Garmin Nuvi 3500 Series - Top of the Line Wonders: Nuvi 3550LM and 3590LMT
Garmin just unveiled their new Nuvi 3500 line, the newest top-of-the-line set of models designed to take you from point A to point B in a very geeky, very smart way. The nuvi 3500 line is connected, in a way, through your Android phone and Garmin's just-announced connectivity App, while also offering top end features such as:
Newest Guidance 3.0 Navigation Engine - faster, more intuitive routing, with MyTrends capability to learn your favorite routes
Junction View Exclusive Database - over 60,000 complex intersections highlighted and detailed to offer clear routing demonstrations
3D Digital Traffic (available) - Receive updates every 30 seconds and up to 10 faster than the older TMC systems. Uses a multidimensional feed of real-time traffic data from quality sources including other Garmin nüvi owners, cellphone users, radio feeds, news stations, historical traffic data and fixed traffic sensors on major roads.
The new Nuvi 3500 series will include:
Nuvi 3550LM - $369 - lifetime map updates, and premium navigation features
Nuvi 3590 LMT - $399 - adds 3D traffic over HD radio spectrum, voice activated navigation lifetime map updates and Smartphone link
Garmin just announced a new golfing buddy, the new Garmin Approach G6; a svelte 3-ounce device that comes loaded with 25,000 courses and offering helpful, high quality look at yardage to the pin, front and back of the green as well as a rechargeable battery that lasts enough for a weekend's round of golf; up to 15 hours.
Garmin is a leader in easy to use automotive GPS devices, and brings that capability to the Golf links with a well throughout out user interface. They assure that it won't slow you down, and give you insight to help you hit your mark, with guidance on your approach shots while keeping track of your stats. Hopefully, you'll like the truth as displayed by your new golfing buddy; maybe you can still kick that ball out of the rough and not count it... Let's see Garmin track that.
Price is $299, and will be available in february 2012
Garmin Smartphone Link to Android - The Semi-Connected Nuvi
Garmin just announced their Smartphone link to the 2012 Nuvi line letting you use your Andoird (sorry iPhone Nation) to pull down Live Traffic, get Fuel Prices, see Traffic cameras, weather and more. This is all through the Smartphone data plan, and will start to blur the line between the Smartphone experience and a stand-alone un-connected GPS/PND. The App is available for free, and utilizes the Bluetooth capability to pull down the data - you get weather for free, but pay for the others:
Live Traffic - $20 a year, covering highways, interstates and main roads. This should give you a reasonable way to get around traffic, more traffic data, and a high quality navigation system. The cost is similar to annual traffic plans on smartphone Apps. I'll try to figure out how expansive the road coverage is.
photoLive Traffic Cameras - At $10, it gives you insight into the standard traffic cameras; 10,000 of them across the US and Canada.
Fuel Prices - $10 - I've used service like this and it's not the first time around for Garmin on this service, but it's a great new way to deliver the data to the Nuvi.
Advanced Weather - $5 a year - to only do you get extended forecasts, but you get animated radar images on your GPS - very cool.
Garmin Smartphone Link works with all Bluetooth enabled 2012 Garmin PNDs, the nüvi 2475LT, 2495LMT, 2595LMT, 3490LMT and the all-new 3590LMT, the company's most feature-packed 5" navigator. All of these models require a software update, except the nüvi 3590LMT. Garmin Smartphone Link is available from the Android Market at no cost. To learn more, go to http://sites.garmin.com/smartphonelink.
The Garmin Nuvi 1350LMT is a good step up from the more basic Garmin Nuvi 1300 and offers lifetime maps and traffic for a few dollars more; a bargain price for something that used to cost well over $50 a few years ago when sold separately.
The Nuvi 1350LMT is a 4.3-inch widescreen unit with good navigation, maps of the 48 states + Hawaii and Puerto Rico and about six million points of interest. The unit also offers solid navigation, a good interface and Lane Assist, a feature that I think should be on all units (it's not on the lower priced Nuvi 1300 line). The feature gives you a quick view of which lane you should be in as you approach different turns.
At a little over $100 - its a pretty good value for a pretty good navigator.
If you have an outdoor enthusiast on the list, this is a pretty good choice for a great gift. Garmin has a large line of handheld navigators, but this is one that offers a lot of features at a very reasonable price. It's a little more expensive than the base Garmin eTrex 10 that only offers a monochrome display and lacks the ability to add more advanced Topo maps that the eTrex 20 does, but I think the upgraded features are worth it.
