MBlog

One Last Update

This will be the final entry to the MotionBased Blog.  In case you hadn't heard, Garmin Connect is now available for all Garmin fitness devices.  Hand held and outdoor devices will be accepted sometime this Fall.  If you haven't started uploading to Garmin Connect you should begin doing so now. 

MotionBased will no longer accept uploads from Garmin fitness devices on 31 July 2009.  In preparation for the final day we are closing certain parts of the site.  We have already turned off subscriptions and new registrations.  This blog will be shut down in the coming weeks.  We will keep it up for a short time for reference purposes.  You will want to start following the Into Sports feed at the Garmin blog from now on.

We will be emailing you with more details very soon.  If you do have questions feel free to contact support - support@motionbased.com.

Thanks for your patience.

The MotionBased & Garmin Connect Team

Garmin Connect opening to all Garmin fitness devices

Garmin Connect will open it's doors to all Garmin fitness devices on May 26, 2009.

In a nutshell, here's what we're looking at:

• Garmin Connect will accept activities tracked by all Garmin fitness devices - running and cycling
• Garmin Connect is ready for the upcoming Forerunner 310XT and FR60
• A good portion of activities have been migrated from MotionBased to Garmin Connect
• The most recent activities have been migrated first as they're likely more pertinent to customers
• The remaining activities will continue to migrate over the summer
• Garmin Connect will accept activities tracked by outdoor and road devices later this summer
• Garmin Connect will be available in 14 languages
• Garmin Connect is compatible with Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS X 10.4+
• Garmin Connect officially supports production releases of IE 7/8, Firefox 3 and Safari 3
• Garmin Connect uses the same username/password as MotionBased

You can find more detailed information on the Migration Update page at MotionBased.

BTW... Garmin Connect will be down from 7AM - 6PM (Pacific Time) on May 26, 2009 while we make these changes.

Update on Garmin Connect

UPDATE: Garmin Connect will open it's doors to all Garmin fitness devices on May 26, 2009. Read more...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With each update we are getting closer to the release that will allow all fitness device users to upload to Garmin Connect.  As we stated in the last MBlog update on 05 March 2009, we are hesitant to give hard release dates.  We’re providing an outline that sums up what to expect in the coming weeks.

We ran into some performance problems on Garmin Connect in the early part of March unrelated to the migration.  As a result, we focused our energy to fix those problems.  No sense in opening the flood gates to Garmin Connect for our MotionBased customers with the new site not performing on all gears. 

As of yesterday, we’ve fixed the performance issues at Garmin Connect and will resume the migration process shortly.  Our goal is to migrate 80% of activities with the first pass which should take 30 days. We are migrating the newer MotionBased activities first.  At this time, many of you will start to see your MotionBased activities appear on Garmin Connect. The full listing will not be available until the Migration is complete, so do not be alarmed if you don't see everything right away.

During this time, we will be internally testing the next major release of Garmin Connect that will open the doors to all Garmin fitness devices.  With this release you can shift from MotionBased to Garmin Connect and expect to see most if not all of your activities waiting for you.  In addition to supporting all Garmin Fitness devices, this new release also includes:

• Support for the new Garmin devices announced in the past month

            o Forerunner 310XT
            o Forerunner 405CX
            o FR60

• Garmin Connect will be available in 14 languages

            o English
            o Czech
            o Danish
            o Dutch
            o French
            o German
            o Italian
            o Norwegian
            o Polish
            o Portuguese
            o Russian
            o Slovenian
            o Spanish
            o Swedish
    

Update on Garmin Connect Migration

UPDATE: Garmin Connect will open it's doors to all Garmin fitness devices on May 26, 2009. Read more...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With 2008 coming to a close, it’s time for an update.  Unfortunately, we must report that we won’t be hitting our December target for migration.

We have been working hard to complete this migration before the end of the year while improving the overall feature set of Garmin Connect.  To do this, the teams in San Francisco and Olathe, Kansas have been focused on bringing in the right hardware and database software to ensure the migration of activities from MotionBased to Garmin Connect runs smoothly while maintaining data integrity. 

As of December 18, we have accomplished the following tasks for migration:

• Installed new hard drive to store all activities at Garmin Connect
• Optimized hard drive to ensure data integrity
• Migrated all MotionBased activities to a test server to begin testing

What’s left to do before migration:

• Identify bugs and make changes to Garmin Connect code (4 weeks remaining)
• Migrate all MotionBased activities to the production server (4 weeks of transfer time)

The reason the transfer will take 4 weeks is because MotionBased has approximately 5+ million activities on 2+ terabytes of disk space.  Each activity must be exported from the test server and imported into the live system.

Based on this 4 week transfer time and the 4 weeks of testing/code fixes, our revised migration date is late February 2009.

We hesitated to update you on this delay until we could be very confident with the new date.  This was predicated on the success of installing and partitioning our new storage drive which successfully passed our tests today.

A few reminders…

Once the migration is complete, Garmin Connect will accept data from all current MotionBased customers and MotionBased-compatible USB devices.

MotionBased will be available for upload until the final transition day.  After that, it will be available as a read-only site for fitness devices and read-write-upload site for devices not supported on Garmin Connect.

Mac Support - Mac support for the ANT Agent -- used for the Forerunner 50 and 405 -- is now projected for the first quarter of 2009.  We are currently testing the beta software with solid results.  However, it still needs more rigorous testing before it goes live.

Thank you once again for your patience during this involved procedure.  We are excited to be at this stage of development and will keep you posted on further progress.

The MotionBased/Garmin Connect Team

ANT Agent Support for Mac Users

UPDATE 10 MARCH 2009: In case you were wondering, the ANT Agent is compatible on the Mac. The only limitation is sending Courses and Workouts from Garmin Connect to the FR405. This is also a limitation on the PC.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi all, with different updates being spread across the Internets from non-Garmin folk . . . this is the latest official information we have:

Mac support for the ANT Agent is now projected for the first quarter of 2009.  We are very sorry for this unexpected delay.  Unfortunately, a hardware provider was delayed with the shipment of key elements necessary for the implementation of the Agent.

Thanks for your patience.

The Garmin Connect Team

Update on MotionBased Transition to Garmin Connect

UPDATE 5 March 2009: We have posted an update to the Garmin Connect Status Page. We are very sorry that we missed this latest deadline and we hesitate to give further updates with promises of release dates. We realize that we have not handled the updates properly and we are sorry for missed release dates and sloppy updates. You the customer deserve better. We do hope to provide better with the migration and release planned for mid-April.  Thank you for bearing with us, and we hope you accept our apologies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As you may know, we've been working on building Garmin Connect to replace MotionBased.  We're making strides in improving performance and fixing bugs that we hope will enhance your experience.  You've been a great customer and we wanted to thank you for making MotionBased the community that it is.   

Unfortunately, our anticipated date to complete the migration of MotionBased to Garmin Connect is delayed until December 2008.  We're making sure that Garmin Connect is faster,  more stable, and provides an even better user experience than MotionBased.  As we ramp up toward migrating over 4 million activities that you've contributed to the Trail Network, we are making fixes and new improvements to Garmin Connect every 4 weeks.  In the meantime, out of respect for your patronage and in recognition of your patience, we've decided to grant additional privileges to paid MotionBased subscribers.

For those of you who have purchased an annual MotionBased Standard subscription before September 30, 2008, you will continue to have access to MotionBased Standard and be granted free access into Garmin Connect Plus for 2 years starting from your original expiration date.  Afterwards, you will no longer receive any subscription charges from MotionBased and your account at Garmin Connect Plus will not auto-renew at the end of the free access period.  Again, we apologize for the delays and thank you for your support.

Garmin Connect Update - 13 May 2008

UPDATE 5 March 2009: We have posted an update to the Garmin Connect Status Page. We are very sorry that we missed this latest deadline and we hesitate to give further updates with promises of release dates. We realize that we have not handled the updates properly and we are sorry for missed release dates and sloppy updates. You the customer deserve better. We do hope to provide better with the migration and release planned for mid-April.  Thank you for bearing with us, and we hope you accept our apologies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The much anticipated release migrating MotionBased to Garmin Connect is taking longer than anticipated.  The release is scheduled for late August/early September 2008.  We know that this set back is very frustrating, but this time is necessary to bring you the best features and the fastest service possible.  We want to thank all of you for your patience while we focus on this effort.

More details can be found on the Garmin Connect Status Page.

Garmin Connect - Mac Update

UPDATE 10 MARCH 2009: In case you were wondering, the ANT Agent is compatible on the Mac. The only limitation is sending Courses and Workouts from Garmin Connect to the FR405. This is also a limitation on the PC.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For all the Mac users out there, this update is for you.  I'm sure you've seen the Garmin Connect Status Page, describing the time line for the release dates of Garmin Connect.  So yes, beginning 21 May you will have full access to MotionBased . . . er, Garmin Connect features! 

