Fastrax Partners with SiGe to Power its Software GPS Solution

Fastrax has entered into an agreement with SiGe to enable the former power power its Software GPS solution using the later product called SE4120.
The SE4120 provides high navigation sensitivity and allows GPS functionality to be customized for a variety of electronic devices and applications.
Fastrax's product optimizes the functions that require the most processing power and memory in GPS solutions and obtains the best performance on every platform, depending on available processing power and memory, while SiGe's radio frequency chips offer a high-performance, low-power solution for wireless products.
Explaining the expectation of both parties from this collaboration, Kim Kaisti, co-founder and VP of Business Development at Fastrax said "We are always looking for ways to improve our offering and want to drive the GPS technology development. When combining Fastrax software GPS with SiGe's SE4120 we can deliver exceptionally high tracking sensitivity of -163 dBm. We are now raising the bar on system sensitivity. SiGe's field proven leadership in GPS RF IC's, system knowledge and support was a significant driver to select them as one of our technology partners."
The combined solution will include a reference design that will allow third parties to more easily integrate the high-performance GPS technology into their products, speeding up adoption beyond just high-end cellphones, the companies said.
SiGe added target platforms for the technology include personal navigation devices, mobile Internet devices and ultra-mobile PCs, as well as digital cameras and laptops.
Fastrax Software GPS flexibility enables portability to a range of CPUs, specific application processors and operating systems, as it is based on the Fastrax iSuite architecture, which was originally designed for embedded environments. The SE4120 is a highly integrated GPS/GNSS radio front-end IC, offering high performance and low power operation in a wide range of low-cost applications. It supports GPS and dual-mode L1-band GPS/GNSS products. The SE4120 features a conditioned interface for software implementations of GNSS baseband signal processing.
The solution will support all known operating systems including all Microsoft Windows platforms, Embedded Linux and Nucleus.
This is SiGe's second collaboration with a European GPS products maker in three months; it also teamed up with Geotate in October to put geotagging in mass-market digital cameras.  

Intergis Showcases New GPS Asset Tracking Device

At the just concluded 2009 International Builders Show in Las Vegas that took place between January 20 and 23, ntergis, a leading single-source provider of mobile resource management and logistics technologies, introduced Kuva which is a configurable wireless asset tracking device for the construction and home-building industries.
With this device, companies will be able to track and protect high net-worth assets including heavy equipment, vehicles, loads and cargo shipments using GPS/GSM system technology.
Explaining the usefulness of this device, Jim Price, general manager of Intergis's southeast region offered that Kuva can be used to maximize productivity as well as locate assets and track vehicles, cargo, or other high-net-worth materials.
"Since theft at unmanned building and construction sites is increasing, an intelligent tracking solution like Kuva is even more valuable for both construction companies and their financial backers," he concluded.
For assets, Kuva provides location, time/date, and motion information, which it transmits to a remote server via the GSM/GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) wireless network. Users can track each transmission, which appears in a Web-based mapping or satellite imagery application with the exact location of the asset being tracked. The data is integrated into the Intergis system or a number of logistics management technologies.
Kuva allows users to select reporting frequency for the device. When it is set to send data in time-only mode, Kuva will transmit at pre-programmed intervals. It can also be set to report in response to specific events such as movement, no movement, or simply when being polled.
The device can be moved to different vehicles or assets according to need. Kuva is encased in water-resistant, molded plastic, and has internal antennas that reportedly enable it to operate within the environmental conditions of any shipment, vehicle, load, machine, or asset. According to the company, the device can be hidden on assets to limit detection and features a self-contained, battery-powered unit that may last up to 2.5 years before recharging, depending on reporting frequency.

ABI Research Predicts Market Boom for GPS-Enabled Phones in 2009

With the economy melt down eating hard on virtually every sector, ABI is however predicting a rise in shippments of GPS-enabled mobile phones this year and this is partly responsible by location-based services (LBS) like navigation and location-aware social networks which at the moment are steadily gaining momentum.
According to the company, although global handset shipments are expected to drop by 4-5% in 2009, GPS-enabled phones will climb to 240 million units, an increase of 6.4% over the previous year.
The report says that this surprising performance will be driven by the ongoing demand for feature-rich smartphones. Although slowing slightly in 2009, demand for smartphones, a group that includes the Apple iPhone 3G, RIM's BlackBerry devices, and Nokia N series phones among a growing list, will increase at an average annual unit shipment rate of 19 percent through 2014. During the period, GPS chipsets will continue to penetrate this segment; nine of every ten smartphones will contain GPS ICs in 2014, compared with one in three in 2008.
George Perros, ABI senior analyst, while detailing the result of their critical analysis of the situation stated that "Falling component prices and increasing consumer awareness of handset location capabilities will keep demand for GPS-enabled phones healthy, in spite of the slumping global economic picture. As the quality of positioning technology in handsets improves and the cost of including it declines, GPS location technology will approach the status of a standard device feature.We are approaching the point where location awareness will be synonymous with smart devices, a point where personal navigation, social spatial knowledge, and location-specific contextual information will be assumed handset capabilities."
The study also revealed that other factors that will continue the trend toward the inclusion of GPS functionality in handsets include the spread of open source operating systems such as Google's Android which provide application specific interfaces (APIs) that allow software developers to create location-based content for mobile devices, and the continuing emergence of navigation and map-based applications for handsets.

Lowrance Announces Endura Handheld GPS

Lowrance has announced a new line of Endura handheld GPS products. They are the Outback, Safari, and Sierra. These rugged handheld GPS devices are targeted at outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seeking individuals.
Featuring touch-screen operation, a high-accuracy 3D digital compass and barometric altimeter, the Sierra provides sensor-enhanced navigation and better situational awareness capabilities then other products on the market. Preloaded with high-detail outdoor maps and fully functional right out of the box, the Sierra is the flagship of Lowrance's new Endura line of handheld GPS devices!
The Sierra device contains 4GB of internal memory and provides a micro SD expansion slot supporting up to an additional 32GB of storage for mapping, pictures and MP3 audio files. The pre-loaded content includes Intermap's AccuterraTM high-resolution topographic maps, extensive outdoor trail networks and Points of Interest, as well as the NAVTEQ road network for the contiguous 48 states with an upgrade option for full-featured turn-by-turn navigation. In addition, Lowrance offers a full range of optional mapping content including Fishing Hot Spots and other national and international map content. The Lowrance Sierra GPS has a suggested retail price of $549 U.S.
Offering enhanced situational awareness to outdoor enthusiasts, the Safari combines advanced mapping capabilities with a trip computer, electronic compass and barometric altimeter into a powerful handheld GPS system. A touch-screen display and simple, intuitive keypad make it easy to enter data and access information. The Safari is preloaded with a sophisticated base map and supports both plug-and-play micro SD cards and downloadable maps offering complete versatility to aid any outdoor adventure. The Lowrance Safari GPS has an MSRP of $384.99 U.S.
The last of the three is the most affordable going only for a suggested retail price of $229.99. It is a touch-screen, easy-to-use handheld GPS and it provides extensive expansion capabilities for the outdoor enthusiast. It is also preloaded with a sophisticated base map and offering multiple mounting choices and downloadable mapping options, as well as support for shared web community content and plug-and-play micro SD card.
They are all expected to be available for purchase in May.

