Posts Tagged ‘Garmin’
Written by KineticShift on 13 April 2011
Serious runners will now have a serious time piece to add to their wrists. Garmin International Inc. announced this week the Forerunner 610 sports watch, a slim and robust water-proof touchscreen solution for serious runners. This watch can stand up to rain, sweat and splashes, yet is responsive enough that it can be operated with running gloves.
“Running with Forerunner 610 is like having a coach with you every step of the way,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “From giving the basics such as pace, distance and time to monitoring your effort through heart rate, creating interval workouts and racing a friend on the other side of the world, Forerunner 610 becomes a necessary partner for all serious runners.”
The watch has already won the Red Dot Design Award, which is a compliment to its marriage of style and functionality. The Forerunner 610 uses a vibration motor for alerts such as heart rate, pace and distance when audible tones cannot be heard (heart monitor included in some bundles or available separately). Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Forerunner 610, Garmin, heart rate monitor, Red Dot Design Award, Watch
Posted in Equipment, Gadget, Running | No Comments »
Written by Les Shu on 23 February 2011
With wireless technologies as prevalent as they are today, the thought of connecting two gadgets using a wire is almost unthinkable. File transferring between computers can be done over-the-air through
Wi-Fi, while many headsets and headphones can connect to portable devices like cell phones via
Bluetooth. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are just two of the technologies available, all in the name of helping you cut the cord.
In the health and sports/fitness sectors, you may start hearing more and more about products adhering to the ANT+ protocol. This proprietary wireless protocol allows devices like heart rate monitors, speed sensors, blood pressure monitors, and blood glucose meters to talk to another device like a computer, smartphone, sports watch, GPS-enabled trainer, or exercise equipment (e.g. treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, etc.), provided they are also ANT+ enabled. For example, while you’re exercising on a ANT+ fitness equipment, the data is wirelessly transmitted to the ANT+ sports watch you’re wearing, without the need to physically attach the watch to the fitness equipment. All this info can be transmitted and stored on your computer or in the cloud (such as Microsoft’s HealthVault or Garmin Connect), allowing you to analyze and track your progress. (At a gym we use, the Life Fitness elliptical can only download our workout info to a USB thumbdrive or a connected iPhone or iPod with Nike+, but would be much more useful if it could wirelessly transmit that info.)
ANT+ was built upon the ANT wireless sensor network technology, which is owned by a subsidiary of Garmin. A group of companies that include Garmin, Stairmaster, Timex, Microsoft, Adidas, Star Trac, Trek, Suunto, Nautilus, Sony Ericsson, and Specialized comprise the ANT+ Alliance, which oversees the standard and its branding, and ensures interoperability. The low-power technology is similar in functionality to Bluetooth, in which it allows two devices to pair and exchange data. Also, like Bluetooth, an ANT+ product connects to only one other product at a time, even though there may be several ANT+ devices in the area; this mean you won’t accidentally receive data from another product, say a treadmill that’s next to but isn’t being used by you. Although both Bluetooth and ANT operate on the 2.4GHz spectrum, the two technologies are not the same. Interestingly, a new feature of Bluetooth 4.0 called Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) will most likely compete with ANT+ in the future if it receives adoption as widespread as ANT+.
So why go with ANT+ at all, especially if Bluetooth can do the same thing? Well, the problem so far has been that Bluetooth has made many promises but in essence failed to deliver, and while it is possible to upgrade existing Bluetooth networks to the BLE, most experts say this isn’t so cut and dry. In the end it is all going to come down with support from product makers – and given that ANT+ has lined up many partners in the fitness space it is a safe bet that the ant will more can than can’t.
ANT Official Website
Tags: ANT+, BLE, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Engery, Garmin, Wi-Fi
Posted in Equipment, Exercise, Mobile Phone | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 16 November 2010
Fishing can be a tranquil sport, just you with a pole and all the time in the world. Sometimes you don’t even care if the fish are biting. But the rest of the time you probably want to catch something, and for that there is a nifty little device called a fishfinder. Sure, these devices have been around for more than a decade, but Garmin International has announced its new echo series line of standalone fishfinders that raises the standard for finding the fish.
This line includes devices for all pricepoints as well, from the economical 8-level grayscale unit to the full array models that do everything but cast off for you. The top-of-the-line models include Garmin HD-ID target tracking technology.
The premier high resolution echo 550C offers state-of-the-art technology that almost makes it unsporting (and we mean that in a good way). This unit features an ultra-sharp video-quality 640×480 pixel 5-inch VGA screen, a powerful 500-watt sonar transmitter, and offers excellent fish arch display and bottom tracking as deep as 1,900 feet. The echo 550c is dual beam (200/77 kHz) capable and gives optimum deep or shallow water performance with up to 120 degrees of effective fish scanning area. The step down model echo 500C boasts the same aforementioned premium features, and offers a crisp 256-color QVGA display which gives 320×234-pixel resolution for extra-sharp detail on fish returns, structure and bottom soundings. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Dan Bartel, echo 100, echo 150, echo 200, echo 300c, echo 500c, echo 550c, fishfinder, Garmin, HD-ID, I’ll echo that, Scott Martin
Posted in Equipment, Gadget, Outdoors, Pro Sports, Software | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 29 October 2010
GPS has tackled just about every major sport that takes place on any area larger than a standard court of field. Cycling, running, swimming, skiing, and yes: Golf. Garmin just released the Approach S1, a wristwatch with built in GPS set up for time on the green. The new watch is sibling to touchscreen models Approach G5 and Approach G3 already out by the GPS manufacturer.
