Garmin® Unveils GPSMAP® 62 Series, Updating Iconic Outdoor Handheld

June 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

OLATHE, Kan.–(Business Wire)–
Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global
leader in satellite navigation, today announced the GPSMAP 62 series of rugged
outdoor handheld devices, bringing a sleek updated look, new mapping options and
many technical innovations to a product line beloved by hunters, hikers and
geocachers of all ages.

“The GPSMAP 60 series has been one of our most popular product lines, and the
new GPSMAP 62 series improves the form and functionality to make a best-in-class
device even better,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin`s vice president of worldwide
sales. “Whether you`ve been using Garmin for years or are buying your first
handheld, GPSMAP 62 is ideal as it combines our new breakthroughs in outdoor
recreation technology with the comfortable feel of an old favorite.”

Boasting a 2.6″ sunlight-readable color display, up to 20 hours of battery life
and a high-sensitivity GPS receiver and quad helix antenna for unparalleled
reception, the GPSMAP 62 series features three distinct waterproof models to
suit various activities and interests. The basic GPSMAP 62 includes a built-in
worldwide basemap with shaded relief. The GPSMAP 62s adds a 3-axis
tilt-compensated electronic compass and wireless connectivity for sharing
routes, tracks, waypoints and geocaches between other compatible Garmin
handhelds. GPSMAP 62s also includes a barometric altimeter that tracks changes
in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude. Users can also plot barometric
pressure over time, which can help keep an eye on changing weather conditions.
In addition to these key features, GPSMAP 62st includes preloaded 100K
topographic maps for the entire United States (or preloaded 50K topographic
mapping of Canada for the Canadian version). Coverage on GPSMAP 62st includes
major trails, urban and rural roads, interstates, highways, coastlines, rivers
and lakes as well as national, state and local parks, forests and wilderness
areas. In addition, you can search for points of interest by name or proximity
to your location and view descriptive details for terrain contours, topo
elevations, summits and geographical points.

To help each user maximize the mapping potential of Garmin handhelds, each model
in the GPSMAP 62 series is compatible with Garmin`s subscription-based BirdsEye
Satellite Imagery, the free online community at Garmin Connect as well as
Garmin`s free Custom Maps utility for transferring paper or digital maps onto a
compatible handheld.

Geocachers can help the environment and be more efficient by going paperless
with the GPSMAP 62 series, quickly downloading cache information directly to the
device. Each model stores and displays key information such as location,
terrain, difficulty, hints and description, so that you don`t have to tote
printouts with you. Learn more about geocaching, getting started and going
paperless at www.garmin.com/geocaching.

Subscribers to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery can use BaseCamp software to quickly
transfer high-resolution satellite images to any Garmin GPSMAP 62 device and
seamlessly integrate those images into the handheld`s maps to get a true
representation of the surroundings. More details can be found at
www.garmin.com/birdseyesatimagery.

Customizing maps for your Garmin outdoor handheld has never been easier. Through
a few simple steps, Garmin`s Custom Maps can bring the details, labels and
landmarks of your existing paper or electronic map to a product in the GPSMAP 62
series, or a compatible Garmin Oregon, Dakota or Colorado. Compatible with both
PC and Mac, this free utility complements the myriad of mapping products already
offered for Garmin devices, including City Navigator®, NT for turn-by-turn
directions on city streets, Blue Chart® g2, for marine charting, and TOPO U.S.
24K and 100K map software for incredible terrain detail (each sold separately).
To walk through the steps, to find and share maps and to join discussions about
Garmin Custom Maps, visit www.garmin.com/CustomMaps.

Experiences will live on long after the activity has ended, thanks to Garmin
Connect (http://garminconnect.com), the free-to-join online community of more
than 20 million activities for sharing, storing, analyzing and enjoying at
garminconnect.com. Outdoor and fitness enthusiasts alike can share activities on
Facebook and Twitter, export to Google Earth or relive the activity in table
view, calendar view or on a variety of maps including our new embedded Google
Earth view.

Each device in the GPSMAP 62 series has a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with
HotFix, which automatically calculates and stores critical satellite information
and can use that information to quickly calculate a position. The GPSMAP 62
series is made even more versatile through its universal mounting system that is
compatible with the same accessories as Garmin`s Oregon, Dakota and Colorado
products. Other key upgrades include photo navigation and onboard memory for
downloading maps. GPSMAP 62 and GPSMAP 62st models also feature high-speed USB
for faster map transfers with your computer, as well as a 3-axis
tilt-compensated electronic compass, which shows the user`s heading even when
standing still, without the need to hold it level. In addition to the preloaded
topographic details for the entire United States, GPSMAP 62st features 500 MB of
available built-in memory. GPSMAP 62 and GPSMAP 62s are ready to be customized
to fit any user`s activity, thanks to 1.7 GB of onboard memory.

