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Latest news extracts about GPS and wireless technologiesWhy GPS and GSM news brought together?What do they have in common? The only common factor is that both use HF radio signals for their operation. But there is more. Already today GPS is getting incorporated in GSMs(Europe), cell phones(USA) and mobile phones(UK) and this development is accelerating in a great pace. In only a couple of years (almost) all GSMs will have a GPS receiver incorporated. And not the poor performing GPS receivers as we know them now from our handheld devices. No, the GSM/GPS combinations must be able to locate themselves under the most difficult circumstances i.e. indoors, in parking garages, in urban canyons, in large buildings etc. The market for these GPS receivers is so huge, compared to the market for handheld GPS receivers (a factor 200 or so), that every manufacturer will put all on all to make this a success. We already knew the Global Locate A-GPS chip-set with over 20,000 hardware correlators integrated. This means that the hardware does a lot of the computational work. Acquires satellites with signals below -158dBm at a 100 times lower power consumption. Time-to-first-fix as low as 250 msec. And SiRF sells its third generation SiRFStarIII chipset with the equivalent of more than 200,000 correlators. Weak GPS signals (up to -159dBm) can be processed and with that indoor GPS exists already. The SiRFSoft GPS architecture is portable to the market leading platforms such as Intel XScale and OMAPI. This means that the system can be incorporated in GSMs, cell phones, Smartphones, PDAs and other wireless handheld devices. End September 2006 u-blox AG announced the u-blox 5 family of GPS and Galileo-ready single chips and chipsets featuring an acquisition performance of under 1 second. The new chips also feature SuperSense -160 dBm acquisition and tracking sensitivity, power needs of less than 50 mW and a footprint smaller than 100 mm2, making u-blox 5 receivers ideal for PDAs, personal navigation devices, cameras, cell phones, media players and other battery-operated portable devices. u-blox 5's ultra-fast acquisition time is due to its 50-channel architecture with over 1 million correlators and separate acquisition and tracking engines, capable of massively parallel searches. Hundreds of millions of people will permanently carry a high performance GPS receiver with them, wherever they go. GPS and GSM go together. Notice to our readersFrom November 2004 on we added more news-extracts about other wireless technologies like Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC, WiMAX, Flash-OFDM, UWB and ZigBee, as we believe that these are complementary technologies and could interest many of our readers. 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.
And now the news-extractsNews extracts will be kept here for 5-6 months. At the beginning of every new month we will add one month of extracts to the most recent Archive page. Here you will find the Archived GPS-Wireless News pages: April 22, 2008.-- PortVision, a leading provider of information solutions for the maritime industry, announced the release of PV-Onboard Global, a value-added service allowing PortVision users to integrate long-range vessel tracking (LRIT) directly within the web-based PortVision platform. PV-Onboard Global is the latest addition to the PV-Onboard product line, which already allows barges, intermodal containers, railcars, and trailers to be tracked and managed along with AIS-enabled vessels from within the PortVision service. “PV-Onboard Global is the direct result of feedback we have received from customers,” said Dean Rosenberg, PortVision President and CEO. “Users are already leveraging PortVision to enhance visibility and management of vessels and terminals within ports and inland waterways. Now our customers can use the same powerful platform to maintain visibility even when their vessels are offshore.” PV-Onboard Global provides worldwide coverage for vessels at sea through satellite communications and the PortVision web-based platform. Vessels already using Inmarsat for GMDSS/SSAS can initiate PV-Onboard Global tracking through PortVision without the need to procure additional hardware. Other users can enable PV-Onboard through a satellite transmitter provided by PortVision.
April 22, 2008.-- Satellite Navigation takes a technological leap forward with the launch of the G280 and G800 from NDrive. Boasting the world’s first photo mapping system, the G280 and G800 feature real life photo images* instead of the traditional 1D/3D maps found on other devices. The new G280 and G800 take navigation to the next level. This next generation of technology allows you to see what your journey and destination look like from a real life perspective. Photo mapping technology heightens the senses and makes it instantly easier to see where you are and where you are heading. For the first time, see what your destination looks like before setting off! This unique real life 3D photo mapping system features 5 different perspectives; 4 diagonal perspectives plus a bird’s eye view. The intuitive system will automatically choose the best perspective for you whilst navigating. Alternatively, you can choose a perspective manually, according to your own preference. The G280 and G800 feature visual and audible Speed Camera Alerts as standard and both devices are supplied with UK and Ireland Tele Atlas Q1 2008 maps which are stored on an 8GB memory card. European maps are also available on plug and play memory cards and feature photo mapping of major cities throughout Portugal, Spain, France and Italy making these devices ideal for summer holidays, city breaks and second home owners. Simple to install and use, there's no fuss or additional activation procedures. With intuitive menus and touch screen buttons for easy finger input, the G280 and G800 ensure that what may seem like a daunting task is straight forward for even the most techno-phobic user. Truly multifunctional, the G280 and G800 have been specifically designed to satisfy the needs of both drivers and pedestrians alike. With a touch of the screen, both devices can operate in pedestrian mode and the inclusion of photo mapping makes navigating on foot a whole new experience. These devices provide a like-for-like perspective of the roads, buildings and landmarks around you, giving a true sense of where you are in relation to your surroundings. Both the G280 and G800 also include a comprehensive POI database. Classically designed, trendsetters will appreciate the G280 and G800’s great looks. Smart lines and a compact, yet ergonomic exterior, is sure to appeal to even the most fashion conscious of gadget lovers. Featuring truly portable designs the G280 and G800 will easily slip into a pocket, handbag or briefcase when not is use. The units also feature extremely tactile, scratch resistant durable rubber casing, so that in the event of accidental knocks and bumps, the units are protected and remain looking as good as new. In addition to navigation ability and in keeping with their premium status, the G280 and G800 also enable you to integrate your digital lifestyle to make mobile adventures even more entertaining. With support for audio, video and photos, all of which can be transferred via the SD card slot or USB and played back either via the built-in loudspeaker or listened to through earphones, the G280 and G800 make the perfect travel companion, whether traveling by train, in the car or on foot. The G800 also features Bluetooth functionality as well as an FM transmitter to play music and navigation instructions seamlessly through the car stereo speakers. The launch of the G280 and G800 sees NDrive underline its philosophy of providing cutting edge technology that is easy and fun to use. Availability The G280 and G800 will be available at the end of April from Smart Devices, www.smartdevicesdirect.com priced at £199.00 inc VAT and £315.00 inc VAT respectively. 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 16, 2008.-- RFID Global Solution, Inc. is currently implementing an RFID-enabled asset tracking system for The Boeing Company at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The system, designed by RFIDGS, uses advanced active RFID technology to locate equipment and tools within several facilities and mobile vehicles. The system uses the GlobalView real-time location tracking software to monitor the whereabouts of both critical assets and components across pre-defined areas of the space center. The system also supports vehicle-mounted visibility solutions with mobile terminals, powered by GlobalTrac, used in support of the delivery of payloads to the launch site. "This effort with Boeing at the Kennedy Space Center extends RFID Global Solution's deployment of automatic data capture technology across all aspects of the aerospace marketplace," said Dave Eagleson, RFID Global Solution's Senior VP of Sales and Marketing. April 16, 2008.