GPS Tracklog

Garmin Oregon 500 series

REI has inadvertently leaked information on a forthcoming update to the Garmin Oregon handheld lineup -- the Oregon 500 series. It's unclear whether these will be the 500 and 500t or the 550 and 550t, but it does appear that they will include a built-in camera like the Magellan Triton series. We're assuming this will give you the ability to take geotagged photos. This could help explain the $50 rebate (PDF) on the current Oregon series, which expires May 10.

Details on Garmin nuvi 1200 and 1300 series

A little more information is trickling out on the Garmin nuvi 1200 and 1300 series units that were announced yesterday. One of the more interesting things is this tidbit -- with an "enhanced user interface, you can slide your finger to conveniently scroll between screens." I wonder if screen order can be customized.

Pedestrian-friendly Garmin nuvi 1200 and 1300 series

Garmin has announced eight (!) new nuvi models that come with urban pedestrian navigation enhancements. Significantly thinner than previous models, "the nüvi 1200 and 1300 series are the first nüvi devices to offer pedestrian navigation capability enabled through optional CityXplorer™ maps. CityXplorer maps are available for select tourist destinations in both North America and Europe, and can easily be downloaded directly to the nüvi."

Garmin discontinues nuvi 2x0 and 7x0 series

Garmin has discontinued the nuvi 2x0 and 7x0 series, leaving the multi-use 5x0 series as the only nuvis without text-to-speech (EDIT: Oops, not quite). Earlier this year, the nuvi 8x0 series was discontinued as well.

This may or may not presage new arrivals in the marketplace. Most PND manufacturers seem to be taking a cautious approach to new introductions this year. Nevertheless, Garmin has cleared up a backlog of inventory; the most likely time for new product announcements would be at CeBIT early next month.

Video of Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60

Videos of the Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 are starting to show up online, as the Mobile World Congress ramps up in Barcelona. So far the reviews are pretty positive, the main complaints being the slow response time of the accelerometer, and a lack of depth to smart phone features like contacts and calendar.

Handheld GPS news briefs

It's that time of year, when handheld GPS enthusiasts' thoughts turn to tech toys the outdoors. Yes, spring will be here soon, very soon for some of us, and I've got a few goodies for those of you ready to hit the trail:

More free maps for your Garmin GPS

I don't know who John M. is, but he's my hero du jour, because he's posted a southeastern U.S. map with 20 foot contour intervals at GPS File Depot (image at left). The map installs directly to MapSource. There's also one for New England and much of the southwest. As I perused the site, I also noticed an RSS feed, so you can easily be notified as new maps are posted. This is the best single location I know of for downloading free Garmin-compatible maps for the U.S. Now I just need someone to upload a transparent trails map for the southeast!

Garmin-Asus nuvifone M20

UPDATED with more images at end of post.

Garmin-Asus has announced their second release, the nuvifone M20. Running Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, the M20 is a dual-band 3.5G / tri-band GSM phone with Wi-Fi connectivity. Pricing and availability information are expected in the first half of 2009.

They also released specs for the nuvifone G60 today, ahead of the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.

Keep reading for the full news release on the Garmin-Asus nuvifone M20.

More on Garmin-Asus alliance

I just finished listening to the Garmin webcast re: their partnership with Asus, and here is what I garnered:

Multiple nuvifones coming from Garmin - Asus

Garmin is definitely getting into the cell phone market in a big way. They are announcing a partnership with Asus today, producing several nuvifone models in 2009. This appears to be in addition to the Android phone we previously discussed. The initial model, the Garmin-Asus G60, is still expected to be delivered in the first half of 2009.

Garmin nuvi 855 and 885T available

UPDATE: I've posted a hands-on Garmin nuvi 885T review.

Longtime readers know that I'm a big fan of GPS Now, a small operation that manages to get new Garmin models in before just about anyone.

Well they've just received a shipment of the new Garmin nuvi 855 and nuvi 885T. They only got a few in this first batch, and they're going fast, so I'd suggest moving quickly if you want one.