The GPSMAP 62 series represents the latest breakthroughs from Garmin, which has
spent 20 years developing technologies and innovations to enhance users` lives,
making Garmin a household name in the automotive, aviation, marine, wireless,
outdoor and fitness industries. For more about features, pricing and
availability, as well as information about Garmin`s other products and services,
go to www.garmin.com, www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/jakesjournal.

About Garmin International Inc.

Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the
global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has
designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and
information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS
technology. Garmin`s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor
recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated
in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United
States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s
virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/newsroom or contact the Media Relations
department at 913-397-8200. Garmin, GPSMAP, Bluechart, City Navigator, Colorado,
Dakota, Foretrex and Oregon are registered trademarks and Garmin Connect is a
trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

Notice on forward-looking statements:

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its
business. All statements regarding the company`s future product introductions
are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management’s
current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in
this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a
result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin,
including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 26, 2009, filed by Garmin with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of
Garmin`s Form 10-K can be downloaded at
www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking
statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the
date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly
update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events, or otherwise.

Garmin International Inc.
Jake Jacobson, 913-397-8200
media.relations@garmin.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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Scientists to map Chile earthquake site to capture fresh data

March 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 20 (ANI): A team of scientists are all set to undertake an expedition to explore the rupture site of the 8.8-magnitude Chilean earthquake, which is one of largest quakes in recorded history.

The scientists are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and affiliated with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California at San Diego.

The scientists hope to capitalize on a unique scientific opportunity to capture fresh data from the event.

They will study changes in the seafloor that resulted from movements along faults and submarine landslides.

The “rapid response” expedition, called the Survey of Earthquake And Rupture Offshore Chile, will take place aboard the research vessel Melville.

The Melville was conducting research off Chile when the earthquake struck.

“This rapid response cruise is a rare opportunity to better understand the processes that affect the generation and size of tsunamis,” said Julie Morris, NSF division director for Ocean Sciences.

“Seafloor evidence of the quake will contribute to understanding similar earthquake regions worldwide,” she added.

An important aspect of the rapid response mission involves swath multibeam sonar mapping of the seafloor to produce detailed topographic maps.

“Data from mapping the earthquake rupture zone will be made public soon after the research cruise ends,” Morris said.

The new data will be compared with pre-quake data taken by scientists at Germany”s Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR).

Several years ago, IFM-GEOMAR researchers conducted a detailed multibeam mapping survey off Chile.

Their data will be valuable for comparisons with the new survey to expose changes from the earthquake rupture, according to researchers.

“We’d like to know if the genesis of the resulting tsunami was caused by direct uplift of the seabed along a fault, or by slumping from shaking of sediment-covered slopes,” said Dave Chadwell, an SIO geophysicist and chief scientist of the expedition.

“We will look for disturbances in the seafloor, including changes in reflectivity and possibly shape, by comparing previous data with the new (rapid response) data,” he added.

Accoridng to Bruce Appelgate, associate director for Ship Operations and Marine Technical Support at SIO, “The earthquake was a tragedy for the people of Chile, but we hope this opportunity enables important new discoveries that can help us plan for future events.” (ANI)

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NASA spacecraft sends first lunar images to Earth

July 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, July 3 (ANI): NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has transmitted its first images from the Moon, since reaching lunar orbit on June 23.

The spacecraft has two cameras – a low resolution Wide Angle Camera and a high resolution Narrow Angle Camera.

Collectively known as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, or LROC, they were activated on June 30.

The cameras are working well and have returned images of a region a few kilometers east of Hell E crater in the lunar highlands south of Mare Nubium.

As the moon rotates beneath LRO, LROC gradually will build up photographic maps of the lunar surface.

“Our first images were taken along the moon’s terminator – the dividing line between day and night – making us initially unsure of how they would turn out,” said LROC Principal Investigator Mark Robinson of Arizona State University in Tempe.

“Because of the deep shadowing, subtle topography is exaggerated, suggesting a craggy and inhospitable surface. In reality, the area is similar to the region where the Apollo 16 astronauts safely explored in 1972. While these are magnificent in their own right, the main message is that LROC is nearly ready to begin its mission,” he added.

LRO will help NASA identify safe landing sites for future explorers, locate potential resources, describe the moon’s radiation environment and demonstrate new technologies.

The satellite also has started to activate its six other instruments. The Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector will look for regions with enriched hydrogen that potentially could have water ice deposits.

The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation is designed to measure the moon’s radiation environment. Both were activated on June 19 and are functioning normally.