-- Psion Teklogix, a global provider of wireless computing solutions, and AeroScout, Inc., the leading provider of Unified Asset Visibility solutions, announced a partnership to develop automated real-time asset management solutions. Integrating AeroScout's Wi-Fi-based Active RFID tags and MobileView software with Psion Teklogix' rugged mobile computers, the companies offer customers accurate and scalable automated inventory tracking and yard management solutions. Through their partnership, Psion Teklogix and AeroScout offer real-time asset management solutions that deliver accurate location and status of mobile assets and equipment. By integrating AeroScout's visibility capabilities with its mobile devices, Psion Teklogix delivers improved automation and operational efficiency to customers in a variety of industries and environments, both indoors and outdoors. The two companies have already successfully installed their first joint customer, at a logistics site for a major automotive manufacturer. "We evaluated the solution providers on the market, and found that AeroScout's Wi-Fi-based real-time location system (RTLS) technology offers the most comprehensive, accurate and scalable solution to efficiently locate and track containers both indoors and out," said Ron Caines, president of the Americas, Psion Teklogix. "We look forward to working with AeroScout on a number of customer deployments." "Improving efficiency in yard management and other environments is a critical success factor in today's competitive business environment, and we are pleased to work with Psion Teklogix, a leader in mobile computing, to provide the high-accuracy location, status and condition of assets needed to significantly streamline operations," said Gabi Daniely, vice president of marketing and product strategy at AeroScout. "Our complete and scalable Unified Asset Visibility solutions leverage the Wi-Fi infrastructure to deliver value to enterprises in both indoor and outdoor environments." April 15, 2008.-- Guardian Technology, a leader in GPS tracking and wireless asset management services for the transportation and fleet management industry, has completed its firmware integration with Thermo King single and multi-temp truck and trailer refrigeration units. This allows Guardian Technology to extract Thermo King reefer data and wirelessly transmit the information to dispatchers, fleet managers and drivers. The ReeferGuard unit connects directly to Thermo King's i-Box which is installed on the refrigeration unit providing a simple plug-and-play set-up. "We are excited to complete this project and transmit data provided directly from the Thermo King reefer units to our customers," said Gary Hadfield, COO for Guardian Technology. Guardian Technology's system, the ReeferGuard, offers a fully integrated monitoring solution that includes:
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. "We're receiving excellent feedback from our 8,000 early beta users telling us what to focus on. Even better, after these modifications are made, we still plan to offer Livecontacts for free," said Davidson. "People want location data for no cost."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.-- Telit Wireless Solutions, Inc., the US-based M2M mobile technology arm of Telit Communications, and Xirgo Technologies, LLC, a global wireless solution provider, announced the development of an innovative wireless car tracking device. The XT-2000 IntelliPort is a pioneering M2M application that enables users to record and transmit driving and diagnostic data via the Telit GE864 QUAD module and a GSM cellular network carrier. Such information delivered live and instantaneously is extremely valuable to companies with a vested interest in short or long-term car maintenance, fleet management, or consumer pay-as-you-drive applications. The small tracking device, measuring 1.8 x 1.5 x 1 inches and weighing less than 2 ounces, fits effortlessly in the ODB-II port located directly under the car dashboard. The OBD-II port is standard in vehicles built for North America since 1996. Integrating cellular and optional GPS antenna, the IntelliPort also supports the five most widely used OBD-II protocols. Upon placing the device in the car, IntelliPort drivers, fleet owners, finance companies and insurance providers can easily monitor location, status and diagnostic codes available through the OBD port of their vehicles. "Available with or without integrated GPS functionality, IntelliPort is by far the most technologically advanced OBD-II port compatible remote diagnostic device on the market today," said Shawn Aleman, Vice President of Business Development for Xirgo. "We needed a small, rugged and reliable wireless communications module to build a logging and reporting diagnostic device that did not require any more effort than pushing a button. Telit's module provided the best functionality, compact design and power efficiency making it a perfect fit for IntelliPort." Xirgo developed the IntelliPort device to after-market automotive specifications, and selected Telit's GE864 QUAD wireless communications module because its extremely small, compact and rugged design makes it ideal for use in this type of high-vibration and wide-temperature-range application. With its dimensions of 30 x 30 x 2.8 mm and a weight of seven grams, the GE864 QUAD is the world's smallest complete platform for cellular communications with the ball grid array (BGA) assembly concept. The GE864 QUAD's BGA installation concept ensures low production costs and size compliance with a standard automotive OBD-II port. Telit's BGA product design uses tiny solder balls placed on the underside of a module which allow for direct mounting to the application circuit board, without the need for plugs, cables or connectors. Together, the compact shape and easy installation reduce costs and are critical features for use in applications for the consumer market. "The IntelliPort's ability to track real-time driving and car diagnostic data could dramatically change auto leasing or rental financial models, not to mention drastically reduce vehicle recalls for auto manufacturers. Overall, we expect this device to make a huge impact in North America and abroad," said Roger Dewey, President & CEO of Telit Wireless Solutions, Inc. "Our ongoing collaboration with Xirgo will undoubtedly produce applications that will change the way many industries conduct business." 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. March 31, 2008.-- Networks In Motion (NIM), the award-winning wireless navigation, hyper local search, and location-based services (LBS) company with the largest mobile phone navigation subscriber base in North America, announced AtlasBook Navigator, a new software platform enabling people to bypass traffic jams, explore a new town, plan social activities on-the-go or just find their way home using their GPS-enabled mobile phone. Available to wireless carriers to implement into their own branded mobile phone navigation applications, AtlasBook Navigator will be demonstrated in the NIM booth #1963 at CTIA Wireless, April 1-3, 2008. In addition to maps, local directories of 14 million points of interest (POIs), and turn-by-turn directions with voice guidance that were available in NIM's previous software platform, AtlasBook Navigator's new features include:
"Adding access to real-time data feeds like traffic, weather and events will make mobile phone navigation an indispensable part of everyday life," said Doug Antone, president and CEO of Networks In Motion. "We've developed a patent-pending traffic solution that provides users with detour options that they can compare against their current estimated time of arrival (ETA), rather than just blindly rerouting the driver like some competing services. We believe that paying extra attention to detail in designing our products is a key reason why our solutions are the most popular in the world, with three million paid subscribers and counting." A social networking aspect of AtlasBook Navigator, called 'place messaging,' allows a user to send a greeting along with their GPS location to a friend so they can easily meet up with each other. For example, a subscriber can search for a restaurant and send the destination to their friend along with a message about a time to meet. If the friend is a subscriber they will get audible turn-by-turn directions to the destination; if they're not a navigation subscriber, they'll receive static directions as a text message. AtlasBook Navigator also allows users to plan trips ahead of time by using a customized Web site on their home or work computer. Recent searches and favorites folders on the AtlasBook Navigator Web site can be synchronized with the same folders on the mobile phone. Mobile phone navigation applications powered by Networks In Motion are currently available to customers at major wireless carriers in North America who purchase a GPS-enabled mobile phone and download the navigation software, which is commonly branded by the carrier. NIM has the largest mobile phone navigation subscriber base in North America, surpassing three million paid users. March 31, 2008.