The Approach S1 comes pre-loaded with over 14,000 U.S. and Canadian golf courses. When you set it into golf mode it identifies the three closest courses and lets you select the one where you have tee time. It then gives you stats including distance and par for each hole. A GPS-enabled odometer tracks the total ground covered on foot during each round and in total.
While it doesn’t have quite as much information as the handheld units, the Approach G5 and G3, the Approach S1 is streamlined to the essential information needed on the course. Your opponents will appreciate the discreet device, and that you’re not fumbling with — or showing off — a handheld device to tell them how many strokes above average they’re swinging.
Garmin Approach S1
Tags: Garmin, golf, golf courses, GPS, Watch
Posted in Gadget | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 03 September 2010
This week cycling in unfamiliar territory may have just gotten a little easily thanks to the newly released Garmin Edge 800, a feature-packed touchscreen GPS device that builds on the industry-leading Edge 500 and Edge 705 models. In additional to tracking statistics for riders, the Edge 800 adds an intuitive touchscreen interface, allowing users to pull up the Garmin BaseCamp route planning, and get access to its BirdsEye Satellite Imagery. The BaseCamp functionality allows users to plan and even preview routes, including elevation changes along the way, and this information can be sent to Edge 800, Edge 705 and Edge 605 devices – meaning you’ll never have to pass out a ride map ever again.
The Edge 800 is truly a biking computer that will appeal to cyclists of all levels, from the casual riders looking for a new route on their weekly group ride, to those who like to go cycle touring and explore distant roads and trails far from home to those looking to wear yellow on the podium. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ANT+, BaseCamp, Edge 800, Garmin, GPS, heart rate monitor, HotFix, Team Garmin-Transitions, Tyler Farrar
Posted in Cycling, Equipment, Exercise, Software | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 09 July 2010
The Edge 500 fittingly on my Felt road bike, the same brand that the Garmin Transitions Team is riding in the Tour de France.
This past week we had the chance to test out the Garmin Edge 500 GPS-based cycling computer. With this on my bike I’m feeling like I’m ready for the Tour de France – that is if women actually were allowed to race in the most famous of cycling classics. But it helped me on my way for my local training rides.
The very first impression was that this one could be difficult to setup and calibrate. The problem with technology is the more it can do, the more complicated it is to use. But I was more than pleasantly surprised with the ease of the set-up and the versatility that this device offered out of the box. While not the most notable, but certainly appreciated is the fact that this device comes with several rubber loops for securing the computer’s mount to the bike. This is such a small thing, but it is so welcome, especially for anyone who can’t decide the best placement for the mounts, and only realized this after tightening the zip ties.
But the more notable point is that this is a wireless device. So there is no wire to run, making for a cleaning line on the frame, and more importantly making for one less thing to worry about. The Edge 500 can be used without a heart rate monitor, without the sensors. But the version I’m testing came with those items, and all this set up very easily and quickly too. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 500, cycle computer, Edge, Felt, Garmin, Garmin-Transitions, GPS, Hands On, Heart Rate, Sensor, Tour de France
Posted in Cycling, Equipment, Exercise, Gadget, Hands On | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 16 March 2010
Going off for a long bike ride can be enjoyable, even if you’re not sure of your final destination. But there are times when knowing where you are going is crucial, and for those times a reliable GPS device is a must. To help you on your way Garmin has introduced the new Edge 500, a new nuvi navigation device that features designed inspired by the iconic orange and blue patterns of the Team-Garmin-Transitions.
The new Edge 500 in both argyle and black and white versions will be introduced at the Tour of California this year, while the argyle nuvi models will sold exclusively during the race from May 16-23. The Edge 500 ($349.99 MSRP from the official site) is ideal for racers or just those who want to keep their bikes as light as possible. The device is a mere two ounces, but still features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver that needs no calibration, and thus can be easily swapped between bikes. It connects wirelessly to third-party power meters, and can track speed, distance, time, GPS position, elevation, calories burned, and even climb and descent. This info can be displayed and reviewed post-ride at Garmin Connect.
The device further uses a barometric altimeter to pinpoint changes in elevation, and it can further be paired wirelessly with Garmin speed/cadence sensors. It features 18 hours of battery life, so it will probably be going long after most of us have called it a day as well!
And finally for the pro wannabes, in April Slipstream Sports and Felt Bicycles will be giving subscribers to Garmin’s fitness newsletters a chance to buy a team replica Felt F1 (the model the pros will be riding this season), completely built by the team mechanics and packaged with the argyle Edge 500.
Team Garmin-Transitions
Slipstream Sports
Tags: Cycling, Edge 500, Garmin, Garmin-Transitions, Slipstream Sports, Tour of California
Posted in Gadget, Pro Sports | No Comments »
