| NEWSBRIEFS – LBS |
| Asus launches PDA GPS
phone in India |
Asus launched the P535 tri-band
PDA phone in India with full wireless
functionality, GPS and auto-focus
camera. It also offers push email, Internet
access, off-site synchronization of
calendar and contact information over
wireless (802.11b+g) or mobile phone
GPRS networks. www.pcworld.in |
| Mobile service turns cell phone
into personal “Robo-Scout” |
A new type of navigation service in USA
called ‘Earthcomber’ spots personal needs
or desires nearby. It works on phones
with basic internet access, and provides
GPS alternatives for phones without it.
It can locate hundreds of different types
of places and events, all arranged by
distance to the individual’s location.. The
service is free, aside from data charges by
wireless networks.
www.earthcomber.com |
| Sony Ericsson’s K530, HGE-
100 for GPS navigation |
Sony Ericsson has launched K530, its
first GPS navigation capable handset.
Its a 3G phone with web access, 2
megapixel camera and a variety other
features. It’s also the first phone to
be compatible with the GPS Enabler
HGE-100.
www.sonyericsson.com |
| Beijing to use mobile phone
positioning in Olympics |
As part of its efforts to improve medical
services for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing
will adopt a mobile phone positioning
system that can give the exact location
of people calling about a medical
emergency. The positioning system,
already in pre-operation and expected
to go into full service at the end of the
year.
http://english.people.com.cn |
| Benefon changes name,
realigns company for LBS |
Benefon, maker of Europe’s Twig
mobile phones and services, is
now operating under the nameGeoSentric. Benefon. It acquired LBS
technology supplier GeoSolutions last
month.
http://lbs.gpsworld.com |
| Sony Ericsson chooses Wayfinder
for navigation solution |
Sony Ericsson has chosen Wayfinder as
a supplier for its off-board navigation
solution bundled with its GPS accessory
HGE-100. This software does not
feature 2D or 3D on screen navigation
but turn by turn text commands and
voice guidance. Tele Atlas shall
provide the maps for Europe, North
America and other territories covered
by TeleAtlas.
www.wayfinder.com |
| Yahoo expands LBS offerings,
integrates GPS |
Yahoo’s latest software for mobile devices
would feature GPS functionality, and
its mobile services shall be available
beyond the US. It offers a suite of mobile
programs packaged in its Yahoo Go
for Mobile software; it plans to release
version 2.0 very soon in the US, which
shall be available on various models
of phones.
http://lbs.gpsworld.com |
| Topcon will enter worldwide
mobile control market |
Topcon Corporation is expanding into
international mobile control business,
which will focus on measuring the exact
positioning of virtually any mobile
object on Earth for asset management
and control purposes. This segment shall
include Dynamic positioning (DP) of oil
platforms and vessels, berthing navigation,
Vehicle management and; Environmental
research.
http://global.topcon.com |
| Rx Networks launches GPStream
GRN for AGPS mobile network |
Rx Networks Inc., Canada, announces
the availability of its GPStream Global
Reference Network (GRN) solution for
use in any Assisted-GPS (AGPS) mobile
network. This service provides operators
and service providers cost effective realtime
GPS assistance data to drive their
upcoming mobile GPS and LBS launch,including the latest SUPL standardbased
services.
www.webwire.com |
| Trakm8 integrates GPS products
with Motorola secure radio network |
Vehicle tracking technology provider,
Trakm8 Ltd, UK, has partnered with
Motorola to integrate its GPS tracking
products with Motorola’s Astro radio
network. It has received contract wins for
over 1,000 units. www.bapcojournal.com |
| Mobile phones pose threat
to navigation market |
Recent In-Stat research, Mobile Handset
Navigation Applications May Threaten
Global Personal Nav Device Market,
covers the market for navigation/
mapping services for mobile phones. It
provides forecasts for subscribers and
revenue for global mapping/navigation
services by region through 2012. It
includes extensive analysis of the
consumer and business markets, current
offerings for these services, with an
outlook of the market’s potential. Mobile
phone operators now have the ability
to market a downloadable navigation
application that is just as good as, if
not better, than personal navigation
devices (PNDs), reports In-Stat. As
a result, handset-based mapping and
navigation applications could cause a
major change in the overall navigation
market, which is now dominated by
relatively expensive standalone devices,
the high-tech market research firm says.
The research also found that cellular
operators whose service is based on
CDMA (and iDEN) have an advantage
over other mobile operators in nearly every
region of the world, largely because of
the A-GPS technology originally driven
by mandates to support E911 services.
In-Stat surveys of US subscribers
find navigation applications have a
strong ability to draw subscribers from
other operators and keep them loyal.
It also found that the total number of
mapping and navigation mobile phone
subscribers could exceed 42 million
worldwide by 2012. www.instat.com
|
| |
| July
2007 |
