Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve just gotten the inside line on Garmin’s CES spread, and let’s just start this intel off on the right foot: it looks like we aren’t going to see a Nuvifone II at the show this year. Here’s what we’ve got in the pipe:

• Garmin Voice Studio: This might be the coolest announcement, but if you’ve got friends with compatible devices, it’s going to get old real quick. Basically, it’s a PC-based app that lets you record your own nav instructions (which we’re guessing is going to result in some extraordinarily NC17-rated Nuvis). The company is saying it’ll take about 20 minutes to complete a set of commands — and naturally, it won’t do text-to-speech for reading street names and the like. It won’t work on the Nuvi 3xx and 6xx series, but otherwise, you should be good to go.
• Zumo 665: Have a rider in the family? The 665 is Garmin’s latest motorcycle-centric nav unit, which appears to be little more than a 660 with the XM weather, radio (with A2DP out), and traffic on board. It’s got a slightly newer firmware build than the current 660 that adds additional map layouts and data fields; and don’t worry, 660 owners — you’ll get it in the Spring.
• ecoRoute HD: The long-discussed ecoRoute cable will be confirmed (again) at $149.99, this time for a launch somewhere between the first and second quarter of the year.
• Approach G3: This looks to be a downmarket version of the G5 for high-tech golfers looking for a little assistance on the green; MSRP comes in at $349 (compared to $449 for its big brother).

And as far as we can tell, that’s it. Start warming up your best navigation voices, folks.

Update: It’s official.

Garmin’s CES lineup leaked: golf, cars, and do-it-yourself navigation voices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

If the sources that Digitimes is reporting are correct, then China can expect to see a few more customized, 3G phones in the coming year. The sources are saying that both Acer and Asustek are planning models for 2010, and that Acer is working with China Mobile and China Unicom to produce TD-SCDMA and WCDMA models while Asustek is reportedly set to release a China-specific Garmin-Asus branded handset for both carriers in 2010 as well. Now, keep in mind of course that none of this has been confirmed by either company as of yet, but the move certainly wouldn’t surprise us, either.

Acer, Asustek working on custom 3G phones for China? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Digitimes  | Email this | Comments

In Soviet Bulgaria, we don’t have Cyber Mondays, but from what we’ve been told this is a pretty bargainous time of the year. HP starts us off with a pair of coupons on its dv8 Core i7 notebook, one of which drops the 18.4-inch laptop to just $899. There are also deep 50 percent discounts on its printers, but only the Photosmart Premium All-in-One remains after the two cheaper models sold out. Click the Logic Buy link below to get in on the action. Amazon has the older Modern Warfare at $29.95 and Uncharted 2 at $40 flat for the PS3, Garmin’s nuvi 260W at a cent under $115 (or half price), and plenty of discounts on DVDs, gadgetry and even clothing. Best Buy keeps pace by offering the same price on the Garmin nav unit, as well as 10 percent discounts on Apple’s iPod range. Walmart is kicking off a whole Cyber Week with a Sony Bravia 32-inch HDTV priced at $398 and a $249 Nintendo Wii Value Bundle, which includes Wii Sports, sporting peripherals, and a choice of free game. If you’re more interested in computer components, Newegg’s $30 mail-in rebate on the 120GB OCZ Agility SSD will net you the drive for $289, our favorite of a plethora of deals at the online store. And finally, Dell is offering the Droid Eris for free when taking out a new Verizon Wireless account, which is at least $30 cheaper than you can get it anywhere else. Time to get clicking!

Read – Amazon
Read – Best Buy
Read – Dell
Read – Logic Buy
Read – Newegg
Read – Walmart

Cyber Monday deals roundup: Core i7, HDTVs, SSDs, free Droid Eris originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo, I4U  |   | Email this | Comments

The nüvifone G60 took nearly two years to go from introduction to on sale at AT&T, and just weeks after its introduction, it has been nearly completely forgotten. Smartphones like Motorola’s Droid and HTC’s Droid Eris have already snagged the spotlight, and of course, that $300 (on contract) price tag that it debuted with didn’t help attract any eyes, either. That said, we’re sure at least a few (couple?) of you bit the bullet post-price drop, and now we’re overly anxious to hear how you feel about it. After two years, does this thing really live up to the expectations? Are you satisfied with the navigation capabilities? Is the lackluster battery life worrying you yet? Should Garmin-Asus even bother with a second-gen device? Sound off in comments below!

Filed under: Cellphones

How would you change Garmin-Asus’ nuvifone G60? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: GPS

Garmin ecoRoute ESP module gets priced, detailed further originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments