GPS World articles from April 2008

GPS World archives from April 2008

Excerpt from the Military & Government PNT newsletter; Lighthouses in the Sky: the history of GPS.(GPS World News on Your Target)(Excerpt)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The updated U.S. Defense Department directive on Position, Navigation, and Timing confirms what has been an evolutionary process over the last 40 years. In his two March columns, Don Jewell takes a look back at how GPS evolved from highly...

Traffic report.(GPS World News on Your Target)
April 1, 2008... 72,737 unique visitors last month 128,359 e-newsletter subscribers

Hottest pages @ GPSWorld.com.(GPS World News on Your Target)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... February 20--March 21, 2008 1 GPS Guided Artillery Used in Afghanistan 2 Navigon Claims No. 4 Spot in U.S. 3 GPS Gadgets Buck Consumer Spending Trend 4 Older Marine GPSAIS Systems Troubled by PRN32 5 Multipath...

Excerpt from the Utilities & Communication Pulse newsletter: vehicle-based communication moving forward.(GPS World News on Your Target)(Excerpt)
April 1, 2008... Editor Janice Partyka reports in the March issue: "Something interesting happened this month on a stretch of road between New York City and Long Island. The ITS World Congress VII demonstration committee successfully tested advanced vehicle...

Hit the road, jack.(OUT IN FRONT)
April 1, 2008... We get all wrapped up in our little locatable phones and the things we can do with them, such as find our buddies and coffees and the many other self-centric pastimes of today. Occasionally, we get tangled up in determining who holds down...

What were they thinking?(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... [Regarding the Navigate! e-newsletter lead story of February 20, "PRN-32--Not Quite Yet," recapped in "The System," page 18] As the possessor of several older GPS receivers (used for teaching students), which probably won't pick up PRN-32 (but...

More on 32.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... In your [Navigate! e-newsletter] article you talk about a healthy 32-satellite constellation. But setting PRN-32 healthy would only result in 31 healthy satellites. There is currently no satellite assigned PRN-7, although PRNs 1-6 and 8-32 are...

Anomaly straight talk.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... Nice interview with Col. Crews! Very clear explanations of the anomaly that should quickly dissipate the "inevitable paranoid rumors" of such an anomaly. --Phil Ward Navward Consulting Ed: The interview by Don Jewell ran in the...

WAAS and ADS-B.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... In the February Business section there is an article on ADS-B and how UPS will be the first to use it. I work as the Operations Lead for the WAAS and was wondering why there is no mention of WAAS in this article. Seems like WAAS would need...

In defense of SiRF: investors moan, attorneys gloat--and companies lose.(EXPERT ADVICE)
April 1, 2008... On February 11, GPS World's Navigate! e-news daily reported that a Pennsylvania law firm made SiRF Technology the object of a class-action lawsuit following the company's February 5 fourth-quarter earnings report. On February 14, we reported a...

Advisory board update.(David Turner )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... David Turner left the Aerospace Corporation's Center for Space Policy Strategy to become deputy director of the Office of Space and Advanced Technology in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science. He will assist...

Prepare for GIOVE-B liftoff.(EXPERT ADVICE)(Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element )
April 1, 2008... A at the end of this month, on the 27th of April, Europe will add a new cornerstone to the Galileo programme and to global satellite navigation as a whole. GIOVE-B, the second Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element (GIOVE) satellite, will rise...

GPS embarrassment of riches.(THE SYSTEM)
April 1, 2008... As this magazine went to press, the GPS Operations Center announced that SVN-48/PRN-07 launched on March 15 was set usable on March 24 at 20:08 UTC. Launch to operational status in only nine days (9.58 days to be exact) is believed to be a GPS...

Galileo, Compass on collision course.(THE SYSTEM)
April 1, 2008... As Galileo looks forward to its second satellite launch (see Expert Advice, page 16), program officials fret over possible technical and security-related threats posed by the nascent Compass system touted by China. Talks during the week of...

GLONASS faces budget doubters.(THE SYSTEM)
April 1, 2008... In mid-February, the Russian Audit Chamber board assessed the country's space program, Roskosmos. It stated GLONASS was unlikely to offer serious competition to the U.S. GPS, annulled the results of a 2006 tender for developing a new spacecraft...

Navigation no bit player at CeBIT.(THE BUSINESS)(Centrum der Buround Informationstechnik)
April 1, 2008... CeBIT, the world's largest computer expo held March 4-9 in Hanover, Germany, dedicated an entire hall to navigation devices and software. CeBIT is short for Centrum der Buround Informationstechnik, which is German for Center of Office and...

Surveying a new track at 2008 GITA.(SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION)(Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Eric Gakstatter, GPS World's Survey & Construction editor, provided online reports from this year's Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference, sponsored by GITA, held in Seattle in March. Surveying sparked a lot of interest as a new...

Lawyers, investors in league against industry leader.(INDUSTRY WATCH)
April 1, 2008... Attorney-abetted investor response arose quickly to SiRF Technology Holding's 2007 fourth-quarter (Q4) earnings report, which appeared February 4 stating an 89 percent decrease in Q4 profits to $700,000 from $9.1 million the year before. This...

Leica unveils quad-constellation antenna.(SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION)
April 1, 2008... Leica Geosystems' Leica AR25, its next-generation, high-performance choke ring antenna, covers all present and planned GNSS constellations and signals, including L-Band, the company says. Choke ring antennas are omni-directional antennas...

Booming Ag market grows Hemisphere revenues.(AGRICULTURE)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Canada's Hemisphere GPS saw strong revenue growth and narrowed its losses in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2007, thanks to strength in its agricultural guidance and steering products, the company said March 11. The company posted net...

