Daily deal – Garmin Nuvi 500 rugged outdoor GPS unit

My daily deal for today is for the Garmin Nuvi 500.

This rugged and waterproof GPS unit is pre-loaded with topographic and city maps of the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

The 3.5″ display can be setup to assist with cycling, automotive, marine and pedestrian modes of getting around.

The device also features an SD card slot, a mini-USB connector for PC connectivity and can be expanded with a large variety of Garmin map products.

The Garmin Nuvi 500 usually retails for over $380, but you can currently pick one up from REI at just $289. If you select the REI “ship to store” option, you’ll get free shipping.

(Thanks N.H.)

Daily deal – Garmin c580 GPS device with MSN Direct service

Sorry folks, my daily deal for today is yet another GPS unit, but this deal was too good to keep from you.

Inside this Garmin c580 is a special FM receiver that can pick up a data stream being broadcast on some radio stations. This data sends the most recent traffic information directly to the GPS receiver. In addition to traffic, you even get the local weather, gas prices and movie times. Imagine being able to tell your GPS unit that you want to be direct to the cheapest gas station within a 5 mile radius!

And to make things even better, the Garmin c580 has a built in handsfree carkit, which allows you to make phone calls though the integrated speaker and included microphone. You will need a Bluetooth enabled phone to use this feature.

The MSN direct service is not nationwide, so please check the MSN coverage site if you are thinking of purchasing this for the online services. The Garmin c580 comes with a full year of free service from MSN direct, and once this year is over, you can renew for just $49.95 a year (or $129.95 for the lifetime of the unit).

The device itself runs the familar Garmin interface, with their comprehensive Navteq maps, and with the built in text-to-speech feature, you’ll get real spoken instructions (turn left on main street).

A device with these specifications normally runs around $499, but it is on sale today for just $179.99.

So, to recap; you get comprehensive maps of North America, handsfree calling through Bluetooth, text to speech for directions and street names, an MP3 player, online services from MSN direct with traffic, weather, gas prices and movie times, the patented Garmin lock theft protection system and even the ability to add your own custom points of interest.

You’ll find the Garmin c580 on Amazon.com, which means free shipping and no tax for many states.

Daily deal – Garmin Nuvi 270 GPS unit for $199

The deal of the day for today, is the Garmin Nuvi 270 portable GPS unit.

This highly portable GPS device weighs just 5.2 ounces and has a 3.5″ high resolution display. At just 0.8″ thick, it’s the perfect device for in your car, or in your pocket.

At $199, this is not the cheapest basic GPS unit on the market, but the Nuvi 270 does have one trick up its sleeve: it comes preloaded with maps of North America and Western Europe.

In addition to this expanded map, the Nuvi 270 also has turn by turn voice prompts, which means you will get basic spoken directions (but no spoken street names).

Like most other Garmin Nuvi units, the Nuvi 270 comes with some handy features for travelers; a built in currency converter, measurement converter and even a world travel clock.

Included in the box is of course the unit itself, a car charger cord, a windshield mount and a self adhesive dashboard mounting disk, for people living in California and Minnesota, where mounting a GPS unit on the windshield is illegal.

The Garmin Nuvi 270 usually retails for $299, but it can be purchased from Costco.com for just $199 after a $100 instant rebate. The deal is valid till August 11th, or until Costco runs out of stock (if you get a message saying the item is not valid, try again in a few hours, Costco seems to keep “finding” new inventory).

The Nuvi 270 can be purchased here, just keep in mind that if you are not a Costco member, you’ll have to pay a 5% surcharge ($10), though I have read reports of that being waived if you pay with an American Express card.