GPS World

Category: Applications

  • 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.

  • Topcon Helps Search for Evidence of UFOs in New Show

    Chris Carter’s famous X-Files slogan,“The truth is out there,” is put to the test when a team of pioneering investigators pushes the limits to find the truth behind unexplained UFO sightings, using modern technology for data collection and analysis. Topcon’s IS-3 imaging station is featured in "Chasing UFOs," which premieres June 29 on the National Geographic Channel.


    Topcon’s Scott Langbein (right) provided training on the Topcon equipment to
    investigator Ben McGee (left) during the filming of the series “Chasing UFOs.”

    According to the National Geographic Channel (NGC), these real-life “Scullys and Mulders” are not looking for more stories on extraterrestrial activity — they want answers. An investigative team comprised of one believer, one skeptic and one independent thinker, the dynamic team examines a well-documented UFO sighting (Roswell, N.M.), meets with an alleged alien abduction survivor in Colorado and even tracks glowing orbs near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
     
    NGC’s new eight-part series “Chasing UFOs,” premieres Friday, June 29, 2012, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with a second all-new episode airing at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
     
    A Topcon IS-3 imaging station is used to gather site data for analytic research in three episodes — the June 29 series premiere “Texas is for sightings,” July 13 “UFO landing zone,” and July 20 “Abducted in Arizona.” In Texas, the experts witness lights in the skies that leave them with new questions.  In the July 13 episode, the three thrill-seekers explore the famed crash site in Roswell where they challenge a possible military cover-up and in the July 20 episode, the team collects video footage of unusual-shaped lights over Arizona.

    Scott Langbein, Topcon Positioning Systems director of product marketing, served as onsite technical consultant for the New Mexico shoot, working with the team on the use of the IS-3 imaging station for pinpoint scanning and mapping of the Roswell site.
     
    Langbein said, “Topcon was invited to meet up with the investigative team in Roswell. The IS-3 imaging technology of measurements and photo documentation is powerful, so a little training was required. They picked it up really fast and were able to take the gear with them to their other scenes.  It was a lot of fun to see the IS-3 used in a unique way. Who would have thought an IS-3 would be used to investigate UFOs?


    Investigator Ben McGee, shown here while shooting the new series “Chasing UFOs”
    at night, used the Topcon IS-3 imaging station to quickly establish onsite reference grids.

     

    “The three investigators — Ben McGee, Erin Ryder and James Fox — were completely professional in their scientific approach to the project, and quickly picked up how beneficial the IS-3 scanning speed and image collection could be for the investigations.”

    The IS-3, in addition to taking the industry’s longest scanning range (to 6,500 feet), provides industry-best accuracy, automatic scanning speed as well as on-board features providing quicker scanning definition, faster image collection and real-time preview of scanned data.

    Ben McGee, an experienced geologist, radiation scientist and field explorer said, “As a field geoscientist, I cannot speak highly enough of Topcon's survey, scanning and imaging equipment. Holding up under the most demanding field conditions and shrugging off the rigors of off-grid travel, we were able to rely on the IS-3 to help us quickly establish onsite reference grids for scientific data and sample collection, survey key topographic features, and digitally preserve the site using 360-degree panoramic imaging — all from a single tripod.  With this unit, we were able to accomplish multiple days' worth of work in a fraction of the time.”

    McGee said, “On the Roswell UFO debris field and at the alleged century-old UFO crash site in Dublin, Texas, we established reference survey grids of appreciable size of the sites we were investigating.

    “Additionally, the imaging station was also used to create detailed panoramas of the famed ‘Fire in the Sky’ Travis Walton UFO abduction site in the deep forests outside of Snowflake, Arizona, and used for onboard ranging to identify the precise locations of historical tree core sampling.”
     
    McGee said, “Survey projects that would have taken hours and days 10 years ago, with the aid of Topcon's IS-3, now take only seconds and minutes. The IS-3 allowed us to hit all our goals and objectives quickly and with incredible accuracy.”

  • Gakstatter Speaks at Field Tech Conference, Registration Now Open

    Eric_Gakstatter_Savannah_9137Eric Gakstatter, GPS World’s editor for survey and Geospatial Solutions Weekly, will be a keynote speaker at the Second Annual Field Technology Conference (FTC 2012). FTC 2012 is hosted by the Western Forestry and Conservation Association (WFCA), GPS World magazine, and Geospatial Solutions Weekly.

