- The Economist | GPS, PDAs, SatNav, GeoTags, Social Networks - Converge and Monetize
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PERSONAL navigators—those turn-by-turn digital finders usually mounted on car dashboards, with touch screens and pre-loaded maps—have become this holiday season’s must-have gizmo. They account for seven of Amazon.com’s 20 top-selling electronic products this month.
Over the past year, global sales of such gadgets have doubled to 30m units. That’s small beer compared with annual sales of mobile phones or MP3 players. But with prices tumbling 20% annually, GPS (global positioning system) devices have reached a “tipping point” that has pitched them into mainstream acceptance.
Jupiter images
Bring it with youThis has happened faster than anyone expected, and for one simple reason: they’ve become small and light enough to make them portable. Untethered from the dashboard, personal navigators now travel as much with the owner on foot as with the car on the highway. In so doing, the device is morphing into something different and even more useful.
Thank Moore’s Law for a start. The relentless doubling of processor power every 18 months or so has endowed such devices with enough speed and storage to cope with ever-richer mapping tasks. Meanwhile, battery developments pioneered by mobile-phone makers have allowed portable navigators to run all day on a single charge.
Add a broadband wireless connection to location data from GPS satellites, digital maps packed with millions of “points of interest”, spoken street names and directions, and the navigation gizmo ceases to be a passive tool. Instead, it becomes alive with real-time information about where precisely (within 15 yards) you are on the planet and what’s happening nearby.
With a wireless connection, a portable navigator can add additional content to its map, such as minute-by-minute changes in traffic and weather conditions. Dynamic data like that then make it easy to provide alternative routes.
Last month, TomTom, a Dutch GPS-maker, launched a product that routes cars around traffic jams. Using a wireless connection, the subscription-based service collects traffic data by anonymously tracking the movement of mobile phones through their cellular network. Where the phone bleeps concentrate is where the snarl-ups are.
Adding connectivity to navigation doesn’t stop there. It can also be used to search the internet for local content while on the move. Input your likes and dislikes beforehand, and the device will search for things you might find interesting en route—an outlet of your favourite coffee chain, record store or Japanese restaurant, an old movie you’ve been meaning to see, or a popular hangout for folks your own age and inclination. Users have barely begun to tap navigation tools for their social-networking potential.
Also, instead of showing merely generic icons for hotels, restaurants, petrol stations and stores, mobile maps with broadband connections can be fed specific logos for, say, McDonald's, Shell or Gap. Even better, outlets can embed their latest offerings, discounts or seasonal menus within their clickable logos displayed on the map. Suddenly it becomes easy to find the cheapest place to gas up or have lunch.
Real-time parking information is another service that’s set to change our driving habits. Merely showing the location of a car park is useless if the lot is full. What motorists need to know beforehand is whether there are any empty slots, and does the lot accept validation from nearby stores and restaurants. Adding such features to personal navigation gear is relatively easy once the device is connected to the internet.
As navigation technology broadens its scope, it is changing its role. Until now, it has been used to guide people to their destinations. These innovations are turning it into a mobile tool to find things of personal interest along the way. That makes the route as much an input as an output—and the journey at least as important as the destination.
Other things change once mobile navigation steps out of the car and takes a hike. For instance, the “granularity” of the information displayed has to be finer. The kind of information that’s perfectly adequate for driving along the highway at 30mph is nowhere near detailed enough for walking at 3mph. In a car, “coming up soon” means in the next mile or so; on foot, it means literally the next block.
In addition, the nature of the route becomes as important as the distance. Motorists can use service roads and side streets as well as main roads and freeways without hesitation. By contrast, pedestrians can’t use freeways, but they can take short-cuts up steps, along walkways and footpaths, and across parks, plazas and open ground.
Pedestrians also need to know more about the “topology” of the route they’re being told to follow. Where hills barely bother motorists, they are a serious concern for people on foot. Where motorists look out for street signs, pedestrians watch for landmarks and special buildings like post offices, libraries, schools and petrol stations.
A mapping company called Tele Atlas uses a fleet of vans equipped with GPS and video cameras to record how individual streets actually look to walkers. Enriching maps with a worm’s (rather than bird’s) eye view—with real 3D images of stores and other roadside features—makes life easier for pedestrians and motorists alike.
All of which suggests map-making is the key to this rapidly changing field. Knowing where precisely individuals are at any given instant—and what retail outlets and other establishments they are near—is central to mobile searching and to location-based advertising. That’s why the two leading digital-mapping companies, Tele Atlas and Navteq, have lately been the target of takeover bids.
