GPS World articles from July 2008

GPS World archives from July 2008

Ag distribution.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... Very well-written article on RTK networks in precision ag (May issue)! Have you noticed or heard about a severe lack of experienced support staff at dealers? Precision ag is so new, and so many dealers are opening up it seems like it either...

View from China.(LETTERS TO THE EDITIOR)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... [Response to the Jnue 6 OEM Insights column, Mass Market OEM newsletter, online at www.gpsworld.com/JuneOEM] I agree with your article on "The Next GPS Mass Market." GPS/LBS product manufacturers in China face big challenges, especially for...

Semi-codeless sunset.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... [Response to the June 6 Perspectives column, Survey & Construction newsletter, condensed in this issue on page 8.] Interesting article. At first sight this would appear to be a manufacturer's and salesman's dream, as you say. But two...

Stewardship, the concept.(OUT IN FRONT)(Column)
July 1, 2008... Measure the intrinsic importance of GPS to both national and global infrastructures by this gauge: after a year or more of careful planning, it will take a further 12 years to wean a community of more than 300,000 professional, industrial users...

Civil P(Y) sunset.(EXPERT ADVICE)
July 1, 2008... On May 16, 2008, the Office of Space Commercialization issued a Notice for Public Comment. In it, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) proposes to discontinue supporting P(Y) codeless/semi-codeless on both GPS L1 and L2 frequencies on...

Jammer Location gets NGA attention.(THE SYSTEM)(United States. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency)
July 1, 2008... Because of the low-signal power level broadcast by the GPS satellites, it is well known that GPS operation is highly susceptible to interference or jamming. With widespread GPS use, the threat to both commercial and military operations...

EU Parliament hearings on Galileo; U.S. firms may bid.(THE SYSTEM)(European Union. European Parliament)
July 1, 2008... In a June 12 hearing at the European Union (EU) Parliament, institutional and industry speakers presented views on how to get the most out of the European GNSS, Galileo and EGNOS. After years of upheaval, EU officials wish to ensure that their...

Apple's newest iPhone offers assisted GPS.(LOCATION-BASED SERVICES)(global positioning system)
July 1, 2008... GPS will be a feature on the much-anticipated next-gen iPhone, according to information the company released during its WorldWide Developers Conference June 9. The iPhone 3G uses assisted GPS as its first choice for determining location. But,...

JAVAD GNSS hosts first user conference in Moscow July 21-23.(SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION)
July 1, 2008... JAVAD GNSS's first user conference and dealer meeting will be held July 21-23 in Moscow. The user conference will be an annual event, with future events to be held in San Francisco as well, according to JAVAD. Technical sessions include:...

The future is not what it used to be.
July 1, 2008... A few decades ago, companies like AT&T, Ford, IBM, General Electric, Standard Oil, Pan American, J.P. Morgan, and others were making five, ten, even twenty-year plans. The future was predictable. But now companies adjust their plans several...

GPS chipmakers headed for more consolidation?(INDUSTRY WATCH)
July 1, 2008... Chip makers in the GPS market may face an uncertain future, as differentiators have become price and the ease of integration, according to market research firm ABI Research. "The market for GPS semiconductors has reached a plateau," said...

Patent ruling for Broadcom, against SiRF.(MASS MARKET OEM)
July 1, 2008... Broadcom Corp. says the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) rejected claims by GPS chip maker SiRF Technology, which alleged that Global Locate infringed upon two of its patents. Furthermore, the ITC also found that SiRF's asserted claims...

NavCom software updated for RTK, StarFire network.(SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION)
July 1, 2008... John Deere subsidiary NavCom Technology Inc. released June 13 updated software for its real-time kinematic and StarFire products, which provides users with access to the expanded six-satellite StarFire Network and NavCom's new Ultra RTK...

Raveon combines GPS, UHF radio.(AVIONICS & TRANSPORTATION)(Raveon Technologies)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Raveon Technologies has unveiled a real-time GPS tracking system using licensed UHF frequencies, its M7 series GPS transponder, as well as its RavTrack PC AVL software application. The RavTrack automatic vehicle location (AVL) system couples...

TomTom-Tele Atlas merger completed.(MASS MARKET OEM)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... TomTom and Tele Atlas jointly announced June 5 that TomTom had completed the merger of with digital map supplier. TomTom has been pursuing a merger with the digital map data supplier for nearly a year, outbidding rival Garmin in the process, in...

Paragon, Magna, u-blox debut rear-view mirror PND.(MASS MARKET OEM)
July 1, 2008... u-blox has partnered with German automotive electronics supplier Paragon and automotive systems company Magna to develop a rear-view mirror personal navigation device, u-blox announced June 10. The MirrorPilot Navigator is a fully functional...

Graham Russell.(IN MEMORIAM)(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Graham Russell, an early GPS receiver designer, died March 30 in Santa Monica at age 77. At Magnavox (1973-1993), he designed the first microprocessor-controlled Transit Navigator. Career highlights include work on System 621B; leading a team...

Topcon's new team.(SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION)(appointments)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Japan's Topcon has beefed up the management of its U.S-based subsidiary, Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS), appointing three satellite navigation industry veterans to its agriculture, OEM, and asset management groups. Topcon sees all three of...

Windows offers PND OS.(MASS MARKET OEM)
July 1, 2008... As of June 16, Microsoft is making available Windows Embedded NavReady 2009, its first embedded operating system designed specifically for original equipment manufacturers building handheld portable navigation devices (PNDs). Based on...

Stable forecast despite turbulent times.(The Stock Market)
July 1, 2008... Many factors have come into play in the last six to eight months, affecting GNSS company stock prices, earnings, and shareholder value. Acquisitions and mergers over a two-year period have reshaped the playing field, as current GPS/LBS players...

Costs of new tech.(Leadership Talks)(technology)(dialogue with Jason Kim of United States. Department of Commerce)(Interview)
July 1, 2008... The U.S. government has announced that it will not support civil use of the P(Y) signal after December 2020 (see EXPERT ADVICE, page 8). For the economic aspects of this decision, Alan Cameron (AC) talked with Jason Kim (JK), senior analyst at...

Driving blind--with assistance.(MILITARY & GOVERNMENT)
July 1, 2008... 6D-Positioning and Augmented Reality A lightweight mobile testbed of the French Defence Procurement Agency replicates the onboard activity of an armored tank. The pilot post has six LCD screens, but no direct view of the outside. An...

The future is now GPS + GLONASS + SBAS = GNSS.(Algorithms & Methods)
July 1, 2008... In the future, we will enjoy the benefits of a global navigation satellite system consisting of several independent systems. But do we have to wait for the future? No. The GNSS system of systems is already here. We have the extremely successful...

Smooth start for 1-95 traffic network.(SEEN+HEARD)(briefs)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... GPS is being put to use along Interstate 95 from New Jersey to North Carolina in what USA Today calls "the most ambitious use of technology to combat traffic congestion." The system, which could become a model for other high-traffic...

Artist's claim exposed as hoax.(SEEN+HEARD)
July 1, 2008... An art student who claimed to use GPS and the DHL delivery service to create the "world's biggest self-portrait" has been exposed as a hoaxer, reports the UK's Telegraph. Erik Nordenankar claimed he gave a briefcase with GPS inside to DHL...

Phone in your play time.(SEEN+HEARD)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Tourality, a multiplayer GPS game for mobile phones, has gone from the beta stage to a free downloadable game. The player's task is to reach predefined geographic spots before opponents do. Game modes include individual, player versus player,...