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Three new ones from Garmin: the c580, nuvi 680 and dog-tracking Astro
Garmin seems to have missed out on the holidays, but that doesn't mean they can't provide a few snappy little presents to the lost ones among us. Most interesting is Garmin's new Astro dog tracking system (pictured). The gadget is designed for hunters looking to keep track of, you guessed it, hunting dogs, and seems to provide quite a bit of innovation in a market we hardly knew existed. The system includes the DC 20 transmitter, which is strapped to the dog, and the Astro 220 receiver, which receives location data from the dog up to five miles away, and can double as a regular ol' handheld GPS unit when hunting season's over. The software allows you to mark coveys, measure acreage, track where the dog has been, and even lets you know if the dog is sitting or running or just generally slacking off. Up to ten dogs can be tracked simultaneously, and the system should be available in June for $650. Back to the beaten path, Garmin's new c580 has the traditional looks of a vehicle mounted GPS device, with a 3.5-inch touchscreen, while the nuvi 680 does it on the slim, with a 4.3-inch touchscreen to play with. Both players feature FM, and it appears at least the 680 has Bluetooth for handsfree interoperability with your phone, but most interesting is the MSN Direct functionality that Garmin has stuffed into these things, bringing movie showtimes, weather and other fun info to the portables. Unfortunately, all this fancy stuff doesn't come cheap: with the c580 hitting the streets in February for $800, while the nuvi 680 should hit in "early" '07 for a whoppin' $1000. Check out these two navigators after the break.[Via Uber-Review, GPS Tracklog]Read - 680 and c580Read - Astro
Garmin Nuvi 670 / 680 with MSN Direct
We were wondering when someone was going to combine the infinite utility of a GPS receiver with the limited but potentially powerful data conveyed by Microsoft's MSN Direct (i.e. SPOT network). Look for the forthcoming Garmin Nuvi 670 / 680 (apparent followups to the 660 and 610) to sport this feature, among others -- you'll know more when we do.
Garmin's nuvi 660 reviewed
You've been teased enough -- first we showed you a snazzy gallery of the upcoming nüvi 660, only to lead you on a bit more with an official announcement, and now the lucky folks at PC Mag have ran themselves around at the mercy of Garmin's latest GPS unit, only to conclude that it was everything they'd hoped for. Sporting the same Bluetooth functionality that showed up on the nüvi 360, as well as the acutely accurate NAVTEQ maps, the nüvi 660 somehow found a few clever ways to improve on a nearly flawless predecessor. Reviewers praised the 4.3-inch QVGA widescreen display as "impressive," SD slot, the lightweight, pocket-friendly design, and better than expected "3 to 7 hour" battery life. While Garmin stuffed a (very appreciated) plethora of bells and whistles on the 660, this thing isn't worth much if it can't get you around, right? The review crew calms our final worries by citing the unit's impeccable ability to provide quick turn-by-turn directions, while also packing a myriad of POIs to go along with the real-time traffic information. The only notable digs came from the ho hum FM transmitter (has there ever been an impressive one?) and the lack of multipoint routing, but we'd recommend hitting the read link anyway to find out if "the best shirt-pocket GPS" is worth the admittedly steep $1,000 asking price.