Microsoft And NAVTEQ Consolidate on Agreements

The ten year-old agreement that exists between Microsoft and NAVTEQ has been further extended to include new terms that will further consolidate on their relationship.
With this new agreement, Microsoft will now be able to access all the 74 countries in the NAVTEQ map database. It also gives Microsoft the rights to make use of other NAVTEQ contens among which are: Extended Listings which ncludes hundreds of thousands of business listings for category customization and enhanced destination selection; NAVTEQ Transport(TM) with a growing number of attributes that target specific needs of the transport industry to enable sophisticated truck navigation, as well as routing and dispatch optimization; NAVTEQ Discover Cities(TM) provides the street, pedestrian and public transit network information necessary for pedestrian and multi-modal navigation;and NAVTEQ Voice(TM) translates names and named places into phonetic language that enables applications to generate spoken words for guidance, which is a more intuitive and natural way for consumers to interact with navigation systems. This will also give Microsoft the right to utilize NAVTEQ data in its Internet and mapping software solutions.
Speaking on the agreement, Stephen Lawler, general manager of Virtual Earth at Microsoft revealed that "Microsoft has remained a leader in mapping software by providing end users with intuitive, information-rich products. This global agreement with Navteq helps us continue to provide users with the most powerful and expansive experience possible."
The deal continues a business relationship that began 10 years ago when Microsoft initially selected NAVTEQ to supply map data of the United States and Canada. Their deal later expanded to include data for Western Europe, Asia and Mexico. Microsoft is optimistic that they will be able to offer their international customers with more reliable services.
It should be recalled that NAVTEQ is a global developer of precision digital map databases and enabling technology used in a wide range of smart navigation products including automotive, hand held products, GIS/fleet applications, Internet mapping, PC-based applications and call center-based navigation services.

Trimbles Announces Trimble Dimension 2009

The Trimble Dimensions 2009 conference and exhibition takes place at The Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year conference promises to be greater since you will learn how to get the most from your positioning equipment, listen to industry leaders discuss the future of positioning and connect with peers from around the world at the exhibition.
 Keynote speakers include Steve Bergland, Trimble president and CEO; Robert Kriegel, author of If It Ain't Broke...Break It! and Steve Squyres, principal investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover Project.
Mr. Steven W. Berglund is the Trimble President and CEO, author of Your Success is Our Business. Mr. Berglund will discuss how vision and innovation has changed the landscape for surveyors, contractors, engineers and geospatial professionals worldwide to transform the way work is done. The rapid development of technology has created an environment of convergence, a philosophy which has been embraced by Trimble for more than 30 years and is the foundation for its business.
Dr. Robert Kriegel New York Times and Business Week Best Selling Author of Get Out of the Box to Facilitate Change. Dr. Robert Kriegel teaches bold, innovative, "out of the box" strategies for keeping ahead of the changes, challenges and competition in today's dynamic marketplace.
Others are Mr. Richard Teerlink Former Chairman and CEO, Harley-Davidson, Inc.and Dr. Steve Squyres Principal Investigator, Mars Exploration Rover Project Experience and Innovation - Keys to Exploring New Frontiers.
Dimensions registered attendees have the ability to review and search through the Session Catalog to learn about the classes being offered at the conference.  You can search for sessions by industry, speaker name, speaker title or speaker company as well as search for sessions containing certain keywords.

Trimble Takes Over Korec Software Assets

Trimble, a company that applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government more productive, announced that it has acquired the FastMap and GeoSite software assets from Korec , a privately held Trimble distributor serving the United Kingdom and Ireland.
According to the company, the acquisition, which includes software development, professional services and business development teams, will allow Trimble to expand its Mapping and Geographic Information System (GIS) solutions to provide optimized software and professional services in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Financial terms were not disclosed.
FastMap is an integrated field-based software suite for GIS data collection, maintenance, and use that supports all Ordnance Survey digital data sources as well as data from any GIS system that conforms to OpenGIS standards. The suite includes modules for mobile data capture and data maintenance, workforce management, asset management, and map production. The GeoSite product provides a complete solution for land surveyors and construction professionals for managing a full range of field to office functions such as processing data, editing CAD files, conducting volume analysis, and plotting production operations, all in a single software package. The acquired professional services group delivers customized solutions for various industries throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland including utilities, government, transportation and environmental management, the company said.
Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location-including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping.

