NaviGadget

We have a few screen shots from the new Garmin Forerunner 405 that is expected to hit the market soon after April 21st.

This is the training page. You can set up two additional training “pages” and you can scroll through with a tap to the watch bezel. You can also choose up to three data fields to customize each training page. There are over 30 types of data you can display. We’re talking way more than distance, pace, elevation and calories. You can also view GPS accuracy, grade, lap distance, heart rate average, zone, % max and more.

This screen is the virtual partner. It gives you a virtual competitor for every training run. You pick your goal pace, then see how you match up to the virtual partner.

This is the heart rate page. It shows your heart rate and zone numbers as well as a chart that shows your progression at a glance.

The last screen shown here is the navigation page. Since the 405 is GPS-enabled, it has some basic navigation capabilities, including a feature that guides you back to your starting point. Nice for when you strike out on a run in a new city or if you like to “run outside the lines” once in awhile. read »

We now have a winner for our Mainnav MW-705 GPS watch giveaway.

It is commenter #21, aka Jim W. Congratulations Jim W. We’ll get in touch with you soon.

We’re giving away this awesome GPS watch to a lucky reader!!! Yes, it may be huge, and yes it may prevent you from meeting members of the opposite sex. But who cares. It is free - and it is a GPS watch.

The GPS watch is from Mainnav and it is called MW-705D which we had talked about here before.

To win you need to subscribe to our feed and leave a comment below with an email address we can reach you at. Don’t get too smart on us. We watch out for duplicate entries and IP addresses and stuff. Those will be disqualified. And we can only ship it to U.S. or Canada.

We’ll close this post for comments a week from today.

Garmin today announced a GPS watch that actually is the size of a watch. Called Forerunner 405 this GPS watch is really not that bad looking meaning you can almost wear all day every day - something impossible to do with the older 305 and 205.

Expected to cost about $300, the Forerunner 405 can track your speed, distance, heart rate and location. The new user interface is a touch bezel on the face of the watch which makes navigating the menus easier. The bezel responds to tapping, holding or running a finger along it.

Like previous models Forerunner 405 also features the Virtual Partner whose pace you can adjust as you wish - which may defeat the purpose of a challenge for some people.

The watch itself does not come with a heart rate monitor but supports it, in addition to an optional speed/cadence bike sensor which can help cyclists monitor their pedaling cadence and wheel speed.

Another nice feature of Forerunner 405 is the connectivity:

Using ANT+Sport technology, the Forerunner 405 sends workout data to the user’s computer via automatic wireless data transfer… the computer automatically syncs with the Forerunner 405 as soon as the user enters the room… Runners, joggers, cyclists and hikers can send courses, goals and workouts to their Forerunner 405 before they begin, and then the data gets sent back to the user’s computer when the workout is over. Athletes can log their workouts, track their totals, set goals, share workouts with coaches, friends and family and participate in an online fitness community at Garmin’s online training site at connect.garmin.com

Continue to read »

The market for GPS watches is relatively small with only a few brand names such as Garmin, Suunto, Casio, and then a few less known Asian names. Today we have Pyxis again, and apparently they have upgraded the software on their GPS wrist watch to support activities other than just golf. Pyxis now offers features to help you keep track of your workout whether you’re cycling, running, hiking, or just walking.

We have no info when this GPS watch will be available in the U.S. or anywhere else but it looks like the company is trying to find a distributor at trade shows… via

A Korean company recently unveiled their new GPS watch designed for golfers. Called Pyxis RGPS-3000, this GPS watch will allow you to load your favorite golf course on to the device and keep track of your score. In addition RGPS-3000 will come in handy in many other outdoor activities such as running, bicycling, hiking, etc thanks to its software which can adapt to many conditions.

We have no info on its availability in the States, but in Korea they sell for 198,000KRW which is about $215… via

If you’re not into hi-tech golf gadgets you can also see a selection of irons and drivers.

GH-615M we’ve mentioned before a couple of times is now available for sale in the U.S. for $300. Manufactured by USGlobalSat, the GH-615M is designed for athletes who want to get every single detail about their intense workout.

The device has enough memory to store up to 60,000 waypoints and it records and stores traveled routes using your pre-set time intervals and on its oversized LCD displaying GPS coordinates, speed, altitude, lap recording, and your heart rate. GH615M is IPX7 water resistant, so it is OK to use even in the wettest outdoor conditions. This GPS watch also allows PC connection via the USB port and can double as a GPS receiver for laptops or UMPC’s. Recorded data when downloaded to a PC can be saved as .CSV, .TXT and .KML files.

Polar, long time manufacturer of sensors and watches designed for athletes is now adding a GPS sensor to their line of products. The Finnish company is getting ready to market the device in the U.S; called G3 GPS sensor. Polar G3 can provide speed and distance data in all outdoor sports using Global Positioning System technology.

It then transmits this data over W.I.N.D - which is a fancy name for a 2.4 GHz wireless connection - to another compatible product for example the Polar RS800, which records and displays the data.

Polar G3 is resilient and water resistant so you can depend on it regardless where and how hard you train. We have no info when G3 will be available or for how much. Until then you read about other GPS systems for runners.