-- Addressing increasing consumer demand for GPS, Bluetooth wireless technology and FM radio in mobile handsets, Texas Instruments Incorporated announced its NaviLink 6.0 (NL5500) solution, the industry's first single chip that combines assisted global positioning satellite (A-GPS), Bluetooth 2.1 and ultra low power technologies, as well as FM receive/transmit capabilities. Built on TI's DRP single-chip technology at 65 nanometer, the highly-integrated and cost-effective solution enables manufacturers to introduce sleek, affordable and high-performance handsets with GPS capabilities to the large mid-tier market and drive increased usage of popular GPS-based applications such as 3-D mapping, location-based services and safety services. The mobile user experience is further enhanced by enabling consumers to enjoy simultaneous activities such as navigating, having a conversation using a Bluetooth headset, while also transmitting an MP3 file to the car radio using the FM transmit capability. March 26, 2008.-- Wayfinder, the leading supplier of innovative location and navigation services for mobile phones, announced that it is introducing its Wayfinder Active application in the U.S. and Canada. Wayfinder Active is a free GPS application for mobile phones with a unique combination of maps, GPS recording and statistics that is designed for people who enjoy running, hiking, skiing, biking or other outdoor activities. Wayfinder Active is a simple, fun, safe and social way to stay connected to others with similar outdoor interests. Once the application is installed on a mobile phone, each user will have access to a world wide map and the ability to record and share routes with a single keystroke. Users can follow in the footsteps of friends' adventures and training routes by importing routes and tracks directly from and to their mobile phone. Wayfinder Active's integrated online community, ActiveOutdoor, takes outdoor activities to the Internet, with an innovative, user-friendly and measurable way of sharing outdoor activities. Each activity is recorded in a standard GPX format, and the route is then uploaded to the Internet. If needed, users can preload a specific route onto the phone's caching memory so they can enjoy their activity without thinking about where they are going. Once a route or training trail is completed, the activity is automatically uploaded to the online community. "The North American market has big potential, and it is with enthusiasm we introduce Wayfinder Active. It is also of strategic importance to extend our business offering beyond car navigation and integrating services like the interactive community ActiveOutdoor," says Magnus Nilsson, CEO of Wayfinder. Additional useful features include detailed statistics such as maximum, current and average speed during each activity, plus the distance traveled and calories burned. With a built-in compass and a "Reverse Route" feature, users can easily find a route to anywhere. With the introduction of free Wayfinder Active, Wayfinder also brings the topographic maps of North America to mobile phones, which are available for a fee directly from the device via Wayfinder's mobile shop. Our partner Tele Atlas delivers the overview maps and U.S. Trailmaps topographical ones. The free Wayfinder Active can be downloaded at www.activeoutdoor.com on a computer or directly from the phone from www.active.getwf.com. In addition to being available directly to end-users, the product is also available for service providers to offer directly to their subscribers. Wayfinder Active is compatible with more than 100 phone models from all major handset manufacturers including the most popular devices from Sony Ericsson and Nokia. In addition to being available directly to end-users, the Wayfinder Active product is also available for service providers to offer directly to their subscribers. March 25, 2008.-- LandAirSea Systems, the leading provider of mass market GPS-based tracking devices, announced the launch of a miniature, battery-powered, GSM-based real-time vehicle tracking unit featuring u-blox 5 GPS technology from Swiss GPS technology provider, u-blox. LandAirSea's new 8100G tracking device incorporates the latest in GPS and wireless technology to accurately determine the exact location of a vehicle, and can be used to track individual vehicles or entire fleets. Based on the highly successful CDMA-based 8100, the innovative 8100G now additionally offers GSM network operability. As the prevalent mobile communications standard worldwide, GSM operability significantly widens the device's geographical reach. The much-anticipated 8100G will provide fleet managers, government agencies, business owners, as well as consumers real-time vehicle and asset tracking device that uses the immensely popular Google Earth program for high-resolution satellite imaging. Since GSM is the most prevalent mobile communications standard worldwide, the new 8100G will allow LandAirSea to expand its customer base beyond the USA and Canada. "We have been working with u-blox GPS technology for more than 6 years and have always been extremely pleased with the quality and performance of their receivers", said Rob Wagner, CEO of LandAirSea. "For our new tracker we did extensive testing of other available GPS technology and found u-blox' new u-blox 5 receivers to be clearly superior, both in price and performance". The 8100 tracking unit features a u-blox GPS receiver boasting 2-meter position accuracy and -160dBm sensitivity, which enables accurate, reliable tracking, even in difficult signal environments. "We are very proud that LandAirSea decided to use u-blox 5 for the 8100G," said Nikolaos Papadopoulos, President of u-blox America. "LandAirSea's customers require ultra-fast, accurate position availability, even in covert installations. Our innovative Kickstart and SuperSense technologies were developed to respond accurately and reliably to those needs". The self-contained device measures approx. 1" x 2" x 33/4" (2.5cm x 5cm x 9.5cm), and is battery-powered and completely portable. It also can be hard-wired for permanent applications. Other key features of the 8100G include live 1-second updates, a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery, a motion sensor, a wiring harness for permanent installation, in and out of zone geo-fencing with text message and/or e-mail notification and a data logging features that enables remote downloads. March 20, 2008.-- MapQuest and INRIX have announced a collaboration that will allow consumers and businesses to access the full breadth of INRIX traffic information across multiple MapQuest business units including MapQuest.com, MapQuest Wireless, and MapQuest Platform Services. MapQuest has integrated INRIX's real-time traffic speed and incident information on the leading mapping site in the U.S., MapQuest.com. MapQuest.com users can now select a "Traffic" view which allows them to visualize traffic flow and incidents along major roadways in more than 100 U.S. markets. "Our extensive customer research shows that traffic is one of the most requested features from our users," said Christian Dwyer, SVP and GM of MapQuest. "After evaluating alternatives we decided to incorporate INRIX traffic across multiple MapQuest offerings to provide the best coverage and highest accuracy for trip planning and navigation." The integration of INRIX traffic allows users to take into account real time traffic information, whether planning personal travel or locating a favorite retail store, restaurant or other location on MapQuest.com, or on their mobile device using MapQuest Navigator. "The tremendous growth and demand for accurate and reliable traffic information is revolutionizing the way customers get to the important places and events in their lives," commented Bryan Mistele, president and CEO of INRIX. "We are thrilled to partner with MapQuest, the clear leader in navigation solutions with more than 45 million* monthly MapQuest.com users, to enrich the user experience with traffic-influenced navigation and driving directions." INRIX traffic is currently available to mobile consumers via MapQuest Navigator 5.0, the newest version of MapQuest's voice-guided, GPS-enabled wireless application launched in November 2007. Additional MapQuest implementations are planned throughout 2008. MapQuest has also made available a toolbar featuring one-click access to real-time traffic information, automatically updated every five minutes. Users who download the new toolbar will have instant access to the features they rely on from MapQuest.com, including finding places, directions and gas prices, no matter what site they're browsing.
