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  • Mobile Application Storefronts Distributed 81 Billion Apps through September

    Mobile application storefronts had collectively distributed a cumulative total of 81 billion smartphone and tablet apps as of the end of September 2012, according to a recent market study from ABI Research. Of these, 89 percent were downloaded from native storefronts that come with the device’s operating system.

    “The current status quo is based on storefronts that the operating system vendors provide as part of the OS experience, and there is no evidence that this would change in the future,” said ABI Research senior analyst Aapo Markkanen. “A year ago it still looked like that, for example, mobile operators could find a viable business case in the curation of Android apps, but that opportunity evaporated once Google got its storefront act together. Today, it makes sense for operators to distribute apps only under special circumstances, such as the ones that we’re seeing in China.”

    Similarly, it’s unlikely that the universal, catch-all nature of app distribution would start breaking up into smaller niche storefronts. There is a certain demand for specialist stores, but even then the niche players should position themselves as recommendation channels driving traffic to native storefronts and not actual distributors. Markkanen explains, “Running a user-friendly app distribution channel is expensive. Besides the adequate hosting and billing systems it takes quite a lot of human labor, since successful app discovery requires some form of editorial approach. The opportunity for smaller storefronts built around selected categories is therefore limited.”

    Practically the only exceptions are B2B apps and the consumer categories that the universal storefronts don’t want to be associated with — most notably adult content. Mikandi is a real-life storefront example that has built a business out of the distribution of such outcast apps and content.

    These findings are from ABI Research’s Mobile Application Markets Research Service which focuses on the distribution and the economics of mobile apps, providing data-driven insights on areas such as download volumes, revenues and business models, plus trends within different applications categories.

  • Trimble Launches Elite Membership for Outdoor Enthusiasts

    Trimble introduced today Trimble Outdoors Elite, a comprehensive membership program for outdoor enthusiasts. The Elite membership provides access to more than 2,500 best-in-class topo map bundles that can be stored on smartphones and tablets. In addition, Elite members can view public land boundaries in 46 states, see real-time weather and scout trips with a new online mapping tool.

    “From trip planning to offline digital maps and printed maps, Trimble Outdoors Elite provides a one-stop solution for modern-day outdoor enthusiasts such as hikers, backpackers and off-roaders,” said Rich Rudow, general manager of Trimble Outdoors. “The Elite program brings more powerful map content and tools directly into our mobile apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play and Amazon Appstore.”

    Offline Maps: With the new Digital Map Bundles, Elite members can download topo map bundles by state, county or park — more than 2,500 areas across the U.S. These map files are dragged-and-dropped onto a SD memory card or into an iTunes account then transferred to the phone or tablet.

    Public Lands: Elite members can view public land boundaries for several land areas, including U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. National Parks, and state lands. Public land coverage includes all states except Arkansas, Delaware, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. These color-coded land boundaries can be viewed in Trimble Outdoors apps and at trimbleoutdoors.com.

    Weather Maps: Interactive weather maps allow users to zoom into the exact areas they plan to explore at TrimbleOutdoors.com and in any Trimble Outdoors app to see real-time weather overlays, including Doppler radar, satellite images, wind speed, and temperature.

    Printed Maps: Search-and-rescue experts advise outdoor enthusiasts not to depend solely on electronics in the field. Now, Elite members can print trip maps on a home printer or receive 20 percent discount on any custom printed map order from MyTopo.com.

    Trip Planner: With the new Trip Planner tool, Elite members can view outdoor maps, draw routes and mark waypoints at TrimbleOutdoors.com. Trips planned online can be quickly and wirelessly transferred to any Trimble Outdoors app.

    Trimble Outdoors Elite is available as a monthly ($2.99) or yearly ($29.99) subscription. For more information, visit www.trimbleoutdoors.com/elite.

  • LandAirSea Systems Trackers Announce Redesigned Online Store

    Vehicle-Tracking.com has been redesigned. Vehicle-Tracking.com is the official online e-commerce site of LandAirSea Systems, a provider of consumer and business-to-business GPS tracking devices since 1994.

    Vehicle-Tracking.com provides passive and real-time GPS tracking devices and systems designed for a wide-range of applications, including fleet management, law enforcement surveillance, asset monitoring and personal vehicle tracking. Vehicle-Tracking also offers the full-line of accessories, replacement parts, services and software for all of LandAirSea’s tracking systems.

    With more than 15 years of experience in the field of GPS tracking, LandAirSea’s support staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to assess and assist with any questions or purchases made from Vehicle-Tracking.com.

