Archived news extracts about GPS and Wireless Technologies 2006Here is our GPS/Wireless News archive for 2006. Search Tip: using "Ctrl" + "F"This page is too big to simply scroll down in the hope to find a particular word. Press and hold the "Ctrl" button and press the “F” button. In the small pop-up window type the word or phrase you are looking for. Press “Enter” and you will find the first occurrence of the word you are looking for. Every time you hit “Enter” you will find the next occurrence of the word.
Here you will find the Actual and Archived GPS-Wireless News pages: December 23, 2006.-- SkyWave Mobile Communications, the worldwide leader in D+ satellite communications products and services, announced the availability of the SureLinx 8100, a compact D+ and GPRS integrated wireless controller. The SureLinx 8100 combines SkyWave D+ satellite terminal technology with quad-band GPRS to enable effortless and immediate application development while maintaining the same high quality and proven dependability the industry has come to expect with SkyWave D+. By cost-effectively leveraging the power of these two networks, the SureLinx 8100 makes it easy for solution providers to grow their top and bottom lines with new and complimentary business. SureLinx 8100 provides increased global coverage of mobile or remote assets and simplified hardware and network integration at a minimal cost. SkyWave D+ solution providers can effortlessly extend their existing applications to include GPRS capabilities. GPRS solution providers gain access to the SkyWave D+ network as a dependable low-cost backup, maintaining visibility of valued assets traveling in and out of cellular coverage areas. The multiple interfaces, cabling and the costly complexities of integrating separate D+ and GPRS equipment are eliminated, allowing solution providers to focus on delivering new applications to the end customer faster and with fewer resources. "We trust SkyWave D+ for our asset monitoring and control applications," says Ricardo Imperatriz, Marketing Director for OnixSat Rastreamento de Veiculos Ltda. "And we are excited about extending our existing applications to include the new SkyWave SureLinx 8100 D+/GPRS product. We know it will work, because SkyWave D+ works." OnixSat is one of several SkyWave customers who have successfully completed product trials with the SureLinx 8100. The SureLinx 8100's low power, rugged exterior, discrete size and flexible configuration is suitable for a wide range of applications requiring urban, rural and remote wireless coverage. It is ideal for land and marine mobile applications for asset monitoring, tracking and messaging. December 21, 2006.-- The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract valued at approximately $50 million to execute a System Design Review for the next generation Global Positioning System Space Segment program, known as GPS Block III. GPS III will address the challenging military transformational and civil needs across the globe, including advanced anti-jam capabilities and improved system security, accuracy and reliability. The program will enhance space- based navigation and performance and set a new world standard for positioning and timing services. "With a successful requirements review accomplished, we have quickly turned our focus to meeting the design requirements under this important contract," said Don DeGryse, vice president, Lockheed Martin Navigation Systems. "Our team continues to work diligently to provide a low-risk, high- confidence GPS III block approach and we are well prepared to help our customer achieve mission success on this essential program." Lockheed Martin recently conducted a successful GPS III System Requirements Review under a $10 million follow-on to a 2004 Phase A Concept Development Contract. In November, the team was awarded a $49.9 million contract to conduct a GPS III System Design Review (SDR) in March 2007. This effort will further help the government define its approach to the space segment specification. A multi-billion dollar development contract is scheduled to be awarded by the Global Positioning Systems Wing, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. in 2007. For GPS III, Lockheed Martin and its navigation payload provider ITT are building on their successful experience on the government's Block IIR and IIR- M programs. The third GPS Block IIR-M satellite was launched on Nov. 17 from Cape Canaveral and declared operational for navigation users worldwide on Dec. 12 by Air Force Space Command at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo. The fourth GPS Block IIR-M satellite was delivered to Cape Canaveral last week to support a 2007 launch, if requested by the Air Force for constellation sustainment. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, designs, develops, tests, manufactures and operates a full spectrum of advanced-technology systems for national security, civil and commercial customers. Chief products include human space flight systems; a full range of remote sensing, navigation, meteorological and communications satellites and instruments; space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft; laser radar; fleet ballistic missiles; and missile defense systems. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion. December 20, 2006.-- Trimble announced it has supplied its VRS (Virtual Reference Station) software to establish a national Global Positioning System (GPS) infrastructure network in the south of Poland. The VRS network provides a geospatial infrastructure for surveying, engineering and Geographic Information System (GIS) professionals. The VRS network enables high accuracy Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS positioning without the need of separate base stations or software, significantly increasing efficiency and productivity. The network is the first of its kind in Poland and supplies centimeter- level RTK GPS data for a variety of positioning applications including geodetic and cadastral surveying, road and bridge construction, and archeological excavation site location and documentation. There are also plans to use the network for managing and dispatching emergency medical and rescue teams in Krakow to improve efficiency and response times. The VRS network, known as Malopolski System Pozycjonowania Precyzyjnego, is operated by the BGUM, the survey office of the local government. Built with Trimble GPSNet and RTKNet software, the network covers the southern part of Poland, called Malopolska. In addition to improving the accuracy of results, the network is expected to enable fast measurements within 2-5 seconds. The use of the network will be free of charge for surveyors in the next three years. "The VRS network provides a highly reliable, cost-effective means for surveyors and other professionals to work faster and achieve more accurate GPS positioning results," said Maciej Antosiewicz, Chief of the Survey Office at the Malopolska Regional Office of the Polish Government. "The Malopolska network is expected to provide vast opportunities for the positioning industry that could bring significant business benefits. The VRS network is the first part of the planned nation-wide GPS network, known as ASG (Aktywna Siec Geodezyjna or Network for Online Positioning User Service), which will be a GPS CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Station) network covering the entire country of Poland." The network also makes it easier to combine GPS technology with traditional optical surveying methods because the results are available in real-time. In addition, simultaneous use of GPS and optical equipment does not require complex preparations and data exchange. The Malopolska VRS network follows more than 80 Trimble infrastructure installations networks throughout the world including: China, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, U.S., Singapore, Portugal, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, New Caledonia, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. For a partial reference list of Trimble VRS installations visit: http://www.trimble.com/vrsinstallations.shtml . December 20, 2006.-- Remote activation of specific in-vehicle functions, such as turning on interior temperature-control and defrosting systems, shows a high likelihood of dramatically raising consumer interest in telematics services in future vehicles, according to a recent study conducted for ATX Group. ATX is the world's second largest telematics provider to the automotive industry, serving both the North American and European markets. J.D. Power and Associates was commissioned by ATX to conduct a conjoint analysis of various telematics services across premium, luxury, near-luxury and mass-market vehicle model segments. Among the five telematics service package offerings included in the analysis (automatic crash notification, the remote access services, GPS location-based services, vehicle information, and satellite radio)*, vehicle owners in the U.S. were more likely to purchase a bundle of telematics services if it included the remote access capability. ATX has bundled these services into a package for automobile manufacturers called DIVA (driver interactive vehicle applications). In all but the premium vehicle model segment, remote activation services were ranked by all model segments in the study as the most preferred application in a bundle of telematics services that included such traditional, location-based services as automatic collision notification, in-vehicle emergency "MayDay" buttons, stolen vehicle recovery, and vehicle geo-fencing (alerting the owner any time a vehicle transects an owner-defined, geographic boundary). Remote diagnostics of vehicle performance and automatic owner (parent) notification anytime the vehicle exceeded the owner's pre-determined speed limit emerged as additional applications consumers preferred in a telematics service package. With the addition of remote-access capability to a low-cost, multi-feature bundle of telematics services, a majority of vehicle owners in the survey preferred the telematics services over a monthly satellite radio subscription. An even larger majority would like the opportunity to access both telematics and satellite radio in one package. The study also revealed that with a broad menu of telematics services, a majority (approximately three-fifths) of those surveyed would pay an additional $400 above the Manufacturers' Suggested Retail Price for telematics hardware. "This research tells us that most vehicle owners see a lot of value in a service that bundles into a single package a broad range of applications that deliver safety, convenience and, most importantly, owner control ... even remotely ... over the operation of their vehicle," said Gary Wallace, ATX Vice President of Corporate Relations. December 19, 2006.-- The wireless communication scenario is witnessing a surge in new generation technologies such as ultra- wideband (UWB). Stemming from a need for a space effective, secure, high capacity and easy-to-use wireless solution, UWB allows for superior performances without compromising on quality. With inadequate existing technology such as Bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi, in terms of power consumption efficiency, data rates, quality and security, UWB allows end users instantaneous access to a broad spectrum of information. If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of the advances in Ultra-Wideband Communications, then send an e-mail to Mireya Castilla, Corporate Communications, at mireya.castilla@frost.com with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, city, state, country and e-mail address. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail. The increased use of handheld and portable devices such as MP3 players, digital cameras, camcorders, mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) has created a need for a wireless technology providing speedy connectivity, while consuming minimal power making UWB the ideal solution. UWB's ability to transmit vast amounts of data over short distances consuming minimal power allows a longer battery life, especially for portable and handheld devices running on battery power or having limited access to power supply. As memory storage capacities increase to several gigabytes, UWB facilitates these high-speed data transfers. "For instance, UWB has the ability to transfer data in the region of 480 Mbps and is soon likely to surge up to beyond 1 Gbps or more," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Venkat Malleypula. "Furthermore, this high speed interconnectivity is not restricted to wireless environment but is possible over power lines and coaxial media as well." In addition to affinity for minimal power consumption, UWB also meets the need for high-speed connectivity. As most portable devices employ PCs to move data on and off their memory, high-speed connectivity for rapid synchronization is a necessity. As a result, UWB gains a competitive edge over traditional technologies such as Bluetooth 2.0 and IEEE 802.11 a/b/g. The aptitude for high security transmissions is another UWB stronghold. "As UWB operates below noise level, given the digital nature of its transmissions, these signals are virtually impossible to detect thus making UWB pulses extremely difficult to detect or intercept," points out Malleypula. "This feature prevents unauthorized access to secure information, making it a boon for organizations such as the military and the government." Apart from government agencies, UWB is also affecting other areas on a large scale, ranging from healthcare, automotive, to home networking, and multimedia communications. "For instance, several companies are developing UWB technologies to specifically address the need of various applications such as precision geo- positioning systems, collision and obstacle avoidance radars, intelligent transportation systems, asset tracking, medical imaging and wireless communications," explains Malleypula. "This technology is also breaking new ground in the short-range wireless communications and multiple streams segment, which includes applications based on PCs, HDTV and consumer electronics." These numerous advantages, along with the low cost and complexity of a UWB system, are driving phenomenal growth in this sector projecting a positive outlook for the near future. The Advances in Ultra Wideband Communications is part of the Technical Insights Growth Partnership Service, which includes vital information on the following technologies: WiFi, Zigbee and Bluetooth, focusing primarily on ultra-wideband technology. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews are available to the press. December 17, 2006.-- NASA Ames Research Center and Google have signed a Space Act Agreement that formally establishes a relationship to work together on a variety of challenging technical problems ranging from large-scale data management and massively distributed computing, to human-computer interfaces. As the first in a series of joint collaborations, Google and Ames will focus on making the most useful of NASA's information available on the Internet. Real-time weather visualization and forecasting, high-resolution 3-D maps of the moon and Mars, real-time tracking of the International Space Station and the space shuttle will be explored in the future. "This agreement between NASA and Google will soon allow every American to experience a virtual flight over the surface of the moon or through the canyons of Mars," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin at Headquarters in Washington. "This innovative combination of information technology and space science will make NASA's space exploration work accessible to everyone," added Griffin. "Partnering with NASA made perfect sense for Google, as it has a wealth of technical expertise and data that will be of great use to Google as we look to tackle many computing issues on behalf of our users," said Eric Schmidt, chief executive officer of Google. "We're pleased to move forward to collaborate on a variety of technical challenges through the signing of the Space Act Agreement." Recently, teams from NASA and Google met to discuss the many challenging computer science problems facing both organizations and possible joint collaborations that could help address them. NASA and Google intend to collaborate in a variety of areas, including incorporating agency data sets in Google Earth, focusing on user studies and cognitive modeling for human computer interaction, and science data search utilizing a variety of Google features and products. "Our collaboration with Google will demonstrate that the private and public sectors can accomplish great things together," said S. Pete Worden, Ames center director. "I want NASA Ames to establish partnerships with the private sector that will encourage innovation, while advancing the Vision for Space Exploration and commercial interests," Worden added. "NASA has collected and processed more information about our planet and universe than any other entity in the history of humanity," said Chris C. Kemp, director of strategic business development at Ames. "Even though this information was collected for the benefit of everyone, and much is in the public domain, the vast majority of this information is scattered and difficult for non-experts to access and to understand. "We've worked hard over the past year to implement an agreement that enables NASA and Google to work closely together on a wide range of innovative collaborations," said Kemp. "We are bringing together some of the best research scientists and engineers to form teams to make more of NASA's vast information accessible." NASA and Google also are finalizing details for additional collaborations that include joint research, products, facilities, education and missions. Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Google is headquartered close to Ames in Silicon Valley with offices through the Americas, Europe and Asia. December 14, 2006.-- Citigroup, MasterCard Worldwide, Cingular Wireless and Nokia announced a consumer technology trial of Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled mobile phones with MasterCard PayPass contactless payment capability in New York City. The goal of this trial is to evaluate the speed and convenience that "tap and go" payments made through mobile phones can provide to Citi credit cards and Cingular customers in the New York City area. The trial is expected to run three to six months. Pre-selected Citi MasterCard cardholders with Cingular Wireless accounts are participating in the trial and will receive Nokia NFC-enabled mobile phones with MasterCard PayPass payment functionality. MasterCard PayPass is a "contactless" payment program that provides consumers with a fast and convenient way to pay. With their NFC-enabled phone, trial participants can pay for purchases at any merchant that accepts MasterCard PayPass by simply holding their phone near a secure PayPass payment terminal. If they choose, participants will be permitted to enable the PayPass functionality only at the point of sale and to disable it at all other times. The contactless payment transaction is automatically charged to the user through the same secure MasterCard payment network that processes traditional credit card transactions. "As a leader in innovative products and services, Citigroup continually looks for ways to make the lives of our customers easier," said Amy Radin, Chief Innovation Officer, Global Consumer Group, Citigroup. "We are confident that mobile phone technology with contactless payment will appeal to our customers' increasing demands for speed, convenience and security." "This trial offers Citi customers a new payment experience and, in fact, the first step in the convergence of the wallet with the mobile phone," said Ed Garofalo, Executive Vice President, Citi Cards. "Carrying a mobile phone has become almost as common as carrying a wallet," said Scott McElroy, vice president technology realization for Cingular Wireless. "This trial will continue to help us learn more about how NFC technologies work and how customers will want to use their phones as part of their real-world transaction process." "Most people have their mobile phone with them wherever they go to stay in touch. The simplicity of conducting everyday transactions, such as low cost purchases with their phone, adds high value and convenience for consumers," said Dieter May, Vice President and Head of Nokia Emerging Business Unit. "Nokia NFC-enabled phones used in this trial support over-the-air downloading of cardholder information, which is necessary for commercial rollout of NFC based mobile services. We believe NFC creates new and exciting opportunities for mobile operators, credit card associations, banks and other stakeholders, and we will be closely involved in the creation of the emerging NFC ecosystem bringing benefits to all parties." "MasterCard has long believed that the mobile phone represents a ubiquitous payment device, in large part because consumers continue to grow more comfortable using them for a range of activites beyond making and receiving calls," said Art Kranzley, Executive Vice President and Group Executive, Advanced Payments, MasterCard Worldwide. "We also believe New York City makes an ideal backdrop for a technology built on speed and convenience. We are excited to team up with industry leaders such as Citi, Cingular and Nokia to test the promise of NFC in one of the world's fastest-paced environments." Trial participants can also take part in the New York City Subway contactless transit fare payment trial sponsored by Citigroup, MasterCard Worldwide, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and MTA New York City Transit. All the customer has to do is activate the phone in order to tap for entry at participating 4, 5 and 6 subway locations along the Lexington Avenue Line. NXP Semiconductors (formerly Philips Semiconductors) developed the NFC technology and chips for the NFC-enabled mobile phones in the New York City trial to facilitate secure, contactless communication between two devices. Giesecke & Devrient developed the Over the Air (OTA) personalization software that allows for the process of initializing your mobile phone with the information it needs to conduct secure transactions. ViVOtech provided NFC software and services to enable the trial working in concert with the partners. To request to participate in the New York City area mobile phone trial, please visit www.nyctrial.com by December 20, 2006. Trial participation is limited and certain criteria must be met in order to participate. December 13, 2006.-- TruePosition, a leading provider of wireless location solutions and a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (attributed to its Liberty Capital Group), announced that it is expanding implementation of its Finder wireless location system within Cingular Wireless' network. Cingular is the largest wireless carrier in the United States. The agreement extends TruePosition's current contract with Cingular Wireless to cover the AT&T Wireless networks Cingular acquired, replacing AT&T Wireless's location system. The agreement will provide Cingular Wireless with TruePosition's network-based Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (U-TDOA) location technology throughout its nationwide network. TruePosition's wireless location system will assist Cingular in continuing to meet the FCC's E911 location mandate. The deployment within Cingular's network, one of the largest GSM networks in the world, represents the most extensive wireless E911 location infrastructure deployment worldwide. "TruePosition has had a strong partnership with Cingular and we are pleased to be building on it," noted Stephen Stuut, CEO of TruePosition. "We are excited to increase our involvement with Cingular as they expand one of the most robust and dynamic wireless networks in the world." December 12, 2006.-- Worldscout Corporation has announced it has acquired Toronto-based Alltigo Inc., a leading developer of micro- electronic GPS/GSM devices and embedded software applications. The acquisition results in Alltigo's engineering team (GPS technology specialists, software developers and programmers) joining Worldscout's R&D team. In addition, Alltigo's patent pending, real time Personal Location Tracking Device which combines AA-GPS and GSM/GPRS technologies to locate, track and protect, people, vehicles and other mobile assets remotely, via the Internet, will be used to broaden the omniscout product line. "This acquisition will help move us into brand new markets," said Robert Metz, President of Worldscout Corporation. "The potential is incredible because we now have a mainstream product which extends the capabilities of vehicle tracking and monitoring. We now have a small hand held unit which gives us the ability to track, in real time, any person, vehicle or asset remotely, via the Internet. From a consumer technology perspective this is unprecedented." The technology can locate GPS satellites and lock onto their signal more efficiently than other systems. It uses a wireless cellular modem to communicate its location and receive commands over a GSM/GPRS mobile phone network, via TCP/IP (Internet Protocol), or SMS text message (Short Message Service). The device has reported position accuracy within a few meters. Weighing just one ounce and measuring 90 x 48 x 20mm (3.5 x 1.9 x 0.8"), the device uses a built-in Lithium-ion battery has an average use life of 7 days and its on-board memory can store up to 60,000 locations. The device is also service agnostic and can be used with existing Location Based Services (LBS) or without. December 10, 2006.