So the family is off on a trip. Open road ahead, wind in your hair…

Only, things are not going very well. You’ve seen that green pick-up truck with the dent before. More than once. Mum and dad are having a tense ‘discussion’. O-oh discussion over. Dad just barked a loud “Nooooo” at mum. No one is speaking now. Do you dare mention that green truck with the dent that has loomed up yet, yet again …?

You may be familiar with this kind of scenario. It may be part of family lore. Dad totally refuses to ask directions, the family goes round and round in circles, arguments etc.

Well that brings to mind an idea for the perfect gift for dad. A personal, calm, non-threatening-to-dad’s-ego traveling assistant that always knows the way, and directs dad turn-by-turn. A navigating system or GPS.

The Garmin Nuvi 350 is an excellent GPS to consider. Why?

1. It is very accurate.

2. When switched on, it locates its position very quickly. And once is has latched unto it’s satellite signal, it doesn’t let go. So your dad is not going to find himself stranded where a lesser GPS struggles to maintain a satellite lock.

3. As your dad approaches a junction, his Garmin 350 will warn him ahead of time, count him down, and tell him which way to turn. In a clear voice. If your dad misses a turn, this GPS will recalculate a new route in a couple of seconds.

You are looking to buy a GPS tracking watch and want to know who makes the best one. The answer to that may be simple, there are only three well known companies making them; Garmin, Timex and Suunto. That is not to say there aren’t other companies out there making cheap knock offs but we won’t focus on them. Some might say “What about Casio? They are a well known company.” That is true and they make some fine products but they no longer make a GPS watch so that leaves Garmin, Timex and Suunto.

When looking at the models being offered by each company you will find a variety of available features. I think it is important to mention what these watches won’t do since there may be some misconceptions out there. Many of us have, or have seen a GPS system in a car or boat. These are really neat gadgets to have and can be a real time saver especially for those who travel extensively for work or pleasure. These units display your position on a map and may include landmarks like restaurants, gas stations, etc. GPS watches have very small display screens so the mapping feature is not practical. Neither is the voice feature present to tell you when to turn!

GPS tracking watches use satellites to pinpoint a position, then with continuing updates of the position, they display data for speed, distance, elevation and more, depending on the model. Options might include a heart rate monitor or cycling cadence tracker.

Tempo refers to the speed of movement and is usually represented by a

4-digit number: eccentric (negative) contraction – isometric (pause

between negative and positive) contraction – concentric (positive)

contraction – isometric (pause between positive and negative)

contraction. For example, a tempo of 3-1-2-0 means to lower the weight

for a count of 3, pause for a count of 1, raise the weight for a count of 2, and do not pause before starting the next repetition. An “X” designation denotes eXplosive, meaning to lift the weight as fast as possible.

It’s not uncommon for people to race through their sets in order to get

done sooner. Although this could benefit power development,

hypertrophy might be sacrificed. For instance, if two individuals were to

perform the same number of repetitions, but one completes the set in 6

seconds and the other takes 60 seconds, is the training effect the same?

Obviously not! Tempo is a training parameter that is quite often

neglected. You can calculate total time under tension (TUT) of a set

simply by multiplying tempo (add all 4 digits) and the number of

repetitions performed.

The problem with tempo prescription is that cadence tends to vary

among individuals and also between reps and sets. (Generally, the

count speeds up as you fatigue!) For this reason, I recommend that you

purchase a metronome – the Robic SC-700 Sports Chronometer

available at Creative Health Products is a good choice. Set the watch to

60 beats per minute so that it beeps every second and try to keep the

cadence uniform throughout the entire range of motion.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a personal assistant to guide you when you travel? What if that personal assistant could fit in your shirt pocket? That’s the concept behind the NUVI 660 GPS system from Garmin. This portable GPS unit, which is only 4.9″W x 2.9″H, may be small but it is packed with features for anyone who travels a lot or for someone who just wants to know where they are going. The NUVI 660 portable GPS unit has a preloaded navigator that can assist you in getting where you are going fast and safely.

The portable GPS unit has preloaded maps or you can upload a customized route for either car motorcycle, pedestrian, bicycle, truck, bus, emergency, and taxi. The GPS system has a colorful widescreen display that is easy to see and that is larger than other NUVI models. You can choose a 2D or 3D map perspective. The NUVI 660 has a touch screen that makes it easy for you to make your choices.

