Lately things have been busy here at the Garmin Chicago Store! In addition to helping customers find the perfect devices for the dads and grads season, and launching the Garminfone last week, we’ve been participating in a number of events around the downtown community of retailers. Last week the Chicago Store accepted an award from Oak Street Design for the “Best Use of Light” in the 2010 Show Your Style window competition. The Garmin-blue light towers that caught the judge’s attention were featured in the seasonal marine windows from mid-March to early June. Judges from the downtown retail community voted for the best in nine categories including “Best Use of Color,” “Best Use of Light,” and “Best Call to Action.” Congratulations to the Garmin design team back at home for their creative design!

Then on Sunday, June 13, the Chicago Store hosted “As Good as Gold” rescue shelter in conjunction with the annual “Angels with Tails” event. Each year PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) Chicago brings over 50 local animal shelters to the avenue, where visitors can meet rescued cats and dogs and learn more about adoption. Garmin hosted two golden retrievers, Rex and Sergeant, who entertained the customers just outside the store. Thanks to everyone who came out to support this great cause!  

With the temperature rising each day, more and more boats are returning to the Chicago Harbors. Whether you’re a local mariner or just visiting for the weekend, stop by the Garmin Chicago Store to see our full line of our marine products and prepare for the season ahead. 

BlueChart g2 Vision owners now have the convenience of updating their charts to the latest version released February 2010. Bring your existing g2 Vision card to the store and within minutes you’ll have an updated version. Updates cost one half of the full retail price, with no additional service fees.

First-time Garmin buyers can see the wide array of options from portables to network chartplotters, including the new GPSMAP 6000/7000 series with G-Motion. Product experts are on-hand to answer all your network questions and connect you with the perfect device.

With both Garmin rebatesand select in-store promotions, you’re sure to find the perfect unit at a great price. Stop by or call the store for further details – the Chicago Store can ship anywhere in the US and associates are available all days of the week to help. The Chicago Store is located downtown on the Magnificent Mile at Michigan and Erie. Just look for the windows featuring the Garmin Marine Network! 

It’s the opening day of Sun ‘n Fun, and we have lots of great announcements to share. Here’s a quick overview of some of them. Plus, there are numerous new rebates to take advantage of. If you’re in Lakeland, Florida, having fun in the sun, be sure to come visit us at Hangar D.

• Bundled database pricing for the GPSMAP® 495/496 and GPSMAP 695/696
  will save customers up to 50 percent annually on database updates and
  will be available beginning the week of Sun ‘n Fun 2010. Other product
  database bundles are expected to be available in the future.
• New SVX™ synthetic vision upgrade for the G300 and G3X™, the
  avionic platforms for Cessna’s Skycatcher and other experimental and
  light sport aircraft, respectively. SVX™ will be included with newly
  purchased G300 and G3X systems, and will be available as a
  complimentary download for those who are already flying with these
  glass cockpit suites. It will be available beginning the week of Sun ‘n
  Fun 2010.
• Pilot My-Cast℠ by Garmin is now available in the Android market for
  smartphones running on the Android™ platform. Pilot My-Cast by Garmin
  is a premium mobile phone aviation weather, flight planning and flight
  filing application exclusively for customers in the U.S. and Canada. It
  is also available on popular phone models such as BlackBerry, iPhone,
  and Windows Mobile.

Recently a mix of 30 mariners, dealers and GPS enthusiasts joined the Chicago Store for an exclusive introduction of the GPSMAP 6000/7000 and 700 series. With the devices on display, guests had plenty of time for interaction and in-depth questioning, and Garmin marine guru Tony, impressed attendees with a live presentation of G Motion on the GPSMAP 7212.

One attendee, Michael, sent in the following note of thanks:
“Just a short note to say once again how much I appreciate your time and efforts, along with all the other good people at Garmin who participated in Tuesday evening’s event. Tony’s talk was both informative and very helpful.”

Now that the weather is warming up and the crowds returning to Michigan Avenue, the Chicago Store proudly distinguished itself as the place to be this marine season! As long as the marine windows are on display at the Garmin Store, enjoy a 10.25% discount on all marine products. Save on chartplotters and portable plotters with the BlueChart g2 Vision rebate and GPSMAP 620/640 rebate. Put the savings towards a HD Radar or VHF radio, which are also on display at the store. Don’t forget that with every purchase, we offer a one-hour GPS Academy session where product experts will instruct you on the complete capabilities of your device and prepare you for the season ahead.

Fully stocked for marine season, the Chicago Store is also ready to ship any product anywhere in the US.  Visit or call the store to place your phone order and don’t miss the season’s exclusive discounts!  

The Garmin-Asus M10 continues to make its way around the globe. Most recently, it became available in India. This all-in-one smartphone is powered by the latest version of Windows Mobile 6.5.3, and it keeps you connected with your business and personal contacts, email, calendar and IM, in addition to featuring preloaded Garmin navigation. Because we recognize that location is something you do every day, navigation functions are linked to frequently used applications so that you can navigate directly from the calendar, contacts, email, internet, and messaging. Watch CNET‘s review for a firsthand look and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for regular Garmin-Asus updates.

Pilots who own an iPhone or iPod Touch are rejoicing now that Pilot My-Cast by Garmin is available in the App Store. Pilot My-Cast for the iPhone and iPod Touch has been available for a few months, but today we launched a new video that shows it in action — from customized flight plans and weather reports to flight filing. Pilot My-Cast for the iPhone and iPod Touch is available in the App Store for a monthly fee of $9.99, or an annual subscription of $99.99. And if you don’t have an iPhone or iPod Touch, Pilot My-Cast is also available for countless other phones including BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices.