Saturday, June 30, 2007

Smartphoners Tap Google


location based services

Posted by Dave Gerardi

Google tops the list of Web destinations by smartphone users in M:Metric’s April 2007 report. Google held a nine point advantage over the second place Orange in the United Kingdom and a whopping 29 percentage point lead over Yahoo in the United States.

United States
Company Total
Google Inc. 62.48%
Yahoo! Inc. 33.54%
Microsoft Corporation 33.36%
AT&T Inc. 21.22%
Time Warner Inc. 19.06%
The Walt Disney Company 17.00%
News Corporation 15.54%
Sprint Nextel 15.29%
The Weather Channel 15.28%
eBay Inc. 14.19%
United Kingdom
Company Total
Google Inc. 30.94%
Orange Personal Communications 21.68%
British Broadcasting Corporation 20.90%
Microsoft Corporation 17.75%
Vodafone Group PLC 16.79%
eBay Inc. 13.08%
O2 (UK) Ltd, Service Operations 12.77%
Hutchison Whampoa Limited 12.67%
Yahoo! Inc. 10.97%
Deutsche Telekom AG 10.71%

M:Metrics

No

Smaato featured on Forbes.com


location based services

forbes_home_logo.gif Erika Brown, from the Silicon Valley Bureau of Forbes Magazine published a great story on the recent Innovate Europe event and the Venture Capital and entrepreneur scene in Europe.

Smaato was mentioned in her report “Everything ventured“:

” … In addition to a handful of location-based services, Smaato was one of the interesting mobile businesses. The company, dual-based in Hamburg and San Mateo, Calif., offers a way for small companies that make cellphone software to make money from selling ads that appear as banners at the top of a screen. Co-founder Harald Neidhardt says he thinks mobile-phone advertising has the potential to reach $1.5 billion. “There are more smartphones sold than PCs or laptops, and there are more than 50,000 application developers for those devices,” he says. …”

Bell Selects TeleNav to Power Mobile GPS Navigation Service

location based services

June 30, 2007 at 10:21 am · Filed under Software

GPS Nav from Bell Now Available on BlackBerry® 8830

SUNNYVALE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TeleNav Inc., the first company to launch a GPS navigation service for mobile devices in North America, today announced Bell has chosen the company’s turn-by-turn GPS navigation service, named GPS Nav from Bell, for the new BlackBerry® 8830 smartphone from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq:RIMM) (TSX:RIM).

GPS Nav from Bell provides users with turn-by-turn, GPS-enabled directions, just like an in-car navigation service, but on a mobile device. It includes full-color, 3D moving maps, voice and on-screen navigation, and information and directions to millions of business listings in North America, including local Wi-Fi hotspots. GPS Nav from Bell automatically updates itself with current information so customers never have to worry about downloading the latest maps or business listings.

“With a smartphone as feature-rich as the new BlackBerry 8830, we believe many business customers will consider this their all-in-one mobile device,” said Adel Bazerghi, Bell Mobility’s vice president of products. “TeleNav’s GPS service is high-quality, easy-to-use and incorporates relevant features that our customers will enjoy using everyday for both work or play.”

Features of GPS Nav from Bell include:

* * Voice and on-screen turn-by-turn driving directions – Customers can type in or use voice recognition to call-in destinations, and GPS Nav from Bell computes the routes. While driving, users get up-to-the minute guidance, including street names, and will automatically be re-routed if a turn is missed.
* * Full-color 3D moving maps – Just like an in-car navigation system, the 3D maps turn, move and stop along with the driver, while also displaying a realistic image of the streets the driver is approaching and passing. Users can also pan and zoom around the map to view surrounding streets.
* * Biz Finder (local search) – Customers can look up more than 10 million businesses and services in North America, including ATMs, restaurants, hotels, Wi-Fi hotspots and gas stations, and easily navigate to them with the click of a button.
* * Spot Marker – Users can mark waypoints to help find their way back to a location or to record points of interest.
* * Pedestrian Mode – GPS Nav from Bell can be used while walking to help guide customers through crowded downtown streets or back to a parked car.
* * My Favorites – Customers can save as many addresses as needed for easy access and directions later.

“There is no reason that anyone needs to invest in an expensive, in-car navigation system or a separate navigation device,” said Dr. HP Jin, president, CEO and co-founder of TeleNav. “GPS Nav from Bell offers customers the same peace of mind and even more features – but on a device they already carry with them.”

Bell customers can download GPS Nav directly from their BlackBerry 8830 smartphone. Ongoing subscription to the service costs $9.99 per month, plus a data plan for unlimited usage.

For more information on GPS Nav from Bell and additional devices that support GPS Nav, please visit www.bell.ca/wireless or www.telenav.com.

About TeleNav Inc.

TeleNav, Inc., headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, was the first company to launch a GPS navigation system on mobile phones in the United States. TeleNav is a global leader in wireless location-based services (LBS), including GPS navigation, Mobile Resource Management (MRM), asset GPS tracking (AVL) and local search. The company’s flagship product, TeleNav GPS Navigator™, is comparable to in-car systems found in luxury vehicles, but offers a superior experience with functionality such as automatically updated maps and business locations, full color 3D moving maps, traffic alerts and one-click rerouting, speech recognition, Wi-Fi hotspot finder, lowest price fuel finder and more.

TeleNav partners include Research In Motion (RIM), Motorola, Samsung, Sanyo, LG, Palm, HTC, Hewlett Packard, Nokia, NAVTEQ, Tele Atlas, deCarta, Qualcomm and SiRF Technology Holdings.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limit

Friday, June 29, 2007

Nokia launches advanced E series smartphoneAdd to Clippings

location based services


PTI
[ THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2007 07:10:19 PM]

NEW DELHI: World's largest mobile handsets maker Nokia on Thursday launched its most advanced smartphone in the latest 'Communicator' series aimed at business people.

Priced at Rs 40,500, E90 Communicator gives businessmen the facility of two cameras, video conferencing, high-speed internet and email access and maps application for location- based services.

The smartphone also has a new feature called Active Notes, which allows taking notes and tag it to an individual name helping as a reminder when talking to that person.

It also offers fast connections on third generation mobile services on voice, video and data as well as on enhanced 3G services like HSDPA.

Nokia Enterprise Solutions General Manager Chakrapani GK said E90 also allows users to view, open and edit email attachments with 'Quick Office' besides offering Adobe Acrobat Reader and Zip Manager.

The addition of E90 is expected to push up the already 1.5 lakh Communicator user-base in India, he said.

Chakrapani said smartphone segment is growing at 50 per cent in the mobile device category and Nokia has globally sold 200 million such phones with a leading marketshare of 50 per cent.

Based on S60 platform where a host of additional mobile applications are also available, the E90 has an integrated GPS (Global Positioning System), the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Nokia maps applications that helps in finding routes and locating services.

Plazes in Google Earth


location based services


neogeography, Google Earth, Thoughts Add comments

Despite a few hiccups with the latest Plazer client, I’m sticking with my experiment of using Plazes to track my presence and location. I’m glad I have because, the very interested data behind plazes has now been exposed in the form of a plazes KML file. This is really neat, by logging in you can view your own locations, without logging in, you can view the global plazes database and see a real time feed of the latest plazes registered by users. Credit to Tim at Plazes for a really nice use of KML !!

Plazes in Earth

Like the recent twittermap, in can be almost hypnotic watching the geeks of the world posting their locations, and the experience is all the more interesting in Google Earth.

The plazes KML is available for download at www.plazes.com/kml

Written and Submitted from the Google Office, Zurich.

Telematics Veteran to Push ATX Beyond Embedded Car Systems

location based services


Posted : Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:12:02 GMT
Author : ATX Group
Category : PressRelease
News Alerts by Email click here )
Create your own RSS
PressRelease News | Create your own RSS | Home

DALLAS-FORT WORTH, Texas, June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- A 15-year veteran of the vehicle telematics and location-based telecommunications industries, Shiva Kalisetty, has been tapped by ATX Group to expand telematics services beyond embedded automotive systems to various types of portable and desktop communications and navigation devices. ATX Group is the world's largest independent telematics provider to the automotive industry, serving both North America and Europe.

Kalisetty joins ATX as its Vice President of Business Development, leveraging his expertise in mobile and embedded telematics and wireless devices, software, Internet services and e-commerce. He has extensive experience in conceiving and executing new business initiatives with public and startup companies.

Kalisetty was most recently responsible for business development and marketing of the location-based services product portfolio at Clarity Communication Systems. He built successful strategic partnerships with mobile carriers, content providers, telecommunication infrastructure vendors, GIS software providers, and handset manufacturers. Earlier in his career, Kalisetty spent over 13 years at NAVTEQ.

The addition of Kalisetty coincides with the introduction of ATX's T3, or third generation of telematics services, which are designed in part to enhance the interface between vehicle systems and portable consumer electronics devices brought into the vehicle as well the content transmitted through such connections.

Kalisetty earned a B.S. in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from Osmania University in India, an MS in Electrical & Systems Engineering from the University of Connecticut and an MBA with highest honors from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area and Dusseldorf, Germany, ATX Group is the world's largest independent provider of personalized telematics services for the automobile industry, serving both North America and Europe. ATX telematics services are designed to provide enhanced safety, security and driving convenience to vehicle owners. ATX, also customizes telematics services to help automobile manufacturers and their affiliated dealerships to use telematics data to reduce costs, enhance vehicle servicing, and more closely manage customer relationships. ATX services are provided to vehicle owners through the brand names of its customers -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Peugeot, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

For more information, visit http://www.atxg.com/. ATX Group

CONTACT: Gary Wallace, Vice President, Corporate Relations, ATX Group,
+1-800-511-5891, or +1-972-753-6230, or gwallace@atxg.com

Web site: http://www.atxg.com/



Copyright © 2007 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.


Wednesday, June 27, 2007

iPhone Dives Into Ocean Of New Smartphones

Executives with rival device makers virtually all say the same thing: We love it.
By Richard Martin InformationWeek Jun 27, 2007 05:00 PM
Responding to Friday's release of the iPhone, the most talked-about launch in mobile-phone history, executives with rival device makers virtually all say the same thing: We love it.
"We think it's great," says David Petts, senior vice president for Nokia's global enterprise solutions group, noting that the iPhone, while not a business-oriented device itself, is bringing attention to an entire new class of multimedia smartphones that go beyond the traditional strengths of the BlackBerry: integration with corporate email systems, decent voice capabilities, and rudimentary Web access.
"The iPhone's arrival is serving as a catalyst for the other handheld makers to finally get serious about their converged smartphone offerings," says Carmi Levy, senior vice president for strategic consulting at AR Communications. "The smartphone is finally emerging out of its awkward adolescent phase."
Many of these converged devices offer iPhone innovations trumpeted by Apple, at comparable or lower prices: the HTC Touch, for example, has a touch-screen interface like the iPhone, and is available unlocked (i.e. not tied to a specific carrier) via online importers for about the same price as an AT&T-only iPhone. Loaded with iPhone-like multimedia functions, the BlackBerry Curve is available unlocked for about $100 less. Also available unlocked, LG's Prada has a stylish exterior and a beautiful interface to rival the iPhone.
And then there's Helio Ocean. Like the iPhone, it's a consumer-oriented device with a unique interface (in this case, two keyboards to the iPhone's none) and an almost unparalleled set of features that has been lavishly reviewed. Unlike the iPhone, it's not tied to the traditional carrier service model (besides offering devices, Helio is a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, meaning that it offers wireless service over the Sprint backbone). And it costs $200 less.
Only available since last month, the Ocean is too new for its success to be reliably gauged. Headed by EarthLink founder Sky Dayton, Helio claims to have recently broken the 100,000-subscriber model, making it a gnat on the flank of the Big Four U.S. carriers (AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile). But innovative device has already captured the imagination of the small percentage of the handset cognoscenti who aren't camping out, literally or figuratively, waiting for Friday's 6 p.m. iPhone release.
Trying to capitalize on the iPhone release, Helio has released a PowerPoint slide that gives a point-by-point comparison between the Apple device and the Ocean. A quick glance yields some interesting points.
Instant messaging capability: iPhone, no; Ocean, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger; plus IM capability integrated directly into the device's address book.
GPS capability: iPhone, no; Ocean, GPS-enabled Google Maps plus the "Buddy Beacon" friend finder, and photo-tagging with GPS data.
Network speeds: iPhone, EDGE network with rates of 70-135Kbit/s; Ocean, high-speed 3G network with rates up to 2.4Mbit/s.
What's more, says Levy, "Helio's online/call center subscription model allows customers to bypass the typically Byzantine retail channel and provides more direct control over the service through the life of the device." Providing relief for mobile phone users fed up with the traditional carrier-dominated model, this innovative system "could be just as significant as any flashy hardware launch announcement."
Does this mean that the Ocean is a better device than the iPhone, or that it'll outsell the Apple device? Not necessarily, and not likely. Nobody was camping out waiting for the Ocean's release. It does indicate, though, that smartphone options (and price points) are expanding rapidly, and the iPhone is entering a market that's far more crowded now than it was in January when Steve Jobs first introduced his latest world-changer.
Global mobile phone use to hit record 3.25 billion ( i.e. half world population )

location based services

see previous post on half world population is now living in cities --


By Kirstin RidleyReutersWednesday, June 27, 2007; 11:15 AM
LONDON (Reuters) - Global mobile phone use will top 3.25 billion -- equivalent to around half the world's population -- in 2007 as cell phone demand booms in China, India and Africa, a survey said on Wednesday.
From African farmers to Chinese factory workers, mobile phone subscriptions will pass the 3 billion mark in July and exceed 3.25 billion by the end of the year, according to a report by UK-based telecoms analysis company The Mobile World.
QUIZ
Which university does the creator of the "Plasma Pong" video game attend? A. Georgetown University B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology C. University of Maryland D. George Mason University Test Your Knowledge -- More Questions
Partnership

Resources for anyone who runs a small business or wants to start one.
Starting a BusinessSmall Business on the NetHome-Based Businesses
» FULL COVERAGE
var technorati = new Technorati() ;
technorati.setProperty('url','http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/27/AR2007062700488_Technorati.html') ;
technorati.article = new item('Global mobile phone use to hit record 3.25 billion','http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/27/AR2007062700488.html','LONDON (Reuters) - Global mobile phone use will top 3.25
billion -- equivalent to around half the world\'s population --
in 2007 as cell phone demand booms in China, India and Africa,
a survey said on Wednesday.','Kirstin Ridley') ;
document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );
Save & Share Article
What's This?
Digg
Google
del.icio.us
Yahoo!
Reddit
Facebook


The world's population is forecast to hit around 6.6 billion in July, according to U.S. figures.
Along with the Internet, the mobile phone has revolutionized communication. The mobile phone has spread from city whiz kids to Brazilian slum dwellers.
More than 1,000 new customers are effectively signing up for mobile phones every minute around the world, the survey showed.
"It took over 20 years to connect the first billion subscribers, but only 40 months to connect the second billion," said The Mobile World Co-Founder John Tysoe. "The three billion milestone will be passed in July 2007, just two years on."
Analysts have forecast that 65 percent of all handsets made this year will be sold in emerging markets as manufacturers, such as Nokia of Finland and Motorola of the United States, push out low-cost phones and mobile phone operators cut call charges.
The figures cited in the survey take account of multiple mobile subscriptions by customers. Penetration in Europe has topped 100 percent of the population, with 666 million mobile connections.
"With handsets and services becoming ever more affordable, the prospect of a fully connected mobile world is becoming ever more real."
A record 240 million handsets were sold and 135 million new customers signed up to mobile phone networks in the quarter to the end of March, the report said.
In terms of connections, the last quarter was the third strongest in the industry's history after the fourth quarters of 2004 and 2006, when 142 million and 163 million signed up respectively.
UN: Half the world soon to be in cities


location based services

and half the world will soon own a mobile phone - an interesting coincidence - perhaps as we get more urbanized we need to be more connected ?



By LINDSAY TOLER, Associated Press Writer Wed Jun 27, 12:21 PM ET
LONDON - Most of humanity will be living in cities by next year, raising the threat of increased poverty and religious extremism unless the needs of growing urban populations are met, the U.N. said Wednesday.
Some 3.3 billion people will live in cities by 2008, a report by the U.N. population agency report said. By 2030, the number of city dwellers is expected to climb to 5 billion.
Without proper planning, cities across the globe face the treat of overwhelming poverty and limited opportunities for youth, said U.N. Population Fund Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.
"In 2008, half of the world's population will be in urban areas, and we are not ready for them," said Obaid told The Associated Press in London.
A revival in religious interest has been a surprising characteristic of rapid urbanization, according to the report.
Urbanization is often associated with a shift toward secular values. But the growth of new religious movements — such as radical Islam in the Middle East, Pentecostal Christianity in Latin America and the cult of Shivaji in India — has been a primarily urban phenomena, the report said.
When cities fail to meet the needs of growing populations, religious beliefs tend to become extreme, said Obaid, who is also a U.N. undersecretary-general.
"Extremism is often a reaction to rapid and sudden change or to a feeling of exclusion and injustice, and the cities can be a basis for that if they are not well managed," Obaid said.
Smaller cities will absorb the bulk of urban growth, the report said.
"We're focusing on the megacities when the data tell us most of the movement will be coming to smaller cities of 500,000 or more," Obaid said.
Smaller cities may be more flexible in expanding their boundaries and adapting their policies, but they also have fewer resources and smaller governments than major cities accustomed to large migrant populations.
The population fund found that policy initiatives in smaller cities often aim to keep the poor out by limiting migration and cutting lower-income housing.
"Cities see poor people as a burden," Obaid said. "They should be seen as an asset."
"Investing in them in terms of shelter, education and so on would mean you have a good economic force that can work and create even further economic growth coming from cities," Obaid said.
Birth rates are driving urban population growth, rather than migration from rural areas, the report said. Family planning policies will be most effective in slowing that expansion, including reproductive health services and sex education, it said.
"Urban growth, in a sense, encourages low fertility because city people have access to information and access to services and can plan their families better," Obaid said. "In an urban economy, women need less children but (want children) with a better quality of life and better possibilities of education."
___
Google Maps Is Changing the Way We See the World

location based services


In 1765, a 22-year-old British naval officer named James Rennell set out to map the entire Indian subcontinent. Traveling with a small party of soldiers, he used the advanced technologies of the day: a compass and a distance-measuring wheel called a perambulator. During the six-year journey, one soldier was killed by a tiger, five were mauled by a leopard, and Rennell was wounded in an attack by angry locals. He survived, and his detailed maps and atlas, published in the 1780s, defined British understanding of India for generations. Years later, a British geographer wrote that, to Rennell, "blanks on the map of the world were eyesores." More than two centuries later, within the decidedly safer confines of Building 45 on Google's Mountain View, California, campus, John Hanke clicks the 3-foot image of Earth projected on his office wall and spins it around to India. Hanke, the director of Google Earth and Google Maps, zooms in for a closer look at Bangalore. At first, the city appeared in Google Earth as little more than a hi-res satellite photo. "Bangalore wasn't mapped on Google's products," he says, "and it really wasn't very well mapped, period."
Now, however, hundreds of small icons pop up on the screen. Pointing at one brings up a text bubble identifying a location of interest: a university, a racetrack, a library. An icon hovering over the Karnataka High Court calls up a photo of its bright red exterior and a link to an account of its long, distinguished history. Another, atop M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, links to a Wikipedia entry about the legendary cricket matches played there. "As you can see, it's very well mapped now," Hanke says, pulling up a photo of a Hindu temple.
The annotations weren't created by Google, nor by some official mapping agency. Instead, they are the products of a volunteer army of amateur cartographers. "It didn't take sophisticated software," Hanke says. "What it took was a substrate — the satellite imagery of Earth — in an accessible form and a simple authoring language for people to create and share stuff. Once that software existed, the urge to describe and annotate just took off."
Discovering the New World7 glimpses into the hyperlocal future.
The Internet of ThingsWhat if you could walk down an unfamiliar street, use your camera phone to take a picture of a building, and instantly know everything about it, from the architect to the list of tenants. The technology to make common objects clickable, like hyperlinked words on a Web site, is available today in the form of 2-D barcodes. These digital tags look like empty crossword puzzles. Users create them online, print them out, and paste them around the city. Then anyone with a phonecam can "click" on them. A program on the phone decodes the pattern and redirects the curious pedestrian to a Web page. One project, called Smartpox, is using these barcodes to build online communities that center around, for example, scavenger hunts and restaurant reviews. Members slap a barcode on a given establishment, and in-the-know passersby can get the dirt on its crème anglaise. At Semapedia.com, you can drop in any Wikipedia URL to instantly generate a 2-D barcode pointing to the corresponding entry.
A career in cartography used to be the prerogative of well-funded adventurers — men like Rennell or Lewis and Clark — with full government backup. Even after the advent of commercial satellite and aerial photography, the ability to make maps remained largely in the hands of specialists. Now, suddenly, mapmaking power is within the grasp of a 12-year-old. In the past two years, map providers like Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo have created tools that let anyone with an Internet connection layer their own geographic obsessions on top of ever-more-detailed road maps and satellite images. A host of collaborative annotation projects have appeared — not to mention tens of thousands of personal map mashups — that plot text, links, data, and even sounds onto every available blank space on the digital globe. It's become a sprawling, networked atlas — a "geoweb" that's expanding so quickly its outer edges are impossible to pin down.
There are the narrowly focused maps, like hidden mountain-biking trails, local restaurant favorites, and annotated travel guides. Then there are the more elaborate efforts, all of which "give people the power to create their own ground truth," says Mike Liebhold, a senior researcher specializing in geospatial technology at Silicon Valley's Institute for the Future. When a large fire broke out in Georgia in April, a resident quickly built a regularly updated map showing the burn areas. In Indonesia, for which Google still has no underlying road map, someone is tracing routes over satellite photos to create his own. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum recently released an annotated layer in Google Earth that displays the Darfur genocide in horrifying geographic detail, showing burned villages and linking to photos and videos.
if (typeof drawDropCap == "function") {
var arrExcludeDivs = new Array("article_itemlist");
drawDropCap("articletext", arrExcludeDivs);
}


Add this to:
Digg
Del.icio.us
Sphere
Full Page

Page:
1
2
3
4
5
next
User plane location architecture with mobile server for location based services


A “user plane” location system for implementing a location based service (“LBS”) such as enterprise fleet tracking includes a number of GPS-enabled wireless mobile units in communication with a wireless network. Location data is periodically transmitted from various “client” mobile units to a “server” mobile unit. The location data relates to the respective physical locations of the client mobile units, and may be determined from GPS signals received by the client mobile units. Once the server mobile unit receives the location data, the location data is processed for use in one or more LBS applications. This may include displaying the location data on a screen or other display of the server mobile unit, including displaying the location data in conjunction with map data. The use of a server mobile unit facilitates portability of the server functionality to
Global mobile use to pass 50 per cent mark

location based services

Global mobile phone use will pass the three billion mark, equivalent to half the world's population, for the first time in 2007 as mobile phone demand booms in China, India and Africa, a survey said.
From African farmers to Chinese factory workers, mobile operators will have notched up more than 3.25 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide by the end of the year, according to a report by UK-based telecoms analysis company The Mobile World.
Along with the Internet, the mobile phone has revolutionised communication, spreading from city whiz kids to Brazilian slum dwellers.
More than 1,000 new customers are effectively signing up for mobile phones every minute around the world, the survey showed.
"It took over 20 years to connect the first billion subscribers, but only 40 months to connect the second billion," said The Mobile World Co-Founder John Tysoe.
"The three billion milestone will be passed in July 2007, just two years on."
Analysts have forecast that 65 per cent of all handsets made this year will be sold in emerging markets as manufacturers, such as Nokia of Finland and Motorola of the United States, push out low-cost phones and mobile phone operators cut call charges.
The figures cited in the survey take account of multiple mobile subscriptions by customers.
Penetration in Europe has topped 100 per cent of the population, with 666 million mobile connections.
"With handsets and services becoming ever more affordable, the prospect of a fully connected mobile world is becoming ever more real," the report said.
A record 240 million handsets were sold and 135 million new customers signed up to mobile phone networks in the quarter to the end of March.
In terms of connections, the last quarter was the third strongest in the industry's history after the fourth quarters of 2004 and 2006, when 142 million and 163 million signed up respectively

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Mobile Phones Threaten Dedicated Portable GPS Market

location based services

Christine Persaud
The portable GPS market has been enjoying phenomenal growth over the past year: the NPD Group reported in February that sales grew a massive 453 per cent in dollars and 923 per cent in units in 2006 in Canada; and 128 per cent to over US$476 million south of the border. However, high-tech research firm In-Stat says that, as navigation features become more common on mobile handsets, this category will threaten the continuing success of dedicated GPS units.
“For approximately US$10 per month, handset navigation offers similar, if not superior, functionality to Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs), at a lower price,” said the firm.
The obvious benefit portable units have over built-in vehicle systems is that they are easily transportable from car to car, and can even be used on-foot via their rechargeable, internal batteries. Mobile phones can offer these very same benefits without the person having to bring along a second gadget. According to In-Stat Analyst Stephanie Ethier, these benefits provide wireless service providers with an opportunity to capture market share from portable GPS manufacturers.
Mobile phones have a long way to go before they can compete with dedicates devices, whether it be portable GPS units, entry-level digital cameras, or portable audio/video players. But in future, we could very well see one, portable convergence device that “does it all”.
On the flip side, one multifunctional device could pose problems. What if you want to chat on the phone at the same time that you’re navigating on foot? The issue gets even more complicated when you add music and picture taking to the mix: would a person want to be restricted to only being able to perform one function at a time?
Nevertheless, in the near term, In-Stat says that the market for portable GPS devices will remain healthy, reaching 56 million units worldwide by 2011, up from 14 million in 2006. This will be due, in large part, to falling prices (entry-level models are now available for well under $200), enhanced features, stronger consumer awareness, and increased marketing and promotion. As for mobile phone navigation, customers are likely still warming up to the feature.
The report, entitled Personal Navigation Devices: Worldwide Shipment Growth to Slow as Handset Navigation Arrives, includes forecasts for unit shipments, average sales prices, and revenue through 2011. It also includes results from a large-scale survey of consumer attitudes toward portable GPS units and mobile handset navigation applications.

