How will the GPS phone market evolve in the next 3 years ?
The two principal functions of mobile phones have been picture taking and music playing. Today the satellite navigation is expected to be the must-have feature: research suggests that 25% of mobile phones will have GPS by 2010.
In the United States, a large number of mobile phones have integrated GPS chips for security reasons, to pinpoint user's location when they are in danger. But theses chips can also be the support of various location based services. Nokia and Motorola have already introduced their navigation enabled handset for the mass market, so far the sells going well : apparently PNDs don't have a negative impact on GPS enabled phones growth rate (we have talked about it here) and we expect that growth to continue in the next years.
The most obvious service of GPS enabled phones is turn-by-turn navigation, which provides directions simply by allowing users to type a destination.Satellites locate the GPS-enabled device and map the device's location to the destination.A map can be then generated on the user's screen, along with text based directions. So the key factor for GPS phones is to keep the map up to date : See #8-Why did Nokia buy Navteq :-)
But location based services of mobile phones will soon go far beyond navigation :
Mobile search will become a standard feature on all handsets over the next three years.
Mobile Social Networking will be a killer application (social networking : "finding friends and meeting new ones", receiving alerts when a friend is close by, ect)
Geotagging: Internet and maps will allow people to upload pictures, videos and sound clips recorded with their phones that are automatically encoded with the location where the picture was taken or the recording was made
Mobile Geo-advertising : according Telephia's report, mobile video revenues in Q1 2007 increased 198% over the previous year, and mobile video users had the best ad recall of any mobile data user group. With LBS, mobile ads will be adopted on a large scale.
23 November 2007 in The business of GPS Permalink
Monday, November 26, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
How will the GPS phone market evolve in the next 3 years ?
The two principal functions of mobile phones have been picture taking and music playing. Today the satellite navigation is expected to be the must-have feature: research suggests that 25% of mobile phones will have GPS by 2010.
In the United States, a large number of mobile phones have integrated GPS chips for security reasons, to pinpoint user's location when they are in danger. But theses chips can also be the support of various location based services. Nokia and Motorola have already introduced their navigation enabled handset for the mass market, so far the sells going well : apparently PNDs don't have a negative impact on GPS enabled phones growth rate (we have talked about it here) and we expect that growth to continue in the next years.
The most obvious service of GPS enabled phones is turn-by-turn navigation, which provides directions simply by allowing users to type a destination.Satellites locate the GPS-enabled device and map the device's location to the destination.A map can be then generated on the user's screen, along with text based directions. So the key factor for GPS phones is to keep the map up to date : See #8-Why did Nokia buy Navteq :-)
But location based services of mobile phones will soon go far beyond navigation :
- Mobile search will become a standard feature on all handsets over the next three years.
- Mobile Social Networking will be a killer application (social networking : "finding friends and meeting new ones", receiving alerts when a friend is close by, ect)
- Geotagging: Internet and maps will allow people to upload pictures, videos and sound clips recorded with their phones that are automatically encoded with the location where the picture was taken or the recording was made
- Mobile Geo-advertising : according Telephia's report, mobile video revenues in Q1 2007 increased 198% over the previous year, and mobile video users had the best ad recall of any mobile data user group. With LBS, mobile ads will be adopted on a large scale.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Paperless Map Is the Killer App
Forget media downloads. Cell customers really want GPS and navigation features
First, cell phones made the streetcorner pay phone obsolete. Now they're doing away with the need to ask for directions. A surge in phones with built-in satellite navigation capability has sparked a wave of creative mapping and locating services. And it has set off a multibillion-dollar scramble by companies to buy up digital navigation technologies. 
The number of navigation-ready cell phones will hit 162 million this year, or more than seven times the number of such devices sold for use in cars or other nonphone gadgets, says researcher iSuppli. You only have to scan phone company ads to see how they are touting navigational features: The new N95 smartphone from Nokia (NOK ) plays music and videos, but it also has a chip that receives signals from the government's Global Positioning System satellites, enabling the phone to display maps. Research In Motion (RIMM ) is already putting navigation features into its BlackBerry smartphones. Other big phonemakers including Motorola (MOT ) and Samsung are doing the same. Apple (AAPL ), having put a version of Google (GOOG ) Maps on its iPhone, is widely expected to add GPS chips and live mapping in 2008.
Phone carriers and software developers alike have been quick to offer location-based services that go way beyond simple street directions. Verizon's (VZ ) Chaperone service allows parents to track the location of kids from their phones or on the Web and sends a message when they reach their destination. Loopt lets Sprint (S ) and Boost Mobile customers track friends--imagine a buddy list overlaid on a map--and sends alerts when they're nearby. Services like those rang up $92 million in sales in the third quarter, or 58% of what consumers spent to download software to phones, Nielsen Mobile found. This spring, wireless users spent on average nearly twice as much on navigation as they did to download music to their phones, says David Gill, a Nielsen Mobile analyst.
To understand why phone-based navigation is suddenly so hot, talk with Debby Ramundo. The senior project manager at Seattle's Swedish Medical Center, Ramundo oversees 200 doctors and nurses who visit patients who can't travel to a doctor's office. Like millions of other people, clinicians are hard-pressed to get to the right place on time. That can be especially tricky in fast-growing Seattle, where new residential streets pop up out of nowhere. So last year the medical center handed out GPS-equipped Nextel cell phones. The phones offer such features as spoken turn-by-turn directions.