-- Elektrobit navigation software and SVOX text-to-speech solutions have been successfully deployed in MEDION's award winning navigation device that is shipped in high volumes through stores in Europe. "The small footprint, user-friendly interface and fast and accurate speech output have been ranked No. 1 by the Auto Motor Sport magazine in Germany", pointed out Mr. Daniel Gast, Product Manager at Elektrobit. The joint offering from Elektrobit and SVOX allows for a high degree of customization as well as adaptation to a customer's voice branding strategy. "This lets our customers integrate this world-class text-to-speech enabled navigation software into their branding strategy as well as their overall human-machine interface concept," said Mr. Gast. "Valued for its speed, multi instance capability and multi lingual features, SVOX text-to-speech is giving our customers designed voice output at its best." "We look forward to further joint product roll-outs", states Mr. Eric Lehmann, CSO SVOX. "No other system integrator has a more modular structure than Elektrobit does. Their navigation solution interacts perfectly with MEDION's operating system." Language support is built-in for 16 languages. A large number of platforms are supported, including, but not limited to Windows CE, Windows XP, Symbian, QNX and Linux. Speech instructions designed by SVOX are precise and clear, and preferred voice recognition engines can be integrated easily. The joint software solution is capable of excellent performance on a large number of platforms including cellular phones, personal navigation devices and in-vehicle infotainment systems. Experienced engineering teams are available to provide integration and test services and to support the customer in best implementing the requirements for their specific navigation solution and voice branding objectives. December 6, 2006.-- Quake Global, a leading manufacturer of satellite modems for the trucking and heavy equipment industries, announced that Volvo Trucks North America, Greensboro, NC, will install Quake Global's Q2000+ satellite communicator as standard equipment in all Volvo trucks manufactured with US'07 engines. The Q2000+ is an integral component in "Volvo Link Sentry," Volvo's proprietary two-way satellite communications system. "We are delighted that Volvo Trucks North America has chosen to integrate Quake's Q2000+ satellite modem into its state of the art 'Volvo Link Sentry' communications system," said Polina Braunstein, President and CEO of Quake Global. "Volvo Trucks is widely known for its insistence on maintaining the highest standards of quality and demanding that its suppliers do the same. Providing the Q2000+ modem for the Volvo Link Sentry is a major step for our growing company, and by meeting Volvo's high quality standards, we have positioned Quake Global for many more growth opportunities in satellite communications." Quake Global's Q2000+ and the Volvo Link Sentry have been standard equipment since late-2005 on the Volvo VT 880 and VT 830 tractors, with widespread customer acceptance. Volvo Link Sentry is a remote vehicle and driver performance monitoring system that gives Volvo customers 24/7 access to technical support, while providing fleet managers with a wealth of information about truck operations. Quake Global is proud of its world-wide reputation for providing high-quality subscriber communicators for the IRIDIUM, ORBCOMM(R), and INMARSAT D+ LEO and GEO satellite systems. Quake Global provides a wide variety of satellite modems to KOMATSU, CATERPILLAR, HITACHI, VOLVO CONSTRUCTION, XATA, AVIDYNE, AIR IQ, FLEET MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, DRIVER-TECH, ANDRONICS, and FARIA, among others. December 6, 2006.-- Vettro, the market leader in on-demand mobile business applications, introduced expanded GPS capabilities in its Vettro 360 product suite. Vettro's enhanced product offering builds upon traditional GPS tracking and mapping functionality to enable more intelligent utilization of location-based services. Specifically, the new functionality enables users to set up customized map views based on any number of variables or characteristics associated with the mobile workforce. The new application enables Vettro customers to extend the on-demand mapping service well beyond conventional workforce tracking and integrate data specific to their business to the map display and reports. Vettro's GPS service is architected to easily accommodate custom data--such as proprietary landmarks, onboard inventory, or worker status-that can be pulled from an existing Vettro mobile application or the enterprise back-end system. "Our improved GPS application enables us to easily deploy a Web-based solution to our clients that gives them the tools they need to more intelligently leverage real-time location and proximity information," said Matt Finkelstein, Vice President of Product Management for Vettro. "Prior to this enhancement, our customers had no simple way to integrate their specific business information or requirements into a mapping solution. This solution creates an 'on-demand tunnel' from enterprise data to our GIS infrastructure so that clients can use multiple types of information in a much more meaningful way than they ever have before." The new version of Vettro's GPS service was developed with direct feedback from customers in the livery, transportation, distribution, and services industry, and is now generally available both as a stand-alone packaged product as well as an add-on service to the Vettro 360 application suite. December 5, 2006.-- NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital map data for location-based solutions and vehicle navigation, has been named as the map data provider for Canada-based Datacom Wireless Corporation. Specifically, NAVTEQ map data will be utilized in Mobilus, a stolen vehicle tracking system and Mobicom, a GPS real-time fleet management system. Datacom's Mobilus solution is a protection, security and vehicle tracking system that prevents and detects car theft in real time, increasing the security of vehicles. Mobicom is a state-of-the-art fleet tracking system that allows users to manage vehicles in real time over the Internet, increasing efficiency and revenue while saving money on fuel, maintenance and manpower. Datacom utilizes NAVTEQ's comprehensive Canadian and US map data to pinpoint vehicles for applications like stolen vehicle tracking and real-time fleet management. These applications provide valuable features such as geofencing, site management, address finding, GPS tracking and historical trip rendering. Highly accurate and detailed map data from NAVTEQ allows Datacom's Mobilus Tracking System to notify authorities of the exact location of a stolen vehicle. The same data is used by Datacom's Mobicom Tracking System to track fleet vehicles in a variety of industries. NAVTEQ employs one of the industry's most comprehensive development and quality control programs for the highest levels of excellence and precision. Built by a team of approximately 600 geographic analysts, the NAVTEQ database includes in-depth coverage of urban and rural areas and field-verified routing attributes such as one-way streets. These attributes along with Points-of-Interest make it easier to locate vehicles via the Mobilus and Mobicom Tracking Systems. December 5, 2006.-- 3DLABS Inc., Ltd., a fabless semiconductor company, demonstrated at Navigation USA, 2006 what next-generation portable navigation and location aware devices could look like running on the recently announced DMS-02 media processor. Working closely with Tele Atlas, a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content for navigation and location based solutions, 3DLABS demonstrated how the navigation experience can be enhanced by providing high fidelity 3D detail and texture to create life-like renderings of the locations people wish to find, navigate and experience. At the same event 3DLABS announced its collaboration with NORDNAV to bring low-cost, high-quality software based GPS solutions to market that utilise the architecture and low-power floating-point performance of the DMS-02 media processor to accelerate acquisition times, enhance tracking accuracy and reduce costs. "With a DMS-02 based PNAV product, users of location aware devices will be able to experience a rich 3D environment that reflects the reality they can see, including landmarks, landscapes, points-of-interest and individual buildings." said Tim Lewis, director sales and marketing at 3DLABS. "Combine 3D and software GPS with the DMS-02's media processing capabilities and you have a complete platform for enabling feature rich navigation products with extended battery life. "The market is evolving to more realistically represent the world as we know it," said Jack Reinelt, Managing Director Europe, Tele Atlas. "Enriched maps that offer more visual information to make navigation easier and enhance location based services will replace flat maps and Tele Atlas are at the forefront of reflecting this reality, complete with 3D landmarks and other data. Enhanced 3D visualization will make maps even more attractive, informative and interesting with a range of consumer applications." "By leveraging the floating-point processing capabilities of the 3DLABS DMS-02 media processor, our E5000 software GPS provides fast time to first fix and gives users continuous tracking and advanced navigation filtering even in the most challenging environments." Said Mattias Astrom, CEO of Nordnav. "Software based GPS provides significant advantages with lower cost, smaller foot-print and the ability for users to continuously upgrade the GPS performance and the 3DLABS architecture provides an ideal platform for our software." The DMS-02 Media Processor Based on a fully programmable array of floating-point processors the DMS-02 is the first handheld media processor capable of HD 720p H.264 video playback and fully exploits the parallel nature of traditional video, image, audio, 2D/3D graphics and signal processing while having the flexibility to adapt to emerging standards and applications such as software GPS, software defined radio, digital media broadcast and physics processing for game engines. The DMS-02 incorporates 24 floating-point processing elements, dual ARM 926EJ cores, multi-level caches, three bi-directional video stream ports, 32 or 64-bit mobile memory for up to 1.6 GBytes of bandwidth and peripheral interfaces to LCDs, CMOS sensors, IDE Disks, USB OTG, Flash memory and Audio DACs. The device is OS independent with first Software Development Kits supporting embedded Linux 2.6. December 5, 2006.-- Privately held Global Locate Inc., a leader in Assisted-GPS products and services and Comneon, a leading supplier of protocol stack software for mobile communications, announced the availability of protocol software stacks incorporating software support for Infineon Technologies' Hammerhead chip, the world's first single die CMOS GPS receiver. The Comneon software solution enables handset manufacturers to introduce handsets compatible with RRLP (Radio Resource Location Protocol), RRC (Radio Resource Control), and SUPL (Secure User Plane Location) standards for Assisted GPS (A-GPS) without any additional software development. The solution set provides comprehensive coverage of all modes of GPS operation for both E911 and LBS (location based services) applications. A-GPS overcomes the limitations of traditional GPS services. Standard GPS receivers must download data from GPS satellites. This often takes several minutes for a conventional GPS receiver to download the required data from the satellites before computing its own location. With A-GPS, the same data can be relayed via an A-GPS server within a matter of seconds. This dramatically improves the performance of the GPS receiver in the mobile phone. "GPS applications and services are becoming more attractive to handset manufacturers and mobile operators. One important enabler of this trend is the availability of devices that not only meet the handset designers' size and power requirements - but are also able to pass strict regulatory stipulations such as the US E911 mandate and the Japanese mandate which specify the range of the positioning of mobile phones sending emergency calls. In this respect the combined Hardware/Software offering from Comneon and Global Locate is a step in the right direction," said Patrick Connolly, GPS Analyst at IMS Research. Dr. Christian Mucke, Managing Director of Comneon noted, "Incorporating our leading edge A-GPS software into our 2G/3G protocol stack and pre-integrating it with the Infineon Hammerhead GPS IC significantly lowers design efforts and therefore offers a cost advantage for our customers. The solution is applicable to both control plane and user plane protocols in our GPRS/EDGE and UMTS protocol offerings." "The Comneon stack has completed intensive Inter Operability Testing against A-GPS core network elements such as SMLC (Serving Mobile Location Centre) and SLP (SUPL Location Platform) with major manufacturers" noted Javier De Salas, Global Locate VP of Marketing and Business Development. "This is a significant time-to-market advantage. Handset manufacturers now save the effort and expense of designing and qualifying protocol software from the ground up." About the Hammerhead Chip Hammerhead is the world's first single die CMOS GPS receiver. A product of the continuing partnership between Global Locate and Infineon Technologies, Hammerhead supports mobile station-assisted (MS-A), mobile station-based (MS-B), autonomous and enhanced tracking modes. Hammerhead provides the industry's highest sensitivity for deep indoor signal tracking, full support for assisted and autonomous modes, and highly accurate navigation in the toughest signal environments. Hammerhead's unique host-based software architecture minimizes device size and cost and allows protocol messaging to be incorporated directly into the GPS navigation software. Additional information is available on the following URL http://www.infineon.com/gps December 4, 2006.-- deCarta (formerly Telcontar), the leading supplier of software platforms and services for the Location-Based Services (LBS) industry, has announced the launch of the deCarta Navigation Software Developer Kit (SDK). The new developer kit enables personal navigation device and smart phone manufacturers to quickly build and bring to market highly customized and differentiated navigation applications. The SDK also provides the manufacturer the freedom and ability to reinforce their brand with a customizable look and feel. deCarta's Navigation SDK builds on the strength of the company's Rich Map Engine -- the same underlying gold-standard technology broadly deployed by today's leading Internet, wireless and navigation solution providers such as Google, Ask.com, Verizon and Sprint. Combining unparalleled routing speed and an extensive array of navigation capabilities, deCarta's Navigation SDK allows for quick introduction of products with attractive and best-in-class functionality targeted for high return on investment. Navigation functionality supported by the SDK includes:
"In the industry's rapidly growing and competitive environment, manufacturers must be agile in bringing differentiated applications to market," said J. Kim Fennell, President and CEO of deCarta. "The Navigation SDK allows personal navigation device producers to focus their resources on customizing and enhancing the user interface, rather than spending valuable time constructing the increasingly complex navigation platform." Providing the Bridge to Connected Navigation As the industry moves toward connected navigation to improve user experience and brand loyalty, deCarta's Navigation SDK provides future migration to dynamic on-board navigation applications giving users up-to-the- minute traffic, road, weather and local search by linking the mobile unit to deCarta's flagship Drill Down Server(R) -- already powering some of the most successful location-based service applications on the market. The Navigation SDK also ensures application compatibility with new releases of the underlying route engine, while providing a uniform data model to enable the use of best- in-class map data from multiple vendors without impacting application performance. Ease of Integration deCarta's Navigation SDK is a comprehensive development suite with software, sample code, sample data and complete documentation. The SDK provides an Application Programming Interface (API) for accessing all of the functions required to create customized navigation applications, allowing customers to bypass the "trial and error" phase, reduce development time, and bring products to market faster. To help accelerate development, sample applications in source code that illustrate the use of all the navigation functionality supported will be provided to developers. December 3, 2006.-- RFID is one of the fastest growing technologies because it has so many advantages over older technologies such as bar codes and magnetic strips. So, Kanda.com has introduced a new starter kit for RFID that simplifies the process of creating applications using RFID systems. RFID tags come in many forms from flexible labels and key fobs to contact less cards to suit the particular application. Apart from some specialist tags that need backup power, most RFID tags obtain all their power through RF induction, so they do not need batteries. The read range of the tag is mainly dependent on the power of the reader and its antenna size, but in most cases it is three to four inches. Tags all conform to ISO standards that cover a range of frequencies from 125KHz to 2.4GHz. The Kanda kit uses 13.56MHz tags that conform to ISO15693, as this is a reliable mid-range standard with both read and write capabilities. Apart from a programmer and reader unit, the Kanda RFID kit includes an RF detector that gives an indication of the RF field strength near a reader, which helps both in development and in the siting of units. However, the most important part of the starter kit is the software package. The protocol used is very flexible to allow engineers to design their own systems to suit their needs, rather than being constrained by the limitations of the software. As well as the standard read, write and lock functions, the protocol allows for continuous read, and includes anti-collision algorithms that deals with multiple tags in the reader field. Obviously, a RFID tag system that is to replace bar codes or magnetic swipe cards must be linked to new or existing software such as data bases to be effective. Therefore, this Kanda kit includes Windows API software and documentation to integrate the kit into a variety of software and database platforms. This Kanda.com RFID starter kit is a cost-effective way of designing an RFID system for a wide range of applications from entry control and membership records to stock tracking and movement recording. December 1, 2006.-- Ordnance Survey is adding more reference stations in north-west Scotland to complete its revolutionary national infrastructure for receiving satellite-based positioning signals. Eleven new receivers to the north of the Great Glen will underpin a range of publicly available GPS correction services aimed at surveyors, highway engineers, utility companies and others in need of pinpoint positioning information. The infrastructure, called OS Net, improves the real-time accuracy of raw satellite-based positioning from around 10 meters down to around 1 centimeter. Initially developed to support Ordnance Survey's own field staff, it has now been made available to commercial technology partners so they can build distinct applications for their own customers. "By extending coverage into north-west Scotland we can strengthen what is already a vital enabling infrastructure for users across Great Britain," says Neil Ackroyd, Ordnance Survey's Director of Data Collection and Management. "We are the first organization in Britain to develop a complete national network enabling seamless real-time GPS positioning at the centimeter level. Our investment in the latest satellite-based GPS technology has enabled our own staff to work more efficiently as they collect definitive geographic information. We have now taken this a stage further by opening up OS Net for others." The north-west Scotland stations, plus a planned new addition on the Scilly Isles, off the coast of Cornwall, will complete a roll-out of more than 100 receivers linked to mounted antennae across Great Britain with permanent power and communication links. Each receiver is connected in real time to a server hub at Ordnance Survey's Southampton head office. Data collected by the stations is sent in real time to the hub, where it is transmitted for partner applications within milliseconds. Partners then generate various correction models to improve the typical 10-metre accuracy of raw GPS readings to the meter or centimeter level, depending on their customers' choice of GPS equipment and other technical factors. The commercialization of the network reflects growing demand for a wider choice of positioning applications among high-accuracy GPS users such as utility companies locating and recording underground assets. Precision agriculture, emergency response, vehicle tracking, and near-shore marine and port operations can also be assisted through precision GPS. Since December 2005, commercial services based on OS Net have begun to appear from Leica Geosystems and Trimble. Both specialize in providing correction models for the surveying, construction and civil engineering sectors. "This is fantastic news that will enable the whole of Scotland with the full potential for a Network GPS solution," says Mark Burbidge, Network and Technical Support Manager of Leica's Surveying & Engineering division. "In particular, at Leica we see many new and existing users now being able to take full advantage of Network RTK [Real Time Kinematic] throughout Scotland, as well as the rest of Great Britain." "We are extremely pleased that Ordnance Survey continues to recognize the strategic value of universal connectivity for precise positioning applications in north-west Scotland," said Jürgen Kliem, general manager of Trimble's survey division. "Ordnance Survey's GPS network and commercial Trimble VRS Now service, which operates exclusively on Trimble VRS software, are enabling surveyors, engineers and mapping professionals to improve their workflow and increase productivity with centimeter-level accuracy." As well as partner services coming on stream, Ordnance Survey's own free web-based GPS service for non-commercial, post-processing and coordinate transformation continues to be improved for GPS users at www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/gps November 29, 2006.-- The USB Implementers Forum announced that it will add support for ultra-wideband frequencies above 6 GHz to the Wireless USB specification by the middle of 2007 as an addition to its existing support for frequencies below 5 GHz. "Adding support for the upper UWB bands is a natural progression for Certified Wireless USB. We plan to have the specification extensions completed before the radios are ready, so that new products that require these frequencies can get to market as quickly as possible," said Jeff Ravencraft, chairman and president of the USB Implementers Forum. "Wireless USB support for frequencies above 6 GHz enables and accelerates market growth," said Dave Fisher, CTO, Wireless, with Texas Instruments Residential Gateway and Embedded Systems Business Unit. "Upper band operation is a welcome development for the handset and consumer electronics industries as it provides flexibility for product implementations, and lets those products leverage existing USB infrastructure for added high-speed wireless connectivity." "Worldwide adoption for Ultra-wideband across diverse applications continues to be a top priority for both USB-IF and WiMedia Alliance. This advancement illustrates our successful efforts," said Stephen Wood, president of the WiMedia Alliance. "The entire UWB ecosystem takes another step forward with the addition of these higher frequencies in the Wireless USB specification." The Wireless USB Promoter Group developed the Wireless USB 1.0 specification to provide the speed and ease-of-use of Hi-Speed USB without the wires. To help ensure interoperability between products, the USB-IF has developed a comprehensive compliance and logo program for Wireless USB products. The first Wireless USB products are expected to ship by the end of this year. The USB-IF will extend its compliance and logo program to cover the upper UWB bands as those products come to market, which is projected to be in 1H'08. November 28, 2006.-- A shoe that has the potential to save lives through its patented Quantum Satellite Technology with GPS tracking abilities, Isaac Daniel's Compass Global 1000-Inventor's Limited Edition pushes the limits of how technology can function in footwear. Providing peace- of-mind technology through its advanced people-finding capabilities, the Compass Global 1000 will make its debut in the U.S. in early 2007. Initially only 1,000 people around the world will own these unique and distinctive brand of sneakers that provide Advanced Technology & Style. The GPS technology, embedded into seven different men's and women's sneaker models with 19 color combinations, are outfitted with a microcomputer with satellite tracking communication that, in the event of a perceived crisis by the wearer, can activate a Covert Alarm Locator. The alarm generates an emergency signal to the company's ID Conex monitoring station, pinpointing the shoes' location anywhere on the earth's surface. The whereabouts of the wearer are then communicated to law enforcement authorities. The need for Daniel's line of Quantum Satellite Technology across a broad range of demographic groups has been proven. The company is currently in negotiations to market the Compass Global sneaker -- and in the future, boots and shoes -- to various military outfits, caretakers of those suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and parents who want the ability to keep track of their young children. The need for this type of sneaker has already been recognized by the public and the press with feature stories in The New York Post, Women's Wear Daily, and Fitness and Footwear Plus magazines. Created by inventor and designer, Isaac Daniel, the Compass Global 1000 is, says Daniel, "a ground-breaking product that is set to change people's minds about how sneakers can be worn and their purpose in our lives. The Compass Global 1000 is a sneaker for new realities in the new millennium." Many reservations for the first 1000 GPS-enabled sneakers have already been taken online at www.isaacdaniel.com with more orders coming in everyday. Daniel is sure the sneakers will create added value in everyday life, "Celebrities and the press have already recognized the radical difference this product will make in people's lives. The time is right for the Compass Global 1000 sneaker, now, tomorrow and in the future." November 28, 2006.