggling to get my numb feet into my shoes, I settled into my pace and ran my own race. I ended up in 8th but was completely satisfied with the effort as I ran a lifetime best 10k time, running under 38 minutes for the first time in my career, to close the race.

NBAA: Protect Your G1000 With FliteLevel Warranty

As you'd expect, pilots who purchase a new G1000 equipped airplane receive a warranty for their aircraft. But, what do you do when the warranty has almost expired and you want to extend it? Thanks to our new warranty program called FliteLevel Extended Warranty, we're able to offer customers complete system-wide avionics maintenance protection beyond their standard two-year factory warranty. Depending on which warranty package is selected, it will cover everything from displays to LRUs -- or soup to nuts in layman terms.FliteLevel Extended Warranty is available through OEMs and Garmin, so give us a shout if you want more details about the warranty options.

Garmin Garage: Wrex

Well, it's been almost a month since we opened up the Parking Lot in the Garmin Garage. If you haven't stopped by, the Parking Lot is your place to submit icon ideas that you'd like to see us create. In the short time the Parking Lot has been open, we've heard from hundreds and hundreds of you. And one of the most popular submissions was a tow truck. So we rolled up our sleeves, got to work, and now we're ready to release our first Parking Lot series vehicle icon. Introducing Wrex. We know a lot of tow truck drivers rely on nüvis, zumos, and StreetPilots to get them to unfamiliar areas. And we thought Wrex would be a great addition to the Garmin Garage line-up. Plus, having Wrex around has been a big help. As you can imagine, we've got a lot of vehicles coming and going and Wrex can really keep things moving. So grab Wrex today and be sure to stop by the Garmin Garage and visit the Parking Lot to submit your idea. Who knows. Maybe your icon will end up in the Garmin Garage. And if you want to be the first to know when a new vehicle arrives in the Garmin Garage, be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed! Thanks for everyone who has submitted ideas. We love seeing all of your great suggestions!

NBAA: Going From Six-Pack to G600 Glass

Day one of NBAA 2008 is in the history books and day two is just beginning.  Traditionally, many NBAA attendees spend the first day at the convention center, the second day at static display, and the third day wrapping-up whatever they missed in-between.  If this blogger followed tradition, this post would be about the aircraft on static display, but there's still more to tell about the convention center itself, so I'm going to ignore tradition for awhile and tell you more about the cool stuff in the convention hall...and this is also in part because I haven't had a good chance to explore static display yet. 

The first day at the show was a big success, and the Garmin booth was packed from opening to close. The G600 continues to be a crowd favorite, and many pilots have decided they can't live without it. Those future G600 owners were also excited about a special program we launched this week where customers who purchase a G600 and other panel mount products can save up to $4,000 in rebates. That's a fabulous deal, especially if you know you're going to install the G600 in the near future. You'll want to check our site for all the details about the promotion, but it's one you won't want to miss.   If you're still trying to get up to speed about the G600 and its benefits, visit our G600 mini-site for more details. And of course, don't forget to check out our Flickr site for more pictures from NBAA.

Chicago Store: Countdown to the Marathon

The countdown has begun. With less than one week left until the highly anticipated Chicago Marathon kicks off, the Garmin store has transformed into an exhibit of every runner's dream device. Flaunting the innovative fitness products with top notch athletes in our windows (pictured left) it’s sure to lure marathoners into the store. With gigantic posters and tons of display units accompanied by functional and fashionable gear, we will be the source for their fitness technology needs!

Runners are welcome to stop by the second floor of the store and check out cool training videos for the Forerunner 405 and participate in open sessions with product experts answering any questions and concerns. We look forward to seeing thousands of runners stopping by the store and leaving feeling informed and ready to hit the course.

The Montana Odyssey, Part Two

As we discussed in part one of this post, our trip to Montana was all about hunting sharptail grouse, sage grouse, Hungarian partridge, and the few errant mourning dove -- and for that, the Astro GPS Dog Tracking System was invaluable.  (As an aside, you can see from the picture of our truck's grille that birds weren't the only flying critter we took out -- bugs, especially grasshoppers, were Old Testament plentiful!)

But, as they say, half the fun is getting there.  For more on the road trip, click on the jump...

NBAA: Upgrade Your King Air and Save Big

While it may seem like a normal Monday at the office, it’s anything but normal for Garmin's aviation team. Today is the opening day of the NBAA trade show in Orlando, and it feels like anyone that has anything to do with aviation is here and they all have big news to share. Since NBAA is the premier event for business aviation, the G1000 is the star of Garmin's booth (#2853).  This year we’re highlighting the G1000 retrofit for the King Air C90, 200 and B200. In fact, if you own one of these King Airs and want to add Garmin glass to your panel, you could get an extra sweet deal by taking advantage of our NBAA Platinum Package where we’re bundling Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT), Chartview, and GRC/GRT XM radio remote control for a huge savings. If you’d like to see a King Air that has already been retrofitted, you can visit static display and sit in the right seat of a G1000 equipped King Air B200 at the Elliott Aviation display (static booth #610). Just one look in the cockpit and you'll be convinced -- once you go glass, you’ll never go back. Check out Flickr to see more pictures from NBAA!

J&P do Q&A for KC Marathon pace leaders

We’re just two weeks away from the Kansas City Marathon and Half-Marathon, where Jake will hit the streets for his second 26.2 and I’ll be running my second 13.1. As sponsor of the KC race, Garmin provides brand new Forerunner 405 devices to the pace team leaders (lucky ducks!). The pace leaders are organized by a local running coach, Eladio Valdez of the Runner’s Edge. Last night, Jake and I made an appearance at a forum held at a local running store to give an overview of the 405 and answer any questions.

