The mobile phone industry is set for a shakedown in 2007. IMS Research predicts that 300 million devices will be GPS-enabled by 2010. As more GPS chipsets become embedded in mobile phones, the growth of applications and services to offer the benefits of location to consumers are rapidly on the increase. 2007 promises to mark the dawn of compelling Location Based Services on mobile phones.Wow! How does that impact those new European satellite systems, I wonder? Article here.
It's quite possible that you're at least somewhat familiar with Skyhook's ability to use WiFi in order to track down various objects, and while you've likely become desensitized to SiRF after seeing it in just about every GPS / NAV device ever produced, the two are teaming up to deliver a GPS / WiFi hybrid module for wireless carriers. Skyhook's WiFi Positioning System (WPS) will be getting a boost after inking a deal to get inside SiRF's Multimode Location Platform, which "promises to boost the availability and adoption of location-based services." The new duo will join ACCESS (among the throngs of others) at 3GSM next week in order to showcase the new technology, which is slated to provide a new level of accuracy by giving handsets the ability to find your way with two tracking protocols. Additionally, the inclusion of WiFi is said to help lock onto an initial signal much quicker than a typical standalone GPS receiver can, and if all goes as planned, we could see the hybrid technology alive and well in SiRF's Star III series of chipsets "later this year."One of the comments was:
Yet another really clever, geographical system that is USA only. Sigh.
Hutchison Telecoms has revealed plans to launch a mobile internet voice service with Skype in a deal that will undercut mobile service revenues. The carrier's 3 mobile division will be the first to introduce Australian consumers and business users to a mobile -enabled version of Skype's free voice and over internet protocol (VoIP) softwareI'm not sure why Mark Jones says that " Skype's mobile service, first launched overseas in November (2006)", as I am aware of it having been successfully deployed in Hong Kong since March 2005, perhaps he means first to go native to 3 mobiles? Was it middleware before - OTA and/or bluetooth?? Ah well, irrelevant. Soooo, anyway, what are the implications for the Australian telco market?
The strategy poses a direct challenge to Australian carriers including Telstra, Optus and even partner Hutchison as mobile phone users will be able to reduce the number of calls made over existing voice networks.What does this do to FMC or FMT or whatever its called?
Despite deals with Google and Yahoo, mobile phone operators want to create their own search engine, ensuring more of the advertising revenue flows to operators rather than the established search engines.You can comment on the original article here at ITWire, if you like. My take is that someone told Telcos that search was the next big thing and they thought it meant that THEY needed to create a search engine. Hint guys, its not the engine thats the next big thing... One small gripe - with all the services that come with location based services, why is it spam advertising that comes out in the same breath as LBS? There are other ways of making an income from LBS y'know.
At the upcoming 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, a yearly conference put on by most of the world’s major mobile/cell phone operators, a new initiative is planned – a mobile operator search engine to compete with Google and Yahoo.Given the mobile phone operators’ propensity to try and fence users into a walled-garden of content, questions are arising as to how good this idea really is, especially in an age where no-one seems to be able to outsearch Google – not even Microsoft after years of trying.
However the aim is to make money – a powerful motivator in times of declining revenue from voice minutes, in the face of competition from the likes of Skype and other VoIP providers.
In recent times, mobile operators seem to be trying everything and anything to make money, from mobile TV services, music download services and more realistic (cheaper!) roaming plans, as operator 3 mobile has undertaken with its ‘3 like home’ service, guaranteeing the same call rates as home when overseas, and when on a network also owned by 3 mobile.
Operators said to be in on the deal include 3 mobile (Hutchison Whampoa), Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, Telefonica, Telecom Italia and Cingular, amongst others.
If mobile operators can successfully create their own search engine, and tie it into location based services that ‘know’ where you are based on which mobile phone tower you are currently connected to, the dream of location based search and advertising becomes more real.
However this is already happening with ‘local’ search services from Google and Yahoo, and in countries like Australia where the major telco, Telstra, has their own search engine called ‘Sensis’ that is already heavily engaged in promoting localized search, both on PCs and on mobile phones that Telstra offers.
There is also the question of if the service is needed, if Apple’s plans to offer a real web browser in a phone come to fruition. Why stumble around with an underpowered mobile phone search engine when you can just go to Google direct?
After all, anyone using Microsoft’s Windows Live Search knows that while it has improved, it’s still no match for Google. Will the phone operators succumb to the same fate? Only time will tell, but unless their results can outdo Google, the search for mobile search success will likely continue for some time yet, and will consume untold millions of dollars in an age where what consumers really want is a dropout free mobile voice experience – with voice calling surely still the no.1 killer app for mobile cell phones!
I bet there are some funny user generated images of what a "greyed" out image might look like. Maybe a greyed out target symbol?
Google Earth agrees to blur images of sensitive establishments When: 2/4/2007 10:24:24 PM
By Rajesh Barnwal
Google Earth has agreed to distort building plans of sensitive Indian establishments by adding structures where none existed or masking certain aspects of a facility. This is to address India’s concerns that images of sensitive military and scientific establishments available on the Web could either allow unauthorised snooping or become a ready reckoner for terrorists.
According to Economic Times, the government list of sensitive sites would be accepted by Google Earth and images of these locations will not be of more than 25-50 metre resolution. This is believed to be better than an outright blackout as blacking out key installations would only attract attention to their locations.
Genasys LBS know-how helps Friends to Find Friends in AustraliaLast month saw Australian mobile operator Optus launch Friend FindA, the latest in its line of FindA location based services. In this project, Genasys carried out the role of integrator, connecting the application to key operator systems and safeguarding the function of user privacy processes.
Friend FindA allows friends to find each other quickly and easily using their mobile phone*. Privacy is ensured through the requirement for mutual consent and the ability of users to make themselves “invisible” at any time. After a promotional period (ending September 30) during which the service is free, the application will be available on a per request and subscription basis.
The application itself was built using an existing application by Genasys partner Trackwell, who modified and extended it to provide the specific features set forth by Optus.
Friend FindA was integrated with several critical operator systems such as the location server, map provisioning system, SMS channel and the OptusZoo portal.
“We’re pleased with the results of the project and with Optus’ clear commitment to promotion among its subscriber base”, observes Miguel Castro, Genasys Asia and Pacific Sales Manager. “They are using all of their main channels of communication to promote the new service and we expect very positive results from their campaign.”
Having long been active as the middleware and ASP links in the LBS value chain, Genasys has made a commitment to the development and promotion of new location-based services, both with mobile operators and as a developer and ASP for third parties. “This is the first project of many we expect to be delivering in the coming months and into 2007. It is our position that LBS hasn’t nearly reached its potential and we’re focussing our efforts on making it happen.“ Mr. Castro comments.
For more information about the Friend FindA application, go to the OptusZoo portal: www.optus.com.au/zoo/friendfinda
MapQuest Inc., Research In Motion (RIM) and Sprint today announced new group communication functionality for “MapQuest Find Me.” The GPS-enabled wireless service is now available on the BlackBerry 7520 Wireless Handheld, operating on the Nextel National Network.
“MapQuest Find Me” lets users automatically find their location, access maps and directions and locate nearby points of interest including airports, hotels, restaurants, banks and ATMs. “MapQuest Find Me” now allows users to share their location with colleagues, friends and family members as well as view the location of other users who have opted to join their private networks. Users also can now set up alerts to be notified when network members arrive or depart from a designated area.
“Location-based solutions are an important arena for MapQuest, and we are thrilled to introduce this exciting new group communication functionality to ‘MapQuest Find Me,’” said Austin Klahn, chief technology officer for MapQuest, Inc. “This development, along with the availability of ‘MapQuest Find Me’ on the Blackberry 7520, will help us further meet our goal to deliver innovative, more intelligent mapping solutions to our users, wherever they may be.”
Sprint customers using the Blackberry 7520 from Nextel can take advantage of the walkie-talkie technology along with support for wireless email, phone, organizer, Internet browser and corporate data applications. “MapQuest Find Me” complements these applications with intelligent, location-aware maps and directions.
“‘MapQuest Find Me’ is a good example of how the wireless data industry is evolving to support a wide array of applications beyond email and adding incremental layers of productivity and flexibility for users and companies,” said Mark Guibert, vice president, corporate marketing at Research In Motion. “The BlackBerry 7520 on the Nextel National Network, with its integrated GPS capabilities, large color screen, easy navigation and optimized performance, is ideal for the ‘MapQuest Find Me’ application.”
“As more and more people understand how location-based services can enhance their quality of life, we will continue to see the demand for unique variations of this technology,” said Mary Foltz, director of product management and development for Sprint. “We have a long-standing relationship with MapQuest and RIM and are pleased to extend this technology to our customers. The new ‘MapQuest Find Me’ service is another example of Sprint’s leadership in the GPS space, and we will continue to include it in our portfolio of wireless data solutions.”
The new functionality of “MapQuest Find Me” includes:
** Location-Based Group Communication: Create private networks where other “MapQuest Find Me” users, such as colleagues, friends and family members, can opt-in to exchange and share their current locations. Users can find their network members on a buddy list-type feature and view their locations on a map, right on their wireless device or online at a private web site.
** Alerts & Notifications: Set up alerts to be notified via SMS or email when users (who opt-in to share their location) arrive or depart from a designated area.
In addition to these new features, “MapQuest Find Me” continues to offer:
** Automatic Location Reporting: Leverage GPS technology to easily identify your current location without manually entering an address, ZIP code or other information.
** Points of Interest Locator: Find hotels, conference centres, banks, restaurants, theaters and other points of interest based on their proximity to your current location or any U.S. address.
** Interactive Maps and Driving Directions: Get interactive maps and text-based turn-by-turn directions to any destination in the United States.
** Convenient Address Book: Store addresses or points of interest to save time when you need directions again. Update your Address Book on the Web and automatically refresh information on your wireless device.
** Peace of Mind: Send your location as a text message to trusted colleagues, friends and family members or allow them to view your location on a private web site.
“MapQuest Find Me” is a part of the offerings provided and marketed through the AOL Mobile Group. “MapQuest Find Me” was developed in partnership between MapQuest and uLocate.
For some reason, I really like their website and its layout. I suspect that might be because what works for those who don't see too good, is also a sight for sore eyes for the rest of us...Tools that empower our customers to compete effectively in a sighted world.
HumanWare is about empowering people. About innovative solutions. Putting the power in the hands of our customers.
HumanWare products are designed to last, to grow (and in many cases, to go) with the user. Giving them the independence to compete effectively with peers, to feel connected – to be a vital part of the global information age in which we live.
Web 2.0 technology, GPS, LBS what more do you need? :)GpsGate Server - Coming soon...
1. Introduction
GpsGate Server is a new product from Franson Technology. It is designed for mobile business use.2. Typical things you can do using GpsGate Server
Track your vehicle fleet. Send and receive information from the drivers.