March 20, 2008.-- DeLorme, a long-time innovation leader in GPS receiver technologies, announced that Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) has standardized on the Earthmate GPS PN-20 as the GPS receiver of choice in support of track maintenance crews throughout the organization. Designed by DeLorme GPS engineers, the PN-20 is a rugged, waterproof receiver with a bright-color screen that displays DeLorme topographic maps, aerial imagery, and other GIS data. It also delivers exceptional searching, mapping, and routing functions, which are further augmented through the use of DeLorme XMap GIS software. The PN-20 provides BNSF field technicians with access to the company’s track and milepost data, displayed against a background of DeLorme’s USA street-level or topographic base maps. The ability to view aerial imagery enhances field intelligence for better decision making. Field personnel will be able to search on BNSF data for track defects, view and query track and milepost locations, and create waypoints with basic descriptions. Armed with location data that has been custom-cut for BNSF, field technicians will have the ability to automatically download defect information directly from BNSF geometry cars to the PN-20 GPS handheld. “Our people worked very closely with their counterparts at BNSF to develop a custom nationwide dataset that placed BNSF’s GIS infrastructure on a USA base map,” said Geoffrey Ives, Director of Professional Sales for DeLorme. “That teamwork also led to a PN-20 application programming interface that specifically supports BNSF’s waypoint requirements.” March 12, 2008.-- Contigo, the leading provider of turn-key GPS solutions for asset tracking, fleet management and personal safety is announced that starting in April the DeWALT MOBILELOCK will be available for resale on the Contigo GPS platform. The MOBILELOCK is an advanced GPS beacon and anti-theft alarm system designed for the protection of construction site equipment, appliances, tools, copper wire and other portable / mobile assets. Powered by the indoor-location capabilities of Qualcomm's gpsOne hybrid-assisted GPS technology, the MOBILELOCK is completely self contained, requires no external antennas, and can operate for up to 30 days on a single battery charge. The MOBILELOCK includes an integrated tamper detection switch, adjustable vibration sensor, high and low temperature sensor and door contact. The product line also includes several accessories; an extended run time battery kit providing 90 days of use, an indoor motion detector and an equipment power adaptor for permanent 12V/24V battery power, making MOBILELOCK one of the most versatile GPS beacons on the market today. Coupled with the Contigo web-based software system, end customers can locate their assets 24/7 and create schedules for location reporting, arming or disarming sensors and geofence alerts. Each alarm can be configured to send individual or group alerts via email or SMS. Central stations can monitor events through the Contigo monitoring station module, and use the built-in location-aware Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) system to dispatch authorities in emergency situations. In addition to the MOBILELOCK, the Contigo platform also supports GPS beacons from Falcom, Enfora, Sendum, AnyData, Trimble and others. "We are excited about the launch of the MOBILELOCK, as it is one of the best products in the market for builder and construction site protection," commented Rob Goehring, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Contigo. "Between the feature set, the product quality and the DeWALT brand name, the MOBILELOCK is a tremendous extension of our growing line of GPS products. This addition truly positions Contigo uniquely in the market with the broadest range of GPS products available for resale on a single platform." "We are very pleased to add Contigo to our list of service providers for MOBILELOCK as they have a world-class GPS monitoring and tracking system. Their technical leadership as well as their strong knowledge of system and user requirements positions them to offer a fantastic customer solution for MOBILELOCK," stated Bill Pugh, Director of Sales and Marketing for DeWALT. "We are looking forward to working with Contigo to expand the reach of the MOBILELOCK into new channels and vertical markets." February 28, 2008.-- u-blox, the leading Swiss provider of GPS receiver technology, will perform live GALILEO satellite tracking demonstrations at the 2008 CeBIT trade show to be held in Hanover, Germany, on its revolutionary u-blox 5 A-GPS and GALILEO-ready chip.
u-blox' commitment to stay at the forefront of GALILEO development has led it to participate in several EU-funded research projects, such as the GREAT project(1), aimed at developing next generation GALILEO receivers for mass market applications.
CeBIT, which runs from March 4-9, is the world's leading ICT show and is expected to attract nearly half a million visitors and over 6000 exhibitors this year. This makes it the largest marketplace for digital IT and telecommunications solutions, providing a unique opportunity for product manufacturers, service providers and distributors to meet, exchange views and do business.
u-blox will be promoting its 50-channel, hybrid u-blox 5 positioning engine, the first to simultaneously track GPS and GALILEO satellites. u-blox' fifth generation of GPS chips and modules use a combination of satellite systems, including SBAS augmentation systems, to compute a position.
"With u-blox 5, u-blox has reasserted itself as a highly innovative company, pioneering the hybrid engine market. GALILEO will endow our engines with better coverage, higher positioning accuracy, better multipath mitigation and higher overall reliability and availability," said Thomas Seiler, u-blox CEO.
Endowed with award-winning SuperSense indoor GPS and KickStart weak signal acquisition technologies, u-blox 5 GPS chips and modules boast an acquisition and tracking sensitivity of -160 dBm, which enables fast, uninterrupted positioning, even in challenging, weak signal environments like urban canyons, covert parking lots, shopping malls and train stations.
All u-blox 5 products support AssistNow, u-blox' free A-GPS services, which boost acquisition performance, reducing the engine's Time-To-First-Fix down to 1 second, making u-blox 5 the fastest positioning engine in the market. u-blox' AssistNow Offline service provides assistance data valid for up to 14 days, enabling applications that do not require connectivity at every start-up.
"Our cutting-edge u-blox 5 positioning engine is powering a whole new range of innovative GPS-enabled applications. With u-blox 5, personal navigation devices and smartphones now benefit from instant positioning even in weak signal areas, enabling users to quickly and accurately benefit from navigation and location-based services in indoor and outdoor environments alike," added Mr. Seiler.
Currently in mass production, u-blox 5 chips and modules are standalone GPS receivers that come in a wide array of form factors. Their compact, self-contained architectures can be quickly and easily integrated, offering original equipment and device manufacturers reduced development costs and minimal product time-to-market. February 21, 2008.-- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has begun implementing an independent national positioning, navigation and timing long-range navigation system (LORAN) to complements the nation's Global Positioning System (GPS) in the event of an outage or disruption in service. DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner said in a Feb. 7 release that the backup system will be an enhanced LORAN - or eLORAN - land-based, independent system and will mitigate any safety, security or economic effects of a GPS outage or disruption. GPS is a satellite-based system widely used for positioning, navigation and timing. The eLORAN system will be an enhanced and modernized version of LORAN-C, long used by mariners and aviators and originally developed for civil marine use in coastal areas, Keehner said. In addition to providing backup coverage, she said that the signal strength and penetration capability of eLORAN will provide support to first responders and other operators in environments that GPS cannot support, such as under heavy foliage, in some underground areas and in dense high-rise structures. The system will use modernized transmitting stations and an upgraded network. February 18, 2008.-- WorldTracker GPRS, developed by TrackingTheWorld, offers the best of all worlds in GPS Tracking: real-time updates, a super-compact design, long-lasting battery power and the option of an affordable unlimited service package. The tri-band WorldTracker GPRS utilizes the global GSM/GPRS network to provide global real-time tracking capabilities. Using a direct GPRS data connection, the WorldTracker GPRS tracking system delivers accurate and reliable real-time updates every 15 seconds, a first in GPS tracking systems. Also known as the WorldTracker Extreme, the WorldTracker GPRS tracking system is extraordinarily discreet in comparison to average-size GPS tracking systems. Smaller than a set of car keys or a cell phone, the WorldTracker GPRS is convenient to carry and can easily "disappear" when necessary. Housed in a durable and water resistant case, the WorldTracker GPRS is equipped to stand up to rugged use. "The WorldTracker Extreme can be quickly and effortlessly concealed in any vehicle, in packages or on people," said Gilbert Walz, TrackingTheWorld CEO. Highly customizable, the WorldTracker GPRS works with Google Earth to allow users to print detailed location reports and configure geo-fences which automatically send alerts when an asset moves in or out of a predetermined area. Detailed mapping provides a clear view of the exact location, from a bird's eye perspective all the way down to street level. In another first for GPS tracking systems, TrackingTheWorld offers an unlimited service plan for the WorldTracker GPRS tracking system, which includes unlimited GPS tracking services for a fixed monthly fee. "Our flat rate unlimited GPS service plan allows users to take advantage of real-time updates every 15 seconds without the added hassles of service charges or worrying about going over their limit," said Walz. Featuring the powerful but efficient SiRF Star III GPS Chipset, the WorldTracker GPRS provides faster fix times, better sensitivity, and longer battery life than other GPS tracking systems. In addition, Walz said the SiRF Star III GPS Chipset offers unparalleled dependability with its ability to hold a signal in low signal areas such as in between large buildings, and in areas densely covered by trees. To even further extend battery life, TrackingTheWorld offers an optional "hibernating" battery pack for use with TrackingTheWorld GPS tracking systems including the WorldTracker GPRS. Through the use of motion detection, the innovative GPS battery pack conserves power by only powering up the GPS tracking system when motion is sensed. The "hibernating" battery pack is entirely self-contained in its crush-proof, waterproof Pelican™ case and will operate unattended for up to 30 days. Based in Burlingame, California, TrackingTheWorld is a global leader in the development of GPS tracking systems and GPS tracking software. The firm's GPS Letter Logger, a GPS tracking system commissioned by the United States Postal Service to pinpoint delays in delivery systems, was recently featured as the "Invention of the Month" in Popular Science magazine. February 13, 2008.-- Today, with the release of a new version of Buddy Beacon, uLocate Communications introduced the world's most advanced location enabled mobile friend finding service. With Buddy Beacon, users can choose when to share their location, and what they are up to, with their friends. Buddy Beacon is the first location enabled friend finding application that is interoperable between multiple carriers. In addition to cross-carrier interoperability, the Buddy Beacon platform allows users to update their location and status on leading online social networking sites, including Facebook. As a compliment to this feature, uLocate has also unveiled a Buddy Beacon application on Facebook. This functionality extends the Buddy Beacon user experience beyond mobile devices. "Historically, consumers who use mobile friend finding applications have been limited to interacting only with other users who share their same carrier," said Scott Ellison, VP of Mobile and Wireless Communications at IDC. "With Buddy Beacon, uLocate has removed this limitation by providing a friend finding product that transcends the single carrier barrier. Additionally, the introduction of cross-platform functionality with online services, such as Facebook, provides the potential for viral adoption of the application. uLocate has clearly emerged as a leader in the mobile friend finding space." "Helio has always been committed to providing our members with innovative ways to communicate with their trusted circle of friends," said Greg Hayes, Head of Convergence at Helio. "The new Buddy Beacon experience provides better context for location sharing, enhances ease of use and creates new occasions to publish location as a social networking activity. We know that our members will benefit from the enhanced capabilities that we have developed in conjunction with uLocate." "Consumer adoption of Buddy Beacon has been remarkable. We are delighted to now offer the service across numerous carriers and the iPhone, as well as extend the service functionality to the web," said Walt Doyle, CEO of uLocate Communications. "Buddy Beacon is a revolutionary application that offers a new way to interact with your friends and keep them updated on where you are and what you are up to. We plan to continually advance the functionality and availability of the service in the months ahead." February 10, 2008.-- Tracking the World recently released software technology that enables GPS vessel tracking and management of assets from even the most remote locations on earth. A first in the industry, the Satellite Tracker application combines the power of satellite telephones, the Internet, GPS, and worldwide mapping software to create instant and remote tracking capability of assets on land, at sea, or in the air. The software includes worldwide mapping, and is compatible with custom digital, paper or marine maps. In addition, the product provides users with the capability of tracking and managing multiple assets simultaneously. Gilbert Walz, founding partner of Tracking the World, said the recently released technology allows users to track and manage assets from anywhere. "Our new GPS Inmarsat D+ satellite transmission technology sends and receives digital signals from anywhere in the world and retransmits them to ground stations which provide a direct link to the Internet, and allows users to monitor multiple targets from anywhere on the planet with 3 different on-line mapping sources," said Walz. Through its ability to provide fast and efficient tracking and management of land, sea, and air vessels, The Satellite Tracking software is bringing unprecedented management capabilities to several industries, including aviation, commercial shipping, and fishing. "Our Satellite Tracker provides a solid system available in the global marketplace at a very reasonable price," said Walz. Initial setup and activation of GPS Satellite Tracker software is available for $189.00 followed by $19.95 per month for unlimited software use. Tracking the World is the industry leader in GPS related products and software. For more information about Tracking the World, or the recently released Satellite Tracker technology, please visit www.trackingtheworld.com. For hardware information and pricing, please visit www.skywave.com. 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 6, 2008.