This not so pleasant looking GPS watch from MainNav has many features aside from just being enormous. First off it has bluetooth connectivity - probably enabling you to use it as a standalone GPS receiver. It is also functions as a personal trainer, keeping track of your heart rate with its digital sensor and recording your every move thanks to the data log feature. The screen is OLED, which will get you more mileage on your 400mAh battery.

Full set of features:

• GPS watch tracks up to 12 satellites at once using 20 parallel satellites acquisition
• Bluetooth function.
• New SiRF Star III LP single chip
• Digital Heart Rate Sensor and the Speed + Distance Sensor are all included
• Altitude/Elevation Data
• Speed and pace measure sensor to report your pedaling strokes per minute.
• Temperature sensor
• Includes Latitude and Longitude (Lat/Lon), Date, and Time
• Data log– Position recorded
• Using Organic light-emitting diode (OLED)
• Adaptable GPS fix rate to control battery life
• Display speed/distance / temperature

We have no info price or availability but we bet the Asian manufacturer can’t wait to ship them West once you order the minimum amount (usually 1000 of them).

If you are serious about running and keeping track of your performance you probably have heard of GPS systems that can help you along the way. Most of these little devices are equipped with little fitness computers that can report on your speed, average speed, distance covered, location, heart rate, and much more.

If you are ready lets go over a few of the most popular GPS systems that can assist you during your workout:

Suunto X9i ($421):

Suunto X9i is a very capable GPS wrist watch that can give you information on altitude, vertical speed, thermometer, atmospheric pressure, compass, and of course your location. People at Suunto also recently developed a software called Suunto Trek Manager (STM).

With STM you can create routes on the maps you have uploaded, edit and erase existing routes, visualize the altitude profiles for your routes, analyze and plan your training, and keep a training diary. You can also create your own activity reports by adding photos and text to the profiles.

So the X9i does provide some performance data, but mostly after you’re done working out and have uploaded your data to your PC using STM. If you are looking for more data during your workout you’ll have to look elsewhere. However the small size and compactness of the X9i makes it quite desirable.

Forerunner 305 ($263):

Garmin’s Forerunner 305 is nothing less than high tech personal trainer. It includes a wireless heart rate monitor and can alert you based on time, distance, pace, and of course heart rate. To make your workout more interesting the Forerunner 305 integrates smart features. For example you can download a previous course on to the 305 and compete against it. If you don’t want to compete against your previous performance you can give the “virtual partner” a try. Virtual partner is a digital runner and you can race with it based on time, pace, or distance. And if you get the holographic add-on you can see him/her running right next to you :)

Other features include a Auto Pause, that lets you automatically pause your work out based on a lower speed limit, so you don’t have to hit a button every time you stop to tie your shoe laces. Similar to Auto Pause, there’s something called Auto Lap. It can record lap data when you reach a specified time, distance, or position.

You can still rely on Forerunner 305 to keep track of your performance on those rainy days when you have to hit the treadmill instead of the asphalt. You can buy the Foot Pod which attaches to your running shoe and transmits distance and pace data to your Forerunner 305 when GPS reception is unavailable.

Also in the box, you’ll find the Garmin Training Center software that helps you customize your workouts to meet specific goals and objectives. You can create your own workouts or use workout templates included on the CD. Interactive analysis tools let you chart performance overlaid on a map.

FRWD W600 (€400):

FRWD W600 is somewhat the combination of above two. It does provide a lot of vital data during your workout and also includes a barometer and an altimeter. It is a bit smaller and more stylish than Forerunner but you’ll have to carry an extra bluetooth GPS receiver.

Just like the other two it includes software to analyze your performance on your PC. Speaking of PC, FRWD W600 connects connects wirelessly to your computer. USB dongle for your PC is included.

After the performance you get to relive the best aftermaths on a computer screen with fabulous satellite pictures. You can analyse your route, speed, distance, heart rate, altitude profiles, oxygen consumption etc. You can also compare performances and start a virtual competition against your own or your friends’ performances and see where the differences appear.

The only problem with FRWD is designed by a Finnish company and is not very easy to find in the U.S.

Amaryllo Trip Tracker (€160):

Amaryllo Trip Tracker probably has the least functionality compared to others. It lacks heart rate info, calories, altimeter, barometer, etc. But it does cover all the basics. You can see your speed, average speed, and distance covered. It also displays the direction you’re heading and lets you store waypoints along the way. No way you can get lost with this device.

Different from the rest is Amaryllo Trip Tracker can also be used as a bluetooth GPS receiver - so you can pair it up with a PDA, laptop or cell phone and with the help of some navigation software you can have yourself a navigation system.

Timex Trail Runner ($300):

The Timex brand may be familiar to triathlon runners and such. Their advanced product with GPS functionality is called Timex BodyLink Trail Runner. It is another GPS system for runners that is easy to get hold of in the U.S and if you can ignore a couple bad reviews on Amazon it sounds like a good buy. The BodyLink Trail Runner has three components - the wrist computer, GPS receiver, and the heart rate monitor; all of which talk to each other wirelessly. It can store waypoints (only 10 though), help navigate back to these waypoints, show directional info, create 5 different training zones for your heart rate, and various other features.

In terms of price, functionality, and the amount of stuff you have to carry, Garmin Forerunner 305 seems to be the clear winner here. We’d also like to hear what you think. Let us know if we missed any other brands.