Garmin nuvi 780 makes a splash
[CES 2008] More Garmin stuff - this time, it is the nuvi 780 that will grab the headlines. The nuvi 780 holds the distinction of being the newest and most powerful device in the series, and will be on display at CES 2008. The nuvi 780 uses the second generation MSN Direct to help you get to your destination safe, sound and on time. Some of these enhanced dynamic content include :- Traffic conditions: receive up-to-date traffic incident and flow information for most metropolitan areas across North America, and let nuvi select a route that avoids traffic accidents, road closures, and construction.Fuel prices: receive gas price data from over 100,000 gas stations across the nation. Drivers will always know where to get the best pricesSave time and fuel by using their unit to navigate directly to the station of their choiceWeather reports: features current weather conditions (including high/low/current temperatures, chances of precipitation, humidity, pressure, wind, and weather alerts) as well as three day weather forecasts.Enhanced movie listings: search for movies by title or by theater and receive show times, ’star’ ratings, genre, actors, and more — and get driving directions to the theater.Local events: receive special notices on festivals, concerts, and sporting events in your area, and navigate to them.News and stocks: the latest news headlines and financial market updates are always at your fingertips.Send to GPS capability: plan trips and look up destinations from the convenience of your computer, via Windows Live Local, and then wirelessly send locations to your nuvi 780.You get three months’ worth of MSN Direct for free with each nuvi 780 purchase, and a one-year subscription will set you back by $49.95 while a one-time charge costs $129.95.
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[CES 2008] Garmin has announced the nuvi 5000 that will see action at CES 2008 next week. The first thing one would notice about the nuvi 5000 would be its extremely large display that makes it a good match for larger vehicles that require navigation on a big screen. Features include the aforementioned touchscreen display, voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions, route calculation, and automatic rerouting should you have the misfortune of venturing off course. The nuvi 5000 can also save up to 10 routes for easier route planning. Users also have a choice of receiving dynamic content from either MSN Direct (US only) or FM TMC (Traffic Message Channel) traffic receiver. An MP3 player, audio book player support, and games round off the list of features. If you’re interested in the nuvi 5000, it will be released in North America this February for $799.99, arriving on European shores only in Q2 2008. I wonder, if it targets larger vehicles like trucks, shouldn’t information about the location public toilets be made available just in case of a plumbing emergency?
[CES 2008] Garmin has just announced the Garmin Mobile PC navigation package that automatically endows your notebooks with powerful navigation capability. Not only does Mobile PC provide a cheap avenue to extend the capability of your existing notebook, it also boasts similar real-time features found on high-end portable GPS devices, including weather and fuel price information. You can choose from a software-only package or a bundle with software as well as Garmin’s new GPS 20x sensor. The software-only bundle works with broadband modems, internal or third-party GPS receivers via serial or Bluetooth connections, while the latter package uses the GPS 20x via a USB connection. You can even mount the GPS 20x on your dashboard thanks to its non-skid pads and small size (<2″ in length). The Mobile PC will be paraded at CES 2008, so head on there to check it out. You’ll have to wait until April for the Garmin Mobile PC with GPS 20x bundle though, and it retails for $99.99. It costs $40 less if you want the version sans GPS 20x.
[CES 2008] Garmin has a new range of Colorado handheld GPS devices that target outdoor, marine and fitness enthusiasts. The Colorado 400 series consist of the 400t and the 400i (pictured right), where the former provides hikers with futuristic 3D elevation perspective complete with pre-loaded US topographic maps while the latter features shoreline details, depth contours and boat ramps for US inland lakes and navigable rivers. As for the 400c, it aims to be your coastal companion, featuring chart coverage for the coastal US and Bahamas. Each of these devices also come with Wherigo (pronounced “Where I go”, a GPS-based activity from Groundspeak. The Garmin Colorado 400 series (they retail for $599 a pop) tips the scales at 7.3 ounces and squeezes out 15 hours of battery life from two AA batteries, making it ideal for those who are the total opposite of couch potatoes. 
[CES 2008] Garmin really knows how to make you drool, announcing the nuvi 880 that occupies top spot where portable navigation devices are concerned. Some of the features include advance speech recognition, dynamic MSN Direct content, a 4.3″ color touchscreen display at 480 x 272 pixels, a music player, an audio book player, an alarm clock, and maps of the US, Canada and Puerto Rico among others. To get an idea of just how advanced its speech recognition is, you can just say “find nearest Starbucks” and it will automatically direct you to the nearest Starbucks joint for your caffeine fix. Some of the next-gen dynamic content available include :- Traffic conditions: receive up-to-date traffic incident and flow information for most metropolitan areas across North America, and let nuvi select a route that avoids traffic accidents, road closures, and construction.Fuel prices: receive gas price data from over 100,000 gas stations across the nation. Drivers will always know where to get the best pricesSave time and fuel by using their unit to navigate directly to the station of their choiceWeather reports: features current weather conditions (including high/low/current temperatures, chances of precipitation, humidity, pressure, wind, and weather alerts) as well as three day weather forecasts.Enhanced movie listings: search for movies by title or by theater and receive show times, ’star’ ratings, genre, actors, and more — and get driving directions to the theater.Local events: receive special notices on festivals, concerts, and sporting events in your area, and navigate to them.News and stocks: the latest news headlines and financial market updates are always at your fingertips.Send to GPS capability: plan trips and look up destinations from the convenience of your computer, via Windows Live Local, and then wirelessly send locations to your nuvi 780.As with the Garmin nuvi 780, the nuvi 880 also comes with three months of free MSN Direct service with each purchase. Once that time period expires, you can re-subscribe for $49.95 annually, or pay a one-time charge of $129.95. The Bluetooth-enabled nuvi 880 also comes with a built-in FM transmitter, front-firing stereo speakers and a removable lithium-ion battery. The Garmin nuvi 880 will hit the streets in Q2 2008.
[CES 2008] Garmin has just announced its nuvi 260W, a widescreen personal navigation device (PND) for beginners that boasts the ability to speak street names, helping you get around easily without going through the hassle of folding maps. Features include a sunlight-readable 4.3″ touchscreen display, an internal GPS antenna for a more lightweight and compact design that makes it suitable for in-vehicle use, turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions, as well as the well loved and intuitive “Where To?” and “View Map” welcome screen. The nuvi 260W is smart enough to recalculate a route in case you miss a turn on the way to the destination, minus the nagging that often comes with your wife after a long road trip. The nuvi 260W will include pre-loaded detailed mapping of the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Each purchase comes with a vehicle suction cup mount, vehicle power cable, dashboard disk, and owner’s reference manual. 
[CES 2008] Garmin heralds the Forerunner 405 - the newest GPS-enabled fitness device from the company that can be seen at CES 2008. Whether you are a recreational jogger who occasionally pounds the pavement or a season marathon participant, the Forerunner 405 has something for everyone. It can track a runner’s speed, distance, heart rate and location accurately and effortlessly, while the revolutionary patent-pending touch bezel on the face of the watch makes navigation a snap. All you need to do is tap, hold or run a finger along the bezel if you want to begin a new workout, access your training history or challenge a Virtual Partner. You even have the choice to adjust the Virtual Partner’s pace without having to interrupt your workout by stopping. This water-resistant (IPX7) device will retail for $299 a pop. See how the 405 has changed in terms of design when compared with the Forerunner 305?
The RAmos V80 portable media player has finally arrived in the China market, and as you can see it runs on Microsoft’s Windows CE platform thanks to its touchscreen display. One can only wonder whether Microsoft is licensing its products to MP3 and MP4 manufacturers in China so that the market can be flooded with these unbelievably affordable portable media players. I don’t think such a tactic, if it is true, will make a dent in iPod sales since you can just overwhelm ease-of-use by releasing tons and tons of similar, cheap devices. You can check out the 3-part video review here, here and here. There’s a whole lot of touching involved, so be forewarned! The 2GB model will retail for $126.50 while having a version bundled with a 2GB microSD memory card will cost you $139.50.
OpenMoko has officially announced their new open-source Neo FreeRunner device. The Neo FreeRunner might look familiar to you - but maybe that’s because it is a mass market version of the Moko 1973 Linux-based device. The Neo FreeRunner retains its overall design, although there are improvements such as a 500Mhz processor, 3D graphics support as well as a new collection of open-source mobile applications. Other features include support for tri-band GSM, WiFi connectivity and gesture-based technology. There is no word on pricing or availability as at press time. More information on the press release here.