-- MarineGPSTracking, a leading provider of GPS marine tracking units, announced the availability of a low cost, easy-to-install GPS marine tracking unit. With an all internal antenna design, the MarineGPSTracking M3000 marine tracking unit takes 5-10 minutes to install and gives boat and yacht owners the peace of mind in knowing their investments are protected. "The launch of our MarineGPSTracking unit shows significant advancement in our continued growth and brings a low cost GPS unit to a market that currently has very limited options for tracking their vessels," said Mark Wells, President & CEO of MarineGPSTracking. "Customer demand has increased steadily over the past 6 months and we believe the M3000 marine tracking unit will become one of our most sought after tracking units very quickly." The MarineGPSTracking unit allows boat owners to set up a perimeter around their boat and if it moves or is stolen they will be notified via text or email message. They can then use GPS tracking to follow their boat and recover it quickly. The M3000 will not drain their boats' battery and also includes an 8-10 hour backup battery, as well as an alert sent to the owner, in case it becomes disconnected. February 5, 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 will demonstrate its latest A-GPS solutions enabling "navigation and location everywhere" at Mobile World Congress 2008 (Hall 2, Stand 2H41, 11th - 14th February, Fira de Barcelona, Spain). NemeriX provides the world's lowest power GPS semiconductors, enabling A-GPS solutions to be incorporated into a wide range of handheld and portable devices. NemeriX will be exhibiting its complete range of high-performance, low-power GPS systems for battery-powered applications - including vehicular, pedestrian navigation and location-based services. In conjunction with a globally recognized and commercially successful cellular baseband semiconductor supplier, NemeriX will demonstrate and discuss the successful implementation of its NX3 A-GPS solution embedded within a baseband architecture. Additional highlights will include focus areas on NeX, NemeriX's A-GPS Extended Ephemeris solution - targeted for mobile handsets and other devices requiring the ability to quickly acquire positioning information "deep-indoors" or in harsh multi-path environments - and NemeriX's hosted A-GPS solutions, successfully implemented on a myriad of operating systems often in less than 24 hours. Senior NemeriX's executives will also be on hand to share their perspective on the "last mile" navigation market, as GPS starts to be taken from the car and into the rest of our lives. NemeriX will be offering their insight into the next generation of location-based services that will transform the mobile user experience - including social-based networking (find a friend/family member, dating, gaming), location-based marketing, targeted advertising, 3D imaging, mobile banking authentication, pay-per-use car insurance, litigation resolution for speeding tickets, and much more. "The latest GPS technology is putting navigation into the palm of mobile consumers' hands, however, pedestrian navigation requires a fundamentally different approach from today's vehicular GPS solutions - and a totally new level of accuracy and technical expertise," comments Lew Boore, VP of Marketing for NemeriX. "As leading specialists and solution providers, we are at the forefront in addressing the key challenges in delivering turn-by-turn navigation in walking environments, and an 'in-car experience' in indoor or dense urban environments. This will be the key to integrating GPS solutions into mobile handsets that successfully deliver on consumer expectations." 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 28, 2008.-- MagneticGPSTracker, a leading provider of covert GPS vehicle tracking units, announced the availability of a low cost, easy-to-install magnetic GPS tracking unit. With an all internal antenna design, the MagneticGPSTracker AT3300 tracking unit is perfect for private investigators, car rental agencies or anyone who needs to track a vehicle or other managed asset. "Consumer demand has been very high for a low cost GPS tracking unit that can be easily hidden on a vehicle or trailer," said Mark Wells, President & CEO of MagneticGPSTracker. "We believe this magnetic GPS tracking unit will revolutionize vehicle and asset tracking. All you need to do is charge the unit and attach it covertly to a metal location." The AT3300 runs on an internal Lithium-ion battery, includes a wall charger for faster re-charging and our high gain SuperSense internal antenna. The magnetized GPS tracking unit also includes a water proof ruggedized and magnetized case with every order. Magnetic tracking systems and services are significantly higher priced, and consumers must purchase the magnetized cases for proper use. This turnkey solution features service plans that are per-locate based with every-minute tracking also available if you need continuous GPS tracking. January 28, 2008.-- Rx Networks, Inc., a leading Assisted-GPS (AGPS) technology and global services company, announced a fully autonomous extended ephemeris AGPS product. GPStream SAGPS, Self-Assisted GPS technology, is an open architecture solution designed to reduce start up times of GPS devices and to deliver a "Click'n Go" user experience without the need for a network connection or downloads. "GPStream SAGPS is primarily targeted for use in stand-alone GPS devices with little or no external communications capabilities, such as Personal Navigation Devices (PND) or in-vehicle systems" said Guylain Roy-MacHabée, President and CEO of Rx Networks. "However, in line with our vision to enable the best GPS user experience anytime, even GPS-enabled phones or PDAs can rely on GPStream SAGPS to maintain fast time to first fix when standard assistance data downloads are unavailable." Knowledge of satellite positions in the future makes AGPS products fast; and this solution enables mobile devices to model the behavior of individual GPS satellites in order to predict satellite positions up to 5 days into the future. This means that GPStream SAGPS can help any GPS device resolve its initial position in as little as 3.5 seconds. After only one broadcast ephemeris reading, SAGPS accurately predicts satellite orbits, then continuously develops and refines prediction data every time new broadcast ephemeris is obtained. GPStream SAGPS is the only autonomous GPS assistance data solution optimized for any device and any chipset architecture. Open Architecture AGPS Performance Ongoing Availability Easy Integration Interoperability And Extensibility About GPStream Mobile Suite About Rx Networks 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. Our New site. We have built a new site http://www.belgium-mapped-out.com, where you can plan your own Tours in Belgium and download POI files for your car GPS Navigator. At the start we cover 1230 points in 15 categories, but this number could double in the near future. 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 7, 2008.-- Responding to consumer requests for an easy-to-use vehicle navigation device with increased map and font sizes, Magellan introduced the new larger, 5-inch widescreen Maestro 5310. Magellan's new Maestro 5310 was developed to better meet the needs of a fast-growing segment of consumers, Baby Boomers, who are seeking larger-sized displays and easy-to-use electronics. With its 5-inch WQVGA full-color display and an ultra-thin industrial design, the Maestro 5310 increases Magellan's easy-to-use classic menu interface, images and maps by 35 percent for better readability and increased safety on the roads. "With 90 million Baby Boomers in North America representing $2 trillion in annual spending power, developing GPS products geared to their specific needs is critical to expanding the category," said Christian Bubenheim, vice president of marketing, Magellan. "The Maestro 5310 was designed for consumers who could benefit from a larger device that provides a safe and straightforward navigation experience. With available live traffic, built-in AAA TourBook guide travel information and member Roadside Assistance details, and millions of points of interest, the Maestro 5310 is the ideal travel companion for short trips across town in the SUV or family vacations in the RV." According to consumer electronics industry analyst Thilo Koslowski, "Navigation solutions in 2008 will begin to penetrate broader consumer segments including mainstream and luxury-related markets. Maturing and affluent consumer segments will look for intuitive solutions that excel on ease-of-use and provide rich features such as comprehensive points of interest (POI) and travel guides." Koslowski is vice president and lead automotive analyst at Gartner, Inc. The Maestro 5310 includes 6 million searchable POIs, preloaded maps of the 50 United States, Canada and Puerto Rico; proprietary Say Where™ text-to-speech technology that announces street names; integrated live traffic with free 3-month subscription to Magellan's real-time traffic service; integrated AAA TourBook guide travel information. The Maestro 5310 will be compatible with Magellan VantagePoint, the only desktop application on the market that helps people manage their GPS maps, information, and other content and easily sync it to their devices. Through VantagePoint, which is a free download from http://www.magellangps.com, Magellan customers can personalize and expand their GPS experience. The Maestro 5310 will ship with a windshield mount and cradle, a cigarette lighter adapter, protective pouch, A/C power adapter, USB data cable and an adhesive disk for dash mounting. For additional accessories, including cases, pouches and additional mounting options, visit http://www.magellangps.com. Available in Q1 2008, the Maestro 5310 will retail for $699. 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:
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. December 19, 2007.-- GPS software manufacturer Northport Systems, Inc., has launched Fugawi Touratel, a new cell phone-based outdoor navigation software and interactive web site, for use in the United States. Designed to enhance outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting and more, Fugawi Touratel provides exceptional map detail on a wide variety of mobile phone handsets as well as the complimentary touratel.com website. A first in GPS software solutions for the outdoor recreation market, Fugawi Touratel is a Web 2.0-based cell phone navigation software product that delivers high-resolution US Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps, air photos and urban photos to a wide variety of cell phone models within the USA. In addition, users receive a host of other useful third-party location based applications, such as detailed streets maps of the USA, all for one low monthly fee. Fugawi Touratel is currently compatible with many models from Motorola, Samsung, Sanyo and LG, on the Sprint, Alltel and Boost networks with more networks and cell phone models to be added shortly. Because Fugawi Touratel utilizes the cellular network-derived "Assisted GPS" location, the supported phones do not require a specific-use internal or Bluetooth connected GPS. Also, due to its unique Web 2.0 architecture, the user does not need to download and install client software - the entire Fugawi Touratel application works through the internet connection. Users will benefit from added map content and ongoing product development instantaneously, without the need to download updates or apply patches. "We are pleased to offer USGS topographic maps to the public at no charge though our new web resource, touratel.com," said Robin Martel, president of Northport Systems. "Our Fugawi Touratel Web 2.0 backend also allows us to address tremendous consumer demand for mobile navigation technology by delivering outdoor GPS applications to a much wider variety of existing phones which could not previously be used for navigation." The touratel.com website is a free service enabling users to view and print copies of high quality maps. The site contains all of the USGS topographic maps for the USA, including Hawaii and Alaska, at all available scales, including 1:24,000, 1:100,000 and 1:250,000. Also available through the intuitive tab-based interface are high quality air photos and Google™ maps so the user can review their area of interest utilizing several different map sources. Users can zoom in to any part of the USA and print paper copies to take with them. From the website, users can also check the compatibility of their specific cell phone and, if they wish, sign up and immediately start navigating with the USGS topographic maps on their handset. "Our Touratel web services have been designed from the ground up to allow for rapid development of richer feature sets and growth into new applications and markets", continues Martel. "We will add new map content and additional services in early 2008." Availability For more information on Fugawi Touratel, or to learn more about Northport Systems and its entire product line, please contact (416) 920-9300, or visit www.touratel.com. A regularly updated list of compatible carriers and handsets can also be found on the new touratel.com website. December 14, 2007.-- After gaining success in Europe, Nav N Go, the fastest growing GPS navigation solution provider, is now ready to launch North America's first lifelike 3D navigation software 'Nav N Go iGO8' at CES Las Vegas 2008. To ensure this technology is swiftly available to customers, the company has formed partnerships with leading hardware manufacturers, also to be announced at the show. More than an illusion of 3D display, Nav N Go iGO8 will offer a 'true' lifelike 3D image with elevations, buildings, landmarks and topographic maps on PNDs (Personal Navigation Devices), smart phones and game consoles. Known for its precise and affordable digital maps, Nav N Go was the first company to introduce 'true' 3D navigation software in Europe. The product has a fast route calculation tool and covers over 70 countries globally with navigable maps. Nav N Go provides full coverage basic map of North America on a 1GB SD card, unprecedented by any other vendor. "With our proven success in Europe, advancing to North America is a natural step for us," said Leon van de Pas, CEO of Nav N Go. "As the market for GPS navigation devices is predicted to grow from 3 million units in 2006 to 25 million units by 2010 in North America, we believe our timing is perfect. Our participation at CES Las Vegas is an opportunity for us to demonstrate the most innovative product in this space and initiate dialogues for further partnerships." At the show, visitors can experience the first 3D navigation devices running on Nav N Go iGO8, along with other product offerings for PDAs, smart phones, and game consoles and solutions for the automotive industry. The Nav N Go booth 4809 will have a futuristic theme and will be located in the North Hall of the Convention Center, occupying a two-story booth. December 14, 2007.-- Traffic.com, a NAVTEQ company, offers free, personalized solutions to help holiday drivers get to their destinations faster. Whether you are driving to the airport, across town or across the state to celebrate the holidays, Traffic.com can save you time. By visiting http://www.traffic.com/, drivers can sign-up for real-time traffic information on-line or on-the-go. Traffic.com's suite of free solutions allows visitors to get precise traffic information, helping them to make better decisions about when to leave and determining the fastest route. This information can be personalized to match their destinations and is delivered quickly via the web, by mobile phone or PDA. Traffic.com's free website and mobile alerts are available for all U.S. metropolitan areas. After visiting http://www.traffic.com/, visitors can either enter their zip code or select their starting point on a U.S. map. Users will then be able to assess their city's current traffic conditions as highlighted by red, yellow or green routes. Consumers can view congestion information as well as road incident details, local events, and construction locations.
Traffic.com visitors can choose from an array of free solutions including:
Understanding traffic speed slowdowns for the most traveled routes can help holiday travelers plan ahead and avoid congested roads. Visit http://www.traffic.com/ and let Traffic.com save you travel time. December 14, 2007.-- NAVIGON has introduced a slick, high performance personal navigation device developed in partnership with Porsche Design, featuring u-blox' ANTARIS4 SuperSense GPS technology. NAVIGON's new P9611 measures 125mm x 82 mm x 19mm, weighs just 250 grams and boasts a wide range of hardware and software features, including a pre-installed SD memory card, USB cable, car cradle and charging cable and high quality audio player. The device comes with Bluetooth, enabling hands-free communication support for Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. Other software features include digital maps of 37 European countries, integrated TMC (Traffic Message Channel) that informs users about traffic jams and automatically calculates alternative routes and preloaded international information that updates automatically when users cross a border, displaying country-specific information such as speed limits or permitted alcohol limits. "The P9611 combines u-blox' high sensitivity, high accuracy SuperSense GPS technology with NAVIGON's cutting edge navigation know-how and Porsche Design's slick looks. This combination, added to the device's myriad of features, makes the P9611 the ideal PND for discerning users who want a reliable, long-lasting navigation device," said Thomas Seiler, u-blox CEO. "We are honored to be the GPS supplier for such a high-end device," said Karsten Tietz, Vice President Sales EMEA. Navigon's Porsche Design P9611 GPS unit additionally boasts two powerful processors, a 4.3-inch 480x272 pixels (WQVGA) high-resolution TFT touch screen and a 1400mAh Li-Ion battery. December 10, 2007.-- Farcast, a pre-spin-off from TNO, today announced the launch of Farcast Moblogger, a free new service enabling mobile phone users to instantly update weblogs and share multimedia content directly from their mobile phones. Farcast Moblogger is based on the award winning Farcast platform technology, which is being used for mobile reporting by professional journalists in the Netherlands and Belgium. From today, anyone can sign in at http://moblogger.farcast.eu/ to download and install the Farcast Moblogger application on their telephone free of charge. Farcast Moblogger makes it possible and easy to create and upload photos, video clips, audio clips, unlimited text and GPS location coordinates directly from a mobile phone to the internet at the touch of a button. Service is quick, easy and free of charge Farcast Moblogger users receive a free Farcast blogsite, with a unique location mapping interface, for posting their content and airing their views. Users can also define additional endpoints and set their preferences to forward items either automatically or manually. In this way, users of sites like Hyves, Flickr, Blogger, YouTube, Picasa en Web-log can use Farcast Moblogger to update their sites quickly and easily from their mobile phones, or to email items to friends. The Farcast Moblogger application runs on a wide range of mobile telephones and the list is constantly growing. Users whose telephones are not (yet) supported can make use of MMS uploads and still enjoy the benefits of a free moblog and all the forwarding possibilities of the Farcast Moblogger service. Farcast Moblogger comes from the same stable as Farcast Reporter, the successful mobile reporting service being used by leading news providers like "De Volkskrant" and "Gazet van Antwerpen". Like Reporter, Moblogger also utilises the award winning technology of the Farcast Content Repurposing Platform developed by TNO Information and Communication Technology. For more information please visit the Farcast Moblogger homepage http://moblogger.farcast.eu/ or the Farcast website http://www.farcast.nl/. December 10, 2007.