GearJunkie.com Best in Show: Outdoor Retailer Award

The twice-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show is an exhibition of the best outdoors equipment in the world. New in 2010, GearJunkie.com launched an inaugural “Best in Show” award for the Summer Market trade show, held in early August. From featherweight tents to portable power generators, these items exemplify innovation and new thinking in the world outdoors. SPOT received the award for the DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator. “After four days in Salt Lake City at the show — and some early product tests — we’ve picked a list of to-be-released innovative products you’ll see on the market,” said Stephen Regenold, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of GearJunkie.com. “The PN-60w with SPOT combo provides first-of-its-kind GPS and satellite messaging features indeed worthy of recognition.”

Mobile Satellite Innovation Award

The Mobile Satellite Users Association (MSUA) announced the winners of its 2009 Innovation and Pioneer Awards, with the Innovation Award going to the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger. The MSUA-6 conference is being held in conjunction with Satellite 2009, the premier satellite industry conference and exhibition, and will feature a luncheon. MSUA-6/Satellite 2009 will be held from March 25-27 at the Walter E. Washington Conference Center in Washington, DC.

Commenting on the awards, MSUA Chairman Bob Roe noted "We are delighted to present an Innovation Award for the second year." The award given acknowledges SPOT "for bringing lifesaving mobile satellite services (MSS) to a much wider consumer market, [and] selling tens of thousands of units even in today’s challenging economic times. As a result of its entry into the market, it has also helped elevate the visibility of the Mobile Satellite industry. We are pleased to honor this innovative product."

Good Housekeeping VIP Award

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute has selected SPOT as a VIP (Very Innovative Product) Award winner. SPOT is featured on page 117 of the February 2009 issue of Good Housekeeping. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute evaluates thousands of new products every year. The winners of the VIP Awards truly stand out for their inventive approaches to helping families improve their lives in ingenious ways, big and small. They represent groundbreaking advances in technology and product design, and each has been reviewed by the scientists in the Research Institute to determine that the product performs effectively.

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute has been an advocate for consumers for over 100 years and it is its privilege and responsibility to highlight to its 26 million readers—one out of every five women in America—products that are valuable, pioneering product breakthroughs.

North American Fish Club (NAFC) Member Tested Seal of Approval

The SPOT Satellite Messenger has received the North American Fishing Club Member Tested & Recommended Seal of Approval.  The NAFC recently awarded the SPOT with the NAHC Member Tested Seal-of-Approval in quality, durability and performance.

Members of the NAFC tested and evaluated SPOT, giving their reviews and recommendations concerning the product and their hunting experience with the product. Products receiving favorable ratings are published in the February 2009 issue of the magazine and receive the “Member Tested Seal-of-Approval” to use on packaging and advertising—a point of distinction at the retail level.

Gray's Best Award 2009

Gray's Sporting Journal recently named the SPOT Personal Tracker as Best Accessory for 2009. Each year the Gray's Best Awards are solely selected by the editor responsible for a particular area of expertise. According to Gray Sporting Journal, the awards are given to products that try a little harder, does something a little better, is a little more elegant - is somehow more satisfying than similar products.

Gear Junkie Gear of the Year 2008

The nationally-syndicated newspaper columnist Stephen Regenold — aka "The Gear Junkie" — has announced The Gear Junkie's Top 10 Gear of the Year Awards for 2008.

Regenold unveiled the product picks onstage at the Outdoor Adventure Expo in Minneapolis on November 22, 2008.

For the past 12 months, Regenold — a Minneapolis-based journalist and contributing writer for New York Times — has skied, climbed and trekked from Norway to Wyoming to northern Minnesota testing gear for his 12 national newspapers, Outsidemag.com, Active.com and GearJunkie.com. "I pride myself on testing gear to death," Regenold said.

Regenold chose his picks to represent the best of the best from the dozens of new products, gear and apparel he tested in 2008.

2008 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award

The Wall Street Journal recently announced that SPOT Satellite Messenger has received the prestigious 2008 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award in the Consumer Electronics category. This marks the sixth industry award for SPOT since being introduced in November of 2007.

The Wall Street Journal received more than 700 entries to be considered for the Innovation Awards. Judges looked for innovations that broke new ground in their field and demonstrated a measurable impact. Only four percent of the entries received the final award in 19 different categories. A full list of this year’s winners can be viewed at www.WSJ.com/Reports.

Field & Stream Best of the Best Award

Hundreds of products undergo rigorous field testing each year and are judged on criteria including significance of innovation, the quality of the design and the value it brings to hunters. Only the most innovative and best-designed products in their class are selected.

SPOT Satellite Messenger™ was awarded the Best of the Best Award in the hunting technology category for 2008.

North American Hunting Club (NAHC) Member Tested Seal-of-Approval

The North American Hunting Club (NAHC) recently awarded the SPOT Satellite Messenger™ with the NAHC Member Tested Seal-of-Approval in quality, durability and performance.

Members of the NAHC tested and evaluated SPOT, giving their reviews and recommendations concerning the product and their hunting experience with the product. Products receiving favorable ratings are published in the magazine and receive the “Member Tested Seal-of-Approval” to use on packaging and advertising—a point of distinction at the retail level.

Backpacker Magazine 2008 Editors’ Choice Award

The SPOT Satellite Messenger was presented with the Editors’ Choice Award at the annual Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City in January 2008. Since 1993 Backpacker editors have recognized products as the best of the year according to months of field testing by teams of highly trained hikers and climbers. Hundreds of new products every year are put through a rigorous testing processes to ensure the performance of the winner is truly worthy of distinction and meets the guiding principles the program: gear that is of real value to the readers of Backpacker magazine, who are very active, long-term outdoor enthusiasts.

SAIL Magazine Freeman K. Pittman Innovation Award

Each year SAIL honors the memory of the late Freeman K. Pittman,SAILS technical editor for 14 years, who was widely respected within the industry as an expert on gear, innovation, and technology. In the February 2008 issue, SAIL announced its annual Freeman K. Pittman Innovation Awards recognizing the best gear-related thinking within the marine market. The SPOT Satellite Messenger was chosen for safety and innovation technology.

Cabela’s 2008 Buyers’ Choice Gold Medal Award

SPOT Satellite Messenger was awarded the Gold Medal in the annual Buyers Choice Awards voted by the buyers of Cabela’s, a leading specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise. SPOT and other new products are tested on specific criteria including technical innovation, construction and materials quality, value and potential for consumer acceptance.

Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®) 2008 Innovations Design and Engineering Award

The SPOT™ Satellite Messenger has a has been awarded the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA®) 2008 Innovations Design and Engineering Award. The award, judged and selected annually by a panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and journalists, was given to SPOT in the category of Personal Electronics.

Since 1989, the prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards have given consumer technology manufacturers and developers an opportunity to have their newest products judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade press.

Products chosen as the most impressive in each category are selected as honorees and can be seen in the Innovations Design and Engineering Awards Showcase at the Sands Expo and Convention Center during International CES.

As an award recipient, SPOT will be featured in the Innovations Showcase booth at the Sands Convention Center at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, January 7-10, in Las Vegas. SPOT Inc. will also be featuring the unit at its CES booth, # 71739, also at the Sands.