Earlier this week, Navteq, based in Chicago, formally accepted an $8.1 billion offer from Nokia, the world’s largest mobile-phone maker. Last month, Garmin, a Kansas City-based GPS-maker, withdrew its $3.3 billion hostile bid for Tele Atlas, leaving the map-maker to rival TomTom.
That Nokia paid so much for Navteq shows how important location-based information is becoming to mobile-phone companies. In a recent survey by J.D. Power and Associates, over 40% of respondents wanted GPS on their phones. Only 26% thought WiFi would be handy, and 19% would opt for television.
Mobile phones and navigation gear are clearly converging. By offering connectivity, mobile-search and location-based services (including route directions), both are chasing the same market: a rising generation of footloose, gregarious and acquisitive consumers.
Is there room for both platforms? Possibly. Their different strengths and forms should continue to differentiate them.
Smart phones will always be more compact and provide better voice connections, thanks to their proprietary cellular networks. By contrast, personal navigators will continue to offer bigger touch-sensitive screens, larger hard-drives and faster broadband connections. That will make them better for watching streaming video and television as well reading the fine-grained information and 3D imagery now being packed into navigation maps.
Enthusiasts will presumably want both. Having dropped enough hints over the past few weeks, your correspondent hopes to be opening a new one of each on Christmas Day.
http://www.economist.com/daily/columns/techview/displaystory.cfm?story_id=103...
Saturday December 15, 2
Saturday, December 22, 2007
December 21, 2007
Future Digital Maps will rely on user generated content
The expected growth of handset-based pedestrian navigation and location based services will have a drastic impact on the traditional map production technologies, as they will no longer be able to generate and update the exponentially growing volume of required map details.
“User-Generated Digital Maps and POIs” is the new study from ABI Research, examines the major user-generated location content features, players, trends, drivers and barriers.
According to the company, by 2012 a large part of all map and POI content will be generated by more than 50 million active members of user communities. “TomTom Map Share is the first commercial implementation of user-generated map content technology directly on a Personal Navigation Device (PND),” says ABI Research principal analyst Dominique Bonte. “Map corrections or POI additions can be input on the device on the fly and instantly uploaded and shared with the rest of the TomTom Map Share community. AND (Automotive Navigation Data) has recently made available an online digital map which can be modified by all users based on Web 2.0 technology, allowing AND to produce maps more quickly and at a lower cost.”
Europe is already leading the way, Bonte says, as several open POI-community projects such as GPS-Waypoints, TellmeWhere, and GyPSii have recently launched, some of which have attracted venture capital funding. Advertising is expected to be the main revenue source for these ventures, though Bonte says that opportunities may still exist to sell packaged content to navigation vendors.
The study also says that Geocontent will become an important new dimension of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, creating synergies with Geoweb and POI-community related initiatives. Ultimately all mobile devices will become connected, accessing web-based geocontent from a variety of sources.
The report also contains forecasts for the number of community-ready navigation devices and the number of active users involved in user-generated content initiatives. It forms part of the Automotive Infotainment and Location Aware Services Research Services.
Source : www.abiresearch.com ,www.destinationcrm.com
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
ABI: 50 million users will generate map and POI data by 2012
Dominique Bonte
ABI Research today released a new study,“User-Generated Digital Maps and POIs”, forecasting that by 2012 a large part of all map and POI content will be generated by more than 50 million active members of user communities. The acquisition of NAVTEQ by Nokia and the bidding war between Garmin and TomTom for control of Tele Atlas have shown how important digital maps have become in the navigation and location value chain. However, explains ABI Research, with the expected growth of handset-based pedestrian navigation and location based services, traditional map production technologies will no longer be able to generate and update the exponentially growing volume of required map details. The case for user-generated content for POIs is even stronger, as they are even more dynamic in nature. “TomTom Map Share is the first commercial implementation of user-generated map content technology directly on a Personal Navigation Device,” says ABI Research principal analyst Dominique Bonte. “Map corrections or POI additions can be input on the device on the fly and instantly uploaded and shared with the rest of the TomTom Map Share community. AND (Automotive Navigation Data) has recently made available an online digital map which can be modified by all users based on Web 2.0 technology, allowing AND to produce maps more quickly and at a lower cost.” While branded content sharing initiatives are aimed at keeping commercial maps up-to-date at low cost, completely open and standardized community projects will create digital maps and POI-databases from scratch. “The OpenStreetMap project has already achieved high levels of coverage in the Netherlands, UK and Germany”,said ABI. “Several open POI-community projects such as GPS-Waypoints, TellmeWhere and GyPSii have recently been launched, some of which have attracted important venture capital funding. Their main revenue source is expected to be based on advertising, and opportunities may still exist to sell packaged content to navigation vendors”. “Geocontent will become an important new dimension of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace”, added ABI.
Wednesday 12th December 2007
Dominique Bonte
ABI Research today released a new study,“User-Generated Digital Maps and POIs”, forecasting that by 2012 a large part of all map and POI content will be generated by more than 50 million active members of user communities. The acquisition of NAVTEQ by Nokia and the bidding war between Garmin and TomTom for control of Tele Atlas have shown how important digital maps have become in the navigation and location value chain. However, explains ABI Research, with the expected growth of handset-based pedestrian navigation and location based services, traditional map production technologies will no longer be able to generate and update the exponentially growing volume of required map details. The case for user-generated content for POIs is even stronger, as they are even more dynamic in nature. “TomTom Map Share is the first commercial implementation of user-generated map content technology directly on a Personal Navigation Device,” says ABI Research principal analyst Dominique Bonte. “Map corrections or POI additions can be input on the device on the fly and instantly uploaded and shared with the rest of the TomTom Map Share community. AND (Automotive Navigation Data) has recently made available an online digital map which can be modified by all users based on Web 2.0 technology, allowing AND to produce maps more quickly and at a lower cost.” While branded content sharing initiatives are aimed at keeping commercial maps up-to-date at low cost, completely open and standardized community projects will create digital maps and POI-databases from scratch. “The OpenStreetMap project has already achieved high levels of coverage in the Netherlands, UK and Germany”,said ABI. “Several open POI-community projects such as GPS-Waypoints, TellmeWhere and GyPSii have recently been launched, some of which have attracted important venture capital funding. Their main revenue source is expected to be based on advertising, and opportunities may still exist to sell packaged content to navigation vendors”. “Geocontent will become an important new dimension of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace”, added ABI.
Wednesday 12th December 2007
Will Business Use Of GPS And Location Services Go Vertical Next Year?
Posted by Stephen
Location and GPS seem to be on everyone's minds these days. Seeing as it's it the end of the year, it's time to break out the crystal ball and see what lies ahead. Where will GPS and location services go in 2008? Will the market for these mobile technologies fragment into vertically-specific applications or will there be one set of horizontal mobile GPS apps?
I recently sat down with Sal Dhanani, co-founder and senior director of marketing at TeleNav, to get another take on the future of location services.
Over The Air (OTA): Hello Sal, welcome to Take 5 on Over The Air. First, why don't you tell us a little bit about TeleNav and its position in the mobile location market?
Sal Dhanani (SD): TeleNav was the first company to launch a GPS navigation system on mobile phones for the US market in 2003. TeleNav currently has 14 carrier partners in 21 countries, across four continents. The company's products are compatible with most mobile platforms and on more than 200 devices.Our first product, TeleNav GPS Navigator, is the first mobile navigation application to include 3D maps, voice-activated, turn-by-turn instructions, social networking, one-click traffic rerouting, cheapest gas price finder, and local search, all-in-one. The other, TeleNav Track, is a mobile resource management system that allows enterprises to better manage their fleet, track inventory and job status, receive GPS directions, and receive real-time fleet location updates.
OTA: Where do you see GPS and location-based services moving in 2008?
SD: 2008 will be a growth year for LBS. Location services are a proven set of technologies that carriers can generate revenue with so, as a consequence, I think we will see more awareness from the carriers. This combined with higher GPS handset penetration will fuel growth.We'll also see more applications like social networking and lifestyle LBS come out next year, and perhaps we'll also see LBS-based advertising.
OTA: Will we see an explosion of non-GPS LBS? Those location services that do not rely on satellites but use cell towers instead?
SD: Cell tower location will work for services that do not require high accuracy -- although the same services would be much better with GPS. Finding a business 'nearby,' getting a map of the general area, SMSing 'rough' locations to someone are all useful with cell tower location.However, depending on cell tower location technology can be very taxing on the cellular network. Cellular technologies like AFLT and E-OTD are more accurate but network heavy, so we may see limited use of these. Cell sector, however, is lighter on the network but not nearly as accurate.
OTA: What do you make of Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s new non-GPS location feature, My Location, on Google Maps for mobile?
SD: It's very cool. Google has done it again. Fairly well executed. The 'My Location' service is fine for users who are simply looking for basic location information and business listings -- but it is very different from traditional LBS services like Navigation and even LBS local search -- which give precise information. For people who want traditional GPS, 'My Location' won't cut it.
OTA: What new business apps will we see in 2008 that utilize location?
SD: So far LBS business apps have been horizontal, meaning one size fits all. In 2008 we'll see the beginnings of tailored LBS apps for verticals and also highly customized apps for enterprise accounts.
« Second Life CTO Leaves Amid Reports Of Falling Out With CEO Main Is Your Computer Keyboard Dishwasher Safe? »
Posted by Stephen
Location and GPS seem to be on everyone's minds these days. Seeing as it's it the end of the year, it's time to break out the crystal ball and see what lies ahead. Where will GPS and location services go in 2008? Will the market for these mobile technologies fragment into vertically-specific applications or will there be one set of horizontal mobile GPS apps?
I recently sat down with Sal Dhanani, co-founder and senior director of marketing at TeleNav, to get another take on the future of location services.
Over The Air (OTA): Hello Sal, welcome to Take 5 on Over The Air. First, why don't you tell us a little bit about TeleNav and its position in the mobile location market?
Sal Dhanani (SD): TeleNav was the first company to launch a GPS navigation system on mobile phones for the US market in 2003. TeleNav currently has 14 carrier partners in 21 countries, across four continents. The company's products are compatible with most mobile platforms and on more than 200 devices.Our first product, TeleNav GPS Navigator, is the first mobile navigation application to include 3D maps, voice-activated, turn-by-turn instructions, social networking, one-click traffic rerouting, cheapest gas price finder, and local search, all-in-one. The other, TeleNav Track, is a mobile resource management system that allows enterprises to better manage their fleet, track inventory and job status, receive GPS directions, and receive real-time fleet location updates.
OTA: Where do you see GPS and location-based services moving in 2008?
SD: 2008 will be a growth year for LBS. Location services are a proven set of technologies that carriers can generate revenue with so, as a consequence, I think we will see more awareness from the carriers. This combined with higher GPS handset penetration will fuel growth.We'll also see more applications like social networking and lifestyle LBS come out next year, and perhaps we'll also see LBS-based advertising.
OTA: Will we see an explosion of non-GPS LBS? Those location services that do not rely on satellites but use cell towers instead?
SD: Cell tower location will work for services that do not require high accuracy -- although the same services would be much better with GPS. Finding a business 'nearby,' getting a map of the general area, SMSing 'rough' locations to someone are all useful with cell tower location.However, depending on cell tower location technology can be very taxing on the cellular network. Cellular technologies like AFLT and E-OTD are more accurate but network heavy, so we may see limited use of these. Cell sector, however, is lighter on the network but not nearly as accurate.
OTA: What do you make of Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s new non-GPS location feature, My Location, on Google Maps for mobile?
SD: It's very cool. Google has done it again. Fairly well executed. The 'My Location' service is fine for users who are simply looking for basic location information and business listings -- but it is very different from traditional LBS services like Navigation and even LBS local search -- which give precise information. For people who want traditional GPS, 'My Location' won't cut it.
OTA: What new business apps will we see in 2008 that utilize location?
SD: So far LBS business apps have been horizontal, meaning one size fits all. In 2008 we'll see the beginnings of tailored LBS apps for verticals and also highly customized apps for enterprise accounts.
« Second Life CTO Leaves Amid Reports Of Falling Out With CEO Main Is Your Computer Keyboard Dishwasher Safe? »
GPS creates new revenue and Google knows it
With Google’s announcement that it is entering the mobile phone market with location-based services it’s clear that Google is expanding its highly successful advertising services to the mobile phone platform.
With the “development of Android”, a platform created for mobile devices by ”Google Inc., T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm, Motorola and others“ known as the Open Handset Alliance, Google is positioning its multi-billion dollar empire to expand its core ad business into mobile markets worldwide.
Location-Based Advertising offers Google a significant opporunity to own the mobile market and they’ve taken the right approach to ensuring their success by involving communities of users to help in developing ”the first complete, open, and free mobile platform.”
Location Based Advertising [also known as Location Based Services or LBS] creates new revenue streams from location-relevant advertisements (audio and/or audio/video, text and multimedia) from national, regional, and local partners expanding their marketing programs into new media channels. This is a compelling value proposition for advertisers who are cutting back on their TV advertising spend due to decreasing ROI.
