GPS World

Author: GPS World Staff

  • Gartner Says Worldwide Media Tablets Sales to Reach 119M Units in 2012, 369M Units in 2016

    Worldwide media tablet sales to end users are forecast to total 118.9 million units in 2012, a 98 percent increase from 2011 sales of 60 million units, according to Gartner, Inc.

    According to the announcement, Apple’s iOS continues to be the dominant media tablet operating system (OS), as it is projected to account for 61.4 percent of worldwide media tablet sales to end users in 2012 (see Table 1). Despite the arrival of Microsoft-based devices to this market, and the expected international rollout of the Kindle Fire, Apple will continue to be the market leader through the forecast period.

    “Despite PC vendors and phone manufacturers wanting a piece of the pie and launching themselves into the media tablet market, so far, we have seen very limited success outside of Apple with its iPad,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. “As vendors struggled to compete on price and differentiate enough on either the hardware or ecosystem, inventories were built and only 60 million units actually reached the hands of consumers across the world. The situation has not improved in early 2012, when the arrival of the new iPad has reset the benchmark for the product to beat.”

    “It appears that this year competitors have waited to see what Apple would bring out — because there were very few announcements of new media tablets at either the Consumer Electronics Show or Mobile World Congress. Many vendors will wait for Windows 8 to be ready and will try to enter the market with a dual-platform approach, hoping that the Microsoft brand could help them in both the enterprise and consumer markets.”

    Table 1

    Worldwide Sales of Media Tablets to End Users by OS (Thousands of Units)
    OS 2011 2012 2013 2016
    iOS 39,998 72,988 99,553 169,652
    Android 17,292 37,878 61,684 137,657
    Microsoft 0 4,863 14,547 43,648
    QNX (RIM) 807 2,643 6,036 17,836
    Other OS 1,919 510 637 464
    Total 60,017 118,883 182,457 369,258

     

    Microsoft tablets are projected to account for 4.1 percent of media tablet sales this year, and grow to 11.8 percent of sales by the end of 2016. Windows 8 is Microsoft’s official entrance into the media tablet market.

    “IT departments will see Windows 8 as the opportunity to deploy tablets on an OS that is familiar to them and with devices offered by many enterprise-class suppliers,” Ms. Milanesi said. “This means that we see Windows 8 as a strong IT-supplied offering more so than an OS with a strong consumer appeal.”

    Gartner analysts said enterprise sales of media tablets will account for about 35 percent of total tablet sales sold in 2015. These sales will not be clearly defined as enterprise purchases. Gartner expects enterprises to allow tablets as part of their buy your own device (BYOD) program. More of these tablets will be owned by consumers who use them at work.

    “This poses a big threat to vendors that thought about focusing on the enterprise market who will now have to become appealing to consumers as well,” Ms. Milanesi said. “This is exactly the same trend that vendors such as RIM had to face in the smartphone market. The difference here is that tablets have been created for consumers first and then relied on an ecosystem of apps and services that make them more manageable in the enterprise. When the deployment will come from the IT department we believe that operating systems such as Windows 8 will have an advantage as long as they are not seen as a compromise in usability for the users.”

    Android tablets are forecast to account for 31.9 percent of media tablet sales in 2012. Gartner analysts said the main issue with Android tablets has been the lack of applications that are dedicated to tablets and therefore take advantage of their capabilities. Gartner’s consumer survey data shows that consumers are running many of their apps on their mobile phones and their tablets.

    Gartner’s detailed market forecast data is available in the report, “Forecast: Media Tablets by Operating System, Worldwide, 2010-2016, 1Q12 Update.”

    Gartner’s Special Report, “iPad and Beyond: The Future of the Tablet Market,” provides insight into what consumers, enterprises and vendors can expect as the market continues to unfold. More than 20 reports examine the tablet marketplace, as well as video commentary.

  • Trimble GCSFlex Offers GPS Guidance for Flexibility in Excavation

    Trimble today introduced a new system configuration for its GCSFlex Grade Control System. The addition of GPS guidance extends the system’s functionality and allows a contractor to work faster and with more freedom than other traditional laser-referenced grade control systems for excavators, Trimble said. With the benefit of GPS guidance and in-field design templates created directly from the cab on the Trimble CB450 Control Box, an excavator operator can accurately dig to a desired depth, slope or alignment without creating a digital design in the office, Trimble said. There’s little prep work before the job and no grade checking after.

    The new GCSFlex system with GPS guidance allows users to create in-field designs in the cab and take advantage of GPS guidance in 2D mode rather than 3D. This capability adds more flexibility to the system without adding additional complexity in its use. Where traditional excavator grade-control systems have used a laser plane as a reference for these tasks, the new GCSFlex replaces the laser plane with GPS guidance for position and orientation of the excavator. This configuration gives the operator maximum freedom to move the machine without being tethered to a bench point on the ground or a laser transmitter with range limits, Trimble said.

    The latest system configuration comprises a CB450 Control Box in the cab; angle sensors on the boom, stick and bucket; a MS972 GNSS Smart Antenna on the cab roof; and a Trimble SNM940 Connected Site Gateway for receiving GPS corrections. Subscription services such as Trimble VRS Now Service or Trimble Internet Base Station Service (IBSS) communicate GPS corrections via a cellular connection to the SNM940 and eliminate the need for a base station.

    User-friendly menus on the CB450 Control Box allow the operator to create an in-field template for a particular excavation task and begin working on that project immediately, Trimble said. The display software provides step-by-step instructions to create an in-field design template for excavating to a fixed depth, a depth with slope, an alignment or a profile. For operators with little to no experience with machine control, it is an easy way to create an alignment similar to traditional methods that use staking and stringlines, Trimble said.

    Trimble introduced GCSFlex for excavators in 2011 as an affordable, easy-to-use machine control system for owner operators and small- to mid-sized contractors who want to increase their productivity and become more competitive. With several flexible system configuration options available, contractors can select the sensor options that fit their job site needs at a price point that fits their budget.

    The new Trimble GCSFlex Grade Control System is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2012 through Trimble’s worldwide SITECH Technology Dealer Channel.

  • Launch of Two Beidou-2/Compass Satellites Could Be April 23

    News courtesy of CANSPACE listserv.

     

    Web chatter indicates that the launch of a pair of BeiDou-2/Compass medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center will take place around April 23. This will be the first time that a pair of BeiDou-2/Compass satellites is launched on a single rocket. The satellites are designated M3 and M4. M1 is already in orbit, and M2 and M5 are expected to be launched in June.

     

  • Safe Software Announces FME Store

    Safe Software announced the creation of the FME Store, a online portal for access to specialized FME components that increase workflow efficiency and broaden the possibilities of what can be achieved with the software in the use and distribution of spatial data.

     

    Available through the FME Store, either for free or licensed, are Custom Transformers, Workspace Templates, and Custom Formats that can give users a head start with specific data transformation projects.

    According to the announcement, the components are supplied by Safe Software, and also by third party partners wanting to share or license their achievements in developing with FME with the user community.

    “We look forward to seeing how the components available in the FME Store are used to expedite setting up data transformation workflows, saving users time and ultimately increasing productivity,” says Dale Lutz, Vice-President of Development at Safe Software. “We anticipate some exciting announcements regarding FME innovations from several partners in the weeks ahead.”

    The FME Store can be accessed within FME Workbench or through the Safe Software website. Parties interested in showcasing their own components through the FME Store can contact [email protected].

  • Symmetricom Offers GPS Disciplined Atomic Oscillator Modules and High-Frequency Source Modules

     

    Symmetricom, Inc., precision time and frequency technology company, today announced the company will sell GPS disciplined oscillator (GPSDO) modules and high-frequency source modules from Jackson Labs Technologies, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of cutting-edge precision time and frequency products. GPSDOs provide time and frequency reference signals that have the same long-term accuracy as the GPS signal itself, and also provide a “holdover” capability to maintain system synchronization when GPS reception outages occur, Symmetricom said, adding that this new set of solutions provides Symmetricom’s customers with a broader range of product options, supporting a variety of price and performance levels.

    “The new GPSDO Modules and High-Frequency Source Modules are a natural extension of our existing product line and enable us to better meet our customers’ needs. Symmetricom customers can now select full instruments containing GPSDOs or board-level GPSDOs if they don’t need full instrument functionality,” said Steve Fossi, director of new business development at Symmetricom. “For systems that require an embedded GPSDO, incorporating a proven board-level GPSDO reduces design cycle time and risk compared to developing a custom solution.”