    The conference will be held September 26-27 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. This unique conference, centered around geospatial technology, features tracks on field devices (handhelds/tablets, GPS, lasers, 3D scanning), remote sensing (aerial photography, satellite imagery, airborne lidar), and mapping software (mobile GIS, open source GIS, datum conversions).

    The opening general plenary session will feature world-class experts in emerging geospatial technologies of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/Systems (UAV/UAS), Mobile GIS, Open Source GIS, and GPS/GNSS. The keynote speakers will discuss how these emerging technologies are changing the way geospatial data is collected and managed. Besides Gakstatter, featured speakers include:

    • Dr. Joe Paiva – Paiva Consulting
    • Jeff Shaner – Esri Mobile Technology Program Manager
    • David Percy – Portland State University GIS Research Faculty

    “Audience feedback from last year’s conference was very good,” said keynote/moderator Eric Gakstatter. “Attendees said they appreciated our intimate and focused content as well as expert analysis of technology trends. Listening to feedback from last year’s attendees, we’ve expanded a bit this year to include outdoor demonstration sessions with UAVs, handhelds/tablets, laser rangefinders, mobile phones, and GPS units. We’ve also attracted more experts from around the country to present their work and thought leadership.”

    Registration for the Second Annual Field Technology Conference (FTC) is now open. 2011 attendees included representatives from federal, state, and local government, Fortune 1000 companies, Native American tribes, higher education, and natural resource consultancies.

    The registration fee is $245 if registered by September 21, and $295 if registered after September 21, 2012. The registration fee includes lunch on both days as well as refreshments during breaks. The conference room rate is $99/night plus tax. After September 5, the reduced rate will be subject to availability.

    For more information as well as a draft of the conference agenda, visit the website.

    Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Richard Zabel.

    A two-minute Youtube video of last year’s conference:

     

     

  • 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.

  • Hemisphere GPS Introduces A325 GNSS Smart Antenna

    Today, Hemisphere GPS introduced the A325 GNSS Smart Antenna. It incorporates professional-level centimeter and sub-meter positioning accuracy powered by Hemisphere GPS' Eclipse receiver technology and includes L-band and Bluetooth communications support. A325 is designed for a variety of applications including agriculture, construction, straddle carriers, robotics, marine, survey, and GIS, Hemisphere GPS said.

    A325 accuracies are software scalable to be custom configured for the customer's specific needs and budget. Users can take advantage of free SBAS sub-meter accuracy or decimeter-level L-band support. For more precise needs such as land and hydrographic surveying, customers can activate the centimeter-level RTK feature with robust GPS and GLONASS positioning utilizing Hemisphere GPS' exclusive SureTrack technology.

    Various communication options within A325 make it compatible with a range of data collectors, terminals, and software applications. With dual serial ports offering NMEA 0183, a wireless Bluetooth mode, controller area network (CAN) interface that supports NMEA 2000, and pulse outputs the A325 will quickly and easily connect to systems used by positioning, navigation, and machine control professionals, Hemisphere GPS said.

    With a durable IP-69K sealed and lightweight enclosure that houses both antenna and receiver, A325 is easy to install and operate in harsh environmental conditions, the company said, and can be mounted on vehicles and backpacks. Wireless connections to a data controller make it easy to establish positions and attributes, making A325 useful for mapping municipal assets, forestry, and topographical features. The easy-to-see multi-color LED status indicator and integrated 2D tilt sensor enable offset corrections and add to the simplicity of A325.

    "A325 offers customers a very versatile precision GNSS smart antenna at an amazing price," said Phil Gabriel, Vice President and General Manager, Precision Products, for Hemisphere GPS. "This enhances our GNSS receiver portfolio, allowing us to offer customers a wider range of products and solutions to meet their needs."

    A325 is now available through the Hemisphere GPS Precision Products global dealer network. For more information about Hemisphere GPS' Precision Products and A325 antenna, visit www.hemispheregps.com/precision.

  • TMW Systems Certifies Integration with Rand McNally Devices

    Rand McNally has announced that its mobile communication systems are now certified and integrated with two applications from TMW Systems, Inc. As a result, fleets that use TMWSuite or TL2000 now can pull data from Rand McNally’s TND 760 and TruckPC in-cab devices through their TMW products.

    “Rand McNally has been a TMW Business Alliance Partner for decades,” said Scott Vanselous, CMO of TMW Systems. “By certifying integration with Rand McNally’s mobile communication and management systems, our customers have ready access to a full suite of Rand McNally solutions.”

    One customer is Freight Exchange of North America (F/X), a Chicago-based, North American full truckload carrier that operates nearly 300 power units from its terminals in Southern California, El Paso, Dallas, and Chicago. F/X has integrated information from Rand McNally’s TND 760 (Fleet Edition) with TMWSuite. For F/X, the integration allows for the use of real-time information from the in-cab device to dispatch trucks, receive automatic arrival and departure notification, match loads with available drivers, and track the progress of the driver’s daily workflow.

    “TMWSuite has been a tremendously successful tool to manage our operation. Rand McNally’s integration allows us to leverage our investment even further,” said Fred Alaimo, V.P. of Operations at F/X. “The TND 760 offered more functionality than other solutions we reviewed, and it’s priced significantly more competitively. The icing on the cake is that the drivers love the new device and have been quick to adopt and use the technology, making everybody a winner.”

    The TMW certified integration pulls critical data from Rand McNally’s in-cab systems via Rand McNally Connect software. The data provided by Rand McNally’s devices enable TMW products to deliver the following:

    • Automated and standardized driver daily workflows;
    • Notification of vehicle arrival and departure via Rand McNally’s automated geofencing capability;
    • Integrated turn-by-turn navigation, provided by Rand McNally’s IntelliRoute TND GPS software;
    • Automatically linked information — such as bill of lading numbers — from one form to another further simplifying the driver experience;
    • Integrated Hours of Service information into load planning and dispatching operations.

    “Having a certified solution with TMW’s industry-leading enterprise transportation management systems enables customers to confidently integrate the benefits of mobile communication, award winning navigation and fleet management,” explained Dave Muscatel, CEO of Rand McNally. “In particular, our TND 760 Fleet Edition device offers fast ROI recognition due to its cost effectiveness, ease of use and driver acceptance.”

  • 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.

  • Trimble to Deliver High-Accuracy CenterPoint RTX Correction Service to Farmers in Latin America

    Trimble announced today that its high-accuracy, satellite-delivered CenterPoint RTX correction service is now available for farmers in Latin America.

    Trimble CenterPoint RTX can deliver better than 3.8-centimeter (1.5-inch) accuracies in real time without the use of traditional reference station RTK infrastructure, the company said. Initially, the CenterPoint RTX satellite-delivered correction service covered approximately a 1.8 billion-acre swath of central North America, extending from Canada into northern Mexico. The new coverage area has been expanded to include all of Mexico, Central America, and South America, where farmers can use the GNSS correction service for cultivating, planting, pest and nutrient management, harvesting and water management.

    "The expanded coverage of Trimble's satellite-delivered CenterPoint RTX service into Latin America further extends our broad portfolio of correction services, which also includes OmniSTAR VBS, HP, XP and G2; Trimble CenterPoint VRS; and the CenterPoint RTX service delivered via cellular communications," said Patricia Boothe, general manager of Trimble's Positioning Services Division. "By offering a suite of correction technologies and services, we can satisfy a variety of accuracy, delivery and budget requirements."

    "We're committed to expanding the services and software applications that we provide to the global farming community.  Increasing the coverage area for high-accuracy GNSS correction services for Trimble's agriculture customers around the world is an example," said Erik Arvesen, vice president of Trimble's Agriculture Division. "In 2011, we offered real-time, satellite-delivered corrections over a central swath of North America where it was well received. Now, farmers in Latin America can also benefit from CenterPoint RTX services to perform precision agriculture operations. Our customers want a broad range of solutions and with CenterPoint RTX, we're delivering those options."

    Trimble CenterPoint RTX real-time corrections are satellite delivered directly to the GNSS receiver, so there are no additional costs for mobile data plans or hardware such as radios and antennas. The CenterPoint RTX service is compatible with the Trimble CFX-750 display, FmX integrated display, and the AG-372 GNSS receiver. The service is expected to be available by mid-July. For more information, visit www.trimble.com/agcorrectionservices.

  • 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