The eTrex has a long list of features that pack its small form factor, and on top of the color display and the ability to addTopographical maps, marine charts, it comes in a tough IPX7 water resistant housing and runs about 25 hours on a pair of "AA" batteries. The unit is great for paperless geocaching, making hunting for, finding and documenting your geocache hunts fun and easy. the compact size, (2.1" x 4.0" x 1.3") makes it pocketable.
Interesting article in the WSJ this morning about driver distraction, and how auto manufacturers are trying to combat distraction while making their vehicles more feature laden at the same time. The struggle is tough; in an age of connectedness, people demand more, but the costs can be high, as thousands of people die each year in the US due to driver distraction.
This past summer, David Strickland, of the Department of transportation clarified his role when speaking to a group at a Telematics conference, "I am not here to help you Tweet better, I am not here to help people post on Facebook better. It's not my job." He went on to explain how the Department of Transportation will be clarifying the rule making process that is moving through its paces.
15 Seconds.... How long is That?
Auto makers have adopted a guideline that it should take no more than 15 seconds to accomplish a task while driving. With the advent of in-dash systems, especially navigation, it might take at least 15 seconds to accomplish a destination entry. Natural voice recognition systems are on their way to most vehicles to help solve the issue. While 15 seconds might not seem like a lot of time normally, that's over a quarter of a mile at highway speeds.
Simplify
Ford learned recently with their rollout of the My ford Touch system that not only is distraction an issue, but so is quality and customer satisfaction. If people can't use the system, they won't rate you high for satisfaction, and the perception might be that the system is broken, leading to lower quality scores. They said in the article that they are moving their touchscreen radio system from 5 font sizes to two in an attempt to be easier to see and use.
Chrysler came out on top for JD Power ratings of navigation systems on its Dodge Charger. Why? It's familiar, well laid out, well tested, and it's powered by Garmin. The interface is simple, well known and familiar.
Take a read, and see what you think. Will voice recognition systems at the quality level of Siri help reduce the issue, or are we damned to a world where the ever expanding list of features runs faster than the ease of use quality can go?
Garmin has their holiday commercial running, and are reprising the catchy Give a Garmin jingle with a fresh take on a holiday elf. The Holiday Elf shows up in clutch ways to help rescue wayward citizens. Pretty cute; not quite as awesome as the dated monobrow version from years ago, but you get the idea...... Buy a Garmin
Garmin's Street Pilot App with Onboard Maps is being upgraded with Traffic camera capability. For an additional annual fee of $10, you can get the ability to see real time traffic still images from 10,000 traffic cameras all over the country. So, while this could help you on the road to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving, you may want to also pick it up for $50 off on Black Friday. That's a lot of navigation for just $25 (USA Version and $29 for North American Version). The recent upgrade includes several UI updates and this ability to add in the traffic photos. The App also has the ability to add ($19) Live traffic updates.
Garmin announced their FR70 Fitness watch that offers a wide variety of capabilities that open up more and more ways to track fitness beyond the ordinary - definitely puts the word "Fitness" back into the Fitness Watch. What makes the FR70 cool is that not only does it track distance (clarification - through the optional foot pod it doesn't have a GPS), time and all that normal stuff, but also tracks information like foot speed (optional foot sensor needed), or cadence on a bike, or even information from ANT+ compatible fitness equipment that is starting to show up on the market. Got an ANT+ compatible scale? Yea, the FR70 tracks weight, body fat and other measures right on the fitness watch, then uploads it to the data to your Garmin Connect account.
The FR70 comes in men's and women's colors (blue and pink), and will be priced at $129 when it hits stores in November.
Garmin Fit App - Fitness on the iPhone and Android
Garmin has introduced Garmin Fit an App that allows you to track your workouts on either an iPhone or Android phone and saving that training progress for later. Garmin certainly isn't the first to introduce a training App for mobile phpones, and won't be the last, but they are certainly one to watch and add to the consideration set.
Garmin has also announced an ANT+ adapter for the iPhone, similar to the one from Wahoo Fitness, called the Fisica ANT+ Sensor Key. I have been using one for a while with MapMyRide to track training rides. It allows me to track heart rate from my Garmin HRM strap.
Garmin has also added the capability to upload your complete workout to your Garmin Connect account and track your training progress there. The last 30 days of training progress are available on your Fitness App. The App costs $0.99, while the ANT+ adapter costs $49.
Recently, Garmin announced a series of new GPS units, some of which (Nuvi 2405 and 2505 series) use what they call "PhotoReal Junction View" - well for a little more on the subject, they also cranked out a video to explain things.
So not only do they cover 60,000 junctions across the US, through their proprietary database, but they will show you a map of where to go and the PhotoReal image in a split screen. Probably the most innovative thing is that they highlight the Highway sign that you need and dim the ones you don't; very cool.
