It’s the opening day of Mobile World Congress and our booth is busy. Everyone is excited to see the new Garmin-Asus nuvifone M10 and A50. The nuvifone M10 is a Windows Mobile device with 6.5.3 and the A50 is Android-powered. Both devices are full featured smartphones for those on-the-go who need to keep track of their professional and personal life. The M10 and A50 also weave location throughout the main features of the phone like contacts, email, text messaging, photos, and Garmin’s trusted turn-by-turn navigation is included on all devices. A few days prior to the show Garmin-Asus announced that CHT is a carrier for the M10, and this morning, O2 Germany announced that it will offer the nuvifone A50. If you’re not familiar with the M10 or A50 yet, you can learn more on our website or the media has started to post reviews too. 

As a fan of the movies “Rounders” and “Fight Club,” I was obviously thrilled with Garmin’s decision to support the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust and its Maasai Marathon team, a group of 30 runners led by conservationist/Oscar nominee Edward Norton and three Maasai warriors, who ran the ING New York City Marathon. As a Garmin employee, I was excited to be a part of such a great global effort by helping the MWCT promote conservation, education and health services within the Maasai community. And as a runner, I was jealous that I wouldn’t be running with Edward through the five boroughs of New York, where last year I loved my 26.2-mile tour. Fortunately, there’s Garmin Connect to help me (and everyone around the world) feel like I was there with Edward and his Maasai friends.

“What a day. Went great. Did 3:48. Hoped for 3:30 but this course was tough! 14-19 was toughest. 2nd wind, sailed from 20 to end. great fun,” Edward wrote on Twitter just hours after the race. Even though I was back home, I was able to relive that tough course and my own second wind thanks to his updates at twitter.com/edwardnorton, where he continues to raise funds and awareness for the Maasai through giveaways and experiences that you can’t buy (a few lucky winners met Edward at his post-race party). “Sponsor Dave $34 in the next 14 hrs for a chance to win 2 Garmin watches. Pink and Blue. I’m running in my Garmin,” he wrote before the race. And everyone who visits www.maasaimarathon.com sees the link to Edward’s Garmin Connect account, where you can find his training runs with Garmin’s Forerunner 405CX and the details for his NYC Marathon. “Just posted my marathon run on Garmin Connect,” Edward wrote (yes, he does his own tweeting), “Very cool app. All details mile by mile w/moving Google Map track.” Very cool, indeed. So whether you’re a fan, a runner or someone who wants to help a great cause, check out www.maasaimarathon.com and give us a shout on Twitter at @EdwardNorton and @JakesJournal.  

The Garmin Chicago storeis cracking into the holiday season with a family of Garmin-themed nutcrackers now on display. Each of the six life-size nutcrackers features a different product line, showcasing an array of Garmin devices. After only a few days on the avenue, the stylish holiday figures are already drawing tons of attention!
 
Although the Aviator is not placed directly in the windows, he is featuring one of the newest Garmin products, the aera. Customers are nutty to see the latest aviation device, creatively placed in the Aviator’s mouth.   

Garmin Chicago welcomes you to visit the store this holiday season. Product experts are on-hand to answer all your GPS questions and point you to the perfect device. Give-a-Garmin to the pilot, driver, hiker, biker, runner, hunter or boater in your life – we’ve got something for everyone! And, beginning on November 27, the Chicago store will stay open later, giving you more time to find the ultimate holiday gift. Visit the store’s calendar to see updated store hours.  

My-Cast (a subsidiary of Garmin) and Garmin Mobile for BlackBerry have been nominated for the 2009 Handango Champion Awards. My-Cast was nominated under the best weather application category on BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices, and Garmin Mobile was nominated under the best GPS/Map application for the BlackBerry. Visit Handango.com between now and October 4 to vote. Winners will be announced at CTIA.

For those who have yet to experience My-Cast or Garmin Mobile, My-Cast provides animated Nexrad radar, hourly to 7-day forecasts, Storm Watch, clouds, and more–throughout the United States. Most importantly, My-Cast is intuitive and easy to use, especially for severe weather events. My-Cast is available for the most recent phones on all major wireless carriers.

Garmin Mobile for Blackberry turns BlackBerry devices into powerful Garmin GPS navigators with turn-by-turn voice prompted directions to millions of points of interest. Plus, it includes dynamic content like real-time traffic and fuel prices. If you want to take it for a test drive, check out the free seven-day trial.