UPDATE - Please note that the Forerunner 405 will NOT be supported on the Mac until later this year.  We apologise for any confusion.

Until then, here are a few things to consider when using MotionBased:

1. If you've not already done so, you must upgrade to Safari 3 or begin using the Firefox browser.
2. You must download and install the Garmin Communicator Plugin for Mac.
3. You must upload via the Garmin Communicator Plugin.  The old Mac Web Agent is end-of-life.

Any non-GPS activities are rejected upon upload.  This includes failed recording attempts, old activities that have been over written by new activities, and of course indoor activities.  In other words, if you have a non-GPS activity on your device it will cause an error and even your GPS-enabled/outdoor activities will be prevented from uploading.  If you receive an error of "file too large" when uploading, or the "Max Size" error in the Upload Status tab, you've probably got some non-GPS activities recorded on your device.  Delete these indoor/non-GPS activities from your device and you should be able to upload. 

Check out the Mac Page at MotionBased for more details.

The OFFICIAL Garmin Connect Update

UPDATE 5 March 2009: We have posted an update to the Garmin Connect Status Page. We are very sorry that we missed this latest deadline and we hesitate to give further updates with promises of release dates. We realize that we have not handled the updates properly and we are sorry for missed release dates and sloppy updates. You the customer deserve better. We do hope to provide better with the migration and release planned for mid-April.  Thank you for bearing with us, and we hope you accept our apologies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You've waited a long time.  And, for the most part, you've been really patient.  So here it is, the official count down to the Garmin Connect release dates.

26 February 2008 - Garmin Connect released for use with the new Edge series.  The new Edge will be in the hands of customers sometime this weekend.  Three days ago we opened up support for the Edge 605 and 705.  Edge 605 & 705 users will be able to upload to Garmin Connect after recording their first activity.  Those with the new Edge will also be able to upload to MotionBased.  You are more than welcome to upload to both sites, just keep in mind that you'll duplicate activities to manage once the final migration of MotionBased to Garmin Connect takes place in the coming months.

9 April 2008 - Garmin Connect to support the new Forerunner 405.  The next phase of Garmin Connect support will include the new Forerunner 405.  Those using this device will only be able to upload to Garmin Connect; MotionBased will NOT support the FR405.  Mac users will also need to wait a little longer for Garmin Connect support with their 405's.  The Forerunner 405 uses the ANT Agent for uploads.  Mac support for the ANT Agent is scheduled for late 2008. 

21 May 2008 - Garmin Connect to support all of Garmin's GPS USB devices.  All customers will upload to Garmin Connect.  All uploads to MotionBased will cease.  You will login to Garmin Connect with the same username and password you used for MotionBased.  All of your old activities will have been migrated form MotionBased to Garmin Connect by our team. 

Migration of MotionBased to Garmin Connect

• We migrate all of your history to the new site; you need to do nothing.
• Login to Garmin Connect with the same username and password you've used with MotionBased.
• All MB links will be redirected to Garmin Connect.
• All MB Viewports will be redirected to Garmin Connect.
• Garmin Connect will support all Garmin Fitness devices, most handheld USB devices, and all ANT Agent devices (with the exception of the ANT Agent on the Mac until late 2008).

Subscriptions

• We will remove the "Most recent 10 activities" and open up your entire history.  All customers will have access to their entire history.
• Garmin Connect Plus will be offered for those customers wanting access to premium features (features TBD).
• The annual subscription for Garmin Connect Plus will be US$40.00.  We will not offer a monthly subscription.
• For MotionBased subscribers with an Annual Standard Subscription (not monthly), we will convert your account to Garmin Connect Plus and extend your subscription for one year past the expiration date of your current account for FREE.

For status updates on the new Garmin Connect site, please refer to the Garmin Connect Status Page.

Latest News on Garmin Connect & Edge 605/705

While we've been updating the new site, Garmin Connect, over the last few months, most of you have not been able to see what's been cookin'.  Well, we've got some good news for you. Yesterday, we launched support for the Edge 605 and 705 -- which should be hitting stores this weekend.

You will be able to upload to BOTH Garmin Connect and MotionBased utilizing the Garmin Communicator Plugin only.  You are welcome to upload to both MotionBased and Garmin Connect, but keep in mind that you'll have duplicate activities to manage once the final merge of Garmin Connect and MotionBased is complete.  For more information, check out the Garmin Connect Status page.