Nov
19
Jake’s Journal: Custom Maps another reminder to keep software updated
Posted in Garmin Gps on November 19 2009

CustomMap_WorldUnit Estes58 A lot of people ask me for freebies. Here you go: Go get your Garmin. Update the software right now. You’re at a computer – unless you’re reading this on your phone, in which case I’ll try to keep it short – so you don’t have any excuses. Even if you just bought your Garmin yesterday, had it for years or will be opening it a month from
now, our engineers may have been working on new software while it sat
on a shelf, in your house or under the tree. Updating your software through my.Garmin.com is free, it’s fast, it’s easy and it makes your Garmin even better than before without costing a dime. And with as much as our engineers are able to pack into a software update, it should really be called a product upgrade. 

Take, for example, this week’s news about Custom Maps. Simply by updating the software on your Garmin Oregon, Dakota or Colorado and following a few simple steps, you can now transform existing paper and digital maps into downloadable content to overlay onto your device. Visit garmin.com/CustomMaps to learn more about this process that maximizes the potential of your product. To get an idea of the other aspects that can be added or improved upon through software updates, check out the newest post at GPSFix.com. While it focuses on Custom Maps, the entry also rattles off the other new benefits of the latest software updates. And it’s not just outdoor handhelds that show how great products can be made even better. My fellow bloggers Carl and Peg have shown how recent software updates can improve the Approach G5 golf GPS or the Forerunner family of fitness watches. And many of these improvements are based on customer feedback, so whether you’re talking to clerks at a retail store, my colleagues at a trade show or me during a race (that’s how I passed a couple miles of the Chicago Marathon last month), your feedback is being heard. But enough from me, you’re supposed to be updating your software. You can thank me later.

Source: Garmin
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Jake’s Journal: Custom Maps another reminder to keep software updated
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Jul
21
Oregon, Dakota and Foretrex share spotlight at Outdoor Retailer
Posted in Garmin Gps, Geocaching on July 21 2009

Oregon550Tcamera Dakota10menu From the do-it-all Oregon 550t to the budget-minded Dakota to the high-sensitivity, low-hassle Foretrex, Garmin’s Outdoor Retailer lineup has something for everyone. If you’re in Salt Lake City this week, you can see for yourself at Booth 20043. Let’s start with the versatile Oregon family, featuring the newly announced 550 and 550t models with built-in 3.2 megapixel digital camera. Perfect for hikers, hunters, fisherman and photographers – or active families who simply want a scenic scrapbook – Oregon 550t combines several functions – and adds preloaded U.S. topo maps – to a rugged waterproof device that will chronicle your adventures and get you home safely. Then there’s Dakota 10 and Dakota 20, ideal solutions for parents, kids and geocachers who want an intuitive touchscreen in an easy-to-afford GPS.

Foretrex301_mappage Forerunner310XT But what if you need your hands free while you’re hiking? Enter the Foretrex 401 and 301, which each feature a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, comfortable wristband and long battery life. Foretrex 401 adds an electronic compass, barometric altimeter and wireless connectivity to compatible Garmin devices – all while safely secured on your wrist. Speaking of GPS navigation that can be worn on your wrist, the Forerunner family offers a variety of fitness options. The multisport Forerunner 310XT with up to 20 hours of battery life is getting a warm welcome at triathlons, trail runs and endurance events around the globe. For calorie counters and heart-rate trainers, it’s hard to beat the Forerunner 405CX. And though we know that this is Outdoor Retailer, we realize that many people also train indoors, so we’re excited about the FR60 as a wireless hub for all of your indoor/outdoor training data. So as you can see, we have a lot to talk about. Stop by Booth 20043, get your hands on Garmin’s latest and greatest, and you might even get an Oregon geocoin if Jake’s around. See you there!

