Archived news extracts about GPS and Wireless Technologies 2008

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December 29, 2008.-- VTI Technologies has announced a novel MEMS-based pedestrian navigation solution demonstrator. Making its debut at CES 2009, the company said, the small wearable device can track the position, speed and distance of a pedestrian. It relies solely on the information provided from the sensors within the device, and is thus ideal for navigating in areas when there is no GPS reception, such as indoors.

"Sensor based navigation opens up exciting new possibilities for complementing traditional GPS navigation in situations where satellite coverage is unavailable, or where coverage so limited that the results will be inaccurate. You could e.g. extend location based services into shopping malls, or utilize it for security and sports performance monitoring applications" says Sten Stockmann, Marketing Director at VTI.

VTI said it will be showing the navigation demonstrator in its suite at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 8th through the 11th.

December 19, 2008.-- EveryTrail, the leading online GPS trip sharing website, announced its successful integration within Google Earth. Trips on the EveryTrail activity-based travel blogging and trip sharing website are now available as a layer inside of Google Earth. With the EveryTrail layer active, Google Earth users can navigate to a particular location and see actual trips taken by members of the growing EveryTrail community. Whether it is adventure travel, outdoor activities, cultural attractions or simply viewing the actual terrain and the places you plan to visit, the EveryTrail layer brings your destination alive, and you see actual trips taken by real people, complete with photos and trip notes, and all of it presented by Google's three dimensional view of the route.

"We're very excited by our inclusion in Google Earth," said Joost Schreve, Founder and CEO of GlobalMotion Media Inc., parent company of EveryTrail. "Our travel blogging and GPS trip sharing community is growing, and our availability inside Google Earth will help more travelers discover EveryTrail. But more importantly, adventure travelers and vacationers looking for outdoor activities will have better, more activity filled trips by seeing shared trips inside Google Earth. We think that GPS trip sharing in Google Earth is a powerful way to capture or plan a trip, because the trips are integrated with all of the Google Earth facilities."

We're very excited by our inclusion in Google Earth Seeing EveryTrail trips inside Google Earth is powerful, yet amazingly easy. Simply open Google Earth and activate the EveryTrail layer, fly to a destination, and look for the EveryTrail icons. Click an icon at the location, and the trip route, photos and trip notes are all displayed right inside Google Earth. EveryTrail itself, and EveryTrail in Google Earth, are much better ways to share a trip than the traditional video or slideshow.

EveryTrail has features for geotagging your trip and presenting it. Once you have uploaded your trail, you can add placemarks, notes, and photos. EveryTrail can even make corrections for you if your camera has the wrong date or time. The service correlates the time stamps on your photos with your GPS trail and automatically places photos along your route (if your camera's time is set incorrectly, you only have to tell EveryTrail where one particular photo was taken, and it will calculate the positions for all the rest).

People planning a trip can look for ideas and activities by searching for trip destinations in over one hundred twenty countries or a wide variety of activities including hiking, biking, walking, driving, running, sailing or even hangliding and paragliding. There are plenty of good reasons why - as founder Joost Schreve likes to say - "Every trip belongs in EveryTrail."

December 15, 2008.-- Magellan Navigation, Inc announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Magellan consumer products division to MiTAC International Corp. Closing of the transaction is anticipated in January of 2009. Magellan consumer products include RoadMate and Maestro series portable car navigation systems, and the Magellan Triton outdoor handheld GPS devices.

November 18, 2008.-- 4TS Finland Oy, a positioning solutions provider, launched new mobile positioning technology, GlobalMPS, Global Mobile Positioning System. This new technology enables operator-independent positioning for mobile devices anywhere a GSM network is available, e.g. also inside the buildings. With GlobalMPS, the limitations of GPS are eliminated and true real-time positioning is made possible.

Positioning with GPS (Global Positioning System) is not possible inside buildings or inside many vehicles even with the newest GPS technologies. Operators offer a mobile network based positioning service, MPS (Mobile Positioning System) for mobile devices, which is operator-dependent and almost impossible to use when moving from one operator's network to another's. With their new invention, GlobalMPS, 4TS Finland is able to provide a global positioning solution that combines both the GPS and GlobalMPS features.

The new GlobalMPS technology allows locationing inside buildings, trucks, and delivery vehicles and wherever a mobile GSM network is available. The GPS tracking handicap of not getting position information in those environments is eliminated with GlobalMPS and a true real-time positioning becomes possible. By being easily located with GlobalMPS and not trying to ping for GPS locations where it obviously is not possible, this also saves battery life on a mobile device. The accuracy for GlobalMPS positioning is up to the GPS-level. All these new features mean that the security and quality assurance of the transported assets improve.

4TS Finland's 4TS dSeal products are mobile devices that feature real-time tracking and versatile observation of the surrounding environment. 4TS dSeal has now both the GPS and GlobalMPS positioning and sensors for monitoring temperature, humidity, acceleration (shock and free falling), air pressure and cargo tampering. The device gives an alert immediately when a predetermined tolerance of the asset being tracked is exceeded. 4TS dSeal is ideal for real-time monitoring and tracking of all kinds of transportation, deliveries and other moving objects.

"This is a breakthrough in mobile positioning technology. It will enable new innovative solutions as we are fulfilling our mission. Our Mission is to make all objects trackable real-time and be self-aware on land, sea, air, and underground," comments Jyrki Paananen, CEO and President of 4TS Finland Oy. "4TS dSeal product has proven to be unique and it is something that has a demand in the market. This new GlobalMPS technology makes our products even more attractive. It will be available with our 4TS dSeal products during the first Quarter of 2009. It has already been in test use for months and everything looks great," says Jyrki Paananen.

November 10, 2008.-- Augmentra Ltd, a leading innovator in mobile personal navigation software, and Geodata AS, a GIS specialist in Norway, have partnered to deliver ViewRanger Norway. For the first time it is possible to explore this beautiful country with the convenience of high-quality Statens Kartverk topographic mapping on your smartphone using ViewRanger, a sophisticated but easy-to-use off-road satellite navigation application.

Norway's scenery is spectacular and everyone in Norway has a 'right of access' to the countryside - from the world-famous fjords of Western Norway, through extensive forests and twenty-one national parks, to the north of the country known for its wildlife safaris, midnight sun and northern lights. ViewRanger provides high resolution Statens Kartverk 1:50,000 scale maps with contours, roads, bodies of water, paths and tracks clearly displayed.

Other features include 'Buddy Beacon' for keeping track of friends and a sports computer for comparing routes and performance, adding a new dimension to leisure navigation and contributing to the enjoyment of the great outdoors. A 3D graphic panorama feature identifies points-of-interest in the landscape, and you can even take advantage of the phone's camera to attach pictures and videos to locations on the map and share them with the world.

The award-winning ViewRanger software, developed by Augmentra, is fast becoming a 'must have' item for a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts and weekenders across Europe. Detailed topographic maps, sourced from national mapping agencies, can be downloaded in ViewRanger for a growing global community including Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Ireland, Slovenia and Switzerland.

As well as downloading individual map tiles direct-to-handset, users can add larger areas of Norwegian topographic mapping by sideloading onto their phones. Maps cost from just £25 for a 600-sq km section of Norway through ViewRanger's 'Self Select Mapping' option.

ViewRanger and Norwegian mapping is available from www.lommekjent.no and www.viewranger.com

November 3, 2008.-- GiSTEQ, the company that has changed the way Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) are used in consumer products, unveiled their newest product, the Guardian, at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The Guardian is a new automotive security system from GiSTEQ that is designed to allow consumers to keep track of their vehicles no matter where they may happen to be. The device is available in two different forms: the Guardian AS10, and the Guardian AS100. Both allow car owners to feel more secure leaving their vehicles parked, with only slight variations in what each specific device can do.

We wanted to make the Guardian line not only a powerful antitheft device, but also one that's simple to use, so that anyone who wants to keep an eye on their vehicle, for whatever reason, can do so without being intimidated by the hardware Both the Guardian AS10 and the Guardian AS100 use GPS/GSM integration in order to locate vehicles using any supported cell phones. Both devices also are capable of sending security SMS alerts, letting the user know if the battery is low or disconnected or if there has been unauthorized movement of the vehicle. The two devices also have unique features of their own including door lock remote control and audio surveillance, making them the handy anti-theft devices for different safety needs.

Unlike similar programs, there is no monthly subscription required, making it less expensive for the consumer. The easy-to-use tracking software allows users to track vehicles using Google maps, a program that most consumers are already familiar with.

"We wanted to make the Guardian line not only a powerful antitheft device, but also one that's simple to use, so that anyone who wants to keep an eye on their vehicle, for whatever reason, can do so without being intimidated by the hardware," says Eric Liu, president of GiSTEQ Corp.