-- DriveOK is launching an inexpensive GPS vehicle tracking unit designed for light duty fleet and consumers. This is the perfect GPS tracking device for parents with teen drivers. With more than 60,000 units in the field DriveOK has found a way to bring a quality unit at an affordable price. DriveOK has launched a vehicle tracking unit that is extremely affordable, easy to use and provides significant value to small fleet owners and parents who want to monitor where their kids are driving. The OK232 has most of the commercial-grade features and has been provided at a fraction of the usual price for that type of service and capability. "The launch of our OK232 GPS Vehicle Tracking Unit brings an affordable unit to small fleet owners and families that have been reluctant to purchase a GPS tracking unit," said Mark Wells, President & CEO of DriveOK Inc. "While most GPS tracking units cost more than $300, we are able to bring the cost down to $189.95 making it very affordable for everyone." Small fleet owners will know when an employee arrives at a location, when they have finished a job and they can simultaneously view their entire fleet on one page. A GPS vehicle tracking unit will give parents the peace of mind to know where their teen drivers are traveling and if they have car trouble, parents will be able to locate their vehicles quickly and easily. DriveOK 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 OK232 GPS Vehicle Tracking Unit is available at www.driveok.com. December 6, 2007.-- SARS Corp., a leading provider of remote asset management and telematics solutions, announced SARS® RoadTrac, a fleet tracking service for the road transport industry. SARS RoadTrac utilizes the integrated satellite/GPRS SureLinx satellite terminal from SkyWave Mobile Communications ("SkyWave"), the global leader for two-way satellite telematics products and services. SARS commenced shipment of SureLinx units to North American SARS RoadTrac customers in Q3 2007 and anticipates further sales to midsize fleet operators. SARS RoadTrac integrates with a broad range of hardware platforms and is designed to improve the safety, security and operational efficiencies of midsize road fleets. "This solution combines data from GPRS and satellite networks to give customers a very low total cost of ownership while ensuring constant contact with an asset even when it's out of GPRS range," said Clayton Shelver, CEO of SARS Corp. "Integration of SARS RoadTrac with SkyWave's SureLinx dual-mode terminal enables us to deliver solutions for customers with minimal lead time." With SARS RoadTrac, customers monitor their vehicles on a customizable map-based interface and receive real-time business intelligence regarding the status and location of vehicles. SARS RoadTrac is accessed through a standard Web browser allowing users to be in touch with their critical assets, anywhere, anytime. The SARS RoadTrac service utilizes SkyWave's SureLinx terminal that integrates satellite and GPRS for simplified networking and cost-efficient application integration. The discrete terminal features low power consumption and a rugged exterior, making it versatile enough to suit a wide range of applications requiring dependable coverage across urban and rural or remote locations. "SARS Corp. is a premier provider of remote asset management and telematics solutions," says Alain Nicolle, North American Sales Director for SkyWave. "We are pleased to provide them with reliable, cost-effective satellite products and network services to enable a robust end-user solution. With the ubiquitous coverage provided by this solution, asset owners and end-users benefit from increased security and peace of mind regardless of where they travel." December 4, 2007.-- Celebrating six years of tracking Santa, Travel By GPS has partnered with Geovative Solutions to add an interactive map of Santa's waypoints for 2007. This year, visitors can see their personal placemark displayed with all others on Santa's itinerary. They better hurry though, the cut-off for placemark submission is December 23rd! "Tracking Santa is a fun example of the power of a Tour Widget." says Scott Rock about one of the features of Geovative's newly-released GeoTours Premium platform. "Our Tour Widget displays the spatial relationship of the tour data on familiar Google maps, as well as tour point details in the accompanying table of contents. The interactivity enables visitors to highlight a point in the list and see where the point is located on the map." "We've been tracking Santa for 6 years and his route is pretty much the same each year." says Doug Adomatis, owner of TravelByGPS.com. "It the who's been naughty and who's been nice list that changes. The Geovative Tour Widget has a powerful influence on the behavior of the little ones. If they don't see their placemark, they straighten right up!" Visit the Tracking Santa page on TravelByGPS.com on http://www.travelbygps.com/special/santa/tracker.php Placemarks for Santa's 2007 itinerary can be mailed to santa2007@travelbygps.com. November 27, 2007.-- u-blox AG, the leading Swiss provider of GPS chips, modules and services, announced the launch of two GPS modules that set new benchmarks in terms of speed, sensitivity and ease of integration. The LEA-5 GPS module series is based on u-blox' fifth generation positioning engine, u-blox 5, which boasts an acquisition performance of less than one second. These versatile, stand-alone GPS receivers combine an extensive array of features with flexible connectivity options. Their ease of integration results in fast times-to-market for a wide range of automotive, consumer and industrial applications with strict size and cost requirements. "The LEA-5 GPS module series brings the high performance of the u-blox 5 positioning engine to the industry standard LEA form factor", said Karsten Tietz, u-blox Vice President Sales EMEA. This new generation is backwards compatible and ensures our customers an easy migration from LEA-4 module designs, with even better performance and improved cost-efficiency." u-blox 5 offers an ultra-fast acquisition time thanks to its 50-channel GPS architecture with over 1 million correlators and separate acquisition and tracking engines, capable of massively parallel searches. Combined with u-blox' AssistNow A-GPS service, the u-blox 5 chip and module generation acquires satellites in less than one second. "These LEA-5 modules are ultra fast and boast an impressive -160 dBm acquisition and tracking sensitivity. These features, added to the module's small size and low cost make them ideally suited for use in mass market GPS-enabled consumer devices," said u-blox Chief Executive, Thomas Seiler. "This breakthrough technology is yet another endorsement of the strength of u-blox' research and development team." The LEA-5 GPS module series is lead free and has an industrial temperature range of -40 to 85°C. Its small form factor and SMT pads allow for fully automatic assembly processes with standard pick-and-place equipment and reflow soldering, enabling cost-efficient, high-volume production. The LEA-5H GPS module comes with a Flash EPROM that enables easy firmware upgrades and set-up configuration saving options. The ROM-based LEA-5S offers further cost efficiencies. Both modules feature u-blox' OMA SUPL compliant A-GPS interface and support AssistNow Online and AssistNow Offline A-GPS services. November 28, 2007.-- NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital map data for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, has announced an expanded version of NAVTEQ Transport with new coverage in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Belgium and Luxembourg, new data types and a harmonized global specification to enhance the functionality of truck routing and logistics planning applications across North America and Western Europe. NAVTEQ Transport enables applications to plan truck-specific routes using the leading NAVTEQ map to improve efficiency and lower operating costs.
"With the move many of our customers are making to fewer, larger trucks, truck-specific restriction data has never been more important. With the expanded coverage in Europe and new hazardous materials information for North America, NAVTEQ Transport improves the ability of fleet operators, truck drivers and applications to plan approved routes and estimate delivery times more accurately. More efficient routing translates into lower fuel consumption and environmental benefits" said Cliff Fox, senior vice president, map division. NAVTEQ Transport includes:
Because of the success of the product, a global rollout plan bala |