Author: GPS World Staff

Trimble’s Connected Farm Adds Precipitation Monitoring

Trimble has announced a new feature for its RainWave precipitation monitoring solution for agriculture. As part of the Connected Farm solution, the new feature adds actual rainfall activity in 10-minute increments plus accumulated rainfall over a 24-hour period. With this comprehensive rainfall information, farmers can have a better understanding of the rainfall intensity, which can be used to make more informed decisions for irrigation and other farming operations.

For example, if RainWave information shows that a large amount of rain fell in a short period of time, much of that rainfall may have run off the field and be unavailable to the crop. In contrast, if the information shows a slow steady rain, farmers may assume that the rainfall has a better chance of being absorbed in the soil and can be available to the crop.

“With RainWave’s added functionality, Trimble is placing another valuable piece of information in farmers’ hands,” said David Fitzpatrick, business area director for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “By providing a better understanding of how rainfall may have impacted soil moisture levels, farmers can optimize their irrigation planning, fleet management and timing of materials application for nutrient and pest management.”

The RainWave solution enables farmers across the U.S. to set up virtual rain gauges by entering GPS coordinates for identified locations in order to receive a rainfall report for those locations. Since on-site rain gauges are not needed, farmers no longer need to monitor dispersed gauges or manually track precipitation. Farmers are able to obtain the RainWave information through their Connected Farm dashboard, a Web portal that provides one centralized location for farmers to view key information impacting their operations.

November 14, 2013
Verizon Expands Asset Tracking Portfolio with Networkfleet Asset Guard

Verizon Enterprise Solutions today announced the expansion of its asset- tracking capabilities, with the introduction of Verizon Networkfleet Asset Guard. Designed to fit seamlessly on Verizon’s existing Networkfleet vehicle tracking solution, Networkfleet Asset Guard runs on the Verizon Wireless network for fixed and moveable fleets such as trailers, yellow iron machines and generators.

A lightweight device with a built-in wireless antenna that easily attaches to a piece of equipment for wireless tracking, Verizon Networkfleet Asset Guard includes a long-lasting battery that allows for reliable location tracking over multiple years. Using Networkfleet’s online application, business owners can track assets alongside fleet vehicles to determine exact GPS locations. Reports and alerts show if and when an asset has been moved, which asset is closest to a particular location or landmark and when assets are moved outside of a predetermined virtual perimeter, or geofence.

“It is becoming more critical for businesses and other organizations to track all of their vital assets, including equipment and vehicles, to help maintain security and operational efficiency,” said Erik Goldman, group president, Verizon Telematics. “With Networkfleet Asset Guard, businesses and government agencies can easily locate their fleet assets and together with our other Networkfleet solutions make sure they are being used properly and efficiently. The combination of Asset Guard’s long battery life coupled with the variety of reports and alerts will help public- and private-sector organizations improve equipment utilization, better manage fleet operations and control costs.”

November 14, 2013
GLONASS to Be Required for Phones Sold in Russia

Phones sold in Russia will have to use GLONASS or GLONASS + GPS as of 2014, according to a report from the Voice of Russia. Phones with only GPS will be illegal in Russia, and any mobile devices imported will have to support GLONASS.

A new bill claims that in order to guarantee stable operation of a unified telecom network in Russia regardless of conditions, it’s necessary that the satnav system used be the one controlled by the Russian Federation. New requirements for mobile devices with satellite navigation capabilities are expected to follow.

The authors of the bill note that after the bill is adopted, its requirements will cover all manufacturers and vendors of cellphones, making it impossible to sell a mobile device without GLONASS support.

The Telecom Ministry and industry watchdog Roskomnadzor will oversee the changes.

November 12, 2013
Applanix Brings Trimble CenterPoint RTX Correction Service to Airborne Mapping Products
Applanix, a mobile mapping and positioning company, is making the Trimble CenterPoint RTX correction service available across its entire airborne mapping portfolio. Applanix is a Trimble Company.

Using the Trimble CenterPoint RTX correction service, Applanix will be able to deliver these benefits to the aerial survey marketplace:
- High accuracy — better than 10 cm RMS horizontal after convergence
- Speed and low cost — no need for setting up base stations, no need to wait for delivery of public-domain ephemeris data
- Simplicity — deal directly with Trimble (no third-party involvement)
- More uptime and reliability — use Trimble’s professionally managed, highly maintained private network
- Ease of use — there is no additional hardware to purchase, integrate or maintain
- Fast and reliable convergence — 30 minutes or less to full accuracy
The announcement was made at Trimble’s China Dimensions User Conference. The CenterPoint RTX service for Applanix airborne mapping products is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2013.

“The Applanix aerial mapping portfolio is trusted throughout the aerial mapping community to provide highly accurate position and orientation information for directly georeferencing camera and sensor data,” said Joe Hutton, Director of Airborne Products at Applanix. “By integrating the Trimble CenterPoint RTX correction service, we are maintaining our position at the forefront of accuracy, robustness, and high efficiency in airborne mapping. The CenterPoint RTX correction service gives Applanix products the ability to achieve accuracy required for many types of mapping projects in real time and post-mission, all without the need for base stations – an industry first.”

Trimble CenterPoint RTX correction service is a GPS, GLONASS and QZSS enabled correction service built on Trimble RTX technology. It provides high-accuracy GNSS positioning without the use of traditional reference station-based differential RTK infrastructure.

The solution is also compatible with the Applanix POSPac software to achieve the same level of orientation accuracy as when using base stations, all without the need to have an Internet connection or wait for precise ephemeris data to be available.
November 12, 2013
Qinetiq, Rockwell Demonstrate Multi-Constellation Galileo/GPS Secure Positioning for Governmental Applications

On August 30, QinetiQ and Rockwell Collins demonstrated the first joint satellite navigation positioning using live signals from the encrypted governmental services from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) GPS Precise Positioning Service (GPS-PPS) and the new European Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS). The signals on GPS L1 and L2, together with Galileo PRS L1A and E6A, were processed and combined to form multi-frequency, multi-constellation position fixes.

Positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services provided by GNSS, such as GPS and the forthcoming Galileo system, are essential to underpinning both commercial and economic activity (the EC estimates 6-7% of the developed world’s GDP) and the delivery of governmental responsibilities including the safety and security of citizens.

GNSS systems such as GPS and Galileo make use of very low power signals and are subject to inadvertent interference, deliberate jamming and spoofing (where an attacker generates a false signal masquerading as a valid one to mislead a user receiver). Attacks on GNSS may range from low-level criminal nuisance (a delivery driver stopping their employer tracking them), enabling theft of high-value vehicles fitted with trackers, through to state-sponsored attacks. This is potentially a significant concern for a wide range of governmental users including law enforcement, security and emergency services, critical national infrastructure, transport and defense users. The use of multiple independent, secured navigation services provides significant improvements to navigation robustness and, along with other measures, offers substantial counters to these threats.

“This has been our first opportunity to explore how secured navigation services on GPS and Galileo can be used together to provide users with critical reliance on PNT with robust and continuous navigation services,” Nigel Davies, Head of QinetiQ’s Secured Navigation Group said. “QinetiQ is proud to be a key, long-term contributor to the Galileo Programme, having been working closely with the European Space Agency (ESA), the European GNSS Agency (GSA), European industrial partners and European Member States since 2003. QinetiQ and Rockwell Collins wish to thank ESA, the EC and GSA for support in accessing Galileo, as well as the UK Space Agency, UK Satellite Applications Catapult and the UK MOD for their support.”

November 12, 2013
Topcon Acquires DynaRoad, Opens Technology Center

Topcon Positioning Group has acquired DynaRoad Oy, a construction software company in Helsinki, Finland. In conjunction with the acquisition, Topcon also announced the establishment of the Topcon Helsinki Technology Center.

In 2011, Topcon acquired a significant share of DynaRoad, a company that develops project management software specifically designed for large-scale construction projects — highway, tunnel, railway, area development and harbor.

Ray O’Connor, Topcon president and CEO, said by acquiring 100 percent of DynaRoad, “Contractors and designers who are looking to cut construction costs through design optimization and better task management now have a strong central source for production management with DynaRoad being integrated to other Topcon systems. The new technology center in Helsinki has a strong foundation as the team has already worked with Topcon for approximately four years. We look forward to releasing new world-class products with them.”

The DynaRoad software combined with Topcon’s Sitelink3D Enterprise, a real-time task management tool, creates “an integrated machine control solution for all phases of earthworks projects, from pre-planning to construction,” O’Connor said.

Juuso Makinen, CEO of DynaRoad, said the acquisition “finalizes the close working relationship the two companies have had for years. This is a natural step to take as the integration of machine control and planning software enables us to automate many aspects of production management. Automating manual repetitive tasks such as task progress monitoring means our customers will have a better understanding of their site’s status and more time to spend on optimizing production.”

“DynaRoad is a perfect fit to the Topcon organization,” said Ivan Di Federico, Topcon chief strategy officer. “The focus of their software and services is on construction economics — namely time and cost optimization. These products and experiences, together with Topcon’s machine automation and real-time communication, will bring our customers to the next level of productivity.”

As a result of the acquisition, the DynaRoad products will be available through Topcon dealers worldwide.

With the new Helsinki Technology Center, Topcon now has seven technology centers around the globe, including in Japan, Australia, Italy and Russia, plus two in the United States (Ohio and California).

November 12, 2013
NovAtel Launches Correct OEM Positioning Solution

NovAtel Correct.

NovAtel, Inc., OEM provider of high-precision GNSS positioning products, has launched its NovAtel Correct positioning technology. NovAtel Correct optimally combines data from multiple GNSS satellite constellations with corrections from a variety of sources, to deliver the best position solution possible.

NovAtel Correct provides integrators with the opportunity to choose pricing and subscription options that best match their OEM business objectives. Delivery of correction data is available via satellite or Internet, depending on the requirements of the application. With NovAtel in control of the entire positioning solution, future innovation including seamless integration with all positioning modes and correction types is assured.

Designed for NovAtel’s OEM6 high-precision receivers, the NovAtel Correct precise point positioning (PPP) solution delivers decimeter-level accuracy worldwide. L-band delivered PPP corrections from TerraStar are supported by NovAtel Correct without users having to add base-station infrastructure. Developers of land, airborne and near shore applications can purchase subscriptions to TerraStar’s correction service directly through NovAtel.

“For a number of reasons, many of our customers have been eager for an end-to-end NovAtel OEM positioning service,” said Jason Hamilton, VP, Marketing for NovAtel. “NovAtel Correct rounds out our product and service offering and gives customers one-stop shopping for receivers, antennas and correction services.”

Satellite and NTRIP-based solutions will be available for OEM6 products in Q1 2014 for all applications requiring decimetre-level positioning.

NovAtel OEM628 triple-frequency + L-Band GNSS receiver.

November 11, 2013
GPSTrackIt.com Adds Hard Turns to Driver Safety Alerts

GPSTrackIt.com has introduced a new Driver Safety Alert that tracks hard turns. Driver Safety Alerts already track and report driving behaviors like rapid acceleration, hard braking, and seatbelt usage. GPSTrackIt engineers have now added the ability to identify “hard turns” to the alert list.

Driver Safety Alerts are used by businesses across the country to help dispatchers and managers understand how drivers are doing in the field. Businesses ranging from small-to-medium sized service companies to large transportation companies with fleets of hundreds of vehicles are able to help drivers understand the importance of safe driving behaviors.

“Drivers represent their employers to the public,” said Eddie Bermudez, GPSTrackit.com’s product development manager. “A vehicle that is driven badly or, more to the point, dangerously, does not reflect well on that employer. These alerts notify managers and dispatchers via email or SMS text messages when their drivers are driving in a potentially aggressive manner.”

Rapid acceleration and hard braking are indicators of bad driving behaviors that also impact a vehicle’s mileage. Seat belt alerts indicate that the vehicle is moving while the driver’s seat belt is unfastened. Statistics show that wearing a seatbelt dramatically reduces deaths and injuries from collisions.

“Hard turns are another driving behavior that puts the driver and vehicle at additional risk,” continued Bermudez. “It also puts additional wear on a vehicle. We were able to utilize the accelerometer and gyroscope technologies built into the GPS tracking devices in a similar manner to the hard braking alert.”

According to the National Transportation Highway Safety Administration’s 2008 report to Congress, “National Motor Vehicle Causation Crash Survey,” about 36 percent of vehicles involved in collisions were turning or crossing at intersections just prior to the crashes.

“When we’re making a turn, we become more vulnerable,” added Bermudez. “Clearly in a left turn situation you’re putting your vehicle in the path of oncoming traffic. But right turns can be hazardous as well to both pedestrians and drivers. Turn too soon and you clip the curb, which doesn’t do much for your wheel alignment. Turn too late and you could end up making a wide turn. If the device on the vehicle transmits a hard turn event, Fleet Manager checks if an alert is configured for that vehicle. If so, it sends the time, date, and location information to the email and/or text recipients.”

November 11, 2013

Kinexon Wins 10th European Satellite Navigation Competition with Athlete Tracking Analysis

Online analysis of athletes’ tactical, technical, and physical capability is the focus of this year’s newly named Galileo Master, Kinexon GmbH.

The 10th European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) recognized the best products, services, and innovations that facilitate the use of satellite navigation in everyday life. At the 2013 awards ceremony, prizes worth a total of about EUR 1 million were presented in 32 categories. The ceremony helped kick off the European Space Solutions conference, which is taking place November 5-7 at Alte Kongresshalle München.

ESNC 2013 gave participants from all around the world the chance to vie for any one of 25 regional prizes. In addition, topic-specific special prizes were sponsored by the following partners: the European GNSS Agency (GSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and — for the first time this year — the European Patent Office (EPO) and Metaio GmbH. Students and research assistants were also encouraged to submit their ideas to the ESNC University Challenge.

Athletic analysis is playing an increasingly important role in modern sport training. The underlying idea — known as the Hawthorne effect — is simple: if you can measure your performance, you can also improve it. Following this principle, two research assistants from Technische Universität München (Germany) founded the company Kinexon GmbH at the ESA Business Incubation Centre Bavaria and developed a cloud-based solution for analyzing and visualizing training data on mobile devices.

Kinexon’s solution kits athletes out with a small, portable location sensor and feeds the resulting data into the cloud by means of a stationary base antenna. This enables users to track and analyze performance parameters and tactical movements down to the centimeter in real time.

In particular, however, it was the solution’s user-friendliness during training and relatively low cost (compared to the camera-based systems commonly seen today) that won over the international jury of experts in the European Satellite Navigation Competition. So far, the high price of such systems has limited their use to professional sport; Kinexon’s system will now give amateur clubs the chance to benefit from adding online analysis to their training activities, as well.

Along with the sport sector, this flexible satellite-based localization system also exhibits huge potential in tapping into further markets, including healthcare, logistics, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). “We’re pleased to be supporting Kinexon at ESA BIC Bavaria,” affirms Thorsten Rudolph, CEO of Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen. The Kinexon system, the first version of which is set for market launch in November 2013, managed to edge out more than 400 other ESNC entries from nearly 50 countries.

Gerd Gruppe, member of the Executive Board, German Aerospace Center (DLR), conferred the EUR 20,000 grand prize on Kinexon GmbH founders Oliver Trinchera and Alexander Hüttenbrink.

“DLR sets great store in technology transfer,” Gruppe said. “After all, innovations form the basis of economic success and hold considerable potential for society. The ESNC has developed into a driving force behind the innovative use of satellite navigation technologies and a starting point for numerous successful start-ups in Germany, Europe, and the rest of the world.”

Winners of the 10th European Satellite Navigation Competition

In addition to the overall winner, the Galileo Master, the 10th European Satellite Navigation Competition rewarded Special Prizes in seven different categories and 25 prizes to regional winners.

Special Prize Winners 2013

GSA :: The most promising EGNOS application idea

Jelle Reichert, JOHAN, The Netherlands :: JOHAN: the Digital Oracle for Field Sports, Including GNSS Player Tracking in Real Time

Keywords: Mobile Location Based Services, sports, real-time tracking, health

ESA Innovation Prize & 2^nd in Overall Ranking

Jan Walter Schroeder and team, SenSovo, Germany :: Sensovo Navipal: A New Way to Feel Directions

Keywords: tactile navigation, wearable technology, tourism, outdoor sports, visually impaired

DLR :: Robust GNSS – Safety for Success

Bastiaan Ober and John Wilde, Integricom, DW International, The Netherlands :: Galileo-Based Ionospheric and Interference Monitoring for Aviation

Keywords: signal security, real-time monitoring, aviation, interference

EPO :: Best Patented Innovation

Gaël Scot and team, CNES, France :: Two Patents for Improved Galileo System Performance

Keywords: signal security, patents, high-end GNSS receivers

Metaio :: The most innovative location-based Augmented Reality application

Steve Lee and team, Stevenson Astrosat, United Kingdom :: WinterVision: Augmented Reality for Winter Road Safety

Keywords: augmented reality, road safety, driver assistance system, emergency response

University Challenge & Portugal

Luis Gomes and Filipe Sousa, Outcapsa, Portugal :: GeoAgenda: Innovative Geo-located Agenda Concept
Keywords: LBS, smart personal organiser, meeting tool

GNSS Living LabPrize & North Rhine-Westphalia / Germany & 3^rd in Overall Ranking

Adalbert Rajca and Yasotharan Pakasathanan , ampido GmbH, Germany :: Ampido: The Car Park in Your Pocket

Keywords: Location Based Services, smart city application, park-sharing, share economy

Regional Prize Winners 2013

Aquitaine/France

Romain Desplats and team, CNES, France :: Physiotrack: Track Your Physical Progress

Keywords: sports tracking, health, performance monitoring, physical exercise forecast

Arab Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

Hussain Saleh, Ghent University, Belgium :: A Generic GNSS Network for Disaster MonitoringKeywords: emergency management, disaster monitoring, big data, artificial intelligence

Austria

Dr Clemens Strauß and Gernot Hollinger, Strauß & Hollinger : GeoIT OG, Austria :: ENViGUARD: The App That Helps Keep Your City Clean

Keywords: smart waste management, crowdsourcing, LBS, public health, pollution control, environmental protection

Baden-Württemberg / Germany

Erich Franke and team, AFUSOFT Kommunikationstechnik GmbH, Germany :: SaltHawk: Innovative Winter Road Safety System

Keywords: road safety, environmental protection, road service management

Bavaria / Germany & Overall Winner

Dr Oliver Trinchera and Dr Alexander Hüttenbrink , KINEXON GmbH, Germany :: KINEXON: Precise Localisation and Sports Monitoring

Keywords: precise tracking, wearable technology, sports, health, logistics

Bulgaria

Nikolay Staykov and team, Mobilly, Bulgaria :: Mobilly: A Next-Generation Travel Planner

Keywords: LBS, travel planner, local discount campaigns, couponing

Catalonia / Spain

Rafael Olmedo and Carlos Barreto, GEKO NAVSAT, SpainNAVMATE: The Low-Cost Safety Solution for the Great Outdoors

Keywords: wearable technology, emergency management, outdoor navigation, outdoor sports

Czech Republic

Jiří Mikoláš and team, Be interactive, Czech Republic :: Augmented Prague: The Innovative Sight Seeing App

Keywords: Augmented Reality, AR, LBS, tourism, city guide

Estonia

Mari Loorman, Estonia :: LASIK: Optimising Children’s Physical Activity

Keywords: children’s health, physical activity, computer addiction

Flanders / Belgium

Joeri Spitaels and team, QraQon, Belgium :: Winnetou: Improved Security for Freight Wagons

Keywords: freight tracking, transport security, solar-powered

Gipuzkoa / Spain

Jon Sánchez Ugarte, OnSiteBIM, Spain :: BimOn! Making Building Smarter with AR

Keywords: Augmented Reality, AR, construction sites, building models, LBS

Hesse / Germany & 3^rd in Overall Ranking

Lukas Wagner and team, Notificatio UG, Germany:: AlarmApp: Location-based Emergency Notification System

Keywords: emergency management, volunteer fire fighters, LBS

Ireland

Paula Kelleher and James Mannix, Geomanics Ltd, Ireland :: CarSafari: Every Trip an Adventure

Keywords: in-car entertainment, tourism, education, location-based advertising

Japan

Hitomi Inaba and team, University of Tokyo, Japan :: TrustSync: Secure Time and Frequency Synchronisation

Keywords: high precision, signal security, synchronisation, GNSS receivers, financial networks

Lithuania

Saulius Rudys and Mantautas Rudys, Lithuania :: Improved Indoor and Underground Navigation Accuracy

Keywords: indoor navigation, GNSS repeater, precise navigation

Lombardy / Italy

Mirko Antonini and Alessandro Di Felice, SpaceEXE Srl, Italy :: COPPI: Monitoring and Tracking of Cyclists

Keywords: professional cycling teams, sports tracking, health, real-time performance monitoring

Mexico

Victor Jose Gatica-Acevedo and team, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico :: AMBER Alert: Recovering Lost Children Through GNSS Integration

Keywords: seach and rescue, LBS, notification, tracking

The Netherlands

Willem Folkers, Folkline, The Netherlands :: The Anti-Spoofing GNSS Receiver

Keywords: signal security, safety critical applications, Galileo PRS (public regulated service)

Nice-Sophia Antipolis / France

Yann Hervouet and team, Instant System, France :: Real-Time Solutions for Public Transport PassengersKeywords: real-time trip planner, smart public transport, real-time schedule information

North Rhine-Westphalia / Germany & GNSS Living Lab Prize & 3^rd in Overall Ranking

Adalbert Rajca and Yasotharan Pakasathanan , ampido GmbH, Germany :: Ampido: The Car Park in Your Pocket

Keywords: Location Based Services, smart city application, park-sharing, share economy

NorwayHarald Skinnemoen and team, AnsuR, Norway :: GNSS-Enabled Do-It-Yourself Insurance Claims

Keywords: LBS, insurance claims, geo-tagged images, crowdsourcing

Øresund / Denmark & Sweden

Andreas Ekengren and team, PingPal AB, Sweden :: Pingpal: Privacy-Protected Positioning for Your App

Keywords: social networking, cloud solution, privacy protection

Portugal & University Challenge

Luis Gomes and Filipe Sousa, Outcapsa, Portugal :: GeoAgenda: Innovative Geo-located Agenda Concept
Keywords: LBS, smart personal organiser, meeting tool

Switzerland

Che-Tsung Lin and team, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Taiwan :: See Through: Driving as You’ve Never Seen Before

Keywords: driver assistance, V2V communication, road saftey

United Kingdom

Georgios Michalakidis and team, ManagePlaces Limited, United Kingdom :: ManagePlaces: Location-Based Project Management

Keywords: field staff management, LBS, mobile workflow management, cloud solution

November 11, 2013

Altus Makes Available Juniper Archer 2 Field Computer with APS-3 Receiver

Altus Positioning Systems has announced the availability of the new Juniper Archer 2 field computer packaged with Altus’ APS-3 GNSS RTK receiver.

“When paired with the performance, portability and flexibility of the APS-3, the new Archer 2 provides an unbeatable value proposition,” said Neil Vancans, president of Altus Positioning Systems. “This dynamic duo will allow surveyors to improve productivity by capturing data faster and staying in the field longer.”

The Archer 2 is a powerful handheld computer with an IP68 certification and MIL-STD-810G compliance, and operates between -30 to +60 degrees C. It features a 1.0 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM and 8 GB flash storage. This second-generation instrument introduces an impressive line-up of new features, including the exclusive IllumiView brilliant display that overpowers the brightest sunlight, custom Overtime Technology intelligent Li-Ion battery yielding over 20 hours service between charges, and a glove-friendly capacitive touchscreen and keypad. As a successor to the popular Archer Field PC, the Archer 2 builds upon a reputation of quality, adding big improvements and new features, Altus Positioning said. Like Juniper Systems’ other rugged handhelds, the Archer 2 is made to take a beating.

The APS-3 has won accolades from surveyors for its accuracy, reliability and ease of use in the field. The 136-channel GPS/GLONASS RTK receiver includes an integrated quad-band GSM/GPRS modem, digital 406-470 MHz UHF transceiver and wireless Bluetooth connectivity. The flexible architecture allows the same device to be used either as a rover or base station. A popular feature is the dual hot-swappable Li-Ion batteries that allow field work to continue without interruption to change batteries.

“We are excited to get the Archer 2 into the hands of our customers,” said Julie Johns, Project Manager at Juniper Systems. “We have designed the Archer 2 according to our customers’ needs, and we are very happy with how the final product has turned out. It feels great to send another new product out the door that we can be proud of.”

November 11, 2013
Trimble’s GeoExplorer GNSS Data Collection Adds Remote Positioning Capability

Trimble has introduced the next generation of its Trimble GeoExplorer data collection solution. The new Geo 7X includes an integrated laser rangefinder module, extended GNSS capabilities and improved hardware performance. Together with robust field and office software, the new Trimble Geo 7X handheld can enhance productivity in difficult physical conditions and challenging GNSS environments.

When faced with either obstructed satellites or inaccessible locations, GIS professionals now have the geospatial data collection tools they need in a single package, Trimble said. For times when occupying a position isn’t possible, users can take advantage of Trimble’s new Flightwave technology. With Flightwave technology, users can capture offset measurements from the Geo 7X’s rangefinder module for direct integration with Trimble data collection software. Users point and shoot to log the position, avoiding dangerous conditions or right-of-way challenges. In addition, Trimble’s field-proven Floodlight technology enhances field productivity when heavy overhead cover obstructs satellite signals.

The Geo 7X is compatible with existing and planned GNSS satellite systems — including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou — to maximize productivity with additional satellites and ranging signals.

Featuring a new 1 GHz processor and 4 GB of memory running Microsoft Windows 6.5 Professional operating system, the Geo 7X offers enhanced computing performance. Other standard features include a 4.2 inch sunlight readable LED touch display and a 5 MP camera for geo-tagging assets. For wireless connectivity, the integrated modem allows users to send and receive data via GSM networks as well as Verizon’s CDMA network in the U.S. And with its IP65 rating, the rugged handheld GNSS receiver is sealed against water and dust.

With the introduction of the Geo 7X, Trimble also delivers updates to its field and office software portfolio to extend Trimble’s end-to-end data collection solutions with new software workflows and compatibility. In addition to the field-proven Trimble TerraSync and Positions software, the Geo 7X now supports the customizable data collection workflows of Trimble TerraFlex software. Consisting of mobile software and Cloud services, TerraFlex offers a fast and efficient way to collect, process and manage data. Field data is automatically synced with a central server to streamline office operations and drive higher productivity.

”We believe that true productivity is being able to map assets — the first time, every time and anywhere. We’ve built upon our productivity-enabling Floodlight technology and pushed it forward several steps,” said Alain Samaha, business area director of GIS and geospatial software solutions for Trimble’s Geospatial Division. “Users now can position themselves in the optimal location and accurately measure assets remotely with a single, integrated device together with simple software workflows. The Trimble Geo 7X allows mobile GIS users to be productive wherever they need to work.”

The Trimble Geo 7X and supporting software are expected to be available in fourth quarter of 2013 through Trimble’s authorized GIS Distribution Channel.

November 11, 2013
Sonata Advertising Platform Brings Online Customers to Bricks-and-Mortar Stores
Sonata is a self-service advertising platform for the retail world.

Currently, 96 percent of world trade takes place through traditional brick and mortar stores. Add almost 1,000 million smartphones with integrated GPS to that retailing picture and a whole range of advertising opportunities, with high added value for advertisers and consumers, opens up. Sonata was begun l to drive foot traffic to local retailers’ point of sale via potential customers’ smartphones.

Sonata divides the world into 90-square-metre plots. The plots are uploaded with local business adverts, which then appear on smartphones and tablets that come in range of the advertiser according to the smartphone’s geolocation. Sonata has been developed by TAPTAP Networks, a Spanish mobile advertising market leader based in Madrid.

The process of uploading an advertising campaign is very simple for the retailer and takes no more than three minutes, according to Sonata. A retailer doesn’t need a website or even a mobile app; all that’s required is a minimum investment of £50. Advertisers follow three steps:
1. registration using an email address;
2. adding the store details (just one or a whole network);
3. choosing the ad’s geographical area and the design of the ad from one of Sonata’s creative templates (or advertisers can create their own design).
“Any local business, including those without technical know-how, can create an advertising campaign,” says Alvaro del Castillo, CEO of TAPTAP Networks and the developers of Sonata.

“An added attraction of Sonata is that local businesses only pay for actual results-calls, registrations, clicks, purchases in the store… whatever form of contact a customer makes-and can choose how much to pay for them,” says del Castillo.

“The Sonata platform is focused on meeting the need of the local small-business sector, which views the online world as a major threat with the ever-growing pressure it exerts from ‘showrooming’ and the selling of cost price goods by major e-commerce players,” explained de Castillo.
November 11, 2013