Seeking Galileo Masters.(SYSTEM DESIGN & TEST)(European Satellite Navigation Competition )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... For the fifth consecutive year, the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC)--formerly called the Galileo Masters--is seeking the best ideas for applications in satellite navigation. The international innovation contest is open to...

Getac introduces rugged PDA.(UTILITIES & COMMUNICATIONS)
April 1, 2008... Mitac Technology subsidiary Getac Inc. is unveiling its model PS535E, a combination personal digital assistant and GPS device designed for use in the field by utility workers and others. It has embedded GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity,...

Ceva, HuaXun offer software-based GPS application for portable devices.(MASS MARKET OEM)
April 1, 2008... HuaXun Microelectronics Inc. and Ceva Inc. have co-developed a software-based GPS application for the Ceva-X family of DSP cores and the MM2000 portable multimedia platform, the companies announced March 10. San Jose, California-based Ceva...

The second international summer school on global Navigation Satellite Systems.(EVENTS)
April 1, 2008... July 21-31, 2008, Berchtesgaden, Germany www.munich-satellite-navigation-summerschool.org The field of satellite navigation requires interdisciplinary knowledge. This summer school provides attendees with a comprehensive overview of...

Qualcomm Inc.(INBRIEF)
April 1, 2008... Qualcomm Inc. has introduced its first fleet-management offering under its OmniVision Metro service, called Service Fleet Manager. Service Fleet Manager is designed for local service-based businesses centered in metropolitan areas and which...

NavSync Ltd.(INBRIEF)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... NavSync Ltd. has introduced its TrineX CW27, a compact, self-contained GPS receiver module based on the NemeriX NX3 high-sensitivity assisted-GPS single-chip receiver. The TrineX uses a new baseband processor and RF front end and connects...

Homeland Integrated Security Systems Inc.(INBRIEF)
April 1, 2008... Asset management provider Homeland Integrated Security Systems Inc. has signed a letter of intent to acquire Global Tracking Technologies LLC (GTT) for stock and other considerations, the companies said March 18. The companies plan to complete...

Axonn LLC.(INBRIEF)
April 1, 2008... Axonn LLC has been awarded patent number 7.337.061 for its AXTracker line of products. Axxon is the sole provider of asset monitoring hardware that uses the satellite-based Global-star Simplex Data Network. The new patent specifically covers...

UWB location tech on a roll: ultra-wideband location applications envisioned or already created support emergency services, asset tracking, and manufacturing inventory management.(BUSINESS OUTLOOK)
April 1, 2008... The market for ultra-wideband (UWB) devices looks very strong indeed. Potential location applications already envisioned or being created for UWB include emergency services, asset tracking, and manufacturing inventory management. It sounds...

Anomaly response.(Leadership Talks)(Interview)
April 1, 2008... Many readers may not be aware, but October 8-10, 2007, there was, but for the quick action of an integrated government and civilian contractor team of experts, what could have been classified as a significant anomaly in the GPS constellation....

Shaping aviation integrity: two RAIMs for safety.(AVIONICS & TRANSPORTATION)
April 1, 2008... New opportunities exploiting L1 and L5 to bring airplanes within 200 feet of the ground anywhere on the globe have prompted aviation authorities to address time-to-alert with two methods. Relative RAIM and absolute RAIM both enable an aircraft...

A GNSS odometer: how far have we come?(INNOVATION)
April 1, 2008... The possibility of replacing a traditional odometer by a satellite-navigation-based system naturally allows combining information on the distance traveled with information on location and time. These are pieces of information increasingly...

Security personnel tracker.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE)
April 1, 2008... The GuardTrax SFL, used at this year's Super Bowl, is a real-time GPS tracker for foot-patrol security personnel that enables managers to track, monitor, and manage security forces. The GuardTrax SFL, which uses a WiTech Sony CX chipset, uses...

GNSS mapping and GIS receiver.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE)
April 1, 2008... The GPS Pathfinder ProXRT receiver is a flexible GNSS receiver for Geographic Information System (GIS) data collection and mapping. The receiver combines a high-performance GPS receiver with Trimble H-Star technology, OmniSTAR correction...

Precision farming guidance with touch screen.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE)
April 1, 2008... The Outback S3 combines the most popular features of the Outback S2 and the Outback 360 with the latest developments in Crescent GPS receiver technology. Outback S3's 8.4-inch high-resolution touch screen displays clear and easy-to-read job...

Compact PND receivers with integrated antennae.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE)
April 1, 2008... The new Fastrax UC322 GPS receiver (shown) for personal navigation devices (PNDs) includes an integrated chip antenna designed to provide optimal performance and sensitivity. The module is suited for high-volume consumer devices, enabling slim...

Shipboard replacement.(PRODUCT SHOWCASE)(Ursa Navigation Solutions)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The Ursa Navigator is a a bolt-in replacement for the AN/WRN-6 Satellite Signals Navigation Set, a militarized GPS radio navigation system used on most U.S. Navy combatant ships and submarines. The navigator is compatible across all platforms...

Which way to the castle?(GNSS technologies in the popular media)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Is Leeds Castle in Yorkshire? Just how old is Stonehenge? For those in the United Kingdom, answers come via a new GPS tour guide that alerts motorists to Britain's treasures as they drive near them, according to BBC News. Invented by...

Plotting new uses.(GNSS technologies in the popular media)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Bill Marchel, outdoor reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, made readers aware of a simple way to plot acreage using a handheld GPS in a March 15 feature. "Acreage calculation via GPS might not be news to modern farmers, but most...

Oh, deer, they're tracking me!(GNSS technologies in the popular media)
April 1, 2008... A white-tailed deer going about his business in suburban Pennsylvania is blogging regularly, sharing his location through GPS every five minutes, reports the Wired Blog Network. A poster named Siberian at the Google Earth Community collared a...