The NUVI 660 auto GPS unit is compatible with Bluetooth wireless technology. That means you can talk to friends and family hands free, keeping your hands on the wheel and not on your phone. You can receive traffic alerts and directions in your headset.

If you want to lose fat in the most efficient manner, you’re going to have to pay attention to diet, incorporate some strength training and do aerobic or cardio exercise. Of course, you can do cardio exercise outdoors by jogging, riding a road bike, swimming, and similar types of activities.

But many people choose to use machines for their cardio workouts. Which is the best machine for fat loss?

Well, the treadmill is going head to head with the elliptical trainer for most popular piece of cardio training equipment these days. The exercise bike seems to have lost some of its luster. But does that mean it’s not as good as a treadmill for fat loss? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both machines.

Ease of operation

With most exercise bikes, you get on and start pedaling. Most people know how. However, operating a treadmill will require some familiarity with the controls. Even if you use a treadmill regularly, it might take you a few minutes to figure out what’s what on a different model.

Economics

Treadmills have electric motors that cost money to run. How much money depends on how often and for how long you use the machine. Exercise bikes cost nothing to operate. As a matter of fact, if you’re mechanically inclined, you can rig up an exercise bike that will generate electricity, rather than use it!

Safety

Set up simple workouts based on time, distance or calories burned and let Forerunner guide and motivate you to the finish. www.garmin.com

There are a few things you have to consider when you have chosen to buy a used or older model rowing machine. The decision to purchase a used or older model rowing machine is usually due to financial constraint as the latest models are priced at the higher range. Budget aside, it is essential that you get the best deal for the type of rowing machine you are buying.

New rowing machine will come with the newest features but you can look for an older or used rowing machine with all the fundamental features to serve you basic needs. As mentioned, the choice of a used or older model machine is saving on cost but you need to approach the process of buying one with a bit of common sense. When you are setting out to buy a used or older model rowing machine, chances are that you are not as informed initially unless you are familiar with the universal characteristics of the rowing machine. Aside from just purchasing the rowing machine, there is a need to buy a rowing mat, as constant rowing will scratch the floor.

Financial consideration aside, you can still get a pretty decent used and older model rowing machine with the necessary features to serve your purpose and that can means saving up to a few thousands dollars. It is best to be as informed as possible about the newest models rowing machine as many new features are constantly added to it so when you set out to buy the used or older model rowing machine. The first thing you have to ensure is that it has all the features to meet all that you require to burn off the calories as well as adding lean muscle mass.

My wife gave me a heart rate monitor for Christmas. A Sports Instruments FIT3. I love my HRM! This is a good quality entry-level device. The two things I like most about it is that it is simple to use and the zoom display. I’m not sure what the price is but it’s on the low end of Sports Instruments product line. You can probably get one for about $30.

It comes with an instruction manual that includes a starter training plan (which I am currently using) developed by Sally Edwards of heartzones.com fame.

The device uses a wireless chest strap transmitter.

Some of the notable features are: keeps up to 7 workouts in memory in which you can view total time spent in each training zone, average heart rate and calories burned; a fitness test – the Rockport 1 mile walk test; zoom display with backlighting; displays real-time heart rate in % MHR.

The FIT3 also has an alarm which lets you know when you are outside of your selected workout zone but it doesn’t do me any good because my high frequency hearing is shot. I can only hear it barely if I put my ear right up to the watch never mind on a bike ride with all kinds of ambient noise. I wish they had adjustable volume on those alarms.

Picking up where Garmin-Slipstream teammate Christian Vande Velde left off in 2008, Dave Zabriskie wins 2009 Tour of Missouri with strong time trial and help from his friends.

Unless you’ve been living on a deserted island (and under a rock at the same time) you realize that gas prices are not everyone’s cup of tea – unless you are an oil tycoon.

For those who live in big cities where mass transportation is widely accessible, it’s relatively simple to bypass this problem by opting to take them instead of using your own car to travel to and fro to work. But for the majority of us, driving is not going away anytime soon.

Having a GPS system installed in your car will reduce your gas prices. How? It will consistently giving the most direct routes to whichever location you need to go. If it’s raining hard and visibility is lower than usual, a GPS can serve as a navigation partner to help you find your way home or to wherever you want to go. This saves you time and gas from spinning your wheels, potentially getting lost along the way, and giving yourself a migraine in the process.

