GPS World

Category: Mobile

  • Reminder: Leap Second This Weekend

    News courtesy of CANSPACE Listserv.

     

    Likely none of us needs a reminder as the upcoming leap second has been all over the news outlets for the past few days. But just to provide the details again, read this article.

    Presumably, all GPS receiver manufacturers have checked to make sure their receivers will handle the leap second properly. However, at least one late-model high-end receiver from a leading manufacturer is currently reporting incorrect advance leap second information in its data files.

    The European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP), the EGNOS system operator and EGNOS safety-of-life service provider, announced in a service notice dated 22 May that there might be an interruption in service for a 72-hour period should the leap second not be managed correctly.

    AGI, a company that develops commercial modeling and analysis software for the space, defense and intelligence communities, has warned: “The consequence of failing to accommodate this event is that orbit in-plane motion and corresponding Earth orientation will both become inaccurate by at least one second until the leap second is properly implemented. This will also affect estimating orbits using time sequences of observations spanning this leap second event. GEO satellites might be inaccurate to about 3 km and LEO satellites to about 8 km. How great the discrepancy will be depends on how long one waits to implement the leap second. The probable inaccuracies may be within the collision keep-out zones of many satellites, causing either false alarms or totally missed threat detections.”

    And it has also been reported that some computer operating systemsmight hang due to improper handling of the leap second.

    An article on the upcoming leap second for the popular press may be found here. And, in case you missed it, a recent Physics Today article on the leap second and its future can be found here.

  • CoreLogic Maps 63,000 Completed Foreclosures in May

    CoreLogic released its National Foreclosure Report for May, which provides monthly data on completed foreclosures and the overall foreclosure inventory. According to the report, there were 63,000 completed foreclosures in the U.S. in May 2012 compared to 77,000 in May 2011 and 62,000* in April 2012.

    According to the announcement, since the financial crisis began in September 2008, there have been approximately 3.6 million completed foreclosures across the country. Completed foreclosures are an indication of the total number of homes actually lost to foreclosure.

    Approximately 1.4 million homes, or 3.4 percent of all homes with a mortgage, were in the national foreclosure inventory as of May 2012 compared to 1.5 million, or 3.5 percent, in May 2011 and 1.4 million, or 3.4 percent, in April 2012. The foreclosure inventory is the share of all mortgaged homes in some stage of the foreclosure process.

    “There were more than 819,000 completed foreclosures over the past year, or an average of 2,440 completed foreclosures every day over the last 12 months,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. “Although the level of completed foreclosures remains high, it is down 27 percent from a peak of 1.1 million in all of 2010.”

    “Though the national foreclosure inventory levels remain steady, around 1.4 million homes, there have been dramatic shifts at the state level,” said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. “Nevada, Arizona and Michigan, for example, each experienced at least a 20-percent decline in the foreclosure inventory from a year ago. While foreclosure inventories in most states are declining, the foreclosure inventory is still rising in many judicial states, such as Hawaii, New York and Connecticut.”

    Highlights as of May 2012

    The five states with the highest number of completed foreclosures for the 12 months ending in May 2012 were: California (133,000), Florida (92,000), Michigan (60,000), Texas (58,000) and Georgia (57,000). These five states account for 48.8 percent of all completed foreclosures nationally.

    The five states with the lowest number of completed foreclosures for the 12 months ending in May 2012 were: South Dakota (48), District of Columbia (74), North Dakota (547), West Virginia (620) and Hawaii (623).

    The five states with the highest foreclosure inventory as a percentage of all mortgaged homes were: Florida (11.9 percent), New Jersey (6.6 percent), Illinois (5.3 percent), New York (5.0 percent) and Nevada (4.9 percent).

    The five states with the lowest foreclosure inventory were: Wyoming (0.7 percent), Alaska (0.8 percent), North Dakota (0.8 percent), Nebraska (1.0 percent) and South Dakota (1.3 percent).

    *April data was revised. Revisions are standard, and to ensure accuracy CoreLogic incorporates newly released data to provide updated results.

    To download a copy of the National Foreclosure Report, please visit www.corelogic.com/ForeclosureReport-May2012.

    Methodology

    The data in this report represents foreclosure activity reported through May 2012.

    This report separates state data into judicial vs. non-judicial foreclosure state categories. In judicial foreclosure states, lenders must provide evidence to the courts of delinquency in order to move a borrower into foreclosure, while in non-judicial foreclosure states lenders can issue notices of default directly to the borrower without court intervention. This is an important distinction since judicial states as a rule have longer foreclosure timelines thus affecting foreclosure statistics.

