Privacy And Mobile Technology

location based services

A new survey from Harris Interactive shows that US mobile phone users are concerned about privacy when it comes to location-based services and presence technology. These services, some of which are available, can tell where a person is physically located, what communication device they are using and how they can be reached.
According to the survey one in four mobile users would like to know the availability of their contacts and 27 percent say that is an attractive feature they would be interested in. Interestingly when asked how they would feel about people who have the same information about them the majority responded that they felt it would be an invasion of privacy.
More than half (58%) would be comfortable with their spouse or significant other knowing where they are and if they were available. Less was comfortable with the idea that their children (46%) or other family members (43%) would have information on their availability and location. Only a small percentage would want their co-workers (6%) or employers (5%) to have the same information.
General awareness and purchase intent for LBS and presence services are low. Only 4 percent would switch wireless carriers to have those features. Three in ten consumers would be interested in more information.
“We expect these technologies eventually to catch on," said Joe Porus, VP and Chief Architect with Harris Interactive’s Technology and Telecom Practice. "But providers must give users control over location-based features to allay privacy concerns." Milt Ellis, VP and Sr. Consultant with the practice, added, "For marketers of these services, the key initially is to target groups of users —such as teenagers, busy executives, delivery and emergency service personnel—who value the benefits of being connected more than they worry about privacy." Tags: Mobile Phone Privacy Add to Del.icio.us Digg

Grundig 3G UMTS Linux Phone

location based services

See left for the rest of today's 3G news from 3G.co.uk
28th February , 2007

Europe : Grundig has launched a 3G UMTS Linux phone. The specification is as follows :
FORM, SIZE AND DISPLAYForm factor ClamshellAntenna IntegralDimensions (L, W, H) 92 x 50 x 14 mm.Weight 94 g.Display QVGA 262K TFT colour& 65K OLEDDisplay size 2.0’’Display resolution 240x320 Pixels & 96x64 Pixels
PERFORMANCEBattery Li-ion 1000mAhTalk time >2.5 hoursStandby time 220 hours* Performance vary depending on the network and usage.
OPERATING SYSTEMOperating System Linux
NETWORKFrequency Dual Mode UMTS+EDGE;GSM QuadbandData EDGE class 10/GPRS Class10Voice EFR, HR, FR, AMRModem via Bluetooth & USBConnectivity Bluetooth & USB
MULTIMEDIACamera 2MP camera CMOS withZoom & LED Flash & Multishotpictures + VGA Video CameraMusic FM Radio; MP3 Player;Audio StreamingSound Stereo, AAC, MP3Video Video Telephony; Record &Play; Video Streaming;Progressive Download(Resolution: QCIF)Browsing WAP 2.0, xHTMLMessaging SMSMultimedia messaging MMS with pictures, melodiesand text slidesImage formats JPEG, GIF, Animated GIF, BMP,WBMPMelody formats AMR-NB, MidiRingtones 64 polyphonic with ADPCMInternal user memory 100 MbytesExternal user memory micro SD card (1GB)Games Java MIDP 2.0
MORE FEATURESAnimated wallpaperPicture CLIDate & time in idle screenCalculatorVoice recorderAlarm clockHandsfree speakerOPTIONAL ACCESSORIESStereo headsetCar chargerUSB cableBluetooth Headset

TCS Awarded Seventh Assisted Global Positioning System Patent

location based services

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS), a leading provider of mission-critical wireless communications, today announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued patent number 7,183,973, titled, "Culled Satellite Ephemeris Information Based On Accurate Distance in Range Calculations, For Quick, Accurate Assisted Locating Satellite Location Determination." The patent enables a wireless subscriber's location to be determined more quickly and more reliably than traditional assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) methods. It addresses which specific satellites will be in view of the GPS device for the longest time in order to select the specific satellites that are most useful in determining the user's location. This latest A-GPS patent represents the seventh in TCS' A-GPS patent portfolio. A-GPS usage is expected to continue to show strong growth in the future as operators worldwide deploy A-GPS handsets and infrastructure for their precise location requirements. ABI Research recently stated that 25 percent of all 3G GSM-based handsets will offer GPS by the end of 2008. "TCS continues to strengthen its proven leadership in the location-based services marketplace," stated Tim Lorello, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for TCS. "We have long believed that precise location is extremely important for successful location-based services. With more GPS-based wireless devices coming to market, our expertise in worldwide deployments, our significant contributions to standards and interoperability, and our strong patent portfolio position TCS as an excellent partner for a wireless operator interested in generating new revenues from this promising technology." This represents TCS' 52nd announced patent with more than 150 additional patent applications pending in the United States and jurisdictions throughout the world. ABOUT THE INVENTION Today, there are 29 satellites in the GPS network, each orbiting the Earth approximately six times per day. As a user moves his or her wireless GPS device from one location to another, the satellites in view relative to that location change. GPS devices attempting to determine the user's position can now take advantage of this invention and receive a culled list of satellites from which a faster and more accurate location can be determined. The "Culled Satellite Ephemeris Information Based On Accurate Distance in Range Calculations, For Quick, Accurate Assisted Locating Satellite Location Determination" patent provides a method and apparatus for more quick and dependable location solutions by only using those satellites that are expected to be within site of the wireless handset user for the longest time. The method and apparatus of culling the satellites can be performed in a wireless communications base station and/or a mobile device. ABOUT TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, INC. TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) produces wireless data communications technology solutions that require proven high levels of reliability. TCS provides wireless and VoIP E9-1-1 network-based services, secure deployable communication systems and engineered satellite-based services, and commercial location applications, like traffic and navigation, using the precise location of a wireless device. Customers include leading wireless and VoIP operators around the world, and agencies of the U.S. Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security. For more information, visit www.telecomsys.com.