Canned Messaging from Navman

Navman Wireless North America, a provider of vehicle tracking and fleet management solutions, announced the addition of canned message functionality to its next-generation vehicle tracking and logistics software, OnlineAVL2, allowing fleet managers to create a library of standard messages that make sense for their businesses. Canned messages eliminate the need for full keyboard typing and provide team members a quick and easy means to deliver efficient and clear messages with only a few key selections. The new feature is an added enhancement to Navman Wireless' real-time vehicle position, integrated maintenance modules and advanced software designed to provide state mileage reporting, automated e-mail reporting, monitoring alerts and high-resolution satellite imagery capabilities. Navman Wireless says its fleet manager-selected canned messages provide a seamless response template for accurate disclosure and allow managers to create a collection of up to 100 custom messages that are relevant to their fleet or business. Messages are programmed wirelessly onto the M-Nav integrated messaging and navigation device, and Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) for drivers to use. The new OnlineAVL2 canned messaging functionality currently is available in new product purchases and accessible immediately to current Navman Wireless customers at no charge as a free upgrade request or during the next scheduled automatic software update.

FindWhere in Partnership with Omega Partner to Develop Anti-auto Theft Application

FindWhere, a pioneer and global leader of real-time GPS location tracking, today announced a partnership with Omega Research & Development, Inc. that will enable customers to monitor and track their vehicles. The partnership is in response to the carjacking epidemic in Central and South America – a trend that has prompted many governments throughout the region to mandate tracking devices in all new cars. In many Latin American countries and U.S. States, car owners who install GPS tracking devices in their vehicles also receive up to 25% reductions in auto insurance premiums. FindWhere's tracking devices will be distributed under the Omega brand name. The devices will be hardwired into automobiles. After activation, customers can receive email and text alerts with information on the location of tracked devices including a physical address, speed monitoring, on-the-move alerts, a panic button, and notification of entry or exit of a pre-determined geographic perimeter or geofence. Car alarm warnings, online remote start capability, and car ignition alerts are also available with some plans. Speaking on this new development, Bill Duffy, Executive Director of Omega Research & Development said "Omega is pleased to develop a relationship with FindWhere which will enhance our ability to provide global GPS & telematics solutions, deter motorcycle and carjackers, and quickly locate stolen automobiles."

TeleNav Tracking Helps Managers Keep Track of Mobile Workers

The result of a research conducted by TeleNav, Inc shows that about 48 percent of businesses with mobile workers have no way of knowing where those employees are located at any given moment. This has raised some serious vital issues which include accountability and how likely the managers are going to respond on time to their workers in case of any emergency. According to a statement released by Sal Dhanani, co-founder and senior director of marketing at TeleNav; "There's no question that we're seeing a huge influx in the amount of mobile workers — Forrester Research recently estimated they will make up 73 percent of the workforce by 2012(1). In an ideal world, mobile employees would never find themselves in a dangerous setting. However, our survey results demonstrate the need for companies to consider ways to reduce safety concerns." It is a known fact that GPS-based tracking services, such as TeleNav Track, allow managers to keep tabs on the current locations of employees. Some solutions even have distress alert functions for mobile workers to warn dispatchers if they are in trouble and need help. Also, Jim Powers, president of Powerline Freight Systems offered that "Years ago, we lost a driver to a heart attack. It took us a whole day to locate the truck. If we had a solution like TeleNav Track in place, he might still be with us today. Now that we have the service, our employees feel safer knowing we can quickly locate them in case of an emergency and it makes us more comfortable with them on the road as well."

