geocachers
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Garmin's $23 Chirp wireless beacon brings geocaching thrills to Oregon, Dakota GPS units
Looking for an avenue to join millions of others in geocaching, eh? We know, there's hardly a better way to spend a weekend than by playing a sophisticated game of hide-and-seek, and Garmin's right there with us. If you, like it, are stuck in Kansas with nary a Jayhawk game in sight, this here pebble is the answer to all of your boredom woes. The Chirp is a wireless beacon that's designed to work with any compatible wireless-enabled Garmin handheld (the Oregon, Dakota and the recently announced GPSMAP handhelds are mentioned by name), and once you've set it up to cooperate with your device, it'll automatically transmit program coordinates so other cachers can find each stage of your multicache -- it's touch-and-go in its simplest form. The whole thing measures just 1.3- x 0.9-inches, weighs under an ounce and can be had for just $22.99. So yeah, good luck sticking to Segway polo with an offer like that. Update: Video after the break!
Magellan's new eXplorist GC for geocachers is far too easy to find
There's certainly plenty of GPS devices that are well-suited to geocachers, but Magellan is claiming that its new eXplorist GC is the very first such device that's been "designed exclusively for geocaching." That means you'll get loads of pre-loaded geocaches, a free 30-day premium membership to Geocaching.com (which the device links to), and even some merit-based awards that will let you boast about your geocaching skills. Of course, the device will also handle your other GPS needs, and includes all the usual features like waypoint creation, a worldwide basemap, and a trip odometer. Sadly, it won't be much of an adventure to find the device itself -- it'll be available from all the usual sources next month for $199.99.
Garmin's Colorado line inches closer to official
Just a day after uncovering what appears to be Garmin's CES 2008 lineup, we've now got reason to believe that the Colorado series is all but official. After first seeing the unit rumored last month, quickly "confirmed" and clarified yet again within the past 24 hours, we're now hearing that the series will boast four different models and will undoubtedly cater to the outdoorsy set. Reportedly, the Colorado will be offered up in four flavors: the 300, 400t, 400i and 400c. The whole lot will tout the firm's new "Rock 'n Roller" input wheel, an SD expansion slot, wireless sharing of waypoints, routes and geocaches, a 400 x 240 resolution display and a battery life of around 15 hours. Word on the street has 'em landing this month and next, and while the 300 is set to launch at $499.99, each of the 400 variants will demand $599.99. Hit the read link for the full spill, and be on the lookout for Garmin to fess up soon enough.
