Sunday, March 18, 2012

Garmin Debuts New Dedicated RV Device

r_rv770lmt-s_hr_1001-8

RVs can be a lot of fun, but if you’ve ever taken a road trip in one, then you know that RV drivers have completely different needs than your average driver or even a trucker. So, of course, Garmin is here to the rescue with its own line of RV-specific GPS devices, the most recent of which was announced last week.

The device, RV 770 LMT-S was built specifically with RV lovers and camping enthusiasts in mind. In addition to the normal navigation and routing options, it offers a host of features that RV owners need while on the road. And, much like the new Garmin Drive line, this device features free live services to go along with Garmin’s award-winning navigation. read more

Garmin Introduces New 2017 Drive Line with Live Services

garmindrive_family

At the most recent CES, Garmin introduced its newest line of navigation devices, the 2017 Garmin Drive product line which includes the Garmin Drive 51/61, Garmin DriveSmart 51/61, Garmin DriveAssist 51/61, and Garmin DriveLuxe 51/61. These personal navigation devices are focused heavily on drivers who are more interested in connected features and live services than actual navigation features, unfortunately, and the press release doesn’t actually have all that much information about the navigation features. There might be more once the devices are released, but at the moment, it’s a little slim. However, for the casual driver who is looking for a good alternative to phone navigation, these devices are probably right up your alley.

In addition to basic maps and navigation, all four of the 2017 Drive devices feature a handful of driver alerts including warnings for upcoming sharp curves, railroad or animal crossings, one-way alerts, red light cameras (where applicable), and speed cameras. The devices also all feature Garmin’s signature Read Directions, which uses easily recognizable landmarks, buildings, and traffic lights when giving directions to provide for ease of navigation. The devices also are capable of connecting with a Connect IQ compatible Garmin smartwatch to provide navigation to the driver’s wrist. I’m not sure how useful that’s really going to be, but it’s kind of nice to see connectivity between Garmin devices at the least. read more

Give Mom the Gift of a Girly GPS

 

princesscar

As a girl, I can say with authority that GPS units, from a style perspective, are pretty boring looking. They’re often all gray or black and the user interface, while functional, has a distinct lack of fun colors like pink. So, if you’re looking for something neat to do for your mom (or any woman in your life) then why not download a fun pink car to show her the way?

Here are some free Garmin vehicles you can download for Mother’s Day: read more

Garmin Introduces Dashcam GPS Device

garmin nuvicam lmthd

Garmin announced a new GPS device late last week which combines a dedicated navigation system with a dash cam and advanced alerts to make the first unit designed to protect users in the case of an accident. Dash cams have become more and more popular in recent years, providing an unbiased eyewitness of events along with date and time.

The nuviCam LMTHD boasts a continuously recording dash cam device on the back and a driver-facing display with Garmin navigation favorites including Active Lane Guidance, Up Head to provide upcoming services and POIs, Garmin Real directions, photoReal Junction View, Bird’s Eye Junction View, preloaded Foursquare data and various speed limit and school zone warnings. read more

2015 Nuvi Essentials Boast New Budget Features

The Garmin 2015 Nuvi Essential Series is the first budget-friendly line that supports a backup camera

The Garmin 2015 Nuvi Essential Series is the first budget-friendly line that supports a backup camera

Garmin announced the details of its 2015 Nuvi Essentials series at the International Consumer Electronics Show going on this week. This year’s entry-level devices include several features that have never been available to the lower-end markets before, along with other Garmin essentials like lane assist, junction view, street name, speed limit, arrival time estimates, Up Ahead (to show nearby services) and more.

The new features that normally only are available to the more expensive devices include Garmin Real Directions, which provides actual landmarks, buildings and stop lights as references for easy-to-follow directions; millions of preloaded POIs from Foursquare along with the ability to search new and popular destinations, and the most talked-about feature, support for backup cameras like the BC 30 backup camera, which is available for $169.99. read more

Garmin nuvi 50LM Still Going Strong

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The Garmin nuvi 50LM was released in 2011 and is still one of the best entry-level GPS units available. In fact, if you do a quick search on Amazon or Google, you’ll find that it’s one of the most searched GPS units. Currently, the Garmin nuvi 50LM is ranked #96 on Amazon’s top 100 electronics. That’s 96 out of all of the electronics that Amazon sells, and it is three years old! With as fast as technology moves, that’s quite a testament to the quality of this unit. Check out our extensive hands-on review of nuvi 50LM for a preview of what to expect. read more

Garmin Introduces Foursquare to Advanced Nuvi Series

nuvi advanced series
Yesterday, Garmin introduced the 2014 Nuvi Advanced Series, the first Nuvi line to come with Foursquare venues designed to help users find and explore new businesses. The new GPS devices also come with Direct Access to help navigate to complexes like malls and airports and traditional advanced Garmin features like Active Lane Guidance, Real Directions, multi-touch displays and Photo Real and Bird’s Eye Junction View. read more

Garmin zumo 590LM motorcycle model announced

Garmin zumo 590LMGarmin has announced the zumo 590LM, a new top-of-the-line motorcycle navigator that seems destined to supplant the 665LM. read more

Garmin Dash Cam 20 review

Garmin Dash Cam 20

The Garmin Dash Cam 20 is a compact windshield driving recorder, the company’s first in the US market.  I’ve been testing it for the past week, and have a full review for you.  read more

Erasing the trip log on 2014 nuvi Essential series

Garmin nuvi trip log

Garmin nuvi trip log (the thin blue line shows where you’ve been)

Garmin has certainly upset their customers before, but few things have raised the ire of folks as much as the inability to clear the trip log on the 2012 and 2013 nuvi Essential series (including the popular 50LM model). The trip log is that thin blue line you see above, showing where you’ve recently traveled. read more