GPS World articles from February 2008

GPS World archives from February 2008

New hand at the helm.(OUT IN FRONT)
February 1, 2008... You might think it's easy standing up here all the time, spouting off out in front and editing and such. It's not. It's not easy. What makes it considerably less difficult, what makes it possible in the first place, is the broadbased...

Accuracy in more than position only.(EXPERT ADVICE)(Column)
February 1, 2008... Terry McGurn's closing observations in his November 2007 column on accuracy evoke a grateful reaction from me. Glib summaries of performance are incomplete. Pinpointing moving objects within ever-smaller fractions of size is not always most...

Advisory board update.(Artech House Inc.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Borje Forssell has a new book out. Or, an old book still going strong, and now stronger. With the growth of GPS, more and more electrical engineers are migrating towards work in the field and requiring knowledge of important GPS/GNSS...

Galileo's second coming soon.(THE SYSTEM)(European Space Agency)
February 1, 2008... The European Space Agency (ESA) stands ready to raise the curtain on Galileo's second act, with the GIOVE-B experimental and validation satellite tentatively set for an April 28 launch from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. ESA plans to simultaneously...

UPS first to use ADS-B.(AVIONICS & TRANSPORTATION)
February 1, 2008... The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved United Parcel Service's (UPS) use of ADS-B technology for its flight operations at Louisville International Airport (SDF), the first such use of satellite-guided merging and spacing during...

Solar cycle could disrupt GPS, communications.(UTILITIES & COMMUNICATIONS)(United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)(global positioning system)
February 1, 2008... A new 11-year cycle of heightened solar activity, bringing with it increased risks for military and civilian communications, including GPS signals, showed signs it was on it its way with the appearance of the cycle's first sunspot, NOAA...

Javad GNSS names machine control VP.(SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION)
February 1, 2008... Javad GNSS Inc. has appointed Zdenko (Kuzo) Kurtovic, former CEO of GeoAstor and Swissat, as vice president of Machine Control & GIS, a new division of Javad GNSS. Kurtovic has 20 years of experience in the surveying industry, and for the...

Trimble acquires Crain Enterprises.(SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... In January, Trimble acquired privately held Crain Enterprises Inc. of Mound City, Illinois, in an all-cash transaction, the company announced. Financial terms were not disclosed. Crain manufactures accessories for the geomatics, surveying,...

Russia sells GPS-GLONASS PND: device offers multimedia, 7-inch screen.(MASS MARKET OEM)(Glospace Sgk-70)
February 1, 2008... The first 1,000-unit batch of Russian personal navigation devices (PNDs) that use both Russian GLONASS and U.S. GPS navigation signals sold out within 20 minutes, Russia's Itar-Tass news agency reported in January, citing Anatoly Perminov,...

GNSS, Inertial nav featured in new book.(RESOURCES)(QinetiQ Ltd.)(global navigation satellite system)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Principles of GNSS, Inertial, and Multisensor Integrated Navigation Systems by Paul D. Groves of QinetiQ, Ltd. is now available from Artech House. The practical resource explains satellite navigation, inertial navigation, terrestrial radio...

National Space Symposium set.(MILITARY & GOVERNMENT)
February 1, 2008... The 24th National Space Symposium will take place April 7-10, with speakers including Michael W. Wynne, secretary of the U.S. Air Force (USAF), and Air Force General Victor E. Renuart, commander for NORAD/USNORTHCOM. Sponsored by the Space...

Septentrio signs North American distribution deal.(SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION)(Septentrio Satellite Navigation)(Western Latitudes)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Western Latitudes, a wholly owned subsidiary of Meridian 104 Inc., has become the latest member of Septentrio's North American distribution network. Western Latitudes, based in Centennial, Colorado, and a reseller of GPS products to the survey...

Garmin and Panasonic Automotive Systems Co.(INBRIEF)
February 1, 2008... Garmin and Panasonic Automotive Systems Co. are collaborating on custom OEM navigation products targeting various vehicle manufacturers, the companies announced January 14. The U.S.-based subsidiary of Japanese electronics company Panasonic is...

Germany's Navigon, which entered the U.S. PND market in 2007, has claimed the fifth spot in the market.(INBRIEF)
February 1, 2008... Germany's Navigon, which entered the U.S. PND market in 2007, has claimed the fifth spot in the market. In November 2007, it broke into the top five among PND sellers in both units and dollar sales, according to data from market research firm...

Taiwan's Mitac International Corp. is formally merging its two GPS navigation device subsidiaries--Mio Technology and Navman--but will continue to maintain two brand names.(INBRIEF)
February 1, 2008... Taiwan's Mitac International Corp. is formally merging its two GPS navigation device subsidiaries--Mio Technology and Navman--but will continue to maintain two brand names. The merger follows Mitac's acquisition of the Navman portable...

U.K.-based CSR announced in January that it had cut the cost of embedded GPS receivers in half through a collaboration with South Korea's Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co.(INBRIEF)
February 1, 2008... U.K.-based CSR announced in January that it had cut the cost of embedded GPS receivers in half through a collaboration with South Korea's Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. The resulting products are based on CSR's GPS software and Samsung's module...

European industry group.(Leadership Talks)(DW International Limited)(Interview)
February 1, 2008... John Wilde (JW), director at the independent technical consultancy DW International Limited, also serves as deputy chair of the Civil Global Positioning System Service Interface Committee (CGSIC), responsible for international affairs. ...

Galileo validation: the navigation message.(SYSTEM DESIGN & TEST)
February 1, 2008... The GIOVE-A satellite broadcast Galileo's first signals on January 12, 2006. GIOVE-B is scheduled for launch on April 27, 2008. The authors describe generation of the first Galileo navigation messages, operational and performance aspects, and...

2008 antenna survey.
February 1, 2008... After choosing the most appropriate receiver for your application from last month's survey, you may need an antenna, too. We have collected key specifications for 341 antennas from 31 manufacturers. We have made every effort to present an...

Tsunami detection by GPS: how ionospheric observations might improve the global warning system.(INNOVATION)
February 1, 2008... The December 26, 2004 earthquake-generated Sumatra tsunami caused enormous losses in life and property, even in locations relatively far away from the epicentral area. The losses would likely have never been so massive had an effective...

A devil of a program.(GNSS technologies in the popular media)
February 1, 2008... In parts of Tasmania, up to 90 percent of the Tasmanian devil population has been wiped out by a contagious cancer-like facial tumor disease, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. After being reared in captivity at Tasmanian...

World leaders seek direction.(GNSS technologies in the popular media)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Russia's President Putin has expressed interest in buying a GLONASS device for his pet dog. A GLONASS pet tracker is expected to be launched this year on the heels of Russia's first GLONASS/GPS personal navigation device (see The...