Garmin's new GPS device helps athletes train

Even though a number of companies are battling for handheld and in-car GPS technology, only a fraction are putting effort into the athletic sector of the industry. Yes, there is an athletic sector of the global locator industry.

On Sunday before the formal opening of CES 2008, Garmin announced the latest product in its fitness line for athletes who want to know where they are: the Garmin Forerunner 405. The water-resistant watch allows users to monitor total time, speed, distance, heart rate and location while out running, and the information is sent to the owner's computer for analysis and cataloging.

It would be ideal to have more companies competing to make products aimed at heavy sports enthusiasts, but consumers will have to make due with Garmin products at the moment, or not purchase anything at all.

"Recreational joggers and elite runners alike will be amazed at the training tools available to them in a watch that could easily be worn all day," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales, in a statement this morning. "Runners no longer have to choose between fashion and function."

"This is the ideal product for those users who need something when out enjoying nature," a Garmin spokesperson told BetaNews during a CES press event yesterday. "We want every athlete who owns one to love it."

During basic function tests with previous Garmin products for athletes, we had issues getting the GPS unit to send information back to the network, but assuming it works as designed, athletes have an excellent tool to monitor progress and results.

The average runner who runs maybe 30 minutes per week will likely avoid the steep price of sports-enabled GPS, but running enthusiasts will flock to it. For those of you who are still interested, the device should be available in February with a $299 MSRP price tag.