Garmin nvi 660 and 610 announced
Just two days ago we teased you with pictures, and so to celebrate September we've got the full info on the nouveau nüvi 660. It's got a 4.3-inch screen, an FM transmitter, and Bluetooth support. The 660 also includes an "integrated traffic receiver" to avoid congestion and road construction, give the driver advance voice notification of upcoming hazards, and appropriately route around it. In the US, this Total Traffic Network is included free for three months, and then will cost $60 for 15 months of service. The FM transmitter will play MP3s and phone calls over the car speakers connected via Bluetooth. In Europe, where the FM transmitter is not available, nüviheads can purchase the nüvi 610 (one of nine regional maps), or buy full European mapping with the 660. The North American version of the 660 comes with complete maps of the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, and, as always, one can load up updated maps and other media via the USB port or SD card slot. Expect it to hit U.S. retailers later this month with an MSRP of $1076.91 -- but we have no idea how Garmin came up with such a precise figure.[Via GPSLodge]
Shots of Garmin's Nvi 660 surface
Oh you know we were damned curious to see what the front side of the widescreen Garmin Nüvi 660 looked like. Unfortunately for us, it looks remarkably like like the Nüvi 300 and 360, but that doesn't mean we're not gonna write about it. As you may know, according to best buy this device should have a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 display, 700MB of internal storage, SD slot (duh), and all the rest of the GPS power that makes a Garmin a Garmin. Sorry though, still no price or release.[Thanks, the Aviator]
Upcoming Garmin nvi spotted on FCC site
Well, well, well; that chatty little birdy over at the FCC came buzzing by our offices once again today, and let us know that Garmin's got a new nüvi GPS device / multimedia player in the pipeline. Because Garmin double pinky swore the FCC birdy to secrecy, all that's known at this point is that the new model will be part of the 6xx series (the 660, perhaps?), and that it contains both a Bluetooth radio and FM transmitter. So in other words, we pretty much know nothing at all. Still, we can tell by the pictures (of the back of the device -- thanks a lot, Garmin) that the upcoming nüvi retains the same form factor as the older models, so we're expecting either a souped up 360 or a same-speced model at a lower price point. Oh, and if anyone cares to go through the 43-page testing documentation to dig for more details (good luck with that), please be our guests; just remember to come back and report your findings in the comments section, as we and your fellow readers will be eternally grateful.Update: That was certainly a slap in the face; Garmin won't tell us jack about the 660, but it has no problem spilling the beans to e-tailer buy.com. Thanks to eagle-eyed reader AMtech, we now know that the nuvi 660 will feature a 4.3-inch, 480 x 272 pixel display (compared to the 360's 3.5-inch QVGA screen) and come bundled with either the GTM 20 or GTM 21 traffic receiver (optional on the 360). Oddly enough, though -- at least if buy.com's got the accurate specs -- the 660 will only sport 700MB of internal storage, quite a drop from the 2GB preloaded on a 360 ( you can still upgrade via SD, however). Oh, and if you were hoping for a price break, keep dreaming: buy's got this one listed at an even $1,000.
Garmin nvi 360 reviewed
If you're looking for a nav unit that has a dash of everything and no major digs (aside from the price), the Garmin nüvi 360 just might do the trick. Although the nüvi lineup has been a tad expensive from the get-go, it packs a lot of desirable traits into a portable package, and PC Mag has slapped their Editor's Choice tag on Garmin's latest unit. While not drastically different than the well-received nüvi 350, the 360 was given a pat on the back for the inclusion of Bluetooth and the ability to double as a speakerphone. While the built-in maps, excellent 3.5-inch LCD screen, intuitive GUI features, and pocket-sized design were briefly praised, the bulk of the critique was spent on the most noticeable upgrade. Reviewers raved over the ability to call a restaurant or landmark via Bluetooth with just the press of an on-screen button, and felt that the the only shortfall in the wireless integration was the slightly poor voice quality while speaking from a distance. Adding even more pizazz, the nüvi 360 switches from navigating to a caller ID screen when it detects an incoming call so you can see if potentially veering off course is worth burning those precious peak minutes. Aside from a few minor software nuisances, PC Mag couldn't find any reason to dislike the NAV, and although this isn't the cheapest tour guide on the block at about $900, the Bluetooth integration on an already solid unit could make for some pretty happy campers.
Switched On: Get the show on the road
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:Digital convergence makes for some strange bedfellows; these often turn out to be little more than a one-thing fling. Last year, for example, Olympus fumbled after spending big on a SuperBowl ad with the m:Robe 500, an attractive hard disk-based digital music and photo display device with a camera unworthy of the company's heritage. The m:Robe 500 could not play video, but its large screen indicated a dilemma common to many products in this emerging category. Go too small and you have an unsatisfying visual experience. Design a player too large and you lose portability.The most successful digital portable video player to date has been Apple's iPod with video, the apologetic name of which serves as evidence that Apple was unwilling to compromise the device's appealing size for a very large screen. But Apple's competitors have been missing the mark in terms of targeting the video player at a market that has embraced wisps of products such as the iPod nano. Forget the jogger; the driver is a better target for portable video. As the portable audio market has been adding such features as PIMs, podcasts, and pictures, the portable GPS market has also been adding functionality while shrinking size and prices. As a result, the traditional boundaries between automotive and personal navigation products is starting to blur and the product category has attracted domestic interest from Sony, JVC, and other consumer electronics companies.