Industry Report: Location-Enabled Mobile Search

location based services

MobileLocalSearch.net has announced the publication of "Mobile Local Search: Location-based Search Market & Business Opportunities.” Mobile search provides consumers anytime, anywhere access to information via the mobile Web. Mobile search applications need to have speed and ease-of-use, feature simple query entry, quick interface navigation and precise use of limited mobile device screen space. Awareness of mobile local search continues to grow with consumers, creating new opportunities for brands and vendors to exploit the power of the mobile channel. Written by Kris Kolodziej, an industry veteran in the location technology field for almost a decade, this report evaluates location-based search business opportunities and vendors that exploit them, and provides an analysis of the current market and technology landscape. Mobile Local Search Location-based or proximity-based search is a very important factor in presenting local search results. Local search engines use a different algorithm than the main search engines – a location-based algorithm. If a user self-provisions his location (by including a city name, zip code, area code, or address in his query), or if the location information is provided automatically via a GPS or similar, listings can be filtered according to proximity to that particular location (in addition to other metrics/filters) to make them more relevant. Research Methodology This report presents mature views of the mobile local search technology and marketplace, which is usually overshadowed with hype. The analysis was predominantly based on a combination of primary and secondary research techniques, including interviews. Through triangulation and cross-verification of information obtained through these sources, this report evaluates the current state of mobile local search technology throughout the industry. Report Coverage Includes • Business drivers for mobile search from mobile operators perspective • Mobile local search value chain assessment and mapping of players• Strategy analysis and recommendations for suppliers and wireless carriers • Analysis and assessment of world-wide mobile search deployments• Evaluation of pros and cons of white-label search vs. Google, Yahoo, etc.• Analysis of user interface issues and evaluation of voice-enabled search• Overview of positioning solutions including cellular and non-cellular• Primary market research survey results ranking key mobile local search relevancy factors including profiling, usage patterns, and real-time location • Evaluation of the differences between desktop vs. mobile searching with an emphasis on search category, user interface issues, and attribute data • Evaluation of key attributes that multiply value localization including preferences, behaviors, demographics, business and product information, business and product rankings, and “geo-tags” Report Answers Important Questions• Mobile Local Search – Why now? • What are the new trends?• Who’s driving the market? • What’s driving the market? • How important is the user’s real-time location?• How important is the user’s profile? • How important is the user’s usage pattern? Key Findings in Report • The Killer Enabler – Location Information • Local content is key for tapping into local business • The future of “Walled Gardens” and portals will be profoundly effected • Google is afraid to admit how big the business opportunity for mobile local search really is for mobile operators that tap into this new revenue stream • The future of mobile search will include localization, usage patterns, preferences, ranking, and activity Topics Covered 1 Introduction 2 Summary of Findings and Recommendations 3 Background to Mobile Search 4 Mobile Search – Why now? 5 Mobile Local Search Value-Chain 6 Mobile Local Search Strategies 7 Local Content is King 8 The Killer Enabler – Location-Based Search 9 The Power of Voice-Enabled Searches 10 Mobile Advertising and Business Models 11 Devices and GUIs 12 About the AuthorQuotes from Companies Interviewed in Report- AOL- Askmenow- Cellwand Communications- CES- go2- InfoSpace- JumpTap- Loopt- Mobile People- MobileCommerce- MoBlast- Nokia- TCS- V-Enable- Verizon Wireless- WPP DigitalOther Companies Mentioned AOL - 4info - AdMob - ALLTELL - Apple - Ask.com - AskMeNow - Blyk - Cingular - DoubleClick - Enpocket - FastSearch - Feeva - GeoVector - Google - Greystripe - Helio - InfoSpace - InfoUSA - Itchy Guides - Jamba - JiWire - July Systems - JumpTap - Klub Universe - MapQuest - Medio - Microsoft - Mobile Content Networks - MobileVoiceControl - Monstermob - Motorola - Multimap - Navizon - NAVTEQ - NEC - Nokia - NTT DoCoMo - Nuance Communications - O2 - Orange - Overture - PocketThis - Rhythm New Media - Samsung - SiRF - Skyhook Wireless - Smart2Go - Sprint Nextel - TeamTack - TeleAtlas - TellMe - Third Screen Media - Thompson Directories - T-Mobile - TopTable - Upsnap.com - Visa International - Yahoo - Yell.com - YelloPages.com

Novatracker Introduces The “Maya”—A Highly Customizable Wireless and GPS Solution


location based services

NovaTracker is introducing a more intelligent generation of highly customizable wireless and GPS hardware solutions powered by proprietary technology that integrates easily with most vehicle tracking software and significantly cuts transmission costs.The Maya is an extremely versatile and reliable in-vehicle GPS equipped, GSM capable data hub that allows existing fleet management software solutions to do far more, with less. Engineered specifically for the fleet-tracking industry, Maya generates an unparalleled array of customized and highly relevant data transmissions. Leveraging the intelligent technology developed by NovaTracker as the proprietary platform for its wireless and GPS solutions—Maya becomes an in-vehicle network hub. Specifically, this intelligent unit is capable of providing a large range of data types such as location reporting, vehicle status and a wide variety of event codes including geofence violation. It is the only device on the market today that will transmit information the customer has specified with as many as 16 different variables. “Fleet managers consistently report that as much as 50 percent of the information they receive from a GPS solution isn’t precisely what they need, so the other half results in higher transmission costs.” explains David Leis, chief marketing officer at NovaTracker. We believe our new products will offer significant savings and enhancements to existing GPS applications, setting a new standard in the industry – just what the customer ordered.”Moreover, Maya is easily installed and integrated with the customer’s existing web enabled routing and scheduling application software to enhance fleet management, routing, tracking and dispatching capabilities by giving users unsurpassed functionality through route verification, real-time vehicle tracking and in vehicle communications.The simplicity and compactness of the Maya provides for fast deployment using minimal space. The Maya™ is equipped with two digital and one analog input channels. Options include Bluetooth and USB I/O.About NovaTrackerHeadquartered in Cranford, New Jersey, NovaTracker has developed proprietary technology used in the world’s most intelligent GPS and wireless tracking products and solutions for fleet management, asset protection and covert security markets. The company was founded in 2003 and has received funding from Columbus Nova, a New York private equity firm. For more information, please visit http://www.novatracker.com.

Nokia and WaveMarket Help to Break European GPS Chicken and Egg Quagmire \

location based services

Clearly GPS was the major talking point at 3GSM this year, with handset manufacturers , such as Nokia and RIM, jumping on board the faster, smaller, more power efficient GPS train. The foremost talking point was Nokia’s decision to actively integrate GPS in their high end phones as well as making people more aware of LBS as a whole. Previously in Europe, the old chicken and egg scenario existed between the handset vendors and the operators; to drive uptake of accurate LBS, GPS is required in a large proportion of handsets and visa versa. Nokia’s announcement at 3GSM appeared to be a cellular Sat-Nav play, skipping a major link in the LBS chain, in the form of operators, and launched with autonomous GPS, rather than waiting for A-GPS to be in place to offer a broad range of location services and improved user experience.Historically, autonomous GPS in the handset has issues with time to first fix, processing requirements and ultimately power consumption, resulting in a frustrating user experience. Furthermore, GPS in the phone should not be viewed as just a convenient and potentially cost effective alternative to PNDs. To drive the uptake of LBS, consumers need to get away from the GPS equates to Sat-Nav philosophy which currently prevails, when thinking about GPS-enabled handsets. In this situation, the wide-ranging benefits of LBS are removed from the equation. Focusing very much on navigation rather than LBS could hinder the uptake of a myriad of other services that can be offered when operators have the correct assistance infrastructure, services and pricing in place.In IMS Research’s report, “The Worldwide Market for GPS in Cellular – 2006 Edition”, handset manufacturers and ASPs in Europe are forecast to fill the A-GPS void left by operators in 2007 with autonomous solutions. However, Nokia didn’t get to where they are today by standing on operators toes. In fact, Nokia may well have found an ideal (and possibly the only) way of kick starting LBS in Europe without having assistance technology on the majority of networks. IMS Research Analyst, Patrick Connolly said ”Today’s announcement with WaveMarket illustrates that Nokia is looking beyond the short term gain of Sat-Nav via a handset and is looking to work with operators on other location services. By initially focusing on just navigation, Nokia can meet current consumer demand and expectation, while also providing a platform for a broad array of location services”. He went on to say, “Nokia is essentially offering a similar service package and user experience to what is already on offer from other ASPs such as Telmap and Wayfinder. Furthermore, the issues associated with autonomous navigation are not as poignant for navigation as consumers accept a relatively long TTFF. Problems with power consumption are also easily rectified in-car. There is still plenty of room for the operator to expand beyond navigation as and when they get an assistance technology up and running. Despite the current optimism and hype in the industry, IMS Research still believes that 2008 rather than 2007 will be the real breakout year for LBS in Europe. When it does arrive, Nokia will have a broad portfolio of handsets already in place and a tidy navigation business bringing in additional revenues all the while.” If you would like an interview with an expert in this area, please contact Alison Bogle, Marketing Manager, at Alison.Bogle@imsresearch-usa.com or +1 412-441-1888. About IMS ResearchIMS Research is a supplier of market research and consultancy services on a wide range of global electronics markets. The company is supported by headquarters in Wellingborough, UK and offices in Austin, Texas and Shanghai, China. IMS Research regularly publishes detailed research on the GPS, Sat-Nav and Cellular markets, among others. www.imsresearch.com

NAVTEQ Powers Uniden's First Line of PNDs, MapTrax(TM) GPS352 and GPS402

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location based services

CHICAGO, Feb. 28 -- NAVTEQ (NYSE: NVT), a leading global provider of digital maps for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, today announced that it has been selected by Uniden America Corporation to provide digital map data for the company's first line of personal navigation devices (PNDs).