In a research report conducted in 2006, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and Forrester Research, Inc. found that “78% of marketers feel that traditional TV advertising has become less effective in the past two years.“
Advertisers are looking for new media channels that reach targeted markets. LBS offers a new frontier for enterprising companies looking to “entertain, inform, build brand awareness, create loyalty, and drive purchase decision among their target consumers through LBA“.
With Google’s announcement that it is entering the mobile phone market with location-based services it’s clear that Google is expanding its highly successful advertising services to the mobile phone platform.
With the “development of Android”, a platform created for mobile devices by ”Google Inc., T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm, Motorola and others“ known as the Open Handset Alliance, Google is positioning its multi-billion dollar empire to expand its core ad business into mobile markets worldwide.
Location-Based Advertising offers Google a significant opporunity to own the mobile market and they’ve taken the right approach to ensuring their success by involving communities of users to help in developing ”the first complete, open, and free mobile platform.”
Location Based Advertising [also known as Location Based Services or LBS] creates new revenue streams from location-relevant advertisements (audio and/or audio/video, text and multimedia) from national, regional, and local partners expanding their marketing programs into new media channels. This is a compelling value proposition for advertisers who are cutting back on their TV advertising spend due to decreasing ROI.
In a research report conducted in 2006, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and Forrester Research, Inc. found that “78% of marketers feel that traditional TV advertising has become less effective in the past two years.“
Advertisers are looking for new media channels that reach targeted markets. LBS offers a new frontier for enterprising companies looking to “entertain, inform, build brand awareness, create loyalty, and drive purchase decision among their target consumers through LBA“.
A freeware tip for Nokia N95 and 6110 Navigator users - GyPSii software
Written by LBSzone
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Just released, GyPSii software (freeware) for Nokia N95 and 6110 Navigator today.
GypSii works as follows:1. Take a photo using the app (or add an existing photo to the app) on your phone - this is called "PlaceMe"2. Upload to GyPSii website with location attached (using GPS)3. Check out what's around your current position ("Search") or where your GyPSii friends are ("SpaceMe"), see them on a map, share Places with them, etc etc4. Log in to http://www.gypsii.com when you get home and check out what's going on in the rest of the world, or edit your own PlacesThe software is downloadable at http://gypsii.com/m (there's also Windows Mobile software)
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Written by LBSzone
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Just released, GyPSii software (freeware) for Nokia N95 and 6110 Navigator today.
GypSii works as follows:1. Take a photo using the app (or add an existing photo to the app) on your phone - this is called "PlaceMe"2. Upload to GyPSii website with location attached (using GPS)3. Check out what's around your current position ("Search") or where your GyPSii friends are ("SpaceMe"), see them on a map, share Places with them, etc etc4. Log in to http://www.gypsii.com when you get home and check out what's going on in the rest of the world, or edit your own PlacesThe software is downloadable at http://gypsii.com/m (there's also Windows Mobile software)
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[ Back ]
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Microsoft Acquires U.K. Map Firm
Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday acquired U.K. mapping company Multimap for an undisclosed sum, as part of a move by the U.S. technology giant to offer more targeted advertising and better compete with Google Inc.
Microsoft has built its mapping services over the past few years with offerings like Virtual Earth and Live Search. Multimap, an Internet maps and location-based services company, will help Microsoft expand its location-based search engine and advertising platforms, Microsoft said.
Multimap, which has been running since 1996, is one of Europe's most popular mapping Web sites and is also available on mobile phones and personal digital assistants. It provides street-level maps, photography and travel directions to users in the U.K., Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S.
Multimap's location-based services could also integrate with aQuantive, the advertising platform Microsoft acquired in May for $6 billion, Microsoft said. Multimap itself has been building advertising services in the past year, launching services that allow people to find and book hotel and restaurant reservations online, as well as buy historic and aerial photos.
"This acquisition will play a significant role in the future growth of our search business and presents a huge opportunity to expand our platform business beyond the U.K. and globally," said Sharon Baylay, general manager at Microsoft's Online Services Group.
Multimap will be run as a subsidiary of Microsoft, as part of the Virtual Earth and Search unit within the company's Online Services Group.
Microsoft has been struggling to compete with Google in the mapping space, where that company leads the market with its Google Maps and Google Earth products. Google Maps had 71.5 million unique users during October, while its Earth service recorded 22.7 million users, according to research company Nielsen Online. In comparison, Microsoft's Windows Live Maps service had 7.1 million unique users worldwide during the same period, Nielsen said. Multimap had 1.4 million users.