Such options until recently could be found only in $300-plus dashboard devices. The software, from TeleNav, a Sunnyvale (Calif.) company, costs each user $10 a month. But Ramundo says efficiency gains for medical workers more than offset the added costs: "Every hour they're not here in the office getting directions or getting lost is a billable hour they're out seeing patients."
THE GPS BANDWAGON
For years, satellite-based navigation technology was restricted to the military, which used it to position troops or guide missiles. The government purposely made GPS signals too fuzzy for civilians other than hikers or boaters to find useful. That changed in 2000, though, when civilians were given access to more accurate signals. An industry quickly sprang up for car-based navigation, which is a $6.8 billion business today, says iSuppli.
Now GPS phones are embedded with tiny chips that receive signals from the collection of 31 GPS satellites that blanket every inch of the Earth with a faint radio signal. A receiver needs to be within range of at least four satellites at once to determine its location accurately. That is drawn on-screen, matching latitude and longitude with maps sent via wireless Net connections.
As more players jump into navigation, it has triggered a wave of deal-making that reflects the nervousness of established players. Makers of car-based or other dedicated (nonphone) devices worry that competitors will gain control of essential mapping data, which show names and locations of streets, homes, restaurants, and hotels and must be regularly updated.
The two companies supplying that data, Chicago-based Navteq (NVT ) and Netherlands-based Tele Atlas, are now being rolled up. In July, one of the largest car-navigation outfits, Dutch concern TomTom, moved to acquire Tele Atlas for $2.3 billion. Stock in rival Navteq soared on the expectation it would be acquired by Garmin (GRMN ), TomTom's Olathe (Kan.)-based competitor, or perhaps Google or Microsoft (MSFT ), which operate mapping sites. But on Oct. 1 phone giant Nokia jumped in with an $8.1 billion deal to buy Navteq--a price nearly 14 times its $582 million in 2006 sales.
Faced with having to buy mapping data from a competitor, Garmin announced on Oct. 31 a hostile $3.3 billion bid for Tele Atlas. TomTom responded with a $4.3 billion offer. Garmin has until Dec. 4 to counter. The buyout binge isn't likely to end there. Analysts say possible targets include TeleNav, which supplies navigation software to carriers, and its rival Networks In Motion of Aliso Viejo, Calif. Also in the spotlight is Kirkland (Wash.)-based Inrix, spun off from Microsoft in 2004. It supplies live traffic data on 55,000 miles of U.S. roads. Its sole competitor, Traffic.com, was bought earlier this year by Navteq, and is becoming part of Nokia.
For navigation outfits that see Nokia as a competitor, that raised the possibility of losing access to traffic data as well as mapping data. So they're furiously signing agreements with Inrix, says President and CEO Bryan Mistele: "The last 120 days have been the best days in our company's history."
Forget media downloads. Cell customers really want GPS and navigation features
First, cell phones made the streetcorner pay phone obsolete. Now they're doing away with the need to ask for directions. A surge in phones with built-in satellite navigation capability has sparked a wave of creative mapping and locating services. And it has set off a multibillion-dollar scramble by companies to buy up digital navigation technologies.
The number of navigation-ready cell phones will hit 162 million this year, or more than seven times the number of such devices sold for use in cars or other nonphone gadgets, says researcher iSuppli. You only have to scan phone company ads to see how they are touting navigational features: The new N95 smartphone from Nokia (NOK ) plays music and videos, but it also has a chip that receives signals from the government's Global Positioning System satellites, enabling the phone to display maps. Research In Motion (RIMM ) is already putting navigation features into its BlackBerry smartphones. Other big phonemakers including Motorola (MOT ) and Samsung are doing the same. Apple (AAPL ), having put a version of Google (GOOG ) Maps on its iPhone, is widely expected to add GPS chips and live mapping in 2008.
Phone carriers and software developers alike have been quick to offer location-based services that go way beyond simple street directions. Verizon's (VZ ) Chaperone service allows parents to track the location of kids from their phones or on the Web and sends a message when they reach their destination. Loopt lets Sprint (S ) and Boost Mobile customers track friends--imagine a buddy list overlaid on a map--and sends alerts when they're nearby. Services like those rang up $92 million in sales in the third quarter, or 58% of what consumers spent to download software to phones, Nielsen Mobile found. This spring, wireless users spent on average nearly twice as much on navigation as they did to download music to their phones, says David Gill, a Nielsen Mobile analyst.
To understand why phone-based navigation is suddenly so hot, talk with Debby Ramundo. The senior project manager at Seattle's Swedish Medical Center, Ramundo oversees 200 doctors and nurses who visit patients who can't travel to a doctor's office. Like millions of other people, clinicians are hard-pressed to get to the right place on time. That can be especially tricky in fast-growing Seattle, where new residential streets pop up out of nowhere. So last year the medical center handed out GPS-equipped Nextel cell phones. The phones offer such features as spoken turn-by-turn directions.
Such options until recently could be found only in $300-plus dashboard devices. The software, from TeleNav, a Sunnyvale (Calif.) company, costs each user $10 a month. But Ramundo says efficiency gains for medical workers more than offset the added costs: "Every hour they're not here in the office getting directions or getting lost is a billable hour they're out seeing patients."
THE GPS BANDWAGON
For years, satellite-based navigation technology was restricted to the military, which used it to position troops or guide missiles. The government purposely made GPS signals too fuzzy for civilians other than hikers or boaters to find useful. That changed in 2000, though, when civilians were given access to more accurate signals. An industry quickly sprang up for car-based navigation, which is a $6.8 billion business today, says iSuppli.