Uniden, a leading manufacturer of wireless consumer electronics, makes its first foray into the fast growing PND category with its MapTrax(TM) GPS352 and GPS402. Each MapTrax unit is preloaded with NAVTEQ(R) map data for the U.S. and Canada and offers user-friendly features, including turn-by-turn voice instructions, high-speed map processing and WAAS Mapping Accuracy. The units feature slim-line designs for easy portability as well as intuitive interfaces for easy navigation. The GPS352 and GPS402 units come with high-resolution, daylight viewable 3.5-inch and 4.0-inch LCD displays, respectively and two million points of interest (POI).

NAVTEQ(R) digital map data provides users with rich and accurate mapping information for an enhanced navigation experience as well as optimal routing. Users also gain access to NAVTEQ's comprehensive Points of Interest (POI) database which includes millions of restaurants, hotels, airports, gas stations, ATMs and other destinations across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

"Uniden's industry-leading line of portable GPS navigation systems is a natural extension for our brand as we continue to expand our footprint in the consumer electronics industry," said Rich Tosi, president of Uniden America Corp. "Uniden intends to leverage its consumer electronics know-how with the best-in-class NAVTEQ map data in order to provide our customers with the best possible portable navigation experience."

"NAVTEQ is excited to enter a business relationship with Uniden, an acknowledged consumer electronics leader," said Winston Guillory, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Enterprise, NAVTEQ. "We are pleased to have our map data featured in the MapTrax line of PNDs and look forward to Uniden's success in this market."

Uniden's MapTrax line is available at retail outlets throughout the U.S. and Canada, including http://www.unidendirect.com .

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 2,200 employees located in 144 offices in 27 countries.

NAVTEQ is a trademark in the U.S. and other countries.

About Uniden
Uniden America Corporation, the North American subsidiary of Japan-based Uniden Corporation, manufactures and markets wireless consumer electronic products including cordless telephones, business telecommunications systems, networking and data products, GPS Navigation Systems, Digital Cameras, Bearcat(R) scanners, FRS/GMRS radios, marine radios and other wireless personal communications products. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Uniden sells its products through dealers and distributors throughout North, Central and South America

By 2015 the Mobile Content Market Could be Worth Well in Excess of $1 Trillion

location based services

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c51310) has announced the addition of 2007 Global Mobile - Data and Content Markets to their offering.
This annual report offers a wealth of information on the worldwide mobile data market. It also includes an overview of the mobile data markets on a regional level.
Subjects covered include:
-Mobile data infrastructure and developments
-Mobile data services including SMS, MMS and Mobile TV
-Mobile commerce and micropayments
-Triple play in the mobile market
-Mobile content including gambling, games, Internet, music and adult content
-Telemetry, Automatic Data Capture and RFID
-Location Based Services and GPS
-Mobile handsets
Topics Covered
1. AN OVERVIEW & ANALYSIS 2007 – THE ROLE OF WIRELESS BROADBAND
1.1 Introduction
1.2 From WiMAX and 3G to 4G mobile
1.3 Overview of market developments
1.4 Analysis - moving into 2007
2. MOBILE DATA INFRASTRUCTURE (2G, 3G, 4G)
2.1 GPRS, EDGE, HSCSD
2.2 HSDPA & IMS
2.3 Infrastructure developments
3. SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE (SMS)
3.1 Introduction
3.2 SMS and IM statistics and forecasts
3.3 SMS market analysis
3.4 SMS trends and developments
3.5 IMS market
3.6 Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)
4. MULTIMEDIA MESSAGING SERVICE (MMS)
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Analysis of MMS and other video-based mobile developments
4.3 Don’t write MMS off yet – another perspective
4.4 MMS statistics
4.5 MMS pricing statistics
4.6 MMS for criminal surveillance
4.7 MMS industry consortia
5. MOBILE TV
5.1 Mobile TV standard
5.2 Mobile TV phase 2
5.3 The mobile TV fallacy - analysis
5.4 Mobile TV and WiMAX could be a good match
5.5 The broadcaster and the mobile operator
5.6 Regional overview – mobile TV developments
5.7 Mobile TV statistics and forecasts
6. M-COMMERCE
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Micropayments
6.3 M-commerce trends and developments
6.4 M-commerce analysis
6.5 M-commerce and micropayment statistics and forecasts
6.6 Industry consortia
7. TRIPLE PLAY
7.1 Developments in mobile
7.3 Multimedia essential element in triple play bundle
7.4 Emerging technologies
7.5 Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA)
7.6 Mobile broadcast
7.7 What about 4G?
7.8 Conclusion
8. MOBILE CONTENT
8.1 industry and market analyses
8.2 Statistics and services
9. TELEMETRY
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Remote monitoring
9.3 Telemetry in healthcare
9.4 Near Field Communication (NFC)
9.5 Remote sensing satellites
9.6 Conclusion - analysis
10. AUTOMATIC DATA CAPTURE, RFID
10.1 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
10.2 North America – a growing RFID market
10.3 RFID statistics and forecasts
10.4 Concerns about privacy
10.5 Concerns about security
10.6 Other ADC technologies
11. SATELLITE – NAVIGATION, GPS, LOCATION-BASED SERVICES
11.1 Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
11.2 Location-Based Services (LBS)
11.3 Global Positioning System (GPS)
12. MOBILE HANDSETS
12.1 Handset market
12.3 Handset supplier market shares
12.4 Trends and developments
12.5 Safety and security issues
12.6 Unsustainable handset subsidies
13. REGIONAL OVERVIEW
13.1 North America
13.2 Latin America
13.3 Europe
13.4 Africa/Middle East
13.5 Asia
13.6 Pacific region
14. GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS
Exhibits and Tables
Summary
Mobile data is the answer to the declining revenues currently being experienced by the mobile industry. By 2015 it is expected that most mobile revenue will come from data. However, business models will need to change for this to occur – users will only want to access mobile data services if they are provided at low cost. For many mobile operators this is going to require significant changes to their current voice-centric business models.
One of the major areas where high-speed services are needed is in mobile data communications. To compete with fixed broadband, it is essential for reliable high-speed wireless technologies to be developed. Wireless broadband is much more suited for the delivery of mobile data than 3G, and the infrastructure also has more potential for the delivery of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). These are two reasons why wireless broadband could start challenging 3G in the next decade.
While many countries are still considering the introduction of 3G, the industry has already developed 3¼G and beyond, with technologies such as High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA). Linking fixed and mobile together on IP Multimedia System (IMS) is another development, allowing for mobile TV and triple play models.
To try and stay ahead of developments in the fixed broadband market, the mobile industry is developing its own triple play models, where voice, data and video are bundled.
Consumer need for greater bandwidth will continue to push the evolution from 3G to 4G. Increasingly users will require high data rates, similar to those on fixed networks, and they will want superior services – good video and sound quality for example. More bandwidth would also allow for more sophistication in receiving and managing large quantities of information and improve personalisation services. Convergence with other network (enterprise, fixed) services will also come about through the high session data rates.
By 2015 the mobile content market could be worth well in excess of $1 trillion, with voice comprising only a 10% share of the market – if the industry gets it right. Currently mobile operators are still not opening up their networks for mobile content; one of the main reasons being that the current mobile technologies are not well-suited for the delivery of what the market calls ‘rich experience’ content (multimedia, video, etc). So for now mobile data traffic will continue to comprise mostly SMS, followed by ringtones and a small proportion of everything else. The focus of the mobile operators will also remain on protecting their lucrative voice business for the time being.
Developments in mobile commerce are continuing, with banks and merchants beginning to show an interest in collaborating with mobile operators. With the introduction of contactless cards using Near Field Communications (NFC); this industry sector is beginning to show some signs of revival.
Handset development is also forging ahead with the introduction of the mobile wallet using technologies such as NFC, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), bar codes, and visual recognition.
This report provides analyses, statistics and trends on the mobile data and content markets, including a brief overview of regional developments. It provides information on the 3¼G technologies in development, including HSDPA and IMS, and also a discussion on the technologies that are being used to bridge the gap between the well established 2G and the much vaunted 3G, such as GPRS, EDGE, HSCSD and i-mode.
The report also includes an overview and statistics on the various mobile content services such as music, gambling, adult content and mobile TV. Other topics covered include the mobile commerce market, telemetry, Location-Based Services (LBS), Global Positioning Services (GPS), and Automatic Data Capture including RFID - which is predicted to gain popularity due to a growing awareness of its benefits to many industries.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c51310