Not only does a GPS give you accurate directions, it also provides for estimates as to how it will take to get to a certain destination via a particular path. You can then compare paths and time estimates. When you take all of this into consideration, you will realize that paying a few hundred for a brand new GPS unit is not much considering how much it will save you year in and year out.

If you’re like me, you probably want to compare GPS devices before you actually buy one in order to get the right GPS for you. Although prices have come down quite a lot in the past two years, spending a few hundred dollars and not getting the right device is probably not what you want to do.

Especially if you’re buying the GPS unit as a gift, you want to be sure you get the right one.

There are so many features these things have that comparing them can seem a little overwhelming. I think I can make this job a lot easier for you.

All of those confusing features actually break into two groups–features that every GPS unit has and then extra features that are going to cost you more money. Let’s look at what features are shared by all GPS devices first.

(I’m talking specifically about after-market, automobile devices, not hiking GPS systems, watch GPS’s, or anything else.)

All GPS devices can do the following:

Figure out where you are and calculate how to get you to where you want to go.
Show you where you are on a touch screen.
Tell you how to get where you’re going with voice prompts.
Come pre-loaded with maps (at least regional maps).
Give you a choice of 3-D or “bird’s eye” view of the maps on the screen.
Come pre-loaded with thousands of destinations, such as gas stations, hotels, and hospitals.

When I was first bitten by the GPS bug, I went immediately to the Internet to see what review sites I could find.

There were a few, but I didn’t find them all that helpful.

Most were way too technical for me! Now, please understand, I’m very comfortable with technical devices. I currently teach mathematics and computer programming.

It’s just that it’s hard to decide if a certain model GPS device is the right one just by looking at technical specifications.

The problem is this: for a given price point nearly all GPS devices do almost exactly the same thing.

All of them find where you are and show you this information on a map. Nearly all the screens are either 3.5-inches or 4.3-inches across. Almost all have turn-by-turn voice prompts. And almost all have a slew of meaningless features like world travel alarm clocks.

The differences between devices in a certain price range are more subtle.

So, I’m going to list some features that are important to me.

When I was deciding what GPS to buy, I was very interested in how much space on my windshield the device was going to take up. To complicate things, I have two cars, one fairly small (Honda Civic) and the other medium sized (a Mercury Grand Marquis).

Runner’s World Gear Editor reviews the Garmin Forerunner 310 XT. In his words, “this gadget is the bomb”.

When you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and you are completely lost the best solution to get out of such a dilemma is to procure your own Garmin Nuvi 260W GPS Navigator. There is nothing else that can help you be guided accordingly as to which way you should be going. Years back, meetings were held somewhere close to one’s hometown or just within the limited geographical area.

However, in this new generation, the advancement of modern technology has always been the answer to any sorts of concern. This time, individuals can swiftly locate the position of other people with the aid of a navigation device. It’s not that big of a problem already going to some places you’ve never been. You can go anywhere you want to go without being afraid of the tendency of being lost.

Garmin Portable GPS Navigator is the recent product these days that brings a difference to individuals’ everyday life. This is widely made available for cars. Such a gadget works even better than the paper maps which totally cannot help you know the traffic situation. GPS is purchased for a very reasonable price. Its uses are for the welfare of those who prefer travelling by road. It’s a great gift that you can offer to anyone who is dear to you.

In this article, “Garmin GPS Comparison,” I’m going to give you an overview of Garmin’s GPS products, what they do and about how much they run. I’ll also compare Garmin’s main models to Magellan’s and tom Tom’s. With that information, you’ll be able to more easily pick the right Garmin product for you.

Just so you know, Garmin is not the only GPS manufacturer out there. The two other industry leaders are Magellan and Tom Tom. There are many other manufacturers of GPS systems besides these three. They make good products, but I guess I’m a little biased toward industry leaders when it comes to electronic gadgets.

If you want to know more about Tom Tom’s and Magellan’s products, stay tuned. I write a lot about GPS devices, and I’m sure I’ll have overviews of their lines coming soon.

Back to Garmin.

Before we launch into a discussion of Garmin products, let’s talk about what GPS receivers do, what basic features you can expect from any manufacturer, and what are the upgrades.

Basic features of any after-market, GPS system:

Touch screen map with 2d and 3d views
Auto-calculation of routes, fastest or shortest
Database of Point of Interest (POIs)
Pre-loaded with maps

Usually, you get a few more standard bells and whistles, such as digital picture viewer capability, and audiobook capability. It’s all according to the manufacturer.

Main Upgrades are: