Garmin unveils VivoActive sports smartwatch

Lazada Philippines

Garmin has just announced a number of devices, including the Fenix 3, Epix and the VivoActive. The latter is Garmin’s latest sports smartwatch.

At only 38 grams, the VivoActive by Garmin is perhaps the lightest smartwatch. The 1.4-inch display is only 7.62mm thin.

The watch has a number of pre-installed apps and can be customised with different watch face designs, widgets and third-party apps. The smartwatch is also compatible with iOS and Android smartphones.

The watch comes with several sensors which can track specific activities like golfing or swimming. It also comes with a built-in GPS to track your running/biking trail aside from collecting number of steps, calories burned, and support for 3rd-party heart monitors.

The VivoActive can last up to 3 weeks on idle and up to 10 hours if you activate the GPS.

Garmin will sell the VivoActive for $249.

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Wear This: Garmin Fenix 2 Multi-Sport Watch

Lazada Philippines

Garmin has recently introduced the Fenix2 multi-purpose watch in the local market. Targeting multi-sport enthusiasts, the Fenix2 was built to fit the likes of swimmers, hikers, runners, and skiers.

fenix2-ph

I’ve been a fan of G-Shock watches and have had quite a good collection last year until I sold them all and shifted to oversized Diesel watches. I complemented them with smartbands and activity trackers. When I tried the Garmin Fenix2, both the regular watch and the activity trackers found their match.

garmin-fenix2

The Fenix2 looks like your typical metallic rugged wristwatch with a thick rubber strap. It has a fairly large face diameter with a curved mineral, scratch-resistant glass lens and a red backlight. The knobs and buttons peppered around the sides are self-explanatory and easy to use.

fenix2-garmin

I’ve used the Fenix2 for a couple of weeks when going to the gym, running and doing laps in the pool. For running, you can select either outdoor or inbox activity mode. Outdoor allows you to turn on GPS so you can also track the route you took while indoor mode does not need GPS and will only track the distance, time and calories burned.

fenix2-swim

For swimming, the indoor mode can also be used and it will ask you for the length of the pool. Once activated, it will count the number of laps, distance, time and number of strokes. The watch is waterproof up to 5 ATM or about 50 meters without any time limitations.

garmin-fenix

The Fenix2 comes with numerous sensors — GPS radio, an altimeter, barometer, 3-axis compass, an accelerometer, a thermometer, and both ANT+ and Bluetooth.

Garmin Fenix 2 specs:
Screen: 1.2-inch/3.1cm diameter, 70×70 pixel monochrome LCD
Touchscreen: No
Weight: 90 grams
Size: 4.9 x 4.9 x 1.7 cm
GPS enabled: Yes
Battery: Li-Ion 500mAh (840 hours)

The watch has an internal Lithium Ion battery that can be charged using a cradle. Battery life is expected to last up to 5 weeks on normal use and up to 50 hours when you turn on GPS for tracking.

garminfenix2

The Fenix2 has several dedicated programming for specific activities. It does not have the normal step counter and sleep tracker like the Vivofit although it’s still possible to set it to track distance and movement (like with running or hiking).

Fitness Training – Real-time performance data such as time, distance, pace, calories, speed, lap data, and heart rate1 Advanced Workouts – When paired with heart rate monitor, calculates Advanced features like recovery advisor and race predictor.

Running Dynamics – When paired with HRM-Run monitor2, fenix 2 provides feedback on Running form by measuring cadence (number of steps per minute), vertical oscillation (bounce in your Running motion), and ground contact time.

Ski Mode – Ski-Board Mode measures 3D speed and distance, time, vertical drop, total runs, auto pause, auto run detection, plus features Ski specific data pages, history of runs, performance data.

Swim Mode – Indoor and outdoor Swim Modes that record stroke count, intervals, distance, pace, and time. For pool Swimming, also counts lengths, detects stroke type, and computes the user’s SWOLF score.

fenix2

The watch automatically uploads data wirelessly to Garmin Connect, Live Track and social media (using Garmin Connect Mobile app on smartphone3), plus features Smart Notification so you can receive emails, texts and alerts directly on the Fenix2.

The Garmin Fenix2 is available in sports stores like ROX, Runnr and Toby’s for a suggested retail price of Php22,900. There’ an optional kit that comes bundled with wireless Heart Rate Monitor for Php25,900.

The post Wear This: Garmin Fenix 2 Multi-Sport Watch appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Garmin announces VIRB action HD cameras

Garmin, a well-known maker of satellite navigation products, has just released two new compact and waterproof action HD cameras, the VIRB and the VIRB Elite.

garmin_VIRB_1

The VIRB features a rugged and waterproof (IPX-7) body and sports a 16 megapixel camera that can record up to HD (1080p) videos at 30fps, digital image stabilizaton, 1.4-inch Chroma color display, microHDMI out, microSD card support for up to 64GB, and a removable 2,000mAh lithium-ion battery for up to 3 hours of HD video recording.

garmin_VIRB_2

For the VIRB Elite, it incorporates all the features mentioned above with the addition of built-in WiFi (for use with smartphone apps), accelerometer, altimeter, and high-sensitivity GPS. As an added feature, both the VIRB and VIRB Elite can interconnect with other Garmin products through its ANT+ connectivity feature.

VIRB has a price tag of $300 while the VIRB Elite costs $400 and includes basic accessories and mounts. Both action cams will be widely available for purchase in September 2013.

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