Published: 6/25/2007 5:31:45

Monday, June 25, 2007

The Future of Location Based Services

Location Based Services (LBS) and Local Search (show me pizza places near here) have been going to be the next big thing for some time now. Some attribute the failure of LBS to the ‘walled gardens’ that mobile phone networks operate within, a factor magnified within the UK by the comparitively high cost of data calls compared to the US.
Local Search has been a lot more successful (if you define success as numbers of users), in that I can search for the nearest cashpoint to my current location and usually find what I am looking for. Critics of Local Search suggest that it will ‘never take off’ because people know what is in their area and don’t need the Internet to tell them.
There is some sense in both of these standpoints. The high cost of data calls, does diminish the value of mobile LBS for the consumer. I do where the nearest cashpoint to my house is. A problem with LBS is complexity: it seems to be difficuilt to to provide a service that tells me what I want to know about where I am. This complexity goes hand-in-hand with the walled gardens of the mobile operators - its in the best interests of a service provider to make their customers think the job they are doing is incredibly difficuilt - it adds value to their service.
The LBS question - what is there that I want, near where I am - isn’t a particularly complex one. We talked about some of this stuff at Where Camp a few weeks ago, and a load of smart people thought of some complex solutions to the problem. The solution isn’t a complex one. I know loads about cash points here, and I am happy to tell someone who wants to know about cashpoints here everything I know, on the same terms that I am happy to give my knowledge to Twitter Bot. You can now query Multimap’s location data by sending a Twitter to their bot who talks to their own API and replies, for example:

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Upcoming N95 firmware to enables AGPS?!

location based services


?It seems that new firmware (12.0.013 / 19.6.2007) doesn't brings huge improvements, at least in terms of the free RAM what is expectable after all but from other hand there is a huge improvement in GPS part, the addition of the AGPS feature will allows much faster locking the satellites and stronger fixes all round. Assisted GPS, or A-GPS, is a technology that uses an assistance server to cut down the time needed to determine a location using GPS. It is useful in urban areas, when the user is located in "urban canyons", under heavy tree cover, or even indoors. It is becoming more common and it's commonly associated with Location Based Services (LBS) over cellular networks.A stand-alone GPS receiver (a) must search for satellite signals and decode the satellite navigation messages before computing its position - tasks which require strong signals and additional processing time. A cellular telephone network can assist a GPS receiver (b) by providing an initial approximate position of the receiver and the decoded satellite ephemeris and clock information. The receiver can therefore utilize weaker signals and also more quickly determine its position.Assisted-GPS requires a worldwide tracking network for obtaining the navigation messages of all satellites and data processing hubs along with a server which feeds data to a Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC) or Mobile Position Center (MPC) operated by a network service provider. Data is sent to individual cell phones using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the Short Messaging Service (SMS).SOURCE: SYMBIAN-FREAK
tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
published by Meraj Chhaya às 16
GPS Apps Lead The Way At BREW

location based services


Posted by Eric Zeman, Jun 21, 2007 06:29 PM
One thing there is no shortage of at the BREW conference in San Diego is GPS and LBS offerings. Meet six companies who want to make sure you never have to rely on a gas station attendant for directions again.
Just for my own gratification, I have to ask: Has anyone ever received good directions from a gas station attendant? I certainly have not. While my case of Directile Dysfunction (lostus oftenus) isn't too severe, I admit I've had to resort to that oft-reviled source of misinformation, the gas station attendant. Too often the 'directions' were no good and sometimes flat-out wrong. Promising to cure my affliction are a handful of companies at BREW who are happy to lead the way to wherever it is that you happen to be going.
Autodesk: This company offers a host of different GPS-based services for carriers to take advantage of, such as Family Minder to help keep the tabs on the kids, and Insight, which helps businesses keep track of their mobile assets in real-time. The Insight product is great for the enterprise that needs to keep a watchful eye on a mobile workforce. Not only does it provide driving directions for workers behind the wheel, it also lets managers make smart dispatch decisions based on real-time mapping.
deCarta: deCarta is all about powering things behind the scenes. Its hosted Web services lets developers location-enable their applications with features such as fluid maps, routes and driving directions, address lookup and local searches.
Garmin: Since Yao Ming isn't available to hand out dedicated GPS units to every couple that gets lost, Garmin has created a mobile phone version of its navigation service. Once users punch in their destination, Garmin does the rest. It formulates the quickest route and provides voice prompts to get you there.
Networks in Motion: NIM may not be a household name, but it sure helps you find directions from your house to anywhere else. It also offers location-based geocoding to pictures taken with cell phones for mobile photo journals, as well as a Family Finder program to make sure grandma hasn't wandered off again.
Tele Atlas: Tele Atlas is another under-the-hood provider of mapping services. Most of the other services listed in this article probably rely on Tele Atlas maps. That's because Tele Atlas has 22 million points of interest, real-time and predictive traffic information, and 64 countries mapped into its database.
Trimble: Trimble Outdoors is a suite of GPS applications for cell phones that work as well off the beaten path as on. Not restricted to the nation's streets and highways, Trimble Outdoors works for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts with its off-road navigation, GeocacheNavigator and AllSportGPS
AGIS Mobile Communication & Collaboration Software Being Used by Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron

location based services


Consumer Version of AGIS Software Has Just Been Introduced

JUPITER, Fla., June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Ground Information Systems' (AGIS) many-to-many mobile communication software -- now in use by the U.S. Navy's Coastal Warfare Squadron (N.C.W.S.) to protect shipping, naval bases, and harbors worldwide -- is now available for the first time to the general public as a breakthrough Location Based Services (LBS) software product.
Specialist First-Class Petty Officer Harry Colbert (pictured) -- part of an elite U.S. Navy-Marine Corps team -- uses AGIS mobile collaboration software in New York City during 2007 Fleet Week festivities. He is communicating with his NCWS team using AGIS software on a Microsoft-compatible PDA from alongside his command center aboard the USS WASP (LHD-1). USS WASP is the lead ship of an all-new class of multipurpose Navy-Marine Corps amphibious assault ships.
AGIS systems automatically create a communications network that provides all users a Common Operational Picture (COP). All network participants see each other's location and can call, and send alerts, text, photographs and even video by simply touching the display. All functions are accomplished within the same application program. AGIS creates the PC and PDA network using cellular, WiFi mesh networks or land line or a combination of these communications.
Patented Touch2Call(R) lets AGIS users call or conference others by simply touching screen displayed GPS location symbols the other participants on the display, without minimizing or exiting to a call function.
For more information and free downloads, see http://www.agisinc.com/ Website: http://www.agisinc.com/

Friday, June 22, 2007

Magellan(R) Maestro(TM) GPS Devices Offered


location based services

Personal Navigation Units Loaded With AAA Travel Expertise and AAA Roadside Assistance

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - June 21, 2007) - As the summer vacation driving season begins, motorists can have the Automobile Club of Southern California's travel expertise and roadside help at their fingertips with the new Magellan® Maestro™ GPS personal navigation devices that come loaded exclusively with AAA travel information and AAA roadside assistance.

Travelers can find their way quickly and easily to AAA-inspected and Diamond rated hotels and restaurants, AAA-approved auto repair facilities, and AAA Show Your Card & Save® retail locations where member discounts are offered.

Attractions and events, campgrounds, local Auto Club offices and AAA offices nationwide also are provided on Magellan® Maestro™ devices. In addition, they are the only personal GPS navigation units sold in the U.S. that have a one-touch button to help summon the Auto Club-AAA Roadside Assistance. The unit displays the AAA phone number and the driver's street location on the devices. For motorists who own a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, the Magellan® Maestro™ device will call AAA for them. A motorist's location also is displayed if a 9-1-1 call is made.

The Magellan® units equipped with AAA travel information and AAA Roadside Assistance make trip-planning and road travel easier. They help motorists not to get lost in unfamiliar areas, find alternate routes around traffic congestion, and save gasoline and time by selecting the shortest route to their destination. The GPS units also provide real-time information about a driver's vehicle location, travel direction and speed, said the Auto Club's Senior Vice President of Marketing, Product Management & Publishing Wendy Sabins.

Auto Club members exclusively will receive a 15% SYC&S® discount on accessories purchased from Magellan®; a free second-year warranty on designated Magellan® Maestro™ units; and free AAA data updates for the life of the Magellan® Maestro™ warranty. Auto Club members can get more information about these discounts and benefits at www.AAA.com/gps.

"The Magellan® Maestro™ units offer a simple, user-friendly design that requires minimal key strokes. The clutter-free menu and map screens with clear and crisp icons and graphics are easy for drivers to see in all lighting. Prioritized menu icons allow drivers' faster access to their most frequently used features, which greatly helps motorists use the unit responsibly," said Sabins. "The units are portable and, like your AAA membership, can go with you from car to car," she added.

Auto Club members and non-members may purchase the Magellan® Maestro™ GPS personal navigation units at national retailers Circuit City and Fry's Electronics. Auto Club members may purchase these units at www.AAA.com/g

   Navigation and Multimedia SoCs broaden SiRF's Multifunction Offerings

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SiRF Technology
Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SIRF), a leading provider of GPS-enabled silicon
and premium software location platforms, today announced that it has signed
a definitive agreement to acquire Centrality Communications Inc, a leading
developer of navigation processor solutions for mobile navigation devices,
for a total consideration of $283 million in stock and cash.
Founded in 1999, Centrality has developed a range of system on a chip
(SoC) offerings that bring high quality navigation and multimedia
experience to consumers in mobile environments. Headquartered in Redwood
City, California, Centrality has more than 190 employees and a worldwide
presence with its main development center in Shanghai, China and branch
offices in Taipei, Seoul and Brussels.
Centrality's Atlas(TM) and Titan(TM) family of navigation processors
together deliver the new standard in features and value for the navigation
infotainment systems (NIS) market. By leveraging Centrality's suite of
reference platforms, leading NIS manufacturers can deliver compelling
products and services to market quickly.
"World class multifunction SoC platform expertise is a significant
differentiator for us, especially as we address the emerging needs of
portable navigation, automotive and consumer markets with value-added
products," said Dr. Michael Canning, president and chief executive officer
of SiRF. "Centrality's team has a proven track record of delivering
innovative solutions to market and we believe that the combined entity can
provide a very attractive product portfolio to address the price
performance and functionality needs of our customers. In addition, the
Shanghai Center will enable us to scale our development activities rapidly
and significantly strengthen our capabilities to address the fast-growing
China market."
With its primary focus on portable navigation-infotainment devices,
Centrality has developed a range of platforms centered on enhancing the
location, information and entertainment experience of consumers. Based on a
proprietary dual-core processor architecture, these SoCs have integrated
GPS, DSP, graphics and multimedia accelerators, providing breakthrough
performance while achieving lower cost. While the Atlas(TM) family focuses
on high performance value solutions, the Titan(TM) platform is designed for
the highest end solutions.
"Centrality has developed a leading innovative family of SoC processors
for navigation infotainment systems and these combined with SiRF's overall
location platform market leadership, global brand recognition, and
worldwide support infrastructure opens up vast opportunities for our
platforms," said Rob Baxter, president and chief executive officer of
Centrality. "Joining forces with SiRF enables us to combine our SoC
platform and media expertise with SiRF's location and multifunction radio
expertise, further strengthening our technology leadership position and
enabling us to bring more value-added products to market quickly."
Centrality delivers platforms with full reference design support in
order to ensure that customers enjoy the best system performance, shortest
time-to- market and enhanced product differentiation. As a leading provider
of embedded GPS platforms, Centrality supports multiple operating system
environments to address customer needs. With a large number of fully
qualified ODM customers, Centrality can help bring better and more
innovative products to market faster.
"SiRF and Centrality have a shared vision of bringing the benefits of
location information to mainstream consumers through innovations. We
believe that there is a large potential market opportunity for mobile
consumer devices with convergence of location, entertainment and wireless
communications capabilities," said Kanwar Chadha, founder and vice
president of marketing for SiRF. "Our combined expertise can deliver very
powerful end-to-end multifunction location platforms to location-enable a
broad range of new devices and services and to help our customers,
operators and content partners add more value to their offerings while
significantly enhancing the consumer experience."
Under the terms of the Agreement, in exchange for all of the
outstanding capital stock of Centrality, including equity awards, SiRF has
agreed to pay $283 million in a combination of cash and shares of SiRF
Common Stock. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the
merger. Completion of this transaction is subject to customary closing
conditions and is expected to close next quarter.
Conference Call Details
SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. will host conference call at 5:00PM
EDT/2:00PM PDT today, June 21, to discuss this acquisition. The conference
call will be webcast live via the Internet in the investor relations
section of the SiRF website at http://www.sirf.com. Interested parties
should access the site, downloading any necessary audio software, at least
ten minutes prior to the call. An archived webcast replay of the call will
be available at the web site for twelve months.
To listen to the call, please dial (800) 896-8445 (domestic) or (785)
830-1916 (international) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start time.
The conference ID is: SIRF. A telephonic replay will be available
approximately two hours following the call and will remain available for
one week. The telephone playback of the conference call can be accessed by
dialing (800) 839-5576.
About SiRF Technology
SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. develops and markets semiconductor and
software products that are designed to enabled location-awareness utilizing
GPS and other location technologies, enhanced by wireless connectively
capabilities such as Bluetooth, for high-volume mobile consumer devices and
commercial applications. SiRF's technology has been integrated into mobile
consumer devices such as automobile navigation systems, mobile phones,
PDAs, GPS-based peripherals and handheld GPS navigation devices, and into
commercial applications such as location servers, asset tracking devices
and fleet management systems. SiRF markets and sells its products in three
target platforms: wireless handheld devices, such as mobile phones;
automotive electronics systems, including navigation and telematics
systems; and consumer and compute devices, including personal digital
assistants, notebook computers, recreational GPS handhelds, mobile gaming
machines, digital cameras and watches. Founded in 1995, SiRF is
headquartered in San Jose, California, and has sales offices, design
centers and research facilities around the world. The company trades on the
NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the symbol SIRF. Additional information about
SiRF and its location technology solutions can be found at
http://www.sirf.com.
About Centrality Communications, Inc.
Centrality is a leading developer of semiconductor system solutions for
GPS navigation products. Headquartered in Redwood City, California,
Centrality also has a worldwide presence with branch offices in Shanghai,
Taipei, Seoul, Caymans and Brussels. Centrality's Atlas(TM) and Titan(TM)
family of navigation processors together deliver the new standard in
features and value for the navigation infotainment systems (NIS) market. By
leveraging Centrality's suite of reference platforms, leading NIS
manufacturers can deliver compelling products and services to market
quickly. For more information, please visit: http://www.centralitynav.com .
Forward-Looking Statements:
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set
forth in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements
regarding the benefits of the combined company, including its product
portofolio, price-performance-functionality, our ability scale our
development activity in Shanghai and our ability to strenthen our position
in the China market, the benefits of the Titan platform, our ability to
strengthen Centrality's technology position and bring products to market
quickly, the market opportunity for mobile consumer devices, ability of
Centrality to strengthen SiRF's multifunction location platform strategy,
its world class multifunction SoC platform expertise and the anticipated
closing of the acquisition are forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such
as "to," "being," "possible," "may," "will," "addresses," "designed to,"
"provide," "believe," and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future
performance and should not be considered as an indication of future
performance. SiRF's actual results could differ materially from those
discussed in these forward-looking statements as a result of risks and
uncertainties, including, among others, the risk that we may not realize
the anticipated benefits of this acquisition, risks associated with
acquisitions, including the ability to successfully integrate the acquired
technologies or operations, potential diversion of management's attention
and our ability to retain key employees of acquired businesses, demand and
market acceptance for our products and those of our customers, the market
for GPS-based location awareness, risks associated with the semiconductor
industry and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the Company's
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 and from
time to time in SiRF's SEC reports. These forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake any obligation to update
forward-looking statements.


SOURC

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Ease of Use and Price of Navigation Systems Emerge as Key Factors Influencing Purchase Decision

location based services

20 giugno 2007

A recent Frost & Sullivan study offers an insight into the willingness of customers to pay for navigation systems and features. This study was based on a sample size of 1,974 interviews conducted in the European markets of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain. The respondents included current owners of navigation devices (fixed and portable) and non-owners interested in purchasing one in the future.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (www.automotive.frost.com), Consumer Desirability & Willingness to Pay for Navigation Systems and Features, finds that the sales in the European market for navigation systems accounted for over 10 million units in 2005 and estimates this to reach 35 million units by 2010.
If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of the latest analysis of Consumer Desirability & Willingness to Pay for Navigation Systems and Features, send an e-mail to Michael Banks, Corporate Communications at michael.banks@frost.com with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail address, city, state, and country. We will send you the information by e-mail upon receipt of the above information.
"Navigation systems have become increasingly affordable and are now the target of consumer electronics participants who view the automotive market as an untapped opportunity," note Frost & Sullivan Research Analysts Praveen Chandrasekhar and Franck Leveque. "Convenience, efficiency and the need to avoid using paper maps seem to be driving interest in navigation systems."
Fifty nine per cent of non-navigation users interviewed appeared interested in purchasing a navigation system in the future. However, respondents in the United Kingdom were not interested in navigation systems, which were considered an unsafe option when compared to multi-maps.
Tom Tom had the highest brand awareness (both aided and unaided) amongst users and non-users of navigation systems across the European countries surveyed. In terms of ownership, Tom Tom had the highest penetration of navigation systems, followed by Sony, Blaupunkt, Navman, Garmin and Acer.
Respondents rated ease of use (interface with the system) as the most important factor in their decision to purchase a navigation system, followed closely by the cost of the system. "Ease of installation was also an important consideration, which suggests that potential customers need a hands-on demonstration prior to purchase," states Chandrasekhar. "Vehicle manufacturers and suppliers would benefit from educating consumers at their dealerships and explain who navigation systems work."
According to the interviews, consumer electronic retailers were found to be the preferred purchase channel, which points to the fact that respondents need to touch and feel the system prior to purchase. Whilst almost 60 per cent of fixed system owners were purchased at the car dealership, there were four key purchase channels for portable owners, which consisted of consumer electronics stores, the Internet, car accessory shops and department stores.
"Consumers realise the benefit of embedded navigation systems and are ready to pay 2 to 3 times over and above the price of a portable device. But clearly the mass market cannot stomach prices of EUR1,500 to EUR2,000 or even more," comments Leveque. "In this price-centric market, portable systems are set to dominate, given their obvious price advantages."

Print version Send to a friend Write your comment »
US general laments Google Earth capability

location based services

Posted 2 hours 29 minutes ago
The head of US Air Force intelligence and surveillance says data available commercially through online mapping software such as Google Earth poses a danger to security but cannot be rolled back.
"To talk about danger ... really is irrelevant because it's there," said Lieutenant General David Deptula, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
"No one's going to undo commercial satellite imagery," he told reporters in Washington.
Lt Gen Deptula cited Google's Google Earth, which gives Web users an astronaut's view of the earth and allows them to zoom down to street level. He said it had provided anyone with a credit card the ability to get a picture of any place on earth.
"It is huge," he said. "It's something that was a closely guarded secret not that long ago and now everybody's got access to it."
Asked if the US military might try to implement restrictions or blackouts on imagery of some areas, Lt Gen Deptula said he was not aware of such an attempt.
"I don't want to speak to specifics, but not that I'm aware of," he said.
Instead, governments are trying to mitigate the effect through camouflage, concealment and deception, he said, providing no other details.
-Reuters
Tags:
Sony Ericsson announces GPS accessory

location based services

Sony Ericsson HGE-100
Yesterday night in Berlin, Sony Ericsson announced the HGE-100, a GPS accessory doubling as a hands free kit. Plugging through the phone's connector, this light and small GPS (48g - 61mm x 28mm) enables satellite navigation and sport monitoring on compatible phones (Sony Ericsson mobile phones with Java support from K800 onwards). The HGE-100 will be available during the third quarter 2007 for around €70. While few information are available today, it seems that the satellite navigation software does not offer a 2D or 3D display of the route, but rather text and voice instructions, the latter given through the headset. Sport enthusiasts can also “Use the GPS Enabler as their personal trainer by using the ‘Tracker' GPS sports application installed within the HGE-100. It monitors speed, distance, route and calorie burn, recording and analysing data”, said Sony Ericsson.

The positioning of this product is original, definitely targeting younger people than the current users of satellite navigation systems. As a matter of fact the car environment is not the first place where to use this product, but rather on foot, cycle or even bus, as mentioned in the press release.
Sony Ericsson chooses Wayfinder for its new navigation solution

location based services

Confirming our predictions made two months ago (read our article here 125) Paul Morisson, a spokesperson at Sony Ericsson revealed us today his company has chosen Wayfinder as a supplier for its off-board navigation solution bundled with its GPS accessory HGE-100 launched last week (see here 223). This software does not feature 2D or 3D on screen navigation but turn by turn text commands and voice guidance. Tele Atlas will be the map provider for this software that includes map coverage for Europe, North America and other territories covered by TeleAtlas today.

Text navigation
Magnus Nilsson, CEO of Wayfinder reached today over the phone was obviously delighted to be the provider of this first Sony Ericsson navigation solution, but he would not further comment this deal. Wayfinder also announced last week to have raised US$ 10.7 million on the market. “It is encouraging that all major owners have demonstrated their continued commitment to the company by subscribing for their shares and underwriting additional amounts. The capital provides Wayfinder Systems with a stable financial position and the necessary resources required for capitalizing on the strong market growth expected in the coming period" said Magnus Nilsson. With the acquisition of Webraska by Sanef, the funding of Jentro by US venture capital firm NEA, and this new client and funding for Wayfinder, the European off-board navigation market has been moving a step forward in the recent weeks; nevertheless the interest of European mobile phone users for such solutions has still to be confirmed.
Thursday 21st June 2007
Yahoo Expands LBS Offerings, Integrates GPS

location based services


Jun 21, 2007
GPS World
Perhaps feeling threatened by rival Google and LBS service providers' use of Google Maps, Internet portal and search engine Yahoo said this week its latest software for mobile devices would feature GPS functionality, and announced an expansion of its mobile services beyond the United States.
Yahoo offers a suite of mobile programs packaged in its Yahoo Go for Mobile software; it plans to release version 2.0 of the suite this Friday for use in the United States. It first released a beta version last January. It is available on various models of phones offered by carriers Alltel, ATT/Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, including Blackberries and Windows Mobile-based devices.
Among the services in the package is oneSearch, which includes access to news, Web images, financial information, weather conditions, Flickr, and Web and mobile Web sites, as well as navigation services. Users can enter the name of a business or the type of business they are looking for and it provides nearby listings with maps based on the user's location; users can click on a listing to get details including address, distance, cross streets, directions, and phone number.
Yahoo says Go 2.0 will incorporate improved mapping with both satellite and hybrid maps available, as well as navigation including current traffic conditions. It will also give users the option to enable the software to utilize the GPS technology embedded in a users' device for its location-based services, the company says.
In addition to releasing Go for Mobile 2.0 in the United States, Yahoo said it was offering localized beta versions of the software in 13 other countries: Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, Thailand, and Vietnam. These localized versions will incorporate much of the functionality found in the U.S. version including oneSearch, the company said; it will initially be available on some 200 different models of mobile phone, with plans to expand to 400.
Yahoo also announced that it had signed partnership agreements with six major mobile operators across Asia, representing a combined subscriber base of nearly 100 million. These new partnerships focus specifically on distribution of Yahoo's oneSearch mobile service, which it launched in Asia last month.
The new mobile operators include: Globe Telecom (Philippines), Idea Cellular Limited (India), LG Telecom (Korea), Maxis Communications Berhad (Malaysia), PT Telekomunikasi Selular "Telkomsel" (Indonesia), and Taiwan Mobile (Taiwan). These strategic partnerships demonstrate Yahoo!'s commitment to becoming number one in mobile services and establishes the company's strong early leadership position across Asia in mobile audience reach, mobile search services and mobile monetization, the company said.
"These partnerships with leading operators in Asia help extend Yahoo's clear leadership in the mobile space," said David Ko, Yahoo Asia vice president and general manager. "Partners are essential to our consumer-centric mobile strategy and key relationships will continue to evolve and deliver great Internet experiences to our respective customers.”

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Jentro Technologies raises US$29M

Jentro Technology announced today it has raised US$29 million in a Series A financing. New Enterprise Associates is the lead investor with US$28M, associated with Glynn Capital (US$1 million). Jentro is a white label supplier of location based services and navigation solutions for the mass market, which are operated under and on behalf of third party brands. According to the company “Jentro serves more than 650,000 customers in key European markets”. Jentro has recently opened an office in Chicago and its solution is used by Motorola in its navigation product for Java handsets to be available this summer as a mobile phone accessory. Jentro is privately owned and headquartered in Munich, Germany with further offices in London, Paris and Shenzhen. “Proceeds from the financing will be used to accelerate Jentro's rapid growth, increased sales and marketing efforts, and further collaboration on its technology partnerships with key industry players” announced Jentro. As a result of this financing, Ravi Viswanathan and Paul Hsiao, NEA Partners, will join the Jentro Board of Directors.

Jentro's CEO, Hans-Hendrik Puvogel
"We've already achieved an industry first by combining 3-D dynamic traffic avoidance navigation on cell phones with real-time Internet services. We're way ahead of the competition", said Jentro's CEO, Hans-Hendrik Puvogel. Nicolas von Stackelberg , financial analyst at Sal. Oppenheim added: “Jentro is the innovation leader in off-board navigation on mass market mobile phones. The company has a convincing strategy on location based experiences that really matter to consumers. We expect these to translate into attractive new business models bringing together mobile operators, content owners and advertisers around Jentro's core navigation capability and technology platform.”
NAVTEQ Initiates First Seamless Global Digital Map Coverage

location based services



Tuesday June 19, 11:15 am ET
Entry Map Products Expand to Every Country
CHICAGO, June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NAVTEQ (NYSE: NVT - News), a leading global provider of digital map data for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, has announced the expansion of its popular Entry Maps, creating the only global portfolio of digital maps that are edge-matched to each other and to leading NAVTEQ maps. With Entry Maps, customers now have the ability to license a map for every country in the world from a single source with connectivity across borders. Additionally, because the maps have been harmonized to standard NAVTEQ formats, customers will be able to use them with their existing NAVTEQ-based applications and solutions.
Entry Map has been developed to enable the growing range of world-wide solutions supporting global Geographic Information System (GIS), fleet, and location applications for wireless and Internet uses. By utilizing map display, geocoding and reverse geocoding functionality, customers will be able to develop solutions that allow users to visualize their location and track their movement. Applications supported may range from map display and 'find me' products to solutions such as fleet management that can aid fleet owners in boosting efficiencies, controlling costs, improving customer service, and enhancing revenue opportunities.
"Our global customers have told us they need access to road geometry throughout the world to execute their business plans," stated Cliff Fox, Senior Vice President of Product Management. "The highly accurate NAVTEQ map combined with these new Entry Maps allows our customers to continue to work with one trusted source for all their mapping requirements."
"Because all Entry Maps are available in the standard NAVTEQ formats, customers will be able to rapidly integrate these new coverage areas into existing solutions," stated Winston Guillory, Senior Vice President of Consumer and Enterprise Sales. "Even more exciting," added Guillory, "local companies all over Africa, the Americas and Asia will now have access to map data from NAVTEQ opening up new business opportunities in emerging areas."
Entry Maps contain all the major highways and major cities for a given country. Additional levels of roads including rural and residential roads and Points of Interest (POIs) for major towns are also included in some select areas. Entry Maps are available in 184 countries including the Eastern Europe Entry Maps that were released earlier this year.
NAVTEQ is showcasing Entry Maps at the 2007 ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, CA (booth #701), June 18 through June 22, 2007.
About NAVTEQ
NAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices, Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions. NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions around the world. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 2,800 employees located in 167 offices in 28 countries.
This document may include certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts and statements identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "seeks", "estimates" or words of similar meaning. These statements are based on our current beliefs or expectations and are inherently subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those set forth under "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 1, 2007, in each case as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory factors. NAVTEQ does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060313/NAVTEQLOGO)
Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0 released

location based services




News : , posted 20-JUN-2007 13:53
Yahoo! has announced the launch of Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0 in general availability in the US and the availability of localised beta versions in 13 countries later this week. Yahoo! initially unveiled the new service in beta in the US January 2007. "Today's launch signals to the world that Yahoo! Go is ready for primetime. With the tremendous consumer response to date we believe that Yahoo! Go will be a catalyst for broader adoption of the mobile Internet," said Marco Boerries, executive vice president, Connected Life Division, Yahoo!. "People want easy access to the Internet on their mobile phones, and Yahoo! Go 2.0 offers content, access and answers wherever you are." The new version of Yahoo! Go 2.0 will be available for more than 200 different mobile phones in the US by the end of July, expanding to more than 400 by end of year. It will also be pre-loaded on new devices from Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG and HTC that begin rolling out later this year. The software update includes speed enhancements, better e-mail experience with ability to read attachments, including PDF files and Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents, plus access to to Yahoo! Mail folders; maps with both satellite and hybrid views, current traffic conditions and optional GPS integration on select devices.Users in Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, Thailand and Vietnam will be able to download localised beta versions of the service. At launch the new beta versions for these countries will have much of the functionality as the US version and are supported by more than 200 different mobile phones by the end of July and that will expand to more than 400 by end of year. Yahoo! has also announced partnership agreements with six mobile operators across Asia, representing a combined subscriber base of nearly 100 million. These new partnerships focus on distribution of Yahoo!'s popular mobile search service, Yahoo! oneSearch, which launched in Asia in May of this year. The six mobile operators are Globe Telecom (Philippines), Idea Cellular Limited (India), LG Telecom (Korea), Maxis Communications Berhad (Malaysia), PT
WiMax To Replace Wi-Fi And 3G For The Enterprise?

location based services


Posted by Eric Zeman, Jun 20, 2007 03:12 PM
The study about mobile WiMax, which was conducted by Motorola, found that 49% of respondents said they would use it to surf the Internet or read email. On top of that, 45% of enterprise users would use it for work-related purposes. But just how important is the ubiquity of wireless coverage?
The key aspect of the study is the mobility angle. Motorola defined mobile WiMax as "being able to be used while walking or traveling in a car, cab, bus or train, and the Internet connectivity it provides will have the connection speeds of cable or DSL, but with the mobility and roaming of today's cellular networks."
Even though the same benefits are already offered by 3G wireless wide-area networks, survey respondents warmed to the idea of the mobile Internet. In fact, 31% said they would read or view live, real-time online media (which we have to assume means streaming videos); 28% indicated they would use it for mobile entertainment; and another 28% said they'd use WiMax to download music to their computers.
The real killer is that 57% of survey respondents said it is imperative for wireless broadband service to be available wherever they happen to be.
Uh. It already is. (I have to wonder if Motorola bothered to tell the people being surveyed that such technology already exists in the forms of Wi-Fi and 3G wireless.)
The enterprise aspect of the survey was somewhat more baffling. The results state:
*45 percent would find it beneficial to use WiMAX for reading and responding to e-mail;*43 percent for accessing the Internet for work;*33 percent for accessing their company Intranet to better manage customers, resources and field service; and*30 percent for sending data, including pictures or video, from remote sites back to the office.
These answers seem to indicate a general lack of awareness of the availability of mobile technology. Don't enterprise users already use Wi-Fi and 3G for these tasks both in and out of the office?
What sets WiMax apart from already existing technologies? I would have liked to see some questions comparing WiMax to Wi-Fi and 3G in this study, just to get an idea of the perceptions of the three different technologies.
I, for one, happen to believe they will all find their own niches in the market and compliment one another.
« Qualcomm Offers Companies The Chance To Market, Sell Services Off-Deck Main AT&T Launches Video Sharing Service, But Not For The iPhone »

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Opera Mini 4 Beta Now Available

location based services


NORWAY June 19, 2007 - Opera Software today released Opera Mini 4 beta, codenamed Dimension, the much-awaited sneak preview of the newest version of Opera's pioneering Web browser for all mobile phones. Opera Mini 4 beta is a complete redesign of the world's most popular mobile Web browser. The new overview mode empowers people to browse their favorite Web sites, just like they do on their PC. Opera Mini 4 beta is available free from http://www.operamini.com/beta Opera Mini 4 beta also features a new zoom, based on the original Opera feature introduced for Nintendo Wii. When zooming, Opera Mini dives into the page and then snaps to the content so scrolling is smooth while accessing the desired content immediately. Like all Opera products, Opera Mini 4 beta is built for speed. It is more than twice as fast as any other mobile browser. "Opera Mini has always been my favorite mobile application," said Phil Burns, an Opera Mini user from Ireland and philburns.com. "Of all the applications I have on my mobile Opera Mini is the only one I use every day. The fact that you can get the real Web - not WAP - on your regular phone makes it the best way to bring mobile browsing to the masses. I can't wait to try the beta and discover the new features." "We are excited to share the beta with the fast-growing community of Opera Mini users," said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. "The feedback from the beta users will go to make Opera Mini even better and we thank the community for their efforts. Opera Mini has succeeded only due to the support of the people who have made it the most popular mobile browser available today." "As the first mobile browser to gain mass popularity, Opera Mini has proven people want access to all their favorite Internet services and sites on their mobile phone," said Lee Ott, director of mobile products, Yahoo!. "As Opera's exclusive mobile search partner, our revolutionary Yahoo! oneSearch service gives their millions of consumers worldwide access to the better search results and instant answers they want on their mobile phone." More than 15 million people have browsed more than 5 billion pages with Opera Mini since its worldwide debut in 2006. The current version of Opera Mini 3.1 is available free of charge from http://www.operamini.com. To test Opera Mini 4 beta, please visit: http://www.operamini.com/beta. See the Top 10 cool things about Opera Mini 4 beta: http://www.operamini.com/beta/features/ About Opera MiniOpera Mini is a Web revolution on mobile phones. Opera Mini works effortlessly with almost any phone made today, allowing users to browse their favorite sites from their mobile. Opera Mini is based on Opera's world-leading browser technology that ensures a rich, consistent Web experience regardless of device. About Opera Software ASAOpera Software ASA has redefined Web browsing for PCs, mobile phones and other networked devices. Opera's cross-platform Web browser technology is renowned for its performance, standards compliance and small size, while giving users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices around the world. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at http://www.opera.com.
Search WirelessDevNet for Related Items
A Guide to Anywhere, Right in Your Hand

location based services



By MICHELLE HIGGINS
JUST off the plane in Columbus, Ohio, you have a craving for Italian food. You hop into your rental car and drive straight to Buca di Beppo on North Front Street, where supersize pasta dishes are served family style.
You knew exactly where to go even though you’ve never been to Columbus, even though you don’t know anyone in Columbus, even though you didn’t bother to do a bit of research on Italian restaurants before you set out for Columbus.
All the information you needed was three clicks away on your cellphone thanks to Earthcomber, one of several new services designed to make browsing the Web easier on your cellphone, BlackBerry or other mobile device. These so-called location-based services are trying to revamp the Web experience to be less cumbersome on mobile devices, freeing users from what has been a pretty dismal experience involving lots of typing, scrolling and waiting.
The new services, with names like Mobio and Where, are aimed at anyone with a mobile device that can connect to the Internet. But the kind of online information they are making available on cellphones, BlackBerrys and other devices can be of particular use to travelers.
After downloading the application onto a phone, as you would a cellphone ring tone, a user can enter a city or a ZIP code and, in very few clicks, find the cheapest nearby gas station, locate a good restaurant, find an ATM or a Wi-Fi hot spot, call a cab, view movie times and more.
Say you’re driving around San Francisco and you suddenly realize you’re running low on gas. With Mobio, offered free at Getmobio.com, you can select the Mobio icon on your phone and choose “cheap gas” to pull up a list of nearby gas stations. Earlier this month, the Arco station on Fell Street at Divisadero, with gasoline for $3.35, was at the top of the list.
Looking for something fun to do in a new city? Choose Stepping Out and Events to get a list of local concerts, comedy shows and other happenings, including maps showing how to get to them. Need a cab? Select Panic Kit and Cabs for a list of local taxi and car services. Then go to the Option menu and select Click to Call to be connected.
Where, a subscription service from uLocate Communications, based in Framingham, Mass., takes the concept a step further. Instead of requiring that the user type in a city or ZIP code, Where works with G.P.S. phones to find its users and automatically provide information — everything from the weather to where to find the world’s largest ball of twine. The service, available in early June at www.where.com for $2.99 a month on 17 different Sprint phones, plans to expand within months to other carriers and phones.
Earthcomber users with G.P.S. phones don’t have to plug in ZIP codes either. And those with Palm and Windows software on their mobile devices have another nifty feature. They can have automatic alerts sent to them when they pass by something of interest. Users first set up a profile online, preferably from a computer, picking and choosing from a list of favorites or “look lists” they might want to find while out and about — from banks to art galleries to wildlife areas. They can also search for special interests and add those to the lists. For example, if you have a Palm Treo, adding minigolf to your favorites with the distance range of five miles, should ensure you get an audible alert every time you are near a minigolf course. “I wanted it not just to find the needs and interests you stop to look for,” Jim Brady, president of Earthcomber, wrote in an e-mail message, “but to eliminate the ‘shoulda’ syndrome. You know: ‘Oh, you were in Cincinnati? You were just __ blocks from the most incredible __.”
The new location-based services are part of a big race to push the Internet — and all the advertising, sales and information it entails — onto cellphone screens. Just about every company with a Web presence, from Google and Yahoo to travel sites like Orbitz.com and Kayak.com, has been adapting certain services or search capabilities for mobile devices.
“All big brands want to extend their franchise into mobile,” said J. Gerry Purdy, a mobile analyst at the consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. Because of that, he added, “We’re going to see these handheld devices get much more useful.”
Most location-based services mainly offer information, like local weather, events and places of interest. But their goal is ultimately to allow users to conduct transactions in just one or two steps as well — making restaurant reservations, for example, booking hotels, or changing flights. Mobio, for one, already allows users not just to find movie show times but also to buy the tickets from certain theaters using a mobile phone through Mobile Movie Times, available at www.getmobio.com/landings/universal.
For now, location-based service companies are being careful not to turn users off with ads, even though advertising provides the main revenue for services that are free to users. Those that do include ads try to display them only during the time it takes to connect to the Internet or in context — offering a coffee coupon, for instance, when a user searches for the nearest Starbucks.
“They don’t bother me at all,” Rahul Gilani, a 24-year-old from Long Island, said of the ads on Mobio, which he recently downloaded. While commuting on the train to work, he found the service helpful in researching restaurants for a summer trip to Las Vegas. The ads “just go into the background,” he said. “I know this is how they’re able to provide the service for me.”
With companies only beginning to adapt to mobile devices, expect some bugs. Most location-based services tend to work only with certain phones and certain carriers. Mobio, for example, works on only 50 phones linked to Sprint and Cingular, though the company says it will soon work for Verizon and T-Mobile customers as well. And when it quietly began to offer service to BlackBerry users a few weeks ago there was a glitch in the system that prevented users from typing in the number 0, which rendered certain ZIP code searches useless. (It has since been fixed.)
The services are generally only as good as the partners each company works with to provide the information. Earthcomber, for example uses CitySearch to provide its restaurant information. Where offers “widgets” or clickable icons that offer information directly from a variety of partners from Burger King to Eventful, which lists concerts, art exhibits and other events. Mobio’s Cheap Gas feature uses information from Gaspricewatch.com, a searchable database of gasoline prices submitted by real people. Eventually, Mobio plans to allow users to update gas prices to the Web site from their mobile phones.
“That way the entire community benefits,” said Ramneek Bhasin, the founder and chief executive of Mobio.
Szólj hozzá!
-->

Mashup on Location

location based services

Posted by Ian Davis at June 20, 2007 12:05 AM
I spent the evening at the Mashup* event in London. Tonight's theme was location and specifically location-based services. We were treated to a long sales pitch from TeleAtlas as the opener which was followed by a rather lacklustre panel session. This was a shame because the others have been pretty good (such as the one on identity)
The evening was saved, in my opinion, by Tom Heinersdorff who posed a question about passive data matching in the middle of the panel session and enquired whether any of the panel were working on such a system. The example he gave was of someone walking past a supermarket which happened to be broadcasting information about a special offer on chocolate which the person's phone could detect and alert them if it knew they liked chocolate. Unfortunately this useful question got buried by the moderator who used it as an opportunity to talk about how he'd heard that Tesco gather so much information on its customers that it can tell that a woman is pregnant before she knows herself. The audience laughed and moved straight onto the next question, leaving Tom's point behind.
Which was a pity, because when I spoke to him after it turns out that there is a very compelling privacy story in this passive matching idea. Most location based systems fall down here because they require the user's device to transmit its location which, in the age of data protection acts, can't be used without the user's consent which often requires them signing a form. Putting any sort of barrier in front of this data simply reduces its uptake and hence usefulness. The whole issue isn't helped by the mobile operators' insistence on charging extortionate sums for access to the APIs around this data.
The beauty of Tom's suggestion is that there is no transmission of personal information between the vendor and the consumer. Thus it works without all that hassle of getting consumer consent because no private data actually leaves the user's mobile device and the user is fully in control of the experience. I can imagine this working in other domains too, such as online advertising. In that case the ad server would suggest some pertinent advertisments based on the page content and the user's browser would select which ones might be of interest to them. The browser would be configurable with user preferences or perhaps adaptive over time.
It's not a win-win scenario though since the advertisers and marketers don't get their hands on that lovely profile data that they so cherish. However, it's a big win for consumer privacy.
Apparently the next Mashup event is on TV 2.0 so maybe we'll see some Joost or miniweb presence.
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:http://blogs.talis.com/mt/mt-tb.r690.cgi/919
Comments
Post a comment

Monday, June 18, 2007

Trade your Toyota for an iMerc ?

Apple developing navigation system for Mercedes?

location based services

Posted Jun 17th 2007 6:20PM by Evan BlassFiled under: GPS, Transportation
Without so much as citing an "unnamed source" or "someone close to the negotiations," German magazine Focus is claiming that Apple -- they of the iPod, Mac, and several other consumer products -- is secretly developing a navigation system to debut in Mercedes vehicles during 2009. Focus goes on to promise that we'll see other manufacturers adopting the hardware once Mercedes' six-month exclusivity period has ended, and that we can likely expect Apple board member Eric Schmidt to toss in some Google Maps on the front end. With the company clearly expanding its reach as of late (Apple TV, iPhone, dropping Computer from the branding), it's not entirely out of the realm of possibilities that we'll also see an expansion into navigation devices, but we're certainly not taking this particular rumor seriously until we see some spy shots of a 2009 or 2010 S-class sporting some of this supposed iNav action.[Via Foursprung]
Tags: apple, focus, gps, in-dash, mercedes, nav system, navigation system, NavigationSystem, NavSystem, rumors
Switched On: Fishing for the fourth screen

location based services

Posted Jun 18th 2007 3:07PM by Ross RubinFiled under: Features, Misc. Gadgets
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:
Last month's D: All Things Digital conference saw the launch of two platforms from well-known technology companies -- Microsoft's Surface, the coffee-table PC that can be used to sell coffee tables, and Palm's Foleo. the big-screened mobile companion for pocket devices from the company that popularized pocket companions for big-screened devices.Both products rely on recent iterations of well-tred operating systems. The heart of Surface is simply a Vista PC, whereas the Foleo is based on Linux. But their usage models could hardly be more different. Surface is a large tabletop computer environment reminiscent of the cocktail arcade tables of the 80s but which is actually filled with infrared cameras and a projector -- a new application of rear-projection TV technology.Foleo, with its small clamshell form factor, eschews any kind of touch-screen manipulation, instead introducing a scroll bar to facilitate moving through long Web pages and lists of e-mails. In contrast, at least for its initial kiosk-like deployments, Surface will take advantage of new applications that use its direct manipulation and recognition of physical objects. However, both products illustrate the challenges that companies have in trying to introduce a "fourth screen" to compete for consumer attention beyond the three screens of television, the PC, and the cell phone.The company that has been most successful establishing such a screen has been Apple with its iPod. Thomson, which produces GE-branded phones, has suggested that the cordless phone could take the role as it has shown a high-end model that can read RSS feeds. Other candidates include the fast-growing segments of portable navigation devices from the likes of Garmin and TomTom and digital picture frames from Philips and Pandigital. However, with the possible exception of these frames, all of these device categories are threatened by the cellphone.Despite our increasing mobility as a society, Surface has been better received than Foleo. This could be due to Surface's novel, inviting interface, or perhaps because it attacks a new or underpenetrated usage scenario. But Surface's big screen comes with a big price. Initial installations should be between $5,000 and $10,000 and even then won't be available to custom installers whose clients wouldn't balk at that sum. According to Microsoft, consumers will begin interacting with them in hospitality and retail environments before the end of the year, but it will likely be a few years before they are aimed at the home. The company admits it's an unusual go-to-market strategy in contrast to such grand pushes in the past two years as Xbox 360, Windows Vista, and Zune.
However, it's easy to see how Surface could be used in the home given the appropriate software. Viewing photos on a big-screen TV is a relatively sterile slide show experience. Viewing them on an interactive table where they can be passed around like real photos better captures the interaction as prints are passed around. Surface could also host or spice up casual games. And Surface could even breathe more life into the Media Center PC if used for, say, navigating a television guide while the TV shows full-screen video, or by being the ultimate home control user interface.Unlike Microsoft with Surface, Palm is struggling to differentiate the Foleo's functionality from the wildly popular laptop PC, which continues to shrink in size as it takes advantage of faster wireless connections. But with Surface offering new inputs and locations for the desktop PC and Foleo offering richer input and display capabilities for the smartphone, perhaps the key to the fourth screen simply driving more functionality from the main three.
Ross Rubin is director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group,. His blog can be read at http://www.rossrubin.com/outofthebox. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.
mashup* Event on the 19th June will be themed "on Location";

location based services




ie: the value of "where one is". We are thrilled that Teleatlas are sponsoring this event.




Within this theme of location we will be exploring where and what the value of location is.

We will cover the value of

maps;
direction;
find;
discovery;
direction;
detection;
presence, and;
mashup services for both web and mobile.
Full programme here

We will be given great insights from our expert speakers and panel including Jack Reinelt MD EMEA and COO of Teleatlas
Great meeting!

location based services

Our first Mobile Location event on June 18th
The next meeting of Mobile Monday Boston will be on June 18th at 7PM. Our topic is Mobile Location. Jeff Glass will be our moderator.
We will have speakers on mobile location from 7pm to 8pm at MIT Sloan, room E51-335, 70 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA
Immediately following the speaking portion of the event, we’ll have complimentary food and drink at the Cambridge Brewing Company. Our sponsors are Autodesk, WHERE, and TeleAtlas.
If you are coming, please RSVP.
We’ve got a great lineup for speakers on Mobile Location:
Jeff Glass, Bain Capital Ventures
As a partner at Bain Capital Ventures, Jeffrey Glass focuses on wireless, digital media and consumer marketing technologies. Prior to joining Bain Capital, Jeff was President & CEO of m-Qube, Inc., a Bain Capital portfolio company recently acquired by VeriSign Inc, in a cash and stock deal valued at nearly $300M.
Ivan Mitrovic, uLocate (WHERE)
Ivan is VP of Engineering at uLocate and is responsible for the existence of WHERE. Ivan boasts a breadth of wide ranging experience including the design and implementation of some of the world’s largest Financial Enterprise Applications for clients including Bank of America, Fleet, ABN AMRO, Nova Scotia Bank, CIBC and Sovereign Bank.
Ryan Sarver, Skyhook
Ryan is in charge of Product Development for Skyhook Wireless which includes products like Loki and Loki Mobile. He is also the Chair of LocationAware.org and is an Invited Expert for the W3C Ubiquitous Web Applications Working Group.
Evan Shelby, Tele Atlas
Evan Shelby manages critical product definition and development strategy for Tele Atlas enhancement products and partner programs globally, including developer tools and Tele Atlas’ Map Insight system. Shelby joined Tele Atlas in 2006.
Ameesh Bhandari, Autodesk
Ameesh has twenty years of successful sales and management experience in the wireless industry that includes Unisys Channel Partner Management, Regional Sales Management for the IDEN Group managing Nextel, and ten years at Verizon Wireless.
Amir Rozenberg, Nextcode
Amir is Director of Product Management at Nextcode Corporation. Nextcode is providing ConnexTo, the mobile code scanning solution that enables tourists to access digital content in the DiMO project.
Aaron Willette, DiMo Project
After working in the architecture industry, Aaron decided to return to his Alma Mater to run the small tools lab. His current investigations delve into the relationship between technology and craft in fabrication and its role in architecture.
Ashley D’Ambrosio, DiMo Project
Ashley is a 3rd year BArch student. Being in architecture school, she tries to balance her other discipline, dance, in her spare time. Her other interests include art, photography and travel.
Matthew Cawley, DiMo Project
Matt is a 4th year BArch student. He is interested in urban environment, art, and history. He is also interested in studying the network of local’s favorite destinations being juxtaposed in a linear network.
Topic: Mobile Location
Who: Anyone interested in mobile
When: Monday June 18th at 7PM
RSVP: please rsvp
Great meeting!

location based services

Our first Mobile Location event on June 18th
The next meeting of Mobile Monday Boston will be on June 18th at 7PM. Our topic is Mobile Location. Jeff Glass will be our moderator.
We will have speakers on mobile location from 7pm to 8pm at MIT Sloan, room E51-335, 70 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA
Immediately following the speaking portion of the event, we’ll have complimentary food and drink at the Cambridge Brewing Company. Our sponsors are Autodesk, WHERE, and TeleAtlas.
If you are coming, please RSVP.
We’ve got a great lineup for speakers on Mobile Location:
Jeff Glass, Bain Capital Ventures
As a partner at Bain Capital Ventures, Jeffrey Glass focuses on wireless, digital media and consumer marketing technologies. Prior to joining Bain Capital, Jeff was President & CEO of m-Qube, Inc., a Bain Capital portfolio company recently acquired by VeriSign Inc, in a cash and stock deal valued at nearly $300M.
Ivan Mitrovic, uLocate (WHERE)
Ivan is VP of Engineering at uLocate and is responsible for the existence of WHERE. Ivan boasts a breadth of wide ranging experience including the design and implementation of some of the world’s largest Financial Enterprise Applications for clients including Bank of America, Fleet, ABN AMRO, Nova Scotia Bank, CIBC and Sovereign Bank.
Ryan Sarver, Skyhook
Ryan is in charge of Product Development for Skyhook Wireless which includes products like Loki and Loki Mobile. He is also the Chair of LocationAware.org and is an Invited Expert for the W3C Ubiquitous Web Applications Working Group.
Evan Shelby, Tele Atlas
Evan Shelby manages critical product definition and development strategy for Tele Atlas enhancement products and partner programs globally, including developer tools and Tele Atlas’ Map Insight system. Shelby joined Tele Atlas in 2006.
Ameesh Bhandari, Autodesk
Ameesh has twenty years of successful sales and management experience in the wireless industry that includes Unisys Channel Partner Management, Regional Sales Management for the IDEN Group managing Nextel, and ten years at Verizon Wireless.
Amir Rozenberg, Nextcode
Amir is Director of Product Management at Nextcode Corporation. Nextcode is providing ConnexTo, the mobile code scanning solution that enables tourists to access digital content in the DiMO project.
Aaron Willette, DiMo Project
After working in the architecture industry, Aaron decided to return to his Alma Mater to run the small tools lab. His current investigations delve into the relationship between technology and craft in fabrication and its role in architecture.
Ashley D’Ambrosio, DiMo Project
Ashley is a 3rd year BArch student. Being in architecture school, she tries to balance her other discipline, dance, in her spare time. Her other interests include art, photography and travel.
Matthew Cawley, DiMo Project
Matt is a 4th year BArch student. He is interested in urban environment, art, and history. He is also interested in studying the network of local’s favorite destinations being juxtaposed in a linear network.
Topic: Mobile Location
Who: Anyone interested in mobile
When: Monday June 18th at 7PM
RSVP: please rsvp
AGIS Introduces Landmark Mobile Networking

location based services


Monday June 18, 1:15 pm ET
"A Command and Control System in Your Hand" Uniquely Integrates Voice, Data, and GPS-Tracking in a Single Application
Get Free 90-Day Evaluation Software(2) at www.agisinc.com
TEQUESTA, Fla., June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Ground Information Systems (AGIS) has introduced a breakthrough mobile-communication Location Based Services (LBS) software package that lets cell phone/PDA and PC users locate, track, talk, and exchange text and photos -- simultaneously -- between team members.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070618/CLM105)
AGIS, a Blue Force Command and Control system, performs all functions in a single application, without exiting or minimizing, and works with either manual or automatic GPS input.
Free 90-day trial versions of AGIS software may be downloaded at www.agisinc.com. While any US citizen can download it, AGIS is available for use only in the US and is subject to US Export Controls.
Source: Advanced Ground Information Systems

·
AGIS Introduces Landmark Mobile Networking
·
Click Here to Download Image

"Here's the phone Agent Jack Bauer wishes he had," says AGIS chairman Cap Beyer.
"An industry first, AGIS software is a novel marriage of off-the-shelf PCs and GPS PDA/cell phones," says Mr. Beyer. "It provides rapid voice and data communications between network participants using AGIS's patented situational awareness and Touch2Communicate(1) software which minimizes text entry," Mr. Beyer says.
AGIS allows each user to easily join in a network. Voice calling and conferencing, transmission of text, photographs and video clips are done either by touching symbols representing other users on a map, or by creating one or more subnets enabling one-touch calling to multiple users.
While AGIS was designed for military and first-responder use, its flexibility may also make it useful for business and even Social Networking, says Mr. Beyer.
AGIS lets you push text, photographs and video directly to other network participants -- even between different cell phone companies. To ensure confidentiality, subnets can be linked and tracked separately, channeling data to specific users and not to others.
Because AGIS systems run on standard Microsoft compatible PCs and Pocket PC cell phones, equipment costs are eliminated or minimized.
AGIS can also be configured to utilize WiFi Mesh Networks or a combination of cellular, Mesh and land line.
Maps are automatically downloaded from the AGIS server, when the user activates the AGIS software and turns on the GPS; they are updated as the user travels.
For free 90-day evaluation software download, or to read more about AGIS collaborative communication systems, please see www.agisinc.com.
(1) Patent #7,031,728; others pending.
(2) U.S. only.
Are Mobile Apps Barking Up the Wrong Tree?

location based services


by Russell Buckley on June 8th, 2007 in Mobile Content
One of the pieces of wisdom currently flowing around the industry is that it’s incredibly hard to get users to download mobile applications.
It’s a refrain I hear from everyone from seasoned investors to rueful executives of companies who have staked their all on a compelling mobile app - after all while most users don’t download apps, it’s going to be different with their app, right?
There’s exceptions to every rule obviously. Mobile games are downloadable applications and that’s surely a thriving business. But the Devil’s Advocate would argue that in the user’s mind, they’re actually downloading a “game”, not an “application”.
Many would argue that in this respect, the mobile is simply following the PC, where applications have been equally difficult. Exceptions are P2P and IM, but outside this relative niche, it’s hard to think of any runaway successes.
So I have a few questions for you, which I’ll cross post at the ForumOxford, to get some of the more vociferous folks chattering over the weekend:
1. Do you agree that mobile apps so far have been a bit a dud?
2. If you do agree, why? Is it because the apps themselves are simply not compelling enough? Are good ones just too hard to explain in marketing terms?
3. Are the functions being undertaken by apps going to migrate to the mobile web, as it becomes cheaper, faster and ever more usable?
Quite a wide-ranging subject, but I would be fascinated by the collective thoughts of MobHappy readers.


Google Maps API:Lots of cool new things to add to your Google Maps mashup

location based services


, compliments of the Google Maps API team!Add Google Maps Local Business Search to your Google Maps mashupWant to add a new data source to your mashup? Google has added a way for you add Google Maps local business results to your API site. Link through to this post over the Google Maps API Blog for more details. This is a great way to add more value to your Google Maps mashup, especially if you're focused on things like tourism or sporting venues. This will work for countries that support local business search on Google Maps.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Avis and Budget Rental Cars Offer Portable Navigation and Mobile Wi-Fi


location based services

Avistm Traveling is awesome. Unless you’re my sister-in-law, Laura, and then it is a “torture that surpasses all tortures” and requires massive amounts of sedatives before any vacation. Although maybe the sedatives are taken in order to deal with my brother… it’s entirely possible. I should know. I’ve dealt with him for 23 years. Good luck Laura.

At any rate, traveling is always fun but if you hit traffic in a place you don’t know, it can put a damper on it. Avis and Budget rental cars to the rescue! To help ensure travelers reach their destinations on time, Avis Budget Group, Inc., announced that Where2, the only GPS navigation system with real-time traffic alerts, is now available at Avis and Budget locations nationwide. Whoohoo!

Garmin_streetpilot_c550_2 Where2 GPS navigation notifies drivers of upcoming traffic snarls,
construction tie-ups, and automatically suggests alternative routes – kinda like my AWESOME Pioneer AVIC (I only get my commission if I mention them in all caps – I kid!). In addition, where available, information on weather delays is also provided. Traffic information is provided by Clear Channel’s Total Traffic Network for nearly 50 cities.

Traffic The unit is based on Garmin’s new StreetPilot c550 and also offers features such as Bluetooth hands-free calling, MP3 playback capability, multiple languages with spoken directions, three-dimensional maps, and more. It is fully portable and can be rented at Avis or Budget with any vehicle starting at $9.95 per day or $49.75 per week. For additional information on Where2 navigator or to make a reservation, travelers should visit www.avis.com/where2 or www.budget.com.

And in case you thought I was done, let me show you what’s behind Door Number Two! In case you are stranded at a boring old hotel room and need to check the Ask Patty blog, you can do it with the new Wi-Fi service Avis is offering! They will begin offering Avis Connect, a new service that effectively transforms the rental car into a Wi-Fi hotspot and can be carried from the car to meetings and hotels.

The new service, developed by Autonet Mobile, provides Avis renters with portable wireless Internet access so they can stay connected wherever they go. Beginning early next month, the first units will be available for rent from San Francisco airport. Avis will continue the roll-out to airport locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, San Diego, San Jose, and Seattle. The cost of the new service is $10.95 per day.

And that’s not all folks! Avis customers that utilize the Autonet Mobile Service do not need cellular data cards or special software loads to connect to wireless Internet devices: Simply turn on, log on and surf. Autonet Mobile Service is compatible with all Wi-Fi enabled devices, including laptops, MacBooks, Ultra-Mobile PC handhelds, and PDAs.

Yowzer! Remind me to book with Avis or Budget the next time I drag along my sister-in-law on a vacation! She can just plug in her MP3 player and chill out for the whole drive.

Location-Enabled Messaging


location based services

Posted by enid

vznavigator.jpgArranging a meeting place for a group of family, friends, coworkers or other groups can be quite a task. Verizon just made it easier to handle the herd with VZ Navigator. You can call up a map, create directions, and have the map sent to a friend’s phone with a note with added instructions. Friends who also use VZ Navigator can receive the map and use it to get audible, turn-by-turn directions. Next time you are organizing a dinner with your friends, you may want to get the phone out to chart out the best route for your friends to be sure they’ll be there in time for the reservation.

Personal navigation devices 'explode' in the auto market

location based services


Print This StorySend As EmailReprints
Automotive DesignLine

Despite the low "take rate" for automotive-OEM-supplied embedded navigation systems, car buyers' appetites for car navigation has become voracious, and will cause worldwide shipments of "hand-held" personal navigation devices (PNDs) to more than triple from 2006 to 2012. That's the prediction of iSuppli in a just released report, "Portable Navigation Devices Drive Semiconductor Growth."

According to another recent study on the 6.8% growth last year in the overall automotive semiconductor market, OEM original equipment embedded navigation systems will still be a "slow grower," according to Strategy Analytics Chris Webber, VP for global automotive. But because of the high cost of OEM navigation systems (often bundled with options consumers may not want), the market for personal nav devices for in-car use is taking off.

Since 2001, the automotive navigation market has transformed from being dominated by embedded systems installed in cars to being taken over by PNDs that can also be used in cars. The raised awareness of navigation is now having an uplifting effect on all types of systems, including line-fit units, with iSuppli forecasting total market shipments of 65.1 million navigation systems by 2012, more than three times the 19.8 million shipped in 2006.

"The rise in popularity of PNDs has encouraged the two leaders in this market, Tom-Tom and Garmin, to expand their business. These companies now are two of the fastest-growing semiconductor buyers in the world," says Richard Robinson, principal analyst for automotive electronics at iSuppli. "Given that the handheld navigation market is still at such an early stage of development, this is an amazing feat."

Tom-Tom and Garmin have experienced dramatic revenue growth during the past four years, rising to billion-dollar companies in 2006. Tom-Tom in particular grew to nearly $1.6 billion in revenue in 2006, up from just a mere $10 million in 2002.

However, competition is heating up as other companies have caught onto the fact that GPS systems are booming. With the market for navigation devices forecast to continue to soar, the leading companies are finding they need to do a little navigating themselves, as an estimated 100 Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) from Taiwan and Korea are entering the market to take advantage of the brisk sales growth.

Currently, the biggest threat to the dominant suppliers comes from Taiwanese ODM MiTAC, which owns the Mio brand and recently purchased the Navman brand. According to iSuppli's latest market share data, Mio and Navman together captured 20% of the market in 2006, putting MiTAC in the No. 3 spot, behind Tom-Tom and Garmin. Tom-Tom and Garmin posted 37% and 25% market shares, respectively.

For more on automotive navigation systems, read:
Keep automotive navigation data up-to-date


Print This StorySend As EmailReprints

Related Links:

As GPS navigation becomes exceedingly common these days, companies around the world are striving to improve reception in difficult places such as tunnels, canyons and nearby high-rise buildings. The California based company SiRF and the Swiss company U-Blox recently announced a new generation of GPS chips which will be cheaper and have improved reception under difficult conditions.

SiRF recently unveiled a new technology called SiRFDiRect, which aims to boost the accuracy of portable navigation systems when GPS signals are weak or blocked. According to the company, the new technology will allow seamless transitions between combined GPS/DR and dead-reckoning-only operation without operator intervention. The closely coupled GPS/DR architecture of SiRFDiRect technology will continuously auto-calibrate the heading and acceleration sensors, enabling high performance with low-cost and small-footprint sensors.

The new GPS module will come either inside a stand-alone unit or embedded inside a device (SmartPhone, Ultra Mobile PC, dedicated navigation unit etc.). According to SiRF, the new SiRFDiRect will allow greater flexibility in orienting portable navigation devices when mounting them in a vehicle without affecting performance.

The new LEA-4R by U-Blox is also equipped with built-in dead reckoning technology, which estimates the user’s current position according to their previously known positions, their speed, the elapsed time, and the course of travel. U-Blox also claims its’ technology can handle distortions from jamming sources and performs well even inside indoor parking facilities.

Despite these important advances, is appears that realization of a truly indoor capable GPS system is still far away. In 2006, TFOT examined this possibility as part of an overview of the future of Microsoft's Mylifebits Project. Although U-Blox announced it had obtained such a technology over a year ago, is seems that indoor GPS has not reached the consumer market as of yet.


SiRF's SiRFDiRect technology should be available as reference designs in the third quarter of 2007. According to U-Blox, samples of their LEA-4R chip have been ready since May 2007.

SiRF's press release regarding its upcoming SiRFDiRect technology can be found here. U-Blox's LEA-4R press release is available here.

http://www.gps-poi-us.com/

Our mission is simple: Provide up-to-date and accurate POI files of interest to you. Look no further than GPS POI US for all your POI file needs! We feature online ordering, credit card payment through PayPal and instant email with your purchased download link. Enjoy your GPS!

Nashville, TN (OPENPRESS) June 16, 2007 -- Guests from Trend Micro and TeleNav appear on radio talk show Let's Talk Computers. Trend Micro, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMIC) is a global leader in network antivirus and Internet content security software and services. Based in Sunnyvale, CA and founded by a team of GPS experts in 1999, TeleNav is the global leader in location-based services (LBS).

David Perry, Trend Micro's Global Director of Education, talks about a radically new defense system against Internet threats, which protects you, while surfing the Net.

Sal Dhanani, Co-Founder of TeleNav, talks about the company's flagship product, TeleNav GPS Navigator, which provides voice and onscreen driving directions on mobile devices. And as an added bonus: Find restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, and more from over 10 million points of interest. TeleNav even provides the lowest gas prices wherever you are.

To find out more about a radically new defense against Internet threats & to read a complete transcript go to: http://www.lets-talk-computers.com/guests/trend/web_protection/trend_transcript_june_16_2007.htm

Listen to the interviews at:
Trend Micro http://www.lets-talk-computers.com/guests/trend/web_protection
TeleNav http://www.lets-talk-computers.com/guests/telenav/telenav_gps

ABOUT LET'S TALK COMPUTERS
Since 1991, Let's Talk Computers, http://www.lets-talk-computers.com ranks as one of the oldest computer talk shows. On the air since 1989, hosts Alan Ashendorf, CEO, and Sandra Ashendorf, Client Services with Total Solutions, interview representatives from the computer industry about products and industry trends. Produced in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, you can listen-in to "insider" conversations, covering the latest innovations, hardware, and software and how they affect you. Guests have included representatives from Microsoft, Novell, IBM, Market Wire, Computer Associates, Lotus, "PC World", the Cobb Group, Ziff-Davis, Symantec, and a host of other companies mentioned on our Past Guests page. Our goal is to let you know what is happening in the computer industry.

The syndicated Let's Talk Computers (LTC) can be heard weekly in 5 states and 24 hours a day on the website. New shows are uploaded in RealAudio and NetShow formats by Friday, 12:00 PM Central - radio broadcasts begin airing the following day. Past interview segments are also available on the website.

LTC makes every effort to evaluate the products and services it showcases in real-world situations by applying solutions to real-life problems. To assist in evaluating both hardware and software under genuine working conditions, Let's Talk Computers utilizes the expertise and facilities of Total Solutions Inc (TSI) http://www.total-solutions.net. Since 1994, TSI has been instrumental in providing solutions, which allow clients to migrate legacy data and applications to the Windows platform.

Support their Sponsors:
Survivalist Knife and Tool http://www.survivalist-knife-and-tool.com
Great Knives at the Right Price
Your one stop store for all your knives and accessories.

Let's Talk Computers is a trademark of the Let's Talk Computers Tennessee partnership. Any use of this trademark without written authorization is strictly forbidden and a violation of state and federal law.

For broadcast schedules or additional information about Let's Talk Computers or this press release, please visit our site at www.lets-talk-computers.com or call 1-615-662-0322. E-mails can be addressed to alan@lets-talk-computers.com.

Contact: Sandra Lee
Title: Program Manager
Email: pr@lets-talk-computers.com

Let's Talk Computers
488 Saddle Drive
Nashville TN 37221
Phone: 615-662-0322
Fax: 615-646-7832

###

Making the web experience less cumbersome on mobile devices
Mobile experience Earthcomber [is] one of several new services designed to make browsing the web easier on your cellphone, BlackBerry or other mobile device,” writes Michelle Higgins in the New York Times.

“These so-called location-based services are trying to revamp the web experience to be less cumbersome on mobile devices, freeing users from what has been a pretty dismal experience involving lots of typing, scrolling and waiting.

The new services, with names like Mobio and Where, are aimed at anyone with a mobile device that can connect to the Internet. But the kind of online information they are making available on cellphones, BlackBerrys and other devices can be of particular use to travelers.

After downloading the application onto a phone, as you would a cellphone ring tone, a user can enter a city or a ZIP code and, in very few clicks, find the cheapest nearby gas station, locate a good restaurant, find an ATM or a Wi-Fi hot spot, call a cab, view movie times and more. […]

The new location-based services are part of a big race to push the Internet — and all the advertising, sales and information it entails — onto cellphone screens. Just about every company with a Web presence, from Google and Yahoo to travel sites like Orbitz.com and Kayak.com, has been adapting certain services or search capabilities for mobile devices. […]

For now, location-based service companies are being careful not to turn users off with ads, even though advertising provides the main revenue for services that are free to users. Those that do include ads try to display them only during the time it takes to connect to the Internet or in context — offering a coffee coupon, for instance, when a user searches for the nearest Starbucks.”

Read full story

Location based services 2.0

Location based services, such as a 3D map and traffic information, made a fitful start in the Internet bubble days. These services were not well received then because customers found mobile phones were too slow in displaying information from the Internet, their screens were too small and the images blurry. Location based services have now gotten a break with the advent of smart phones which have larger screens, the images have a better resolution and broadband wireless networks enable faster downloads.

Increasingly, location based services mean more than a map and driving directions. NavTech (Nasdaq: NVT), for example, has a product Discover Cities which correlates location information with places of interest such as shopping malls, gas stations, restaurants, businesses, parks, etc. Users of mobile phones can receive alerts about the source of the cheapest gas in their vicinity, discount offers when they are passing a mall, turn-by-turn routing directions to the nearest business or news about an event at the nearest theater.

Vendors are finding new ways to make geographical information valuable for consumers and businesses. Companies like Inrix and traffic.com collect real time data from sensors or other means and feed them back to drivers who view snapshots of the traffic situation visually displayed on maps and find the best means to navigate. Inrix also does forecasts of traffic volumes and helps drivers determine the time it would take them to move from one point to another.

The location based version of social networking helps mobile phone users locate friends and when they are traveling using services such as those provided by Loopt. Tourists can find information on events and look at reviews of restaurants and places of interest from other travelers.

Businesses use location based services to recover from disasters such as Katrina. Maptuit offers software that has helped retail giants like Wal-mart reroute trucks to alternative distribution centers when storms like Katrina damage the normal destination points.

TeleCommunications Systems (TCS), Inc (Nasdaq: TSYS) provides the backend software and the data telecommunications service providers need to offer location based services. TCS’s software helps to pinpoint the co-ordinates of the location of a mobile device user when a 911 call is made. In addition, its Rand McNally Traffic application is a tool for navigation which helps drivers with turn-by-turn directions to reach their destination. Users can also obtain real time information on traffic volumes on specific routes and places of interest on their route. TCS has a wealth of technology, 52 patents and 150 applications, which it can leverage.

Despite its strength in technology and marquee clients (Verizon with 20% of the sales and Cingular Wireless 10%), the financial performance of TCS thus far has been mediocre. Overall revenues barely grew from $97 million dollars in financial year 2004 to 102 million in 2005 and to 125 million in 2006. In all these years, it also incurred losses of $19 million in 2004, 12 million in 2005 and 22 million in 2006. It has since sold its enterprise applications division which accounted for losses of $24 million in 2006. The poor performance is accounted by the slow rate of adoption of location based services so far.

The prospects are likely to change in 2007 when adoption of location based services is expected to accelerate. In the first quarter ending 31st March 2007, TCS realized revenue of $34 million up 8% compared to 32 million in the first quarter of 2006. The discontinuation of unprofitable businesses in 2006 led to an increase in profits; net income in first quarter of 2007 was $0.6 million compared to a loss of $1.7 million in the first quarter of 2006. The improvement of profitability is reflected in a steady increase in stock price from a bottom of $2 in August of 2006 to a peak of $4.5 in May 2007. Further upside is likely with large sales of software to telecom carriers.

LoJack Corporation (Nasdaq:LOJN) uses location technology to track down stolen vehicles and is extending its applications to cargo and lap tops. It takes advantage of the tiny size of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to prevent a thief from finding the tracking sensor.

The current business model is looking to expand revenues by expanding markets in Canada, China and Italy. Increasingly, LoJack is also entering into bulk installation programs, with lower per unit revenues, which accounted for 24% of all installations in financial year 2006. With bulk installations, LoJack is also looking to improve manufacturing efficiencies to maintain margins. After a 31% increase in revenues between 2004 and 2005, LoJack’s growth fell to a rate of 12% between 2005 and 2006. Net income peaked at $18 million in 2005 and then fell to $16 million in 2006. In the first quarter of 2007 ending 31st March, the revenue growth slowed further to 7% as compared to the first quarter of 2006. On the other hand, net income increased from $6 million up from $3 million. The higher profitability came from unchanged cost of goods while revenues increased. The stock price is up 20% YTD at 20.52. The stock is still below the 2 year high of 29 and is a buy.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Why 80% Europeans want Galileo?

location based services

At the same time transport ministers of the European Union countries were meeting to discuss whether or not they should fund the Galileo satellite navigation system, the European commission issued a press release showing the results of a Gallup poll in which “An overwhelming majority – 80% of respondents – consider that the European Union should set up its own independent system, while only 12% think that there is no need for such a development”. Based on this poll "Europeans recognize that GALILEO could have a big impact on their life in the future and they expect greater effort at European level to develop this technology", said European commission Vice-President, Jacques Barrot, in charge of Transport. "Therefore, we will continue the work with Member States and industry to complete this major European innovation project and get the most out of our investments." But, as every sociology textbook would explain, the answer to a question largely depends on the way you ask it. So we did our homework and found the exact question in the Gallup questionnaire: “Before I ask the next question, let me explain you a few things about navigation systems. ­- Navigations systems are used by an increasing number of applications, such as for example car navigation, shipping, aviation, in agriculture to monitor the use of chemicals ­- The US owns and controls GPS, which is primarily for military use, but also provided for civilian use, however without quality of service guarantees. ­- Russia and China are working on setting up their alternative navigation systems. These are mostly military systems as well. According to your opinion, should Europe set up its own navigation system, or should Europe rely on American, Russian or Chinese systems?” Now we understand why Europeans want Galileo: they don't really like the US, Russian and Chinese armies, but is this enough?
Thursday 14th June 2007
Ludovic Privat
TomTom Map Share disappointing?

location based services

June 12 2007, 15:52
TomTom Map Share’s features seem much less radical than most had thought after the initial announcement.
Replies: 34By yourNAV editors
Map Share, TomTom’s map-improvement technology which was announced last week, seems a lot less radical than most had assumed after it’s first announcement. The different types of possible corrections are limited to five in this first version.
RevolutionaryWith Map Share, the user can make his/her own corrections to the digital map of his/her PND and share it with other users of the new software. All the reactions of those present at the gathering in Cannes last week were enthusiastic, without exception. Reports later in papers and online media were also very positive about the new technology. This is no surprise, because the basic principle of Map Share may surely be called spectacular, revolutionary even. It will no doubt help TomTom leap ahead of the competition.
LimitationBut now it seems that Map Share will be more limited than we gathered from the initial information, including a lot of screen dumps (see here). On those, possibilities like postal code corrections and even adding missing streets and roundabouts are shown.Unfortunately, TomTom let us know today that these kinds of changes will not be available on the device, and will also not be a part of the Map Share download in which corrections available to all users are centralised. These corrections will be reported to Tele Atlas though, who will implement the corrections into future releases.
");
//-->
');
}
//-->
This disappointing limitation only leaves room for five types of corrections with Map Share:
(un)Block a street
Reverse driving direction
Change a street name
Add a missing Point Of Interest (POI)
Change a Point Of Interest (POI)
DisappointmentMany will consider these limitations to be pretty disappointing. A spokesperson for TomTom has let us know that they are working on implementing the other features which were first announced into the next released of Map Share. “We aim to release another Map Share version which will enable , for example, the adding of new streets and roundabouts”.

Replies by users:

Click on 'REPLY' if you want to reply...
Rob Ot Posts: 226
Posted on: June 12, 2007 15:52 h
Posted News:
Now on yourNAV:

TomTom Map Share disappointing?
TomTom Map Share’s features seem much less radical than most had thought after the initial announcement. Click the headline to read this news post... Click 'REPLY' if you want to reply to this news post The yourNAV team
Lee Sainsbury Posts: 638
Posted on: June 12, 2007 16:29 h
Well there goes a very good reason to upgrade then....Pathetic TomTom!! Announce something that's coming and then withdraw...It's the RDS/TMC saga all over again...Tom Tom =
ajh Posts: 21
Posted on: June 12, 2007 16:34 h
I guess it is a bit disappointing, but even the things that are included will make a real difference. There are a number of roads near me that have the direction incorrectly coded, and to be able to change that will improve things. If they hadn't shown the extra functionality, we probably wouldn't be that disappointed!
DarrenUK Posts: 43
Posted on: June 12, 2007 17:51 h
I will still get the new tomtom for other reasons, but this mapshare news is disappointing if not unsurprising. Those who thought that the idea people could alter maps and upload inaccurate changes just for a laugh will probably tell you it is for safety reasons. If this is so, then they would have scrapped it altogether and replaced it with something like the upcoming Navman system. The reasons I suspect for the change are purely commercial. ( insert "ker-ching!" sound here) If people can alter and update their maps free of charge, then who would pay for commercial updates in 6 months to years time, when they would already be out of date?I suspect that tomtoms map providers have asked tomtom if they are trying to put them out of business!Wish they had kept the add roundabout feature. I live near Canterbury, Kent. The council seem to put new roundabouts and pelican crossings every twenty feet. The distance inbetween they fill (or should I say "unfill") with potholes. Your tax money at work!
raylight Posts: 45
Posted on: June 12, 2007 18:45 h
I still think that its worth upgrading to the new 720, even though the mapshare is limited.it is a much slimmer, and better looking unit, than the one version 2Also the new features it will have , are definatley worth the upgrade.Just depends on the price now !!!!!
steveJ Posts: 105
Posted on: June 12, 2007 18:56 h
But is it worth upgrading from a 910? . At the moment, possibly not!
DarrenUK Posts: 43
Posted on: June 12, 2007 19:13 h
I've just had another look at the screencaps for nav7. I don't think tomtom have been misleading us or gone back on features they said it would have.If you look carefully the screencap for add roundabout, change postcode etc, it appears after the screen which you go to, to report errors. Those of us who thought that we could change those things ourselves (me included), have been looking at the screencaps in the wrong context. This wouls have been clearer if tomtom had a flash "demo" that we could look at. So they are not as evil as we thought!However I still think that the decision not to include them as user upgrade features is commercial, and they have to keep making money out of their existing users somehow.I don't have an x10 series tomtom, but I would still think that the speech recognition and other safety features would make it worth the upgrade if you have one.
vroomfondel Posts: 44
Posted on: June 12, 2007 20:41 h
The actual features in "Mapshare" are pathetic. They don't address most of the real problems users have.Its a NON-feature.Their competitors must be laughing their socks off.
uocooper Posts: 104
Posted on: June 12, 2007 22:58 h
I wouldn't call the clarification disappointing. Map Share is still something that I think can be a huge benefit to TomTom owners. The fact is that the corrections that you can make in Map Share 1.0 cover about 90% of the errors I see. I'm also happy to see that the changes you report via Map Share make their way back to Teleatlas. Map Share will improve just as the rest of the TomTom software has with each release.
oskarp Posts: 23
Posted on: June 12, 2007 23:04 h
QUOTE
This disappointing limitation only leaves room for five types of corrections with Map Share:(un)Block a streetReverse driving directionChange a street nameAdd a missing Point Of Interest (POI)Change a Point Of Interest (POI)I think this possibilities is good, If I had a extra wish it must be the possibility to change a speed limit.I don't think it is easy to make and application, that gives all of us the possibility to draw in a map, change roads, crosses etc.There has to be a man made controll after all on such changes.I am satisfied if the most of the information placed on the map can be changed.I am looking forward to get the Navcore 7 ether on a new unit or on my 910.
samjohnson Posts: 3
Posted on: June 13, 2007 11:01 h
It still sounds pretty exciting to me. This is just the first version, and it's already a revolutionary concept. Don't really get how anyone could find it pathetic or disappointing. Even in it's first incarnation Map Share is way beyond anything the competition is doing. If it works, of course. I'm gonna be very tempted to trade in my 710 for one of these.
Captain Nemo 2nd Posts: 2
Posted on: June 13, 2007 11:36 h
i for one am looking forward to the release of this software update, I used to have a TT go300 and the map errors were so bad i had to get rid of it, Now if only I could get a TT with Navtech map data and this Navcore 7 software...Anyone who thought end users would be able to put roundabouts in willy nilly and be able to send that info to everyone else on the scheme should have there head examined, I wonder how many roundabouts would have appeared on the fast lane of the M1!!Even the Block/unblock function is very risky, I wonder how many people are going to be driving round the M25 only to find there TT is telling them the road is permantly blocked, chaosI don't see a "no right/left ammend function on there anywhere, am i not looking in the right placeMy Dream device1,A 5inch screen2,split screen display (birds eye and 3d) views with sticky independant zooming3,nearest petrol in road miles not "as crow flies" 4,RDS TMC with a contact No. so you can let them know that the A2 is actually closed!!!!5,RDS FM Transmiter - it will cut into whatever CD or Radio stn your listening to.6,All the features of Navcore 7 7,custom menus8,reliable speed camera data9,preview of next junction
Captain Nemo 2nd Posts: 2
Posted on: June 13, 2007 11:38 h
Sam Johnson...I do believe you will be able to keep your 710 it's a software upgrade
samjohnson Posts: 3
Posted on: June 13, 2007 12:21 h
QUOTE
Even the Block/unblock function is very risky, I wonder how many people are going to be driving round the M25 only to find there TT is telling them the road is permantly blocked, chaosWell I don't know, I would imagine they would have thought of that. I don't think it would be that hard to filter incoming corrections. And if you look at their 'levels of trustworthiness', the lowest level is reported by 'some' so even in that case more than one person would have to report the same correction. They will surely have some kind of system in place to sort out silly corrections, it will be interesting to see how it works in practice.
angel13 Posts: 160
Posted on: June 13, 2007 14:41 h
Typical Tom Tom: Like TMC - Garmin had it Tom Tom announced it. Said it would come with the new x10 series. More than half a year later it was released and to date it still doesn't work. Should have bought a Garmin.
Andy_P Posts: 2793
Posted on: June 13, 2007 14:56 h
QUOTE(angel13 @ Jun 13 2007, 13:41)
Typical Tom Tom: Should have bought a Garmin. Why... Does Garmin have something like Mapshare up and running?
TheTremor Posts: 181
Posted on: June 13, 2007 18:35 h
QUOTE(angel13 @ Jun 13 2007, 14:41)
More than half a year later it was released and to date it still doesn't workTMC works perfectly on my TomTomEspecially if you live in Switzerland
greyboy Posts: 296
Posted on: June 13, 2007 19:07 h
I think the really interesting thing about the 720 is that its opening new door of interaction with the maps on our GPS devices and its the biggest step in the right direction I've seen in a while. No one else is coming close to this and the fact that they are reacting to consumer demand and creating new features like this in the new TomTom devices is in no way disappointing to me.
Colin K Posts: 698
Posted on: June 13, 2007 20:14 h
Just another "half-cocked" idea; promises, promises.Colin
MECCAA Posts: 61
Posted on: June 13, 2007 21:19 h
Im a bit disappointed but when you think About it the mapshare would have took a lot of policeing before it could work. They would have had to check it was correct before it was put on a central database for us to share and that would mean loads more people to employ and the cost to do this would outway the smile on our faces. I was going for the One XL but am glad I never rushed out to buy it, now the 720 is on Pre-Order and I am looking forward to playing with my new toy.
vroomfondel Posts: 44
Posted on: June 13, 2007 22:39 h
QUOTE(Colin K @ Jun 13 2007, 19:14)
Just another "half-cocked" idea; promises, promises.Yup, Its a FUD (Fear Uncertainty & Doubt) feature to scare the competitors.IBM used to be masters at this.It will make customers think they are making a contribution, so they feel important.Like the fader we used to fit on audio mixing consoles that did nothing but made the "money" producers feel they were doing something.
Nextourer Posts: 46
Posted on: June 14, 2007 07:51 h
QUOTE(MECCAA @ Jun 13 2007, 12:19)
Im a bit disappointed but when you think About it the mapshare would have took a lot of policeing before it could work. They would have had to check it was correct before it was put on a central database for us to share and that would mean loads more people to employ and the cost to do this would outway the smile on our faces. I was going for the One XL but am glad I never rushed out to buy it, now the 720 is on Pre-Order and I am looking forward to playing with my new toy.I'm more concerned with MY unit so that MY TT routes well. You don't have to accept MapShare changes from others if you don't want to.
angel13 Posts: 160
Posted on: June 14, 2007 09:54 h
QUOTE(Andy_P @ Jun 13 2007, 14:56)
Why... Does Garmin have something like Mapshare up and running?Given past experience I'm willing to bet they will before Tom Tom does!
angel13 Posts: 160
Posted on: June 14, 2007 10:00 h
QUOTE(TheTremor @ Jun 13 2007, 18:35)
TMC works perfectly on my TomTomEspecially if you live in SwitzerlandI don't know where you live but I regularly drive between Zurich and Geneva on the A1 and find about 50% of the time my Tom Tom is searching for a TMC signal. If I sit in one place and start my Tom Tom I find it takes between 5 and 15 minutes to finally lock on a station. If I watch the Traffic page at the frequencies it is listing (when I stand in one place) I can see it repeatedly stopping at and passing a station I know carries TMC until finally 5 to 15 minutes later it stops to recieve data.The number of times I have been in traffic to look down to see my unit still searching for data is more than enough for me to say resoundly it does not work.
samjohnson Posts: 3
Posted on: June 14, 2007 10:37 h
QUOTE
Yup, Its a FUD (Fear Uncertainty & Doubt) feature to scare the competitors.IBM used to be masters at this.It will make customers think they are making a contribution, so they feel important.Like the fader we used to fit on audio mixing consoles that did nothing but made the "money" producers feel they were doing something.I think the first five features will be genuinely useful. In my experience people often complain about incorrectly named streets and innacuracy of the standard POIs. I also know a few places where street directions tend to change as well, sometimes every day. We'll need so see how well the sharing works in practice, but I'm definitely excited about being able to make these mods to my own map. You can say a lot about TomTom but they've always been good at letting users configure and personalize their own devices.
Colin K Posts: 698
Posted on: June 14, 2007 15:27 h
QUOTE(MECCAA @ Jun 13 2007, 19:19)
Im a bit disappointed but when you think About it the mapshare would have took a lot of policeing before it could work. They would have had to check it was correct before it was put on a central database for us to share and that would mean loads more people to employ and the cost to do this would outway the smile on our faces. I was going for the One XL but am glad I never rushed out to buy it, now the 720 is on Pre-Order and I am looking forward to playing with my new toy.With whom do you have your 720 on Pre-Order MECCAA, and what is the estimated delivery date?I was seriously considering getting the 720 but have now been forced into it. My Landy was broken into this morning (they bricked the window, along with seven other cars in the same area) and they took my GO 910, Garmin Street Pilot, Sony radio-CD player and various other odds and ends. My local Land Rover dealer says that they expect the *20's by third week in July.Colin (very pissed-off person!)
Jolly Roger Posts: 1275
Posted on: June 14, 2007 15:31 h
Guess you're not even safe out in the middle of nowhere these days
Colin K Posts: 698
Posted on: June 14, 2007 15:34 h
QUOTE(samjohnson @ Jun 14 2007, 08:37)
You can say a lot about TomTom but they've always been good at letting users configure and personalize their own devices.What on earth do you mean by this statement?Colin
Colin K Posts: 698
Posted on: June 14, 2007 15:48 h
QUOTE(Jolly Roger @ Jun 14 2007, 13:31)
Guess you're not even safe out in the middle of nowhere these days Sure aren't JR. The annoying thing is that I have lost about £1,000 worth of kit which will be sold by some demented "druggy" (of which we have an awful lot here) for €20 in a local bar. Plus, clearing up the mess in the car, plus the hassle of doing a 160km round trip to my Land Rover dealer to find that they don't have the window in stock but have to get it sent from Spain, then another 160km round trip again on Monday to have it and the radio fitted. PLUS, today is the first day I can remember in ten years here that it has absolutely pissed down with rain and a force 7 gale in June so I had to spend an hour making a makeshift window out of polythene and gaffer tape.And, I went to report the crime to the police in Portimão but they didn't want to know (literally) because they are all going off to look for the the body of this Mcann child which is apparently buried just a few kms from where I live, and without the police report I cannot make an insurance claim, and CarGlass (the free glass replacement service which I have with my car insurance) have failed miserably to respond to my SOS.My wife has just poured me a (another) malt whiskey.Colin
Andy_P Posts: 2793
Posted on: June 14, 2007 16:19 h
Yeah, but look at that view....
Colin K Posts: 698
Posted on: June 14, 2007 19:25 h
Now this really is funny.CarGlass did eventually phone me and apologised for the delay. The weather has been so bad today that the Portuguese have been playing "dodgems" on the motorway and with so many crashes the emergency glass replacement firm have been over-stretched. The guy who phoned me said that if I could bring my car into Faro (another 160 km round trip) they could replace the window at their depot. He gave me an address which I could not find on the map (it was on an industrial estate) and then said: "If you have a PND system I can give you the grid co-ordinates" - my response was not fit for posting on this forum!!!Colin
greyboy Posts: 296
Posted on: June 14, 2007 19:38 h
Wow, that really sucks. Was anything out in plain sight? I don't even leave the mount or charge out for anything anymore and I live in a reasonably safe area. Does your insurance cover any of your stolen equipment? Maybe you could get them to buy you a new 720 - that'd be at least a little silver lining. Sounds like you might actually get your new TT before you get a new window. Sorry again, I know there the "help me I'm getting robbed function on the new 720 - but is there a "don't park here because you will get broken into" share function on it too?
Colin K Posts: 698
Posted on: June 14, 2007 20:08 h
Because I cannot get a police report (for reasons given above) I cannot make an insurance claim. In any case, I have spoken to my insurance agent who tells me that although I am covered for €2,000 of "car contents" it does not include PND devices (no reason given) - insurance of any sort (car, home contents, buildings, health, etc.) in Portugal is a total waste of time and money. We have been burgled twice, I have had the car broken into twice, and I have been mugged once - not a penny in compensation. I only keep the car insurance because it is a legal requirement. COMMERCIAL UNION (now called VICTORIA INSURANCE here) are a load of thieves.So, I just grit my teeth and pay up. I was going to get a 720 anyway and give my 910 to my wife. What I really want is a PND which, when taken from a vehicle without entering a secure password, will explode with the force of an atomic bomb approximately one hour later. Now that would be satisfying, don't you think?Colin
vroomfondel Posts: 44
Posted on: June 14, 2007 21:38 h
QUOTE(Colin K @ Jun 14 2007, 19:08)
.... I only keep the car insurance because it is a legal requirement. COMMERCIAL UNION (now called VICTORIA INSURANCE here) are a load of thieves.....Thankfully i'm with another insurer..


Products
News
Reviews
Specials
Links
Polls
Forum
Contact
The intellectual rights of this site and its content, graphical design and (technical) architecture (like texts, photo's, illustrations, logo's), are reserved.
Everything about TomTom GO 720, TomTom GO 520, TomTom ONE XL Europe, TomTom RIDER 2, Navigon 7110, Navigon 5110, Navigon 7100, Navigon 5100, Medion GoPal X4510, Medion GoPal S2310, Mio C520T, Mio C520, Mio C320, Mio C220, Garmin nüvi 370T, Garmin nüvi 670T, Garmin zūmo 400, Route 66 Chicago 9000 PRO, Route 66 Chicago 7000 PRO, Garmin zūmo 500, JVC KV-PX70, Sony Nav-U71T, Nokia 330 Auto Navigation, Mio C250, Packard Bell 400, Packard Bell Compasseo 620, Packard Bell Compasseo 600, Packard Bell Compasseo 500, inVion GPS-5v1, Route 66 Chicago 8000, Route 66 Chicago 6000, ViaMichelin X-980T, VDO Dayton PN2050, Mio H610, Navigon P9611 Porsche, Garmin Nüvi 660, TomTom ONE New Edition Europe, Becker Traffic Assist Highspeed II, Becker Traffic Assist Pro, TomTom ONE New Edition Regional, Garmin zūmo 550, Acer d150, Acer e310, Intempo Digital Buddy, VDO Dayton MS 2010, Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket Loox N100, Novogo V90, Novogo V70, Novogo V50, Novogo T90, Novogo T70, Novogo T50, Novogo A70, Novogo T30, Novogo A30, Novogo V30, Falk 3500 SC, Pioneer AVIC-S1, Navman iCN 750, Navman iCN 720, Navman iCN 530, Navman iCN 330, Garmin StreetPilot i2, Mio C210, Mio C510E, Mio C710, ViaMichelin X-950T, ViaMichelin X-930, Sony Nav-U70, Sony Nav-U50, VDO Dayton MS 2000, Navman iCN 650, Navman iCN 520, Navman iCN 320, Garmin StreetPilot c550, Garmin StreetPilot c510, Garmin StreetPilot i3, Garmin Nüvi 360, Garmin Nüvi 310, Garmin Nüvi 350, Garmin Nüvi 300, Mio 269 Plus, Mio 268 Plus, TomTom GO, TomTom ONE, TomTom RIDER, TomTom GO 300, TomTom GO 500, TomTom GO 700, TomTom GO 510, TomTom GO 710, TomTom GO 910 and more... © 2004-2007 jouwMedia bv
_uacct = "UA-520140-2";
urchinTracker();
Broadcom to Acquire Global Locate, Inc., a Provider of Industry-Leading GPS Chips and Software

location based services

Broadcom Enters Fast-Growing GPS Market with Single-Chip Solutions Targeted at Personal Navigation Devices and Mobile PhonesIRVINE, Calif. and SAN JOSE, Calif., June 12, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Global Locate, Inc., a privately-held, fabless provider of industry-leading global positioning system (GPS) and assisted GPS (A-GPS) semiconductor products and software. GPS is expected to join Bluetooth® and similar wireless technologies as a pervasive feature in next generation mobile devices. Global Locate's semiconductor solutions are used in mobile phones from leading cellular handset makers and incorporated into products from TomTom NV, the largest personal navigation device (PND) vendor in the world.
GPS products and location based services (LBS) are increasing in popularity with consumers and cellular service providers as both take advantage of the ability to identify exact geographical location by means of faint radio signals transmitted from a system of orbiting satellites. Growing consumer interest in these applications is driving the GPS chip market, which is expected to grow to $1.07 billion annually by 2012 according to market research firm Forward Concepts. The latest generation of PNDs provides location, points of interest and turn-by-turn navigation, features that are attracting increasing adoption among consumers. Cellular service providers also plan to incorporate GPS chips in mobile phones to meet government regulations for emergency 911 calls and to increase their average revenue per user (ARPU) with location based services.
Broadcom expects the demand for GPS devices to increase dramatically as the deployment of GPS in mobile phones increases. Combining Global Locate's GPS technology with Broadcom's leading Bluetooth, Wi-Fi®, cellular and other mobile technologies will provide leading handset makers with wireless connectivity solutions that add significant value to feature and smart phone products.
Global Locate has focused on GPS chip and navigation technology since it was founded in 1999. The company is currently producing its third generation of GPS chips and has developed a worldwide GPS reference network that provides assistance data to its A-GPS-equipped chips via cellular data channels (GPRS or 3G), boosting performance and reducing the time required to determine a location by up to 100 times.
"With the acquisition of Global Locate, Broadcom will be the only semiconductor supplier in the world with top-tier customers in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, FM radio and GPS, four of the key wireless technologies now being added to next generation mobile phones," said Robert A. Rango, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Wireless Connectivity Group. "We are also pleased to add Global Locate's strong patent portfolio of over 175 issued and pending U.S. and foreign patents to our already robust patent portfolio."
"The combination of Global Locate's navigation expertise with Broadcom's well-known leadership in CMOS RF technology will enable Broadcom to develop a new generation of standalone GPS chips as well as GPS chips that incorporate other wireless standards, accelerating the adoption of GPS into all sorts of consumer devices," said Scott D. Pomerantz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Locate. "Joining with Broadcom and its leading position in wireless technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, we can accelerate the penetration of Global Locate's GPS technology into mobile phones and at the same time accelerate the penetration of Broadcom's other wireless products into personal navigation devices."
Product Details
Global Locate's solutions are ideal for high volume GPS-enabled products like PNDs and cellular phone handsets where navigation performance and high sensitivity needs are coupled with requirements for low power consumption and small form factors. While many existing GPS solutions consist of two separate chips, a separate baseband and radio, Global Locate has integrated both into a single-chip CMOS product.
Global Locate offers products specifically optimized to add GPS cost effectively as a feature in devices such as mobile phones. In cellular applications where a wireless network connection is available, Global Locate's products can also access assistance data to enable more rapid "time to fix" performance. For example, traditional GPS can take as long as several minutes to determine location in the best conditions, but with Global Locate's assistance data, that time can be reduced to just a few seconds.
The acquisition also includes Global Locate's innovative World Wide Reference Network (WWRN) providing real time A-GPS data as well as Long-Term Orbit (LTO) solutions to provide assistance even when a network connection is not available. Several carriers, including one of the most widely used A-GPS networks in North America, have adopted Global Locate's A-GPS server solution to provide location based services, which dramatically increases their revenue per usage metrics.
Broadcom's Wireless Connectivity Group has been one of the company's fastest growing businesses over the last three years. This growth has been driven by the adoption of Bluetooth in mobile phones, the proliferation of Wi-Fi technology in the home, and the expansion of Voice over IP (VoIP) services by telecommunications carriers. Broadcom anticipates that GPS will be a significant growth driver for its wireless connectivity business as GPS is adopted in mobile phones and other consumer devices.
Transaction Details
In connection with the acquisition, Broadcom expects to pay approximately $146 million net in cash at closing in exchange for all outstanding shares of capital stock and other rights of Global Locate. A portion of the consideration payable to the stockholders of Global Locate will be placed into escrow pursuant to the terms of the acquisition agreement. Additional consideration of up to $80 million in cash will be reserved for future payment to the former holders of Global Locate capital stock and other rights upon satisfaction of certain performance goals. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the merger. The closing, which is expected to occur during Broadcom's third quarter ending September 30, remains subject to customary closing conditions. Broadcom may record a one-time charge for purchased in-process research and development expenses when the closing occurs. The amount of that charge, if any, has not yet been determined.
About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. We provide the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art, system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything®.
Broadcom is one of the world's largest fabless semiconductor companies, with 2006 revenue of $3.67 billion, and holds over 2,000 U.S. and 800 foreign patents, more than 6,000 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video and data.
Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5000 or at http://www.broadcom.com.
About Global Locate, Inc.
Global Locate, Inc. is a privately-held company that provides GPS semiconductor products and software for mobile phones, personal navigation devices and networks. The company has more than 175 U.S. & foreign patents issued or pending relating to GPS and assisted GPS (A-GPS) technology, and its product suite includes Hammerhead®, the world's first commercial single-die GPS receiver. Global Locate is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. with offices in the New York metropolitan area, Tokyo, Taipei and Madrid.
Safe Harbor Statement under
The 'Building Block' Approach to Location-Based Services



For any traveler searching for a gas station or restaurant while “armed” only with a mobile phone or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) with wireless capability, Location-Based Services (LBSs) have proved to be a technological blessing. These are interactive wireless IP services that use geographic information to serve a mobile user via the user’s mobile device, the location of which is broadcast periodically. An LBS can help the user answer such questions as: Where am I? What is nearby? How can I go to…?