CVIS Project Now Launched

CVIS has achieved an important milestone - the development and beta testing of its Europe's first universal platform for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and services. This multi-purpose open platform provides multiple communication interfaces, precise positioning and software support for V2V and V2I cooperative systems, and can be installed in both vehicles and roadside units. Visited on average by 25,000 professionals, Intertraffic is the world's largest and most influential trade event for infrastructure, traffic management, safety and parking sectors to present their latest products, services and solutions. With CVIS, drivers can influence the traffic control system directly and get individual guidance with the quickest route to their destination. Speed limits and other road sign information, as well as warnings of approaching emergency vehicles and similar urgent messages will be sent through wireless means to the vehicle and displayed to the driver. By providing location-specific warnings, individual route recommendations, and up-to-date traffic information, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication can improve the flow of traffic as well as road safety. CVIS is coordinated by ERTICO (European Road Transport Telematic Implementation Coordination Organization), a multi-sector public/private partnership for intelligent transport systems and services in Europe. To validate the project's results, CVIS technologies and applications has been tested at test sites in seven European countries: France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands/Belgium, Sweden and the UK.

Dash Express is a New Purpose-built Navigational Device for Commuters

The Dash Express is unlike any other portable navigation system on the market today because it offers two-way connectivity (cellular and Wi-Fi), giving drivers access to a whole new world of information via the Internet and the network of other Dash-connected users. You can conduct live (and more relevant) Web searches via Yahoo Local search; get real-time traffic data; wireless send addresses to the system; and much more. It really adds value to portable navigation devices. At 4.8 inches wide by 4.1 inches high by 2.8 inches deep and weighing 13.3 ounces, the Dash certainly is a bit bulky.It comes with 4.3-inch WQVGA color touch screen with a 480x272 pixel resolution and anti-glare technology. You can adjust the brightness manually or turn on the ambient light function, which will automatically adjust the back light depending on your environment. There are a number of features that make the Dash Express special and unlike any other portable navigation system on the market, starting with the Internet connectivity. With a built-in Wi-Fi and cellular radio, the Dash can use a Wi-Fi or GPRS connection to provide you with live content in the car. This allows you to perform more relevant and up-to-date searches with Yahoo Local search rather than relying on a stagnant points-of-interest database. There are a number of features that make the Dash Express special and unlike any other portable navigation system on the market, starting with the Internet connectivity. With a built-in Wi-Fi and cellular radio, the Dash can use a Wi-Fi or GPRS connection to provide you with live content in the car. This allows you to perform more relevant and up-to-date searches with Yahoo Local search rather than relying on a stagnant points-of-interest database. The Dash Express is available from Dash and Amazon.com, and includes three months of complimentary Dash Service. Afterward, you will have to purchase one of their plans, which range from $9.99 a month with a two-year plan to $12.99 per month for month-to-month.

New Garmin Nuvi 780 Now Available

The new nüvi 780 raises the bar higher with its new MSN direct seamless data integration; further enhancing and providing the user with the most up-to-the-second data previously unavailable to everyday users. The The new nüvi 780 raises the bar higher with its new MSN direct seamless data integration; further enhancing and providing the user with the most up-to-the-second data previously unavailable to everyday users. Go wide and get MSN Direct with nuvi 780. This navigator has it all and comes pre-loaded with advanced navigation features, a widescreen display, preloaded maps, an FM transmitter and hands-free calling plus real-time local weather, traffic, movie times, stock information, gas prices and news and local events. Like the rest of the wide nuvi 700-series, its premium navigation capabilities, like route planning and a handy locator, give you peace of mind on the go. sign with a gorgeous display, an easy, intuitive interface, and detailed NAVTEQ maps for the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico with more than 6 million "name-searchable" points of interest. All of the 700-series navigators also feature a rich array of features including spoken directions in real street names, integrated traffic receivers, MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system. There is also the multi-destination routing that helps users to enter several spots into the device (day care - supermarket-cleaners - office - day care, for example) and it will plot the fastest route. And once you've found the best router, the "Route Planning" feature lets you save up to 10 different routes, Garmin touts the feature for providing, "the most efficient route for errands, deliveries and sales calls." Like all nüvis, the 780 supports configurable vehicle icons. These fun, customized car-shaped icons come in a variety of colors to add a personal touch to your vehicle's position on the map.