The Guardian series is not only a vehicle security system; it is designed to be a lifeline. With a few pushes of the button users can tell where exactly their vehicle is and what is going on inside of it, allowing them to notify paramedics after an accident, unlock the doors when they leave their keys inside the vehicle, or to track down the thief who tried to steal their car.

October 26, 2008.-- Pryme Radio, visible online at http://www.pryme.com, announced that their real time GPS tracking system based on their popular EZTraQ-V, LCD Speaker Microphone is now available as a complete package including 2 GPS LCD Microphones, 2 radio interface cables (customer supplies the radios) and Mapping / Tracking software all for under $600 (MSRP).

Pryme Radio has been in the business of making professional quality two-way radios for fifteen years. They have become known as a leader in their field and their products can be found serving many different markets, including tactical and hazmat professionals, and public safety officers such as police, fire, and emergency services. Pryme holds multiple worldwide patents relating to GPS Microphones and was one of the first companies to develop a commercial GPS Speaker Microphone.

The company recently decided to add an LCD (Display) GPS Speaker Microphone to their line of other GPS Microphones and GPS Tracking devices to address the market for individual users wanted to see and track the location of other group members in the field. This new display feature is particularly useful for applications like security and search and rescue, as well as for recreational usage, including fishing, hiking, biking, camping, etc. The company noted that many users also wanted to track the location of group members from a central location on a computer map but found that no simple, low-cost, system was available, hence the birth of the new real time GPS tracking system, now available for EZTraQ-V customers.

"I have been in the two-way radio business for many years," said David George, President of Pryme Radio Products, "and as far as I know this is the first time that any manufacturer has offered a complete GPS speaker microphone tracking package at such a low price."

The new product kit, appropriately named the Radio Tracer System, is available in a starter package which includes the mapping/tracking software, two LCD/GPS Speaker Microphones, two radio interface cables and virtually everything else required to have a fully functional system. Extra LCD/GPS Mics are also available at special price if ordered with this package.

The Radio Tracer System is simple to install and operate and can be used by both professional and recreational users. In addition to GPS tracking the system also allows users to send and receive short messages (SMS) and the EZTraQ-V has an emergency button that shows the radio users location and turns on an emergency alarm, making it a simple matter to find the person who is in trouble. Considering that this is the first complete low cost tracking package available, the manufacturer believes that it will quickly become an asset to customers who purchase it, as they have only to purchase the one kit to meet all of their needs.

October 16, 2008.-- MuskokaTech, a leading provider of GPS Navigation and Mapping Software for mobile devices and smartphones, has announced the release of PathAway GPS 5 for Windows Mobile handhelds. Standard and Professional Editions are available on http://PathAway.com.

PathAway GPS 5 is a major improvement over the previous version. It sports a new "Finger Touch" user interface, more responsive and faster performance. Also, the dashboard is now transparent enabling you to visualize more of the map without losing the display of important trip information. Users can also select their "favorite" commands for quick access to features they use the most. PathAway 5's new design is a result of user real-world feedback.

Navigating with a GPS inherently means you have a need to interact with the software while on the move. This means you can't spend a few minutes traversing through menu systems to enter a command you want. You likely only have a few seconds at a time to look at the screen. For this reason, PathAway's new UI enables the user to choose command options without entirely obscuring the map navigation screen. Essentially, the user can navigate and choose at the same time. The use of a transparent graphical menuing system means the navigation screen is visible at all times.

With the new "Trips" database structure it is easy to import and export GPX files since all of the data included in the GPX file including Points, Routes, and Tracks, will be contained in the "Trips" definition. Trips can be modified, then exported back to GPX files, and all the necessary data will remain together. Also included is a new Elevation and Speed Profile Screen. Great for analyzing the difficulty of a trek, or reviewing performance.

The Professional Edition adds support for OpenStreetMap.com to it's list of supported online map services. As well, PRO now includes vector map support with direct rendering of Garmin IMG format maps.

"PathAway 5's new design is a result of user real-world feedback." states Muskokatech CEO, Scott Northmore. "Navigating with a GPS inherently means you have a need to interact with the software while on the move. This means you can't spend a few minutes traversing through menu systems to enter a command you want. You likely only have a few seconds at a time to look at the screen. For this reason, PathAway's new "Finger Touch" UI enables the user to choose command options without entirely obscuring the map navigation screen. Essentially, the user can navigate and choose at the same time. The use of a transparent graphical menuing system means the navigation screen is visible at all times."

PathAway GPS 5 is available for download at http://PathAway.com. Standard Edition is $59.95, Professional Edition is $95.00 US. Existing users can upgrade for a reduced price. Users can try out PathAway by downloading the free 15-day trial. Free support is provided via online contact form, or the PathAway Support Forum.

October 9, 2008.-- GPS pioneer Navman continues to redefine portable satellite navigation with the launch of its exciting new S-Series S100 device. At just 13.5mm thin, the S100 features a sleek 4.3" super flat widescreen - no bevels, just stunning, smooth looks. Navman's revolutionary new ClearView maps and redesigned menu layout make the S100 easy and fun to use, while the addition of Glide Touch makes for simple 'tap and slide' functionality. The range goes well beyond simple A to B navigation by including new and improved features such as 3D city landmarks, NavPix geo-tagged photo navigation, Local Search via Infobel and true Pedestrian mode.

With usability key in the design of the S100, ClearView maps strip away clutter to show simplified graphics and colours, enabling 'at a glance' map reading. While the new Junction Views feature major motorway junctions in realistic 3D to simplify complicated exits or intersections. Jointly developed by Mio Technology's R&D team and global innovation and design consultancy IDEO, the S100 incorporates new "Spirit" software, with its unique Glide Touch user-interface. Users simply tap and slide the touchscreen to open, dock, pan and scroll menus, similar to the latest MP3 players and smartphones.

The Navman S100 boasts the first European Local Search service on a GPS device. Delivered in partnership with local directory search partner, Infobel, Local Search gives you details of nearby shops, businesses, hotels, restaurants and more via the NavDesk desktop suite of content and services, allowing users to search and download Points of Interest (POIs) before setting off. NavDesk also enables users to pre-plan their route before they set off with 'Route Planning'.

The S100 incorporates a new Capture button enabling users save their own POIs as they discover them; the integral button enables users to instantly store their current location to return to at a later date. While new Smart Economical Routing calculates the most economical route for your journey following postcode or address entry. By assessing the number of turns ahead, Smart Economical Routing uses less fuel without significantly increasing the time to your arrival.

Navman's pioneering NavPix technology is built into the S100 making it simple to navigate using pictures. The online NavPix Library gives access to thousands of geo-tagged images, while over a million free geo-tagged photos are also available via Flickr, the web-based image search which is accessed via NavDesk desktop. Destinations that don't always have an address or postcode, such as festivals, parks and beaches, are now also easier to find using geo-tagged photos.

Slim and lightweight at only 13.5mm thin, the S100 is ultra-portable and fits easily in pocket or handbag. The S100 features true pedestrian mode so users can explore more on foot, creating a seamless navigation experience. On-screen 3D landmarks and buildings in cities around the UK also help drivers to navigate more easily in urban areas. And SirfStar Instant Fix II gives Spirit a fast, accurate location fix, even in heavily built-up areas.

The device features an intuitive address entry interface, a predictive text search function and Speaking Keyboard that speaks each letter and number as it's typed, making inputting postcodes and addresses more accurate. And intelligent text-to-speech provides spoken road names and directions for the next turn, enabling drivers to keep their eyes on the road. The new device can also store and play favorite MP3 tracks.

The Navman S-Series S100: Spirit S100 - £199 RRP, available November 2008

• 4.3" Super flat widescreen.
• Ultra slim, lightweight design (13.5mm).
• Revolutionary Mio Technology "Spirit" software with Glide Touch.
• Infobel local search via NavDesk desktop.
• NavPix photo navigation.
• Enhanced NavDesk desktop.
• Junction Views.
• Economical Routing.
• MP3 player.
• 3D landmarks.
• Pre-loaded safety camera data - free trial.
• GPS fix 5 times faster with SiRFInstantFixII.
• Latest Regional map data.

October 5, 2008.-- Vehicle Tracking Solutions (VTS), a leading provider of automatic vehicle location (AVL) and fleet monitoring solutions, announced that it has become the industry's first and only provider to acquire an unlimited license to incorporate Microsoft's Virtual Earth technology into its robust lineup of GPS vehicle tracking solutions. The new licensing arrangement will enable the release of VTS' latest AVL product, Silent Passenger, a web-based application that integrates detailed, current maps from Virtual Earth with up-to-date traffic information and turn-by-turn driving directions.

"Microsoft has long been on the cutting edge with its MapPoint solution, one of the best mapping products on the market," said John M. Cunningham, Jr., president of Vehicle Tracking Solutions. "We've been a Microsoft systems integrator from the beginning, and we're making this commitment to provide all of our customers, both new and existing, with an open license to use this technology to better manage their fleet and reduce costs."

Silent Passenger is an entirely web-based solution that can be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection and delivers the most current maps available from Virtual Earth. The new product, currently under development and set for Beta release in early October, will be available as a free upgrade to all new and existing FleetMinder customers. Silent Passenger will replace FleetMinder, which will continue to operate, but with no further updates to the maps or software.

The Virtual Earth platform allows companies to deliver highly visual and immersive Web experiences with extremely reliable and detailed information to empower end-users with a precise view of the world from anywhere with an internet connection. Integrated developer tools and a solid infrastructure make Virtual Earth ideal for enterprise integrators and provide the confidence in availability and performance required to create a distinctive web experience for customers.

"Incorporating Virtual Earth into Silent Passenger will enable Vehicle Tracking Solutions' customers to easily experience visually rich and immersive maps in conjunction with useful automotive information, such as traffic data," said Chris Sampson, Director of Worldwide Sales and Operations for Microsoft Virtual Earth. "The combination provides an enhanced experience to drivers, with accurate point-to-point directions at any given location and moment."

Silent Passenger with Microsoft Virtual Earth technology will be fully available beginning early October and, in addition to more updated maps, will include quicker fleet reporting features and a full support agreement at no extra charge.

"We are very excited to be the first in the industry to make this open license available for our customers, and to do it immediately for everyone, rather than on a go-forward basis, and at no extra charge," Cunningham said. "Our development team has done an outstanding job in working with the Microsoft team to develop a leading-edge application that combines the convenience and easy access of the web with the power of a desktop map. We think our customers will be extremely pleased."

VTS customers report an average of 11% to 13% fuel cost savings with the implementation of a VTS system, which also helps to minimize overtime costs and lower insurance premiums, as well as realize improved service or delivery efficiencies - all factors that result in a fast return on investment. As the only company in the AVL industry to offer franchise opportunities, VTS has embarked on a strategic expansion initiative to provide its dynamic and in-demand GPS fleet management technology to growing markets across the U.S.

October 1, 2008.-- u-blox, the leading Swiss provider of GPS technology, announced the release of two new revolutionary low voltage GPS modules NEO-5D and NEO-5G. They are the world's first modules to operate at 1.8 Volt, which reduces power by 40% or more compared to its predecessors and enable a high level of performance with the lowest possible power consumption.

Based on u-blox' positioning engine u-blox 5, NEO-5D and NEO-5G offer the same features and connectivity options as NEO-5M and NEO-5Q. The modules come in a miniature 12 x 16 x 2.4 mm package and boast the SuperSense(R) acquisition and tracking sensitivity of -160 dBm. Their ROM-based architecture does not require a costly external Flash EPROM, making them ideal for high-volume consumer products.

While NEO-5D is optimized for low cost thanks to its crystal-based design, NEO-5Q offers KickStart, the ultra-fast weak signal acquisition technology that boosts acquisition performance and ensures fast positioning regardless of signal positions and antenna size.

"With the rising consumer expectations for smaller and more feature-rich portable devices with longer battery lives, we wanted to elevate performance standards and develop a low-cost GPS module that consumes the lowest possible power," explains Thomas Nigg, Vice President Product Marketing at u-blox. "While all alternative solutions operate at 3 Volt, our new modules support the commonly used 1.8 Volt in mobile devices. By doing so, the power consumption of the GPS module can be reduced by 40% or more."

Like all of u-blox' modules, the new NEO-5D and NEO-5G support u-blox' AssistNow, the freely available service that enhances the time-to-first-fix to 1 second.

September 16, 2008.-- Trimble introduced an innovative Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reference receiver for precise scientific and network infrastructure applications -- the Trimble NetR8 GNSS reference receiver. The new reference receiver is versatile and can support the most demanding applications for the earth science community and for the surveying, construction, mapping or agricultural industries.

The NetR8 reference station can operate as a campaign receiver for post processing, as a Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) receiver, portable base station for Real Time Kinematic (RTK) applications or as a scientific reference station collecting information for specialized studies.

Full featured and offering the complete functionality of a geodetic reference station, the Trimble NetR8 reference receiver can be used as a standalone receiver or as part of a network solution. Specific applications include high-accuracy positioning as part of a Trimble VRS network, support for differential global positioning system (DGPS) MSK beacons, and integrity monitoring of networks and physical infrastructure such as bridges, dams and mines. It is also an ideal solution for expanding the geographic coverage area of an existing network, or for adding GNSS support through Sparse GLONASS technology, a unique Trimble technology that provides dual- constellation, fully-modeled RTK data when widely spaced GLONASS-capable Trimble reference stations are implemented in a network comprised mainly of GPS-only receivers. The Trimble NetR8 is also able to support installation as a dedicated rover for VRS network performance analysis.

The Trimble NetR8 receiver has four gigabytes of onboard memory and 50 Hz operation speed, making it the fastest reference receiver in the industry to date. Large-capacity onboard data storage allows post-processed results for reference stations to be computed when data connectivity is not available, or for specific scientific applications.

Using Trimble's exclusive R-Track technology, the NetR8 reference receiver has 76 channels and supports GPS L1, L2, L2C and L5 signals as well as GLONASS L1/L2 signals. Supporting these signals provides users with every possible combination for signal processing from today's GNSS constellations. There are also four channels dedicated to tracking Space Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS), including Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) in North America, European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS) in Europe, Multi-functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS) in Japan, Omnistar services and others.

Optimized for field use, the lightweight and rugged Trimble NetR8 reference receiver consumes little power and can be used for projects with remote connectivity and in extreme weather conditions. It is IP67-rated and the physical memory is built into the circuit board, providing greater protection of data. Multiple built-in serial ports supply communications and power to support field use, whether connecting to a radio for RTK surveys, direct communication with a satellite phone for remote operations or Bluetooth communication with a cell phone for real-time data streaming. In addition, both power and Ethernet can be conveniently supplied over a single cable using Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology.

"The Trimble NetR8 represents the ultimate performance in today's modern CORS technology," said Pierre Desjardins, business manager for Trimble's Infrastructure business area. "Trimble has once again redefined the industry standard for ultra-fast, high-reliability, multi-constellation reference receivers and is committed to developing solutions with the latest GNSS technology that meet the complex needs of our customers."

September 11, 2008.-- CSR, a leading global provider of wireless technologies, and Rx Networks, Inc., a private mobile positioning technology and global services company announced a GPS solution that combines their respective eGPS (enhanced Global Positioning System) and GPStream technologies.

The joint solution optimally combines GPS "fine time" and "frequency aiding" with synthetic assistance to yield mobile positioning performance that exceeds standard Assisted-GPS in unsynchronized GSM and W-CDMA networks or in synchronized CDMA networks.

With the partnership, fine time, frequency aiding, and ephemeris assistance are all generated locally in the device and available at all times without the need for real-time communication with a server. This eliminates up to 15 seconds of network latency in mobile handset applications while remaining fully compliant with A-GPS industry standards such as SUPL 1.0.

Both CSR and Rx Networks operate carrier-grade service delivery infrastructures through which Rx Networks' GPStream extended ephemeris technologies may be delivered. GPStream PGPS and SAGPS produce continuous satellite predictions while eGPS provides a locally generated source of fine time and frequency aiding. Together these technologies significantly reduce time-to-fix and increase GPS sensitivity. This helps maintain optimal GPS performance, even outside of network coverage when time to fix is paramount. As a result of this partnership, CSR and Rx Networks now offer OEM customers the lowest cost and most resilient GPS solution for Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) and mobile handsets that yield the longest battery life and the fastest performance that works nearly everywhere.

"CSR's eGPS is an important development in deeper thus more ubiquitous mobile GPS assistance, and eGPS will flourish as multiple complementary companies support eGPS. We are happy to join the eGPS ecosystem which already includes some of our existing customers, partners and prospects" said Richard Lee, EVP Business Development of RX Networks.

"Rx Networks' GPStream products and technology are a perfect complement to CSR's location portfolio and provide an important element for assisting our GPS silicon and eGPS software products," said Stuart Strickland VP for CSR's LBS Business Unit.

September 2, 2008.-- Fleet tracking solutions company, Imarda, has announced the addition of the Vector 300GWP to its Prolificx Vector 300 range of vehicle tracking devices. A fully programmable, field-proven, hardware platform, the Prolificx Vector 300 range is targeted towards Telematics and M2M application developers.

