Hasta La Gadget!

Taking a virtual tour of the Amazon or Antarctica? Totally doable with Street View. But some of America’s finest National Parks? Yeah, those have been a long time coming. Today, Google announced the inclusion of five California-based US National Parks in Street View, and for those who haven’t had the opportunity (of a lifetime) to visit, they’re absolutely worth a look. Starting at the top, Redwoods National Park provides a street level look at some of the world’s most mysterious trees, while those looking for even more Treebeard-type characters can point their browser to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Naturally, Yosemite and Joshua Tree (shown above) are included as well, and the 360-degree views Google’s cadre of motorcars managed to capture really do a fairly astounding job at capturing the splendor. The toughest part? Knowing which one to traverse first.

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Google brings five California-based US National Parks into Street View originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Jul 2012 09:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Garmin International Inc. has recently introduced the GLO portable GPS and GLONASS receiver. The device uses both GPS and GLONASS satellites to “lock on” to a position, providing more accurate satellite navigation for users. The GLO wirelessly connects to iOS or Android devices via Bluetooth connectivity. Its battery provides enough juice for up to 12-hour of operating time. Garmin will release the GLO in August 2012 at a suggested retail price of $99. [Press Release]

Although the Magellan range of navigation devices is primarily used by landlubbers, it should be noted that the original Portuguese namesake for MiTAC Digital Corporation’s line of portable GPS units earned his reputation by navigating on water. As such, the release of the new Magellan eXplorist 510 Marine Edition for boaters can be considered to be quite fitting. Fresh from releasing seven new Roadmate GPS units, Magellan’s latest addition to its eXplorist line boasts custom Navionics charts and data for US coastal waters up to two miles offshore. It also has information for inland waters — including high-definition content for 12,000 lakes. Other features for the waterproof navigation device include a built-in camera and 3-inch color touchscreen that’s readable in direct sunlight. The release of the eXplorist 510 Marine Edition is pegged for August at MagellanGPS.com and authorized dealers, with a suggested retail price of $479.99. For more info, go ahead and wade into the obligatory PR after the break.

Continue reading Magellan eXplorist 510 Marine Edition sets sights on boaters, out in time for Talk Like a Pirate Day

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Magellan eXplorist 510 Marine Edition sets sights on boaters, out in time for Talk Like a Pirate Day originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 01:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There may be a few more years remaining before a forced retirement, but there’s no question that dedicated automotive GPS units are on the way out. Integrated products, apps and the aviation sector will keep companies like Garmin afloat, but now’s as good a time as any to focus on other markets — and where better to slap that global positioning goodness than on our wrists. Watches seems to be a growing focus for the guidance giant, following last month’s GPS-less Garmin Swim introduction. That device has a relatively narrow target (namely, swimmers willing to invest $150 in the sport), but the company is back with a more versatile wearable, complete with an altimeter, barometer, compass, an optional external ANT temperature sensor and Bluetooth connectivity. There’s also a GPS receiver, which can be used not only to calibrate the time and sensors, but also to track a route, direct you towards waypoints and guide you back to your starting point with TracBack.

The Fenix, as the full-featured watch is being called, is expected to retail for $400 when it hits stores at the end of August. Four bills hardly qualifies it for the luxury wristwatch category, but as digital wearables go, that’s certainly approaching the top end. We had an opportunity to try out the device in an office setting (not exactly an ideal environment for a rugged GPS watch, but that’s the best we could do in the middle of NYC), and the Fenix had quite a bit of heft to it — it’ll surely look out of place on smaller wrists, and probably won’t score you any points among fashion-conscious friends. Inner geeks should be appeased, however — the enclosure definitely seems an adequate size for housing all of those instruments. It also functions quite nicely as a watch — in default mode, it displays the time and date in large characters on the backlit LCD, with a nifty ring around the digits to indicate seconds. The Garmin Fenix is on track for a late-August ship date, but you can scroll through the gallery below or dive into the PR after the break to get your fix in the meantime.

Continue reading Garmin unveils Fenix, its first GPS watch for deep-pocketed outdoorsy types (hands-on)

Garmin unveils Fenix, its first GPS watch for deep-pocketed outdoorsy types (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pioneer is back with its latest portable GPS navigation system, the Potter-Navi SGX-CN700. Designed for cyclists, the gadget features a 2.4-inch color LCD display with a 240 x 320 pixels of resolution and a clip to attach it firmly on your bike. The Potter-Navi SGX-CN700 is also dust and water resistance. Its battery offers up to 10-hour of operating time. Available in black or white, the Pioneer Potter-Navi SGX-CN700 retails for 40,000 Yen or around $500. [Pioneer]