Broadcast a boat race with live position tracking over the Internet
Extend your current business system with position aware functionality.
Integrate mapping and live position functionality to your homepage.
And more...3. Technology
The server is built around .NET, you can use MySQL or MSSQL as database. GpsGate Server can be installed on a standard shared web hosting account as well as your own dedicated server.
Clients are built around .NET CF and J2ME. Since you can access the server functionality with web services, other languages can be used as well.
View maps, tracks, reports and live objects in a browser using AJAX technology.
For none commercial project you can use Google Maps as map database, for commercial projects (which Google prohibits) you can use GpsGate Server's web control which works the same way as Google's.
You can also use GpsGate 2.0 to send your live position to GpsGate Server.4. When and where can I get this?
For more info please contact us here.
OLATHE, Kan., Jan. 24 -- Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) , today announced that it will air a 30- second television commercial during Super Bowl XLI on February 4th in Miami. The spot airs midway through the Super Bowl's second quarter.I hope they release the ad as a viral marketing campaign as well. Superbowl ads are notorious for their flops as well as their successes - think back to Napster's ad last year...
The commercial is Garmin's first Super Bowl ad and the first-ever for any consumer electronics manufacturer that specializes in GPS navigation -- and is the company's latest effort to expose a global audience to the Garmin brand. Garmin is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of GPS enabled devices for consumers.
"The Super Bowl showcases some of the world's most recognizable brands, and our participation demonstrates Garmin's desire to be counted among them," said Jon Cassat, Garmin's director of marketing communications. "The popularity of GPS navigation is expected to continue growing rapidly in 2007, so we felt it was important to further establish Garmin as the market leader in this important and increasingly ubiquitous consumer technology."
The theme of the commercial is "Grab your Garmin, Take on the World" - demonstrating how Garmin personal navigation devices can save the everyday consumer time, money, and hassles. Taken to the extreme, the commercial is a humorous 1960s-style sci-fi piece. The commercial's quirky low-tech production treatment is in playful contrast to Garmin's cutting edge GPS technology and other advertisers' use of complex computer effects.
The spot begins with an "Average Joe" finding himself lost and unfolding a road map for help. The map continues to unfurl and expand -- quickly taking over the car -- eventually turning into the dreaded "Maposaurus." Thankfully, another motorist -- armed with his Garmin nuvi(R) -- morphs into a superhero who battles and defeats the dreaded map monster. An earnest yet over-the-top heavy metal band adds narration to the epic battle.
Garmin's nuvi line of Personal Travel Assistants was introduced in late 2005, and has quickly become the standard by which other personal navigation devices are judged -- thanks to its elegant design, simple user interface, and rich set of features.
The project was conceived and produced with the help of Minneapolis-based Fallon Worldwide, one of the world's most critically acclaimed, creatively driven branding ad agencies which was also responsible for Garmin's infectious and highly successful "Give a Garmin" 2006 holiday campaign.
"To an engineer, these devices are literally rocket science, but in the hands of the consumer, they're anything but," said Fallon group creative director Brian Tierney. "We purposely went for a look and feel that would make the technology approachable and the brand likeable to the consumer-all while communicating the core idea that in the arena of personal navigation, Garmin is the no-holds-barred champion.
For more updates, insights, and a full-length music video of Garmin's Super Bowl commercial, visit www.garmin.com and http://garmin.blogs.com/.
3G.co.uk reports that after years of eagerly anticipating video would be the "killer application" for 3G, a new survey from In-Stat finds that existing and potential 3G customers are much more interested in high-quality mapping and navigation services. However, 3G carriers that want to capture that market will have to expand the availability of compatible handsets.They didnt' have a date on the article, but the interest in LBS and maps as opposed to video is intriguing.
"Expanding the number of Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) or Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) handsets from today's levels will be an important step for 3G carriers to provide the applications their customers really want," says David Chamberlain, In-Stat analyst. "Unfortunately, technology choices left over from the 1990s make this difficult but carriers and handset vendors are starting to provide an increasing flow of products that better meet the 3G customers' needs."
In addition, the In-Stat report "3G and Mobile Multimedia," based on a survey of over 1000 mobile users, found the following:
Current 3G users are very enthusiastic about the service, which is in marked contrast with other customers who have expressed dissatisfaction with premium applications.
Customer awareness of 3G is not particularly strong, with over half the respondents indicating they don't know whether their carrier offers 3G.
An unprecedented number of respondents - nearly half - indicated that they would consider changing carriers in order to get 3G.
The research, "3G and Mobile Multimedia", covers carrier initiatives and marketing of 3G services in North America, Europe and Asia, and includes the results of In-Stat's survey of North American mobile phone users. The report explores the survey's results to gauge users' awareness of 3G, particularly their own carrier's 3G plans; uptake of 3G services, both to the handset and using a 3G wireless modem with a laptop computer; and interest in a variety of applications that have been considered important to 3G's future.
SkyCaddie from skygolfgps: THE ADVANTAGE OF A TOUR CADDIE IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND!They have an interesting personalisation area and social network called My Clubhouse - MySkyCaddie has a "courses I've mapped" area and stuff. Enjoy!
Golf is more than a game of skill. It is also a game of strategy and course management. And the key to managing the course is your caddie – Your SkyCaddie! Unlike other rangefinders that depend on line-of-sight to calculate distances or use unreliable mapping, SkyCaddie combines state-of-the-art GPS technology with a network of precision-mapped golf courses to provide you with the information you need to play every hole like a PGA Tour professional.
Digital media players do the numbers on mobilesBeats the heck outta me why the newsfeeds still have the journo's work email address. Sometimes it comes with their desk phone, mobile phone, cubicle number and pants size too!
Michael Sainsbury
JANUARY 22, 2007
AH, the humble mobile phone. How far it has come in such a short time from its days as a lumbering in-car contraption that could drain the battery of a Rolls-Royce.
Most handsets these days are all-singing, all-dancing gadgets that fit snugly in your pocket.
Armed with increasingly good digital cameras, MP3 music players, email and shrunk-down versions of personal computer software, mobiles are fast emerging as the next major media platform.
At least that is what telecommunications and media companies are placing their bets on.
After stumbling a number of times over more than half a decade in their bid to provide rich content services on phones, mobiles companies are finally getting it right -- although Australia still lags Europe, the mobile market with which we have most in common, by a year or two.
A number of critical things have fallen into place.
Perhaps most fundamental is that third-generation networks are now fast enough for people to access content without getting fed up. The latest 3G upgrade, a mouthful known as HSDPA, is a real improvement, with much faster speeds promised by networks over the next few years.
Consumers, who are getting increasingly used to much faster fixed-line broadband speed, simply won't put up with slow and clunky mobile service.
Operators, led by Hutchison's 3 Mobile, are better finessing their charging model.
And pricing, the bane of any service attempting mass market acceptance, has been falling, although still not far enough in many cases.
But despite their best efforts and a renewed push by market gorilla Telstra, take-up of mobile content services has been far slower than most had hoped.
One reason is that mobile content/services/internet -- whatever you want to call it -- has primarily been driven by the telcos who win the network and bill the customers. Network and engineer-driven telcos have struggled to understand content.
But this is all starting to change.
Here lies the most important shift that is starting to emerge: digital media players such as Ninemsn, Yahoo7, The Australian's publisher News, Fairfax Media and the raft of smaller players are getting active in mobiles.
Through the Australian Interactive Multimedia Industry Association they are planning a consumer "mobile content education campaign" to show people there is something worthwhile at the end of the rainbow.
This type of education is far from altruistic; it's more about advertisers finding the rainbow's pot of gold.
For what started out as a nice-to-have add-on to voice services is fast becoming an imperative for the fast-changing telecommunications industry and a media industry being forced through rapid change as the internet starts to erode revenues and margins for traditional media.
Basically, mobile is a rolled gold opportunity that none of them can afford to stuff up. The mobile is perhaps where we are seeing the truest expression of that most over- used of terms: "convergence".
So with many of the hurdles -- apart from pesky demand -- cleared, content providers are starting to ask that most basic question: where's the business model? If you look at "3" which has more of its customers paying more each month for non-SMS content than its rivals, a small monthly subscription fee of between $1 and $5 for a growing range of content packages -- news, movies, chat, sport, etc -- appears to be working best.
But while that is working, the spectre and opportunity of advertising on mobiles is looming fast.
Spoon fed on years of free-to-air television and now with the myriad free content options available on the internet, consumers remain reticent to pay for electronic content, or at least reticent about paying too much. In Australia, the remarkable resistance to the charms of pay-TV only bolsters this.
So it is logical that we will increasingly see more advertising on phones.
Chris Noone, who runs the mobile side of Ninemsn, Australia's most popular consumer portal, believes 2007 is the year mobile advertising will start to make its mark.
"Last year it was mainly hype; this year it is happening."
Noone also says that opportunities will multiply as operators bring down the mobile "walled gardens" that force customers to only access content on the operator's portal. This only works for so long, as AOL found out on the fixed-line internet to its, and its shareholders, chagrin.
Advertising is also a perfect match for location-based services that mobiles can provide by identifying the location of a user through triangulation of GPS technology.
Still, advertisements that work on TV or the internet banner ads and pop-ups will not, in most cases, work on mobiles.
On a mobile screen which is much smaller, advertisers need to be sophisticated in finding new ways to approach the new platform.
One way being suggested is that advertisers will sponsor certain content.
What is for certain is that success will often require close co-ordination between operators, advertisers, media companies and handset manufacturers.
But the opportunity is enormous. Unlike the TV or even the PC, mobiles are truly the personal individual device and the marketing opportunity as niche as you like.
As such, companies that find smart ways to use mobiles to advertise their wares and connect with customers will doubtless find their pot of gold.
sainsburym@theaustralian.com.au
We the undersigned, ask Members of the European Parliament to adequately amend or, failing that, to reject the current draft of the INSPIRE Directive on European Spatial Data Infrastructure because it:7200 signatures and counting. What is the deal with GeoData collected in Australia, anyone know? (What is Inspire?)
* Does not guarantee that European citizens and businesses can download and freely re-use Geographic Information collected by government.
* Instead it entrenches a policy of charging citizens for information they have already paid to collect, enforced by state copyright over geographic information.
Given that:
* Public Geographic Information is the bedrock of how civil society is managed in the information age.
* Free map data could enable a new generation of location-based technologies with enormous economic and social potential.
* Open access to geodata is the best way to ensure co-operation between Europe's government agencies on environmental and census data, and in other important fields.
The INSPIRE Directive in its current form risks holding back the economic and social potential in maps and location-based technology in Europe by many years.
Wired had something to say about it too:Ever wanted to know where you were, but didn't have a GPS handy? Wondered about ways to use that cell phone sitting in your pocket to find out where you are?
These are things that the network providers want to offer to you -- at high cost, either to you or a partner that would charge the cost back to you.
As a broke college student, I asked myself these things. Then I got a GPS, and realized that there *is* another way around it. With some Python code and a lot of free time, I wandered around town, recording GPS traces and associating them with cell towers.
This project was born of that. I've loaded my data in, and I'm working with other people around the country (US) and the world to collect data in every city, town, country. Want to help? Grab a program, grab a GPS, and upload some data. Don't have a GPS? Use the simple form to enter your location and cell ID.
The Geowanking project sounds coooool.Schmidt spends his time wandering around his hometown of Cambridge, Massachusetts, using his custom cell-phone software to unmask the ID numbers on each GSM cell tower he passes. Then he associates that tower ID with a GPS-defined location, and uploads it to his website.
When his electronic surveying is complete, Schmidt will have a system that can tell him where he is at all times -- without GPS -- by triangulating the signals from the newly mapped cell towers.
Calling himself a "neogeographer," Schmidt is part of a generation of coders whose work is inspired by easily obtained map data, as well as the mashups made possible by Google Maps and Microsoft's Virtual Earth.
Europe Takes to Location-Based Cell ServiceI give it 5 more years before it hits Australia. "...impeded by primitive phones, pokey connections, and a dearth of enticing applications." Yep, 2011.
Services that give cell-phone users place-based info fast are finally taking hold in Europe—and are welcomed by revenue-hungry providers. Five years ago, mobile-phone makers and wireless operators waxed poetic about the prospects for technology that would offer consumers maps, traffic reports, and localized search from the palm of their hands. But the march toward so-called location-based services was impeded by primitive phones, pokey connections, and a dearth of enticing applications. "Uptake was a catastrophe," bluntly declares Ralph Eric Kunz, vice-president of multimedia experiences for handset giant Nokia.
Now, thanks to higher-resolution color screens, faster wireless data links, and the arrival of browser-enabled handsets, the picture is finally beginning to brighten. Sales of software and services that let consumers find a nearby post office or the fastest route to a destination are finally starting to take off. And mobile operators burned by the previous wave of hype are dipping their toes back into the business. Swedish-Finnish operator TeliaSonera, for instance, now offers 10 location-based services, including Yellow Pages, weather information, route displays with voice prompts, and a "friend-finder" capability.
SingTel is planning to install 2400 hotspots across Northern Singapore by May 2007 through which it will offer free Internet access and unlimited VoIP calls for a fixed monthly fee as well as TV over broadband and location based and other services.I loved the infrastructure there. *looks at Sol Trujillo* :(
In addition to free basic Internet services such as surfing and emailing at these wireless hotspots, SingTel says that customers "can expect to enjoy new value-added services that are timely, innovative and personalised to meet their lifestyle needs and location."
These services include Broadband TV on the move, SingTel’s eConcierge smart location-based services, WhizGuide and BuddyWRU (Buddy Where Are You), as well as unlimited mobile VoIP calls at a fixed monthly fee.
Not if they don't get a move on (with development), they won't. Full article.Company: ABI Research
Industry: Telecommunications, Wireless / Navigation, Location-based Services (LBS)
Location: New York, NY, United States of America
In 2011, the total population of GPS-enabled location-based services (LBS) subscribers will reach 315 million, up from 12 million in 2006, according to a new study from ABI Research. Put another way, that represents a rise from less than 0.5% of total wireless subscribers today to more than 9% worldwide at the end of the study's 5-year forecast period.
Carilion Clinic Cuts Down Emergency Medical Response Times with TeleNav Track(TM); Replaces Radio-Based GPS Tracking System with Enhanced Web-Based ServiceTechnorati Tags Location Based Services, LBS, teleNav, medicalIn an emergency situation, every second counts for first response medical teams. An essential part of Virginia-based Carilion Clinic's success is due to finding and implementing the latest proven technologies that improve healthcare. That is why Carilion Clinic and TeleNav Inc. today announced the implementation of TeleNav's TeleNav Track(TM) GPS solution over mobile phones, to assist Carilion with the location and deployment of ambulances and emergency medical teams during local organized events. The Carilion Clinic is western Virginia's leading healthcare partner.
Carilion Patient Transportation Services was recently tasked with providing medical response teams for events that take place at the Martinsville Speedway, which often attracts thousands of people."Large events, such as an auto race, football game or concert, are very difficult environments for emergency medical response teams to easily work in. The number of people can be overwhelming, making it vital to implement a system that will help us send teams to an area within minutes of any reported incident," said Allan Belcher, operations manager, Carilion Patient Transportation Services. "The mobility of TeleNav Track allows us to locate the closest available resources, send them to the location of the emergency while simultaneously watching the status of the call directly from anywhere in the world."
TeleNav Track is a fully hosted, 100 percent Web-based service available at http://www.telenavtrack.com/. The price per phone/device starts with the TeleNav Track Basic plan at $9.99 per month, plus a one-time $19.99 activation fee. The basic service includes GPS tracking, timesheets and location reporting. The TeleNav Track Plus plan is priced at $12.99 per month, which adds two-way messaging. The $15.99 per month TeleNav Track Enhanced plan adds barcode scanning, wireless forms and job dispatching and scheduling capabilities. TeleNav Track Premium is priced at $21.99 per month and includes turn-by-turn voice and visual navigation.