LBSs are made possible by combining cellular technology, the Internet and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) utilizing spatial databases. An infrastructure capable of supporting this mélange of systems is generally made up of mobile devices (PDAs, mobile phones, laptops, car navigation unit, etc.), a communication network, a positioning component (Global Positioning System or GPS), a service/application provider and a back-end data/content provider (database).

To create such LBSs would normally take a considerable amount of time. Obviously, building an LBS would benefit highly from a modular approach involving inexpensive, well-tested “building blocks” assembled into whatever network elements are necessary, thus speeding up a service’s time-to-market, giving the service provider a competitive edge and boosting its revenue.

This is precisely the approach suggested by the Dialogic (News - Alert) Corporation in its white paper, “Grow Revenue and Reduce Time to Market with Dialogic Building Blocks; Location Based Services.”Most major network elements consist of backplanes and the circuit boards (and mezzanine or “daughterboards”) that are plugged into them. Dialogic has been at the forefront of such hardware designs since the late 1980s — indeed, the company has been something of a bellwether for the entire telecom hardware component industry — and it now provides an enormous variety of modular building blocks for LBS including compute, packet, and media processing boards; switches; chassis management modules; and accessories.

Such “building block” products for service providers should always be carrier-grade, high-density, NEBS-3/ETSI (News - Alert)-compliant computing solutions, and capable of both high availability and hot swappability (the ability to replace the component while it is running).

Building LBSs based on building blocks such as Dialogic’s becomes a very enticing proposition when time-to-market is of vital importance and a provider’s engineering resources are constrained or nonexistent. Classic service providers and network operators in general will doubtless be forced to simplify their efforts via these “building blocks” so that they can quickly develop and deploy a legion of exiting new, revenue-generating — and customer churn-reducing — IP-based services for business and residential markets.

-----
Richard Grigonis is an internationally-known technology editor and writer. Prior to joining TMC (News - Alert), he was the Editor-in-Chief of VON Magazine from its founding in 2003 to August 2006. He also served as the Chief Technical Editor of CMP Media’s Computer Telephony magazine (later called CommunicationsConvergence from its first year of operation in 1994 until 2003. In addition, he has written five books on computers and telecom (including the Computer Telephony Encyclopedia and Dictionary of IP Communications). To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s Whitepaper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers whitepapers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The iPhone as a GPS/SatNav

location based services


13 Jun, 2007 Mobile, Google Maps, GPS, Hardware, LBS
You may have seen the latest Steve Jobs WWDC Keynote and iPhone adverts and be wondering about how good it will perform as a GPS device (as you would any modern mobile phone) or for Location Based Services (LBS).
A lot of people are looking forward to the release of the iPhone, and I guess only time will tell as to how it performs, but I can see some things which may backfire with the fully online (or at least that’s what it seems) platform.
Steve hasn’t mentioned anything about GPS support within the iPhone, but I don’t see it not having support.
Unless there are some sophisticated caching mechanisms, maps are going to be unavailable in areas of low mobile network coverage.
Points of Interest appear built into the phone are most probably the normal Google Maps, and possibly not very customisable.
Other POIs are capable through the web browser, with AJAX these websites can appear as if they are native applications on the phone, but only through clicking on an address/location of some sort to trigger the Google Maps view of that point.
I hope to be proven wrong, but those are my reservations. If I am proven correct, this would surely be a major issue for anyone (like myself) who uses GPS/GIS in anger. Any ideas?
Few Words About Location Based Services on Symbian Phones



Jul 08, 2006 at 11:07 AM EEST
I'm thinking about utilizing much more from cell and location information available on Symbian phones than it's done in any current application. Based on information I have, and I hope you'll correct me if I'm doing wrong, with today's public Symbian OS API we looking through keyhole into room full of treasure - possible amazing applications - but we haven't key to open the door - we're missing proper API to access the NMR (Network Measurement Results) data...

From the time I decided start development on Symbian platform I heard from numerous people similar questions related to the Symbian GSM location functionality and to be honest every time I answered them I was not really sure what to say. I will not try to describe here GPS, E-OTD or other advanced systems, which needs additional support from phone device SIM card (SIM Toolkit solution), MS or network hardware or software upgrade. Those systems are not available to everybody today and solution driven by operators (with the problem that they could vary across the world) will never allow to single developers to participate in. Let's aim our effort only to abilities of normal smart phone available on the market. Crucial question we had to answer and I hope once again, you can help me is: Even if will have all NMR available on the phone, will we be able to measure mobile position with 10 meters in micro and pico cells areas up to 100 meters in large areas covered by one BTS? There is a lot of materials describing mathematical models (quite difficult to understand:) and theory, but how it's in practice?

Reality is that every mobile phone user can easily search the Internet for information about "Net monitor" or "Field test" applications, which were in different ways hidden somewhere on the phone, before normal blind users. Those application were not useful for masses, but they at least show us what could be monitored by the phone API, because there was always someone enough skilful, who found how to activate and run those hidden menus (on older phones) or standalone applications (on some Symbian devices) and reveal this secret to others. Let's left out for now question if such activity is legal or not. In any case result of those activities is that it's clear to all programmers that applications developed by phone manufacturer could have access to the information up to six or more neighbors cells and can obtain data about signal strength and others from the mobile network. More precisely it was known of course, that GSM device must have access to such information, but those applications show how easily it can be done and put into life many new ideas, how to use them.

Awareness of location is important part of context sensitive services, actually it is probably major factor comparing to other information as temperature, biometrics, etc. I personally think that information about six cells reception levels (signal strength), their CellId or BSIC (code is at all times transmitted on the broadcast channel, so the Mobile Stations can distinguish between base stations) possibly enhanced with access to the database with measured BTSs' GPS coordinates, measurement maps of their coverage areas and information about their power, could be input for more or less exact algorithm for estimate mobile position. Especially in the case of micro or picocells the information can be quite accurate. The signal strength is affected of course by terrain profile and building construction, but measurement map could help to solve the problem. Additionally also TA, but only in large areas (Timing Advance - because of different distance between MS and BTS, this value counted by BTS is used for synchronization when data bursts are send from MS to BTS) could be used for measure the distance from BTS. All mentioned information are available on GSM phones and the maps and databases could grow rapidly if there'll be demand for them. We cannot expect that operators will give us the information about their network, which is considered as sensitive information to be kept in secret, but groups of BTS hunters collect such information (this activity is naturally legal) and put them into freely available databases. Keep also in mind that a notable part of location based mobile application could be used only locally (i.e. Madrid tourist mobile guide), so it decrease demands on databases size and its costs.

Let's now have a look on the most obvious examples of location based services: Determination of your small child movement, triggering action with the fact of leaving predefined cell, downloading SVG map with you position marked on, navigation and guide for tourists in foreign cities, location based games, location of the nearest fitness, car service or restaurant, emergency and law services, collection statistical information, monitoring company truck drivers, etc. Doesn't it sound interestingly? The accuracy (average about 100m) of cell based position is not comparable to GPS solutions of course, there will be still some doubt on exact position, especially in the macro cell areas covered by powerful BTS, but on the other side GSM signal is available also inside buildings and heavy developed city centers, tunnels and other places, where its precision increase rapidly and where GPS cannot be used. If anyone try to monitor how fast are BTS handling the phone changing in the centre of the city, will probably agree with me that having such information could be quite useful.

Unfortunately having similar functionality as the mentioned "Net monitor" application and using it in some reasonable way is not possible, because necessary API is missing. There were some tries to reverse engineer the way how this built-in application works, but for the first I'm not sure if this is legal and for the second it failed on newer devices and it cannot be referred as general solution. I don't know why cell related information are not available for developers. Due to some information I found on Internet, network providers made complaints to phone manufacturers on easy "Net monitor" enabling, so users could measure signal strength, and consequently similar applications were removed from phones, additionally operators provide their own location based solutions and probably they want to competition, who knows?

For all of that if you search Internet you'll find plenty of small products, which use cell information as CellTrack, MiniGPS, CellSpotting or popular game called Journey. You can find also many projects and hundreds of pages, studies related to this topic.

Maybe some of you wonder how applications listed in previous paragraph work, when I already said that cell monitoring is not possible? Well, there were many Symbian SDKs available in the past and putting together header files from old Nokia 9200 with export libraries from Sendo X makes possible use API for getting information about current serving cell. This approach still works with the 8.0a FP2 SDK, but I expect that on the newer Symbian v9.1 it won't be possible, but I didn't test it yet and I also didn't check if there isn't any new method how get similar information.

Now if you read my article to this point, please try to give me the answer why location related information are hidden and are not part of public API or just put write your opinion.

Thanks for reading.
-- Petr Mazanec (stenlik)

Post A Comment
Comments:
Jul 10, 2006 at 11:17 AM EEST
Posted by Paul Coulton

Petr The main problem with EOTD is that at least three synchronised measurement are required to complete triangulation. As GSM an asycnhronus there has no common time base making the three measurements impossible. This is why the cellular system requires an upgrade to include Location Measurement Units (LMUs) that will provide this base. You are correct the software is ready but we will have to wait for the operators to implement. They are already using a system for CDMAone but this is because it is already synchronous. The disadvantage of using a purely power based measurement is that is that the readings will be affected by speed of the mobile user and will thus change for user to user not to mention operator. Also as we are using FDD they uplink will be different from the downlink and thus increases complexity. LBS is a fascinating area but highly complex in terms of solutions at the moment it would seem we will have a long wait for EOTD to be available on a wide scale for GSM but I hope I am proved wrong
-- Paul Coulton AKA Mystic Monkey www.mobileradicals.com
Will The Lack Of GPS On The iPhone Make Its Version Of Google Maps

location based services

Useless?Posted by Stephen Wellman, Jun 10, 2007 11:18 PM
The iPhone is the gift that just keeps on giving. This weekend, just when you thought it was safe to go to the beach or have a BBQ, an AT&T manual for the iPhone was leaked. The leaked manual supposedly details all the features of the iPhone. But one feature -- the lack of GPS -- is sending some Mac fans into a frenzy.
Here is a look at the lack of GPS:
- iPhone will not support the TeleNav solutions currently offered by other AT&T devices- GPS is not part of the iPhone feature set.
If this is true, it's really disappointing. AT&T offers a GPS service, called TeleNav, and it's a real shame that the iPhone won't be able to use it, or any other location-based service. U.S. carriers have been flocking to launch GPS and location-based services in the last few months. In fact, just last week Sprint launched a new mobile product search application that uses location.
I had hopes that the iPhone would combine some form of GPS with Google Maps, giving users access to all kinds of new mobile location services. But without GPS or some other form of location, the iPhone simply won't be able to deliver when it comes to location. While that user interface looks cool, how will location searches work? Without GPS users will have to rely on AT&T's EDGE network for data response to search queries, making Google Maps searches much slower.
There are already handsets on the market that combine GPS with Google Maps. For example, Helio's Drift offers Google Maps and a built-in GPS module (and it only costs $225).
Without GPS, the iPhone's version of Google Maps is little better than the desktop version, except that it might be harder to use -- I'll reserve judgment on the iPhone's usability until I actually get my hands on one.
What do you think? Will the lack of GPS impact your decision to buy the iPhone? Or is this rumor without merit?
Google Mobile Search Ads Coming Sooner Than You Think

location based services

Posted by Stephen Wellman, Jun 13, 2007 06:28 PM
It looks mobile search ads could soon take off in what is arguable the world's most advanced wireless market, South Korea. Looks like mobile search advertising is on its way.
South Korea's largest wireless carrier, SK Telecom, this week said it may launch search ads powered by Google this year:
"We are considering beginning Google's mobile-search ads on our wireless Internet network during the second half of this year," said Yang Yoon-seon, head of SK Telecom's search department.
Since February, SK Telecom, holding more than 20 million mobile phone subscribers in South Korea, has incorporated Google's search engine for its wireless Internet service, but has yet to offer the mobile-search ads.
This is the move everyone in the wireless market has been waiting for. While both Google and Yahoo have been testing mobile search ads, no one really seems to know how well they will perform in an open commercial launch. Earlier this year Google hinted that its mobile ad trials were working well, but there has been little publicly released data to date.
Last month Google upgraded its mobile search checker tool for mobile AdWords clients.
As I argued last month, the biggest obstacle to mobile search advertising is still mobile search:
The third challenge is mobile search -- or the lack thereof. I have had several people try to talk to me about mobile search marketing. This is kind of a challenge since mobile search is still very much an emerging category, much less mobile search marketing.
As we all know the bulk of successful online advertising these days is search-based. It's simple, text link ads on Google and search-based ads are just more relevant. Obviously, marketers are eager to replicate this success on the third screen. But for that to happen, mobile search has to, you know, actually take off. Without viable mobile search, there won't be any mobile search advertising. In a sense, predicting the growth of mobile advertising before mobile search has had a chance to develop is putting the cart before the horse.
On the other hand, we also know that mobile search is beginning to push mobile Web traffic growth. So obviously people are starting to use mobile search.
But we still don't have any market numbers or any real full-blown commercial launches. I suspect that once SK Telecom launches, though, other carriers will follow suit.
What do you think? How long until we see a viable mobile search ad market?
« Mossberg Is Mixed On The iPhone And Its Onscreen Keypad Main Microsoft Lets A Wizard Help Sell More Dynamics »
Canalys expands analysis of mobile navigation, mobile Linux and mobile consumer markets

location based services


Canalys - June 13, 2007 Canalys has expanded its research and advisory services for technology vendors with three new services: Mobile Navigation Analysis CEMA, Mobile Linux Analysis Worldwide, and Consumer Mobility Analysis EMEA.


The new Mobile Navigation Analysis CEMA service is the company’s second service focusing specifically on the emerging country markets of Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The Mobile Linux Analysis Worldwide service focuses on the rise of Linux within the mobile space and provides detailed market tracking of mobile phones, converged devices and VoIP handsets based on the numerous mobile Linux implementations. In addition to providing quarterly market data and forecasts it looks at the issues influencing the growth of mobile Linux and its potential as the successor to the multitude of proprietary real-time operating systems (RTOS) that permeate the mobile handset world today.
"Market fragmentation, operator platform rationalisation strategies and the activities of the different standards bodies and developer communities are just a few of the factors shaping the market," said Rachel Lashford, Singapore-based Canalys senior analyst. "Most of the Linux handset volume to date has been in Asia, but we are now starting to see more activity in North America and EMEA. The dynamics of the major geographic regions are quite different, and clients will benefit from having market tracking and analysis that is worldwide in scope and can easily be used in conjunction with our smart mobile device research."
The third new service, Consumer Mobility Analysis EMEA, provides clients with perspective on present and future mobility trends. Clients will receive detailed results and analysis of thousands of interviews on a wide range of mobility topics, such as mobile TV, music and video, location-based services (LBS), gaming, IM and e-mail. The surveys also study pre-cursor behaviour on other platforms, purchase influencers, willingness to spend, acceptance of mobile advertising, views on features and brands, and green issues, as well as workplace mobility and work-life balance.

» Story on Analyst Firm Website
TeleNav Adds Social Networking Features and Business Reviews to Mobile GPS Navigation Service

location based services


Sunnyvale, Calif. - June 11, 2007 - TeleNav Inc. today launched its latest version of TeleNav GPS Navigator(tm), the original GPS navigation application for mobile phones. Available immediately, subscribers can now send their current location to any other mobile phone that can receive text messages, creating a quick and easy way to meet with friends or co-workers while on-the-go. Customers can also share addresses of favorite businesses, including restaurants, hotels or movie theaters. With TeleNav's Fuel Finder feature, users can even send information on local gas stations with the cheapest prices for that day. Other new features include reviews and ratings for nearby businesses and the ability to rate restaurants directly from a mobile phone. "Location-based services such as TeleNav GPS Navigator are increasingly more useful and usable, letting mobile subscribers leverage the immediacy and relevancy of the mobile phone to be more productive while on-the-go," said Jill Aldort, Yankee Group's senior analyst of consumer mobility applications. "Information/direction services are one of the top mobile applications that consumers express interest in, and the addition of location sharing and other community features further raises the appeal." TeleNav GPS Navigator originally launched in 2003 and was the first GPS navigation solution for mobile phones, offering the experience of an in-car navigation system with the portability and convenience of a mobile phone. Since launching its original version, TeleNav has continued to expand features to provide customers with many GPS-based solutions and social networking features in one, easy-to-use application. The new version is the only mobile phone-based navigation service to include all of the following features:* Voice and on-screen turn-by-turn driving directions - Customers type in or use voice recognition to call in destinations, and TeleNav GPS Navigator computes the routes. While driving, users get up-to-the minute guidance, including street names, and will automatically be re-routed if a turn is missed. * "My TeleNav" Web site access - It is easy to preplan trips, save addresses and manage your account - all online at www.telenav.com. Subscribers can save locations in their "My Favorites" folder and they will automatically download on their phone next time they launch TeleNav GPS Navigator. * Location sharing* - Now users have the ability to send their current location or the location of a nearby business to one friend or many friends all at once. This information can be sent from a mobile phone or from the "My TeleNav" account on www.telenav.com. TeleNav GPS Navigator users can quickly navigate to locations they receive using the service's turn-by-turn directions. Mobile users not subscribing to TeleNav GPS Navigator will receive a link to view a map and static directions on their phone. * Biz Finder (local search) - Customers can look up more than 10 million businesses and services, including ATMs, restaurants, hotels, Wi-Fi hotspots and gas stations, and easily navigate to them with the click of a button. * Business reviews and ratings* - Before they head to a restaurant or make a reservation at a hotel, users can now see how it was rated and reviewed by other people. Users can sort by highest to lowest rating to help them make a decision, or view all of the search results on a map. TeleNav GPS Navigator also allows customers to rate restaurants themselves - directly from a mobile phone. * Real-time traffic alerts and one-click rerouting -TeleNav GPS Navigator monitors each specific route and will proactively search every five minutes for traffic congestion or incidents. Customers will be alerted, both audibly and on-screen, and can choose to find a faster route to their location by pressing just one button. * Fuel Finder - TeleNav GPS Navigator includes updated gas prices for local gas stations, and provides driving directions to the station with the lowest gas prices. Now, with just one click, friends and colleagues can share locations of these stations with each other as well.** Full-color 3D moving maps - Just like an in-car navigation system, the 3D maps turn, move and stop along with the driver, while also displaying a realistic image of the streets the driver is approaching and passing. Users can also pan and zoom around the map to view surrounding streets. * Spot Marker - Users can mark waypoints to help find their way back to a location or to record points of interest. * Pedestrian Mode -TeleNav GPS Navigator can also be used while walking, to help guide customers through crowded downtown streets or back to a parked car. * My Favorites - Customers can save as many addresses as needed for easy access and directions later. "GPS technology on mobile phones is surpassing standalone GPS devices," said Dr. HP Jin, president, CEO and co-founder of TeleNav. "Not only does TeleNav offer the convenience of GPS navigation on mobile phones, but we include numerous features that are not offered on separate, expensive navigation systems."The new version of TeleNav GPS Navigator (v. 5.2) is available immediately on select phones. The service is offered to customers for $9.99 per month for unlimited use. Current customers using TeleNav GPS Navigator on supported phones can access the new version by re-downloading TeleNav GPS Navigator. For more information on which phones support the new version, please visit www.telenav.com. *Currently only available on TeleNav GPS Navigator v. 5.2. About TeleNav Inc. TeleNav, Inc., headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, was the first company to launch a GPS navigation system on mobile phones in the United States. TeleNav is a global leader in wireless location-based services (LBS), including GPS navigation, Mobile Resource Management (MRM), asset GPS tracking (AVL) and local search. The company's flagship product, TeleNav GPS Navigator(tm), is comparable to in-car systems found in luxury vehicles, but offers a superior experience with functionality such as automatically updated maps and business locations, full color 3D moving maps, traffic alerts and one-click rerouting, speech recognition, Wi-Fi hotspot finder, lowest price fuel finder and more.v
Sear

Sweden - How to use Google Maps as a Tourist Agency

location based services


(post by Robert de Heer)VisitSweden.com - Thinking of visiting Sweden this summer? The most easy way to find more info on this country, is using the country-website VisitSweden.com. Like many other country-websites, also this one has had a map-application online. Recently, Margareta Björnberg and Tommy Sollén of VisitSweden.com decided to change their current paid-for map-provider for the free Google Maps-solution. Not just because of pricing, but also because of what you all can do with Google Maps, and not with other providers. They have now implemented many points-of-interest, in an easy clickable way to use. This is how all Tourist Agencies should use their website to allow visitors to quickly see, what all can be done in a country.
Labels: ,
posted by Robert Jan de Heer @ 4:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

0 Comments:

Monday, June 11, 2007

Mobile Handsets Positioned to Radically Change the Navigation Device Market

US : Mobile phone operators now have the ability to market a downloadable navigation application that is just as good as, if not better, than personal navigation devices (PNDs), reports In-Stat. As a result, handset-based mapping and navigation applications could cause a major change in the overall navigation market, which is now dominated by relatively expensive standalone devices, the high-tech market research firm says. “Unlike MP3 players and digital cameras, handset-based navigation applications provide the only low-cost alternative product in a market of growing popularity,” says David Chamberlain, In-Stat analyst. “The value proposition for handset navigation applications is very strong compared with that of PNDs and, in some ways, the functionality is superior.”Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
Cellular operators whose service is based on CDMA (and iDEN) have an advantage over other mobile operators in nearly every region of the world, largely because of the A-GPS technology originally driven by mandates to support E911 services.
In-Stat surveys of US subscribers find navigation applications have a strong ability to draw subscribers from other operators and keep them loyal.
The total number of mapping and navigation mobile phone subscribers could exceed 42 million worldwide by 2012.
Recent In-Stat research, Mobile Handset Navigation Applications May Threaten Global Personal Nav Device Market (#IN0703583MCM), covers the market for navigation/mapping services for mobile phones. It provides forecasts for subscribers and revenue for global mapping/navigation services by region through 2012. It includes extensive analysis of the consumer and business markets, current offerings for these services, with an outlook of the market’s potential.
GPS and Galileo in Mobile Handsets

location based services

DescriptionHow long will it take before satellite positioning technology appears in mass market handsets? Berg Insight forecasts that more than 60 percent of all WCDMA devices sold in 2010 will have integrated GPS/Galileo receivers. The EU is most likely to follow the US and Japan in requiring high accuracy of mobile emergency calls from 2010 when the Galileo system will be operational. Demand is also driven by consumer applications such as navigation. Gain detailed insights about the complete GNSS value chain spanning from GPS/Galileo receiver developers and handset chipset vendors to handset manufacturers in this unique report.
Send People Your Current Location (and Directions), Rate Local Restaurants Using TeleNav 5.2

location based services



2,232 Views
The most elaborate GPS software for cell phones is TeleNav, and it's also the longest running. I remember testing its turn-by-turn navigation with a Nextel phone back in the summer of 2004, the GPS-phone equivalent of the dawn of time. Today TeleNav introduces version 5.2, starting with Sprint customers first. It may sound like an incremental update, but it's really a whole new deal, with location sharing, business ratings and other fun stuff, plus a new user interface courtesy of frog design.
The main attraction is that you can now shoot your location to people who can then navigate to you if they have TeleNav. If they don't have TeleNav, they still get a text message with your position, plus a link to a map and "static directions". (Some carriers—ahem, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile—do not allow links in text messages, so TeleNav is coming up with a workaround for that.)
The other new feature is a directory of user-reviewed businesses, sorting local restaurants from highest-rated to lowest. Of course, you can give a rating of a restaurant yourself, directly from the phone. You can't write a full review from your phone just yet, but that may be an option for the highly opinionated very soon.
A combination of the two of these new features is an improved Fuel Finder: When you discover a place with the lowest gas prices, you can send it to your friends and family so they won't get totally screwed at the pump.
The new version is immediately available for a handful of Sprint handsets (LG 550 Fusic, Motorola KRZR K1m, Motorola RAZR V3m, Motorola SLVR L7c, Samsung M500, Samsung M610, Sanyo M1, Sanyo 6600 Katana, Sanyo 8400) and will cost $9.99 per month. – Wilson Rothman
From the press release:
...Subscribers can now send their current location to any other mobile phone that can receive text messages, creating a quick and easy way to meet with friends or co-workers while on the go. Customers can also share addresses of favorite businesses, including restaurants, hotels or movie theaters. With TeleNav's Fuel Finder feature, users can even send information on local gas stations with the cheapest prices for that day. Other new features include reviews and ratings for nearby businesses and the ability to rate restaurants directly from a mobile phone.
Location sharing—Now users have the ability to send their current location or the location of a nearby business to one friend or many friends all at once. This information can be sent from a mobile phone or from the "My TeleNav" account on www.telenav.com. TeleNav GPS Navigator users can quickly navigate to locations they receive using the service's turn-by-turn directions. Mobile users not subscribing to TeleNav GPS Navigator will receive a link to view a map and static directions on their phone.
Business reviews and ratings—Before they head to a restaurant or make a reservation at a hotel, users can now see how it was rated and reviewed by other people. Users can sort by highest to lowest rating to help them make a decision or view all of the search results on a map. TeleNav GPS Navigator also allows customers to rate restaurants themselves—directly from a mobile phone.
Fuel Finder—TeleNav GPS Navigator includes updated gas prices for local gas stations, and provides driving directions to the station with the lowest gas prices. Now, with just one click, friends and colleagues can share locations of these stations with each other as well.Other Current TeleNav features include:
• Voice and on-screen turn-by-turn driving directions• "My TeleNav" website access • Biz Finder (local search) • Real-time traffic alerts and one-click rerouting • Full-color 3D moving maps• Spot Marker • Pedestrian Mode
Home Page [TeleNav]
NemeriX and Bosch Sensortec Partner To Deliver Revolutionary GPS Multi-Sensing Capability


location based services


STUTTGART, Germany and MANNO, Switzerland, June 11, 2007 - NemeriX, a leading fabless semiconductor company specialising in ultra low power semiconductors and solutions for GPS and location-based service devices, and Bosch Sensortec Gmbh, a leading supplier of MEMS sensors for consumer markets, today announced the successful integration of their technology to deliver a leading-edge multi-sensing GPS solution. The new system, which offers significantly enhanced results for navigating urban stacked road systems, multi-level bridges and tunnels, will be demonstrated at the Bosch Sensortec stand at Sensors Expo 2007 (12-13 June, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois, Booth #515).The innovative solution integrates the high-resolution Bosch Sensortec SMD500 pressure sensor with NemeriX's high-accuracy navigation solution, offering the ability to identify if a vehicle is travelling on the upper or lower levels in a multi-level or stacked road, and significantly enhancing turn-by-turn navigation in situations where traffic is travelling in the same direction on different levels of a road system, or where two-way traffic is accommodated. By enabling fast and accurate determination of altitude in a way that is not possible simply by tracking a user's speed or direction, the technology developed by NemeriX and Bosch Sensortec facilitates timely notification of approaching exits on stacked roads, and early detection of wrong exits when two roads are separating in almost parallel directions, but with different slopes - a very common situation in freeway "clover leaf" configurations.Even with high-performance GPS systems, typically the vertical accuracy that is achieved is significantly lower than the horizontal accuracy. This effect can be aggravated when the lower road is obstructed by the higher road, causing very high multipath that further degrades vertical accuracy. This new state-of-the-art solution enables the vertical performance to be significantly improved to the level where a typical road-to-road vertical distance of 10 meters or more can be unambiguously resolved. By combining high resolution barometric air pressure measurement data with non-biased, lower resolution GPS-derived altitude, the two companies have delivered a solution to the altitude conundrum within performance, cost, size and power consumption parameters that have not been seen before. The SMD500 pressure sensor developed and manufactured by Bosch Sensortec provides a very high degree of resolution in air pressure measurement while at the same time featuring very small package size and ultra low power consumption, as required for mobile devices."We are excited to see such an innovative application for our SMD500 air pressure sensor," commented Dr. Frank Melzer, CEO of Bosch Sensortec GmbH, located in Reutlingen, Germany. "This breakthrough solution developed by NemeriX is aligned with our strategy to provide innovative inertial and pressure sensing solutions for new applications, and also to improve existing solutions in the consumer electronics market. Based on our well-proven MEMS technology portfolio, we are continuously extending and refining our product line to serve the most demanding customers in the consumer markets."NemeriX Chief Technology Officer Lionel Garin said, "This solution will allow users to accurately navigate over-lapping road systems for the first time. Our technology offers the flexibility to meet the needs of today's GPS applications, while delivering the future of revolutionary multi-sensing capabilities for GPS navigation systems." About Bosch Sensortec:Bosch Sensortec GmbH, a 100 percent subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, which is the global market leader for automotive sensors, offers micromechanical sensors, application, and foundry services for consumer electronics, security systems, and logistics. Its product portfolio includes triaxial acceleration sensors as well as pressure sensors. The company was founded in early 2005 and is headquartered near Reutlingen to the south of Stuttgart (Germany). For more information about Bosch Sensortec, go to: www.bosch-sensortec.com. Bosch has been active in the field of MEMS since 1988 and is one of the pioneers in this technology. Today, hundreds of engineers of the Bosch Group work in the field of MEMS. A wide product range from pressure and acceleration sensors to yaw-rate sensors is manufactured for the automotive industry. Annual production at Bosch amounted to more than 130 million MEMS sensors in 2006.About NemeriX (www.nemerix.com)Founded in April 2002, NemeriX S.A. (Manno, Switzerland) is a venture-backed fables semiconductor company specialising in ultra low power GPS and LBS integrated circuits, software and firmware for GPS and wireless applications. NemeriX's devices enable battery-power location determination anywhere, anytime, facilitating the design and manufacture of truly differentiated products for both consumer and professional markets. For more information about NemeriX, please visit www.nemerix.com.
Search WirelessDevNet for Related Items
u-blox Announces Free AssistNow® A-GPS Services

location based services


AssistNow is an off-the-shelf A-GPS service that boosts a GPS receiver’s performance, allowing it to compute a position almost instantly, even in difficult signal environments. A-GPS benefits all GPS-enabled applications, especially those that require "always-on" operability such as fleet management applications or GPS-enabled handheld devices, whose users wish to access location-based services instantly, regardless of signal conditions.Without A-GPS, a GPS receiver needs to locate at least four satellites in direct line-of-sight and then download their location data. This process takes 30 seconds under optimal signal conditions and can take much longer in adverse conditions such as those found in urban environments or indoor locations where GPS signals are weaker. AssistNow provides the GPS receiver with the data immediately, enabling it to quickly calculate a position.u-blox offers two easy to install and operate A-GPS services: AssistNow Offline and AssistNow Online. The Offline service provides assistance data that is valid for up to 14 days. Users can therefore enjoy boosted satellite acquisition performance for extended time periods and only need to connect to the Internet occasionally to update the assistance data. In contrast, AssistNow Online downloads new assistance data packets at every device start-up. These much smaller data packets are downloaded straight to the GPS receiver, making AssistNow Online ideal for applications without Flash memories such as mobile phones."We are delighted to offer our customers AssistNow Offline and AssistNow Online services free of charge,” said Karsten Tietz, VP Sales EMEA. "AssistNow, in combination with our unrivalled GPS receivers, brings users instant GPS acquisition and unmatched GPS performance in even the harshest signal environments. u-blox’ latest location solutions set new performance standards for the GPS industry at large".To find out more about AssistNow, visit www.u-blox.com/services/index.html
At&T Customers Sidestep Road Congestion With Telenav Traffic

location based services


ANTONIO, June 7, 2007 - AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) has announced that the AT&T wireless unit's customers now have direct access to traffic information and rerouting services through TeleNav Traffic(tm), offered initially on the BlackBerry(r) 8800(tm), BlackBerry Pearl(tm), BlackBerry 8700c and the new BlackBerry Curve(tm). TeleNav Traffic alerts users through voice and on-screen prompts to traffic slowdowns and incidents along their programmed travel route. With just one click, customers can choose an alternative route or can remain on the original course. TeleNav Traffic calculates and provides an ongoing estimated time of arrival based on the customer's current route and the latest traffic information. Subscribers can also view traffic information on a map and see details of surrounding traffic situations. TeleNav Traffic is a feature of the latest version of TeleNav GPS Navigator(tm) and is offered as a free feature upgrade for TeleNav GPS Navigator subscribers. TeleNav GPS Navigator v5.1 also includes enhanced business listings, which identify more retailers and office parks. The TeleNav GPS Navigator now allows BlackBerry users to click addresses inside calendar invitations or contact lists for real-time navigation to that location. "Traffic delays are one of the most fundamental and significant inhibitors to the productivity of mobile workers," said Laura Johnson, senior director, Wireless Enterprise Solutions, for AT&T. "Our new TeleNav Traffic offering will help companies by allowing employees in the field to get to clients faster and therefore potentially handle more calls each day, all of which will result in a higher level of customer service." According to Texas A&M University's 2005 Urban Mobility Report, the average person loses 47 hours a year in unexpected traffic delays, and the total travel delay in the U.S. from traffic congestion is 3.7 billion hours. Saving a few minutes on each trip can result in professionals - traveling executives, pharmaceutical representatives, salespeople, field technicians, insurance agents, transportation workers and realtors - closing another deal, delivering additional products or working another case. AT&T customers can receive turn-by-turn voice and on-screen driving directions with the award-winning TeleNav GPS Navigator service. TeleNav GPS Navigator can be used in vehicles or while walking and offers colorful 3-D moving maps. Other features of TeleNav GPS Navigator include: * Voice and On-Screen Turn-by-Turn Directions. As they drive, users get up-to-the-minute guidance and will automatically be rerouted if they miss a turn Users can also preview their routes before they begin driving and specify preferences, including highways and streets. * Easy Address Entry. Customers can either type in the address on the phone, plan their trips online or even call in an address using the unique speech-recognition service integrated into TeleNav GPS Navigator. Speech recognition allows users the ability to quickly input an address if they are already behind the wheel. * Biz Finder. Allows users to find businesses and services, ATMs, restaurants, hotels and gas stations and to navigate easily to them with the click of a button. Biz Finder also allows users to quickly look up and call the phone number for a business. * Fuel Finder. Allows users to save money by finding the lowest gas prices in the area. * Spot Marker. Helps users easily find their car wherever it is parked, such as in a large parking lot or on an unfamiliar downtown street. * Pedestrian Mode. Allows users to use TeleNav GPS Navigator while they are walking to help guide them on long walks or through crowded downtown streets TeleNav Traffic is supported in the 50 most populated cities in the U.S. For a list of these cities, visit http://www.att.com/Common/files/pdf/telenav.pdf. The BlackBerry 8800 includes built-in GPS capability for added convenience. BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry 8700c and BlackBerry Curve users require a Bluetooth(r)GPS Receiver accessory to activate GPS. To purchase, customers can visit any AT&T or Cingular retail store or go online to www.cingular.com. Current AT&T customers using TeleNav GPS Navigator on a compatible BlackBerry device can access TeleNav Traffic capabilities by conveniently downloading v5.1 from their wireless devices by visiting www.telenav.com. TeleNav GPS Navigator is available on a subscription basis at $599 for 10 trips and $9.99 for unlimited trips. An AT&T wireless data plan also is required.
Social Life 2.0: Plazes Tells You ‘Where It’s At’

location based services


Switzerland/Berlin, Germany, June 7, 2007 – Plazes – the leading online community merging physical location with online communication - today announced the official launch of its service. Plazes now offers its member community new opportunities to blend microblogging with actual physical presence information. “Where are my friends, what’s happening at my favorite place, and who will be with you tomorrow at the same location?” With Plazes, users can stay on top of the activities and plans of friends and family alike.With the official launch, Plazes introduces the new option of ‘Where will you be’ to its already rich capabilities. This allows Plazes users to easily coordinate future plans and activities. At plazes.com, members can see at a glance where their friends are ‘plazed’ and what’s happening at their location. They can also send a short message via cell phone or Internet and report live from their current location anywhere in the world.“Plazes gives you the unique chance to meet the right people at the right place at the right time,” said Stefan Keller, co-founder of Plazes. “Our new version offers powerful features that let our users know who else is at a particular location and what they are doing right now – or planning to do tomorrow. This makes coordination easier for everyone.”Plazes is not only about your whereabouts but also about your interests. With the new group function, geographically-close users with common interests can easily get together as well as stay on top of group activities with specific channels they can create.vAll this unique functionality can be integrated with other platforms as well: users can easily and automatically publish their ’Plazes Trazes‘ on MySpace® and Facebook® as well as their blogs.“Plazes works with different media - it is the only location-aware service which can be used worldwide and with any carrier,” noted Plazes co-founder Felix Petersen. “Plazes is available immediately for all users to explore and experience firsthand the power of merging the online and real-world aspects of their life into a single source of information.”About PlazesThe Plazes platform allows its community members to share their current location in real time, enhanced by instant communication updates through mobile, laptop, PC or Mac®. Users can publish information about their current and planned activities that integrates with their present, future and past locations - thereby creating a link between their real-world and online activities. The Plazes community is worldwide and passionate about creating new opportunities for real-world meetings as well as communicating with their online friends. Plazes is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland with a development office in Berlin, Germany. For additional information, please visit www.plazes.com.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

New Multi-Axis Gyroscope Improves Position Accuracy by Enabling Dead Reckoning for Portable Navigation Devices

location based services


Small Size and Low Cost Device Brings Advanced Features Typical of Expensive, Highly Accurate In-Vehicle Systems to Low-Cost Dashboard GPS Systems
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--InvenSense, Inc. (www.invensense.com), the leading provider of integrated motion sensing solutions for mobile applications, today announced the availability of the IDG-1004, the world’s smallest and lowest cost dual-axis gyroscope for the GPS portable navigation device (PND) market. The IDG-1004 enables dead reckoning (DR) and better map matching capability by measuring the direction of the vehicle with one axis, while providing better distance accuracy by measuring slope as the vehicle travels up and down hills or in rough terrain using the second axis.
The second axis of the gyroscope can also allow drivers easier installation by compensating for the angle at which the PND may be installed. Arbitrary mounting with a single axis gyroscope frequently results in lower accuracy. Furthermore, the X-axis and Y-axis sensing ability of the IDG-1004 makes it ideal for in-plane mounting on the main PND circuit board. Competing single-axis gyroscopes typically require a daughter board to be mounted perpendicular to the main PND circuit board since they measure only the Z-axis plane. This adds extra cost and manufacturing constraints.
“Sales of portable navigation devices are expected to top 25 million units worldwide in 2007,” said Richard Robinson, principal analyst, automotive electronics, with the market-research firm iSuppli Corp., El Segundo, Calif. “Enhancing location and direction accuracy to the levels of more expensive in-vehicle systems will be one of the next main goals of PND makers.”
The IDG-1004 gyroscope works with an accelerometer in a PND system to alleviate dead reckoning-related problems facing GPS-based systems today. Dead reckoning is the process of estimating one's current position based upon a previously determined position, or fix, and advancing that position based upon measured velocity and heading. Using this technique, the loss or degradation of the GPS signal from tall buildings, tunnels or tree foliage can be compensated and the driver can have uninterrupted directional feedback. Using DR techniques, navigation systems can also achieve more accurate map matching where the system continually determines the path of a vehicle's route by comparing its DR path to the actual road layout.
“With the addition of the IDG-1004 gyroscope to our portfolio of image stabilization and motion sensing gyroscopes, we continue to be the first to provide the smallest and lowest cost multi-axis gyroscopes tailored for major consumer electronics markets,” said Dan Goehl, vice president of sales at InvenSense. “The in-plane sensing ability and dual-axis performance benefits makes the IDG-1004 gyroscope the perfect solution for the PND market.”
The IDG-1004 integrated MEMS dual-axis gyroscope provides superior vibration rejection, high cross axis isolation, shock tolerance up to 10,000g and a full scale range of 50º/sec. The device is packaged in a small form factor QFN package and is currently in mass production.
About InvenSense
InvenSense, Inc. is the leading provider of motion sensing solutions for mobile applications. The company’s motion sensing technology addresses emerging mass-market applications such as image stabilization, mobile navigation, location-based services and smart user interfaces that use hand motion and gesture-based commands. InvenSense corporate offices are located in Santa Clara, Calif. More information can be found at www.InvenSense.com.
INVENSENSE and the INVENSENSE logo are trademarks of InvenSense Inc.
Shop 'Til You Drop With Your Cell Phone, Says Sprint


location based services

The new search service lets shoppers locate products in 30,000 retail stores across the U.S.
By W. David Gardner InformationWeek Jun 7, 2007 11:53 AM
The cell phone as shopping assistant debuted Thursday as Sprint introduced a GPS-based mobile search service that enables shoppers to locate products in 30,000 retail stores across the U.S.
Also this week, a GPS-based "point and search" service in Japan was upgraded for use in several cell phone handsets.
While the two services are different, they are illustrative of the advanced technological functions that are that are being installed in mobile phones.
The Sprint service, which was developed by GPShopper and is called Slifter, calls for shoppers to punch in a keyword, product name, model number or UPC code of a desired product. The response targets the nearest retail store and availability, price, and promotional information are displayed.
"Sprint customers can use their phones to find the closest retailer to purchase a desired item, without needing to check a phone book, Internet listing or map," said George Ranallo, Sprint's director of wireless data applications, in a statement.
In Japan, the Mapion Pointing Application 2.0 upgrade release was announced. Developed by GeoVector Corporation of San Francisco and Mapion of Tokyo, the service already receives more than 700,000 daily page views.
Users simply point a cell phone at an installation -- it might be a restaurant or a store, for instance -- and pertinent information is displayed on the phone's display; restaurants can display their menus, for example.
"Users and advertisers can now connect based on the user's interest," said GeoVector president John Ellenby, in a statement.
The service is available on the KDDI network on CDMA-equipped phones offered by Casio, Kyocera, and Sony Ericsson. A spokesman for GeoVector said a key device in the Mapion service is a compass, which when coupled with GPS technology enables the service.
"GPS understands where the phone is and the compass understands what you are clicking at," the spokesman said, adding the service is likely to catch on as cell phone manufacturers increasingly add compasses to their devices.
The Sprint service is immediately available for the firm's data customers for an additional $1.99 a month. The firm has been in the vanguard offering GPS applications including local search and various navigation services.
Large retailers including Best Buy Co., Staples Inc., and Toys 'R' Us Inc. have listed tens of thousands of product identifiers with GPShopper. According to media reports, GPShopper collects a fee whenever a shopper clicks on a store's product.

The JetBlue point of view

location based services

Tuesday, June 5, 2007 at 9:27 AM Posted by Brett Muney, Manager Product Development, JetBlueSummer is here again - a time when you, your friends and families start planning well-earned summer vacations. School is out, the sun is shining, and the weather is beautiful. To help you count down the minutes before you're wiggling your toes into the sand, JetBlue is now providing customers with Google Maps in all of its signature seatback TVs. Now everyone can enjoy a seat with a view: the new channel enables flyers to track flight altitude, speed, and location in real time on the way to any of JetBlue's 54 destinations.To celebrate, JetBlue is asking customers to get snap-happy with the "JetBlue Point of View" photo contest. Between June 5 and September 3, snap a few photos out the window at 35,000 feet, log your location by flipping to the Google Maps channel on your seatback TV, and then submit your favorite image to JetBlue. After September 3, the top 10 photographers will be rewarded with roundtrip travel for two anywhere JetBlue flies. Here's more information on the contest for your chance to win.
Google's street views have privacy advocates crying 'Don't be Evil'

location based services

Street-scene photographs added to Google Maps and Earth last week capture passers-by in delicate situations and have privacy advocates accusing the world's most popular Internet search firm of breaking its own "Don't be Evil" code.
Sponsored Links (Ads by Google)
Google Maps - Street maps & satellite images of your local area. maps.google.com.au
Download Earth, It's Free - Free download of Earth program See your house from space Get Earth Google.Earth.Googlepages.com
Free Satellite Map Tool - Using Earth Software you can view a Satellite Map of Anywhere, Free! satellite-maps.googlepages.com



Google's "Street View" feature weaves photographs into seamless panoramas of parts of San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Denver, Miami, and renowned technology Mecca Silicon Valley in northern California.




"With Street View users can virtually walk the streets of a city, check out a restaurant before arriving, and even zoom in on bus stops and street signs to make travel plans," Google said on its website. Privacy advocates counter that it also provides offensively candid glimpses of people unwittingly photographed while going about their daily lives. Pictures show what appears to be men urinating streetside. Young women are pictured in skimpy swimsuits sunbathing near Stanford University, the California alma mater of Google's founders. There is a picture of a man climbing a home's security gate, hopefully without criminal intent. People are pictured going into a pornography shop. A couple can be seen embracing on a sidewalk while another couple gets intimate on a bus stop bench. A homeless man pictured sitting with his dog on a street corner has reportedly died since the photograph was taken. Technology-centric Wired Magazine is asking online readers to vote for "the best inadvertent urban snapshots ... be they citizens flaunting the laws or hot dog vendors rocking a sweet style."
Sponsored Links (Ads by Google)
Earth Angel Ringtones 100% Free Music - Over 10,000 Tones Over 10,000 Tones - Free Offer!www.FunBox.com
Download Earth - Its Free View the entire Earth from space Free amazing download get Earth nowEarth.Free.GooglePages.com
Earth World View In 3D View The Planet As Never Before Stunning High Resolution ImageryNichier.com/Google/Earth.php



It is legal to photograph people in public places in the United States. "What Google does is not illegal, but irresponsible," said Rebecca Jeschke of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a US non-profit group dedicated to defending Internet freedom and privacy. "Google Street View technology has been an intrusion of privacy to many people captured in their pictures. They could have waited until they developed technology that would allow them to obscure peoples' faces." Miami abortion clinic director Elaine Diamond is troubled by a Google Maps picture showing protesters outside the facility. "I wish they would replace it," Diamond said. "I couldn't contact them. I tried quickly. It's not easy." Women visiting abortion clinics are under enough stress without adding fears that Google Maps might feature pictures of them entering or leaving the facilities, Diamond said. Operators of places such as drug, alcohol or sexual health clinics worry about protecting their clients from the stigma of being pictured in Street View. Google said it worked with shelters for battered women and children to avoid photographs endangering their visitors. "Everyone expects a certain level of anonymity as they move about their daily lives," EFF attorney Kevin Bankston told AFP. Google says photographs are taken down or replaced in response to complaints. "Street View only features imagery taken on public property," the Mountain View, California-based Internet titan said in its defense. "This imagery is no different from what any person can readily capture or see walking down the street." Google's Street View has fans among those eager to explore places as an adjunct or replacement to travel. Google used a fleet of vans equipped with special cameras to amass 360-degree imagery of major US cities during the past several months and said it planned to add more urban areas to the Street View menu. Google said it intends to update the images regularly. "How long until this becomes live video?" technology entrepreneur and author John Batelle asked rhetorically. © 2007 AFP
» Next Article in Technology - Internet: Akamai Gives Free Peek at Internet


would you recommend this story?