Instruments expected to be activated during the next week and calibrated are the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, designed to build 3-D topographic maps of the moon’s landscape; the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment, which will make temperature maps of the lunar surface; and the Miniature Radio Frequency, or Mini-RF, an experimental radar and radio transmitter that will search for subsurface ice and create detailed images of permanently-shaded craters.

The final instrument, the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project, will be activated after the other instruments have completed their calibrations, allowing more time for residual contaminants from the manufacture and launch of LRO to escape into the vacuum of space.

This instrument is an ultraviolet-light imager that will use starlight to search for surface ice. It will take pictures of the permanently-shaded areas in deep craters at the lunar poles. (ANI)

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Virtual maps provide bird’s-eye view of Titan’s Earth-like landscapes

March 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 25 (ANI): Scientists have made new virtual topographic maps of Saturn’s moon Titan, which provide a bird’s-eye view its Earth-like landscapes.

Cassini radar team member Randy Kirk with the Astrogeology Science Center at the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Arizona, created the maps.

He used some of the 20 or so areas where two or more overlapping radar measurements were obtained during 19 Titan flybys.

These stereo overlaps cover close to two percent of Titan’s surface.

The process of making topographic maps from them is just beginning, but the results already reveal some of the diversity of Titan’s geologic features.

The new flyover maps show, for the first time, the 3-D topography and height of the 1,200-meter (4,000-foot) mountain tops, the north polar lake country, the vast dunes more than 100 meters (300 feet) high that crisscross the moon, and the thick flows that may have oozed from possible ice volcanoes.

“These flyovers let you take in the bird’s-eye sweeping views of Titan, the next best thing to being there,” said Kirk.

“We’ve mapped many kinds of features, and some of them remind me of Earth. Big seas, small lakes, rivers, dry river channels, mountains and sand dunes with hills poking out of them, lava flows,” he added.

The maps show some features that may be volcanic flows. These flows meander across a shallow basin in the mountains.

One area suspected to be an ice volcano, Ganesa Macula, does not appear to be a volcanic dome. It may still have originated as a volcano, but it’s too soon to know for sure.

“It could be a volcanic feature, a crater, or something else that has just been heavily eroded,” said Kirk.

The stereo coverage includes a large portion of Titan’s north polar lakes of liquid ethane and methane. Based on these topographical models, scientists are better able to determine the depth of lakes.

The highest areas surrounding the lakes are some 1,200 meters (about 4,000 feet) above the shoreline.

By comparing terrain around Earth to the Titan lakes, scientists estimate their depth is likely about 100 meters (300 feet) or less.

More 3-D mapping of these lakes will help refine these depth estimates and determine the volume of liquid hydrocarbons that exist on Titan.

This information is important because these liquids evaporate and create Titan’s atmosphere. Understanding this methane cycle can provide clues to Titan’s weather and climate. (ANI)

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Now, explore depths of Earth’s water with Google Ocean

February 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Feb 3 (ANI): Fascinated by the blue ocean, but don’t know how to swim? Well, take heart, for Google has launched Ocean in Google Earth that allows users to navigate underwater in unprecedented clarity.

Ocean builds on the free, popular 3-D mapping software Google Earth, the company’s virtual Earth model.

With the help of the latest version of the Google Earth software, users can clearly see the oceanic mountain ranges, trenches and abyssal plains.

New “layers” to the satellite-based software include topographic maps of the seafloor; locations of shipwrecks and algal blooms; and even maps of the tiny phytoplankton that provide the bulk of the ocean’s food chain.

The layers help users to explore multimedia features that combine data and maps with videos, quizzes, and other interactives.

The tool also boasts a new fish-eye view, which is accessible via a free upgrade.

John Hanke, director of Geo Products at Google said that the fish-eye view aims to provide a public platform for users to talk about the oceans.

“It really is a means… [of] raising geographical awareness of oceans and … the pressures that are being put on life in the ocean,” National Geographic News quoted him as saying.

The idea for this software first came to well-known marine biologist Sylvia Earle, who hopes that it will help protect the seas in their time of need.

“Maybe this will help people see how the ocean and land are interconnected and stir them into action. There’s a lot of ocean out there that we have to explore and communicate with the world,” she said.

For developing the software, collected most of the information from the US navy. Thus, there are some “sensitive” areas left blank.

Other navies and research institutions around the world also provided data, helping Google Earth’s software engineers to stitch together a map with a resolution in the order of 500 to 1000 metres.

In areas where a lot of research groups operate, such as Monterey Bay in California, the resolution is down to a couple of metres – better than most of the land maps in Google Earth.

Google hopes researchers will continue to contribute to the project.

“Our hope is that people who have these small patches of good data will be excited and come out of the woodwork,” said Google Ocean’s lead developer Steve Miller. (ANI)

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