Get Great Navigation Experience with Harman's GPS-810NA

GPS-810 Harman Kardon Portable Navigation takes portable navigation to a whole new level and offers a highly intuitive user interface making it an easy to use navigation device. Easy-to-use and requiring no installation, the GPS-810 is the ultimate all-in-one navigation system for vehicle and personal use. It features Text-to-Speech in English. It also offers full playback capability of digital music and video files along with hands free functions of Bluetooth enabled phones. All access and control is via a breakthrough wireless remote control and / or utilizing the high resolution 4.3 WQVGA touch screen. In navigation mode, it offers easy-to-understand spoken instructions and visuals in 17 different languages. Turn-by-turn graphics with all vital information is displayed in 2-D or 3-D and Maps of U.S. and Canada are built-in along with a 12 million point of interest database. Real-time-traffic information to reroute around traffic delays and the antenna built into the cigarette lighter power cord is included along with a 90 day free trial period. The full blown Music player offers browsing by Artist, Album, Genre, Song or Playlist. It will display ID3 tags for artist, title and album along with album artwork. MP3, AAC & WMA audio formats are supported along with Windows Media DRM 10 for compatibility with music and video download services. In video player mode the 4 high resolution WQGVA widescreen plays back hours of video and supports MPEG-4, WMV9 and H.264 video formats. All digital media is accessed via SD Card slot (SD card not included) and will accept SD and SDHC cards. The Bluetooth interface allows hands free cell phone communication and will display phone's address book and caller ID's from Bluetooth capable phones. A built-in dual microphone with digital signal processing significantly improves clarity of speaking voice to the other caller. Lastly, a photo viewer that reads JPG, BMP and GIF files is provided with folder sorting and thumb nail viewing. The Harman Kardon GPS-810NA is fairly priced at $600 and even lesser at Amazon.com

A New Midlevel Navigation System Released by Becker

Berker, a company popularly known for known for making Porsche and Mercedes-Benz radios is now launching a new product called Becker Traffic Assist 7927. This personal navigation device combines fascinating technology with a unique slim-line design and features a high-contrast, low reflection 3.5-inch TFT touch screen. The Becker Traffic Assist 7927 has also been designed to be easy to install in just a few steps and can be used practically anywhere. A perfect travel companion for added safety and convenience in the car, on a bike or motorcycle. The Becker Traffic Assist 7927 also features a full 8-digit UK postcode search with 2D and 3D moving maps of the UK, Western Europe and Eastern Europe, in total the Becker Traffic Assist 7927 provides street-level mapping for 37 European countries (a full list of available countries is listed below) in 22 different languages. The Becker Traffic Assist 7927 provides real-time traffic information via the TMC (Traffic Message Channel) Module and then displays the various events and give you options on how to avoid traffic congestion in the road ahead. This feature is also available when Becker navigation guidance is inactive. The Becker Traffic Assist 7927 route calculation can be selected according to profiles, which include: normal car, fast car, slow car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian. Once selected these profiles will generate a route specific to your chosen method of transport. Ideal if you intend to use your Becker Traffic Assist 7927 for walking or cycling. The Becker Traffic Assist 7927 map data for Europe contains special destination points of interests (POI) including airports, hospitals, service stations, hotels, restaurants and stadiums. Miniature icons show points of interest along the selected route. In addition to navigation the Becker Traffic Assist 7927 features integrated MP3 player, JPEG picture viewer and video player. Listen to music via the integrated MP3 player and two internal speakers or headphones without interrupting navigation. The display shows ID3 tags (title, artist), elapsed track time and directories. The Becker Traffic Assist 7927 7927 also features a video player for playing videos. The Picture Viewer feature presents JPEG images separately or in a slide show on the brilliant low-reflection, high contrast 3.5-inch touch-screen display with 16-bit density and 65,536 colours.