TCS Receives Cornerstone Location and Presence Patent -- Enables Delivery of Wireless Device Information to Authorized Sources
The MAST invention allows presence information and location information regarding a particular wireless device, which is contained in the Home Location Register (HLR) of a wireless carrier, to be made available to any authorized outside entity or application. This invention enables authorized sources to use location and presence information for specialized services such as location-based advertising and couponing, mapping, mobile instant messaging, traffic alerts and geo-fencing.
Head here for more info.
Technorati Tags Location Based Services, LBS, Mobile Activity Status Tracker, MASTTechnorati Tags Location Based Services, LBS, NEC, Qualcomm, BrannvallNEC COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL A-GPS INTEROPERABILITY TESTING WITH QUALCOMM USING A "SUPL VERSION 1.0 STANDARD LOCATION PROTOCOL"
...announced the successful completion of assisted-GPS (A-GPS) interoperability testing (IOT) on a commercial GPRS/WCDMA network in Japan and London.
NEC and QUALCOMM support the standard to meet the rapidly accelerating demand for higher-accuracy location-based services in Europe, North and South America and Asia."NEC is committed to the global success of location-based information services.
In 2001, our technology enabled the first commercial user-plane location information system built in Japan," said Ruth Brannvall, Head of Value Added Services, NEC Europe Ltd. "Today, the success of our IOT with QUALCOMM ensures the user-plane A-GPS location-information system is no longer dependent upon operators' control plane networks, providing continual improvements to mobile operators' location-based information services."
RESTON, Va., and WATERLOO, ON. - Sept. 20, 2006 - Sprint (NYSE: S) and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today introduced the BlackBerryÒ 8703e from Sprint with updated features, including EV-DO support and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) capability in a sleek and light design.
The BlackBerry 8703e includes integrated GPS (assisted-GPS) enabled through Sprint to deliver support for popular location-based services to mobile users, such as turn-by-turn driving directions to any address, anywhere on the Nationwide Sprint PCS Network.
MUMBAI: Cornershop Entertainment has launched an SMS based information service called Info on the Go. Ask 757577 is a service that works on any mobile phone with a text messaging facility.Is SMS info LBS? I guess you SMS "where is the nearest MacDonalds" and it does a location check on your phone and sends back an answer? Much better than an "always on" push solution, I reckon.
It claims to be simple and user-friendly, as one can SMS questions to 757577. This service helps extend the virtual boundaries of knowledge and is available to all pre-paid and post-paid mobile users, informs an official release.
Ask757577 is a service that delivers Info on the go. You can now get quick and easy access to restaurants, weather, movie timenigs, emergency services, sports scores, directions, and more. At Ask757577 we are singularly focused on helping users find what they need through ever-changing mobile technologies. Ask757577 promises to be committed to meeting the search challenge of users.
"Innovation in services is key to reaching out to people, we believe in innovating against demand, and there is a strong demand for accurate info based services in the wireless market place" said CornerShop director Chirag Shah. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through the delivery of highly personalized location based services.
CornerShop claims to be the first to launch SMS voting/polling on reality TV in India for shows like Sa Re Ga Ma, Business Baazigar, Zee Cine Awards. The company also powers India's first 24 hour live interactive gaming channel 'PlayTV'.
Soon, triangulation (iffy at best) will be a thing of the past.POLICE have arrested the man they believe is responsible for kidnapping a 14-year-old girl who sent a text message to her mother that led to her rescue from a booby-trapped bunker.
The sheriff said the text message the girl sent to her mother came from Filyaw's mobile phone. Investigators used telecommunications towers to determine the general location of the phone used to send the message.
Tim Hibbard wants you to see where he is. On his Web site, timhibbard.com/wherestim, Hibbard uses GPS technology to plot his location on a map of Lawrence, Kansas, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.The article is actually from The Guardian (Ronan Fitzgerald) but few traditional media outlets link to original articles. Unlike bloggers. From Tim's website:
A GPS phone in his car feeds information into a Google Map, and a small icon represents Tim Hibbard, Web site architect and self- confessed geek. If you zoom in on the location, you can see the roof of the building he's in. If you were familiar with Lawrence, you could suggest things for Hibbard to do.
"One guy sent me a text message which said: `Hey dude! Get some coffee!' I was actually already on my way to get coffee," he recalls.
It won't be long before Hibbard's isn't the only pin on such maps.
Jeff Julian and John Alexander were nice enough to interview me on PodcastStudio.net; We talked about Where's Tim, GPS, consumer trust and all kinds of fun stuff. The podcast is here, and the podcast feed is here...check them out.I'll have a latte, thnx.
I was reading about a YAKTA (Yet Another Kid Tracking Application) this morning and one sentence leapt out at me as being different. After the normal blurb about tracking loved ones’ movements in real time, it says that the serviceIMS meets telematics - Pimp My Ride:
even alerts them [parents] when their child is in a sexual predator zone.
I was intrigued by the Sexual Predator Zone angle and while I couldn’t find any more information about this aspect of the product, I did come across this hack of Google maps - Florida Sexual Predator.
Essentially, you can enter your Florida zip code and a Google map shows you the home addresses, crime history and mug shots of all convicted sexual predators in your area, from information provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Sounds like the Batmobile.Telcordia (http://www.telcordia.com/) and Ford have revealed a completely wireless-enabled Ford Five Hundred sedan, brining IMS into the world of telematics.