V300GWP vehicle tracking device

The PLC4Trucks interface is supported with a full C++.NET API which implements trailer monitoring using Imarda or third party supplied Trailer Tags.

The Vector 300GWP vehicle tracking device adds WiFi and PLC4Trucks interfaces to the standard Vector 300 series feature set, which already supports GPRS, GPS, J1939, J1708, CAN, Bluetooth and other interfaces. According to Imarda CEO Selwyn Pellett, the Vector 300GWP has been developed to meet the fleet tracking needs of truck-load and less-than-truckload where trailer tracking is a key requirement. "The inbuilt PLC4trucks interface provides the ability to monitor trailer hook and drops when used in conjunction with a PLC4Trucks compatible Tag fitted to the trailer," explains Pellett. "The PLC4Trucks interface is supported with a full C++.NET API which implements trailer monitoring using Imarda or third party supplied Trailer Tags."

The addition of the WiFi interface enables the cost effective transfer of data from the vehicle's device to a server when the vehicle is within range of an authorised WiFi network. "WiFi is a low-cost method of exchanging data that is not time critical (such as log files and engine diagnostics) or for performing over-the-air software updates which would typically not be sent over the GPRS network for cost reasons," says Selwyn Pellett.

Features of the Vector 300GWP device include:

• Windows CE 5.0 plus .NET Compact Framework.
• Intel PXA270 XScale Processor.
• 20 channel High Sensitivity SiRF STAR III GPS.
• GSM/GPRS communications.
• 802.11 b/g WIFI.
• Internal PLC4Trucks reader.
• Bluetooth.
• USB Host and slave.
• Digital and Analog IO.
• 3 Axis Accelerometer.
• CAN, J1708, J1939 and RS232 interface.
• SD Card.
• Supports 12V and 24 Automotive power systems with on-board battery backup and low power wakeup modes.

Imarda's global team of transport, logistics, hardware and software experts have developed scalable fleet tracking solutions that can be deployed in small owner operator fleets through to large scale networks. Imarda has over 40,000 Windows CE based vehicle tracking devices deployed globally and is recognized as a leader in fleet and logistics management.

August 4, 2008.-- Hybrid GeoTools, creator of the popular 3D Route Builder GPS track editor, releases the latest version of Active GPX Route Player, the most flexible and powerful software available for GPS playback. The easy to use software allows users to load in up to 50 GPS recordings and play them back simultaneously and in real-time within Google Earth. Every turn and stop, climb and descent is accurately recreated.

Active GPX Route Player

A dashboard can be shown for each playback. It features details such as speed, direction, elevation, grade, time, average speed plus a distance versus elevation graph. The speed can be scaled up or down and playback can be optionally synced. Although very simple in use for the more advanced users almost every aspect can be customized.

Users have been using the software for a wide range of purposes such as playing back and reviewing sporting events such as cycling, motorcycling, running, mountaineering, windsurfing, paragliding, and geocaching. Other uses are equally varied with logistics companies reviewing delivery routes and zoologists observing animal migration.

Active GPX Route Player is built upon the technology behind Hybrid GeoTools' 3D Route Builder software, a unique advanced track editor that integrates with Google Earth. 3D Route Builder allows fine grain editing of tracks in terms of location, time and elevation, and includes unique features like barometric drift correction.

Software can be downloaded from Hybrid GeoTools and is available in both Free and Plus versions.

July 23, 2008.-- Intergis L.L.C., Vericom Technologies and NovaTracker L.L.C., three leaders in mobile resource management (MRM) and the logistics technology sector, announced a merger of resources, technologies, services, and experience, with backing from Columbus Nova L.L.P., a $2.5 billion asset management firm in New York.

Intergis, established in 1997, offers mid-sized firms and large enterprises multi-user software systems that automate routing, scheduling, dispatching, vehicle optimization and many other mobile workforce needs. Vericom Technologies, a ten-year-old firm, provides an integrated set of GPS-enabled, vehicle and handheld tracking solutions as well as reporting capabilities to small and mid-sized businesses. NovaTracker, founded in 2003, develops and markets GPS, wireless tracking and communication devices.

The combined organization will become the first true company in the mobile resource management and logistics technology sector that offers a fully integrated solution for transportation delivery and distribution fleets, as well as field service and mobile workers. The combined technologies will enable customers to garner operational efficiencies by reducing fuel, overtime and labor costs.

"We are thrilled to emerge as a leader in the MRM sector as the first true end-to-end provider of customizable solutions, especially for those companies seeking greater operating efficiencies in an environment of increasing fuel prices and a slowing economy," explains Jeff Cohen, CEO and Co-Chairman of the combined companies. "With the significant assets behind this transaction, we can now leverage our superior software and hardware capabilities, solidifying our position with companies seeking an immediate return on their MRM technology investment."

"Under the financial umbrella of Columbus Nova, the combined companies are now well positioned to succeed in the market for providing hosted MRM services including scheduling and route optimization to both SMB and enterprise customers," says MRM industry consultant Mark Licht, president of Licht & Associates.

According to an MRM industry study by C.J. Driscoll & Associates, the number of GPS/wireless devices used to monitor fleet vehicles, trailers, construction equipment and mobile workers will expand to over 5.8 million units and annual hardware and service revenues will grow to over $2 billion by 2010.

According to Intergis President and Co-Chairman Steven Brown, "We have a considerable opportunity here to save customers millions of dollars in overtime, labor, and fuel costs, as well as boost job completion rates. With our expanded resources, we will have the depth and breadth of solutions to satisfy small, medium and large-sized enterprises and increase their customer satisfaction."

The merger is effective immediately and the new company will be named Intergis, operating under the Vericom and Intergis brands. Intergis will be headquartered in Cranford, New Jersey and will maintain offices nationwide.

June 30, 2008.-- Skyhook Wireless announced the availability of XPS 2.0, a next-generation hybrid positioning system that combines signals from Wi-Fi access points, GPS satellites and cell towers to deliver the quickest, most precise and most consistent overall location for mass market handsets. Device makers can now deliver consumer grade location that works in all environments quickly and consistently.

As location technologies are added to mass-market consumer devices, the performance requirements for positioning systems have increased dramatically. For wide adoption of location-based services (LBS) to become a reality, consumers will expect their devices to produce an accurate location wherever they live, work and play. Whether they are indoors or outdoors, downtown Manhattan, or hiking in Montana, consumers expect the same level of location quality. They don't care about technical challenges like line-of-site, signal availability or multi-path and they don't want to wait 30 seconds or several minutes to plot their current location. Immediate, accurate and consistent location has proven difficult to achieve. The answer is a hybrid positioning system that takes advantage of a range of signal capabilities within the device.

XPS 2.0 - The World's Most Advanced Hybrid Positioning System

Skyhook Wireless is delivering the most advanced positioning system in the world by combining ground breaking positioning algorithms along with comprehensive environment survey data. XPS builds on top of the revolutionary Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) that is already deployed on tens of millions of mobile devices worldwide. The original version of XPS delivered "multi-mode" location switching between WPS and GPS readings based on availability and error estimates. XPS 2.0 combines raw Wi-Fi, GPS and cell tower readings to produce a single hybrid calculation. In the most difficult indoor and urban environments, XPS can, for example, leverage signals from just two GPS satellites to improve Wi-Fi location accuracy by 35%+. In a typical deep urban setting Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) can only produce a location 70% of the time outdoors due to blocked signals. In these difficult urban environments, XPS utilizes weak GPS signals along with Wi-Fi to produce the most accurate location possible 100% of the time. Responsiveness is critical in consumer applications and XPS delivers a full GPS/Wi-Fi/cellular hybrid location in just 4 second from a complete cold start compared to 30-60 seconds with just A-GPS. The addition of cell tower positioning increases availability so that users always get a location calculation regardless of environment.

Additionally, XPS delivers 5 to 10 times better power conservation than A-GPS alone due to the unequaled acquisition time and accuracy in XPS. XPS also introduces vertical location to the Skyhook system even in areas where GPS is not available. The new stationary detection techniques in XPS reduce jitter and improve the pedestrian user experience. Lastly, XPS can provide A-GPS techniques to offline equipment like Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs) dramatically shortening startup times.

As part of the XPS 2.0 launch, Skyhook Wireless is also introducing its first cellular positioning system leveraging Skyhook's fleet of field signal surveyors. Today the system covers major US and European cities expanding to full Skyhook global coverage by the end of 2008.

