GPS World

Category: Applications

  • iOS, Android Adoption 10 Times that of PCs

    Janice Partyka
    Janice Partyka

    We are making history. The rate of iOS and Android device adoption has surpassed adoption rates for any other consumer technology in recent history, reports analytics firm Flurry. Android and iOS devices are being adopted at a rate 10 times faster than the rate of PC adoption during the 1980s. Smart device adoption is growing twice as fast as Internet adoption during the 1990s, and three times faster than that of recent social network adoption. Flurry estimates there were more than 640 million Android and iOS devices in use as of July 2012. The U.S., followed by China, has the most active iOS and Android devices. However, China had the fastest growth of active devices last year and its active user base will soon overtake the U.S. Other news this month includes security concerns with LBS offerings, developments in the indoor location market, voice navigation for bikes, and unusual election activities.

    With cause, people are concerned about the security of location-based applications. In a poll focused on LBS security, a quarter of 1,000 Americans surveyed indicated both concerns about third-party use of personal information for marketing purposes and strangers knowing too much about personal activities. Surprisingly, about 20 percent indicated a concern for their actual personal safety. The poll was conducted by the non-profit security group, ISACA. Nearly one-third of consumers in ISACA’s survey use location-based apps more than they did a year ago.

    It isn’t just LBS that carries security risks. Smartphones themselves are inherently vulnerable. “Every smartphone subscriber end-point is a potential threat to the mobile network and creates hundreds of millions of points of network vulnerability,” says Jeff Orr of ABI Research. Currently, protection is focused on hardware and end-user application security. To more ably face threats, defensive security measures will grow more sophisticated and encompass contextual information about usage, location, and user. Perversely, this is the same information sought by mobile advertisers. Today, carriers are focused on 4G roll-out and delivering the hottest handset, but they need to be just as concerned about security.

    A Whiff of Hyperbole in the Indoors. The indoors location market is going to be big, but I think that ABI Research’s forecast of indoor maps and services reaching more than $2.5 billion by 2017 is overstated. I agree with their assertion that business models are changing with the most significant indoor mapping companies increasing their scope to include more revenue enhancing activities. These still focus on indoor location, but include application development, location technologies, analytics, and advertising.

    Indoor Location Club. The In-Location Alliance has been formed by 22 companies, including Nokia, Qualcomm, and Samsung, to pursue high-accuracy indoor positioning and related services. One of their goals is to ensure a multi-vendor environment by promoting open interfaces and a standard-based approach. Members are encouraged to execute their own pilots and present their data to the Alliance. The primary solutions will be based on enhanced Bluetooth 4.0 low-energy technology and Wi-Fi standards using relevant existing or upcoming features of those technologies. Pre-commercial pilots and business model verifications will start in 2012, while 2013 is expected to bring mobile handset-based implementation, enabling the first consumer applications in the indoor mobile environment.

    Enterprise GPS Doing Well Approximately 5.5 million GPS/wireless devices are used to manage fleet vehicles, trailers, construction equipment, and mobile workers, estimates C.J. Driscoll & Associates. By 2015, this market will expand to more than nine million units and annual hardware and service revenues will grow to over $3.0 billion, predicts Driscoll. Growth is expected to be strongest in the local GPS fleet tracking market, which is expanding at a rate of 15-20 percent per year.

    Listen to Your Bike. Google has added turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation for bike riders in 10 Nordic and European bike loving countries. Bikers can either listen to the voice or view the route on a phone. In the U.S. and Canada, a beta version will be available. Google maps contain more than 330,000 miles of biking lines. These are color classified as either dedicated bike trails with no motor vehicles, streets with bike lanes, or other streets recommended for biking. Users can use Map Maker to add bike routes.

    Election Coverage. You may have heard that a group called Crossroads GPS spent $5.3 million to run ads to defend Governor Romney’s proposed tax plan. Crossroads GPS is not a new faction of the LBS industry. Crossroads GPS (Grassroots Policy Strategies) is a conservative organization with an unlikely acronym.

    Save the Date. I’ll be moderating a panel debate, “Opening up the Indoors for Location Services,” at MforMobile’s Location Business Summit 2012, being held in San Jose October 16-17. TheWhereBusiness and NFC Insight are now MforMobile.

  • SPAN GNSS/INS Technology Now on NovAtel’s OEM6 Receiver Products

    NovAtel Inc. announced  at ION the addition of SPAN GNSS/Inertial Navigation System (INS) technology to its OEM6 GNSS receiver platform. NovAtel’s SPAN technology tightly couples precision GNSS receivers with robust inertial measurement units (IMUs) to provide reliable, continuously available, position, velocity and attitude (roll, pitch, yaw), even during short periods of time when satellite signals are blocked or unavailable.

    The release of SPAN on OEM6 provides SPAN OEM customers with new features and functionality previously unavailable on NovAtel’s OEMV based SPAN platform, including ALIGN GNSS heading determination, API, RAIM, and GPS+GLONASS positioning.

    Jason Hamilton, director of Marketing at NovAtel, stated, “SPAN on OEM6 builds on our core GNSS platform, taking features and functionality from our six series and adding them to our SPAN technology.” He added, “SPAN on OEM6 improves positioning performance in difficult GNSS environments over NovAtel’s past generations of products, greatly improving the ability to bridge GNSS outages, and allowing users to operate with higher confidence in challenging environments.”

    NovAtel’s SPAN technology will be supported on OEM615 and OEM628 board level receivers, and the FlexPak6 receiver which gives integrators a rugged enclosed platform that can be paired with the company’s complete range of IMU sensors.

    The OEM615 and 628 boards replace NovAtel’s legacy OEMV receivers to provide integrators a new platform for developing and embedding SPAN into their applications. Existing OEM6 customers can now upgrade their receiver to become full GNSS/INS SPAN platforms.

    Interested parties can visit NovAtel at Booth “F” at ION 2012 to learn more about this new product offering. Shipments of OEM6 SPAN enabled receivers will begin September 2012. Further information can be found on the company’s website at novatel.com or through a company representative which can be located under the “Where to Buy” tab of the company website.

  • NVS Technologies Launches Embedded Mini GNSS Receiver

     

    NVS Technologies AG announces today, from the ION-GNSS 2012 Conference in Nashville, the launch of the NV08C-Mini PCI-E Embedded Mini PCI Express GNSS Receiver.

    The NV08C-Mini PCI-E is a fully integrated GNSS receiver module, optimized for Mini PCI Express (Mini-PCIe) based applications. Its key feature is its full compatibility with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, COMPASS (GNSS), and EGNOS, WAAS, MSAS, and GAGAN (SBAS). It is specifically designed for use in a wide range of mobile computing, in-vehicle and rugged handheld computer equipment, for the security/public safety, telematics/fleet management, and precision GIS/survey, machine control, and agriculture markets. Features include:

    • Embedded mini PCI Express GNSS receiver
    • Very quick and simple integration
    • GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, COMPASS, SBAS L1
    • Precise navigation, positioning, and timing
    • 32 GNSS tracking channels / 200K correlators — Ensuring fast TTFF and high signal sensitivity
    • NMEA 0183 / IEC 61162-1, binary (BINR) and RTCM SC-104 v2.3 data protocols
    • Raw Data output — Pseudorange, Carrier phase and Doppler
    • Individual GLONASS group delay calibration — Assuring very high accuracy
    • Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) / Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS) interface
    • 64 KB EEPROM for firmware upgrade and data storage
    • Industrial operating temperature range ‐40 to +85°C

    The NV08C-Mini PCI-E offers high sensitivity, high-performance acquisition and tracking, NMEA and raw data outputs, plus Differential (D-GNSS) and Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS) functions. Tracking satellites from multiple GNSS constellations ensures much higher availability of navigation signals, when compared to single constellation alternatives, and provides increased performance, accuracy, and reliability, NVS Technologies said. It features two RF channels (GPS and GLONASS), three-stage SAW filtration for high noise immunity, and several protocol interfaces and a supply voltage source for an active antenna. This fully featured embedded Mini PCI-e GNSS receiver is the quickest-to-market solution for mobile computing applications, the company said.

  • Placed Adds Location Analytics

    Placed Analytics is a new service that will provide perspective on the places that people were physically nearby when interacting with specific content. Placed Analytics expands the platforms it supports beyond Android and iOS to include the mobile web.

    “We chose mobile web as our next platform because mobile site owners have been requesting the same level of insights as app developers. Additionally, the early adopters of Placed Analytics are also the same developers embracing HTML5 as an alternative to native app development,” said David Shim of Placed. “Placed has measured over 1 billion locations since launching our beta to the public back in June. This rate of adoption has surpassed all of our internal goals, and the addition of mobile web measurement should only accelerate growth.”

  • Duntsu Releases Food Finding LBS App

    Dentsu has released a social app for location-based food search for iOS devices. FoodKing enables searching for a particular food item of interest, such as an omelet or pasta, based on the user’s location. Users can also “like” and “comment” on reviews and gather points to become a King of an individual food ranking.

    This app was released globally enabling users to communicate internationally through food reviews. Dentsu says it will be adding new food categories every month. Currently the app supports English and Japanese in the interface, and reviews in all languages. More languages are planned.

  • TomTom, Telenav Extend Mapping Partnership

    TomTom, global supplier of location and navigation products and services, is extending its partnership with Telenav. TomTom will provide mapping data for Scout, Telenav’s daily personal navigator. Additionally, TomTom will remain the provider of map content for Telenav-powered Sprint applications.

    Scout, currently available on the iPhone, provides personalized information that includes navigation directions, optimal departure time and things to do at the destination. Together, Telenav and TomTom will provide up-to-date map content to Scout customers. All Sprint customers will also continue to have access to TomTom maps via Scout.

    “We believe the new contract with Telenav is an endorsement of our high quality maps,” said Anders Truelsen of TomTom. “We are pleased that Scout users will be able to experience the added value of our rich map content.”

    “Our goal is to always provide a reliable and easy-to-use service for our customers,” said Hassan Wahla of Telenav. “We are pleased to extend our agreement with TomTom because of its parallel focus and commitment to high-quality map content.”

     

  • ITT Exelis Announces New Capability in GPS Interference, Detection and Geolocation

    ITT Exelis has announced what it calls a significant development in the field of GPS technology. Exelis GPS Interference, Detection and Geolocation (IDG) will provide near real-time geolocation of intentional and unintentional GPS jamming sources through a network of sensors and advanced geolocation technology, the company announced at ION-GNSS, being held this week in Nashville, Tennessee.

    “From security to transportation and almost every sector of the economy, the world relies on receiving precise GPS timing and positioning data,” said Mark Pisani, vice president and general manager, Precision Instruments and Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Systems, ITT Exelis Geospatial Systems. “As GPS jamming devices become cheaper and more accessible, there is a greater need to protect military, commercial and industrial systems from a diverse range of threats. This technology is a major step forward in delivering actionable interference intelligence to an array of GPS users.”

    IDG technology is based upon a network of threat detection sensors that are networked to a centralized server running Exelis-developed geolocation algorithms. These sensors would be strategically located around high-risk areas, such as airports or utility grids, to instantaneously sense and triangulate the location of the jamming source. Should a threat be detected, users would receive pin-point geolocation information and actionable intelligence in order to respond.

    The Exelis solution would benefit a broad range of GPS customers and users. Jamming devices can send out signals capable of disrupting the synchronization of a utility power grid and creating significant infrastructure and economic damage. In each of these scenarios, IDG would detect, analyze and geolocate the hostile signal, sending the intelligence through a secure network in order for the user to mitigate the threat.

    Exelis payloads and payload components have been aboard every GPS satellite for almost 40 years. Today, Exelis is involved in developing and integrating the navigation payloads for GPS III. Exelis is also providing navigation processing components, precision monitor station receivers, and key components of the system security design for the GPS Operational Control System, also known as GPS OCX.

  • Toyota, Denso Develop Device for Real-time Vehicle Data Collection

    Toyota Motor Corporation and DENSO Corporation are jointly developing an on-board communications network device, CAN-Gateway ECU, that can take data gathered while driving and apply it to create a virtual simulation that enables a new way to enjoy driving.

    The CAN-Gateway ECU captures driving data — including GPS data, accelerator pedal strokes, steering angles, brake operation signals, gear shift signals, engine rpm count, water temperature, and vehicle speed — from a dedicated on-board GPS as well as CAN information exchanged among on-board ECUs. The device can wirelessly transmit (by Bluetooth) the data to software installed on smartphones or other devices for real-time monitoring. As this data is accumulated, it can serve as a driving coaching guide.

    Furthermore, software makers can use the data to create games or a wide variety of other software using standard creation tools, with no need to deal with the complicated nature of the onboard CAN protocol.

    The CAN-Gateway ECU can be fitted to the Toyota “86” rear-wheel-drive compact sports car. It is scheduled to be tested in Japan in spring 2013 by people active in car racing, before the scheduled Japan launch at the end of 2013.

    Further development is under way to enable vehicle data from drives on major circuits in Japan such as Fuji Speedway to be recorded onto USB flash drives for input into the racing game Gran Turismo, a PlayStation 3 home entertainment console title. Driving scenarios can then be recreated with the data and run simultaneously with other data to enjoy real-time, side-by-side track-run comparisons. Additionally, the user can reproduce aspects of a drive on a circuit such as the steering path taken, and where and when the brakes and accelerator were used, in the game for analysis and critique.

    USB memory data format and Bluetooth transmission protocol will be finalized after Toyota and DENSO review feedback with Polyphony Digital Inc., Densan System Co., Ltd. and other software makers, taking their expertise into account before specifications are finalized. Following this, information necessary for connecting to the CAN-Gateway ECU will be gradually made available to other software makers, DENSO said, thereby allowing for even broader development of software that explores new ways of enjoying cars.

     

  • USAF GPS Expert Benshoof to Lead Locata Initiatives

    Locata Corporation has announced that U.S. Air Force (USAF) veteran Paul Benshoof, formerly chief of strategic development at the 746th Test Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, has joined the company as global business development manager for military and government applications in the U.S. and abroad.

    This team expansion primes the company to meet growing global demand for GPS backup for critical government, civilian, and commercial infrastructure, Locata said. Benshoof, who witnessed the success of Locata’s precision positioning in GPS-denied environments during USAF LocataNet development at White Sands Missile Range, will set and execute the company’s worldwide defense sales initiatives.

    Near universal reliance on GPS for a broad range of critical positioning and navigation requirements in military, civilian government, and commercial applications — despite the fact that GPS signals are frequently blocked, jammed, spoofed or unavailable — is driving increasing demand for an alternative positioning solution. Locata’s terrestrial technology is the first and only system to locally replicate GPS precise positioning — on the ground. Locata is therefore the only real “backup to GPS” across any area where satellite-based signals aren’t reliable. Many modern applications (such as machine automation, military operations in GPS jammed areas, and all manner of positioning across campuses, ports, downtown “urban canyons,” open-cut mines, warehouses, malls and more) have far outstripped the original design parameters of the GPS satellite constellation. The ability to provide a backup to GPS is therefore now recognized as an essential national requirement for future mobile, industrial, transportation, homeland security and other critical infrastructure applications, as clearly laid out in the 2010 Federal Radionavigation Plan and the U.S. President’s National Space Policy of the USA.

    On September 7, the USAF granted Locata a multi-year contract to install a LocataNet over a vast 2,500 square mile (6,500 sq km) area of the famed White Sands Missile Range. The LocataNet has been described in a current USAF technical report as the key component for the realization of the USAF’s new “gold standard” military-grade reference system required to test and evaluate future navigation and guidance systems for the U.S. Department of Defense when GPS signals are jammed or unavailable. Locata has been proven by independent USAF testing to be fully autonomous from GPS, delivering the same or better positioning, navigation and time (PNT) as the GPS satellite constellation. Locata has invented a large portfolio of new technologies to create this new capability. Locata currently has 94 granted patents and over one hundred more in process to protect their innovations.

    “It’s an honor to have Mr. Benshoof join our team,” said Nunzio Gambale, CEO and co-founder of Locata. “Paul’s caliber of GPS expertise and firsthand experience with military and government positioning requirements will be instrumental in helping grow our business in this sector. He will help military and government organizations meet next-generation positioning needs using Locata’s world-first backup to GPS. I’ve known and worked with him and his USAF team since 2005, so he’s seen Locata’s groundbreaking technology in action. The fact he has now chosen to join our company is a tribute to the importance of our emerging technology. It also tells you all you need to know about how well our ‘impossible technology’ actually works!”

    Benshoof began his 22 years in GPS as the Project Manager responsible for the development and procurement of the PLGR — the DoD’s first secure handheld GPS receiver, manufactured by Rockwell Collins. He then devoted his technical prowess to developing navigation warfare (NAVWAR) test assets to support advanced technology demonstrations in GPS-denied environments, as well as supervising international test programs for NATO and allied forces. As GPS testing became increasingly important, he formed and directed the GPS Test Center of Expertise, a consortium of U.S. test agencies dedicated to GPS test and evaluation, while also chairing an international working group that helped standardize GPS test practices among 11 participating countries. Ultimately, he was selected to implement and lead the 746th Test Squadron’s Strategic Development activity that worked with commercial and military GPS industry to project guidance, navigation and NAVWAR testing shortfalls, and then managed developmental programs to fill technical capability gaps.

    “I’m excited to join a company that has done what no one thought was possible,” said Benshoof. “While other companies have attempted to replicate GPS without satellites, Locata is the first to succeed. Just as the early days of GPS were sparked by groundbreaking military applications, Locata has followed this same evolutionary path, yet much more rapidly. I’m honored to be a part of the team bringing essential GPS backup to the countless nations, organizations and partners that need it.”

  • In-Location Alliance to Promote Location-Based Indoor Solutions

    The In-Location Alliance was launched August 23 by 22 companies across location industries to drive innovation and market adoption of high-accuracy indoor positioning and related services.

    Accurate indoor positioning opens up plenty of possibilities for new mobile services. For a consumer this could mean, for example, receiving directions to the right products and personalized product promotions in nearby shops; using real-time navigation inside a building; finding the precise location of assets and people; and even increasing security in emergency situations. For facility owners and local service providers this could enable, for example, increased local customer identification; enhanced product placement; and better customer satisfaction by deploying resources when and where needed.

    The alliance will focus on creating solutions offering high accuracy, low power consumption, mobility, implementability, and usability. It will create an ecosystem that stimulates innovation, enhances service delivery, and accelerates the adoption of solutions and technologies that optimize the mobile experience, the companies said.

    Founding members include: Broadcom, CSR, Dialog Semiconductor, Eptisa, Geomobile, Genasys, Indra, Insiteo, Nokia, Nomadic Solutions, Nordic Semiconductor, Nordic Technology Group, NowOn, Primax Electronics, Qualcomm, RapidBlue Solutions, Samsung Electronics, Seolane Innovation, Sony Mobile Communications, TamperSeal AB, Team Action Zone and Visioglobe.

    Alliance members will pilot the most promising services and use cases from a business and solution point of view. The other important task for the Alliance is to ensure a multivendor environment by promoting open interfaces and a standard-based approach.

    Alliance members are encouraged to execute their own pilots and present their data to the Alliance. The primary solutions will be based on enhanced Bluetooth 4.0 low-energy technology and Wi-Fi standards using relevant existing or coming features of those technologies. These technologies are commonly used in mobile handsets and are thus a natural starting point for the Alliance’s efforts.

    Pre-commercial pilots and business model verifications will start in 2012, while 2013 is expected to bring mobile handset-based implementation enabling the first consumer applications in the indoor mobile environment.

    The Alliance says: “The aim of the In-Location Alliance is to act as a pioneer opening up new business streams for indoor environments. Indoor positioning is the next frontier of mobile services, offering great opportunities to enhance consumer experiences. For the benefit of enterprises, the Alliance will drive a world-wide indoor positioning system for use in major venues. Our pilots, along with technical evaluations, are paramount for driving rapid market adoption.”

    Patrick Connolly from ABI Research says: “The indoor location market sits on the cusp of a wave, with the market set to reach a significant number of installations in 2015-2017. With a huge number of proprietary technologies vying for position, the establishment of the In-Location Alliance can encourage innovation, lower costs and, ultimately, widespread adoption of standard based technologies and solutions.”

  • Altus Positioning Systems Receives Large Order for GNSS Survey Receivers In Norway

    Altus Positioning Systems has been selected by the National Courts Administration of Norway, Land Consolidation Court Division, to provide APS-3G series GNSS survey receivers to modernize its fleet of about 80 receivers.

    NavSys AS, Altus’ sales representative in Norway, won the tender in a highly competitive bid.

    “The Land Consolidation Court’s rigorous tests for the selection process were completed in demanding environments, including under heavy tree canopies,” said Arnt Tore Sund, managing director of NavSys. “The price-performance relation and the quality of the Altus APS-3G receivers, together with the comprehensive customer support, detailed product knowledge and deep technical understanding of the NavSys team, strongly contributed to this successful outcome.”

    The Land Consolidation Court’s 34 district offices will use the Altus APS-3G systems for geodetic, cadastre and land consolidation applications and for supporting the resolution of legal disputes.

    The Altus 136-channel APS-3G is a compact, lightweight, portable GNSS RTK receiver. It is based on the high-precision Septentrio multi-frequency, multi-constellation AsteRx3 engine. The unit is completely configurable from the data collector via Bluetooth for either base or rover operation with the internal UHF radio or for network rover operation with the internal quad-band GSM/GPRS modem. Its removable 2-GB SD card enables plug-and-play of raw data transfer for post processing.

    The APS-3GX model, which also is being delivered, optionally provides a port to a remote lightweight antenna that can be mounted on a five-meter pole to improve reception of the GNSS signals by raising the phase center when under dense vegetation.

    Neil Vancans, president and CEO of Altus Positioning Systems, commented, “This substantial order, obtained through the efforts of our valued sales partner in Norway, is an important validation of our APS-3 technology, which offers significant competitive benefits and advantages over other higher-priced GNSS survey receivers on the market today.”

    The Land Consolidation Court of Norway is a special court established under the Land Consolidation Act to adjudicate boundary disputes among property owners and freeholders in land consolidation cases. Mapping and other technical work is done by staff from the court so that decisions made are documented for the future. The technical staff has competency to do all the technical work in each case handled by the court.

  • 9th European Conference on Precision Agriculture

    The 9th European Conference on Precision Agriculture will be held in Lleida, Catalonia, Spain, July 7-11, 2013. The conference started on 1997 and takes place every two years in different locations around Europe. The proceedings of the conference are strictly edited to ensure the scientific quality of the event. The event is being held under the auspices of the International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA) and the Universitat de Lleida (UdL).