The Garmin Nuvi 2350LMT is Amazon's Deal of the Day today and is on sale for $149. The Nuvi 2350 LMT comes with lifetime map updates, and lifetime traffic updates, as well as a healthy set of features including Lane Assist and Junction View - which give you a quick look at where you need to be in that upcoming confusing intersection before it's too late. The MyTrends feature learns your normal driving routes and starts to replicate them when giving you directions. This combined with a traffic sense can have this Nuvi learning the roads like a local who knows the traffic problems before you do.
Garmin's Assessment: Printed Maps and Mobile Phones as Threats
Rip a page out of any marketing text and you'll find a way to deal with threats; how many people have done a SWOT analysis on their business? Well, it seems like the folks at Garmin are taking their threats head on in a little tongue in cheek fashion. Below are five quick videos that point out why the new Nuvi line of GPS devices is smarter than other options. So while the mobile phone may be taking huge bites out of the stand alone GPS market potential, paper direction printouts continue to be an opportunity for converts to switch to a 2012 Garmin GPS.
Paper Direction print outs - cost money in ink - Hey, I just paid $65 in ink cartridges this weekend myself.
Navigating with Smartphones - if you are downloading maps as you go, and are not on an unlimited data plan, you might be in for a surprise when the bill comes, those maps are data-hounds.
Sure, there are a few concepts here that are a stretch, but take a look and have a chuckle. It will take less than 2 minutes to watch them all.
If, you're good with your paper direction print outs or the navigation on your phone; good. If not, you can Enter for a chance to Win a new 2012 Garmin Nuvi over at the Garmin page (scroll to the bottom to enter).
"Paper Work"
"Dashing" - Garmins come with a mount. Get it?
"Multi-distracting"
"Cashing out"
"Out of Bounds" - You know your dead zones, right?
Garmin announced their Essentials line today - a line-up that includes basic GPS units in varying screen sizes with a reasonable list of features. The Garmin Nuvi 30 is a 3.5-inch basic GPS with turn by turn directions, spoken word directions, as well as junction view and lane assist. Since 3.5-inch units are essentially dead, let's talk about the bigger models....
Garmin Nuvi 40 Essentials Line
The real fun starts at the Nuvi 40 level where the screen size jumps to 4.3-inch and adds an "LM" version where the unit comes with lifetime maps and traffic. Some quality features are maintained in this "Essentials" line which used to be a premium feature, but alas, overtime are features that are expected by everyone. Features here that I like and are worth noting:
Speed Limit indicators - used to be barely accurate, but are pretty good these days; generally won't catch a lower speed limit in a highway construction zone though.
Lane assist and Junction View - this is Garmin's version of helping you out when complex highway intersections are coming up; they show you which lane to be in in order to make your turn. Helpful in areas where you are uncertain of which lane to be in. Not so much when there is only one exit lane and ramp.....
Where Am I? - a simple tap of the icon and you get location information to tell first responders if you are in trouble.
Comes with the fun ability to download new vehicle icons from the "Garmin Garage" to change the icon to all kinds of fun creations depending on your mood or the time of the year.
Garmin Nuvi 40LM - 4.3-Inch "Essentials" unit with lifetime map updates
Garmin Nuvi 50 Essentials Line
The Nuvi 50 also has an "LM" version, but comes with a 5-inch screen. The feature set-up is similar, and gets you going in a 5-inch model without a lot of higher end extras to drive up the price. Why a 5-inch screen? Well Today's 5-inch screen is yesterday's 4.3-inch screen, and with prices dropping on components, it's a reasonable price. I have used units up to 7-inches, and those are not always easy to manage. So for everyday use, 5-inches are OK, but much bigger means harder to handle, put on the windshield and hide under the seat, in the glove box, etc.
A key feature addition here is that with the extra real estate, you get a split screen for the Lane Assist/Junction View capability.
Garmin Nuvi 3500 Series - Top of the Line Wonders: Nuvi 3550LM and 3590LMT
Continue reading: 
and offers lifetime maps and traffic for a few dollars more; a bargain price for something that used to cost well over $50 a few years ago when sold separately.
that only offers a monochrome display and lacks the ability to add more advanced Topo maps that the eTrex 20 does, but I think the upgraded features are worth it.
Garmin has introduced Garmin Fit an App that allows you to track your workouts on either an iPhone or Android phone and saving that training progress for later. Garmin certainly isn't the first to introduce a training App for mobile phpones, and won't be the last, but they are certainly one to watch and add to the consideration set.
- 4.3-inch "Essentials" unit
- 5-inch "Essentials" unit
- 5-inch "Essentials" unit
Mailing List
Subscribe - RSS