    Symmetricom has the following GPSDO and source modules available for purchase:

    • GPS-1000 Std. Temp. 10 MHz OCXO-based GPSDO
    • GPS-2000 Std. Temp. 10 MHz OCXO-based GPSDO
    • GPS-2500 Std. Temp. 10 MHz DOCXO-based GPSDO
    • GPS-2550 Ext. Temp. 10 MHz DOCXO-based GPSDO
    • GPS-2600 Std. Temp. 100 MHz DOCXO-based GPSDO
    • GPS-2650 Ext. Temp. 100 MHz DOCXO-based GPSDO
    • SSM-2000 Std. Temp. 100 MHz OCXO-Source Module
    • SSM-2650 Ext. Temp. 100 MHz DOCXO-Source Module
    • GPS-2700 Std. Temp. 10 MHz CSAC-based GPSDO
    • GPS-2750 Ext. Temp. 10 MHz CSAC-based GPSDO
    • GPS-500 Low-Cost Ext. Temp. 10 MHz OCXO-based GPSDO

    Today’s announcement is an extension of an existing relationship with Jackson Labs and comes one year after Jackson Labs selected Symmetricom’s Quantum(TM) SA.45s Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) as the holdover oscillator for the high-performance GPS-2700 and GPS-2750 GPSDOs. Symmetricom’s GPS-27xx GPSDOs provide capability for mission-critical applications in GPS-denied environments. Because the Quantum SA.45s CSAC provides the stability of an atomic clock with breakthrough reductions in size, weight, and power consumption, the GPS-27xx GPSDOs offer benefits in portable applications such as dismounted IED jammers, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and man-pack radios, Symmetricom said.

  • ESA Launches Navipedia, a Sat-Nav Wiki

    The European Space Agency (ESA) has introduced a wiki-based information source, Navipedia, a technical wiki open to the public. Written and reviewed by experts, there are more than 400 articles on the site covering the fundamental principles of satellite navigation, how receivers operate, the various systems in current or future operation around the globe, and GNSS-related services and applications.

    “GNSS information on the Internet is scattered widely and not always technically correct,” commented Guenter Hein, ESA’s Head of Galileo Operations and Evolution. “We also noticed many GNSS books were quickly outdated. So, considering the extremely dynamic nature of the GNSS world today, we decided that having a duly updated single entry point GNSS wiki could be extremely beneficial for the entire GNSS community.”

    “This new website is intended to serve a wide range of users from GNSS institutions and industry to academia and the public interested in knowing more,” said Javier Ventura-Traveset, responsible for the development of Navipedia and in charge of managing GNSS education activities for ESA. “Navipedia articles have therefore been classified into three categories: basic, medium, and advanced, with target audiences ranging from highly knowledgeable GNSS specialists to the general public. I am convinced Navipedia will be an excellent tool for promoting and supporting GNSS education in Europe.”

    The initial version of Navipedia was produced with contributions from GNSS experts at the GMV company — formally contracted for the task — as well as several European universities, notably the University Polytechnic of Catalonia, and an internal team of ESA navigation experts.

    Following the wiki template, the website is now being made editable also by outside contributors.

    “We have now reached a sufficient critical mass of technical content so that we can open Navipedia to the external public,” Javier said. “We expect contributions from GNSS experts around the world, which will then be duly reviewed by an ESA technical editorial board, to ensure that the technical information provided is always reliable and sound.”

    The beta version of Navipedia was launched at the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit on March 14.

    “ESA has been involved in GNSS technologies for more than a quarter of a century and today is serving as the design and procurement agent for both EGNOS and Galileo,” concluded Guenter. “This provides ESA with unique technical knowledge that Navipedia allows us to share, to help support GNSS education across Europe.”

  • Spirent E911 and LBS Testing Keeps Pace with Evolving Wireless Networks

    Noting that the arena in which cellular emergency calling (E911) and location-based services (LBS) must be delivered has grown significantly more complex, Spirent Communications has expanded its LBS LTE test solution to support long-term evolution (LTE) positioning protocol (LPP) and observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA). The deployment of wireless LTE networks enables the introduction of new positioning technologies and protocols for communicating location information between the main network with exciting consequences for the mobile device entities, and new services they can enable.

    “In 2911, we launched the secure user plane location (SUPL) 2.0 test capabilities on our LTE test solution for successful deployments of LTE SUPL positioning.” said Robb Van Brunt, vice president oaf Spirent’s Wireless business. “Our latest enhancements include extensive test coverage for SUPL 2.0/LPP and a fully automated system for testing user equipment performance for LPP and OTDOA. With our unique e understanding of the importance and complexity of these technologies, Spirent can assist customers in expediting the delivery of new location-based devices for the growing number of LTE networks.”

    OTDOA is an LTE positioning technology that allows for an enhanced user experience of LBS indoors or in other areas where GNSS do not work well, and in doing so also serves assa key component for supporting E911.   Based on timing measurements from multiple base stations signals, OTDOA can also be combined with GNSS measurements, creating a hybrid approach to deliver an even more significant LBS performance improvement.

    LPP is the positioning protocol that enables OTDOA along with numerous other positioning technologies on the LTE network.  LPP is a control plane protocol that can also be used for user plane positioning, in conjunction with SUPL 2.0.

    Spirent’s expansion to its LTE LBS Test Solution supports LPP minimum performance testing, as well as a completely automated system for testing UE positioning performance, including OTDOA accuracy measurement analysis.

  • Survey/GIS Editor Eric Gakstatter to Conduct GPS/GNSS Workshop at East Carolina University May 10, 2012

    GPS World Survey/GIS editor Eric Gakstatter will conduct a one day workshop at the East Carolina University Center for Geographic Information Science in Greenville, NC on May 10, 2012. The workshop is suited for professional GPS/GNSS users in GIS, land surveying, engineering, construction, agriculture, and other high precision applications.

    Workshop Theme:

    “GNSS technology is going to change much more in the next five years than it has in the past five years”

    Workshop Topics:

    1. GPS/GNSS: How does it work and how accurate is it?
    2. What is GNSS and what can it do for me?
    3. Market survey of professional and consumer GPS/GNSS receivers.
    4. The future of GPS/GNSS receivers. New signals? How much? How accurate?
    5. Real-time corrections or post-processing. Which should I use?
    6. Sources of real-time corrections. Free and subscription-based.
    7. Source of post-processing software and data.
    8. GPS/GNSS for high-precision GIS: The value and the headaches.
    9. Evaluating GPS/GNSS equipment: Which one is right for you?
    10. How to measure the accuracy of a GPS/GNSS receiver. Accuracy vs. Precision
    Venue:
    East Carolina University Center for Geographic Information Science
    Greenville, NC USA
    Date/Time:
    Thursday, May 10, 2012. 8:30a – 5:00p
    Click here for details and registration form.

  • Leica Geosystems Introduces Version 4.2 of Spider Software Suite for GNSS

    Leica Geosystems has released version 4.2 of its Leica Spider software suite for GNSS RTK networks and reference stations. Leica Spider software is an integrated suite of programs for GNSS networks, consisting of Leica GNSS Spider, Leica SpiderWeb and Leica SpiderQC. With its scalability and modularity, it can be tailored to suit various GNSS surveying, machine control, GIS, seismic and structural monitoring applications, Leica Geosystems said.

    One of the major enhancements is the added support for the Leica GR25 reference server. The newest member of Leica Geosystems’ GNSS Spider family is designed for numerous permanent and semi-permanent GNSS network installations and monitoring applications, which include RTK and static networks, single base station, field campaigns, structural monitoring, atmospheric and seismic studies and offshore positioning.

    “The suite of Leica Spider software programs now perfectly complements this new device for use in RTK networks with comprehensive remote control and advanced data quality analysis,” said Frank Pache, senior product manager at Leica Geosystems.

    Leica Geosystems has enhanced the SpiderNET processing strategies and algorithms to best cope with the current significantly increasing solar activity,” Pache said. “Within the 11-year cycle of solar activity we are currently approaching, the next sunspot maximum is expected in early 2013. During these times, reliable fixing of ambiguities becomes more difficult due to the increasing impact of the ionosphere on the signal propagation. This is particularly relevant to GNSS networks that typically have large station separations of up to 70 km. Therefore, an optimum handling of the ionosphere effects is required. With this new version of GNSS Spider, we are now minimizing the impact of the ionosphere disturbance to the data processing and optimizing the quality, availability and reliability of network correction information provided to the rover.”

    In addition, the updated Leica SpiderQC features an improved version of the Leica Geosystems patented Network Online Visualisation of Accuracy (NOVA).  “This unique feature allows visualization of the spatial and temporal quality of single base and network RTK positioning across a customer’s network.  Real time maps show the distribution of residual ionosphere and troposphere/orbit error, enabling our customers and their clients to monitor the network status and identify problem areas in the network, or get an indication of expected field performance,” Pache said.

  • ITT Exelis Delivers Imaging System for Next-Generation GeoEye-2 Satellite

    ITT Exelis XLS Geospatial Systems announced it has delivered GeoEye’s next-generation commercial imaging system for the GeoEye-2 satellite to Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Sunnyvale, Calif. When operational in 2013, GeoEye-2 will deliver the highest resolution and most accurate color imagery to GeoEye’s commercial, government and international customers.

