Garmin is bringing a range of new products and services announced at CES 2016 to the Australian market, including its Varia Vision in-sight display, helping enhance cyclists’ road awareness.
The Varia Vision attaches to a cyclists’ sunglasses, displaying data from a compatible device.
Connected with a compatible Edge device, it provides integrated, customisable data screens to view performance stats and turn-by-turn prompts, including distance to turn plus street name and directional arrows, and when paired with the Varia rearview radar system warns users of traffic approaching from behind.
It also features vibration alerts for performance, navigation, or cycling awareness prompts, along with incoming smart notifications, allowing riders to receive alerts for incoming calls and texts.
Featuring a durable, weatherproof design and weighing approximately 29.7 grams, the Varia Vision comes with eight hours of battery life, and is decked out with a glove and wet-weather friendly touch panel to rotate between data displays.
Featuring an integrated ambient light sensor and colour display for readability in all conditions, an adaptable mounting allows the Varia Vision to attach on either arm of the glasses, with a fully adjustable arm and eyepiece for optimum display positioning.
– fenix 3 multisport watches
Updates to Garmin’s fenix 3 multisport watches see the inclusion of Garmin Elevate wrist-based heart-rate technology and additional activity profiles, along with new watch bands.
New metrics include:
– Stride Length: measures the length of a runner’s stride in real time
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– Ground Contact Time Balance: measures a runner’s ground contact symmetry, which some runners have found to correlate with injuries or strength imbalances
– Vertical Ratio: the cost-benefit ratio of vertical oscillation to stride length, serving as one indicator of a runner’s efficiency
– Lactate Threshold: estimates the level of effort at which fatigue rapidly increases in terms of a runner’s heart rate and pace
– Stress Score: measures heart rate variability to make an assessment of a user’s overall level of stress
– Performance Condition: provides a real-time fitness-level measurement relative to a runner’s average baseline, which indicates performance readiness for the day’s workout or race
All current fenix 3 owners will also have access to a software update including the updated advanced running dynamics, as well as new activity profiles for golf, SUP and rowing.
tactix Bravo
The tactix Bravo multisport GPS watch “combines tactical functionality with smart features for fitness training and outdoor navigation”.
It features an all-black, rugged design, a scratch-resistant lens and bezel, and a sunlight readable display optimised for night vision goggle compatibility, comes preloaded with specialised software for both aerial and land missions, and features smart notifications.
In addition to the standard black silicone band, it is also available with nylon watchbands in black and olive drab that can be interchanged with no tools required.
Decked out with an EXO antenna and high-sensitivity GPS with GLONASS support, users on land can mark and store up to 1,000 waypoints, navigating back to their starting point using the TracBack feature, while
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users in the air can utilise the Jumpmaster software for three jump types: HAHO, HALO and Static.
The tactix Bravo also has a dual-position mode that can simultaneously display two sets of coordinate systems on a single data screen.
It can get up to 50 hours of battery life in UltraTrac mode, 20 hours in GPS training mode, and up to three weeks in smartwatch mode.
The tactix Bravo features advanced workouts and training modes, providing real-time performance data, such as distance, pace, calories burned, along with advanced running dynamics like stride length, ground contact time balance and vertical ratio and physiological measurements, like individual lactate threshold, stress score and performance condition. Users will also have access to new activity profiles for golf, SUP and rowing.
Users can also connect the tactix Bravo to a compatible smartphone for call, text and email notifications.
– Garmin Connect Insights
Garmin states that Garmin Connect Insights will be available to Australian users in January, with additional features rolling out through 2016.
Garmin Connect Insights includes a host of new wellness insights, providing cues to help users reach health and wellness goals, along with shout-outs when milestones have been met.
Personalised recommendations are pushed to users based on their Garmin Connect data, with wellness insights at launch including sleep analysis and goal prediction, featuring analysis of users’ daily step trends, predicted step total and cues reminding users to get up and move if they aren’t on track to meet their daily step goal.
Insights will also feature suggested supporting videos or news articles, providing users with smart coaching, and congratulatory messages when milestones are reached.
The Varia Vision will be available in Australia in late February, carrying a price tag of $649 RRP.
The fenix 3 Sapphire watches will be available in Australia in late February, with the fenix 3HR priced at $949 RRP, the fenix 3HR bundle $999 RRP, the titanium fenix 3 Sapphire $1,249 RRP, and the fenix 3 Sapphire with leather and nylon bands $939 RRP.
The tactix Bravo will be available in Australia in late February, carrying a price tag of $1,099 RRP.
