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Garmin's latest golf GPS can throw you into virtual tournaments
Garmin doesn't just want to help you improve your golf game -- it wants to enable golf matches with players who are nowhere near a course. It's launching an Approach G80 golf GPS that includes new game modes, including a Virtual Tournament option that pits you against players at the driving range and at home on recreations of famous courses. It's not going to have the slick presentation of a video game on its 3.5-inch touchscreen, but it could feel more like the real thing. If you're looking for simpler contests, a one- or two-player Target Practice mode can help you improve your accuracy.
Garmin shows the way with new nüvi 3500 series, Smartphone Link and Approach G6 (video)
The shrink wrap may be barely off the last nüvi refresh, but Garmin clearly wanted to keep a little something back for CES, and here it is: the new 3500 series, the Approach G6 golfing GPS and an Android app. The new 3500s have the ultra-thin form factor of the company's "prestige" range, while adding an inch of screen space, taking it up to five. As these are the new top-of-the-line, all the nav-goodies you could want, like the Guidance 3.0 nav engine, Digital 3D Traffic and photoReal junction view (covering some 60,000 junctions in the US and Canada), as well as compatibility with its latest Android app (3590LMT only), but more on this shortly. The 3550LM gets free lifetime map updates and will cost $369.99 when it launches in February. The Bluetooth enabled 3590LMT gets all the same, plus lifetime digital 3D traffic updates plus that Smartphone Link support for an extra $30. If you're more into tearing up the fairway than the freeway, Garmin's lawn friendly Approach G6 golfing GPS is likely more your cup of "tee". Weighing a touch over three ounces, it shouldn't affect your swing, and the number of mapped courses has been upped to 20,000 from the G5's 17,500. The G6 should also be out in February, just in time for that spring trip, and will take an estimated $299 out of your children's college fund. The last of Garmin's new wares is the aforementioned Android app: Smartphone Link. Essentially adding functionality -- some free, some not so -- to your bluetooth enabled 2012 nüvi. Services such as traffic information, traffic camera images, weather and fuel prices can be piped in via the app (and your cell data plan) instead of being bundled into the GPS itself at an extra cost. Makes sense. Prices for each service will vary, but range from $4.99 to $19.99 for a year's access. For the full PR, and a video demo of the app, click that link to see more.
Garmin Approach S1 is the GPS watch for golfers, sends that caddy back to the shack
Pack a lob wedge or extra utility iron? Punch and run or flop and drop? Crush a five iron or hit a three-quarter four? These are just a few of the questions that amateur golfers wish they had to ponder as they instead devote their time to rummaging through the brush trying to find what could be their fourth lost ball in three holes. Maybe Garmin's new Approach S1 watch can help. It's loaded with every hole from over 14,000 golf courses and, from anywhere on the course, will give you precise yardage to the front, back, and middle of the next green -- meaning it won't help your lay-up but could be just the ticket for nailing that approach. Its integrated odometer will even track how many miles you covered through the course of the day and, we're presuming, not tell your significant other whether you spent those drinking in the cart or walking at a brisk pace. The Approach S1 is available now for $249 and is subtle enough that your buddies might not even notice your new wrist-borne advantage. Update: As a few of you pointed out, the Suunto G9 watch from a few years back also offers GPS, meaning this is, indeed, not the first after all! That's a two-stroke penalty, Garmin.
Garmin's CES lineup leaked: golf, cars, and do-it-yourself navigation voices
We've just gotten the inside line on Garmin's CES spread, and let's just start this intel off on the right foot: it looks like we aren't going to see a Nuvifone II at the show this year. Here's what we've got in the pipe: Garmin Voice Studio: This might be the coolest announcement, but if you've got friends with compatible devices, it's going to get old real quick. Basically, it's a PC-based app that lets you record your own nav instructions (which we're guessing is going to result in some extraordinarily NC17-rated Nuvis). The company is saying it'll take about 20 minutes to complete a set of commands -- and naturally, it won't do text-to-speech for reading street names and the like. It won't work on the Nuvi 3xx and 6xx series, but otherwise, you should be good to go. Zumo 665: Have a rider in the family? The 665 is Garmin's latest motorcycle-centric nav unit, which appears to be little more than a 660 with the XM weather, radio (with A2DP out), and traffic on board. It's got a slightly newer firmware build than the current 660 that adds additional map layouts and data fields; and don't worry, 660 owners -- you'll get it in the Spring. ecoRoute HD: The long-discussed ecoRoute cable will be confirmed (again) at $149.99, this time for a launch somewhere between the first and second quarter of the year. Approach G3: This looks to be a downmarket version of the G5 for high-tech golfers looking for a little assistance on the green; MSRP comes in at $349 (compared to $449 for its big brother). And as far as we can tell, that's it. Start warming up your best navigation voices, folks. Update: It's official.
Free Mac OS history PDF
Amit Singh (the same guy who hacked the 'book motion sensor), author of the newly released "Mac OS X Internals: A Systems Approach," has made an expanded version of first chapter of the epic 1700 page tome available online as a free PDF download. Entitled "A Technical History of Apple's Operating Systems," the piece covers the entire gamut of operating systems that Apple has ever shown the least bit of interest in since its birth 30 years ago. Weighing in at 140 pages and 3MB, the chapter delves pretty deeply into the technical aspects of Operating Systems, and might be a bit dense for some less tech savvy readers. I haven't yet read much more than the first few pages yet (other than skimming), but I can tell this will be an interesting and invaluable read that will give me a better grasp on OS X by showing me where it has been.Via MacUser