"XPS 2.0 introduces a major advancement in location technology," said Ted Morgan, founder & CEO of Skyhook Wireless. "By combining the underlying measurements from various systems, including our revolutionary WPS, into a seamless location output, Skyhook delivers the best overall location performance for device makers, operators and application developers."

June 12, 2008.-- Globalstar, Inc., a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services to businesses, governments, and individuals, announced that it has expanded its satellite Simplex data coverage to include all of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and the surrounding maritime regions including the Gulf of Alaska and portions of both the north Pacific and south Arctic Oceans. Customers in these regions will now have access to the wide variety of affordable satellite asset and personal tracking, messaging, tracing and data monitoring solutions including the SPOT Satellite Messenger, all of which utilize the highly reliable Globalstar Simplex data network.

The expanded Simplex data coverage, which is available on six continents, is the result of an applique hardware installation and software upgrades at the Globalstar satellite gateway or ground station located in Wasilla, Alaska. With this expansion Globalstar will be able to offer its customers seamless Simplex data coverage from the southern Arctic Ocean, west to the Bering Sea and south though North America and Latin America to northeastern Argentina and Peru.

"When one combines the high reliability of the Globalstar Simplex data network with demand from commercial fishing, remote resource and recreational users who work and play in areas not serviced by traditional terrestrial and wireless communications, we feel this region is an ideal location for Globalstar to expand its Simplex data coverage," said Jay Monroe, Chairman and CEO of Globalstar, Inc. Mr. Monroe added, "This announcement, combined with our recent news concerning expanded Simplex data coverage in Southeast Asia and Latin America, once again demonstrates our continued commitment to expand the market for our affordable and high quality satellite Simplex data services. We expect to continue to grow our Simplex market opportunity through 2008 and beyond as we advance towards the launch of our second-generation satellites scheduled to begin in the second half of next year."

During the past six months Globalstar has installed Simplex data appliques in Brazil and Singapore, plus it has announced products such as the SPOT Satellite Messenger and SkyBitz GLS 100 that are designed to operate using the Globalstar Simplex data network. Globalstar's Simplex data offering is a low cost, one-way satellite data service that permits customers to use Simplex data modems and integrated back office management solutions to track mobile assets -- such as vehicles, trailers, cargo containers and marine vessels -- using GPS or other location-based software.

It can also provide personal tracking solutions for commercial and recreational customers using products such as the SPOT Satellite Messenger. Simplex data service can also be used for a wide variety of industrial and security applications to monitor and send information from fixed assets, such as environmental measuring instruments, utility meters, or report the state of various mobile sensor devices and their locations.

June 10, 2008.-- u-blox, the leading Swiss provider of GPS receiver technology, has partnered with paragon, a leading German automotive electronic supplier, and Magna, a worldwide leader in automotive systems and components, to develop the rear-view mirror navigator.

The MirrorPilot Navigator is a fully functional GPS navigation system, including GPS receiver, antenna and speaker built into a self-dimming rear-view mirror. This innovative navigation system simply replaces the standard rear-view mirror of a car, leaving the car cockpit free of cables, and includes a remote control for ease of use.

Software features include various routes and device options, destination storage for recent destinations and over 800.000 points of interest. Moreover, the MirrorPilot Navigator automatically zooms in at crossroad and junctions and redirects users at traffic jams.

The navigator currently uses u-blox' LEA-4S GPS module, whose award-winning SuperSense weak signal tracking functionality enables accurate and reliable positioning even in difficult signal conditions such as parking lots and dense urban environments. A new version is being designed that incorporates the 50-channel LEA-5S module, featuring 1-second acquisition performance.

"We were looking for a small, cost-efficient GPS receiver that would out-perform standard navigators in terms of positioning accuracy and reliability. u-blox' compact LEA-4S GPS module offered outstanding performance at the right price," said Frank-Horst Schank, General Manager at paragon. "Moreover, the module's standalone architecture and ease of integration reduced our development efforts, enabling us to enter the market in record time."

"The MirrorPilot cleverly solves several of the problems typically associated with the installation and use of external navigation devices. By integrating the navigator into the rear-view mirror of the car, cumbersome installation, power cables and limited views to the road become a thing of the past", said Armin Boshenz, Area Sales Manager at u-blox. "We are proud to have been selected as technology provider for such an innovative product".

The MirrorPilot Navigator is available for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the EU. For more information on the product specifications and purchasing, please visit: http://www.mirrorpilot.com .

June 3, 2008.-- Global Satellite USA, one of the leading providers of satellite communications for the yachting industry, will unveil at National Harbor, the SAT 201 D+ terminal that provides global satellite tracking to safeguard personnel, fleets, cargo, fixed or mobile assets using Satamatics technology. This second generation satellite terminal integrates the modem and antenna into a small, single piece computer unit making installation and integration a simple procedure.

Commenting on this new device, Global Satellite USA CEO Martin Fierstone says, "The SAT 201 is the perfect little device that provides navigation, messaging and Internet based tracking for sailboats and yacht racing. Onboard sensors that detect theft and unauthorized entry can be reported using the SAT 201. A report can be sent to your cell phone immediately if there is a change in status.

With the IMO and national governments imposing rules and regulations on commercial maritime operators in international and national waters, the SAT 201 can also be used to integrate Ship Security Alert Systems (SSAS) and Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS). The SAT 201 provides the answer to reliable and cost effective monitoring and reporting for both these systems. The SAT 201 terminal comprises of a control, modem, battery (optional), antenna and interface functionality all housed in a single-piece design. There are four Input/Output interfaces, a serial interface connection and an integral GPS with data logger. The SAT 201 is robust and rugged for the most extreme environments. It can withstand temperatures between -40ºC to + 70ºC degrees and the antenna has a 0 look angle for easy maritime operation during chopping waters.

May 28, 2008.-- NemeriX, a leading fabless semiconductor company specializing in ultra low power, high-performance A-GPS solutions for GPS and location-based service (LBS) products, announced that it has been granted a patent for its new single-chip multi-band GNSS RF receiver technology that enables GNSS devices to acquire parallel signals in all frequency bands from the GPS, GLONASS and Galileo systems. The patent - number US7'358'896 - covers NemeriX's fully programmable single frequency synthesizer innovation and has been awarded in the US.

The highly integrated receiver reduces silicon size and optimizes cost by enabling a single RF front-end receiver to synchronously acquire up to three different frequency bands - eliminating the need to implement three parallel receivers. With the ability to program the frequency synthesizer and to easily tune the three receiving channels, including filtering levels and frequency plans, NemeriX's solution provides maximum flexibility for end applications and allows NemeriX's customers to serve different markets with the same device.

Originally developed to address the high-end and space market, this innovation from NemeriX will allow customers to efficiently address future consumer applications, as new services in different bands - such as L2C - are released to support improved performance for commercial GPS/GNSS applications.

"By providing a highly integrated solution for multi-band signal environments, NemeriX is ready to deliver the next wave of GNSS performance," comments NemeriX VP Marketing Lew Boore. "This latest technology innovation from NemeriX provides our customers with a future-proof platform for a greatly enhanced user experience, increased availability and accuracy for high demand applications, including emerging location based services such as pedestrian navigation and mobile social-based networking."

May 23, 2008.-- Nokia, the world's leading producer of mobile products, is taking advantage of Ordnance Survey location data in its new Nokia Maps 2.0 service. With the launch of Nokia Maps 2.0, Nokia is taking its mapping and navigation experiences to the next level. The new service features improved optional car navigation, enhanced pedestrian navigation, added multimedia city guides, and now satellite images and a redesigned user interface, Ordnance Survey's Code-Point data is underpinning the GPS service by providing the exact location for the 1.7 million postcodes in the UK. This allows users to get direction information that is both highly accurate and linked to an actual place "on the map".

Nokia Maps 2.0 update adds Walk, a pedestrian-focused navigation component, to the application while still offering an optional world-class car navigation system. The pedestrian navigation efficiently walks you from A to B with visual turn-by-turn guidance. Because Ordnance Survey's Cope-Point data goes beyond a simple list of postcodes and provides each one with a specific location, users can be confident they are heading in the right direction.

"By taking navigation services out of the car and onto the pavement, Nokia is enabling people to explore and discover what's around them with the confidence of a local," said Michael Halbherr, Vice-President, Nokia location-based services. "Nokia Maps 2.0 provides a unique experience with which other less accurate mobile navigation applications don't. "Ordnance Survey is helping us to ensure that users in the UK have access to the best available service."

Mark Salter, Ordnance Survey's Head of Partners and Strategic Alliance, says: "We are delighted to be working with the world's biggest player in mobile communications and this is a fantastic example of the success of our Partner Alliance programme.

"Nokia's enhanced service, which helps both pedestrians and motorist navigate, is an excellent example of the benefits location-based services can bring to people's lives. Our data is helping to ensure that people using the service know it is as accurate and reliable as possible." The new version of Nokia Maps 2.0 for selected devices is available on the Nokia website: www.maps.nokia.com/

May 14, 2008.-- Trimble introduced the Copernicus II GPS receiver -- a thumbnail-sized, surface-mount, high sensitivity module. The Copernicus II receiver features major advancements in signal tracking for applications working in poor signal environments and a high-sensitivity stationary timing mode for time synchronization.

With its higher sensitivity, performance and faster startup times, the Copernicus II GPS module enables system integrators to easily add Global Positioning System (GPS) capability to a mobile device with minimal impact on its size or battery life at a very economical price.

The Copernicus II GPS module is a complete, ready-to-go receiver that provides position, velocity and time data. The receiver features Trimble patented software technology that provides faster startup times and even higher performance in foliage and urban canyon environments. Compatible with active or passive antennas, the Copernicus II GPS receiver can be used in portable handheld, battery-powered applications such as Bluetooth appliances, sport accessories, personal navigators or cameras, computer and communication peripherals as well as vehicle tracking, navigation, and security products.

Designed for the demands of automated high-volume production processes, Copernicus II is a complete 12-channel GPS receiver in a 19mm x 19mm x 2.5mm shielded module. The small, thin, single-sided receiver is packaged in tape and reel for pick and place manufacturing processes. It features a 28 reflow-solderable edge castellation interface so the module can be incorporated in a product design without costly I/O and RF connectors. The Copernicus II is a direct drop-in replacement for Trimble's earlier version of its popular Copernicus receiver.

With version 3.0 firmware, the ultra-sensitive Copernicus II GPS receiver can generate position fixes with high accuracy in extremely challenging environments and under poor signal conditions (down to -160dBm). The receiver consumes typically 120 milliwatts at full power with continuous tracking.

The Copernicus II GPS module is available in three protocols. Trimble's powerful TSIP protocol offers control over receiver operation and provides detailed satellite information. The TAIP protocol is an easy-to-use ASCII protocol designed specifically for track and trace applications. The bi-directional NMEA 0183 v3.0 protocol offers industry standard data messages and a command set for easy interface to mapping software.

The Copernicus II Starter Kit provides everything a designer needs to begin adding state-of-the-art GPS capability into their application. The kit includes the reference interface board, which provides a visual layout of the Copernicus II module on a PCB including the RF signal trace and RF connector, as well as the I/O and power connections of the 28 signal pins. Also included are a power converter, power adapter, GPS antenna, and the software to readily check out how easy it is to add Copernicus II GPS to the application.

The Copernicus II GPS receiver is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2008 through Trimble's Advanced Devices dealer network.

April 17, 2008.-- BAE Systems has developed a satellite navigation receiver system that provides uninterrupted operation of the Global Positioning System for air, land, and sea platforms and applications. The company developed and readied the system in response to the emerging threat of disruption to operations of GPS navigation systems. The new satellite navigational immune receiver keeps GPS navigation operable in the presence of radio frequency jamming.

"GPS jamming has become an acute threat to armed forces operating in the modern battle arena," said Kent Jacobson, vice president of BAE Systems' Sensor Integration business in Austin. "BAE Systems developed a unique system that offers operational immunity against electronic jamming and disruptions to maintain precise and reliable GPS operation, even in multiple jamming environments."

During tests of the system, the anti-jam GPS successfully overcame electronic jamming in various scenarios, including multiple simultaneous jamming. The anti-jamming satellite navigation receiver is available as a complete system or as an add-on to any existing GPS system.

April 15, 2008.-- FindWhere, a global leader of precision tracking and location services, announced the beta launch of Livecontacts, its free buddy finder service for socially connected users. The free service changes the paradigm of how location information is shared. The vast majority of existing buddy finders charge for service.

"Web 2.0 democratized media, freeing speech, video, product reviews and much more to every person with Internet access," said Jaap Groot, FindWhere's CEO. "Because Internet users expect location information for free, pay-for-use plans have dramatically inhibited the growth of location-based applications. As FindWhere extends this online revolution to the mobile phone, the next frontier includes integrating free location information to catalyze a wide variety of social applications. Our existing "peace of mind" centric FindWhere services, active globally for more than 200,000 users, are a premium service including panic button, safe zone and speed notifications."

Through Livecontacts, individuals use their mobile phones to make their current location known to their trusted contacts, and can track the location of friends who are also using the service. A user can turn the finder on and off as needed to hide or show his/her location. The user never needs to manually input their location; this happens automatically through GPS tracking.

"People spend an enormous amount of time in front of their computers. Livecontacts provides a fun and easy way to see the current location of your buddies/connections," said Melanie Davidson, Director of Marketing at FindWhere. Location sharing can be determined through GPS chips on smart phones. Livecontacts works on any GSM mobile phone network around the world. In the United States, that includes AT&T and T-Mobile. FindWhere plans to extend Livecontacts to non-GPS phones in coming months. Also coming soon, Livecontacts buddy maps will be available on mobile phones.

Livecontacts is device and network agnostic. The buddy finder can distinguish between domestic and international roaming, thereby reducing data charges. Frequency settings determine how often a Livecontacts user's location is transmitted and motion detection is used to optimize battery life.

The geographic data now available through the Livecontacts buddy finder will be further advanced by FindWhere's forthcoming LAMP (Location-Aware Mobile Phone) widget. LAMP will empower the democratization of location information in instant messaging, social networks, gaming and local search.

The Livecontacts beta is available for download on select phones at livecontacts.com. Further Livecontacts and LAMP developments will be announced over the ensuing months.

April 1, 2008.-- TruePosition, Inc., a leading provider of wireless location technologies and solutions and a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, announced the TruePosition Hybrid Location Solution. This mobile positioning method combines network-based and handset-based location technologies and leverages the benefits of each to gain higher accuracy and reliability than any other single location technology.

By combining multiple location technologies, TruePosition offers significantly improved performance for all location-based services. The Hybrid Location Solution provides better accuracy and consistency for consumer services such as local search and location-based advertising. The solution also enhances enterprise services including workforce management and asset tracking. Most importantly, it offers the accuracy, latency, and yield required for safety and security services such as family monitoring, personal medical alerts, and emergency number services including E-911 (in the US) or E-112 (in the European Union).

The TruePosition Hybrid Location Solution can incorporate a combination of location technologies such as Cell ID (CID), Enhanced Cell ID (ECID), Angle of Arrival (AOA), Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (U-TDOA), and Assisted GPS (A-GPS) to ensure optimum accuracy, latency, and yield across every type of environment and condition-urban, suburban, rural, indoors, in-vehicle, in-motion and stationary.

"TruePosition's combination of U-TDOA and A-GPS provides the best performance of any individual technology or any hybrid location technology available today or in the foreseeable future," said Stephen Stuut, CEO of TruePosition. "With this solution, TruePosition can offer the performance and reliability that the public demands for location-based services, especially for emergency calls where people's lives and property are often at stake."

The TruePosition Hybrid Location Solution can perform in two different ways: 1. A-GPS and U-TDOA can be combined in a fallback arrangement, in which the location system calls on one method when the performance of the other has deteriorated due to environmental conditions. For example, U-TDOA would be the operative method in urban areas and indoors, where A-GPS produces lesser results or fails altogether. Consequently, A-GPS would be selected in extreme rural areas where it can produce very accurate results. 2. TruePosition can have two location technologies such as A-GPS and U-TDOA operate simultaneously, and then mathematically combine the calculations to obtain enhanced results. The combined location calculations produce location estimates at substantially higher accuracy than A-GPS or U-TDOA alone.

The TruePosition Hybrid Location Solution not only improves the performance of A-GPS equipped mobiles in areas with marginal A-GPS coverage, but supplies high-accuracy location in areas with no GPS reception and to mobile phones without GPS capabilities.

February 6, 2008.-- NXP Semiconductors announced its first single-chip, Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) solution, designed for use in both mobile phones and stand alone personal navigation devices (PNDs).

Built on an advanced architecture, NXP's GNS7560 is the industry's smallest, lowest power, lowest system cost GPS solution. To take these design advantages a step further, NXP has also integrated this best-in-class GPS technology into its existing Nexperia Cellular System Solution 7210 for 3G. This integration accelerates overall ease of use, system performance, time to market and cost effectiveness for mobile handset OEMs wanting to integrate powerful GPS capabilities in support of today's growing trend toward location-based services on mobile phones.