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Wonde Proud Chooses NemeriX for Next Generation GPS Products

location based services

June 05, 2007
Company: NemeriXIndustry: GPSLocation: Manno, Switzerland
Wonde Proud Chooses NemeriX for Next Generation GPS ProductsHigh Performance GPS Solutions in New Generation of Handheld Devices Lead Development of Personal NavigationMANNO, Switzerland, 5 June 2007 - NemeriX, a leading fabless semiconductor company specialising in ultra low power semiconductors and solutions for GPS and location-based service devices, announced today that Taiwan-based OEM Wonde Proud Technology has selected NemeriX for its new generation of GPS personal navigation devices.The latest NemeriX solutions will be integrated into a range of Wonde Proud Personal Navigation Device (PND) mice so-called because they look much like a computer mouse. NemeriX technology is already built into four models currently available in the UK under the brands of Holux, OnNext and Polaris. European brands include Adapt, XAIOX and Oasis-Media. Depending on user preferences, handheld devices can receive location-based services from push or pull providers. Push providers broadcast information to PNDs of users who have elected to receive information from providers relevant to their personal interests for example film theatres, Chinese restaurants, and jazz clubs. A pull location-based service provider makes their information available to anyone who seeks to pull down (download) services from their PND.Wonde Prouds Director Marketing Mark Hu said, We chose NemeriX technology due to its superior low-power performance, high sensitivity and reliability. NemeriXs solutions are already in our CD100, CD110, BT77 and BT55 models, so this agreement marks a further strengthening of our partnership.We will also integrate NemeriX technology into our new models including the BT100X, CD150 camera detector, CD160 data logger, VT100 vehicle tracker plus NJ2020 later this year. We expect to produce up to 600,000 pieces in 2007. NemeriX VP of Marketing Lew Boore, said, NemeriX is focused on the delivery of low-power, high-performance GPS and A-GPS solutions that allow our customers to differentiate themselves, as well as provide consumers with the best user experience. We are proud to have Wonde Proud as a key partner.A number of organisations connected with the 2008 Beijing Olympics are said to be interested in Wonde Proud PND devices. Four models are already on sale in China under local brands.With the new generation of PNDs, people will be able to more rapidly and accurately pinpoint their position and request location-based services. These may be business facilities such as the nearest train station or WiFi-enabled café or a more personal benefit such as the nearest hairdresser or date-matching service. About Wonde Proud: Wonde Proud Technology is specialized in GPS navigation devices and CCTV surveillance equipment. Wonde Proud Technology has been one of the leading manufacturers of video processing of RF modulation and A/V transmission systems in Taiwan. With 12-years experience, highly competitive R&D team Wonde Proud Technology are now introducing the Wonde X GPS series into the existing navigation market. In addition, Wonde Proud Technology offers OEM/ODM services upon request. To find out more about Wonde Proud Technology, please visit www.wondeproud.com.About NemeriX: Founded in April 2002, NemeriX S.A. (Manno, Switzerland) is a venture-backed fables semiconductor company specialising in ultra low power GPS and LBS integrated circuits, software and firmware for GPS and wireless applications. NemeriXs devices enable battery-power location determination anywhere, anytime, facilitating the design and manufacture of truly differentiated products for both consumer and professional markets. For more information about NemeriX, please visit www.nemerix.com.
Susan Donahue (susan@firpr.com)Phone: +1 617 262 1960
Location-based services will help with wireless growth


5 June, 2007By Vanessa HoIn marketing, it's all about location, location, location but in the world of technology the same is also true. The increase use of location-based services (LBS) technology in the enterprise space is growing in popularity, not only to help businesses with asset management, but also improve productivity.
"Over the past year and even the past few months we've seen a dramatic development where Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are taking a hold in wireless and WLAN devices and embedded GPS [have] spurred LBS," said Lawrence Surtees vice president, of communications research with IDC Canada.
He added that LBS applications have been around for a number of years in the consumer world but in the enterprise space, it's been predominately focused on asset control, vehicle fleet management, sales force automation and CRM systems.
"Commercial services [are the ones] that are [going to] make use of LBS in the wireless space," said Surtees. "LBS applications have taken a hold in its own right and in the U.S., LBS revenue forecast will go from just shy of $50 million in 2005 to $3 billion in 2010," he added.
Surtees was just one of the speakers at the MaRS Emerging Technology series event, held in Toronto, entitled: "Location! Location! Location! The Growing Market for LBS." LBS is about getting the right information or customized information to the right people at the right time.
Tyler Lessard, director of ISV alliances with Research in Motion (RIM) Ltd., said that another reason why LBS applications have gained in popularity is because users are ready for it.
"With the rise of SMS and wireless e-mail, people are now taking it for granted that they've got wireless e-mail. People are [now] waiting for the next wave of what else can I do with this device," he added.
The majority of enterprises are using LBS with their voice and data handhelds that have GPS embedded onto it to do such things as asset tracking. Mobile field service application followed a close second in terms of enterprise usage.
"There are many smart phones and PDA that now offer support for accessing GPS location. We are starting to see vendors not just build generic services and applications deploying GPS on cellphones [but] see a generation of tailored products for particular devices or for different types users," said Lessard.
The type of applications that enterprises are using LBS for include turn-by-turn navigation that alerts about traffic jams or even suggests restaurants to take clients to. As well, aside from asset management and field service automation, enterprises are using LBS for sales force automation, tracking employees on the road and industry specific services.
Verticals that can benefit the most from LBS include health care, real estate, government and the public sector.
But Lessard said there are some barriers to LBS adoption.
"[Companies] are worried about integration of the mobile system with corporate back-office systems and the cost of the mobile hardware and software is perceived as too high," he said.
To overcome some of those barriers, RIM relies on its channel partners such as Wallace Wireless to help companies realize the benefits of LBS.
"It's a process for the enterprise," said Rob Moffat, president and co-founder of Wallace Wireless. "We find that it takes customers about 18 months [after] using a Blackberry for email before they are ready to adopt any kind of new applications," he added.
In order to ease them into LBS, Moffat said he doesn't lead with it when talking to customers but instead leads with context sensitive information that's about getting the right information at the right time.
"If LBS applications are a piece of it then you can bring in LBS and often times the information is tied to a location and that's how LBS applications become a part of [the discussion]," said Moffat.
He added that right now LBS in the enterprise is in the early adopter phase and doesn't expect enterprises to fully embrace the technology at least for another three to five years because of all the privacy issues surrounding it.
"We find that people fears of being tracked are obvious but when you get to the executive level at large Fortune 100 companies they all want to be tracked and companies want to track them [because] they are going to places they not comfortable with and don't know a lot about them," said Moffat.
If there is a lesson to be learned from the emergence of LBS applications, Lessard said it's that enterprises are ready to turn their handheld computing devices into competitive differentiators to help them reduce cost and increase revenue.
TomTom Map Share Technology


location based services

06 giugno 2007


TomTom today announced the introduction of TomTom Map Share on the new TomTom GO 520 and TomTom GO 720. This unique new map improvement technology allows TomTom users to easily improve their maps as soon as they spot changes in the roads with a few touches on the screen of their device. Via TomTom HOME, TomTom Map Share users also receive all map improvements made by others, making their maps as dynamic as the world they live in.
TomTom Map Share is a proprietary map improvement technology unique to TomTom, which enables users to easily and instantly improve maps. TomTom users can respond in real time to changes in the road network and correct the maps on their TomTom devices accordingly. Thanks

to the Smart user interface, it is easy to make improvements, such as blocked or unblocked streets, reversed one way traffic or new street names, which will instantly take effect.
Roads are continually changing. This feature gives TomTom users the option to capture these changes on their device in-between map releases and keep their data as current as they wish. These changes allow the community of TomTom Map Share users to always have the most up-to-date maps and inside local knowledge at their fingertips.
TomTom has the world's largest satellite navigation community with over 10 million users. TomTom Map Share users can share their improvements with each other easily through TomTom HOME, TomTom's free software application that enables users to manage, download, store and transfer content from their computer (PC/MAC) onto their TomTom device. When it comes to sharing improvements, users can choose between downloading all reported map improvements or only accepting map improvements verified by a TomTom team of experts to guarantee timeliness and validity.
TomTom Map Share is offered for free with both the TomTom GO 520 and TomTom GO 720. "TomTom Map Share is an important component of a new era in navigation. By enabling millions of TomTom users around the world to automatically share and mutually benefit from each other's local road knowledge every day for free, TomTom ensures that drivers have the most accurate and up to date maps available in the industry", said Harold Goddijn, chief executive officer at TomTom.

Print version Send to a friend Write your comment »
GeoVector and CyberMap Japan Enhance the World’s First Pointing Based Local Search Solution for Mobile Phones

location based services

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GeoVector Corporation:
Mapion Pointing Application Release 2.0, powered by GeoVector, offers new mobile local search capabilities including first of its kind user driven, opt-in advertising, sponsored categories and preferred placement.
Innovative, intuitive pointing interface to information on 700,000 Points of Interest across Japan now available on over 2 million Sony Ericsson, Kyocera and Casio mobile phones using the KDDI network.
GeoVector Corporation, the leader in pointing based search solutions, and CyberMap Japan Corp., owner of mapping services leader Mapion, today launched Mapion Pointing Application 2.0, called Mapion Pointing Appli, for mobile phones in Japan. This upgrade transforms Mapion’s existing GeoVector pointing mobile search service into a fully commercial application available to over 2 million phones.
Mapion Pointing Application is an exciting tool that allows users to easily find and launch rich content by pointing and clicking mobile phones at retailers, restaurants, historical sites or any of Mapion’s 700,000 Points of Interest (POI) across Japan. The service combines Mapion’s POI data with GeoVector’s pointing based technology and spatial search engine, providing the world’s first truly personal local search.
The new release builds upon the success of Version 1.0, user feedback and solid experience, greatly improving functionality and ease of use. New capabilities include user driven opt-in advertising, sponsored categories and preferred placement.
“These upgrades greatly improve our mobile local search capabilities, giving users the information they need, wherever they need it most,” explained John Ellenby, President of GeoVector. “Users and advertisers can now connect based on the user’s interests, without the exchange of any personal information.”
“Mapion is always searching for pioneering technologies to improve our user experience,” said Takehiko Murata, President of CyberMap Corp. Japan. “GeoVector’s exciting technology allows us to bring users an experience available nowhere else in the world, giving us a significant advantage over our competitors.”
“Soon people will pick up any GeoVector capable mobile device and merely point it at something to access a wide variety of rich content,” added Ellenby. "While a computer and mouse help you to surf the world wide web, GeoVector enables you to Surf the Whole Wide WorldTM just by pointing your mobile phone."
The service was initially launched over the KDDI network in January of 2006 and is now available for download with Sony Ericsson models W32S, W41S, W44S and W51S phones, the W41K by Kyocera, the W42CA by Casio and, in July, the W52S from Sony Ericsson.
About GeoVector Corporation
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, GeoVector develops solutions for location-based services and tools for wireless communications manufacturers, wireless service providers and mobile content developers. Supported by significant intellectual property, GeoVector’s spatial search engine technology provides the foundation for new community, gaming, advertising and other location sensitive applications. GeoVector allows mobile web services to be attached to any object or location and launched just by pointing at them with a mobile device. This includes Point to Call® services for one click calling and Point to Buy® M-commerce transactions. Please visit http://www.geovector.com.
About Mapion
Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, CyberMap Japan Corp.’s Mapion service has over 700,000 page views per day and is Japan’s leading mapping search service. With over 200 enterprise customers including Starbucks, ANA, Ford, NEC and Panasonic, Mapion is also Japan’s leading mapping ASP service. Mapion’s nationwide service in Japan is ubiquitous across PCs, PDAs and all of Japan’s mobile phone operators. Mapion’s shareholders include Toppan, NTT Communications, Dentsu, Yahoo! Japan and Sharp.
Google and the Geoweb

location based services

Bent Hagemark, Lior Ron, Michael Jones
Do you want to reach the largest possible audience, in the most innovative ways, with your geospatial data? If so, then KML is the answer. KML is a file format used to display geographic data in a geo-browser, such as Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Maps for mobile. We'll give you a tour of what is possible in KML and show you how to create your own custom map layers. We'll also talk about how you can help Google to index your geospatial content (KML, GeoRSS and more) so that we can send more search traffic your way.
Speaker Bio: Bent joined Google in January 2006 and is a software engineer working on KML and KML tools. Previous to Google Bent worked at Opera Software and Silicon Graphics.Lior is the Product Manager for geo search in Google, where he is trying to help the world around us get mapped using the power of the masses. Before joining Google, Lior co-founded a medical device and a search startup, and served in various managerial positions in the Israeli Intelligence, where he worked on GIS and search problems. Lior holds an MBA from Stanford and BSc and MS from the Technion - the Israeli institute for technology.Michael Jones is Chief Technology Officer of the Google Earth service for distributed geospatial visualization to users worldwide. He is co-founder of Keyhole, the company taken over by Google to create Google Earth. In addition, he is a popular technical presenter, an inventor with eleven issued U.S. patents, a director on private company boards, and an associate in several Silicon Valley projects. He was formerly President & CEO of Intrinsic Graphics, Director of Advanced Graphics Software at Silicon Graphics responsible for OpenGL, Performer, and all other graphics APIs, co-founder of a movie coloring company, and a computer graphics consultant during the 1980s. He has been a computer programmer since the fourth grade.
Video: watch this session

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Google Maps API Introduction

location based services

Brandon Badger
The Google Maps API is a powerful way to put a custom map on your website. In this session, you'll learn just how easy it is to create your own maps mashup. We'll start with the basics and progress through the tools that the API provides. By the end of the session, you'll be amazed at the sophisticated maps that you'll be able to embed on your web site with just a few lines of JavaScript.
Speaker Bio: Brandon is the Product Manager for the Google Maps API and KML. While at Google, he has worked to grow the Google Maps and Google Earth development communities. Prior to Google, Brandon worked as an Engineer and Development Manager at Symantec. He holds an MS in Computer Science from Stanford University. As an Undergraduate, he played on the NCAA champion Stanford tennis team and earned a BA in Economics.
Video: watch this session
Xionetic Locator Web of Bozeman, Montana to Power TomTom's Retail Locator

location based services


June 5, 2007
View for printing
Xionetic Technologies, a leading developer of advanced location-based services software announces that TomTom, the world's largest portable navigation solutions provider, has selected Xionetic Locator Web to power their store locator -- the "where-to-buy" functionality on their website.
TomTom chose to implement Xionetic Locator Web as a result of the rapid growth in the number and diversity of North American retail outlets. The program enables TomTom customers and web visitors to search more than 18,000 retailers in the TomTom database to easily and quickly find pertinent store information nearest them, including store locations, hours and phone numbers.
Xionetic Locator Web is an advanced location-based search engine that allows you to easily add a store locator and customizable mapping and driving direction functionality to a web site. Almost 200 companies use Xionetic Locator Web to provide their web visitors with detailed information on where to buy their products or services.
"We are pleased TomTom has chosen to use Xionetic Locator Web," says Sarah Savage, Product Marketing Manager at Xionetic. "TomTom is the world's largest provider of portable navigation solutions, and they understand the value of providing up-to-date location and direction services on their website."
About Xionetic:
Xionetic Technologies, Inc. specializes in building and managing location based searching applications and advanced electronic marketplace software. Over 6,000 commercial and public sector customers use Xionetic's suite of geographic locator and business analytics applications. Founded in 1991, Xionetic Technologies is a privately held company based in Bozeman,Montana.
Xionetic Contact:
Sarah Savage
Telephone: 406-556-0212
Email: Sarah.Savage@xionetic.com
http://www.xionetic.com
About TomTom:
TomTom NV is the world's largest portable navigation solutions provider. TomTom's products are developed with an emphasis on innovation, quality, ease of use and value. TomTom's products include all-in-one navigation devices which enable customers to navigate right out of the box; these are the award-winning TomTom GO family, the TomTom ONE range and the TomTom RIDER. TomTom was founded in 1991 in Amsterdam and has offices in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. TomTom is listed at Euronext, Amsterdam Stock Exchange in The Netherlands. For more information, go to http://www.tomtom.com.
TomTom Contact
Google Maps Gains Transit Info

location based services


In some cities and for some types of public transportation, Google Maps can show the next departure time, what lines serve a specific station, and a link to the transit agency.
By Thomas Claburn InformationWeek Jun 5, 2007 02:00 PM
Google Maps gained a new feature Monday: The transit station icons on Google Maps now present transit information when clicked.
"Depending on the data available for a given public transit system, Google Maps now shows the next departure times, what lines serve a specific station, and/or a link to the transit agency to get more detail," said Christoph Oehler, a product manager at Google, in a blog post.
Some stations show departure times; others show only links to the associated transit service.
For a limited number of cities, Google-assisted travelers can generate detailed trip plans on public transit using Google Transit Trip Planner, an experimental Google Labs service that works in conjunction with Google Maps.
Google Transit Trip Planner covers the following states, cities, and transit agencies: Burbank (Burbank Bus), Orange County (OCTA), and San Diego (MTS), Calif.; Tampa (HART), Fla.; Honolulu (TheBus); Pittsburgh (Port Authority); Duluth (Duluth Transit), Minn.; Reno (RTC RIDE), Nev.; Eugene (Lane Transit District) and Portland (TriMet), Ore.; Austin (Capital Metro), Texas; and Seattle (King County Metro).
The service also covers national rail networks, domestic airlines, and ferries in Japan.
Google depends on transit data supplied by transit agencies. It provides details about how to submit transit data at its Web site.

Search Is Driving Mobile Web Growth In The U.S

location based services



.Posted by Stephen Wellman, Jun 5, 2007 04:30 PM
Use of the mobile Web in the U.S. continues to grow, despite all the criticisms from bloggers and wireless insiders. According to the latest findings, the U.S. is now second only to the U.K. in terms of mobile Web use. What's driving all this growth?
According to Bango (the company that released the findings -- yes, I know they're a mobile content vendor, but bear with me), it's mobile search. So much for mobile search being an emerging category. Here is a recap of Bango's findings*:
The top five countries accessing the mobile web via Bango in April 2007 were the UK at 27%, the US at 21%, South Africa at 11%, India at 9% and Indonesia at 3%. In total, Bango detects mobile web users from over 190 countries.
And where is the future of the mobile Web? The BRIC, of course. Of the big four India is showing amazing growth:
In addition to growth in the US, Bango's data shows that 9% of all accesses to mobile websites now come from India, up from 4% a year ago. India, with a population of just over 1.1 billion and lack of an established fixed phone line network, relies on mobile phones to stay in touch. Here, mobile phone usage is set to exceed European levels within the next few years.
That also means India will likely exceed the U.S. and may become the definitive market for the mobile Web.
And which phones are people using to surf the mobile Web?
In the first quarter of 2007 the top handset for accessing mobile websites was the Sanyo Katana SCP 6600. The fact that the Sanyo Katana is only available in the US reflects the rapid growth in mobile surfing by US users. Other popular handsets included the Motorola RAZR V3, the Sony Ericsson K750i and the Samsung A900.
Besides mobile search, what else is prompting people to use the mobile Web? It's flat-rate data:
"We see that wherever flat-rate mobile data charges are pervasive in a country then there's much more web browsing," said Anil Malhotra, SVP of Marketing at Bango. "This is certainly true of the US and South Africa and the imminent introduction of flat-rate data charges in the UK will push up mobile web usage in the UK even further."
The findings from this Bango report echo a blog post of mine from earlier this year. That survey, from the Online Publishing Association, targeted a roughly equal number of respondents in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. It found more mobile users in the U.S. than in Europe. And, just like the Bango numbers, the OPA study claimed that the U.S. was second only to the U.K. in terms of total mobile Web use.
What do you think? Will the U.S. overtake the U.K. in terms of mobile Web use? And how long will it take India and China to overtake both?
* "Bango identifies users by their country and network of origin. The ranking is produced by measuring the number of user visits to mobile websites from each country."
« Apple MacBook Pro Laptops Push Santa Rosa Platform Main A One-Day Lesson In Telepresence Basics »
SiRFDiRect Location Technology Delivers Portable Navigation Breakthrough

SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. , a leading provider of GPS-enabled silicon and premium software location platforms, today introduced its SiRFDiRect(TM) technology, a portable navigation breakthrough that achieves navigation accuracy and coverage previously available only in costly, permanently installed in-car systems. Employing sophisticated algorithms that take advantage of closely coupled GPS and dead-reckoning (DR) sensor measurements, SiRFDiRect technology delivers very high quality positioning, even in the worst GPS signal conditions, without the installation inconvenience and high cost of traditional in-dash navigation systems. The first implementation of SiRFDiRect technology integrates the award-winning SiRFstarIII(R) architecture with low-cost heading and acceleration sensors to give portable devices continuous and accurate navigation capabilities typically found in very high-end in-car navigation systems. "As the portable navigation devices are starting to address mainstream, it is very important to meet consumer expectations of reliable positioning everywhere, no matter what, and our SiRFDiRect technology is a major advance in that direction," said Kanwar Chadha, founder and vice president of marketing for SiRF. "It gives our portable navigation device customers a competitive edge by enabling them to provide in-car system navigation accuracy at lower cost while retaining the advantages of portability and transferability." SiRFDiRect technology uses heading and acceleration data from the sensors to boost the accuracy of portable navigation systems when GPS signals are weak or blocked, such as in dense urban canyons and tunnels. Transitions between combined GPS/DR and dead-reckoning-only operation are seamless and accurate without operator intervention, and the closely coupled GPS/DR architecture of SiRFDiRect technology continuously auto-calibrates the heading and acceleration sensors, enabling high performance with low-cost, small-footprint sensors. The sensors can be located in the portable device or in an external dashboard mounting cradle. Further enhancing ease of use, SiRFDiRect technology allows great flexibility in orienting portable navigation devices when mounting them in a vehicle without affecting performance. Mio Technology, Ltd., a leading maker of portable navigation devices, announces its plans to deploy SiRFDiRect based Navsteadi(TM) high-precision navigation technology at Computex Taipei 2007 (TICC/Hall 4, Booth 101B). Navsteadi (TM) brings in-dash like positioning accuracy and reliability to portable navigation systems. "The new technology co-worked by SiRF and Mio, gives our customers the best of both worlds; reliable performance in the most challenging GPS conditions, expected of the typical high-end navigation system, while maintaining the traditional cost and portability advantages of Mio systems," said Samuel Wang, president of Mio Technology Ltd. "Our continuous close alliance with SiRF has enabled us to bring leading edge products with innovative technologies quickly to market, to enhance the user experience of portable navigation devices." Availability SiRFDiRect technology is part of SiRF's portfolio of premium software offerings. SiRFDiRect technology and complete reference designs will be available in the third quarter of 2007 with the GSC3e/LP and GSC3f/LP chip sets, and will be migrated to future SiRF hardware platforms. About SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. develops and markets semiconductor and software products that are designed to enable location-awareness utilizing GPS and other location technologies, enhanced by wireless connectivity capabilities such as Bluetooth, for high-volume mobile consumer devices and commercial applications. SiRF's technology has been integrated into mobile consumer devices such as automobile navigation systems, mobile phones, PDAs, GPS-based peripherals and handheld GPS navigation devices, and into commercial applications such as location servers, asset tracking devices and fleet management systems. SiRF markets and sells its products in three target platforms: wireless handheld devices, such as mobile phones; automotive electronics systems, including navigation and telematics systems; and consumer and compute devices, including personal digital assistants, notebook computers, recreational GPS handhelds, mobile gaming machines, digital cameras and watches. Founded in 1995, SiRF is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and has sales offices, design centers and research facilities around the world. The company trades on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange under the symbol SIRF. Additional information about SiRF and its location technology solutions can be found at http://www.sirf.com/.
Search WirelessDevNet for Related Items
NAVTEQ to Present at Bear Stearns Technology/Communications/Internet Conference


(NYSE: NVT), a leading global provider of digital map data for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, announced today it will present at the Bear Stearns Technology/Communications/Internet Conference on June 12, 2007. David Mullen, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will speak at 2:45PM EDT. Investors are invited to listen to a webcast of the presentation by accessing http://www.navteq.com, clicking on "Investor Relations," and then clicking on the webcast icon. For those who are unable to listen at the time of the presentation, an archive of the webcast will be available on the company's website for 30 days following the presentation.About NAVTEQ NAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices, Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions. NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions around the world. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 2,800 employees located in 167 offices in 28 countries.
High Performance GPS Solutions in New Generation of Handheld Devices

location based services

Wonde Proud Chooses NemeriX for Next Generation GPS ProductsMANNO, Switzerland-/Wi-Fi Technology News/- NemeriX, a leading fabless semiconductor company specialising in ultra low power semiconductors and solutions for GPS and location-based service devices, announced today that Taiwan-based OEM Wonde Proud Technology has selected NemeriX for its new generation of GPS personal navigation devices.
The latest NemeriX solutions will be integrated into a range of Wonde Proud Personal Navigation Device (PND) ‘mice’ – so-called because they look much like a computer mouse. NemeriX technology is already built into four models currently available in the UK under the brands of Holux, OnNext and Polaris. European brands include Adapt, XAIOX and Oasis-Media. Depending on user preferences, handheld devices can receive location-based services from ‘push’ or ‘pull’ providers. ‘Push’ providers broadcast information to PNDs of users who have elected to receive information from providers relevant to their personal interests – for example film theatres, Chinese restaurants, and jazz clubs. A ‘pull’ location-based service provider makes their information available to anyone who seeks to ‘pull down’ (download) services from their PND.Wonde Proud’s Director Marketing Mark Hu said, “We chose NemeriX technology due to its superior low-power performance, high sensitivity and reliability. NemeriX’s solutions are already in our CD100, CD110, BT77 and BT55 models, so this agreement marks a further strengthening of our partnership.”“We will also integrate NemeriX technology into our new models including the BT100X, CD150 camera detector, CD160 data logger, VT100 vehicle tracker plus NJ2020 later this year. We expect to produce up to 600,000 pieces in 2007.” NemeriX VP of Marketing Lew Boore, said, “NemeriX is focused on the delivery of low-power, high-performance GPS and A-GPS solutions that allow our customers to differentiate themselves, as well as provide consumers with the best user experience. We are proud to have Wonde Proud as a key partner.”A number of organisations connected with the 2008 Beijing Olympics are said to be interested in Wonde Proud PND devices. Four models are already on sale in China under local brands.With the new generation of PNDs, people will be able to more rapidly and accurately pinpoint their position and request location-based services. These may be business facilities such as the nearest train station or WiFi-enabled café or a more personal benefit such as the nearest hairdresser or date-matching service. About Wonde Proud:Wonde Proud Technology is specialized in GPS navigation devices and CCTV surveillance equipment. Wonde Proud Technology has been one of the leading manufacturers of video processing of RF modulation and A/V transmission systems in Taiwan. With 12-years experience, highly competitive R&D team Wonde Proud Technology are now introducing the Wonde X GPS series into the existing navigation market. In addition, Wonde Proud Technology offers OEM/ODM services upon request. To find out more about Wonde Proud Technology, please visit http://www.wondeproud.com.About NemeriX:Founded in April 2002, NemeriX S.A. (Manno, Switzerland) is a venture-backed fables semiconductor company specialising in ultra low power GPS and LBS integrated circuits, software and firmware for GPS and wireless applications. NemeriX’s devices enable battery-power location determination anywhere, anytime, facilitating the design and manufacture of truly differentiated products for both consumer and professional markets. For more information about NemeriX, please visit http://www.nemerix.com.