Symmetricom Announces New Version of Multi-Time Zone Desktop Time Utility

Symmetricom, Inc. today announced SymmTime 2009, the company's latest version of its multi-time zone desktop time utility.

Spirent Offers A-GPS Over-the-Air Testing through Collaboration with Satimo

Satimo's SAM Antenna Measurement Software now supports Spirent's UMTS Location Test System and CDMA Position Location Test System for A-GPS Over-the-Air testing, according to Spirent Communications plc. Satimo is a supplier of high-speed antenna measurement systems, including multi-probe antenna measurement solutions for mobile telecommunications equipment.

Taking Up Indoor Positions: Qualcomm and Skyhook

With Qualcomm owning the U.S. CDMA telecom market through its gpsONE solution, and a total worldwide distribution of more than 400 million gpsOne-enabled handsets, their approach to indoor positioning matters. Advanced Forward Link Trilateration, AFLT, is their fall-back technology for CDMA2000 networks for places that GPS doesn't work, but AFLT's accuracy is nowhere as good as GPS....

Response to U&C Pulse Editorial

A reader of GPS World's Utilities & Communications Pulse newsletter sent this note in response to the January 22 column by Editor Janice Partyka, Obama to Name Nation's First CTO.

map purse

Oh yes, here at Navigadget we’re talking about a purse. Maybe we have a couple of female readers. Who knows. Anyhow - if you follow the instructions here you can actually make yourself a decent looking purse that you can actually use. It could be of a city that you plan on visiting to help you when you’re there or help you relive memories of a vacation you had.

You’ll need a map of your choice, sewing machine, cardboard for the bottom, a little car, and a few other things such as velcro an a glue gun. Any takers? via

Brought to you by your GPS navigation site gps solutions.

Calling the Real Race in GNSS

Andrew Sage, a director of UK-based transport consultancy Helios, delivered a presentation at the European Navigation Conference entitled: The race to be the partner of choice for GPS.[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Rosum Corporation Names Industry Veteran Anderson as CEO

Brad Anderson has joined Rosum Corporation as chief executive officer. Anderson brings to Rosum over 18 years of leadership in running high technology product and service companies and experience in positioning and timing technology with companies such as SigNav, u-Nav Microelectronics, Navman, and Conexant Systems, Rosum said.

Sensorlogic Launches GPS Tracking Software

Sensorlogic has launched a software application for GPS tracking and location-based services, XpressIQ Position, following the company's debut of its latest GSM/GPS tracker.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/GpsUtilitiesCommunications/~4/wtbd6TO-35I" height="1" width="1"/

Moto Rolls Out Fixed-Mount, In-Vehicle Computer

Motorola Inc. has rolled out its VC6096, an in-vehicle, fixed-mount mobile computer that provides both GPS-based asset tracking and vehicle monitoring, as well as navigation and other location-based services, according to the company.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/GpsUtilitiesCommunications/~4/zVh_X4w3LAs" height="1" width="1"/

PocketFinder to Enable Trackers, Service for Android Phones

Location Based Technologies Inc. announced that it will enable its PocketFinder tracking service as well as integrate its PocketFinder GPS/GSM trackers with Android-based smartphones.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/GpsUtilitiesCommunications/~4/8oKNnnq9RMI" height="1" width="1"/

NOAA Predicts Mild Solar Storm Season

Although its peak is still four years away, a new active period of Earth-threatening solar storms will be the weakest since 1928, predicts an international panel of experts led by NOAA?s Space Weather Prediction Center and funded by NASA. Despite the prediction, Earth is still vulnerable to a severe solar storm, which can affect GPS and GNSS.[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Frost & Sullivan: Game-Changing Moves Strengthen Consumer LBS

A number of factors including the development of third-party location databases and technologies are poised to finally drive real LBS market growth on mobile phones, according to a research report by Frost & Sullivan.

Navman Adds Real-Time Alerts to OnlineAVL2

Navman Wireless North America has added real-time event alerts to its OnlineAVL2 fleet management software.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/GpsUtilitiesCommunications/~4/zuOp3QuCivQ" height="1" width="1"/

Berg: Shipments of GPS-enabled GSM/WCDMA handsets Jumped 178.6 Percent in 2008

According to a new research report by Berg Insight, global shipments of GPS-enabled GSM/WCDMA handsets jumped 178.6 percent in 2008 to 78.0 million units.[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Topcon Provides Receivers for China's Crustal Movement Observation Network

Topcon Positioning Systems has been selected to supply GNSS receivers for the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC). The company will supply 132 campaign-mode (portable) GNSS CORS receivers and GNSS choke-ring antennas for CMONOC.[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Dash Express Connected PND Offers Microsoft's Tellme Service