"This mapping technology will help us build better services and compete in the search space where we want to compete more and more and make progress on the dominant position Google has," said John Mangelaars, Microsoft's European vice president for Online Services Business, in an interview.
In addition to building its customer base, Mr. Mangelaars said the acquisition of the privately-held company will see more than 150 staff transfer to Microsoft.
Posted by ltd at 11:12 AM
0 co
Microsoft Acquires U.K. Map Firm
Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday acquired U.K. mapping company Multimap for an undisclosed sum, as part of a move by the U.S. technology giant to offer more targeted advertising and better compete with Google Inc.
Microsoft has built its mapping services over the past few years with offerings like Virtual Earth and Live Search. Multimap, an Internet maps and location-based services company, will help Microsoft expand its location-based search engine and advertising platforms, Microsoft said.
Multimap, which has been running since 1996, is one of Europe's most popular mapping Web sites and is also available on mobile phones and personal digital assistants. It provides street-level maps, photography and travel directions to users in the U.K., Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S.
Multimap's location-based services could also integrate with aQuantive, the advertising platform Microsoft acquired in May for $6 billion, Microsoft said. Multimap itself has been building advertising services in the past year, launching services that allow people to find and book hotel and restaurant reservations online, as well as buy historic and aerial photos.
"This acquisition will play a significant role in the future growth of our search business and presents a huge opportunity to expand our platform business beyond the U.K. and globally," said Sharon Baylay, general manager at Microsoft's Online Services Group.
Multimap will be run as a subsidiary of Microsoft, as part of the Virtual Earth and Search unit within the company's Online Services Group.
Microsoft has been struggling to compete with Google in the mapping space, where that company leads the market with its Google Maps and Google Earth products. Google Maps had 71.5 million unique users during October, while its Earth service recorded 22.7 million users, according to research company Nielsen Online. In comparison, Microsoft's Windows Live Maps service had 7.1 million unique users worldwide during the same period, Nielsen said. Multimap had 1.4 million users.
"This mapping technology will help us build better services and compete in the search space where we want to compete more and more and make progress on the dominant position Google has," said John Mangelaars, Microsoft's European vice president for Online Services Business, in an interview.
In addition to building its customer base, Mr. Mangelaars said the acquisition of the privately-held company will see more than 150 staff transfer to Microsoft.
Posted by ltd at 11:12 AM
0 co
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Google to send business addresses to TomTom devices
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December 05, 2007 (Computerworld) -- TomTom International BV has teamed with Google Inc. to make it easier for users to search for and send business addresses from Google Maps to their TomTom portable navigation devices.
"The ability to search, find and send information from the Web to a TomTom is something we have been investing in for some time now," said Eric Pité, vice president for product management at TomTom, in a statement. "This cooperation represents a major step for TomTom in meeting the growing demands of our customers for personalized content for their TomTom devices."
Google has expanded the local search pages of Google Maps by adding "Send to GPS" to its "Send to" feature, according to the statement. That means TomTom users can add business addresses to their devices without having to download .zip files. After a user searches for a business address on Google Maps, all he has to do is click on the "Send to GPS" button to transfer the information to his TomTom device.
The information is transferred to the device when it is connected to the Internet via TomTom Home, the company's free software application. Once this is completed, motorists can view the location of the business on the map on the TomTom device as well as navigate to the destination. The address can also be saved on the device as a "favorite" for later use, TomTom International said.
"We are constantly working to make our maps more useful so they become a one-stop shop for finding all the local information and directions that people need," said Giorgio Scherl, a Google product manager, in the statement.
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December 05, 2007 (Computerworld) -- TomTom International BV has teamed with Google Inc. to make it easier for users to search for and send business addresses from Google Maps to their TomTom portable navigation devices.
"The ability to search, find and send information from the Web to a TomTom is something we have been investing in for some time now," said Eric Pité, vice president for product management at TomTom, in a statement. "This cooperation represents a major step for TomTom in meeting the growing demands of our customers for personalized content for their TomTom devices."
Google has expanded the local search pages of Google Maps by adding "Send to GPS" to its "Send to" feature, according to the statement. That means TomTom users can add business addresses to their devices without having to download .zip files. After a user searches for a business address on Google Maps, all he has to do is click on the "Send to GPS" button to transfer the information to his TomTom device.
The information is transferred to the device when it is connected to the Internet via TomTom Home, the company's free software application. Once this is completed, motorists can view the location of the business on the map on the TomTom device as well as navigate to the destination. The address can also be saved on the device as a "favorite" for later use, TomTom International said.
