Trimble Outdoors Profiled in Arizona Republic

Journalist John Yantis stopped by the Trimble Outdoors office last week to write an insider business profile on our company. His feature article ran last Friday in the Arizona Republic and he opened the story with:

"Dusty-wheeled mountain bikes line the halls at Trimble Outdoors, a symbol of the company's everyday commitment to exercise and the outdoors.

When employees get tired of writing code for Trimble's GPS-on-cellular applications, they can play darts or kick a Hacky Sack in the courtyard. After hours, they take trips together to places like West Clear Creek in northern Arizona, a good spot for canyoneering."

Yep. Trimble Outdoors is one of those dream companies to work for. The dress is college casual; most of us wear shorts. We are empowered to work hard and play hard. Our tight-knit team practices what we preach from running races to mountain biking local trails to climbing crags to exploring unnamed canyons. Frequently, Monday mornings are filled with this past weekend's adventure stories. And, yes, we do play a derivative of the game hacky sack, though, we call it "kill" (think hacky sack meets dodge ball). New employees get the rulebook (along with the typical paperwork) on their first day.

You can read more of Mr. Yantis' article at: http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2010/09/23/20100923rimble-grows-apps-geared-toward-fitness-enthusiasts.html#ixzz10lHur1jr.

-kris

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Race Against The Clock

The time trial is often considered one of the hardest race for cyclists. In this guest blog post, AllSport GPS racer Catherine Dickson reflects on her recent race to be the fastest woman in Arizona at the Arizona Individual Time Trial Championships.

I love the time trial. It is me, my bike, and a clock. There are no tactics, no race strategy, and no bicycling divas screaming at me, telling me it is my turn to pull. There are no teams, no politics, and no colors that Iʼm not supposed to help. The time trial is the purest form of individual effort in bicycling. It is raw suffering. It is holding your aerodynamic position despite mucous dripping and involuntary diaphragmatic spasm, culminating with a miniature volcano of vomitus. It is holding that position when my now parasthetic perineum has been crying to my otherwise rational cerebrum to initiate some sort of movement in order to regain some blood supply. In short, it is the ultimate in pedaling pain, a suffer-fest where I can clearly see into the chasm, the depth and character of my soul.

I do dozens of races through the year, but the state time trial is what I always look forward to performing well in. I have been Arizonaʼs fastest woman 6 of the last 8 years and while it is not saving sea turtles in the Gulf, it gives me some meaning and enjoyment out of life. It is why I was somewhat disappointed when my husband suggested going to Puerto Rico for United States Masters Swimming Nationals a month before my big race. While that would mean a week off the bike, we went as a family and had a great vacation (We got to ride ATVʼs in El Yunque rainforest, I was able to compete in a relatively new sport, and the rest of the family collected 5 age-group national championships in the process).

I returned and put in some hard efforts for 3 weeks prior to my race. On race day, I felt strong, but I did not quite have it in me for the win (3rd place). After failing to achieve my goals, some reflection always ensues. Am I too old (46) or too fat (not telling)? Did I eat the wrong thing before my race or the night before? Did taking a week off hurt my performance? These and other thoughts were all among some of my ruminations. After some time, I am able to put it all in perspective. I realize (as I do with each setback) that it is all about the journey and not the destination.


To all those young fast ones out there: I will continue to bring it as long as my old, broke-ass body is able. In the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson:

Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

--Catherine Dickson

State Speedsters

The AllSport GPS racing team grabbed two podium finishes at the Arizona Individual Time Trail Championships on September 12, 2010. Catherine Dickson took third in the Women Category 1/2, clocking 0:59:59 on the 40-kilometer course. Jill Purcell also took third in Women Master 45-49 division, clocking 1:06:47 on the 40-kilometer race. See full results. Congrats to all the racers.

Photos from the event below:

Our Apps Launch on Verizon's V Cast Apps

Today we launched our three flagship apps--Trimble Outdoors, AllSport GPS, and Geocache Navigator--in V CAST Apps, the mobile application store for Verizon Wireless. We are super excited to offer more Verizon customers the ability to track their fitness workouts, explore the outdoors, and treasure-hunt for geocaches. Read more about the launch here.

Here are some snippets about each app found in the V Cast Apps store.

• AllSport GPS helps customers reach their fitness goals faster. The app lets them track workouts such as runs, walks and bike rides on high-quality maps. Offering language support in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, the app records more than 20 heart-pounding fitness stats, including distance, time, speed and calories burned.

• Geocache Navigator gives customers access to more than a million geocaches hidden around the world. While using this app, their smartphones navigate them to treasures, clues, and then help them share their finds with others.

• Trimble Outdoors enables customers to download top-notch trail maps and navigate trails for their next hike, off-road, or outdoor adventure. While on the trail, the app lets them collect points of interest, photos and audio clips to share with friends and family. Trimble Outdoors also supports five languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish).

-kris

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Run AllSport GPS on the Sony Ericsson Vivaz

Along with AT&T, we recently launched our popular fitness app AllSport GPS on the new Sony Ericsson Vivaz. The Vivaz adds another device to our expanding line of supported phones.