"NXP believes that location-based services are the next killer application in wireless, and our recent acquisition of GloNav is a testament to our belief in the endless possibilities that will arise with increased adoption of location-aware technologies," said Dennis Kish, Senior Vice President of Connected Entertainment, Business Unit Mobile & Personal at NXP Semiconductors. "We are excited that just two weeks after closing the transaction, the quick synergy between GloNav's technology and our existing product portfolio has allowed us to almost immediately offer our customers full access to an industry-leading GPS solution."

"Advances in GPS chipset development will significantly facilitate the low-cost integration of GPS technology with greater reliability and precision of satellite positioning in tomorrow's mobile devices," said Dominique Bonte, Principal Analyst, Telematics & Navigation at ABI Research. "By 2013, we can expect to see more than 900 million GPS-enabled devices in the market; each offering an array of new and innovative location-based services beyond traditional navigation, such as automatic geo-tagging of pictures taken with digital cameras, road toll systems, and social networking applications."

The NXP GNS7560 is implemented on a 90 nanometer (nm) architecture and features a high performance CMOS RF front end plus correlator engine to significantly reduce system cost and power. Advanced power management modes reduce power consumption to less than 13mW for one-second map updates - beyond any alternative GPS solution on the market today. With a package size of less than 9 mm2, the GNS7560 is the smallest GPS chip available, and when integrated with NXP's Cellular System Solution 7210, also provides the smallest overall solution.

Unlike other GPS solutions, the GNS7560 automatically alters sensitivity and tracking based on signal strength, multipath and velocity, delivering first-rate acquisition and tracking sensitivity, Time to First Fix (TTFF) and accuracy to ensure deep-indoor sensitivity and reliable coverage even in dense metropolitan areas known as "urban canyons." The host software for the product is structured for easy OS integration with Microsoft Windows CE, Windows Mobile and Linux standard drivers, as well as a variety of real-time kernels in support of today's Smartphone designs.

The high-performance GPS single-chip solution is integrated with NXP's Nexperia UMTS/EDGE Cellular System Solution 7210, which supports a broad set of multimedia applications and connectivity options for 2G and 3G mobile handsets. A demonstration of the Nexperia Cellular System Solution 7210 with integrated GNS7560 will be shown at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Madrid from February 11-14, 2008.

February 4, 2008.-- Magellan announced the market availability of AccuTerra outdoor map content from Intermap Technologies this weekend at the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) in Las Vegas. Beginning in April, Magellan customers can download the most comprehensive recreational content - including clear markings for public and private property -- for the new line of Magellan Triton GPS devices as well as its eXplorist line of handheld GPS devices. Triton and eXplorist customers can acquire digital terrain data, off-road and recreation-related roads, trails, and points-of-interest for most recreation areas in the United States. AccuTerra provides map content for the lower 48 states plus Hawaii and will be available for purchase directly from the Magellan web site.

"We are pleased that Magellan has chosen to complement its Triton product line with the nation's best recreational map content for GPS devices," commented Eric DesRoche, senior vice president of consumer electronics for Intermap Technologies.

"AccuTerra is also compatible with Magellan's eXplorist products that support map data. These accurate and detailed maps will greatly enhance the user experience for hundreds of thousands of Magellan handheld customers."

Intermap is creating consumer mapping products using Magellan's Solution Developer Kit (MSDK) MapCreator software. MSDK is a 3rd party development toolkit that enables licensees to develop world class mapping products and software enhancement to enhance Magellan's GPS product line offerings. MSDK-derived content products are compatible with both GPS devices and VantagePoint desktop software.

AccuTerra data includes elevation information, clearly identified and classified trails, paths and roads, outdoor-specific points of interest such as campgrounds, service facilities, and landmarks; and a land-use display that depicts the location of public and private property.

"Intermap's new recreational data sets are an excellent addition to our leading line of GPS solutions, providing us with a tremendous opportunity to offer our customers a differentiated and superior line of products," said Christian Bubenheim, vice president of product marketing for Magellan. "Our customers can now transform their recreational experience with the most feature-rich map data available on the market today - all in one powerful device."

AccuTerra data for the United States will be available in April, 2008 via download at: http://www.magellangps.com/ProductFinder/map_finder.asp. Magellan devices supporting the AccuTerra products are the Triton 400, 500, 1500, 2000 units, and the eXplorist 400, 500, 600, and XL units.

January 30, 2008.-- Mio Technology Corporation, a leading maker of mobile GPS devices, and Qualcomm Incorporated , a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, announced a collaboration to develop connected personal navigation devices (PNDs). These new connected PNDs will leverage Qualcomm's technology with the QST1100 chipset to deliver industry-leading GPS performance and cellular connectivity for real-time traffic updates, voice call capabilities and more.

"Qualcomm's legacy of wireless communications brings new possibilities to consumer devices, and we are very excited about our relationship with Mio that will bring integrated cellular connectivity, GPS and application processing to PNDs," said Luis Pineda, senior vice president of marketing and product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "Our technology, coupled with Mio's extensive device design expertise, will usher in a new generation of connected consumer devices aimed at propelling the industry toward the next level of functionality."

"Personal navigation devices have been growing dramatically in popularity, and Mio is proud to be one of the first companies to offer the connectivity of cellular networks to PND users, making information access seamless and reliable," said Samuel Wang, president of Mio Technology Corporation. "We are happy to be working with Qualcomm to introduce a new family of PND devices that will allow people to explore more."

With this new collaboration, Mio looks to offer consumers a next-generation GPS device that goes beyond traditional point-to-point navigation. With real-time content, search capabilities and more, Mio's connected PNDs will provide a uniquely dynamic navigation experience that can be customized for any lifestyle. Whether for leisure travel, business travel or the daily commute, Mio's cutting-edge connected PNDs will enable people to explore their environment.

Mio's new connected PNDs will be based on the QST1100 chipset from Qualcomm, the first solution to integrate application processing, GPS and cellular connectivity for ubiquitous connectivity and sleeker form-factors. The QST1100 chipset leverages Qualcomm's gpsOne technology for unsurpassed GPS performance. The fully integrated gpsOne solution supports numerous modes of operation -- including Assisted-GPS, Standalone-GPS and gpsOneXTRA Assistance technology for enhanced Standalone-GPS performance -- and is the most widely deployed position-location solution in the world. Currently, more than 300 million devices around the world leverage gpsOne technology for accurate, ubiquitous positioning capabilities.

January 25, 2008.-- Fastrax Ltd., a provider of programmable OEM GPS receivers as well as open and portable GPS Software Development Kit environments, announced two new products in its receiver range. The new Fastrax UC322 and Fastrax IT321 products are a significant expansion of the company's product line.

Fastrax UC322, A Compact OEM GPS Receiver For Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs)

The new Fastrax UC322 GPS receiver enhances Fastrax's focus on the Personal Navigation Device (PND) market. The receiver is based on a completely new concept and includes a unique integrated chip antenna that provides optimal performance and sensitivity. With its cost-effective surface mount technology and ROM based firmware, the module is ideally suited for high-volume consumer devices.

The Fastrax UC322 with on-board chip antenna enables very slim design of PNDs. While a standard solution with a patch antenna typically requires a thickness of 20 mm, the Fastrax UC322 cuts the size by up to two thirds by enabling a thickness of just 5 mm.

The Fastrax UC322 features an innovative embedded antenna design that does not necessitate a separate large antenna ground plane, as the end device's printed circuit board functions as part of the antenna. The convenient SMT mounting requires no cable assembly, connectors or manual soldering, which reduces the manufacturing and bill of material costs of the completed end product. The receiver has an extremely thin form factor, with external dimensions of only 30.0 x 10.4 x 2.9 mm.

The Fastrax UC322 is based on the SiRFstarIII LT chipset that offers state-of-the art navigation performance. The ROM based firmware eliminates the need for an expensive flash memory and simplifies the design of GPS-enabled mass-market navigation devices. The strong performing receiver uses only 90 mW of power during navigation with a high sensitivity of -159dBm.

Fastrax IT321, A New Ultra-Compact 20-Channel Receiver

With a tiny form factor of only 10.4 x 14.0 x 2.6 mm, the new Fastrax IT321 is one of the smallest complete 20-channel receivers on the market. The receiver is designed for devices that require a combination of small size, low power consumption, and state-of-the-art navigation performance.

Key features of the Fastrax IT321 encompass a SiRFstarIII LT chipset with ROM based firmware. The receiver is a complete OEM GPS receiver including a TCXO oscillator, Real Time Clock (RTC) and Low Noise Amplifier (LNA).

The Fastrax IT321 is designed for demanding navigation applications such as car navigators, asset tracking devices, sports accessories and handheld battery operating devices like mobile phones, PDA's and PND's. The receivers have very high sensitivity (-159dBm) and very fast time to first fix and re-acquisition.