    A completed foreclosure occurs when a property is auctioned and results in the purchase of the home at auction by either a third party, such as an investor, or by the lender.  If the home is purchased by the lender, it is moved into the lender’s Real Estate Owned (REO) inventory.  In “foreclosure by advertisement” states, a redemption period begins after the auction and runs for a statutory period, e.g., six months.  During that period the borrower may regain the foreclosed home by paying all amounts due as calculated under the statute.  For purposes of this Foreclosure Report, because so few homes are actually redeemed following an auction, it is assumed that the foreclosure process ends in “foreclosure by advertisement” states at the completion of the auction. 

    The foreclosure inventory represents the number and share of mortgaged homes that have been placed into the process of foreclosure by the mortgage servicer.  Mortgage servicers start the foreclosure process when the mortgage reaches a specific level of serious delinquency as dictated by the investor for the mortgage loan.  Serious delinquency is typically defined as 90, 120, or 150 days delinquent (sometimes more), in foreclosure or in REO. Once a foreclosure is “started,” and absent the borrower paying all amounts necessary to halt the foreclosure, the home remains in foreclosure until the completed foreclosure results in the sale to a third party at auction or the home enters the lender’s REO inventory. The data in this report accounts for only first liens against a property and does not include secondary liens. The foreclosure inventory is measured only against homes that have an outstanding mortgage. Homes with no mortgage liens can never be in foreclosure and are therefore excluded from the analysis. Approximately one-third of homes nationally are owned outright and do not have a mortgage. CoreLogic has approximately 85 percent coverage of U.S. foreclosure data.

    1The number of mortgages per completed foreclosure nationally is calculated by dividing the number of homes with a mortgage by the number of completed foreclosures in the month. By State and CBSA, it’s calculated by dividing the number of homes with a mortgage in each area by the sum of completed foreclosures for the prior 12 months. The slight difference in the calculation between national and state and CBSA helps to account for data volatility.

  • LightSquared’s Philip Falcone and Harbinger Charged with Securities Fraud

    On June 27, 2012, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed fraud charges against New York-based hedge fund adviser Philip A. Falcone and his advisory firm, Harbinger Capital Partners LLC for illicit conduct that included misappropriation of client assets, market manipulation, and betraying clients. The SEC also charged Peter A. Jenson, Harbinger’s former Chief Operating Officer, for aiding and abetting the misappropriation scheme. Additionally, the SEC reached a settlement with Harbinger for unlawful trading.

    In a separate, settled action, the SEC charged Harbert Management Corporation, whose affiliates served as the managing members of two Harbinger-related entities, as a controlling person in the market manipulation.

    The SEC alleges that Falcone used fund assets to pay his taxes, conducted an illegal “short squeeze” to manipulate bond prices, secretly favored certain customers at the expense of others, and that Harbinger unlawfully bought equity securities in a public offering, after having sold short the same security during a restricted period.

    “Today’s charges read like the final exam in a graduate school course in how to operate a hedge fund unlawfully,” said Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.  “Clients and market participants alike were victimized as Falcone unscrupulously used fund assets to pay his personal taxes, manipulated the market for certain bonds, favored some clients at the expense of others, and violated trading rules intended to prohibit manipulative short sales.”

    The SEC filed actions in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Falcone, Jenson, and Harbinger, and, in connection with the illegal trading scheme, separately instituted and settled administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings against Harbinger.

    In particular, the SEC alleges that:

    • Falcone fraudulently obtained $113.2 million from a hedge fund that he advised and misappropriated the proceeds to pay his personal taxes;
    • Falcone and two Harbinger investment managers through which Falcone operated manipulated the price and availability of a series of distressed high-yield bonds by engaging in an illegal “short squeeze;”
    • Falcone and Harbinger secretly offered and granted favorable redemption and liquidity rights to certain strategically-important investors in exchange for those investors’ consent to restrict redemption rights of other fund investors, and concealed the arrangement from the fund’s directors and investors; and
    • Harbinger engaged in illegal trades in connection with the purchase of common stock in three public offerings after having sold the same securities short during a restricted period.

    “Not only are hedge fund managers expected to be savvy investors, they are supposed to serve the interests of their clients. Here, in addition to raiding a fund for personal benefit and cutting secret deals with favored investors, Falcone then lied to investors about what he had done,” said Bruce Karpati, Chief of the Asset Management Unit in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.