"We are constantly working to make our maps more useful so they become a one-stop shop for finding all the local information and directions that people need," said Giorgio Scherl, a Google product manager, in the statement.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
This is just so cool, and having used it over the past few months around the world, it actually is improving with time as other users improve our cell database. Another great example of the power of cloud-sourcing and another shot in the arm for the prospects of LBS - as a platform not an application.
This is really just the first step..
Written and submitted from home, using my home 802.11 networkThursday, December 06, 2007
Market Study Confirms deCarta as the Dominant Platform Provider for Wireless Location-Based Services Applications
deCarta-powered applications drive 90% of LBS revenues for top U.S. wireless carriers
By: PR Newswire
Dec. 3, 2007 08:00 PMDigg This!
SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- deCarta, the leading supplier of software and services for the Location-Based Services (LBS) industry, today announced that recent market data clearly demonstrates that deCarta provides the enabling technology that powers the top applications among the largest US Wireless carriers including Verizon, Sprint Nextel and AT&T. Nielsen Mobile, a division of The Nielsen Company, recently released its third quarter Mobile Application Report on usage and revenue from wireless applications. In Nielsen Mobile's report, LBS has grown to account for 58 percent of the total application revenue among the top four U.S. wireless carriers, up from 51 percent the previous quarter. In this fast growing market, 63 percent of LBS applications downloaded were running on deCarta's technology. Furthermore, these applications drove 90 percent of wireless LBS revenue at these carriers.
These results demonstrate and reaffirm deCarta's dominance as the preferred provider of LBS software platforms. Among the companies using the deCarta platform for wireless LBS applications are market leaders including Networks In Motion, TeleNav, Wavemarket and Loopt.
"Consumer demand and adoption of mobile LBS is rapidly accelerating, and underscores the market requirement for LBS application providers to create highly differentiated applications to capture consumer attention and market share," said J. Kim Fennell, president and CEO of deCarta. "This recent study from Nielsen is a testament to the value deCarta's platforms provide to our customers, like Networks In Motion."
deCarta's software platform gives LBS application developers the ability to quickly build applications that integrate a wide variety of map and data sources to provide complex mapping, routing and spatial search functions.
"Delivering compelling applications to the consumer has enabled us to be the first to exceed two million paid mobile phone navigation subscribers," said Doug Antone, president and CEO of Networks In Motion. "deCarta's software platform allows us to focus on our client/server technology and other components involved in bringing to market successful LBS applications."
For more information about deCarta and its platforms, please visit http://www.decarta.com/.
About deCarta
deCarta is the leading geospatial software platform that has enabled some of the industry's most successful Location-Based Services (LBS) applications such as those that have been deployed by Ask.com, Google, Verizon and Sprint Nextel. The company's unique, patented technology is ideal for high-volume LBS applications for use in Internet, mobile, personal navigation and enterprise applications where scalability, speed and reliability are vital. Its Drill Down Server geospatial software platform, Rich Map Engine, Hosted Web Service and Navigation SDK are preferred by application developers and service providers who also want the flexibility to customize map styles, utilize unique routing capabilities and self-brand. Some of deCarta's customers and technology partners have included AND, Appello, Ask.com, ATX, AutoTrader.com, Google, Hotels.com, Inrix, Local Matters, Maps.com, Motorola, Multimap, NAVTEQ, Networks In Motion, Rand McNally, SRC, Tele Atlas, TeleNav, TopTable.com and Zillow. deCarta is privately held and headquartered in San Jose, California with international offices in the UK and China. http://www.decarta.com/
deCarta-powered applications drive 90% of LBS revenues for top U.S. wireless carriers
By: PR Newswire
Dec. 3, 2007 08:00 PMDigg This!
SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- deCarta, the leading supplier of software and services for the Location-Based Services (LBS) industry, today announced that recent market data clearly demonstrates that deCarta provides the enabling technology that powers the top applications among the largest US Wireless carriers including Verizon, Sprint Nextel and AT&T. Nielsen Mobile, a division of The Nielsen Company, recently released its third quarter Mobile Application Report on usage and revenue from wireless applications. In Nielsen Mobile's report, LBS has grown to account for 58 percent of the total application revenue among the top four U.S. wireless carriers, up from 51 percent the previous quarter. In this fast growing market, 63 percent of LBS applications downloaded were running on deCarta's technology. Furthermore, these applications drove 90 percent of wireless LBS revenue at these carriers.