Microsoft subsidiary Tellme has announced that voice-activated local business search results from Microsoft Live Search can now be delivered directly to the Dash Express portable navigation device (PND).img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/GpsUtilitiesCommunications/~4/jou2wRo6ON0" height="1" width="1"/

Celevoke Opens Expanded Network Operations Center

Telematics provider Celevoke Inc. has completed a $500,000 upgrade and opened its expanded and enhanced network operations center in central California.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/GpsUtilitiesCommunications/~4/YMtHhkbx7-s" height="1" width="1"/

Police will use GPS Bait Bikes

Starting fall semester University of Minnesota police will implement a “Bait Bike” program to put an end to ever increasing bike theft problem around campus.

Police will use unclaimed and abandoned bikes as bait, and attach the hidden GPS system to the frame. If stolen, the bike will send a signal to police, who may track its location electronically and make an arrest.

Apparently the GPS tracking hardware they’re using costs $1000 and it also requires a monthly fee. Well if they had come to Navigadget for consultation we could’ve showed them some cheaper tracking solutions - but hey, that’s the government for you.

University of Wisconsin-Madison police implemented this solution back in 2008 and has since seen some good results: Bike theft went 30 percent down from the 2007-08 academic year.

At the beginning of each year, University of Wisconsin police distribute stickers reading “This could be a Bait Bike” to students in hopes that they will put them on their bikes, Whitney said.

via

Brought to you by your GPS navigation site NaviGadget.

Symmetricom Network Time Server Gets Security Nod from GPS Wing

Symmetricom, Inc.'s SyncServer S300/S350 SAASM NTP Network Time Server meets GPS security requirements of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the company announced.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/GpsUtilitiesCommunications/~4/h1jLNXY2Uzk" height="1" width="1"/

Vehicle Tracking Acquires Unlimited Virtual Earth License

Vehicle Tracking Solutions (VTS) has acquired an unlimited license to incorporate Microsoft's Virtual Earth mapping technology into its lineup of GPS-based vehicle tracking services.img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/GpsUtilitiesCommunications/~4/0MoXkvy31TM" height="1" width="1"/

horizonless projection in Manhattan

Here & There is a project by S&W exploring speculative projections of dense cities. These maps of Manhattan look uptown from 3rd and 7th, and downtown from 3rd and 35th. They’re intended to be seen at those same places, putting the viewer simultaneously above the city and in it where she stands, both looking down and looking forward.

This is an awesome map. Much better than those 3D rendered GPS navigation system maps you get on your dash. With those you get to see 3 - 4 streets down the road and a fake horizon.

With “here & there” project you get no horizon but a lot more useful information. Wouldn’t you want your sat nav to draw maps like this?

They have only 2000 of these printed on paper and they go for $65.

Brought to you by your GPS navigation site NaviGadget.

Pioneer NavGate AVIC-F9110BT

Pioneer in UK just announced a new in-dash GPS navigation + entertainment system called Pioneer NavGate AVIC-F9110BT. The unit is specifically designed for VW, Skoda and Seat vehicles.

AVIC-F9110BT has a high-resolution 5.8-inch WVGA touch screen, 2GB internal memory that stores maps of 44 European countries by TeleAtlas, and also includes 1.7million Points-of-Interests (POIs). The device has text-to-speech feature; not only for street names but even for traffic events that it receives via the TMC receiver.

Some multimedia features include the ability to watch videos from DVDs, CDs, SD cards, USB devices, control your iPod or iPhone using a special cable, and support for various audio formats. It also does bluetooth so you can relay phone conversations to your car’s stereo.

Another neat feature is the ability to customize the POI database from Google Maps using the SD card and their NavGate Feeds application.

Pioneer NavGate AVIC-F9110BT will be available starting July in 18 different vehicles:

Volkswagen
Caddy 07/2004
Eos 05/2006
Golf V plus 09/2003
Golf V 09/2003-2008
Golf VI 2008
Jetta 08/2005
Passat CC 03/2005
Passat 2008
Scirocca 2008
Tiguan 2007
Touran 03/2003
Polo 2009

Seat
Altea 05/2004
Altea XL 09/2005
Leon 12/2004

Skoda
Fabia 2009
Octavia 2009
Superb 2008

Brought to you by your GPS navigation site NaviGadget.

CTIA Buzzes over Blackberry Apps, Stimulus Package

This month's buzz at CTIA, the mammoth wireless show in Las Vegas, emanated from the BlackBerry App World store. Besides Blackberry buzz, the biggest smiles were worn by the vendors that will benefit from the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus money. Critical questions still abound, such as the elemental question, "What defines broadband?"