"These new products are the next step in the evolution of our OEM GPS solutions. Recent developments in the mobile industry anticipate a significant increase in the demand for GPS receiver solutions in location-enabled devices, and with the Fastrax UC322 and Fastrax IT321 receivers, we are ideally positioned to address this rapidly growing worldwide market," said Mr. Taneli Tuurnala, President and CEO, Fastrax.

Concurrently with the new receivers, Fastrax also announced a revised product naming system. The previous iTrax receivers will now be called Fastrax ITxx, with 'xx' standing for the specific model number of the receiver. Similarly, the uPatch product line of OEM GPS receivers with integrated patch antenna will be renamed the Fastrax UPxx receivers.

The new Fastrax UC322 and Fastrax IT321 receivers are available as samples at the end of February 2008 and will be in mass production at the end of March 2008. For more information and detailed technical data, please visit http://www.fastrax.fi.

January 22, 2008.-- Trimble introduced its TrimView Mobile Resource Manager (MRM) system version 2.3. The new version of the system includes a real-time weather data option from WeatherBug, operator of the largest weather network in the world, which is combined with automatic vehicle location and status information for the ready-mix concrete market. The announcement was made today at World of Concrete 2008, one of the world's largest international exhibitions for the construction and construction materials industries.

Using the live, local weather data from the dense WeatherBug Network, the TrimView system option provides vehicle dispatchers with the ability to see current weather conditions, including precipitation, temperature, and cloud cover as overlays on the same live map as their vehicles and job sites. In addition to current weather data, the TrimView system can also provide precipitation forecasts for up to four hours, three day extended forecasts, and severe weather alerts. This type of data, combined with vehicle and job site locations, allows concrete producers to better manage their work flow, plan the type of product to be delivered, and improve customer service.

Another feature exclusive to the TrimView system is the recording of the most current weather conditions at the moment the concrete begins to pour. Leveraging the real-time auto-status and Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities of the TrimFleet solution, TrimView is able to determine the current relative humidity, temperature and wind speed from the WeatherBug Tracking Station near the actual location of the concrete pour. The information is stored in the ready mix producer's database available for reporting and research. This feature, along with historical vehicle status and location information, significantly increases the ability of the concrete producer to quickly investigate quality control and liability claims after the pour occurred.

Powered by their proprietary network, WeatherBug's professional and consumer solutions provide the only truly live, local weather information available. The local weather conditions are delivered to millions of consumers via the Internet and mobile devices, to more than 100 state and local government agencies including the National Weather Service, and to schools, businesses and 80 broadcast television stations throughout the country.

Availability

The Trimble TrimView Mobile Resource Manager system version 2.3 with the real-time weather data option is expected to be available in the U.S. and Canada in January 2008 through Trimble's Mobile Solutions distribution network. Current users of TrimView systems can upgrade to the 2.3 version free of charge. The real-time weather data option will be available for a monthly charge.

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January 17, 2008.-- SHAPE Services officially announced the release of GPSed (http://gpsed.com), a complete solution for real time GPS trip tracking and a social networking place for GPS, digital photography and mobile users. GPSed installed on the latest BlackBerry, some Symbian or Java smartphones with a built-in or external GPS receiver can record tracks and transfer them to GPSed web service in real time. Users who already have a GPS receiver and some tracks may easily upload, view and share them using the software.

All tracks by default are public, so that anyone may find the track or trace someone else in real time. Recent public tracks can be found on GPSed homepage. "Being able to view real-time location from our colleague in San Francisco is priceless. We are able to trace him step by step", said Valery Bogdanov, the head of LBS Team at SHAPE Services.

In addition to GPS trip tracking, photographers and adventure travelers may take photos with any digital camera, upload them to their PC and view these photos with GPSed Photo Take'n'Pin, the desktop software which will assign latitude, longitude to the photos according to the time-stamp and the GPS track. These photos will be synchronized with the track of the trip and appear on the map at precisely the place they were taken at.

In the nearest time SHAPE Services will add the possibility to share not only the track but also the pinned photos with anyone the user chooses. Though, comprehensive, the company will target a large group of users, including hikers, hunters, bikers, photographers, tourists and anyone interested to try.

January 4, 2008.-- Garmin has chosen Sarantel's award-winning GeoHelix GPS Antennas for its recently launched Colorado range of handheld GPS receivers. Sarantel develops and manufactures the world's most advanced miniature filtering antennas for mobile, wireless and handheld devices. The technology is one of the most compact and yet accurate positioning antennas on the market today; designed with the varied and increasing demand for GPS technology in mind.

Garmin is a pioneer and the worldwide leader in handheld GPS products and the Colorado series represents a dramatic step forward in innovation and usability in the outdoor GPS market segment. Users will benefit from a host of innovative features, such as world class positional accuracy, and will find its small size easier to use and more practical. The range of products incorporates a unique ''Rock 'N' Roller'' input device that allows for one-handed operation, shaded-relief and satellite imagery mapping and vibrant color 3-inch screen with high resolution, 15 hours of operating time on AA batteries, a built-in compass, altimeter, and temperature sensor, plus the ability to wirelessly exchange routes, tracks, waypoints, and geocaches between two units.

David Wither, Chief Executive of Sarantel says: "Up to this point the challenge for GPS receiver manufacturers has been to develop a GPS product that works effectively and accurately but matching these performance requirements to an aesthetically pleasing, ever shrinking package is becoming increasingly difficult. Advances in antenna technology now mean that, for the first time, consumers can benefit from high performance in a small hand-held package, like Garmin's innovative new Colorado Series."

January 4, 2008.-- BikeGPSTracking, a leading provider of GPS tracking and theft recovery products today announced the availability of the first low cost GPS tracking unit for motorcycles, off road vehicles, and ATV's. This GPS tracking unit offers many customer requested features at a fraction of the cost of comparable tracking solutions. "The launch of our MC242 GPS Motorcycle Tracking Unit gives motorcycle and ATV owners the peace of mind in knowing their property is protected at a very affordable price," said Mark Wells, President & CEO of BikeGPSTracking. "With the average price of GPS motorcycle tracking units being well over $500, we are able to leverage our technology leadership and bring the hardware cost down to $349."

BikeGPSTracking is also offering 2 optional accessories, a tether switch or panic button and a vibration sensor. If a rider is thrown from their bike the tether switch will send an emergency alert via SMS (text message) or an email message to specified recipients. Pressing the panic button will also generate a similar emergency alert. The vibration sensor alerts when a motorcycle is moved more than 100 yards while the ignition is off making theft recovery much faster.

The MC242 Motorcycle Tracking Unit offers the following features:

• Alerts when the ignition is turned on or off
• Tether switch if rider is thrown from motorcycle
• Vibration sensor if a motorcycle is moved
• Unlimited, continuous GPS tracking throughout the USA and Canada
• Ability to set Geofence and speed alerts

BikeGPSTracking is also offering low cost service plans as low as $5.95 per month and offer an additional 20% discount for annual pre-payment. The MC242 GPS Motorcycle Tracking Unit is available at www.bikegpstracking.com.

January 2, 2008.-- SARS Corp., a leading provider of remote asset management and telematics solutions, announced it has expanded its international network of Automatic Identification System ("AIS") sites with the addition of five sites in Chile and three in Mexico. The AIS sites, part of the SARS Marinetrac service, enable ports to track offshore vessels, thereby enhancing the security and efficiency of port operations.

Chilean AIS site locations include Antofagasta, Iquique, Valparaiso, San Antonio, and Talcahuano. AIS site locations in Mexico include Cozumel, Coatzacoalcos, and Ensenada.

SARS' international network of AIS receivers delivers vessel traffic information for key ports and waterways, as well as marine domain awareness surrounding offshore oil rigs. The AIS receivers are developed by Shine Micro, Inc., a leading developer of marine electronics specializing in AIS and wireless technologies.

"Shine Micro is recognized worldwide as a leading figure in the field of AIS technology and is a preferred equipment supplier for military and regulatory authorities," said Clayton Shelver, CEO of SARS Corp. "Integration of Shine Micro's AIS equipment into SARS Marinetrac provides ports and shipping companies with one of the most advanced, commercially available solutions on the market for vessel tracking."

Using SARS Marinetrac AIS solutions, ports and shipping companies receive critical information such as the identification, position, course, and speed of vessels. Users zoom in and out on satellite-generated globes and maps that can be customized to show layers of information such as borders, gridlines and roads.

SARS Marinetrac AIS solutions integrate with all major satellite and terrestrial communications systems and support all major hardware platforms. Widely disparate monitoring systems and methods are combined into a single platform, then streamlined and delivered to customers via a simple, Web-based interface.

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