Garmin® Debuts BlueChart® Mobile Marine App for iPad
Garmin®, the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced its BlueChart Mobile marine app for iPad and iPhone. With BlueChart Mobile, mariners can enjoy the same feature rich and highly accurate BlueChart data found in Garmin chartplotters on an iPad or iPhone. The BlueChart Mobile app is being announced in conjunction with the Miami International Boat Show February 16th and will be showcased in the Garmin booth (#1689) at this year’s show.
BlueChart Mobile app lets users access and fully utilize ActiveCaptain, a web-based community that provides real-time content generated by mariners for mariners. To highlight this innovative program and its functionality within the BlueChart Mobile app, ActiveCaptain co-creator and owner, Jeffrey Siegel, will be at the Garmin booth the afternoon of Friday, February 17th, 2012 and the morning of Saturday, February 18th, 2012.
“The BlueChart Mobile app takes trip planning to the next level and puts all of the essential tools you need to get underway at your fingertips,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “By integrating ActiveCaptain content, we’re able to not only provide mariners the latest charts and service data from Garmin, but also a wealth of information direct from other captains.”
BlueChart Mobile utilizes the same BlueChart data available for Garmin chartplotters. Users can plan and create routes, view shaded depth contours and inter-tidal zones with spot soundings and can search for a marine service point to find out the phone number, hours of operation, and information about amenities and services available. With BlueChart Mobile, users will experience the same vector object-oriented data and seamless chart presentation found on Garmin chartplotters – on an iPad or iPhone. It’s easy to interact with the chart by utilizing the innovative new radial menu to mark waypoints, establish a destination for a route, and learn about the features on the chart.
Garmin’s BlueChart Mobile app also gives mariners the very best user experience when it comes to taking advantage of ActiveCaptain content. A web-based community, ActiveCaptain provides real-time content for marine data, reviews, local knowledge, anchorages and hazards generated by mariners for mariners. With BlueChart Mobile, users can use ActiveCaptain data to read and contribute information and reviews about their experiences on the water.
“We’re so excited to have ActiveCaptain data incorporated in to the BlueChart Mobile app,” Siegel said. “Garmin’s incredible reach will bring many more boaters into the ActiveCaptain community to provide and share local knowledge.”
Additionally, with an internet connection, BlueChart Mobile helps mariners keep track of weather conditions, an important factor in trip planning. While planning or creating a trip, users can utilize the BlueChart Mobile app to access temperatures, dew points, wind direction and speed, radar and cloud cover – all overlaid on the chart data. With BlueChart Mobile, mariners will also have accurate tide and current data available right at their fingertips.
Once on board, users can wirelessly transfer routes, waypoints and tracks created with BlueChart Mobile to a networked Garmin chartpotter. To wirelessly transfer information, users need to have a router installed and connected to a compatible Garmin chartplotter. Once underway, the iPad or iPhone can be used to “follow the boat” along its route by wirelessly sharing the GPS location from the Garmin marine network. This capability enables precise GPS positioning, even on iPads that don’t include GPS functionality.
The BlueChart Mobile app is expected to be available in the iTunes store in the summer of 2012. The app itself is free to download; additional chart downloads will vary in price by region. For more information about this and Garmin’s marine product offerings visit garmin.co.uk/onthewater.
Garmin’s marine business segment is a leading provider of navigation and communication equipment to retail and OEM customers. Garmin’s portfolio includes the industry’s most sophisticated array of chartplotters and touchscreen multifunction displays, sonar, high-definition radar, autopilot offerings and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability and ease-of-use.
About Garmin
The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – 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 Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information visit Garmin's media centre at http://garmin.blogs.com/ukpr. Garmin is a registered trademark and GHP, GHC and GWS are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
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