  • Leica Geosystems Opens Online Store

    Leica Geosystems Inc. has announced the launch of the e-commerce site for Leica Geosystems Solutions Centers. The grand opening of the Leica Geosystems Solutions Center is marked by an unprecedented online-only promotion.

    Providing 24/7 personalized access to the products essential to the surveying, engineering, and construction industries, the site is a resource for more than purchases. It also enables customers to compare thousands of products based on features, shipping options and availability, and to create wish lists.

    The Leica Geosystems Solutions Centers e-commerce site offers a range of supplies, accessories and rentals, from paint and flagging, safety supplies, total stations and GPS systems for surveying, construction lasers and building layout systems. Relevant products and pricing are presented based on each customer’s unique profile, and subscription and quick-order capabilities make it easy to reorder frequently needed products.

    “We are committed to continually delivering value to our customers, and it is exciting to respond to customer needs by bringing this e-commerce site to the market,” said Mike Strom, general manager, Solutions Centers for Leica Geosystems. “Our customers are busy, and they often need to place orders outside of standard business hours. Our new e-commerce website provides customers a more convenient way to buy from us, and we will be offering online-only promotions on a regular basis — similar to the tremendous grand opening deals — so it’s easier than ever for customers to begin reaping the benefits of Leica Geosystems solutions.”

    The Leica Geosystems Solutions Center is factory-owned and operated, which guarantees that customers will receive the quality products and service expected from Leica Geosystems, the company said. Additionally, because support is critical at every step of the way, even during the purchase process, the site features multiple avenues to online support: customers get answers from factory-trained experts.

  • SINA, AutoNavi Launch Social Networking Platform for China

    SINA Corporation, an online media company serving China and the global Chinese communities, and AutoNavi Holdings Limited, provider of digital map content and navigation and location-based solutions in China, have jointly announced a strategic partnership to integrate and enhance each other’s social, location and mobile offerings.

    As a result of this partnership, AMAP, AutoNavi’s mobile map application, users will be able to sign on using Weibo Connect and access content directly from SINA Weibo. SINA Weibo users will also have access to the content and functionality of AMAP. The companies expect such content and product integration will enhance the social networking and navigational aspects of each other’s mobile offerings.

    “Over 70% of SINA Weibo users access the social media platform at least partially via mobile devices,” said Gaofei Wang, vice president and general manager of SINA Mobile. “LBS (location-based services) and mapping services will play a key role in Weibo’s mobile strategy, and we are excited to be partnering with AutoNavi to leverage their expertise in these areas.”

    “In teaming up with Sina, we are proud to provide our mapping and location-based services to more than 400 million Sina Weibo users, while at the same time integrating Sina Weibo’s social content and SNS features into AMAP,” said Congwu Cheng, chief executive officer of AutoNavi. “We believe our collaboration with Sina Weibo will benefit both of our users and we look forward to future cooperation between our two companies as we continue to bring new features and functionalities to our users.”

  • Apple Maps Not Fully to Blame for Outback Mistakes

    Police in Mildura, Australia, have been warning people not to rely on Apple Maps after several people trying to find the town of 30,000 people became hopelessly lost in the bush in scorching temperatures, reported the Guardian. One man was stranded for 24 hours last week in temperatures of up to 115º Fahrenheit. Three more were rescued after following the directions given on Apple’s Maps applications. Apple Maps put Mildura in Murray-Sunset National Park, the second largest park in Australia and 70 kilometers from the town’s actual location.

    The red pin shows the location Apple Maps directs drivers to. The purple pin is the location of the town.

    “Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the Park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees (Celsius, 115º Fahrenheit), making this a potentially life threatening issue,” read a police statement. “Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception.”

    Today, the Guarian reports that Apple wasn’t completely wrong in directing Australians who searched for “Mildura” to the midst of the Murray-Sunset National Park. The Australian government’s official gazetteer includes a location called “Mildura Rural City” at the place where Mildura was previously marked on iPhone maps.

    As reported by The Register, the official gazetteer contains an entry at the precise place to which Apple was directing drivers until making a correction on Monday. The gazetteer contains 36 entries for “Mildura,” including the one for Mildura Rural City, which has “official” status and is listed as a “district” (comprising an “agricultural area, county, district, local government area, parish or region”). Mildura Rural City is an area of 22,000 square kilometers in the northwestern part of Victoria state, but Geoscience Australia located it at a specific point, in this case the middle of the park rather than the town.

    Apple’s mistake was to ignore another entry for Mildura, which the gazetteer records as having the class of “POPL” (population center).