Team Garmin wins national title, Tyler takes the lead

Team Garmin knows how to end the season on a high note. Or many high notes, to be exact. Just weeks after Christian Vande Velde won the Tour of Missouri, his teammates are adding another trophy to the collection. Team Garmin won the national title in the team pursuit at the U.S. elite track national championships. In the men’s 4000-meter event on Thursday, Taylor Phinney, David Koesel, Daniel Holloway and Colby Pearce teamed up to clock a winning time of 4:21.047 for Team Garmin. On Wednesday, Taylor earned the national title in the men’s kilometer time trial.

Meanwhile, halfway across the world, Team Garmin's Tyler Farrar (pictured) continues to build on his strong performance in Missouri. Racing along the France-Belgium border in the Franco-Belge stage race, Tyler wears the jerseys for best young rider, points and overall leader - thanks to a 2-second lead over Tom Boonen after two days of riding. This comes on the heels of a stage victory at the Tour Poitou-Charentes, Tyler's first 2008 win in Europe. "At Missouri and Portugal, I was right there in the sprints, always second, third, fourth," Tyler told VeloNews last weekend. "I knew I had good form, I just needed that little bit of luck."

Thanks to VeloNews for the updates, and good luck to everyone as the season winds down! Keep checking back for the latest Team Garmin news, Flickr photos, YouTube videos and Twitter updates.

Garmin Goes to NBAA

It’s Orlando or bust for Garmin’s aviation team. Monday kicks of the opening of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Meeting and Convention so there are sure to be lots of aviation announcements next week.  We’ll be at the show and will post about all the industry news, not to mention share a few of our own announcements with our faithful blog readers. If you’ll be in Orlando at NBAA, stop by the Garmin booth (#2853) and say hi!

VHF radios make debut at NMEA

After we announced the new line of Garmin marine radios on Tuesday, the VHF 100 and 200 made their first show debut at the NMEA Convention in San Diego yesterday. These radios boast a large 3.2-inch display - the largest in its class - and offer 25 watts of transmit power. With three soft keys, boaters can intuitively see and select information they want, while the Position Tracking feature simultaneously allows users to track of up to three other boats. The show just started, but there's already been a big buzz in the booth around these powerful communicators!

New Approaches for Jepp Charts

Some of you have asked why your last Jeppesen update was a little thin.  Well, if you haven’t heard, the FAA is publishing an unprecedented number of changes and new approaches.  Because of this, Jeppesen was unable to get all of those new procedures into the electronic database in time for the effective dates.  Don’t worry though, Jeppesen is working hard to get those approaches into the next database cycle.  Here is a list of the approaches that didn’t make the cut.

The Montana Odyssey: Part One

After twelve days and 3500-plus miles on the road, six dogs and two bird hunters (one of whom is Garmin's resident hook-and-bullet blogger) are back from an early-season trip to Montana.  It was a trip of a lifetime -- the birds plentiful, and the scenery majestic. 

Of course, we had plenty of time to put the Astro GPS Dog Tracking System through its paces, and we can honestly say the new DC 30 collar passed the test with flying colors.  In fact, it's not hyperbole to say the Astro literally changes the way you hunt.  No longer are you continually searching the horizon for your dog, wondering if they're 50 or 500 yards away.  Furthermore, there are no annoying beepers or hoarse voices from hollering for your dog, either -- making your hike more peaceful (not to mention stealthy).

For some interesting findings and fancy tricks, click the jump.

Analyzing past workouts helps athletes return from injury

Garmin-sponsored triathlete Ben Collins shares his training and racing experiences with the Garmin Edge 705 and Forerunner 405.

Two weeks ago was the USA Triathlon Elite National Championships, and this year it was held in conjunction with the Age Group National Championships. The course was at Hagg Lake for the second year in a row, and it felt like a home course, having won there last year. Unfortunately, I’ve had a knee injury holding me back from training for a few weeks now, and I wasn’t able to prepare for the race as would have liked. Going into the race, I told myself that if I felt any pain at all, I would drop out. I had a feeling it would take a miracle for me to have a good race, so when I hopped on the bike in T1 and felt a little discomfort in my knee, I told myself it wasn’t worth three more weeks of rehab, and I pulled off to the side.

It’s never easy to pull out of a race, and there are a lot of conflicting emotions that will go through your head if it ever happens. Could I have finished? Why did this happen to me? Could I have stayed with the pack? Will I be able to recover for the next race? And there are no easy answers. Yes, I probably could have finished, but it would not have been a great race. Yes, I will be better for the next race – I hope. Now I just need to reflect on what I did leading up to this injury and work with my coach to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. Luckily, I have a great log of exactly what I did on my Garmin Connect account. I have power, HR, pace and cadence for all the out-of-water activity I’ve done, and I can look at what I did before the pain started and pinpoint what may have caused it. This of course does not make up for physical therapy and stretching (which is probably the main thing I did wrong), but it is certainly great information to have.

GPS Magazine makes a splash with nüvi 500

While we're certainly known for our rough and rugged gear, the crew at GPS Magazine recently took matters into their own hands and test our new nüvi 500. This rough-and-tumble nüvi is the prefect adventure-seeker with street map data, preloaded U.S. topographic maps, and a whole lot more. And when we mentioned the nüvi 500 was also waterproof to IPX7 standards, GPS Magazine decided to do a bit of semi-scientific research. They dropped the waterproof multi-mode nüvi 500 and a waterproof watch into an aquarium - waited 30 minutes - and reported the results. Of course, they also recorded the whole thing for your viewing pleasure. Now, if your nüvi 500 is underwater for this length of time, you may have bigger problems to worry about and we don't really recommend this - we'd rather you spent more time exploring with your nüvi 500 instead of submerging your nüvi 500. But it's still good to know that an occasional downpour won't leave you high and dry when you're out and about.