So what can fitness fans do with AllSport GPS on the Vivaz? In short, you can sweat more. More seriously, the app lets users track their workout progress from their handset. When you launch AllSport GPS, you can pick from a menu of activities from running to road biking to mountain biking to walking. Next, hit start and now here's where the magic begins: AllSport GPS tracks your progress on a map and also collects more than 20 sweat-provoking stats. Want to see your average pace? Check. Total distance? Check. Current elevation. You got it.

You can try AllSport GPS for 7 days for free. Take it for a test run or ride or walk around the block.


With AllSport GPS preloaded on the Sony Ericsson Vivaz phone, you can:

• Track rides, runs, walks, and other workouts on street, aerial, and topo maps
• Collect 20 heart-pounding stats (time, speed, distance, and calories burned)
• Upload workouts from phone to web to see more maps and stats
• Send trips from online account to your phone
• Access editor-approved rides by Bicycling magazine and shared community trips
• Plan future cycling routes using free web-based maps tools
• Share public rides with friends
• Collect ride data outside cellphone coverage
• Store unlimited rides at trimbleoutdoors.com
• Race against previous workouts to better personal records
• Use built-in training programs on your phone
• Lap function
• Store weekly workout logs on your phone

-Kris

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Find AllSport GPS on the Dell Aero

Dell recently launched their new AERO phone on AT&T and we are happy to announce that AllSport GPS is preloaded on the device. We think it's a fitting match. AllSport GPS helps you lose weight, while the AERO is billed as the "lightest Android phone" on the market at 3.67 ounces. It's also good news for fitness fanatics who obsess over every gram on their bike or foot.

With AllSport GPS preloaded on the new Dell phone, you can:

• Track rides, runs, walks, and other workouts on street, aerial, and topo maps
• Collect 20 heart-pounding stats (time, speed, distance, and calories burned)
• Upload rides from phone to web to see more maps and stats
• Send rides from online account to your phone
• Access editor-approved rides by Bicycling magazine and shared community trips
• Plan future cycling routes using free web-based maps tools
• Share public rides with friends
• Collect ride data outside cellphone coverage
• Store unlimited rides at trimbleoutdoors.com
• Race against previous workouts to better personal records
• Use built-in training programs on your phone
• Lap function
• Store weekly workout logs on your phone


Lastly, and more important, you can try AllSport GPS on the AERO for free for 7 days. To get started, launch the app, create a phone/web account, and go sweat. Enjoy. -kris

PLUS: See our full supported phones list, including more Android and ATT phones, at allsportgps.com/supportedphones.
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LG Encore Preloaded with AllSport GPS

The AllSport GPS team is happy to announce that the new Encore from LG is being shipped with our award-winning fitness app. AllSport GPS was handpicked by the AT&T product team to be preloaded on the new feature phone. Even better, new owners of the Encore can test-drive AllSport GPS on their phone for free 7 days. Give it a try, and let us know what you think on our Facebook page. Below is a detailed feature list of AllSport GPS for the LG Encore:

• Track rides, runs, walks, and other workouts on street, aerial, and topo maps
• Collect 20 heart-pounding stats (time, speed, distance, and calories burned)
• Upload rides from phone to web to see more maps and stats
• Send public trips or workouts from online account to your phone
• Access editor-approved rides by Bicycling magazine and shared community trips
• Plan future cycling routes using free web-based maps tools
• Share public rides with friends
• Collect ride data outside cellphone coverage
• Store unlimited rides at trimbleoutdoors.com
• Race against previous workouts to better personal records
• Use built-in training programs on your phone
• Lap function
• Store weekly workout logs on your phone


-kris

PLUS: See our full supported phones list, including more ATT phones, at allsportgps.com/supportedphones.


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Track Workouts on the Samsung Flight II

Exciting news: The new Samsung Flight II feature phone comes preloaded with our popular fitness app, AllSport GPS. Our mobile app turns the Flight II into a portable coach and fitness tracker. Users can track their progress on various maps (street, aerial, topo) and see more than 20 fitness stats with a few taps of the 4-inch-high touchscreen. The AllSport GPS team is excited to add this Samsung phone to our growing army of supported phones.

Fitness fans can try AllSport GPS for free for 7 days then decide if they want to buy.

Read more about the features on AllSport GPS for the Samsung Flight II below:

• Track rides, runs, walks, and other workouts on street, aerial, and topo maps
• Collect 20 heart-pounding stats (time, speed, distance, and calories burned)
• Upload rides from phone to web to see more maps and stats
• Send public trips from online account to your phone
• Access editor-approved rides by Bicycling magazine and shared community trips
• Plan future cycling routes using free web-based maps tools
• Share public rides with friends
• Collect ride data outside cellphone coverage
• Store unlimited rides at trimbleoutdoors.com
• Race against previous workouts to better personal records
• Use built-in training programs on your phone
• Lap function
• Store weekly workout logs on your phone

-kris

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