  • Leica, Sigma Seven Partner for GIS Market in UK, Ireland

    Leica Geosystems Ltd. has signed a formal agreement with Sigma Seven Ltd. to provide improved value data collection and workforce management solutions to the GIS asset collection and management market. The strategic partnership combines GeoField software from Sigma Seven with the Leica Zeno CS25 GNSS tablet computer, allowing high-accuracy satellite position data to be collected with richly attributed data in one system, the companies said.

    “Many organizations are demanding the need for better, more reliable information to improve the on-going management and maintenance of their assets,” said Nathan Ward, market segment manager. “This partnership with Sigma Seven with their industry renowned geospatial and work management software will provide a fantastic integrated solution to enable field and office staff to work more efficiently and enhance the quality and effectiveness of their corporate data. A combination of proven capabilities, experience and a long and highly regarded heritage in the geospatial sector, will mean that this partnership will further enhance the solutions in Leica Geosystems’ Asset Collection and Management market.”

    Andrew Coleman, Sigma Seven Director adds, “Leica Geosystems is one of the premier manufacturers in the asset collection and GIS industry and they continue to innovate in spatial and measurement technology. By working together I believe we have a unique field mobile proposition, backed up by a shared quality and customer service ethos, that will accelerate the delivery of cost, performance, service and accuracy benefits to our customers.”

    Since 2000, Sigma Seven has helped some of the largest utility companies in the UK and developed a range of systems for utilities, government, environmental and engineering customers. GeoField is a powerful mobile data and work management system that enables field workers to access enterprise data at the point of action, Sigma Seven said. An intuitive map-based interface is supported by comprehensive imaging, red-lining, structured workflow, data capture and field reporting facilities.

    The Leica Zeno GIS series has been designed and optimized to capture accurate GNSS positions and richly attributed data quickly, even in the most demanding of environments, the company said.

    Andrew Coleman, Sigma Seven Director, and Nathan Ward, Market Segment Manager for Leica Geosystems.

  • CE-Traffic Launches Premium RDS-TMC in Poland

    CE-Traffic, a traffic data provider in Central-Eastern Europe, has extended its portfolio of traffic services in Poland, the country where over last five years the number of vehicles has grown by 50 percent. Drivers in Poland can look forward to more options in receiving real-time traffic information with the launch of the new Premium RDS-TMC service by CE-Traffic, the company said.

    “We looked at TMC solution with all its limitations and asked ourselves: how we can get more out of the technology that has been around for more than a decade so that navigation systems vendors can offer to their customers an easy-to-implement and affordable traffic service of a real value? Our Premium RDS- TMC offers drivers an access to very detailed traffic information without any mobile telecommunication cost and subscription fees,” said Jiri Novobilsky, CEO of CE-Traffic.

    Competitive advantage of CE-Traffic Premium RDS-TMC is based on smart use of TMC components, according to CE-Traffic. Up-to-date traffic flow data and journalistic information are smartly aggregated and regionally filtered. CE- Traffic TISA certified Location Table (LTN 6) offers the best available coverage. It includes not only all major roads and streets but also lower category roads commonly used by drivers like shortcuts or alternative routes. RDS channel with enhanced capacity allows broadcasting high number of traffic messages (over 1,000). The service is available country-wide thanks to partnership with Radio ZET – leading Polish radio station.

    Tomasz Przeździęk, CE-Traffic director for Poland, added: “When looking at overall traffic offering for personal and in-car navigation systems in Poland one can see that expensive connected devices did not achieve the major market acceptance. Proven TMC standard together with high quality CE-Traffic Floating Car Data is an easy to implement alternative to provide drivers with the most accurate and up-to-date traffic information.”

  • First Forge Echo Handheld Released for Foresters

    Forge Echo by F4 Devices

    F4 Devices has released the Forge Echo for forestry professionals.

    “Shipping the first product out this week is a great milestone for us,” said Mark Milligan, president of F4 Tech. “We have been working for years to produce a rugged handheld specifically made by and for foresters and professionals who work in the natural resource community. Seeing the first product come out of manufacturing and into the hands of the customer is a dream come true.”

    The Forge Echo offers high-accuracy GPS; high-performance ability under heavy tree canopy; and the capacity to measure distance and height through rugged terrain.

    The Forge Echo series combines the most precise GPS technology with an integrated clinometer tool that measures slope and vertical angles. Paired with groundbreaking, patent-pending echolocation technology, the Forge Echo enables users to measure accurate data on elevation changes, distance and tree heights.