    Describing the illegal short squeeze, Gerald W. Hodgkins, Associate Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement said, “After he took control of an entire issue of high-yield bonds, Falcone kept buying with an eye toward rigging the market and punishing short sellers to settle a score. In the process, Falcone hijacked the market for the bonds and illegally manipulated their price and availability. The Division will continue to police the bond market to make sure it operates as an efficient market, free of the corrosive effects of manipulators such as Falcone.”

    Misappropriation Scheme

    In the misappropriation scheme, the SEC alleges that Falcone unlawfully used fund assets to pay his personal taxes. In 2009 Falcone owed federal and state authorities $113.2 million in taxes. Declining to pursue other financing options, such as pledging his personal assets as collateral for a bank loan, Falcone elected instead to take a $113.2 million loan from the Harbinger Capital Partners Special Situations Fund, L.P. – the same fund from which Harbinger had earlier suspended investors from redeeming.

    Falcone authorized the transfer of fund assets to himself in a transaction that Jenson helped structure. Falcone and Harbinger never sought or obtained consent from investors prior to using the fund's assets to benefit Falcone.

    As part of the misappropriation scheme, the SEC alleges that Falcone and Harbinger, aided by Jenson, made several material misrepresentations and omissions in seeking legal advice regarding the loan and in subsequent communications with investors, including, among other things:

    • the financing alternatives available to Falcone;
    • the circumstances that led to Falcone’s need for the loan;
    • the ability of the Special Situations Fund to furnish the loan, without disadvantaging investors;
    • the terms and conditions of the loan, including the interest rate charged and the amount of collateral posted by Falcone; and
    • the role of Harbinger’s outside legal counsel in vetting the transaction.

    The SEC also alleges that Falcone and Harbinger delayed disclosing the loan for approximately five months because of their concern that disclosure of Falcone’s financial condition might have a negative impact on investor withdrawals and on Falcone’s ability to attract more investments for other Harbinger funds. Falcone repaid the loan in 2011, after the Commission commenced its investigation.

    Market Manipulation / Illegal Short Squeeze

    In a separate civil action, the SEC alleges that from 2006 through early 2008 Falcone and two Harbinger investment management entities manipulated the market in a series of distressed high-yield bonds issued by MAAX Holdings Inc. In this fraudulent scheme, Falcone and the Harbinger entities allegedly orchestrated an illegal “short squeeze” – a market manipulation scheme in which an investor constricts the supply of a security, through large purchases or other means, with the intent of forcing settlement from short sellers at arbitrary and inflated prices.

    The SEC’s complaint alleges that at Falcone’s direction, Harbinger purchased a large position in the MAAX bonds during April and June of 2006. After hearing rumors that a Wall Street financial services firm was shorting the MAAX bonds and also encouraging its customers to do the same, Falcone decided to seek revenge. In September 2006, Falcone directed the Harbinger-managed funds to buy every available bond in the market, often purchasing the bonds from short sellers. Ultimately, Falcone raised the funds’ stake to approximately 13 percent more than the available supply of the MAAX bonds.

    At one point, Harbinger had purchased 22 million more bonds than MAAX had ever issued. Contemporaneously with these purchases, Falcone locked up the MAAX bonds the Harbinger funds had purchased in a custodial account at a bank in Georgia to prevent his brokers from lending out the bonds to sellers seeking to deliver the bonds to purchasers after short sales.

    Having seized control of the supply of the MAAX bonds, Falcone then demanded that the Wall Street firm and its customers settle their outstanding MAAX short sales, not disclosing that it would be virtually impossible to find bonds available for delivery. The Wall Street firm bid daily for the bonds, which quickly doubled in price. Then, Falcone engaged in a series of transactions with certain short sellers at arbitrary, inflated prices, while at the same time valuing the funds’ holdings on his books at a small fraction of the prices he charged the covering short sellers.

    Preferential Redemption Scheme

    In its action alleging misappropriation, the SEC also alleges that in a further breach of Falcone and Harbinger’s fiduciary duties to their clients, Falcone and Harbinger engaged in unlawful preferential redemptions for the benefit of certain favored investors.

    In 2009, while soliciting required investor approval to restrict withdrawals from another Harbinger fund, Falcone and Harbinger secretly exempted certain large investors that Falcone deemed to be strategically important from soon-to-be imposed liquidity restrictions – provided those investors voted to approve restrictions that would temporarily stabilize the decline in Harbinger’s assets under management.

    Ultimately, pursuant to these ‘vote buying’ agreements, Falcone and Harbinger allegedly permitted these investors who were connected to certain favored institutional investors to withdraw a total of approximately $169 million. Harbinger concealed these quid pro quo arrangements from the independent directors and from fund investors.

    Other Illegal Trading by Harbinger

    In a separate administrative and cease-and-desist proceeding, the SEC found that between April and June 2009, Harbinger violated Rule 105 of Regulation M of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act). Rule 105 is an anti-manipulation rule that prohibits short selling securities during a restricted period and then purchasing the same securities in a public offering.

    The Commission’s Order censures Harbinger and requires the firm to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations of Rule 105 now or in the future. Harbinger will pay disgorgement in the amount of $857,950, prejudgment interest in the amount of $91,838, and a civil monetary penalty in the amount of $428,975. Harbinger consented to the issuance of the Order without admitting or denying any of the Commission’s findings.

    Settlement with Harbert Management Company

    In a separate complaint also filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the SEC filed a settled civil action against Harbert and two related investment entities – HMC-New York Inc. and HMC Investors, LLC – for their role in the illegal short squeeze described above.

    The SEC alleges in its complaint against Harbert that during the entire period of the short squeeze, Defendants Harbert, HMC-NY and HMC Investors, directly or indirectly, possessed the power to control Falcone and the investment managers through which he operated. HMC-NY and HMC Investors, two entities controlled by Harbert, served as the managing members of two limited liability companies that acted as the general partners of the funds advised by Falcone.

    Harbert and its affiliates also provided hedge fund administrative, legal, compliance, risk assessment and other services to the funds. In these capacities, Harbert, HMC-NY and HMC Investors knew of Falcone’s trades in the MAAX bonds, but failed to take appropriate steps to address Falcone’s manipulative conduct. The SEC charged the Harbert defendants as controlling persons pursuant to Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, alleging that they are jointly and severally liable for Falcone’s and the Harbinger investment managers’ violations of the antifraud provisions of the Exchange Act.

    Without admitting or denying the allegations of the complaint, Defendants Harbert, HMC-NY and HMC Investors have agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $1 million. The Harbert defendants also have consented to the entry of a judgment enjoining them from violations of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The proposed settlement with Harbert is subject to approval by the court.

    In the pending federal court actions concerning the first three fraudulent schemes described above, the Commission seeks a variety of sanctions and relief including injunctions against Falcone and Harbinger from violations of the anti-fraud provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, the Exchange Act, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

    In addition, the Commission seeks to enjoin Harbinger and Falcone from controlling any person who violates the anti-fraud provisions of the Exchange Act. As for monetary relief, the Commission seeks disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, prejudgment interest, and civil money penalties from Falcone and Harbinger. The Commission further seeks to prohibit Falcone from serving as an officer and director of any public company. Against Jenson, the Commission seeks to enjoin Jenson from aiding and abetting future violations of the anti-fraud provisions of the Exchange Act and Advisers Act and seeks to obtain monetary penalties.

    The SEC’s investigation was a coordinated effort between teams from the SEC’s headquarters and the New York Regional Office, including Conway T. Dodge, Jr., Robert C. Besse, Ken C. Joseph, Mark Salzberg, Brian Fitzpatrick, and David Stoelting. Messrs. Joseph, Salzberg, and Fitzpatrick are members of the Enforcement Division’s Asset Management Unit. Mr. Stoelting and David Gottesman will lead the SEC’s litigation team.

  • Google Releases 3D Imagery on Google Earth for Android

    Google announced, via its Lat Lon Blog, 3D imagery on their latest version of Google Earth for Android.

    Google announced with 3D imagery, there is now a new way to explore the world, right from the palm of your hand with a 3D view of your favorite metropolitan area. Now you can soar above your favorite cities in 3D, with Google Earth for mobile.

    Google reports they recently shared a preview of this striking new 3D imagery and starting today, users can take flight with their latest version of Google Earth for Android. An updated version of Google Earth for iOS will be also be available soon.

    According to the announcement, creating the comprehensive 3D experience is possible due to advanced image processing. Using 45-degree aerial imagery, Google said its able to automatically recreate entire metropolitan areas in 3D. This means every building (not just the famous landmarks), the terrain, and any surrounding landscape of trees are included to provide a much more accurate and realistic experience.

     

    Initial 3D imagery cities are: Boulder, Boston, Santa Cruz, San Diego, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Antonio, Charlotte, Tucson, Lawrence, Portland, Tampa, Rome or the San Francisco Bay Area (including the Peninsula and East Bay). Google said it will continue to release new 3D imagery for places around the world over the coming months; by the end of the year, they aim to have new 3D coverage for metropolitan areas with a combined population of 300 million people.

    Download the latest Google Earth for Android here.

     

  • Google Maps for Android Now Works Offline

    Google announced on their Lat Lon Blog that Google Maps for Android now works when it's disconnected from the internet. Users can select and save a region of a map from more than 150 countries for use offline.

    "Having an Internet connection has always been a key requirement for using Google Maps for Android… until now," said the blog post dated June 27, 2012.

    Whether travelling internationally, carrying a WiFi-only device, heading underground on the subway or restricting your mobile data usage, you can now save up to six large metro areas (e.g., Greater London, Paris, or New York City and surrounding area) and use Google Maps for Android to find your way.

    For example, Let’s say you find yourself traveling to London this summer. Before you head off on your trip, simply find the area that you’ll be visiting. Then select “Make available offline” from the menu and verify the area that you would like to save. Below the map, you’ll see we estimate the file size for you, so you know how much space it will take on your device. Once you confirm your selection the map will immediately start downloading.

    Save an area and go to My Places to see all your offline maps

    If you have GPS enabled on the device, the blue dot will still work without a data connection so you know where you are, and if your device has a compass you can orient yourself without 3G or WiFi connectivity.  

    So whether you’re traveling internationally or underground, we hope offline maps will help you get around. 

    Google announced it is also releasing a smoother and faster Compass Mode for Street View within Google Maps for Android. The device becomes a window into a 360-degree, panoramic view of the outdoor or interior location through Business Photos. To experience the improved qualities of this feature you need a device with Google Maps for Android, Android 3.0 or higher and a gyroscope sensor plus version 1.8.1 of Street View on Google Maps.

  • Google Reveals Nexus 7 Tablet with GPS

    Google’s much-anticipated tablet computer has been revealed. The Google Nexus 7 is a 7-inch tablet powered by a Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor that runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, 1.3-GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and come in 8 GB ($199) and 16 GB versions ($249). Asus built the tablet, but it will be Google branded.

    The display is high-definition at  1280 x 800, and there’s a front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera and microphone for video chatting. It has a micro USB port, GPS, near-field communication and both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

    At its size an price point, the tablet is expected to compete with the Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook tablets, rather than the 9.7-inch iPad or the 10.6-inch Microsoft Surface.

    Google is offering a $25 credit for the Google Play store in an introductory offer.

  • Two New Kindle Fire Apps Leverage Skyhook Technology

    Skyhook, a location information, context and intelligence company, has announced that two new Kindle Fire apps have integrated Skyhook to provide location services on this device. The applications include Happy Hour Finder and Scope. They join a list of other apps using Skyhook for location services on the Kindle Fire, including MapQuest, KAYAK, deCarta, and TweetCaster.

    Happy Hour Finder is a local search app that shows the nearest bars and restaurants with discount happy hours. Scope is an aggregated social media app that organizes all of a person’s social networks in one place.

    “"Location check-ins are a valuable piece of the complete social picture Scope provides of your friends' activity,"” said Anit Kumar, CEO of Scope. “"We knew we couldn'’t launch the app on Kindle Fire without location, and wanted to ensure all of our Android versions were the same, so Skyhook was necessary.”"

    "Developers are increasingly concerned with Android fragmentation,"” said Maggie Taylor, marketing manager of Skyhook. "“Our system provides consistent location functionality and protects developers from this problem, so apps are built once and will work across the board.”"

    Happy Hour Finder and Scope are both free and available today in the Amazon App store for download. Skyhook provides an SDK for developers across most platforms.

  • Google Lowers Pricing and Simplified Limits with Google Maps API

    In it's developers blog, Google announced that it will lower API usage fees and simplifying limits for both Styled and regular maps. According to the announcement:

     

    • Changes to pricing. While the Maps API remains free for the vast majority of sites, some developers were worried about the potential costs. In response, we have lowered the online price from US $4 per 1,000 map loads to 50¢ per 1,000 map loads.
    • Simplified limits. We’re eliminating the previous distinction between Styled Maps and regular unstyled maps. The same usage limits and pricing now apply to applications using Styled Maps and the default Google Maps style.

    Google reports they're beginning to monitor Maps API usage starting today, June 22, 2012, and based on current usage, fees will only apply to the top 0.35% of sites regularly exceeding the published limits of 25,000 map loads every day for 90 consecutive days. The application of these limits is not automated, so if your site consistently uses more than the free maps allowance we’ll contact you to discuss your options. Your map will not stop working due to a sudden surge in popularity.

    We hope the changes we’re announcing today will help you continue to deliver the most innovative maps experience to your users. If you have any questions or concerns please post to the Google Maps API forums or contact the Google Maps API for Business Sales team using this form. We look forward to helping you build great Maps applications for many years to come.

    Posted by Thor Mitchell, Product Manager, Google Maps API

  • Trimble Launches New Mapping App for Kindle Fire and Android Tablets

    Trimble released the Trimble Outdoors MyTopo Maps app for the Kindle Fire and other Android-powered tablets. Outdoor enthusiasts can now view detailed topo and aerial maps and plot their next outdoor adventure on large tablet screens.

     

    MyTopo Maps provides access to over 68,000 detailed topo maps in the U.S. and Canada, in addition to aerial photos, street maps, terrain maps and hybrid maps.

    MyTopo Map on Kindle Fire

    "Our ecosystem of apps continues to grow and now Android tablet users can plan outdoor trips at home using MyTopo Maps," said Rich Rudow, general manager for Trimble Outdoors. "We provide best-in-class topographic and aerial maps, and tools to answer the specific demands of hikers, off-roaders and other outdoor enthusiasts."

    The app was originally released as a beta app in the Amazon AppStore last December. It immediately generated buzz among outdoor and map enthusiasts, and over the past four months features were added and tweaked based on community feedback up to the official launch this week.

    Trimble Outdoors released the iPad version of this app in November 2011. All apps are available in a Free and Pro versions on the Apple App Store, Google Play and Amazon AppStore. To download and for more details, go to: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/Products/TrimbleOutdoorsMyTopoMaps.

  • GLONASS Antenna

    Taoglas is launching the AA.16X Dominator series of antennas, which have a wider bandwidth to cover the GLONASS operating frequencies up to 1610 MHz, a good axial ratio, and a double resonance design for optimum reception at the center frequencies.

    Taoglas’ GPS antennas are being used in the field by many different M2M solution providers including tracking, telematics, and GPS manufacturers, the company said.

    The AA.161 Dominator is a magnetic mount GPS-GLONASS IP67, external antenna incorporating a 35-millimeter ceramic patch. It is a wide-band active patch antenna product with a large integral ground that delivers a gain up to 35 dB. With the Dominator antenna series, Taoglas has a comprehensive range of GPS-GLONASS active embedded antennas (AGGP series) and passive embedded (CGGP) antennas for automotive first-tier TS16949 and after-market applications.

    “In the coming months, for the first time the true availability of GPS and GLONASS satellites along with the latest generation of GNSS receivers are going to dramatically change the performance of M2M location devices,” said Ronan Quinlan, Director Taoglas. “With close to double the amount of satellites to draw from compared to a stand-alone GPS constellation, we are now going to see quicker time to first fixes with accuracy improving from meters to sub one meter. The ability to view and lock on four or more satellites in traditionally difficult reception areas such as urban canyons, city centers or locations with restricted views of the horizon, will give M2M manufacturers the ability to triangulate and pinpoint locations with greater accuracy and with quicker time to first fix.

    Taoglas’ new Dominator antennas have been rigorously tested and pre-approved by the GNNS receiver companies worldwide and have been shown to display higher and more consistent gain in comparison to competing antennas, the company claimed. Two key components have been engineered from scratch for the Dominator series, a wide-band front-end SAW filter (critical to prevent out of band noise entering on both GPS and GLONASS degrading the signal) and a high-gain 35-mm patch.

    CONTACT INFO

    Company: Taoglas
    Country: United States (USA)
    URL: http://www.taoglas.com

  • Mapping Upheavals, Indoor Location Headway, FCC on LBS Privacy

    Big changes. Apple finally ended its long time dependence on Google Maps. As part of its latest operating system upgrade to iOS 6, Apple is launching its own, home-grown mapping service. It is an impressive offering. In a very different move, Microsoft is replacing its own Bing maps in all Windows Phone devices. Nokia maps, previously Navteq, will replace Microsoft’s home-grown Bing Maps. Micello has a new indoor location trial that isn’t just indoor mapping. This month the FCC has something to say on the topic of privacy in LBS apps. ABI Research has high expectations for indoor location.

    Google maps will be demoted to just another app on iPhones and iPads, a blow to Google’s bottom line. iOS device owners account for 28 percent of Google Map users in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and Spain, reports Analysis Mason. This parting will create additional friction in the contentious relationship between Google and Apple. Many partners are helping Apple produce the offering, but TomTom is the only one acknowledged in the announcement. Apple reports TomTom is “powering Apple maps.” No explanation has been given.

    The new Apple in-house maps built for iOS 6 include 100 million business listings and Yelp recommendations, integrated with real-time, crowd-sourced traffic, navigation, and suggested travel routes. It all works with Siri, Apple’s voice-activated search software. Siri has its critics, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak who has been quoted with derisive, even crude, comments on Siri’s usability.

    Will Location Move Stock Price? Facebook says it’s working on a location-based mobile-advertising product that will allow advertisers to target users based on their real-time whereabouts. Facebook’s shares have dropped by almost 20 percent since the company’s initial public offering, fueled partly by concern that ad-revenue growth isn’t keeping up with a shift by users to mobile phones.

    LBS Is Being Monitored. Ever concerned with privacy, the FCC released a report on location-based services. The agency declined to adopt privacy regulations or best practices, but indicated it would monitor the industry for the following: ensuring privacy considerations are integral to product development, security of data from unauthorized access, timing and frequency of location privacy notices to consumers, and minimization of data collected and time period for which it is retained. The FCC warns it will take additional steps if not satisfied with privacy implementation for LBS.

    Indoor Fortunes. Indoor location is positioned to save retail brick and mortar, says ABI Research. I wouldn’t go that far, but it will certainly have a positive impact. Major U.S. retail brands will launch indoor location technologies in 2012 and 2013, says ABI. “Revenue will come from multiple sources, including advertising, infrastructure deployment/service fees, and application management,” says Patrick Connolly. The technology will enable advances in customer analytics, proximity advertising, store optimization, couponing, and CRM. Retailers will likely want to control store data, which will be an important consideration in picking partners.

    I Am Here. Micello, indoor mapping creator, has a trial for its new FindMe location application. Users can share their whereabouts in Singapore with anyone in their address book. The app allows users to send a text that includes a detailed map that shows the user’s indoor location. The company is expanding the app to Las Vegas and some college campuses.

    Grapevine. Rumors persist that Amazon is in talks to acquire Jumptap, one of the mobile advertising network leaders. Amazon plans to enlarge its Special Offers advertising platform to the Kindle Fire Tablet, a competitor to Apple’s pricier iPad, reports Ad Age. A Jumptap purchase would make sense. Amazon has a treasure trove of purchase information on individual users on hand that can be used to develop personalized and contextual mobile advertising.

    Timing Is Everything. In Apple’s forthcoming operating system update, all applications will require explicit user permission before accessing personal information, such as location information. Apple made the announcement just after developer Arun Thampi reported iOS social application Path was uploading users’ address books to its servers. A backlash from consumers and legislators followed. Path later acknowledged storing user data and updated its app to enable users to opt out of its contacts database.

    Sad News. Sorry to hear Nokia plans to cut 10,000 jobs by the end of 2013. Remember when Navteq had the mapping world in the palm of its hand? What a fall. Last year Nokia cut 14,000 jobs.

  • Flurry Announces Ad Analytics for Mobile Apps

    Flurry has announced Flurry Ad Analytics, an analytics-powered service for mobile app marketers to measure the effectiveness of traffic acquisition campaigns across ad networks. The service enables app marketers to track the quality, follow-on behavior, and return on investment of traffic sourced from campaigns across major mobile ad networks including Apple iAd, Google Admob, Millenial Media, InMobi, Jumptap, and Flurry AppCircle.

    “Flurry estimates that during 2012 app marketers will spend over one billion dollars worldwide on app traffic acquisition without the ability to measure user quality, assign attribution or easily determine ROI,” said Simon Khalaf, Flurry president and chief executive. “Flurry Ad Analytics empowers app marketers to change the way they think about acquisition and focus on quality not just quantity.”