-- 3D Laser Mapping has launched StreetMapper 2, a new modular vehicle-mounted system for the rapid 3D mapping on and off road. Using lasers to 3D map assets and the terrain to millimeter accuracy at speeds of up to 70 km an hour, StreetMapper 2 and has been designed as a portable system for equipping different types of vehicle. When fitted to a standard 4 wheel drive vehicle StreetMapper 2 allows surveying off road, extending the scope of use beyond the highway. With easy-fit rack mounting and a roof rack suitable for any 4x4, 3D Laser Mapping is able to ship the system to any location allowing StreetMapper technology to be used worldwide for the first time. The data collected by StreetMapper 2 is used to create a highly detailed 3D model of the street corridor and overhead features; information that can be used for road surface and safety inspections, terrain and industrial asset mapping, bridge height surveys and road width mapping for entire routes. A further development of the original custom-built StreetMapper system, the latest version has also been developed in partnership with German firm IGI who special in navigation and precise positioning for aerial survey. StreetMapper technology involves a series of lasers that measure the position of features relative to the vehicle with an onboard computer that can process over 40,000 points per second. The system is calibrated so that each laser transmits its optical pulse at a known angle and uses satellite technology to calculate the exact real world position. StreetMapper 2 is the latest addition to 3D Laser Mapping's product portfolio that includes both terrestrial and airborne laser scanning solutions. 3D Laser Mapping integrate laser scanner hardware systems with their own software and peripherals to create robust solutions for mapping, mining and manufacturing and civil engineering. November 27, 2006.-- u-blox AG, the leading Swiss provider of GPS chips, modules and services, released the TIM-4R GPS module with dead reckoning technology that ensures 100% road coverage in even the most challenging GPS signal environments. Powered by u-blox' 16-channel ANTARIS 4 positioning engine, this GPS module provides uninterrupted positioning in environments where GPS operation was previously not possible and offers better navigation performance using less power than its predecessor, the TIM-LR. u-blox' dead reckoning technology uses additional sensors that detect travelled distance with an odometer and turn rate using a gyroscope, supplementing GPS data and thus providing an accurate position in tunnels, indoor parking facilities, roofed logistics centers, urban canyons and any other environment where obstructed GPS signals hinder positioning. Continuous coverage allows for GPS-enabled applications such as emergency vehicle services, asset and vehicle tracking products and road pricing systems, which require uninterrupted navigation. "The TIM-4R is a gateway technology that simplifies the creation of a wide range of GPS-enabled applications that require a highly accurate positioning solution with non-stop road coverage, even in the harshest signal environments," said Thomas Nigg, Head of Product Marketing and Application Engineering. Other systems use either GPS or dead reckoning, both of which have shortcomings. In contrast to switching between GPS and dead reckoning, which can lead to errors, the module's speciality lies in its weighted mix of both approaches that counters their respective disadvantages. Its built-in extended Kalman filter algorithm uses a combination of GPS and sensor data where the weighting depends on the quality of the GPS signals. Depending on the quality of the GPS signal and on how well the dead-reckoning sensors are calibrated, a weighted mix of both GPS and dead reckoning generates optimal results. Narrow streets between high-rise buildings also cause multi-path effects, resulting in degraded navigation accuracy and reliability. The TIM-4R's algorithmic approach eliminates these multi-path effects, position inaccuracies, and distortions from jamming sources. November 27, 2006.-- NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital map data for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, has announced a new service called NAVTEQ Direct Access that allows retailers to accurately and comprehensively include all their locations in the NAVTEQ digital map used by millions of location-enabled consumers around the world every day. Navigation system users choose and route to high use retail Points of Interest such as restaurants, hotels, banks/ATM's, gas stations and stores in their system. By working directly with NAVTEQ, participating merchants now enjoy a global, cost effective way of exposing all of their retail locations -- even recently opened and newly acquired ones -- in the most widely used digital map. NAVTEQ Direct Access offers new customer reach possibilities by leveraging the digital map to reach today's mobile consumer. Unlike other media types, NAVTEQ Direct Access gives visibility to location information on demand when the consumer is at the decision-making point. Because the map is always in its user's navigation system regardless of where they go, mobile consumers will always have the participating merchants' locations with them. The new service enhances the consumer experience, regardless of their relationship with the participating merchants. Loyal customers interested in finding a particular company's locations will have a comprehensive listing wherever they go. Prospective consumers using proximity search capabilities en route will be better served by the most accurate geographic placement within the map. The updatable service enables changes to be made to a retail network such as entering new locations as soon as they are open, repositioning store locations to be more precise and removing locations on closing. NAVTEQ Direct Access is an important enhancement to NAVTEQ's customer commitment to providing high quality POI information that is accessible, accurate, up to date and correctly placed. "Leading retailers understand that larger numbers of location-enabled consumers using navigation systems are finding and buying from their locations," commented Mike Finn, Vice President, NAVTEQ Direct Access, "and that providing the latest location information via a leading digital map is an exciting new access channel." "Because NAVTEQ maps are the most broadly used across a range of location and navigation applications, keeping our locations up to date in one place allows us to reach the largest number of users. Today's consumer is more comfortable using technology to find our retail locations, so accurate listings in a leading digital map is a natural," said Bob Rosenbarger, Director Advertising Services, Walgreens. Leading companies already leveraging the growing mobile consumer target through NAVTEQ Direct Access include Walgreens, Starbucks Coffee Company, Sofitel, Motel 6, Red Roof Inn, Studio 6, Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Roy's, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Americas Best Value Inn by Vantage. November 27, 2006.-- Furthering its penetration of the consumer GPS market, SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc., a leading provider of GPS-enabled silicon and premium software location platforms, announced its SiRFstar GPS receiver technology has been selected by Bushnell Outdoor Products for its GPS market debut. The adoption of SiRF's GPS technology by the industry leader in sports optics and outdoor accessories is the latest in a string of successes that further strengthen SiRF's leading position in the mainstream consumer GPS market, reinforcing its reputation as the technology of choice for leading consumer brands. The Onix 200 hand-held GPS receiver and the NAV 500 portable in-car navigation are the first in a family of GPS products from Bushnell, establishing a new product category for the company and marking its entry into this rapidly growing market. With SiRF's GPS technology, optimized for portable, battery-powered GPS receivers, the ruggedized, waterproof Onix 200 handheld GPS receiver provides outstanding navigation performance even in tough environments such as mountainous terrain and under foliage canopies, and can operate for up to 26 hours on two AA batteries. The ability to download satellite and aerial photos is a feature offered only by Bushnell. "Bushnell is one of the most recognized consumer brands for sports and outdoor enthusiasts, with products that enjoy a reputation for innovation and quality," said Kanwar Chadha, founder and vice president of marketing for SiRF. "We are pleased that Bushnell selected SiRF GPS architectures to meet the consumer demand for reliable location and we believe that their entry will expand the market for GPS enabled devices." Perhaps best known for its binoculars, telescopes, laser rangefinders and other optical products, Bushnell has been the industry leader in high- performance sports optics for over 50 years. The company constantly explores emerging technologies to market sports optics that combines leading edge design with performance innovation. "This is just the beginning in offering an exciting new line of GPS products to our customers that are innovative, feature-rich and live up to our reputation for quality, reliability and affordability," said Phil Gyori, vice president of marketing at Bushnell. "With aerial photographs, topographic maps, screen layering and simplified user interface, the Onix 200 is setting new standards for recreational handheld GPS receivers. With SiRF inside, hikers, hunters and campers can confidently go afield and easily find their way back." The SiRFstarII in the Onix 200 offers high sensitivity and robust navigation algorithms, making real-time navigation practical even through the maze of complex urban canyons and under dense foliage. SiRFstarIII in the NAV 500 offers industry-leading performance at a competitive price point for the high-volume consumer electronics marketplace, along with SiRF's ability to support the quick time to market and large manufacturing volume needs of this market. November 20, 2006.-- ARGO Tracker Corporation, a provider of real-time, GPS-based asset tracking solutions, announced a new, competitively priced and compact product, the 'Eagle'. The Eagle is equipped with GPS-Plus, a next generation technology promoting greater accuracy in the location of an asset. To commemorate the launch of the Eagle, ARGO Tracker is offering a 30% discount and free activation to the first 500 customers. In addition to low cost of entry and an unobtrusive, space-saving design, the Eagle utilizes advanced power consumption technologies providing extreme efficiency in power management, so battery life is prolonged. Its GPS-Plus features offer exceptional signal reliability and accuracy. GPS tracking accuracy is enhanced by signal triangulation from identified cellular communication sites. GPS-Plus is an outgrowth of ARGO Tracker's ongoing research in inertial navigation unit technology and uses triangulation and cellular tracking to transparently provide highly accurate location information. "Basing ARGO Tracker's asset tracking solutions on GPS and high-speed cellular technology, allows our customers to monitor assets and gain highly specific information on them from virtually anywhere," said Gary Kochis, ARGO Tracker chief technology officer. "Not only can specific positions can be reported via any Web browser worldwide, the system can be configured to provide real-time sensor-captured data such as temperature, pressure, tilt, voltage, and shock or vibration. Individual and multiple units can also be monitored at one time through ARGO Tracker's Web-based portals." November 16, 2006.-- NovAtel Inc., a precise positioning technology company, announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) successfully used NovAtel receivers in testing of the global positioning system IIF (GPS Block IIF) satellite, tracking both L5 and L2C signals. The GPS Block IIF is an upgrade of the original GPS. The receivers used were NovAtel's EuroPak-15a configurable, 16 channel GPS L1/L5 receiver, and the ProPak-V3 dual frequency L1/L2 receiver. "This achievement confirms the ability of our receivers to track and process signals from the latest generation GPS Block IIF satellite. Ground testing of the satellite was performed by the FAA in conjunction with the US Air Force, which is developing the GPS Block IIF satellites and control segment," said Tony Murfin, Vice President Business Development. The US Air Force is directing and procuring improvements to the existing GPS constellation, introducing new technologies and capabilities to create a modernized satellite system. The EuroPak-15a receiver may be user configured to track not only the basic GPS L1 signal, but also GPS L5 and L5 SBAS (Space Based Augmentation System - such as the US WAAS) signals. It can also be configured to track both GPS and Galileo L1 and E5a signals. NovAtel's ProPak-V3 is a durable, high-performance receiver with advanced capabilities, including GLONASS measurements, USB communication and IMU support. The ProPak-V3 also features integrated L-band corrections from geosynchronous satellites such as OmniSTAR and CDGPS. With firmware upgrades, this receiver will also be capable of tracking future L5 signals as soon as they are available. November 14, 2006.-- Trimble announced it has added TrimPix technology to its Mapping & Geographic Information System (GIS) handheld product line. TrimPix technology makes it easy to link high-resolution digital photographs to GIS features using selected Nikon cameras. Based on Connected Photography by FotoNation, TrimPix technology enables Trimble GeoExplorer 2005 series of GPS handhelds and Trimble Recon and Ranger field computers running Microsoft Windows Mobile version 5.0 software to seamlessly and wirelessly connect to a digital camera. FotoNation is a leader of digital imaging connectivity software solutions. Using the handheld devices built-in wireless LAN (WiFi), TrimPix technology makes it possible for Trimble users to connect to and receive images from selected WiFi-capable Nikon digital cameras. Those include the affordable COOLPIX range of cameras-COOLPIX P1, P2, P3, S6, and S7c. As each photo is taken, the Nikon camera quickly and automatically transfers the digital image to the Trimble handheld GPS receiver or handheld field computer wirelessly. Once the photo has been transferred, it can then be linked to GIS feature and location data in the handheld device. "The new TrimPix technology provides Trimble's GIS data collection customers with a more productive and flexible workflow," said Doug Merrill, general manager for Trimble's Mapping & GIS Division. "Not only can customers select the Nikon camera model that best meets their requirements and budget, but they can be sure of collecting high-quality digital images to complement their GIS quickly and easily." "Through the development of our Connected Photography technology, FotoNation has been on the forefront of wireless connectivity bridging digital cameras to computers, printers and other devices," said Eran Steinberg, CEO of FotoNation. "Trimble's integration of digital images with GIS data is a powerful convergence for field data collection." Trimble customers with the GeoExplorer 2005 series GPS handhelds and Trimble Recon and Ranger field computers running Windows Mobile version 5.0 software can download the TrimPix software free of charge from the Trimble Website at www.trimble.com/trimpix.asp. In addition, Trimble is offering an introductory promotion. Until December 15, 2006, customers who purchase a Trimble GeoExplorer 2005 series handheld can receive a cash rebate from Trimble when they also purchase a selected Nikon digital camera. Customers must present the camera proof-of-purchase to their local Trimble Reseller to receive the rebate. To find a local Trimble Reseller and obtain more information on this special promotion visit: www.trimble.com/locator/locator.aspx. November 14, 2006.-- S3C and Nagano Keiki announced the industry's first ZigBee Certified Product (ZCP) wireless network pressure sensor. The GC63-Wireless, based on Texas Instruments' CC2420 ZigBee platform, integrates a silicon capacitive sensor with leading-edge wireless technology to deliver a fully operational, complete turnkey solution. A ZCP device is based on a ZigBee-compliant platform and the certification guarantees that it will co-exist within any network that complies with the ZigBee Alliance Specification. "We are excited to be collaborating with Texas Instruments on this cutting edge technology development", said Manher Naik, Chief Executive Officer of S3C, Inc. "The emergence of wireless sensor networks in the industrial market will enable better performance and control of existing systems, provide a dramatic reduction in installation costs and propel the growth of new sensor applications. The integration of S3C's wireless modules with Nagano Keiki's world-renowned sensors provides a reliable and scaleable solution for wireless applications requiring robust transmission and low power for building automation, process control and energy management." "We strongly believe that ZigBee certification of our new pressure sensor will be regarded as added value by our customers. We see increasing demand for reliable standards as interoperability becomes a requirement for future wireless industrial devices," said Mr. S. Miyashita, President of Nagano Keiki Company. "TI's leadership in the ZigBee market, combined with a superior technical solution and a commitment to support, made selecting TI's ZigBee platform an easy choice for our GC63-Wireless." Delivering superior range in excess of 150m at 0dBm output power, the GC63-Wireless can operate for 2 - 5 years on two AA cell batteries depending on sampling rate and transmission interval. The sensor can easily be configured as a line-powered router device or a battery-operated end device, which makes the system easy to set up and extend. The network comes complete with a gateway interface to a standard ODBC database to allow scalability to hundreds of nodes and centralized monitoring using enterprise applications. The GC63-Wireless contains a wireless module (XM2400) designed by S3C, which integrates TI's CC2420 IEEE802.15.4/ZigBee RF transceiver and Z-Stack protocol stack. "The GC63-Wireless pressure sensor is one of the first ZigBee Certified Products available on the market. This development illustrates the strong technological capabilities of S3C and Nagano Keiki, and demonstrates the need for standardization within the industrial market," said Geir Førre, manager of the Low Power RF product line at TI. November 13, 2006.-- Navman, a leading designer and manufacturer of world-class global positioning system (GPS) technology, announced the smallest, autonomous GPS receiver available, the Jupiter 32. A breakthrough in GPS miniaturization and performance, the device packs the high GPS signal sensitivity and industry-leading fast access times of Navman's highly acclaimed Jupiter 30 into an advanced, extremely small package for integration into a variety of configurations. Designed for devices where size matters such as covert asset tracking, discrete personal location and safety products, and any application where ultra-small form factors are required, the Jupiter 32 delivers the ultimate in performance with an industry leading tracking capability of better than -159 dBm. The Jupiter 32 delivers location specific information with unparalleled accuracy, and extremely fast position fixes to even the smallest devices in the most challenging conditions including inside buildings, parking garages, shopping malls and other indoor environments; inner city urban canyons; areas with dense foliage and in vehicles with UV-coated or athermic windshields. With a form factor that is about the size of a thumbnail, the Jupiter 32 combines the most advanced components available with the SiRF GSC3 chipset in a package that is optimized for unmatched RF tracking capabilities and the fastest times to fix under all conditions. The Jupiter 32's 20-channel receiver supports user selectable SBAS (WAAS, EGNOS and MSAS). Low-power operation and full use of the SiRF GSC3 power level modes, ensures wider integration capability and use in power sensitive applications such as battery-operated devices. Ideal gain characteristics, and optimized LNA and RF signal path design, enable easy integration into products with active or passive GPS antennas. The receiver's small size and flexible design allows manufacturers to develop products for devices previously unavailable for standard GPS designs. "Our new Jupiter 32 offers an unrivaled miniature form factor and industry leading performance," said George Arnott, vice president of Navman's OEM Division. "Whether it is size, performance or an upgrade path from previous platforms that matter, Navman has it covered with the best product line-up available." The smallest GPS receiver available, the Jupiter 32 sports a tiny 15.0mm x 17.0mm x 2.7mm form factor and weighs a scant 2.0 grams. Key features of the Jupiter 32 include: fully sealed EMI edge shielding, an ultra-high sensitivity GPS receiver with an optimized RF front-end, proprietary shaped filtering to reduce noise, multi-path mitigation for track re-centering and jammer elimination, and dynamic search control to adapt to severe environments. The Jupiter 32 can be further optimized with user selectable navigation modes via a simple ASCII command that can be stored in Flash memory. These Navigation modes allow the selection of General Use, Automotive, Pedestrian and optimized Low Power modes to suit any application. For more specific requirements, these settings are further configurable. With indoor position fix and tracking capability better than -159 dBm, the Jupiter 32 has over 200,000 effective correlators for superior acquisition performance in the weakest signal conditions. Additional features of the Jupiter 32 include: a high-quality 0.5PPM TCXO for optimal performance, integral LNA, an ARM7 CPU with additional capacity for custom applications, 1 PPS, 50mA average power draw, optimized low power management mode with an average power consumption of 25mA at 1Hz, hibernate mode with 6.8uA power draw, down to 3v power operation and a brown-out detection circuit. Further specifications include 20-channel mode GPS support; fast acquisition fix performance of 0.5 seconds (hot start), 32 seconds (warm start) and 34 seconds (cold start); ephemeris tail and bit sync for quicker time to fix in poor conditions and SiRFLoc multi-mode GPS support for improved fix availability. November 13, 2006.-- Ember announced that it has teamed with Analog Devices Inc. to offer customers an easy way to build wireless ZigBee-enabled products that demand feature-rich performance and capabilities, while operating on very little power. Ember's EM260 ZigBee networking co-processor will be combined with Analog Devices' Blackfin 16/32-bit embedded processors to enable customers to tap into the fast-growing ZigBee market for wireless sensor and control applications, without having to worry about mastering the complexities of ZigBee networking. The dual-chip solution will allow electronic devices to support low-cost, low-power wireless applications, particularly in building automation, telematics and digital home entertainment products where Blackfin has been widely adopted. At the Electronica 2006 show in Munich, Germany, Nov. 14-17, Stand #361, Hall A4, Ember will demonstrate a ZigBee-enabled wireless doorbell application powered by Blackfin processors. The demonstration will show a remote security camera capturing images when the doorbell is pushed. The images are then encoded and transmitted wirelessly through a ZigBee network, where they are decoded and displayed on a viewing screen. "While ZigBee was designed for low-data-rate communications, the Blackfin processor's ability to do heavy-duty computing and compression and decompression of all kinds of data allows you to squeeze much more performance out of the network's frugal bandwidth," said Robert LeFort, CEO of Ember. "The Blackfin/EM260 solution provides a platform for new kinds of more robust ZigBee wireless applications than was earlier thought possible." The Ember EM260 integrates an IEEE 802.15.4 radio, network processor and onboard memory to run a complete ZigBee network protocol stack. It offers Analog Devices' customers building ZigBee-enabled products dramatic reductions in component size, cost and power consumption, while delivering twice the wireless range of competitive ZigBee radios. In addition to full support for the ZigBee standard, EmberZNet supports application profiles for home controls as well as user-defined network applications. It also features an Ember transport layer to provide more reliable wireless communication between nodes and enables distributed bindings. "For ZigBee-enabled embedded applications, the performance and architectural attributes of Blackfin processors allow for much greater possibilities of data transmission types versus traditionally used ZigBee microcontrollers," said Jerry McGuire, general manager, Convergent Platforms and Service Group, Analog Devices. "Working with Ember has enabled Blackfin designers to quickly and easily tap into the ZigBee network. Ember's ZigBee solutions offer tremendous flexibility, ease-of-use, performance, and unmatched network reliability and scalability." The demonstration includes the Blackfin processor, ADI's Multimedia Starter Kit, the EM260 ZigBee co-processor, and the EmberZNet networking stack. The documentation is being made available from both companies on developer community Web sites, for immediate download, such as dev.ember.com. November 10, 2006.-- NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital maps for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, is supplying map data to Norwich Union for its innovative "Pay As You Drive" insurance scheme which could save drivers in the United Kingdom up to one third on their premiums. Drivers are provided with in-car GPS devices coupled with NAVTEQ street level maps, enabling Norwich Union to calculate insurance premiums for each journey, depending on time of day, type of road and mileage. "The quality and reliability of the map data is key," explained Iain Napier, Director, Pay As You Drive insurance. "NAVTEQ has full coverage of the UK down to street level and has a team of 28 geographic analysts permanently based in the UK whose job it is to continually update the map data. The fact that they are releasing the new map data every three months helps maintain its accuracy. This is important to the operation of our initiative." Norwich Union is the only insurer in the UK to offer a usage-based motor insurance policy and has launched "Pay As You Drive" nationally following a very successful pilot scheme involving 5,000 motorists. The objective is to help drivers control insurance costs by making informed choices about when to use the car. Pricing begins from as little as a penny per mile. Bills will look similar to mobile phone bills, with the premiums for each journey calculated and totaled. This transparent approach to motor insurance will help customers control motor insurance costs in a way that has not been possible before now. "We're confident that 'Pay As You Drive' insurance is simply a fairer way of calculating premiums and gives customers greater control, flexibility and choice. That is why we expect this unique UK proposition to be a huge success with motorists." November 10, 2006.-- Globalstar unveiled its next generation satellite telephone handset. The new GSP-1700 mobile satellite telephone operates on the Globalstar satellite network in more than 120 countries and six continents around the world. Globalstar plans to launch an updated handset data package, a maritime and in car installation kit, and a remote antenna for convenient and low cost in-vehicle use. The new handset sets a benchmark for satellite telephones capable of global satellite use, incorporating Globalstar hardware features into a product offering significantly reduced size and weight when compared to other global satellite handsets. The GSP-1700 is being manufactured by QUALCOMM and incorporates its Mobile Station Modem (MSM) MSM6500 chipset solution for EV-DO networks. Weighing approximately 7.1 ounces (203 grams), the newly designed GSP-1700 telephone is nearly half the weight of the company's current satellite handset and close to 45 percent smaller (by volume). The new lithium-ion battery is designed to provide users with four hours of talk time and 36 hours of standby time. The GSP-1700's lightweight ergonomic design embodies the ruggedness of the current Globalstar phone while integrating convenience-oriented features such as a new five-mode color display and portable headset capability. The phone supports six operating languages and is available in three vibrant faceplate colors, using durable high-luster or metallic finishes. For additional product details and images please visit the new product web site at http://www.globalstar.com/en/gsp1700 "We are extremely excited about our next generation Globalstar handset and very pleased it once again integrates innovative QUALCOMM 3G technology," said Jay Monroe, Chairman and CEO of Globalstar, Inc. "As the smallest and lightest Globalstar handset ever produced, the GSP-1700 sets a new standard by incorporating our manufacturer's multi-frequency technology. Additionally our proposed second-generation satellite constellation is intended to provide our customers with long term continuity of service by being fully backwards compatible with both the GSP-1700 and our current products." Globalstar has begun a progressive rollout of the new handset. Over the upcoming months, various Globalstar operators around the world will be making launch announcements introducing the GSP-1700. Globalstar also plans to introduce an array of satellite phone accessories enabling usage for both land-based and marine applications. November 10, 2006.-- Prosurv LLC announced a truly revolutionary product for the Mobile Topographic Mapping industry. First came USGS topographic maps on paper. Next came digital topographic maps available for use on the PC. Now, with Pocket Quads US Regional and State Editions, users have digital topographic maps with GPS positioning literally available at their fingertips. What makes Pocket Quads US Regional and State Editions so revolutionary is that, for the first time ever, all of the topographic maps for an entire Region or State are pre-loaded on 4GB SD Cards, ready for immediate use in the field. No PC is required. No downloading of maps from a PC or web site is needed... ever. Just insert the SD Card, install the Pocket Quads software (when prompted), and GO. The correct map for a location is loaded automatically, based on the current GPS position. Pocket Quads US Regional Editions are available as Western, Central, or Eastern United States Editions. Each Regional Edition contains all of the 1:100,000 and 1:250,000 scale topographic maps for an entire Region, all on ONE 4GB SD Card. The Western US Regional Edition contains over 800 topographic maps covering 10 Western States all on a single 4GB SD Card. The Central Regional Edition covers 11 Central States, and the Eastern Regional Edition covers over 25 Eastern States. With Pocket Quads Western US Regional Edition, users can drive from Southern Arizona to Northern Montana, viewing their GPS position on the automatically changing topographic maps on the screen of their Windows Mobile device, without ever downloading a single map or even touching the screen. With Pocket Quads US State Editions, in addition to the 100 and 250 thousand scale maps, users also get all of the 1:24,000 Scale USGS Topographic Maps for an entire State, on one or more 4GB SD Cards (depending on the size of the State). For example, the Pocket Quads Michigan Edition comes with two 4GB SD Cards, containing over 1300 topographic maps. Each Regional and State Edition comes with the powerful, easy-to-use Pocket Quads software. Just hit 'Start GPS' and Pocket Quads automatically connects to your GPS Receiver. Pocket Quads' list of features is extraordinary, and includes: Auto-map loading, based on your GPS position; Auto tracking of your location as you walk or drive; Auto GPS signal acquisition (com port & baud rate); Never worry about going "beyond the map," since all of the maps for the entire State or Region are already on your SD Card; Switch between different scale maps (24,000 / 100,000 / 250,000) on the fly (without changing cards); Zoom in/out in real time; Record and Playback GPS routes (by time or distance); Enter & create waypoints by tapping the screen; Import/Export data; Navigate to points; Search the included USGS State databases by Feature Name and much more. Not since the USGS introduced paper topographic maps to the public has there been a product this revolutionary in the industry. No PCs. No CDs. No downloads. Finally, one product does it all by giving you real-time GPS positioning on topographic maps on your mobile device in one complete, convenient package. Pocket Quads Regional and State Editions are designed for use with the latest Windows Mobile Devices, including Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PCs and the ultra-rugged Archer by Juniper Systems. Pocket Quads US Regional and State Editions also support Windows Mobile 2003 and Windows Mobile 2003SE (Second Edition) Devices. The SD Card automatically detects the operating system and installs the correct version of Pocket Quads. November 9, 2006.-- Ekahau Inc., a leading provider of Wi-Fi-based Real Time Location Systems (RTLS), introduced the Ekahau Positioning Engine (EPE) 4.0, a major upgrade of Ekahau's server software that features faster and more accurate location tracking capabilities than its predecessor. As the key component of Ekahau's turn-key RTLS solution, the EPE 4.0 significantly eases the deployment and management of a real-time location solution, while providing the ability to track more than 10,000 objects. "Since our first positioning engine was introduced in 2002, we have been working with our customers on ways to improve the functionality of RTLS and simplify its use," said Lare Lekman, chief technology officer at Ekahau. "Ekahau's extensive research and development efforts, coupled with customer feedback, have resulted in a product set that is unrivaled in its capabilities. The launch of this next-generation server software seals Ekahau's position as an innovator with the best-in-class solutions for the RTLS industry." The EPE 4.0 includes a number of new features that improve the performance of Ekahau's turn-key RTLS solution. These features include:
The EPE 4.0 has undergone extensive beta testing with a number of Fortune 1000 companies. It also is being integrated with the middleware applications available from Ekahau partners, including Sybase iAnywhere. "Our strong partner relationship has resulted in tight integration with the EPE 4.0 right from the start," said Martyn Mallick, director of RFID and Mobile Solutions at Sybase iAnywhere. "By combining the EPE 4.0 with Sybase's RFID Anywhere solution, our customers are able to easily extend Ekahau's RTLS capabilities, along with other sensory data, into their applications." The EPE 4.0 powers the Ekahau RTLS solution. Ekahau has deployed its RTLS system worldwide in hospitals, manufacturing facilities, mines, museums and on military bases. The applications of Ekahau RTLS allow these industries to track people and assets in real time, as well as improve efficiency, safety and security. November 8, 2006.-- eRide Inc., a leader in Global Positioning System (GPS and A-GPS) and Satellite Navigation Technology, and Wavecom S.A., a leader in wireless communications solutions for automotive, industrial (machine-to-machine) and mobile professional applications, announced their collaboration that brings a new generation of location and navigation capabilities to mobile applications. Open AT Plug-In technology from Wavecom is a unique approach to combining specific features and functionalities with wireless technology. It allows each part of the system to perform its specific tasks at the optimum level of performance at optimum cost efficiency which is made possible only through the use of Wavecom's Open AT Software Suite. This latest Open AT Plug-In, C-GPS, based on Wavecom and eRide's market-leading A-GPS technology, is designed especially to be used in conjunction with the Wavecom Q2686 and Q2687 Wireless CPUs (Central Processing Unit) and targets all devices in the vehicle, people and asset tracking and management markets. A key benefit of this ground-breaking solution is that customers are not constrained to using only these initial Wireless CPUs since the Open AT Plug-In is compatible with future offerings such as Wavecom's Wireless Microprocessor and eRide's A-GPS. This is a major difference from alternative architectures that confine development, where the wireless and location elements are physically joined together limiting design flexibility. By separating the two technologies, they can each be updated independently of one another, thereby staying abreast of different rates of technology evolution, while offering full design flexibility for customers' products in terms of shape, placement and connection at an optimum cost. Commenting on this innovative combined offer, Philippe Guillemette, Wavecom Vice President of Marketing and CTO said, "We see the demand for combining GPS with cellular wireless technology increasing exponentially for a wide variety of applications. By combing the expertise of Wavecom and eRide through Plug-In technology, we have succeeded in giving systems designers what they need in terms of ease of integration into existing devices and shortening the design-time for new products." He added "It's now possible for our customers to create highly interactive and intuitive products and services that allow them to use corporate and web-based tracking of their assets such as taxis and trucks;" This wide variety of potential applications is of increasing interest to insurance companies since it offers the ability to monitor and track all kinds of mobile assets. For example, transport containers can be monitored as they make their way across the globe and shippers can detect, in real-time, if the container has been illegally opened mid-journey and pinpoint where the illegal entry occurred. This is possible thanks to the monitoring functionality of the Wavecom Wireless CPU which sends activity and location reports back to the shipping company via the Internet using wireless communication. With eRide's superior capabilities for accuracy in pinpointing geographic locations -- down to -161dBm, the Opus technology is a high-sensitivity GPS chipset that has built-in support for aided technology. And, when combined with Wavecom's Wireless CPUs supporting global GSM/GPRS/EDGE cellular networks and the Open AT Internet Plug-In, it has worldwide wireless Internet tracking accessibility. Furthermore, future maintenance and product evolution can be performed remotely using the built-in support for aided technology in the Opus chipsets and the DOTA (Download-Over-the-Air) technology, both of which are unique to the eRide and Wavecom joint offer. The eRide offer comes either fully packaged in a very small module form factor or as separate chipsets, adding to customer expediency. This new approach gives systems designers ultimate flexibility by allowing them to easily add wireless connectivity and GPS positioning to new and existing systems since the Open AT IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and the associated Plug-In Development Kit lets the design engineers place the wireless and GPS components anywhere on their product circuit board. In addition, it eliminates the need for an external GPS-specific microprocessor and associated memory. November 7, 2006.-- Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd., announced the availability of the Garmin LBS Toolkit, a flexible location-based service platform that can serve as the engine behind third party LBS applications. The Garmin LBS Toolkit incorporates Garmin's proven navigation API, local search, real-time content delivery services, and mobile advertising delivery services, into one powerful platform. "This announcement marks the launch of our broader LBS strategy by opening up our LBS technology to third party application developers around the world," said Charles Morse, Garmin's director of mobile and PND marketing. "Adding Garmin's LBS Toolkit to mobile applications can enhance the value and utility of virtually any location aware mobile application, from enterprise and fleet management, real estate, medical, family tracking, pedestrian, automotive, local search, and many others." The launch customers for Garmin LBS Toolkits are Xora and Agilis leading GPS tracking and mobile resource management software providers. These companies will leverage Garmin's navigation API to deliver turn-by-turn navigation experience to mobile works, thus further improving their productivity. Thanks to the Garmin LBS Toolkit, mobile workers can enter a specific street address into their mobile phone and receive turn-by-turn, text-to-speech, voice prompted directions to their destination. If a driver misses a turn, Garmin's navigation technology will automatically recalculate a new route to the destination. In addition, the mobile worker's office can dispatch the worker to the next service location by sending a destination to the phone, which the worker can accept and route to with the push of a button. The Garmin LBS Toolkit is a proven technology platform currently in use in Garmin Mobile, a feature-rich consumer application delivering maps, turn- by-turn navigation, and dynamic content such as Weather, Traffic, and Gas Prices on select handsets. November 6, 2006.-- Trimble announced it has added TrimPix technology to its Mapping & Geographic Information System (GIS) handheld product line. TrimPix technology makes it easy to link high-resolution digital photographs to GIS features using selected Nikon cameras. TrimPix technology is being showcased at Trimble Dimensions Users Conference in Las Vegas and the European Conference for ESRI Users in Athens, Greece. Based on Connected Photography by FotoNation, TrimPix technology enables Trimble GeoExplorer 2005 series of GPS handhelds and Trimble Recon and Ranger field computers running Microsoft Windows Mobile version 5.0 software to seamlessly and wirelessly connect to a digital camera. FotoNation is a leader of digital imaging connectivity software solutions. Using the handheld device's built-in wireless LAN (WiFi), TrimPix technology makes it possible for Trimble users to connect to and receive images from selected WiFi-capable Nikon digital cameras. Those include the affordable COOLPIX range of cameras-COOLPIX P1, P2, P3, S6, and S7c. As each photo is taken, the Nikon camera quickly and automatically transfers the digital image to the Trimble handheld GPS receiver or handheld field computer wirelessly. Once the photo has been transferred, it can then be linked to GIS feature and location data in the handheld device. "The new TrimPix technology provides Trimble's GIS data collection customers with a more productive and flexible workflow," said Doug Merrill, general manager for Trimble's Mapping & GIS Division. "Not only can customers select the Nikon camera model that best meets their requirements and budget, but they can be sure of collecting high-quality digital images to complement their GIS quickly and easily." "Through the development of our Connected Photography technology, FotoNation has been on the forefront of wireless connectivity bridging digital cameras to computers, printers and other devices," said Eran Steinberg, CEO of FotoNation. "Trimble's integration of digital images with GIS data is a powerful convergence for field data collection." Trimble customers with the GeoExplorer 2005 series GPS handhelds and Trimble Recon and Ranger field computers running Windows Mobile version 5.0 software can download the TrimPix software free of charge from the Trimble Website at www.trimble.com/trimpix.asp. November 6, 2006.-- Intermap Technologies Corp. announced the addition of a fourth aircraft to their fleet of planes equipped with Intermap's proprietary industry-leading IFSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) airborne data collection system. The new aircraft will begin operating in Europe and is capable of collecting approximately 1,500,000 sq. km. (580,000 sq. mi.) of highly accurate digital elevation data per year. The added capacity provided by this aircraft aids in the completion of Intermap's aggressive plan for the proactive collection of country-wide data throughout Europe by the end of 2007. Starting in November 2006, this aircraft will begin updating elevation data previously collected in the United Kingdom. The aircraft will then spend the bulk of 2007 supporting the remainder of the NEXTMap Europe program, which covers 13 European countries. According to Michael Bullock, Intermap's vice president of engineering, "The IFSAR development on this aircraft was initiated in April 2006 with the announcement of our NEXTMap Europe program. The aircraft will be fully operational in less than seven months from the time we initiated development. This is a substantial achievement that clearly demonstrates our ability to quickly respond to our accelerated NEXTMap schedule and the needs of our customers." Intermap enables customers to facilitate better decision-making and create applications for numerous commercial, governmental, military, and consumer products through the purchase of high-quality and affordable elevation datasets. The Company is proactively remapping entire countries and building unprecedented national databases, called NEXTMap, consisting of highly accurate digital topographic maps that include elevation data. Demand for NEXTMap data is growing as new commercial applications are emerging, including geographical information systems (GIS), engineering planning, transportation, automotive, navigation, flood, irrigation, environmental management and planning, telecommunications/wireless network planning, aviation, simulation, and 3D visualization. Internet applications include virtual tours, topographic maps and computer games. Datasets are also used to add interactive intelligence to airborne and satellite imagery. November 6, 2006.-- Raytheon Company has achieved a key milestone on the Modernized User Equipment program by successfully acquiring and tracking for the first time a new M-code military signal transmitted by the latest-generation global positioning system satellite. Although the first modernized satellite, GPS Block IIR-14(M), has been operating with legacy signals since December 2005, it only recently began test broadcast of the new M-code. The code provides enhanced accuracy, encryption and anti-jamming capability for authorized users. "This initial success demonstrating the ability of our next-generation receivers to track the new modernized GPS signal is a key step forward for our modern user equipment program," said Dr. Ralph Garcia, director of GPS and navigation systems for the company's Space and Airborne Systems business. "It also marks a significant milestone for the government-industry GPS team by demonstrating synchronized user equipment, satellite, and control system interoperablility, which is critical for our customer's operations in the future." A Raytheon prototype receiver, produced under the research and development agreement of the program, was used to track the new signal from the GPS Block IIR-14(M) satellite. "The successful receiver operation with a live M-code satellite inspires confidence that our design is sound and validates our simulation environment," said Phil Kelton, who manages the modern user equipment program. "These will be critical tools as we progress toward a production-ready product. The next phase of the program will benefit from breakthroughs in microelectronics technology, coupled with advanced security solutions to permit higher performance and greater integrity at less cost than today's systems." Raytheon's teammates on the program are General Dynamics and Trimble Navigation Limited. The Global Positioning Systems Wing of the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center awarded Raytheon a $38 million contract in June to develop a receiver card for the program. The team is developing next-generation circuit card technology, which will enable military users to connect with new navigation signals from enhanced global positioning satellites while retaining compatibility with the current constellation and legacy signals. Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems is the leading provider of sensor systems giving military forces the most accurate and timely information available for the network-centric battlefield. With 2005 revenues of $4.2 billion and 13,000 employees, SAS is headquartered in El Segundo, Calif. Additional facilities are in Goleta, Calif.; Forest, Miss.; Dallas, McKinney and Plano, Texas; and several international locations. November 3, 2006.-- u-blox AG, the leading Swiss provider of innovative GPS receiver technology, announced the introduction of a cost-effective GPS module, ideally suited for mass-market GPS-enabled end products. Measuring a mere 17 x 22 mm, the LEA-4M has been designed for applications with stringent cost and space requirements. The module achieves maximum price-efficiency, while retaining the high performance and low power consumption of the u-blox 16-channel ANTARIS 4 engine that powers it. "Our LEA-4M is the ideal solution for handset makers and other mass market equipment manufacturers that need a small, low cost GPS solution without compromising on performance," said Karsten Tietz, VP Sales for u-blox. The LEA-4M is suitable for applications requiring active and passive antennas with an operating temperature range of -30degrees to +70degreesC and which do not require antenna supervision. Its small form factor and SMT pads allow for fully automatic high volume assembly processes. This makes the LEA-4M ideal for price-sensitive mass-market end products. The module supports instant positioning A-GPS services such as AssistNow while its 4 Hz position update rate ensures high accuracy. Other features include various built-in power saving modes, a 5 microA backup current and configurable voltage levels. November 2, 2006.-- Trimble Acquires XYZ Solutions to Enhance its Connected Construction Site Strategy. XYZ Solutions' unique 3D software package allows users to model spatial information combined with positioning technologies to virtually "see" a construction site or asset, from anywhere, at any time, in a collaborative Internet-based environment. Within its interactive environment, decision support guidelines or business rules can be integrated into the solution set to virtually model "what-if" scenarios on a project in real-time increasing customer awareness and profitability. The acquisition of XYZ Solutions adds a 3D visualization component to Trimble's Connected Construction Site strategy, which is designed to provide significant efficiency improvements through a tighter integration of construction process information. "The acquisition of XYZ Solutions is a natural extension of our positioning and machine control technologies," said Bryn Fosburgh, vice president of Trimble's Engineering and Construction segment. "The XYZ Solutions acquisition provides Trimble a real-time 3D visualization and decision making tool to take our Connected Construction Site initiatives to the next level." "We are pleased to join Trimble," said Derrick Darby, founder and CEO of XYZ Solutions. "The acquisition validates our best-in-class software technology and provides Trimble with a 3D visualization capability t |