    According to the announcement, the Exelis-built imaging payload for GeoEye-2 includes a telescope, sensor subsystem and outer barrel assembly and has the potential to capture panchromatic ground sample distance imagery of the Earth’s surface at 0.34-meter, or 13.38-inch, ground resolution.

    “Exelis was instrumental in helping Lockheed Martin revolutionize the commercial remote sensing market by designing and manufacturing the imaging system for GeoEye’s IKONOS satellite, launched in 1999. More than a decade later, Exelis is proud to deliver the imaging system for GeoEye’s next-generation satellite,” said Rob Mitrevski, vice president and general manager, Environmental Intelligence and Integrated Geospatial Sensing Systems at Exelis Geospatial Systems. “Exelis has long relationships with Lockheed Martin and GeoEye, and together, we look forward to the next phase of integrating the Exelis-built imaging system into the GeoEye-2 spacecraft.”

    ITT reported that GeoEye-2 will have significant improvements in capability compared with current systems, including enhanced tasking; longer focal length, which enables better resolution; advancements to the sensor subsystem, which improves image quality; and the ability to collect more imagery at a faster rate. The GeoEye-2 satellite will provide cost-effective, increased coverage and easier access to high-resolution satellite imagery for intelligence analysts, warfighters, map producers and commercial customers. GeoEye-2 will surpass the performance of the GeoEye-1 satellite, launched in 2008, in resolution, capacity and agility. GeoEye selected Exelis to begin work on the GeoEye-2 imaging system in October 2007.

    Bill Schuster, GeoEye’s chief operating officer, said, “We commend Exelis for completing this next milestone of our GeoEye-2 program with a superbly performing camera and an on-time delivery of the imaging system to Lockheed Martin. Commercial satellite imagery plays a fundamental and essential role in our country’s national security, disaster response and humanitarian efforts. Soldiers depend on it on the battlefield every day for the most up-to-date situational awareness and to meet many of their operational mission requirements. Commercial imagery is unclassified, and as such, is easily shared with coalition forces.”

    The GeoEye-2 satellite bus is being assembled at Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, Calif. Its propulsion system has been installed and many of the subsystems are completed and being integrated into the spacecraft.

    “Delivery of the imaging payload is a major milestone for the team and another critical step forward in our objective to deploy this cutting-edge satellite in a timely fashion,” said Allen Anderson, GeoEye-2 program director for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. “We look forward to integrating the payload with the GeoEye-2 space vehicle and achieving mission success for our customer.”

  • Esri Announces ArcGIS for Android Now Available for Kindle Fire

    Esri announced that ArcGIS for Android is now available for Amazon’s popular Android tablet, the Kindle Fire. ArcGIS for Android, also available on iOS devices, Windows Phones, and other Android devices, lets users access, edit, and share maps. The free app can be downloaded directly from the Amazon Appstore for Android.

    According to the announcement, ArcGIS for Android is a native application that serves as a mobile gateway into the ArcGIS system. It provides an intuitive user experience for querying map layers and data. With it, users can quickly access their own maps and data authored in ArcGIS Online as well as collect and edit geographic data. ArcGIS for Android includes a Favorites feature that accesses popular maps quickly; a tool for measuring area and distance; and the ability to display data in popups that support images, charts, links, and more.

    Esri reports that ArcGIS for Android is built on Esri’s ArcGIS Runtime Software Development Kit (SDK). This SDK lets developers create custom spatially enabled applications for Kindle Fire and other Android devices and is designed to use web services available from ArcGIS Online. Apps built using the SDK can be deployed within the enterprise or to the public via the Amazon Appstore for Android and Google Play.
    To download the ArcGIS app, visit the Amazon Appstore for Android or directly from your Kindle Fire.

  • Google Announces Google Maps Floor Plan Marker App

    Google introduced Google Maps Floor Plan Marker App which enables those who’ve uploaded floor plans to improve the indoor location accuracy their visitors experience when using indoor maps within their venue.

    According to the description in Google Play, the Google Maps Floor Plan Market App helps Google Maps show users their location more accurately within indoor venues. Walk around the floors in a popular, public building to collect publicly broadcast data, and afterwards, users of the Google Maps Android app will be able to see their location (“the familiar blue dot”) in those floors when they’re inside the venue. Note that you must first upload a floor plan. Likely to be of interest mostly to map enthusiasts and venue owners.