    The Forge series of products has a fully ruggedized classification of IP67, and is shock-proof, dust-proof and waterproof. It comes standard with a Win Mobile 6.5 classic operating system, 3.5” display, 800-MHz processor, 512-MB SDRAM memory, 8-GB onboard storage, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 5 megapixel camera and an up to 32 GB micro SD expansion slot.

    The first units shipped December 4, 2012.

  • Launch of GPS Satellite Struggled through Tense Moments

    A new report by Spaceflight Now reveals that the launch October 4 of a GPS satellite experienced tense touch-and-go moments.

    The Delta 4 rocket’s cryogenic upper stage engine experienced a fuel leak that caused a low-thrust condition. Four-and-a-half minutes into the launch, after the first stage had shut down and separated, the trouble began as the RL10B-2 engine on the upper stage extended its nozzle and fired to life.

    When the powerplant was igniting and reached its peak chamber pressure, a leak started above the narrow throat portion of the thrust chamber, setting off a chain of nail-biting events over the next three hours as the vehicle made its climb to the GPS constellation. The Delta 4 made autonomous adjustments, however. The onboard inertial guidance and flight control systems compensated for the lower thrust conditions. Its closed loop guidance system measured the decreased thrust in real time and revised the trajectory and burn durations to ensure the mission succeeded. The GPS IIF-3 satellite was delivered to the correct orbit as planned.

    United Launch Alliance has begun an investigation into the incident.

  • Leica Geosystems Begins E-Commerce Sales

    Leica Geosystems Inc. announced the launch of the e-commerce site for Leica Geosystems Solutions Centers. The grand opening of the Leica Geosystems Solutions Center is marked by an unprecedented online-only promotion.

    Logo: Leica Geosystems

    Providing 24/7 personalized access to the products essential to the surveying, engineering, and construction industries, the site is a resource for more than purchases. It also enables customers to compare thousands of products based on features, shipping options and availability, and to create wish lists.
    The Leica Geosystems Solutions Centers e-commerce site offers a range of supplies, accessories and rentals, from paint and flagging, safety supplies, total stations and GPS systems for surveying, construction lasers and building layout systems. Relevant products and pricing are presented based on each customer’s unique profile, and subscription and quick-order capabilities make it easy to reorder frequently needed products.
    “We are committed to continually delivering value to our customers, and it is exciting to respond to customer needs by bringing this e-commerce site to the market,” said Mike Strom, General Manager, Solutions Centers for Leica Geosystems. “Our customers are busy, and they often need to place orders outside of standard business hours. Our new e-commerce website provides customers a more convenient way to buy from us, and we will be offering online-only promotions on a regular basis – similar to the tremendous grand opening deals – so it’s easier than ever for customers to begin reaping the benefits of Leica Geosystems solutions.”
    The Leica Geosystems Solutions Center is factory-owned and operated, which guarantees that customers will receive the quality products and service expected from Leica Geosystems. Additionally, because support is critical at every step of the way, even during the purchase process, the site features multiple avenues to online support: customers get real answers, from real factory-trained experts.

  • Leica Geosystems Begins E-Commerce Sales

    Leica Geosystems Inc. announced the launch of the e-commerce site for Leica Geosystems Solutions Centers. The grand opening of the Leica Geosystems Solutions Center is marked by an unprecedented online-only promotion.

    Logo: Leica Geosystems

    Providing 24/7 personalized access to the products essential to the surveying, engineering, and construction industries, the site is a resource for more than purchases. It also enables customers to compare thousands of products based on features, shipping options and availability, and to create wish lists.
    The Leica Geosystems Solutions Centers e-commerce site offers a range of supplies, accessories and rentals, from paint and flagging, safety supplies, total stations and GPS systems for surveying, construction lasers and building layout systems. Relevant products and pricing are presented based on each customer’s unique profile, and subscription and quick-order capabilities make it easy to reorder frequently needed products.
    “We are committed to continually delivering value to our customers, and it is exciting to respond to customer needs by bringing this e-commerce site to the market,” said Mike Strom, General Manager, Solutions Centers for Leica Geosystems. “Our customers are busy, and they often need to place orders outside of standard business hours. Our new e-commerce website provides customers a more convenient way to buy from us, and we will be offering online-only promotions on a regular basis – similar to the tremendous grand opening deals – so it’s easier than ever for customers to begin reaping the benefits of Leica Geosystems solutions.”
    The Leica Geosystems Solutions Center is factory-owned and operated, which guarantees that customers will receive the quality products and service expected from Leica Geosystems. Additionally, because support is critical at every step of the way, even during the purchase process, the site features multiple avenues to online support: customers get real answers, from real factory-trained experts.