The Five Hundred showcases a seamless transition between car, MP3 player, GPS and location-based services. Specific features incorporated into the Ford Five Hundred include remote monitoring and control, diagnostics and troubleshooting, infotainment, and location-based roadside assistance. The car can be monitored over the Internet, tracking speed and location. Users can check service needs, such as the time for an oil change or why a check engine light is on. They can also directly and seamlessly download audio content into the vehicle. Finally, there's a quick and easy way to directly request assistance
Wherify Announces Global Reseller Agreement With Siemens Communications; Siemens Communications and Affiliates to Market and Distribute Wherifone GPS Locator Terminal and Services Worldwide REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2006--Wherify Wireless,Inc. (OTCBB:WFYW), a leading developer of patented wireless location solutions and services for family safety and communications, today announced a global reseller agreement with Siemens(R) (NYSE:SI) to market and distribute the award-winning Wherifone GSM/GPS locator terminal and personal location and communications services on a worldwide basis. Under the agreement, Siemens and its affiliates have agreed to market and distribute Wherify's Wherifone GSM/GPS locator terminal and location services as a combined turn-key solution. Wherify will provide technical support and provide its customizable carrier-class Global Location Services Center as a core location management and mapping solution for location-enabled communications and GPS location/safety services.Wherifone is still not available in the US or here DownUnder. Annual report due June '06 - should be interesting. Ah well, such 'deals' drives up the share price for both parties. Can anyone spell B.U.B.B.L.E. ? heh.
Multimap, Europe’s leading online mapping provider, today announced the implementation of its Storefinder ‘where’s-my-nearest’ search facility on http://www.boots.com/. The new service enables customers of the UK’s leading health & beauty retailer to search for nearby stores by both location and services provided, and to access comprehensive street-level maps showing their exact locations, in a few simple steps.
GPS chips in cell phones can do a heck of a lot more than help 911 workers locate you in an emergency, as Jim Fuentes' son Eric discovered while zooming down a highway at 85 mph. The elder Fuentes received an SMS "speed alert" on his phone telling him his son was booking it. The same alert was available via an e-mail or on a Web site, And there's more to this system, known as "Whereabouts, Family Tracking and Navigation" developed by Aurora-based Clarity Communication Systems Inc., a start-up founded by Fuentes and seven other former Lucent wireless software engineers in 1998.The article brought to my attention way-to-go which I hadn't heard of before. "Welcome to Way-To-Go Central! The place to find really cool GPS applications for your mobile phone" I haven't played with it yet, but will let you know what I think.
SLAVING away at my desk one afternoon, my mind worlds away from my family, my concentration was broken by a message alert from my mobile phone. The SMS said my daughter had left the area between school and home, though she was supposed to go straight home. I went on to the web and saw on a global-positioning system (GPS) map that she was heading south on Melbourne's Nepean Highway.In this case, Dave's wife had picked up the munchkin and was taking her shopping. It'll be interesting to see if people buy the phone purely for peace of mind or if communicating with the little ones (missed my flight, go wait in the library until your mum/stepdad/stepmum picks you up) becomes a priority in this communication age. Do schools even take messages like that anymore?
TruePosition previously sued Andrew Corporation for infringing different patents and in a 2004 settlement Andrew agreed to pay TruePosition $35 million and to provide warrants to purchase one million shares of Andrew's common stock. In 2001, TruePosition also prevailed in a suit against SigmaOne Communications Corp. for infringing several patents, including the one at issue in the current suit against the Andrew Corporation.Talking of Andrew Corporation; they have just openened up a new Centre in Wollongong, Australia (read the press release at Telematics).
Andrew Corporation's newly expanded Wollongong, Australia, research center, already a global technical leader in the development of location technology, is growing to play a crucial role in the company's support for the expanding global market for mobile location services.
iST’s iPointer system empowers users to explore a defined area, pointing and learning at will. Users point iPointer’s hand-held device at an item of interest and press a button. Informed of the user’s position through a combination of GPS and digital compass information, iST’s geospatial database identifies the target and sends information over a wireless network to be displayed in text, visuals and audio for the user. The iPointer technology has the potential to be embedded into a number of pervasive computing devices, such as cell phones and PDAs.Read more in the Press Release at Directions Magazine.
All GSM operators are installing Location Based Services due to the E112 regulation that requires positioning from Mobile Phones. Depending on the exact technology implemented by your operator the accuracy of the position varies. Since most technologies are based on Cell-id the quality is best in cities (50-100 m) and less accurate in rural areas (>100 m).Read more on their website.Next to the existing Cell-ID based positioning Teydo is involved in projects testing A-GPS based handsets and GPS/GPRS enabled handsets in order to increase positioning accuracy and reduce positioning costs. Since we connect to all LBS enabled European GSM Operators we understand the possibilities and hurdles of LBS extremely well which enables us to assist third parties in their development and launch of position oriented services.
- Positioning works with every GSM mobile phone
- Switching your phone off disables positioning
- Positioning works inside buildings
- Only opt-in services are supported by Teydo
- International roaming is currently not possible
The MobiSPOT™ aggregator platform of Teydo enables third parties to enhance their applications and services with positioning, messaging and billing functionality.
It has been estimated that over 400 million people will regularly use SIP-based services across IP multimedia-enabled networks by the end of the decade. IMS Research has conducted an assessment of the trends affecting service uptake, including the timeline for IMS deployment. It concluded that, after initially slow uptake, the most popular service will be push to talk, followed by picture and video sharing, also know as a “push to” service.More here. I have my doubts - not that Push To won't be big, but exactly what services and when are still not clear - not while there is no proper enablement layer on mobiles. Haven't Telstra and Optus talked about canning their Push-To-Talk service?