MicroTRAK GPS and Land Rover Launch New Product Into Dealer

location based services


The Tracking Corporation (PINKSHEETS: MIOK) announces the launch of Land Rover Watch, a newly branded Theft Recovery System developed by MicroTRAK GPS, designed exclusively for Premier Automotive Group Manufacturer, Land Rover Cars North America. Land Rover Watch is innovative because it is a specialty product offering comprehensive internet tracking capabilities, instantly capturing and delivering the location of a vehicle. Land Rover Watch has undergone a lengthy testing process for its national customer base to ensure OEM approval, reliability, performance and function. This product brings a new level of technology and service to the premium luxury product lines offered by Land Rover. Commenting on the launch, Jerry Grisaffi, CEO of MicroTRAK GPS, INC., said, "Being part of a team that has developed an exceptional theft recovery product for such a reputable organization is very rewarding. This is an accessory that will help owners protect their assets, and that is very reassuring." Land Rover Watch, powered by MicroTRAK GPS, is an elite product to be offered by an automotive manufacturer in the U.S. to include an internet tracking service that allows the customer to track their vehicle 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This unique product will provide Land Rover customers with a theft recovery unit that includes a first year tracking subscription. Key advantages include instant access to the location of the vehicle, the ability to set location parameters (GeoFence), alerts for vehicle movement without key insertion, history log of vehicle speed and locations traveled, and many more benefits that premium luxury buyers are seeking from vehicle manufacturers. The first year of tracking provided by Land Rover Watch is included in the initial sale of the product. Also handled at the time of sale, is the installation of the Land Rover Watch theft recovery system by certified installation technicians. Co-branding materials have been developed, such as the www.myLandRoverWatch.com website. It is both effective and customer friendly, so that customers have easy access to the benefits provided in the Land Rover Watch product. MicroTrak GPS has been working closely with Bob Mann, Accessory Manager for Land Rover, in covering the premium luxury vehicle expectations in the marketplace. In making the launch, Mann says, "Land Rover customers expect the best and latest technology in our cars. Land Rover accessories are no exception to that rule. We have taken sophisticated technology and made it easy and fun to use. Many insurance companies acknowledge the viability of our GPS-based theft recovery system with insurance discounts. Land Rover owners can customize Land Rover Watch to fit their lifestyle and driving preferences. We are excited to launch this high quality, leading edge product for our dealers and customers alike." Grisaffi says, "We are honored to be a partner with Land Rover and are committed to fulfilling a new height of service to the Land Rover customer. The GPS technology and products we have developed over the years are proven, effective ways to protect investments. The purchase of a Land Rover is an investment worthy of the most sophisticated tracking device available, and that is Land Rover Watch." MicroTRAK GPS, an operating subsidiary of The Tracking Corporation, is a Dallas-based total-solutions provider, with ventures in the asset tracking and vehicle recovery markets. MicroTRAK GPS functions as a multi-faceted corporation focusing on a turn-key approach. This level of dedication provides them with expertise in developing, designing, providing, manufacturing, distributing and servicing GPS technology and products. If you are interested in viewing additional information on The Tracking Corporation, please visit the website at: www.microtrakgps.com.

Nokia, WaveMarket Sign OEM Agreement

location based services

Nokia and WaveMarket, a provider of location-based services, have entered into collaboration to offer location-based tracking services to carriers worldwide.Nokia will also integrate WaveMarket's patented WaveAlert technology into its iGMLC network infrastructure. The first Nokia LBS application based on WaveMarket's technology is Nokia LBS Push, launched at the 3GSM World Congress, the companies said."We are eager to integrate WaveMarket's product suite into our infrastructure," said Heikki Hemmi, Director Location Business Nokia Networks. "As location-based services gain momentum in the mobile device community, Nokia is dedicated to providing an innovative variety of tracking and location solutions for each demographic market. We believe this feature-rich suite of location-based applications will appeal to a wide range of consumers.""Collaboration with Nokia will leverage and expand WaveMarket's current global presence," said Tasso Roumeliotis, CEO of WaveMarket. "This OEM and reseller agreement will bring WaveMarket's product suite to Nokia customers across the globe. WaveMarket has developed applications for both businesses and consumers, including family safety, pet tracking, enterprise tracking, mobile location dating, mobile locations searches and StreetHive—a friend-finding and social networking application, the company stated.

Map Multiple Locations / Find Address Coordinates

location based services

Locate multiple addresses - calculate distances - make your own mashup map - instantly. Take any kind of street address list, for example copied from Excel, and geocode the addresses to get latitude and longitude coordinates using the tool below. The data can then be mapped in your browser, downloaded into Google Earth, saved to a web page, or transferred back into your spreadsheet. You can also use this tool to calculate distances to multiple addresses from a single point, or get quick driving directions to multiple destinations. Mapping multiple locations with your own custom data takes seconds, just follow the 6 steps below to plot your own data on a fully interactive multi-point map. It's fast, easy, and - free to use!
Step #1Start by putting your data in a compatible delimited format(tab-delimited is easier for copying from an external source, bar-delimited should be used for hand entry):
Tab Delimited (Download Excel Map Template) Bar ("") Delimited
Step #2Copy/paste addresses into the table below, or try it out with the example data provided:(if you only have one address, you can use our Single Address Lookup Tool) # Example of tab-delimited source, just copy/paste your own tab-delimited file over this
# Make sure the FIRST LINE CONTAINS COLUMN NAMES, you can have as many columns as you want
Address City State Zipcode Name Phone Number Group URL Image
1 Crossgates Mall Road Albany NY 12203 Apple Store Cross Gates (518) 869-3192 Example Group 1 http://www.apple.com/retail/crossgates/ http://images.apple.com/retail/crossgates/images/crossgates_vert110804.jpg
116 Galleria Buffalo NY 14225 Apple Store Walden Galleria (716) 685-2762 Example Group 2 http://www.apple.com/retail/walden/
630 Old Country Rd. Garden City NY 11530 Apple Store Roosevelt Field (516) 248-3347 Example Group 3 http://www.apple.com/retail/rooseveltfield/ http://images.apple.com/retail/rooseveltfield/images/rooseveltfield_vert110105.jpg
160 Walt Whitman Rd. Huntington Station NY 11746 Apple Store Walt Whitman (631) 425-1563 Example Group 3 http://www.apple.com/retail/waltwhitman/ http://images.apple.com/retail/waltwhitman/images/waltwhitman_vert100405.jpg
9553 Carousel Center Drive Syracuse NY 13290 Apple Store Carousel (315) 422-8484 Example Group 2 http://www.apple.com/retail/carousel/
2655 Richmond Ave. Space #2600 Staten Island NY 10314 Apple Store Staten Island (718) 477-4180 Example Group 1 http://www.apple.com/retail/statenisland/
7979 Victor Road Victor NY 14564 Apple Store Eastview (585) 421-3030 Example Group 1 http://www.apple.com/retail/eastview/
1591 Palisades Center Drive West Nyack NY 10994 Apple Store Palisades (845) 353-6756 Example Group 2 http://www.apple.com/retail/palisades/
125 Westchester Ave. White Plains NY 10601 Apple Store The Westchester (914) 428-1877 Example Group 3 http://www.apple.com/retail/thewestchester/
103 Prince Street New York NY 10012 Apple Store SoHo (212) 226-3126 Example Group 2 http://www.apple.com/retail/soho/ http://images.apple.com/retail/soho/images/soho_vertical102804.jpg
(example file will load automatically upon selecting a format, click here to turn off example loading.
toggleExample(0);
)
Step #3Click "Validate Source" to ensure data format is readable and populate column data:

Step #4
Select appropriate columns from the drop-downs below. Use address/city/state for exact map, or city/state or zip can be used for regional map:
Location Fields

Map Fields (not required)
Address

Title

City

Description
All Remaining Fields
State / Province

Group By
Don't Group
Zip

URL
Use Google Maps
Image URL
Yahoo! Location Map
Map Options
(Note: URLs and Image URLs should start with "http://" or they will not work properly.)
Calculate (straight line) distance from first address in miles kilometers Show field names in map description (when using "All Remaining Fields" option)
Select a default map view to show street satellite hybrid
Step #5Click "Run Geocoder" and wait for geocoding to finish:

Step #6
Geocoding results are below, you can copy/paste this back into a spreadsheet or import into a database. Right click on the form below and click "Select All", then right click again and click "Copy." Formatting is maintained but 2 columns containing coordinates are added: bg_lat (latitude), bg_long (longitude):
You're done! Now that you have coordinates for your data, want to see your results on a map? Below is a map of the first 100 geocoded results. Click on each point to get the information from that record.


More Mapping OptionsNow that you've geocoded your custom address data,want to display it on your own web page? or download it into Google Earth?:


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What could I use this for?
Plot Multiple Address Points on a Map - Copy directly from spreadsheet program such as Excel or the free equivalent OpenOffice Calc.
Multiple Destination Driving Directions - Location points are linked to Google Maps for driving directions ("Calculate Distance" option.)
Distance Calculator - Calculate the distance in miles or kilometers to several locations from a single address.
Satellite Photos - Addresses are linked to Google Maps for satellite photos and driving directions.
Make your own Google Earth KML - Quickly create KML files with your address data for 3D viewing data in Google Earth.
Locate several address coordinates for use in development of a online map mashup using Yahoo Maps or Google Maps.
Save your multiple mapped locations and associated data to a web page for later use.
Import latitude/longitude coordinates into a SQL database for usage in a GIS application.
Plan a road trip - make yourself a road trip map for your next vacation, include hotel addresses and sites to see.
Plot a list of real-estate property addresses on a map with photos to link from a web site or for emphasis in a presentation.
House Hunters - use a saved location map to keep a reference index of your favorite properties.
Outlook and Thunderbird both support exporting their address book to tab-delimited formats, use this tool to make a map of your contacts list.
Get center coordinates (centroids) for a listing of zip codes, cities, or states.
For quick single address geocodes, zip code, city or state centroids use our Single Address Lookup Tool
Kids - you now have your own personal paper route mapper!
This free service is supported by donations and advertising. If you find this service useful, please feel free to send a donation by clicking the donate button on the right. Your support is appreciated, and will go towards paying maintenance on the server and funding the development of new features.
What is geocoding?To Geocode, is to take a street address and convert it into latitude and longitude coordinates so that it can be displayed on a map. It can also be used to validate address data, or pull back unknown fields such as zip code. It works by finding the associated block face with an address, example: 123 Sesame St, the block would likely be 100-200 Sesame St. When trying to locate the segment the street number, street name, street direction, street type, and the city/state or zip code are all used. Once the segment is found, the location of the address is estimated along the line by using the street address number and the block range (this is the least accurate part of the process.) Simply put: Geocoding makes locating addresses and viewing multiple locations on a map instantly possible.
What makes this geocoder unique?Geocoding on the web is not a new concept, in fact there are many free geocoders available on the web, but this is the first free browser based geocoding service to provide coordinate lookup in bulk and map multiple locations. This tool maps many addresses all at once, rather than one at a time. BatchGeocode.com also provides a more accurate geocoding dataset than others, most of which use TIGER data, which is known to be inaccurate up to several hundred feet in some areas. The Yahoo! Geocoding API which this site uses is based on uses a much more powerful commercial street dataset, one well known as an industry standards for transportation data. Your data will also be kept secure, check here for more information on data security and privacy.
How do I host the map on my site?Just run through the geocoder as normal, and then use the "Save to Map to a Web Page" button. You will have the opportunity to specify a name and description for your map, then you will be sent to the web page where your map is hosted. Just copy the URL and post a link to it on your web site, or send it to a friend, or keep it for yourself. We will not distribute the URL to anyone. To update your data, simply create a new map and update your links. Check our blog for information on creating a static URL for your map.
Data CoverageRight now street level geocoding is only available in the United States and Canada. Country, State, and City level geocoding is available for Europe, Asia, Central and South America, and Australia. We expect Yahoo! will continue to expand coverage of their street level data to the rest of the world soon, keep checking back! The name of the coordinate system used is WGS84, this is the decimal degrees version of the coordinate system commonly used in GPS devices.
About the TechnologyThis tool makes primary use of ON-Demand JavaScript and JSON to dynamically call and interact with the Yahoo! Geocoding API. When bulk geocoding is taking place the end-user browser interacts directly with Yahoo! servers allowing the 5,000 query per day limit to be extended to the end-user IP address. ON-Demand JavaScript + JSON is used instead of the common XMLHttpRequest interface, most commonly associated with AJAX, because it allows for communicating with a different domain other than the one the page is served from. The rest of the tech is a small JavaScript application that parses the user's tabular input and sends it line by line to the Yahoo! geocoding service. BatchGeocode.com's ability to interact across many domains makes it once of the first true Web 2.0 applications that really works!

They're beginning to see the light

location based services

Finally, after wondering how long I would have to wait for a truly useful service on my cell phone (watching sports highlights on a 2-inch screen is lovely, but it's not too helpful when I'm lost) Starbucks has answered the call with a text messaging service that tells you where the closest Starbucks are located. You text your ZIP code and Starbucks texts you back the three closest locations.
That's all well and good, but it does leave me wondering where the heck location-based services are. Location-based services use your cell phone's built in GPS capabilities (they all need to have them for 911 compliances), and were supposed to be everywhere by now. And sure, it's cute to be able to locate other hot singles in your network by using some of these LBS services, but I'm much more interested in locating my closest caffeine fix without having to figure out my ZIP code. Why can't Starbucks help me out by having me text them my request (giving them permission to see where I am) and then get the closest location sent back to me?
That's a trick question, because I'm pretty sure the answer has to do with the carriers, who are so intent on maintaining their revenue streams, they want to charge for Starbucks to get at this information if they want to give it to a third party at all. However, if the carriers would open up a bit, they'd get more revenue from users texting their requests for this kind of information. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty clueless about what ZIP code I'm in at any given time, so wouldn't be able to use the feature.
Business tells us you can't make money off of services people can't use, so carriers are shooting themselves in the foot with their closed networks. But bravo to Starbucks for seeing the possibility to offer useful information over a mobile phone. Let's hope the carriers can see the benefit of cracking open their networks a little bit to let the data flow. Otherwise, the millions of investor dollars backing LBS is going to waste.—Stacey Higginbotham

GIOVE-A navigation signal available to users

fits like a giove

The GIOVE-A Signal-in-Space Interface Control Document, the document that gives the technical details of the signals transmitted by the GIOVE-A satellite, has been released. This will allow receiver manufacturers and research institutions to use a real signal for their research and development.
Following the launch of GIOVE-A on 28 December 2005 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and the transmission of the first Galileo signals from medium Earth orbit on 12 January 2006, ESA and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL – United Kingdom) have completed the GIOVE-A in-orbit validation activities. The GIOVE-A signal validation has been accomplished through a network of 13 Galileo Experimental Sensor Stations (GESS), deployed world wide, and a GIOVE Processing Centre which computes precise orbits and clock timings for the GIOVE satellites, based on the measurements made by the GESS and satellite laser ranging stations. The GIOVE-A Signal-in-Space Interface Control Document (SIS-ICD) is the key document that will allow any user to build a receiver able to track GIOVE-A signals, interpret the navigation message and compute the distance between the satellite and the receiver. Following the successfully in-orbit validation mission, ESA has decided to release the SIS-ICD to the public to allow receiver manufacturers and research centres to benefit from experiments with a real Signal-in-Space for research and development purposes. This is possible since the nominal GIOVE-A navigation Signal-in–Space (SIS) is fully representative of the future Galileo navigation signals, on all three Galileo frequency bands, even though GIOVE-A uses specific spreading codes that are different from the nominal codes of the final Galileo constellation to allow unambiguous identification of the spacecraft. These codes are described in the GIOVE-A public document and with knowledge of them the GIOVE-A signals can be used for code and carrier phase tracking in precisely the same way the future Galileo signals will be used. All GIOVE-A signal spectra are identical to the future Galileo navigation SIS spectra.

The navigation data symbol rates are identical with the nominal Galileo data rates for all public signals, and the same principles as in the final Galileo navigation signal are used for message encoding. The navigation message structure of GIOVE-A is different from the future Galileo navigation signal, but the low level elements of the message differ only in minor details. The content of the GIOVE-A navigation message is complete with all ingredients such as, for example, ephemeris and clock correction, that are needed for pseudo-range calculation and further positioning processing, thus leading to a full set of navigation signals. The time for simulation is over, so the ESA Galileo project team is putting at the disposal of the user community the information needed to support the validation of demanding Galileo user applications with a real satellite.

Google can now get you out of a jam

Stuck in traffic?

location based services

There's nothing worse than getting stuck in traffic when you have some place to go, so I'm happy to tell you about a new feature on Google Maps that can help. For more than 30 major U.S. cities, you can now see up-to-date traffic conditions to help you plan your schedule and route. If you're in San Francisco, New York , Chicago, Dallas, or any of the other cities we now include, just click on the traffic button to show current traffic speeds directly on the map. If your route shows red, you're looking at a stop-and-go commute; yellow, you could be a little late for dinner; green, you've got smooth sailing.

We can't make traffic go away, but we hope Google Maps traffic info helps you avoid it whenever possible.

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Google Maps Creation Tools Mega-Post - Part 11

Google Maps Creation Tools Mega-Post - Part 11

location based services


Here again is another (the 11th) roundup of the latest Google Maps Creation (and Viewing) Tools and Resources. I've assemble these lists over the past few years to help you discover the countless sites created by people on the web to assist you with building your own Google Maps mashup or with diving deeper into the Google Maps API. Check out the bottom of this post to learn why this is a "Mega-Post"!

New tools to create your own map:

• TinyMap - Quick and easy Google Maps
• Add your own map markers on CommunityWalk - Automatically adds a legend icon, shadowing and IE printing functionality. (Example here)
• GeoMonkey - Build your own map and explore others.
• Mapdaze - Google Maps creation tool meant for embedding into blogs.

Google Maps Viewing Tools:

• Google Maps Directions Bookmarklet Generator - This is cool. Add your consistent starting point for directions you run. Gens code that, once saved can be used for quick Google Maps directions later.
• Widgetop Google Maps Widget - Works for Firefox or Safari. Check out the website to learn how Widgetop works.
• More Google Maps Viewing Tools here..

:

• Google Maps API Pages - A new list of great Google Maps API "Pages" from the Maps API Group Homepage. They include:

• Known/Possible API Bugs
• API Feature Requests
• API Version Changes
• Links to Examples/Tutorials
• More Info: Custom Icons (for Markers)
• More Info: Events/EventListener
• More Info: GPolygon/GPolyline
• More Info: GTileLayer/GTileLayerOverlay
• More Info: InfoWindow
• More Info: KML on Google Maps
• More Info: Zooming
• Resources: (Non-Google) Geocoders & Reverse Geocoders
• Resources: Data Converters
• Resources: GIS(Geographical) Data
• Embedding Maps in Other Environments (Blogger, ASP, etc)
• Using Databases with GMaps Apps

Recent posts from The Official Google Maps API Blog:

• GDownloadURL Update - Better Error Checking!
• A Cool JSF and Maps Mashup
• Write Your (Valentine's Day) Messages in Google Maps

• GoogleMapsBook - Check out new posts from the Beginning Google Maps Applications "book blog"
  
• GoogleGeo - a class written to convert a US Street address into Geographic Coordinates. Full maps creation tutorial here.
• GeoCommons Promises Free Data for Map Mashups - Article from InformationWeek (Jan.23/07)

So why is this a "Mega-Post"? Since updating my blog recently to the latest version of Blogger I now have labeling available for all posts. I've gone back to label all previous Creation Tools posts so all of them can be viewed from one screen:

Google Maps Creation Tools and Resources Parts 1 - 10

(For a condensed list, check here..)

Be sure to click the labels at the bottom of each post to see previous posts on the same topic.

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RealEstate.com.au

Australia's biggest real estate website now using google maps & doing it well

Location based services

Nokia builds on vision of mobilizing the internet to transform mobile communication

location based services


3GSM World Congress 2007, Barcelona, Spain/Espoo, Finland - Nokia President and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo reinforced the company's commitment to lead the next phase of mobility and unveiled a new line up of devices and services that harness internet connectivity and will begin to transform how people use mobility in their professional and personal lives.
Speaking at the Nokia Press Conference at the show, Kallasvuo said "The worlds of mobility and the internet are merging, but as an industry we are still only scratching the surface of the possibilities this offers. Nokia is driving the change, taking a lead in harnessing this new connectivity in ways that will transform how we use mobile devices for work and in our personal lives. The products we are launching today reflect some key areas that we believe will become part of this new connected life and where we will start to see much more widespread adoption."
news230();

Taking business mobility to the next level
Centre stage in Nokia's news today are a series of new announcements focused on removing the barriers to widespread adoption of business mobility, and making it easier and more compelling for business customers and operators to benefit from it.
The company announced a trio of new Nokia Eseries devices, designed for business professionals, including the slim line Nokia E61i emailer device, the stylish Nokia E65 slider, and an evolution of the legendary communicator into an all inclusive business device with advanced technologies, such as HSDPA and integrated GPS, the Nokia E90 Communicator.
Each is a feature packed, design rich device using 3G and Wlan technologies, and the flexible S60 software platform, to enhance the way people experience work in a mobile world. The devices also feature high-quality cameras.
Nokia E65 is available now in select markets, with broader availability building during the first quarter of 2007. Nokia E61i will be available during the second quarter of 2007, and the first deliveries of the Nokia E90 Communicator are anticipated to take place during the second quarter of 2007, with volume global availability during third quarter of 2007.
The company also announced the launch of Nokia Intellisync Mobile Suite 8.0 mobileware, the industry's most flexible platform, providing mobile email, mobile file and data synchronization and robust security and device management capabilities to the Nokia Eseries products and more than 100 other devices - the most extensive support in the industry. New or enhanced features include a two-tier licensing model, a new user interface, further strengthened mobile security capabilities, and extensive additional language and connectivity support.
Navigation set to become a mainstream feature
Recognizing the huge potential of location based services, one of the fastest growing areas in mobile devices, Nokia released its first mass market navigation-enabled mobile phone, the Nokia 6110 Navigator.
Using integrated GPS, the phone enables consumers to quickly and easily view their current location on map, search for destinations, find specific routes, or locate nearby services such as restaurants, hotels or shops. Featuring full turn-by-turn 3D navigation, it suggests the best route to follow by car or on foot, using voice or visual instructions on a map. The Nokia 6110 Navigator is expected to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2007.
Accelerating mobile TV adoption
Kallasvuo also unveiled the Nokia N77 multimedia computer designed to accelerate the take up of DVB-H mobile TV devices, a market he predicted would reach between 5 to 10 million units by end of 2008 and around 20 million units by the end of 2009.
The Nokia N77 is an easy to use and stylishly mobile TV device. Features include a wide 2.4" screen with up to 16 million colors, high quality stereo sound, alerts when programs are starting, and a guide to view program information for up to seven days, browse TV channels, and purchase new channels. It is expected to start shipping during the second quarter of 2007 in countries where DVB-H services are available.
Building on the importance of Internet video content, Nokia also launched the Nokia Video Center, an application that brings together all the sources of mobile video, and announced YouTube and Reuters as the first global content partners. The service combines branded video services, internet videos and sideloaded videos from the PC in one single place. It will be available globally in the markets where Nokia Nseries devices are sold, preinstalled first in the Nokia N95 multimedia computer and available for download to other Nokia Nseries multimedia computers.
Also at the 3GSM show, Nokia introduced the new Nokia 3110 classic, a robust and dependable device with a contemporary design. With applications including an FM stereo radio, music player with expandable memory, video ringing tones and a 1.3 megapixel camera, the Nokia 3110 classic offers a wide range of conventional features at an accessible price. It is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2007.
The Nokia Bluetooth Display Car Kit CK -15W, compatible with the new Nokia 3110 classic and a wide range of other devices, was released at the show. The Kit offers a number of elements that enable easy in-car communications including a large color screen for easy usage and viewing. It is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2007.
In technology news, Nokia announced a software collaboration with Telecom Italia to further strengthen the operator's innovative service portfolio as they select S60 software to drive growth in the advanced mobile market in Italy.
About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.
Communications

Using MoLo to find a Mocha

location based services

Starbucks is often the first example used when someone tries to explain the benefits (or detriments, depending on your outlook) of location based services. "You'll be walking by a Starbucks, and get hit with a promotion for coffee on your mobile device," the story often goes.
There has been widespread agreement that this scenario will never happen and that location based services will only work with an opt in model, hence the increased discussion over Mobile Local Search (MoLo). SMS (texting) is currently the most widespread form of MoLo, however many more are in experimentation phases and are patiently waiting for greater mobile search and smart phone adoption.
Well it seems that Starbucks - never having cooled off from the excitement over the possibility of push based mobile advertising - has gotten tired of waiting and has launched its own SMS based mobile search product. Like Google SMS and Yahoo! Mobile, any text enabled mobile device (basically every phone on the market) can send a search query to a five digit number that returns locations of nearby results.
In Starbucks' case this means sending your zip code to "MYSBUX" (a curious combination of letters if you glance over it quickly) to receive a text message back that has the locations of the nearest 3 Starbucks. CNET blogger Caroline McCarthy points out that this is only good if you know what zip code you're in, which isn't usually the case for travelers. Those that can find out their zip code will likely have GPS, and would thus have a more robust platform on which to find Starbucks.
Similarly, if you know what zip code you're in, you might already know where the closest Starbucks is. In any case, this might be unnecessary in some urban areas where you can almost turn around and see three Starbucks from any given spot.
But it could actually catch on well in other areas among the legions of Starbucks faithfuls, given the sheer size of this population and the fact that we're talking about an addictive substance. If it does, it could also work towards the general awareness and greater adoption of SMS search and MoLo in general. We'll see.
Posted by Mike Boland on Mar. 2, 2007 Permalink Discuss this topic

Nokia Hopes LBS Will Help Stop Handset Prices Falling


location based services

This is admittedly from last week, but the headline from Moconews about a Wall Street Journal article really caught my eye, especially as I had a bit of a rant to some people at the recent Fixed-Mobile convergence summit I attended about location based services.Moconews reportsAccording to the article,
This is admittedly from last week, but the headline from Moconews about a Wall Street Journal article really caught my eye, especially as I had a bit of a rant to some people at the recent Fixed-Mobile convergence summit I attended about location based services.Moconews reportsAccording to the article, "analysts expect many consumers will be prepared to pay more for a phone with navigation", which would make it different from other new mobile services such as TV. There is a boom in the number of portable navigation devices being bought, with 9.9 million sold globally in the first nine months of 2006, more than twice the number in the first nine months of 2005, and they pay between 300-500 euros. It speaks to demand, but how well the handset manufacturers can turn that into demand for a converged device is another question. Mobile phones do have other advantages over stand-alone devices, which should help.Nokia's plans are to give away maps and local searches and charge users extra for city guides and navigational services, all worthy services that I'd probably use on any enabled handset, if it was available.According to the WSJ article, Nokia plans to provide such services for €89 a year, or €9.99 a month for spoken word turn-by-turn navigation, and guides from partners will cost around €10 for a one-off purchase.The only real problem at the moment with services like these is that they all require access to some form of Location Based service, and if you're in the UK, this is delivered through whichever carrier you are connected to.The primary reason in the UK for so few existing LBS applications like the ones Nokia are talking about is not because they're difficult to implement (they're not), nor that there's no interest in them (there is), it comes purely down to price, with the average wholesale price of a *single* location query costing in the region of 25 pence.Which means an LBS provider has to make that back from the customer, typically forcing the cost of a single location query up to a retail price of £1. For LBS applications like those Nokia are talking about, there either has to be a fundamental change in the pricing structure (turn-by-turn navigation services work on the assumption the navigation service actually knows where you physically are at multiple points throughout your journey, which means multiple £1 charges to figure out where you are during the navigation process), or the handsets have to work based on an embedded GPS device - which is what Nokia plan to do.If this come come to pass, and the GPS granularity is high enough, we can only hope that Nokia will provide third-party access to the GPS data in some way, which will allow companies to develop other, perhaps more compelling LBS applications without having to rely on the stupidly expensive LBS queries currently provided by carriers.
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After iPod phone and Zune phone,

location based services


there's a new "phony" buzz around: The Observer of London has reported that Google might be working with a Taiwanese firm along with telecom services giant Orange to build a Google Mobile Phone, which could possibly have Google software running on the device. If true, this will be Google's first venture into hardware
The phone will come pre-loaded with mobile versions of Google apps like Google Earth and G-mail. It is rumoured to feature location-based searches, such as a tailored list of local cinemas, restaurants and other amenities, and maps and images from Google Earth. Google has been aggressive in developing location based services, like local search and mapping services.
The report stated that Orange honchos travelled to Google's headquarters, or 'Googleplex', for exploratory talks on this deal. The collaboration between two of the most powerful brands in technology is seen as a potential catalyst for making Internet use of mobile phones as natural as on desktop computers and laptops. For Orange, this could be a valuable asset in its triple play ambitions. The company owns broadband businesses across Europe, and has access to 3G networks, and is owned by France Telecom. It could use Google’s web expertise to take on its rivals, by offering web-mobile hybrid phones, and at the same time get a slice of mobile advertising revenues.
According to the report, the phone would be manufactured by HTC of Taiwan, a firm specializing in smart phones and personal data assistants (PDAs). It might have a screen similar to a video iPod. It would have built-in Google software for surfing the Net from a mobile handset. Orange and HTC previously partnered to produce the first Windows Mobile smartphone, with HTC's smartphones re-badged in various countries such as i-Mate, Dopod, Qtek, O2 and other brands. It is believed that the Google phone would go on sale by 2008.
Google has been moving into the mobile space for a while now. There are already handsets that come pre-loaded with Google software, and in recent months they've also offered mobile versions of Google Maps for download. In addition, it has also been mobilizing its applications such as GTalk and GMail. YouTube, the video arm of Google, too is beginning to embrace the mobile ecosystem. Also, in 2005 Google had bought Ontario based start-up Reqwireless working on technology that could help bring web-content to the mobile devices. The company had developed a web browser and an email application when Google bought them. Google already owns a significant amount of dark fibre acquired in the recent years and could only be too anxious to have a phone that could harness the best of VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) technologies.
A phone from Google would also be a way to keep pace with Apple, which is expected to announce a cellphone sometime in the first part of next year. Last month, Forbes reported that the Cupertino company has ordered 12 million mobile handsets to Hon Hai Precision Industry, a Taiwan sourcing company. The main source of this information was a Chinese newspaper, the Commercial Times, quoted by Forbes. The Commercial Times didn’t reveal the financial details of the contract, but it said that Apple will launch the mobile phone in the first half of next year. Microsoft has already announced its plans to launch a similar Zune phone.
Labels: Google, Mobiles, Phones

GEO 2.0 - Update

location based services


Map mash-ups are among the most visible & comprehensible phenomena in Web 2.0. There must be hundreds more than the accidental selection in the list below. There are only a few samples of web sites striving to go beyond the mere fun of it. I expect much more business cases to evolve around it once the telcos and cell phone manufacturers start offering standardized location based services.
Remarkable volume of geo activities in Holland, since recently. Is that the same anywhere else on the planet?
You'll find more samples of geo-based concepts in some of the other categories, and some more lists in ABOUT 2.0.

Alkemis - Map mash-up
Bittercyclist - Bicycle accident map & community; map mash-up
Bliin~ - Share your experience in photos, videos, text etc
Blipstar - Create your own store locator
Bluepuddle - Create & enrich maps
Buddymapping - Assemble your friends on a map & publish it
Bulletin* - Share data & mash them up with geo information
Chicagocrime - Crime dbase map mash-up
DIYmap - Create maps in Flash
Eurotopmodel~ - Rate photo models (map mash-up)
Excio - Geotag your blog & share it
Feedmap - Map your blogs
Fileindex~ - Real time traffic jam map mash-up
Flagr - Bookmark the real world
Flashearth - Global maps mash-up in flash
Flickrmap - Map Flickr photos
Flyr - Search Flickr for geotagged photos
Funda~ - Real estate locations mash-up (nice maps, nice zoom!)
Gchart - Check local time globally
Geotagit - Upload & share geotagged collections
Geotool - Map yourself
Geotracing.com~ - Share the geo-located photos you've made during a trip & your (animated!) route (and more…!)
Geovector*** - LBS services with a usable interface.
Globeassistant~ - Get your content mashed up with Google Earth
Googleearth* - Global maps
Googlemaps - Check local things globally
Googlemars - Own a red planet
Gutenkarte - Maps spatial components of classic literature
Gvisit - Map your site visitors
Hotelworldmap~ - Find a hotel (map mash-up)
Housingmaps - Find housing (map mash-up)
Jauntlet - Track & trace yourself
Locallive - Windows maps
Localpoint~ - Google mash-up with several (Dutch) dbases
Lowlandsguide~** - Explore the lay of the Lowland Festival with this mobile app
Mailinator - Disposable email + spam mash-up
Map24 - Route finder; 3D
Mapbuilder - Mash-up your own maps
Mapkit - Create & share your own map
Maplib - Turn every photo or illustration into an interactive map
Mapmyrun - Plot & share your run route
Mappr - Map Flickr photos per tag
Mapshark - Search maps in many websites
Mapwii - Map your wii number & challenge other players
Mashplanet - Find & submit mash-ups per category
N2yo* - Realtime satellite tracking
Naughty-au-naturelle* - Penthouse letters map mash-up
Neighboroo - Explore USA trends on map
Nomos~ - Live reporting on sound levels around Amsterdam Airport
Ononemap - Find housing (map mash-up) (UK)
Openstreetmap - View, edit & use geographical data
Packagemapper - Track your package on a map
Panoramio - Store your geo-tagged photos on Google maps
Partyvibes~ - Publish & share parties in Holland
Pervwatch - Perv mash-up
Pheromonetrail - Share places & sites & persons
Placeopedia - Wiki + Google maps mash-up
Placestodo - Post & share places & things
Planiglobe - Create your own map
Platial - Co-create atlas & share places
Plazesbadge* - Show where you are (e.g. on your blog)
Portbooker - Search & book mooring, globally
Powermap - Next level Google maps
Propsmart - Find housing (map mash-up)
Publicloos - Share public toilets
Redfin - Find housing (map mash-up)
Routecraft~ - Route planner; add your text to locations & share it; also for mobile
Searchquest - Real estate map mash-up for cells
Ski3dmaps - Explore the lay of the piste
Skibonk - Ski resorts (map mash-up)
Sundaydash - Find housing (map mash-up)
Tagmaps - Flickr tags & map mash-up
Tagzania - Share & map places
Toeat - Map & share restaurants
Topspot-ornot - Spot & review locations (map mash-up)
Treadr - Track & follow people online
Treinvizier~ - Actual whereabouts of Dutch trains
Tripmojo - Map & share hotels
Useamap - Create your own maps with short URLs
Virtualcity - Navigate map with help of photos (Toronto)
Virtualvideomap - Google Maps & Youtube mash-up
Vivirama - Put your home on this free international map
Vlogmap - Map your vlog
Wayfaring - Create & share your maps
Weatherbonk - Mashes up 10 API's
Web20map - Web 2.0 companies on map mash-up
Wereldkenner~ - Wikipedia & Google Earth mash-up
X-moment*~ - Publish an event at a location
Yahoomaps* - Global & local maps & search mash-ups
Yourgmap - Map & publish your places
Zeemaps - Create & share maps of/with friends & family
Mapsack - Map, discover & share places

Mobile Phone Sales Near A Billion In 2006

location based services

Strong low-cost product offerings in the emerging markets, as well as feature-rich products, helped float Nokia to the top. By Antone Gonsalves InformationWeek March 2, 2007 06:25 PM
Global mobile phone sales fell just short of a billion units in 2006, a market research firm said Friday.
Worldwide sales surpassed 990.8 million units last year from 816.6 million in 2005, Gartner said. Sales growth in the fourth quarter of 2006 was slightly slower than in the same period in 2005. Fourth-quarter sales last year accounted for 284.2 million units, a 21% increased from the year before.
Nokia finished the year with a 36.2% market share, rising 2.3% over 2005 despite criticism for having a lack of slim phones popular in mature markets in North America and Western Europe, and a weak midrange offering, Gartner said.
"Strong low-cost product offerings in the emerging markets, as well as feature rich products in the mature market, proved to be the right combination for Nokia in 2006," Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi said in a statement.
No. 2 Motorola achieved a 21.1% market share in 2006, up from 17.7% in 2005. Of the top six vendors, Samsung and LG loss less than a percent of market share, while BenQ Mobile fell 2.5%. Market share totals were Samsung, 11.8%; Sony Ericsson, 7.4%; LG, 6.3%; and BenQ, 2.4%.
Collectively, the top six vendors accounted for more than 85% of the market, while the market share for the remaining vendors was about 5% less than in 2005.
Despite the already highly competitive market, Gartner expected new players from other industries to enter the market. "We expect growth to slow down and overall mobile phone sales to be up to 1.2 billion worldwide," Milanesi said.