Source: Garmin
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Oregon, Dakota and Foretrex share spotlight at Outdoor Retailer
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Jun
18
Jake’s Journal: Why June 18 is better than my birthday
Posted in GPS MANUFACTURERS, GPS TECHNOLOGY on June 18 2009

ToCjake Estes58 Today is a good day. Scratch that, an excellent day. Two years ago, on June 18, I walked into Garmin’s headquarters on my first day of work ready for a new adventure. A big reason I was hired is because of my fondness for fitness and the outdoors. Since June 18, 2007, I’ve completed my first marathon and finished three more in the past eight months. I’ve hiked the Rockies of Colorado and the hills of Cinque Terre in Italy. I’ve ridden the California coast with some of the brightest minds in cycling. I’ve raced in two events on opposite coasts, finishing by wading into different oceans a week apart. I’ve done it all with the best GPS technology available, and the adventure is still just getting started.

TeamGarminTour3 051 ToC2 038 On June 18, 2008, I was honored to be the one announcing Garmin’s title sponsorship of the Slipstream elite cycling team. Since then, I’ve been with Team Garmin at the finish line for victories, in a helicopter above the peloton in France, in casual conversations with champions from countries near and far, and proud to be a student of an amazing sport with the best teachers imaginable. And the education continues next month when I spend time in France with Jonathan Vaughters, Matt White and the argyle armada that makes us proud every time they hit the roads with Garmin on their chests and the Edge 705 on their handlebars. And I’m going to be looking for suggestions from you as to what I should ask them, which pictures I should take and what you’d like to see on the Garmin blog from France. Shoot me a note on Twitter – I’m @jakesjournal – and I’ll take everyone’s suggestions with me across the ocean.

So how is this June 18 measuring up? Not too shabby. I joined a friend for 8 miles this morning with temps in the 80s, and there’s a department picnic after work. And while it may not go down in my personal history books like the past two years, I sure do like barbecue and badminton. I can hardly wait to see what happens next year.

Source: Garmin
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Jake’s Journal: Why June 18 is better than my birthday
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May
07
Picture Perfect: Oregon® 550/550t with built-in camera ready to do it all
Posted in Garmin Gps on May 7 2009

Oregon550Tcamera One of the most common questions we get is: “If I want one device for the trail, the bike, the car, the boat – which one can I get?” It’s a tough question, because Garmin makes so many great products tailor-made for your different activities, but the search for a versatile device just got easier with the newly announced Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t. And we added a camera to chronicle your adventures.

We’ve taken the popular Oregon touchscreen handheld and built in a 3.2 megapixel digital camera, which creates geotagged images, and a 3-axis compass into the popular series of intuitive touchscreen handhelds. The waterproof Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t (which features preloaded 100K topo maps for the entire U.S. in state-of-the-art 3D elevation perspective), have an easy-to-use interface and versatile features that make either the ideal solution for customers looking for a multipurpose GPS device.

There’s no need to tote a separate camera in your pack or pocket as Oregon 550’s 3.2 megapixel autofocus digital camera with 4x digital zoom automatically geotags each photo with the location of where it was taken, allowing you to mark, remember and navigate back to that exact spot in the future. With this waterproof digital camera, you can take and view pictures in landscape or portrait orientation, and 850 MB of internal memory offers ample storage. These pictures can then be printed or stored and shared online, making every trip even more memorable. Once your Oregon 550 is connected via USB, you can use my.Garmin.com to detect Oregon’s photos, simplify the selection and uploading processes and then store those photos on Picasa, a popular online photo sharing community for friends and families around the world.

The built-in 3-axis compass and enhanced sunlight-readable touchscreen are two other key additions to the Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t. The 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass shows your heading even when you’re standing still, without holding it level. And Oregon’s glove-friendly, color 3-inch touchscreen display is brighter and easier than ever to read and use in all conditions, responsive to the touch of your finger, yet resistant to the forces of nature. Weighing only 6.8 ounces, the Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t come with two precharged AA NiMH batteries. These batteries provide up to 16 hours of life on a single charge and don’t lose energy when not in use. The included battery charger saves you money and reduces waste as batteries get recharged and reused. Also in the box is a carabiner clip and USB cable for high-speed USB connections. A microSD card slot provides even more storage for photos, mapping and memory and allows you to view pictures from other devices with Oregon’s picture viewer.

Source: Garmin
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Picture Perfect: Oregon® 550/550t with built-in camera ready to do it all
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