Now GPS phones are embedded with tiny chips that receive signals from the collection of 31 GPS satellites that blanket every inch of the Earth with a faint radio signal. A receiver needs to be within range of at least four satellites at once to determine its location accurately. That is drawn on-screen, matching latitude and longitude with maps sent via wireless Net connections.
As more players jump into navigation, it has triggered a wave of deal-making that reflects the nervousness of established players. Makers of car-based or other dedicated (nonphone) devices worry that competitors will gain control of essential mapping data, which show names and locations of streets, homes, restaurants, and hotels and must be regularly updated.
The two companies supplying that data, Chicago-based Navteq (NVT ) and Netherlands-based Tele Atlas, are now being rolled up. In July, one of the largest car-navigation outfits, Dutch concern TomTom, moved to acquire Tele Atlas for $2.3 billion. Stock in rival Navteq soared on the expectation it would be acquired by Garmin (GRMN ), TomTom's Olathe (Kan.)-based competitor, or perhaps Google or Microsoft (MSFT ), which operate mapping sites. But on Oct. 1 phone giant Nokia jumped in with an $8.1 billion deal to buy Navteq--a price nearly 14 times its $582 million in 2006 sales.
Faced with having to buy mapping data from a competitor, Garmin announced on Oct. 31 a hostile $3.3 billion bid for Tele Atlas. TomTom responded with a $4.3 billion offer. Garmin has until Dec. 4 to counter. The buyout binge isn't likely to end there. Analysts say possible targets include TeleNav, which supplies navigation software to carriers, and its rival Networks In Motion of Aliso Viejo, Calif. Also in the spotlight is Kirkland (Wash.)-based Inrix, spun off from Microsoft in 2004. It supplies live traffic data on 55,000 miles of U.S. roads. Its sole competitor, Traffic.com, was bought earlier this year by Navteq, and is becoming part of Nokia.
For navigation outfits that see Nokia as a competitor, that raised the possibility of losing access to traffic data as well as mapping data. So they're furiously signing agreements with Inrix, says President and CEO Bryan Mistele: "The last 120 days have been the best days in our company's history."
Friday, November 16, 2007
HTC adds GPS to Windows Mobile Touch line Nov. 12, 2007
HTC has announced a new member of its Windows Mobile-based Touch smartphone family. The "Touch Cruise," the latest model from this extremely prolific handheld device maker, shares many features in common with earlier Touch models but adds built-in GPS with Tom Tom navigation support, according to the company.
(Click here for a larger view of HTC's Touch Cruise)
In June, HTC launched its original Touch, the first phone to feature HTC's much-touted TouchFLO UI (user interface). TouchFLO, according to HTC, is able to distinguish whether the screen is being touched by a stylus or by fingers and respond accordingly. Finger touches allow scrolling, panning, and zooming in or out.
First available in the U.S. only as an unlocked and unsubsidized GMS/GPRS/EDGE device, the Touch later was Americanized by Sprint and other carriers. It then spawned "designer" versions such as the Ted Baker Needle.
Last month, HTC launched the Touch Dual, which doubled the Touch's processing speed courtesy of a Qualcomm MSM7200 processor clocked at 400 MHz. It also added a slide-out keyboard in a choice of two different versions -- either a 20-key QWERTY layout, or a 16-key keypad layout.
The technically similar Touch Cruise loses the keyboard but adds GPS functionality to the mix, employing navigation software and maps from Tom Tom. (Readers will get no prizes for successfully guessing what capabilities the next model in the Touch family might combine!)
Other wireless features in the device include support for European HSDPA/UMTS (2100 MHz) and GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900, 1800, 1900 MHz), along with WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0. High-speed data downloads are rated at 3.6 Mbps for HSDPA, and 384 Kbps for UMTS downloads; upload rates for both technologies are spec'd at 384 Kbps.
Earlier Touch versions already included the ability to play back multimedia in a variety of formats, including MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV, and AMR-NB. The Touch Cruise also provides an FM radio.
According to HTC, the device offers dual cameras -- a 3 megapixel autofocus camera for photos, and a front-facing VGA (640 x 480 pixel) camera for videoconferencing.
As with the other Touch iterations, the Cruise includes all the smartphone capabilities of Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 Professional software platform, including Windows Media Player 10 plus mobile editions of Outlook, Internet Explorer, and Office.
Key features and specifications of the Touch Cruise, as listed by HTC, include:
According to the company, the Touch Cruise will be available starting this month, both from retailers and directly from HTC. More information is available from the company's website, here.
HTC has announced a new member of its Windows Mobile-based Touch smartphone family. The "Touch Cruise," the latest model from this extremely prolific handheld device maker, shares many features in common with earlier Touch models but adds built-in GPS with Tom Tom navigation support, according to the company.(Click here for a larger view of HTC's Touch Cruise)
In June, HTC launched its original Touch, the first phone to feature HTC's much-touted TouchFLO UI (user interface). TouchFLO, according to HTC, is able to distinguish whether the screen is being touched by a stylus or by fingers and respond accordingly. Finger touches allow scrolling, panning, and zooming in or out.
First available in the U.S. only as an unlocked and unsubsidized GMS/GPRS/EDGE device, the Touch later was Americanized by Sprint and other carriers. It then spawned "designer" versions such as the Ted Baker Needle.
Last month, HTC launched the Touch Dual, which doubled the Touch's processing speed courtesy of a Qualcomm MSM7200 processor clocked at 400 MHz. It also added a slide-out keyboard in a choice of two different versions -- either a 20-key QWERTY layout, or a 16-key keypad layout.
The technically similar Touch Cruise loses the keyboard but adds GPS functionality to the mix, employing navigation software and maps from Tom Tom. (Readers will get no prizes for successfully guessing what capabilities the next model in the Touch family might combine!)
Other wireless features in the device include support for European HSDPA/UMTS (2100 MHz) and GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900, 1800, 1900 MHz), along with WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0. High-speed data downloads are rated at 3.6 Mbps for HSDPA, and 384 Kbps for UMTS downloads; upload rates for both technologies are spec'd at 384 Kbps.
Earlier Touch versions already included the ability to play back multimedia in a variety of formats, including MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV, and AMR-NB. The Touch Cruise also provides an FM radio.
According to HTC, the device offers dual cameras -- a 3 megapixel autofocus camera for photos, and a front-facing VGA (640 x 480 pixel) camera for videoconferencing.
As with the other Touch iterations, the Cruise includes all the smartphone capabilities of Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 Professional software platform, including Windows Media Player 10 plus mobile editions of Outlook, Internet Explorer, and Office.
Key features and specifications of the Touch Cruise, as listed by HTC, include:
- Processor -- Qualcomm MSM7200, clocked at 400 MHz
- Memory -- 128 MB RAM; 256 MB flash
- Display -- 2.8-inch TFT display with LCD backlighting
- Keys -- 4-way navigation wheel with enter button
- Wireless interfaces:
- WAN:
- HSDPA/UMTS -- 2100 MHz (Europe); 850/1900 MHz (U.S.)
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE -- quad-band 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz
- HSDPA/UMTS -- 2100 MHz (Europe); 850/1900 MHz (U.S.)
- WLAN -- 802.11b/g WiFi
- WPAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
- WAN:
- Camera -- 3 megapixel camera with auto focus, plus VGA-resolution camera for videoconferencing
- Built-in GPS receiver
- Built-in FM receiver
- Other I/O -- HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB and audio jack in one)
- Expansion -- microSD card
- Dimensions -- 4.3 x 2.3 x 0.6 inches (110 x 58 x 16 mm)
- Weight -- 4.6 ounces (130 gm) with battery
- Power:
- 1350 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Standby time -- up to 450 hours for UMTS, 400 hours for GSM
- Talk time -- up to 4 hours for UMTS, 7 hours for GSM, 2.3 hours for video calling
- 1350 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery
According to the company, the Touch Cruise will be available starting this month, both from retailers and directly from HTC. More information is available from the company's website, here.
Reports forecast GPS proliferation Nov. 08, 2007
Low-cost GPS chipsets will increasingly be integrated into mobile devices, according to reports just released by two major market research firms. While apparently disagreeing on the exact numbers, both ABI Research and In-Stat forecast extremely strong growth between now and 2011.
In its statement, ABI Research said personal navigation devices (PNDs) will grow to a global sales volume of more than 100 million units by 2011. While dedicated PNDs will remain the preferred form-factor for use in cars, GPS will increasingly be an expected ingredient in handsets, portable media players (PMPs), ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs), and other mobile devices, according to the company.
ABI Research principal analyst Dominique Bonte stated, "Handset-based navigation will be stimulated by convergence trends and technological advances in low-cost GPS-receiver integration. It will be a catalyst for the uptake of location-based services such as search, friend finder and tracking features."
Driven by the involvement of wireless carriers, handset-based GPS will grow strongly in North America, reaching a sales volume of 21 million units by 2012, according to ABI Research. The analyst firm's report adds that while Europe is the strongest present-day market for GPS, strong growth is expected in developing countries such as China and India. By 2012, more navigation systems are expected to ship in Asia-Pacific than in any other region.
ABI Research says that increasing price pressure and levels of competition will result in consolidation, citing the acquisition of digital map providers Navteq and Tele Atlas as an example. Navigation vendors will need to aggregate their user communities under strong brands, in order to take advantage of the potential of user-generated map and POI (point of interest) content, the firm's report notes.
In its separate report, In-Stat reaches very similar overall conclusions, though it adds digital cameras and even handheld games to the mix of devices expected to include GPS. Even more bullish on the numbers, In-Stat predicts that "Sales of mobile devices with integrated GPS [will] grow from 180 million units in 2007 to 720 million units in 2011."
In-Stat analyst Gemma Tedesco stated, "Although there are external GPS receivers available for mobile PCs, PDAs, smartphones, digital cameras, handheld games, and other portable devices, volumes for these applications have been limited. Integration of GPS within these products will allow for more widespread use of GPS, and will spur much greater GPS chipset shipment volumes."
According to In-Stat, GPS chipset pricing will erode rapidly. Nonetheless, this will be offset by extremely high volumes, boosting revenue from $520 million in 2006 to more than $1.3 billion in 2011.
In-Stat reports that Qualcomm currently dominates the cellular handset market with its "integrated" GPS solution, while SiRF dominates the PND space. "TI and Broadcom, with their cellular chipset and in-house GPS solutions, promise to be solid competitors," the report says.
More details
More information, perhaps including an explanation of the methodologies that led to different numeric forecasts, is available to purchasers of these two analysts' reports.
ABI Research's 91-page report, whose price was not released, is called "Consumer Navigation Devices and Systems." Further specifics, including a listing of sections, tables, and companies featured, is available on the company's website, here.
In-Stat's 57-page report, "GPS Chips in Mobile Devices," is priced at $3,495. Further specifics, again including a listing of sections, tables, and companies featured, is available on the company's website, here.
Low-cost GPS chipsets will increasingly be integrated into mobile devices, according to reports just released by two major market research firms. While apparently disagreeing on the exact numbers, both ABI Research and In-Stat forecast extremely strong growth between now and 2011.
digg this story |
ABI Research principal analyst Dominique Bonte stated, "Handset-based navigation will be stimulated by convergence trends and technological advances in low-cost GPS-receiver integration. It will be a catalyst for the uptake of location-based services such as search, friend finder and tracking features."
Driven by the involvement of wireless carriers, handset-based GPS will grow strongly in North America, reaching a sales volume of 21 million units by 2012, according to ABI Research. The analyst firm's report adds that while Europe is the strongest present-day market for GPS, strong growth is expected in developing countries such as China and India. By 2012, more navigation systems are expected to ship in Asia-Pacific than in any other region.
ABI Research says that increasing price pressure and levels of competition will result in consolidation, citing the acquisition of digital map providers Navteq and Tele Atlas as an example. Navigation vendors will need to aggregate their user communities under strong brands, in order to take advantage of the potential of user-generated map and POI (point of interest) content, the firm's report notes.
In its separate report, In-Stat reaches very similar overall conclusions, though it adds digital cameras and even handheld games to the mix of devices expected to include GPS. Even more bullish on the numbers, In-Stat predicts that "Sales of mobile devices with integrated GPS [will] grow from 180 million units in 2007 to 720 million units in 2011."
In-Stat analyst Gemma Tedesco stated, "Although there are external GPS receivers available for mobile PCs, PDAs, smartphones, digital cameras, handheld games, and other portable devices, volumes for these applications have been limited. Integration of GPS within these products will allow for more widespread use of GPS, and will spur much greater GPS chipset shipment volumes."
According to In-Stat, GPS chipset pricing will erode rapidly. Nonetheless, this will be offset by extremely high volumes, boosting revenue from $520 million in 2006 to more than $1.3 billion in 2011.
In-Stat reports that Qualcomm currently dominates the cellular handset market with its "integrated" GPS solution, while SiRF dominates the PND space. "TI and Broadcom, with their cellular chipset and in-house GPS solutions, promise to be solid competitors," the report says.
More details
More information, perhaps including an explanation of the methodologies that led to different numeric forecasts, is available to purchasers of these two analysts' reports.
ABI Research's 91-page report, whose price was not released, is called "Consumer Navigation Devices and Systems." Further specifics, including a listing of sections, tables, and companies featured, is available on the company's website, here.
In-Stat's 57-page report, "GPS Chips in Mobile Devices," is priced at $3,495. Further specifics, again including a listing of sections, tables, and companies featured, is available on the company's website, here.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Google Maps Creation Tools - Part 19
WebAssist Pro Maps for Google:
Adobe Dreamweaver extension
WebAssist has created a tool for Adobe Dreamweaver which will help folks integrate
rich Google Map features into their websites. A point-and-click wizard guides users through the process. Check here for More information.. or visit this Del.icio.us page for more coverage of the launch.
- Terraims Mapicon Factory - A map icon tool for your maps! (Related:Custom icons for your My Maps)
- MapChannels - Embed maps created through Google My Maps or other KML / GeoRSS sources easily into a website with no need for coding.
- Tutorial: Google Earth, Google Maps and Your Photos - Also see Part II
- Get-A-Route - Convert Google Maps routes to OziExplorer (.rte and .wpt) or GPX files.
- Use Google Maps from within a Win32 client application
- Mashup of Google Maps and VCL
- Using Google Maps from VCL sample application
07 Nov 2007 - What’s in a name? Searching for the right words
"Words strain,
Crack and sometimes break, under the burden,
Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,
Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,
Will not stay still. Shrieking voices
Scolding, mocking, or merely chattering,
Always assail them."
- T. S. Eliot, American poet and playwright, Four Quartets, 1935
In the past decade the geospatial industry has seen the emergence of a host of similar terms to try and describe what the industry is all about and where it is going. Words like "SDI", "Geomatics", "Spatial Infrastructure", "Ubiquitous Geographic Computing", "Location Intelligence", "Location Based Services", "Geospatial Intelligence", and of course "GeoWeb". This proliferation of terminology reflects both a confusion in the industry, and an attempt to understand it. We know that the general rubric of "GIS" is both too generic , and too limiting, but we are not sure what to use in its place. Such confusion is of course typical of domains which are undergoing rapid change and which are being pulled in many directions by a wide array of market, social and technology forces.
This article attempts to clarify the situation by offering some definitions and equivalences to help reduce the terminology clutter.
To begin with let's redefine the term GIS to mean all and any information system or systems that deal with Geography or Geographic information. So everything we talk about is then GIS. Effectively GIS and Geomatics are then synomyms. Think GIS = Geomatics = automation of geographic information handling. These terms then cover all aspects from data acquisition (e.g. surveying, remote sensing) to cartography, map production, analysis, and all forms of applications that make use of geographic information. Of course such a generalization leaves open the real issues that confront us and how to talk about them, but we can at least dispense with GIS or Geomatics as the right words, other than for the very general umbrella. All of the others must pertain to concepts or ideas within the domain of GIS/Geomatics or overlap between this domain and other areas of Information Technology.
The dominant force for change in the Geomatics world (I'll use just the one word henceforth) is the increasingly everywhere connectivity of information systems. Don't think in terms of wireless or mobility - these are just technologies - think in terms of everywhere connectivity. The same effects could be obtained, and will be in many cases, using RFID's or other local place identification mechanisms.
One might ask why everywhere connectivity should have such a deep impact on geomatics? It might seem to be a supreme irony that the nearly universal transparency of location should have such a huge impact on the world of geomatics, but there is a reason for this. It is what I would call the information integration imperative and this was a major driver for the desk top GIS systems of the 1980's. Every action that we humans take in the world (or which is taken by the world) has consequences and impacts far beyond the action itself. As a consequence, any attempt to deal with the world, whether in terms of engineering design, or emergency response, requires that we integrate information from a host of sources and disciplines. This is made still more difficult by the fact that the world is divided into a vast array of complex and overlapping jurisdictions. Effective decision making of any kind demands that this information be integrated. Everywhere connectivity makes this integration possible, and more over makes it possible to provide the results of this integration to any point on the planet. "Location Services", "Location Intelligence" are thus technologies that deal with the provision of integrated information or the results of information integration to a user regardless of their location. The terms do not however deal with the act of integration itself.
A companion driving force to that of everywhere connectivity is that of everywhere position determination - one of the fundamental location services - determining where in the world something is located. Everywhere position determination complements everywhere connectivity (the latter is precondition for the former) by greatly enriching the sources of information, and by enabling the provision of information not just about a place, but more importantly about a thing such as a person or a vehicle, whether fixed or in motion. This in turn has enabled information consumers - consumers of location services - to themselves be participants in information creation and hence in information integration. Knowing where you are is of no help if you don't know what is around you.
The term "Ubiquitous Geographic Computing" can be seen as implying everywhere connectivity and everywhere position determination, but should not be seen as representing any particular geomatics technologies. One should think of ubiquity as a given aspect of all future information technologies and not a technology in itself.
So what then about SDI and GeoWeb? Both of these terms imply information integration. What's the difference? How much of this is really to do with geomatics? I would argue that GeoWeb is the more general term and refers both to the subject of local and global geographic data integration, and to the technologies for realizing that integration. "SDI" and "Spatial Infrastructures" are community implementations of technology for information sharing, and should be understood as implying real time integration of information and associated services. This means that the GeoWeb, as a noun, can be seen as the integration of many SDI's into a web of integrated information potentially spanning the globe, hence dealing with the integration imperative and providing community integration and global accessibility. Note that the notion of a community (also data community, information community) may be bound to a place (e.g. a municipality or region) or may be location independent (e.g. community of oceanographers world-wide).
Make sense? I am sure this discussion has only scratched the surface - but I hope it has in some way cleared the air.
"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice."
-T. S. Eliot, American poet and playwright, Four Quartets, 1944
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"Words strain,
Crack and sometimes break, under the burden,
Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,
Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,
Will not stay still. Shrieking voices
Scolding, mocking, or merely chattering,
Always assail them."
- T. S. Eliot, American poet and playwright, Four Quartets, 1935
In the past decade the geospatial industry has seen the emergence of a host of similar terms to try and describe what the industry is all about and where it is going. Words like "SDI", "Geomatics", "Spatial Infrastructure", "Ubiquitous Geographic Computing", "Location Intelligence", "Location Based Services", "Geospatial Intelligence", and of course "GeoWeb". This proliferation of terminology reflects both a confusion in the industry, and an attempt to understand it. We know that the general rubric of "GIS" is both too generic , and too limiting, but we are not sure what to use in its place. Such confusion is of course typical of domains which are undergoing rapid change and which are being pulled in many directions by a wide array of market, social and technology forces.
This article attempts to clarify the situation by offering some definitions and equivalences to help reduce the terminology clutter.
To begin with let's redefine the term GIS to mean all and any information system or systems that deal with Geography or Geographic information. So everything we talk about is then GIS. Effectively GIS and Geomatics are then synomyms. Think GIS = Geomatics = automation of geographic information handling. These terms then cover all aspects from data acquisition (e.g. surveying, remote sensing) to cartography, map production, analysis, and all forms of applications that make use of geographic information. Of course such a generalization leaves open the real issues that confront us and how to talk about them, but we can at least dispense with GIS or Geomatics as the right words, other than for the very general umbrella. All of the others must pertain to concepts or ideas within the domain of GIS/Geomatics or overlap between this domain and other areas of Information Technology.
The dominant force for change in the Geomatics world (I'll use just the one word henceforth) is the increasingly everywhere connectivity of information systems. Don't think in terms of wireless or mobility - these are just technologies - think in terms of everywhere connectivity. The same effects could be obtained, and will be in many cases, using RFID's or other local place identification mechanisms.
One might ask why everywhere connectivity should have such a deep impact on geomatics? It might seem to be a supreme irony that the nearly universal transparency of location should have such a huge impact on the world of geomatics, but there is a reason for this. It is what I would call the information integration imperative and this was a major driver for the desk top GIS systems of the 1980's. Every action that we humans take in the world (or which is taken by the world) has consequences and impacts far beyond the action itself. As a consequence, any attempt to deal with the world, whether in terms of engineering design, or emergency response, requires that we integrate information from a host of sources and disciplines. This is made still more difficult by the fact that the world is divided into a vast array of complex and overlapping jurisdictions. Effective decision making of any kind demands that this information be integrated. Everywhere connectivity makes this integration possible, and more over makes it possible to provide the results of this integration to any point on the planet. "Location Services", "Location Intelligence" are thus technologies that deal with the provision of integrated information or the results of information integration to a user regardless of their location. The terms do not however deal with the act of integration itself.
A companion driving force to that of everywhere connectivity is that of everywhere position determination - one of the fundamental location services - determining where in the world something is located. Everywhere position determination complements everywhere connectivity (the latter is precondition for the former) by greatly enriching the sources of information, and by enabling the provision of information not just about a place, but more importantly about a thing such as a person or a vehicle, whether fixed or in motion. This in turn has enabled information consumers - consumers of location services - to themselves be participants in information creation and hence in information integration. Knowing where you are is of no help if you don't know what is around you.
The term "Ubiquitous Geographic Computing" can be seen as implying everywhere connectivity and everywhere position determination, but should not be seen as representing any particular geomatics technologies. One should think of ubiquity as a given aspect of all future information technologies and not a technology in itself.
So what then about SDI and GeoWeb? Both of these terms imply information integration. What's the difference? How much of this is really to do with geomatics? I would argue that GeoWeb is the more general term and refers both to the subject of local and global geographic data integration, and to the technologies for realizing that integration. "SDI" and "Spatial Infrastructures" are community implementations of technology for information sharing, and should be understood as implying real time integration of information and associated services. This means that the GeoWeb, as a noun, can be seen as the integration of many SDI's into a web of integrated information potentially spanning the globe, hence dealing with the integration imperative and providing community integration and global accessibility. Note that the notion of a community (also data community, information community) may be bound to a place (e.g. a municipality or region) or may be location independent (e.g. community of oceanographers world-wide).
Make sense? I am sure this discussion has only scratched the surface - but I hope it has in some way cleared the air.
"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice."
-T. S. Eliot, American poet and playwright, Four Quartets, 1944
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tailed vision of IRL: Reality Fusion 
Location Based Services: Acknowledged Potential
09 11 2007 Posted by: Frank Schuil in Uncategorized, tags: based, google, LBS, Location, nokia, services
On this graphical representation from GigaOM we clearly see an increasing amount of deals closed in the location based services (LBS) market. Large corporations like Nokia and Google are starting to acquire companies that are location driven. This overview of closed deals shows us how the adaptation process takes place in a market where both the online giants and the mobile giants are fighting for LBS market share.
Technological issues at hand are currently focused on which ideal location identification method should be used. These are the several technological solutions at hand: GPS, Cell ID, Bluetooth beacons, WiFi positioning, Bluetooth proximity and RFID. For more information I refer you to a report on mobile location.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Sprint and Microsoft in collboration
Published: 2007-10-04
New location-based search service offered by Sprint.
As part of the strategic alliance between Sprint and Microsoft Corp., the two companies are now providing Sprint customers with the industry's first fully integrated GPS location-aware mobile search service with entire Internet search on Sprint phones. Voice search by Live Search for mobile using Tellme technologies will also be available on select Sprint phones as a separate download. The new services enable people to find Web, local, and phone content easily using traditional input methods or voice. With the enhanced mobile search service launching today, Sprint customers can now: * Search the entire Web, local listings and maps, and Sprint's mobile content catalogue using the same familiar search box powered by Live Search, on the Sprint mobile Web home page.* Use Sprint's built-in GPS capabilities to automatically find local businesses and listings nearby quickly and easily without needing to manually enter location information. The new GPS-enabled search allows customers to give permission to let their phone automatically identify their location to return nearby business search results, such as the closest gas station, pizza place or movie theatre – all by simply typing in or, on select phones, speaking the name or category of business for which they are searching. Additionally, Sprint is the first mobile operator in the U.S. to launch GPS-enabled voice search capabilities, which are powered by Live Search for mobile. Customers can simply say the business listing and then see the search results on the screen. Speaking rather than typing makes it even easier for customers to find the results they are looking for. This feature uses award-winning voice user interface design from Microsoft's recent acquisition Tellme. "With Live Search on Sprint devices, Sprint customers now carry with them a GPS-enabled search tool providing open Internet search, local listing search and mobile content search, all in one easy service," said Kevin Packingham, vice president of product management for Sprint. "We look forward to working with Microsoft to continue developing innovative mobility solutions that bring together exceptional products and services from both companies for business and consumer subscribers." "The location based and voice technologies we're delivering today with Sprint are a first in the US mobile industry bringing customers a smart and easy search experience on the phone," said Brian Arbogast, vice president of Mobile Services organization at Microsoft. "We are focused on working with industry leaders like Sprint to bring new and innovative services to market for customers, and creating new business and revenue opportunities for our partners." Sprint and Microsoft initially announced their strategic alliance in November 2006, when the companies launched combined mobile content and local listings search capabilities and committed to delivering GPS-enabled search. The two companies plan to continue to deliver industry-leading wireless data experiences together by combining Sprint's strength in data services and Microsoft's award-winning mobile search experiences. On average, Sprint customers spent an industry-leading $9.75 per month on wireless data at the end of the second quarter of 2007.
Published: 2007-10-04
New location-based search service offered by Sprint.
As part of the strategic alliance between Sprint and Microsoft Corp., the two companies are now providing Sprint customers with the industry's first fully integrated GPS location-aware mobile search service with entire Internet search on Sprint phones. Voice search by Live Search for mobile using Tellme technologies will also be available on select Sprint phones as a separate download. The new services enable people to find Web, local, and phone content easily using traditional input methods or voice. With the enhanced mobile search service launching today, Sprint customers can now: * Search the entire Web, local listings and maps, and Sprint's mobile content catalogue using the same familiar search box powered by Live Search, on the Sprint mobile Web home page.* Use Sprint's built-in GPS capabilities to automatically find local businesses and listings nearby quickly and easily without needing to manually enter location information. The new GPS-enabled search allows customers to give permission to let their phone automatically identify their location to return nearby business search results, such as the closest gas station, pizza place or movie theatre – all by simply typing in or, on select phones, speaking the name or category of business for which they are searching. Additionally, Sprint is the first mobile operator in the U.S. to launch GPS-enabled voice search capabilities, which are powered by Live Search for mobile. Customers can simply say the business listing and then see the search results on the screen. Speaking rather than typing makes it even easier for customers to find the results they are looking for. This feature uses award-winning voice user interface design from Microsoft's recent acquisition Tellme. "With Live Search on Sprint devices, Sprint customers now carry with them a GPS-enabled search tool providing open Internet search, local listing search and mobile content search, all in one easy service," said Kevin Packingham, vice president of product management for Sprint. "We look forward to working with Microsoft to continue developing innovative mobility solutions that bring together exceptional products and services from both companies for business and consumer subscribers." "The location based and voice technologies we're delivering today with Sprint are a first in the US mobile industry bringing customers a smart and easy search experience on the phone," said Brian Arbogast, vice president of Mobile Services organization at Microsoft. "We are focused on working with industry leaders like Sprint to bring new and innovative services to market for customers, and creating new business and revenue opportunities for our partners." Sprint and Microsoft initially announced their strategic alliance in November 2006, when the companies launched combined mobile content and local listings search capabilities and committed to delivering GPS-enabled search. The two companies plan to continue to deliver industry-leading wireless data experiences together by combining Sprint's strength in data services and Microsoft's award-winning mobile search experiences. On average, Sprint customers spent an industry-leading $9.75 per month on wireless data at the end of the second quarter of 2007.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Google Phone Has Mobile Calling Industry Worried
Internet giant Google is now gearing up to conquer the global mobile calling market. On Tuesday, Google announced a plan to release an operating system for mobile phones in partnership with handset makers and wireless providers around the world. The Google Phone could become the next iPhone, sweeping the mobile communications industry.
The biggest advantage of the Google Phone is likely to be its extensive Internet services. It will have almost all the features of the Internet -- search, location-based services, instant messaging, media player, and entertainment. This indicates that handsets are now becoming mini PCs.
Google has formed a partnership called the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) with some 30 global handset makers and mobile operators such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Motorola, HTC, Intel, Qualcomm, China Mobile, NTT Docomo, and KDDI. A Samsung Electronics source said that the Google Phone will allow users to video clips about their areas of interest like movies and sports in the form of videos with the press of a button.
As handsets begin to adopt advanced features and act more like mini PCs, software and services are becoming more important than hardware. In the PC industry the most profitable company is software and service provider Microsoft. The software giant makes more money than PC manufacturers from its Windows operating system which comes installed on most PCs. Google aims to do the same with its mobile phone operating system. But it has strong rivals, including Microsoft, Nokia and Apple, which have their own mobile phone operating systems -- Windows Mobile, Symbian and OSX, respectively.
To beat these rivals, Google plans to use a low-price strategy. It has agreed to provide its operating system for next to nothing by basing it on the reasonably-priced Linux operating system. In contrast, Microsoft reportedly receives US$12 per handset in royalties. Google also plans to open up the source of the system software so its partners can modify it as they see fit. It will generate profits through advertising.
Google's entry into the mobile calling market is expected to cause an upheaval in the industry. Competition will likely get particularly fierce in the wireless Internet business as existing mobile operators will strive hard not to lose market share to newcomers like Apple and Google. Mobile handset makers are welcoming the news because expanded services can lead to an increase in demand. Handset makers are also happy because the Google Phones, expected early next year or in the second quarter, should boost their sales. But some point out that if handset makers depend too much on Google or Microsoft, they'll see their profits tumble just as PC makers did. An LG Electronics executive said that competition to produce Google Phone may become heated, which could push the phone's release earlier than expected.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
Posted by techaddict at 7:22 PM
Sunday, November 04, 2007
The year of mobile maps?
For years, people have been predicting a world of location-based services thanks to a proliferation of GPS embedded in mobile systems. Maybe it will finally happen in 2008.
Rick MerrittComputing Editor
One of my colleagues over at the Automotive DesignLine notes that GPS is on a rapid rise in cars. And today iSuppli Corp. claims we are just past the start of the hockey stick ramp for GPS in cellphones.
Well, maybe. The FCC took a go-slow approach to its E911 mandate once seen as a driver for GPS in cellphones, and most handset makers used triangulation to save the costs of a full GPS implementation. But Qualcomm has been pushing hard on GPS since 2000 and Sirf Technology convened a summit on location services recently.
So maybe this is about to happen. Or maybe not. I know friends with their new iPhones have been particularly pleased about how that handset helps them access Mapquest on the road…so maybe handsets with real Internet access will supplant GPS phones before this trend really takes off. I vote for the latter. Why recreate something that's already working?
For years, people have been predicting a world of location-based services thanks to a proliferation of GPS embedded in mobile systems. Maybe it will finally happen in 2008.
Rick MerrittComputing Editor
One of my colleagues over at the Automotive DesignLine notes that GPS is on a rapid rise in cars. And today iSuppli Corp. claims we are just past the start of the hockey stick ramp for GPS in cellphones.
Well, maybe. The FCC took a go-slow approach to its E911 mandate once seen as a driver for GPS in cellphones, and most handset makers used triangulation to save the costs of a full GPS implementation. But Qualcomm has been pushing hard on GPS since 2000 and Sirf Technology convened a summit on location services recently.
So maybe this is about to happen. Or maybe not. I know friends with their new iPhones have been particularly pleased about how that handset helps them access Mapquest on the road…so maybe handsets with real Internet access will supplant GPS phones before this trend really takes off. I vote for the latter. Why recreate something that's already working?
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