These results demonstrate and reaffirm deCarta's dominance as the preferred provider of LBS software platforms. Among the companies using the deCarta platform for wireless LBS applications are market leaders including Networks In Motion, TeleNav, Wavemarket and Loopt.
"Consumer demand and adoption of mobile LBS is rapidly accelerating, and underscores the market requirement for LBS application providers to create highly differentiated applications to capture consumer attention and market share," said J. Kim Fennell, president and CEO of deCarta. "This recent study from Nielsen is a testament to the value deCarta's platforms provide to our customers, like Networks In Motion."
deCarta's software platform gives LBS application developers the ability to quickly build applications that integrate a wide variety of map and data sources to provide complex mapping, routing and spatial search functions.
"Delivering compelling applications to the consumer has enabled us to be the first to exceed two million paid mobile phone navigation subscribers," said Doug Antone, president and CEO of Networks In Motion. "deCarta's software platform allows us to focus on our client/server technology and other components involved in bringing to market successful LBS applications."
For more information about deCarta and its platforms, please visit http://www.decarta.com/.
About deCarta
deCarta is the leading geospatial software platform that has enabled some of the industry's most successful Location-Based Services (LBS) applications such as those that have been deployed by Ask.com, Google, Verizon and Sprint Nextel. The company's unique, patented technology is ideal for high-volume LBS applications for use in Internet, mobile, personal navigation and enterprise applications where scalability, speed and reliability are vital. Its Drill Down Server geospatial software platform, Rich Map Engine, Hosted Web Service and Navigation SDK are preferred by application developers and service providers who also want the flexibility to customize map styles, utilize unique routing capabilities and self-brand. Some of deCarta's customers and technology partners have included AND, Appello, Ask.com, ATX, AutoTrader.com, Google, Hotels.com, Inrix, Local Matters, Maps.com, Motorola, Multimap, NAVTEQ, Networks In Motion, Rand McNally, SRC, Tele Atlas, TeleNav, TopTable.com and Zillow. deCarta is privately held and headquartered in San Jose, California with international offices in the UK and China. http://www.decarta.com/
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Nov. 28, 2007 at 11:00am Eastern by Greg Sterling
Google Introduces New "My Location" Feature for Mobile Devices
Many mobile industry insiders and pundits have argued that when GPS becomes ubiquitous then "location based services" will really take off. The problem is: GPS doesn't always work, it isn't yet in every device, and isn't always enabled even if it is present. But the premise that passive location awareness represents a big opportunity in mobile is correct. Accordingly, Google is introducing a new "My Location" feature for Google Maps for Mobile that takes advantage of GPS (if present) but uses cell-tower triangulation for the majority of phones where GPS isn't present or won't work for one reason or another.
In non-GPS scenarios the service can pinpoint user location within 500 to 5000 meters. Where it uses GPS, the new feature identifies user location precisely. Here's how Google explains how My Location works:
Mobile towers are placed by operators throughout an area to provide coverage for their users. Each of these towers has its own individual coverage area, usually split into three non-overlapping sections know as "cells." These cells come with identification numbers, but no location information. Google takes geo-contextual information [from anonymous GPS readings, etc.] and associates this information with the cell at that location to develop a database of cell locations. Based on this information, Google uses various algorithms to approximate a user's handset location relative to the cells nearest to them. The accuracy of this information depends on how big an individual cell is. Thus, areas with a denser concentration of mobile towers allow for a more accurate My Location reading. Additionally, as our database of cell locations continues to improve, so too does the accuracy and coverage of the My Location feature.
In order to fix your location, you press the "0" key on the handset. It doesn't work 100 percent of the time, but it has performed fairly consistently in my testing. What the user is then permitted to do is conduct a search and discover results in closest proximity nearby. It removes the inconvenience of keying in location information.
One can simply enter "Starbucks" or "sushi" or "salons" or any other query and find the nearest locations. It thereby eliminates the frustrations of having to key in additional characters or query terms.
My Location is available today for the majority of smartphones, including BlackBerry, Nokia (Series 60), and many Windows Mobile phones. Not supported currently are the iPhone, Motorola Q, Samsung Blackjack, and Palm Treo 700w. The service works in the US, UK, most of Europe, including Russia, and in Taiwan. It's not currently available in China or Japan.
There is no advertising on Google Maps for Mobile now, of course. But expect that, over time, ads will be introduced just as they exist on Google Maps on the desktop. More precise user location information creates an opportunity for those ads to become much more locally relevant than on the PC.
Here's a video that explains My Location:
By Greg Sterling 
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