Services included in the assessment were conferencing, instant messaging, interactive gaming, location-based services and mapping, mo-blogging and voice over WLAN amongst others. Total revenues for these services, on cellular networks enabled with IP multimedia subsystems, were estimated by IMS Research to ramp up from 2008, exceeding $50 billion by 2010.
In the name of streamlined field operations, Verizon Wireless is rolling out Field Force Manager, a mobile resource management tool designed to improve information and process flow between field workers and the office, according to the carrier.If anyone has an article on how the Unions are responding to this, please let me know? Thanks!
The Web-based application gives offices the ability to map the location of field workers, jobs and other activities in near real-time, as well as schedule and dispatch jobs and receive fleet, job and worker reports. From a field worker standpoint, Field Force Manager enables timecards and customer/ job data to be submitted back to the office using a wireless device.
Global Positioning System receivers are poised to play a "critical role" in wireless communications as a result of the United States Federal Communications Commission's E911 directive, and location based services are expected to follow on the heels of the mandate, according to tech research firm Frost & Sullivan.Read more here.
The prolific analyst firm finds that successful E911/LBS products and services will "require products with features that can implement GPS in mobile telephones."
Frost & Sullivan's report, "Strategic Analysis of GPS Chipset Market," concludes that the market earned revenue of $207 million in 2004, and estimates it will reach $589.1 million in 2008.
Wanted Smiling is about moving social networks from the desktop to the mobile phone. Wanted Smiling solutions extend the existing on-line communities and Social networks from Virtuality to Reality. Wanted Smiling has developed a LBS MOSOSO* peer-to-peer technology for communities and social networks. Our peer-to-peer platform allows communities and social networks to expand and extend their services to the mobile phone.MOSOSO is Mobile Social Sofware. Cute huh?
Are You Here alerts your mobile when your friends are nearby. Create your profile, Use your mobile to know who is around, Meet friends and friends of friends!I see this as being useful for teenagers - to meet cute guys and gals, to avoid high school nemesis, to duck and hide when the parents come into view!
Wherify and SEAC today announced an agreement that would position the two firms as key players in the Argentinean Location-Based Services market. Under the agreement, SEAC has committed to an initial purchase of 15,000 Wherifone G550(R) GSM/GPS Locator Phones over a twelve month period. Wherify's Global Location Services Center will provide the core location management and mapping support for location-enabled communications and GPS location/safety services.
SEAC provide GPS based fleet management and logistics in Argentina.
When I reported on Wherify last month they had just secured 35 million in funding and launched a Hong Kong centre. This month they terminated that agreement with Dutchess Private equities, opting for 45 million from Cornell instead. And now the Argentinian distribution agreement. There's no stopping them. Go Wherify!QUALCOMM is proud to use our satellite-based mobile communications and location-based services to work with NCMEC, trucking companies and their drivers across the country to help locate abducted children.
Secondary methods of distribution such as QUALCOMM's initiative, which delivers Alerts through the OmniTRACS(R) mobile communications solution, assist in achieving the overall goal of the AMBER Alert program -- to notify as many people as possible about a recent child abduction, and provide information that can help in the search for the abducted child, suspected abductor, and/or suspected vehicle and in the safer return of the child.
Telcontar, the leading supplier of software platforms and services for the Location-Based Services (LBS) industry, has announced that its Rich Map Engine (RME) software is being used by Benefon to location-enable the company's newly introduced TWIG Discovery GPS/GSM handset. Launched at 3GSM World Congress, in Barcelona, Spain, the TWIG Discovery combines GPS-enabled navigation with GSM telephony. The TWIG Discovery provides a wide range of location-based and navigation applications that include routing with voice prompted turn-by-turn instructions and points of interest, which can be updated on-the-fly. It also includes current speed, SMS messaging, family & friends finding and tracking, real-time traffic reports, speed/safety camera positions and SOS messages.How well does TWIG work with GSM? Can you get within a stones throw of the mobile? This will be available in the UK in 2006 distributed by 20:20 Distribution.
But it's given rise to numerous location-based services for mobiles that have privacy advocates concerned. Log on to the tracking service website and enter a mobile number. A text message is sent to the mobile. If you can get your hands on it (your partner's mobile) and send a text message back to the service, that phone is authorized to be tracked, and the online service will display a map that shows everywhere that phone has been throughout the day. Call her, ask where she is—if she claims to be downtown shopping and you see a blip on your computer screen that she's at the Hilton by the airport, you've got a pretty good indicator of infidelity
Head over there to add to the comments (139 and climbing). Dialogue is important on these services. Anyone attempting to build an Locaton Based Service without entering into discussion with users via Online Communities is courting disaster, I reckon.Cell Phone Tracking In the UK
Posted by Zonk on Sunday February 26, @02:21PMfrom
the beep-beep-beep dept.
jvlb writes "The BBC reports on cell phone tracking systems now available in Britain. The correspondent addresses the privacy and security issues that ensue." From the article: "With more and more children owning mobile phones, special attention needs to be given to who can track them. If you are not a genuine parent or guardian, the code requires location services to check that both the tracker and the person being tracked can prove they are consenting adults. Mr Macleod says: 'The person that is to be located has to demonstrate to the service provider they are at least 16 years old.'"
the mind boggles ...
Directions Magazine has an article by Scott Hotes outline LBS positives for Enterprise:
Hong Kong actually. Wherify press release earlier in the month announced:
