GPS Blog

Aftermarket Garmin Navigation Available for Volvo Models

2011-07-19T06:17:00.001-04:00

Having introduced the new Garmin navigation kit on two of its models last year, the Volvo S60 and the Volvo V60, Swedish manufacturer Volvo is now trying to bring all of its models up to date with all the advancement in navigational tool. The same kit used on the two models has now been made available for the entire Volvo range, as an accessory.

The Garmin system, called nuvi 3790, is perhaps one of the thinnest such devices on the market, measuring only nine millimeters. It can be easily integrated into any Volvo car by using the driver's windscreen pillar.

Garmin Nuvi 3790

Garmin's nuvi 3790 features a multi-touch display that is capable of reacting to ten different commands, with the building and the major point of interest being rendered for the driver in 3D. The system uses Traffic Message Channel (TMC) radio data technology to alert the drivers about traffic jams and alternative routes.

The system, which will be offered in two versions, can be used by Volvo owners from around the world, as it comes with pre-loaded maps for Europe, US, Canada, Mexico or Russia (for the nuvi 3790), or with no maps at all, if you chose the 3760 version (in this case, the dealer will install the map for the places you are interested in).

Magellan RoadMate 5175T-LM Traveler GPS navigator with WiFi and TourDirector

2011-07-19T05:47:00.000-04:00

The Magellan RoadMate 5175T-LM Traveler GPS is a full-featured, Wi-Fi enabled GPS navigator with a large 5" high-resolution WVGA touchscreen with flexible viewing in portrait or landscape mode, Free Lifetime Map Updates, Lifetime Traffic Alerts, and automatic software updates.Portrait and Landscape Viewing Modes adapt to whatever works best for your personal viewing preference.TourDirector is your personal guide to help you plan visits to nearby attractions and activities.Wi-Fi Web Browser allows you to search for destinations from any location with a Wi-Fi hotspot.It includes location ratings, descriptions, and approximate visit time.Free Lifetime Maps and Traffic Alerts give you the security of knowing you have the latest maps available and the most up to date traffic information.

Magellan has taken a positive step against the onslaught of the tablets with its RoadMate 5175T-LM Traveler GPS, which retains all of the excellent navigation features one would expect from a Magellan product, with just enough touches of tablet to make users feel they are getting functionality from both worlds.

With a Wi-Fi browser to search for local points of interest and the TourDirector feature to choose attractions and plan your day, this companion can keep you on the right path or be your guide to the road less traveled.To make sure that you can choose the best places to stay, play, dine, and more, Magellan has partnered with the most trusted name in travel – AAA. Only Magellan navigators include the built-in AAA TourBook with Diamond ratings and descriptions on AAA-approved places. With the "Where am I?" feature you can identify your location, and if you are a AAA member, you can easily access Roadside Assistance phone numbers from your device.

The device features a five-inch touch screen capable of use in portrait or landscape mode, and it has a built-in Wi-Fi web browser that adds web surfing capability when near a hot spot. This is an impressive non-status quo addition to a dedicated GPS product. North America map data is complemented by Six Million Points of Interest(POI), a Magellan-dubbed TourDirector function, which provides useful information about nearby attractions and free lifetime map updates.

The Magellan Traveler GPS enables you to personalize your travel experience with the OneTouch menu of your favorite places and searches. Bookmark your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, gas station, or bank to find your favorites wherever you travel.Enjoy subscription-free Lifetime Traffic Alerts, Highway Lane Assist(Realistic highway signs point you in the right direction when you’re approaching interchanges and exits, so that you'll choose the correct lane well before your next turn), and Spoken Street Names(Street names and directions are called out so that you have a clear understanding of when to make the next turn while you keep your eyes on the road) to ease your way. Premium maps of the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico make this companion perfect for everything from local road trips to cross-country travel.

Travel with confidence using the Magellan RoadMate 5175T-LM Traveler, an easy-to-use, GPS navigator packed with premium features, tour planning tools, and free map updates during the lifetime of your device.Navigator has an SD slot.It has the form factor of a thick tablet, it is portable and can be mounted in the car.

Some of Magellan RoadMate 5175T-LM Traveler GPS navigator accessories are :

USB Cable with price: $14.99
Adhesive Disk with price: $9.99
Heavy Duty Extension Mount with price: $49.99
USB Vehicle Power Adapter, 2A with price: $24.99
AC Adapter –NA/ UK/Europe with price: $24.99
Magellan Beanbag Mount with price: $39.99
5" Leather Case with price: $29.99
EVA Case with price: $29.99
Magellan RoadMate 5175T-LM Windshield Cradle with price: $5.99
Magellan RoadMate 5175T-LM Windshield Cradle and Mount with price: $5.99

DeLorme inReach with Iridium 9602 SBD transceiver

2011-07-07T04:32:00.001-04:00

DeLorme inReach is the first Iridium-based personal communicator to deliver truly global two-way satellite text messaging; delivery confirmations; SOS capabilities; remote tracking, and an Android smartphone interface.The core communications component of the inReach is the Iridium 9602 short-burst data (SBD) transceiver, which provides a unique, two-way communications connection through the world's farthest-reaching satellite network.Iridium's pole-to-pole global connectivity means inReach users can send and receive messages anywhere on the planet.

The DeLorme inReach promises to revolutionize the way people stay affordably connected over the 90% of the Earth's surface not covered by cellular and land-based phone service. Its capabilities address the needs of anyone from outdoors enthusiasts to professional users in remote outposts.The GPS-enabled inReach can be used by itself or paired with either an Android smartphone or a DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w.

The DeLorme inReach has a customizable tracking interval that can be set before you leave if you’re using the device as a standalone or set with the PN-60w or Android application while you are in the field. Set the interval to report every two minutes if you want to share more detail or reduce it to update once an hour if you’re sharing less detail.The inReach is compact, lightweight, waterproof, floatable and impact-resistant, and it can maintain satellite signal lock even in difficult GPS environments.

When using the inReach as a standalone device, users can send pre-loaded text messages to designated recipients, and activate remote tracking, allowing others to follow their travels online via a continually-updated "bread crumb" trail. Unlike other standalone satellite messengers, the inReach provides delivery confirmation via flashing LED lights. In case of emergency, an SOS key can be triggered. The SOS key is protected by a "safety" to prevent false alarms.

When paired with an Android or the DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w, users enjoy full-featured, two-way text messaging (up to 160 characters per message) to and from email addresses and cell phones. Messages can also be posted to Facebook and Twitter.In case of emergency, Android or PN-60w users can describe their predicament so responders can better prepare, and an ongoing dialog can be maintained for mutual status updates.

Any SOS message, whether relayed from a standalone or a paired inReach, will automatically activate remote tracking. That allows rescuers to efficiently zero in on the senders, whether they're stationary or on the move. All of the inReach SOS features are aimed at producing better outcomes and eliminating the critical search and rescue problem of false alarms unnecessarily deploying lifesaving assets.

Android users can drive the inReach GPS signal to their phone, improving positional accuracy to within 10 feet and eliminating the significant battery drain that results when a phone's native GPS is engaged.A free application with DeLorme Topo North America maps will also be available for the Android. Maps can be downloaded to the Android so users won't need to rely on unpredictable cell phone coverage to access the navigation detail. DeLorme Topo North America comes included with the Earthmate PN-60w.

The inReach is compact, lightweight, waterproof, floatable, and impact-resistant, and it can maintain satellite signal lock even in difficult GPS environments. It will be available in October. There are separate models for Android and DeLorme users. Suggested retail price is $249.95. Annual subscription plans begin at $9.95 per month.Android users can drive the inReach device's onboard GPS signal to their phone, improving both positional accuracy and phone battery life. A free application with DeLorme Topo North America maps will be available for the Android.

Don’t worry about building your contact list ahead of time anymore, you can send messages to new addresses right in the field. Communicate important information, change your plans, or just check in to let everyone know that you are okay. Send your message to Twitter and Facebook or a shared map to let them watch your progress and send you a message.

Along with the satellite messaging capabilities, both the PN-60w and the inReach Android app will continue to deliver the same top-quality DeLorme Topographic mapping data with roads and trails, detailed contour and land cover information, points of interest and the DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer descriptions. We are also working to make the DeLorme Map Library available through the Android application allowing users to view aerial imagery, USGS quad sheets, Canadian topographic maps, and NOAA nautical charts, all available when beyond cell phone coverage.

The DeLorme inReach will require a subscription to access the tracking, messaging, and SOS features. Current plans are to offer three levels: Safety, Recreation, and Pro, with prices starting at $9.95 per month for the safety plan and increasing to offer more in-plan message and tracking units. Plan options will include the ability to move between plan level, if, for example, you find yourself very active in the summer months but only needing safety features during the winter months.

Fastrax IT600 Integrates GPS and Glonass in a Single GNSS Receiver Module

2011-04-28T06:04:00.000-04:00

Fastrax is a leading provider of high performance GNSS receivers, Software GNSS solutions and tracking systems for device manufacturers and device designers, unveiled the Fastrax IT600, including GPS, Russian-based Glonass, Japanese QZSS and SBAS in a single receiver module. The chip is an advanced multi-constellation positioning receiver IC. It has an embedded RF input with separate GPS/Galileo and GlonassIF outputs combined with 32 dedicated tracking channels that can be assigned to acquire and track any mix of GPS, Galileo, QZSS and Glonass signals. In addition to currently supported Global Navigation Satellite Systems, the Fastrax IT600 is designed to also support other positioning systems such as European-based Galileo and Chinese Compass/Beidou2 in the future.

The new Fastrax IT600 receiver module is specifically designed to serve the needs of the automotive industry. It uses STA8088EX IC from ST. Optionally an AEC-Q100 automotive qualified IC from ST can also be used (STA8088EXA). Manufacturing is done in an ISO/TS 16949 qualified site. Qualification tests on IT600 module are performed as stipulated in the ISO16750 standard: “Road vehicles – Environmental conditions and testing for electrical and electronic equipment”. Enabling both GPS and Glonass generally doubles the number of visible satellites compared with using GPS only, reducing the time to first fix and increasing positioning accuracy, especially while driving in urban canyons. Fastrax IT600 provides ultimate level of reliability and highly accurate positioning even in challenging environments.

The FASTRAX IT600 can utilize an analog gyro and odometer pulse and can later be complemented with a digital 3-axis gyro and differential wheel pulse from a vehicle’s CAN interface in order to compensate for possible unavailability of GNSS signals.Fastrax IT600 supports DR using traditional 1-axis analog Gyro and Odometer Pulse from car. Support for DWP (Differential Wheel Pulse) based DR through CAN interface will be available later.Advanced dead reckoning estimates the position of the vehicle when satellite signals are unavailable – which inevitably happens in tunnels and parking garages.

Fastrax IT600 features 32 dedicated tracking channels that are dynamically assigned to acquire and track a mix of GPS, Glonass, QZSS, Galileo and Compass/Beidou2 signals. The module is able to operate normally with only one of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) or utilize several systems simultaneously.Fastrax IT600 is also Galileo and Compass/Beidou ready with future software upgrades.

Fastrax IT600 is based on the newly introduced ST Teseo II GNSS chipset (STA8088EX), marking the first time a Fastrax module is based on a chipset from STMicroelectronics. The support for multiple GNSS systems and advanced dead reckoning enables module customers to benefit from additional satellite systems and improved tracking capability and accuracy, without having to make different designs for different markets.

Fastrax IT600 supports Assisted-GPS technology, able to provide both fully-autonomous Ephemeris prediction and server-based, predictive assistance using GPStreamTMServer technology provided by Rx Networks.The autonomous predictions are providing accurate fix for 5 days on observed satellites with no server needs.Using server-based GPStreamTMtechnology from Rx Networks, the access of a very compact information (2KB payload) ensures full-constellation predicted ephemeris valid for 7 days.

Fastrax IT600 offers a wide range of interfaces in a tiny form factor. Two UART’s are available for NMEA and RTCM104. A third UART/USB is also available. I2C provides a convenient interface for adding for instance MEMS sensors, EEPROM or other I2C compatible peripherals. A standard 1PPS output is also available. CAN bus is available for DR. The I/O voltages are 3.3V CMOS levels.

Fastrax IT600 features same small form factor as other Fastrax IT multiplatform modules, 16.2 x 18.8 x 2.3 mm, however the pin-out is different. The low power consumption of 80 mW is further decreased with the ability to turn off unused tracking channels.A JTAG interface is also available for custom firmware implementations and debugging. Currently ARM Realview 3.1 compiler and Lauterbach ICE are supported. Support for GNU compilers will be available later.

Unused tracking channels can be turned off for power saving. Enabling Glonass in urban canyons with limited visibility of the sky, the number of visible satellites go up typically with a factor of two compared to, for instance a GPS-only receiver. This means that your fix is guaranteed in most cases.

“The cooperation with STMicroelectronics and the new Fastrax IT600 are important milestones for us towards the automotive market”, said Taneli Tuurnala, CEO and President of Fastrax. “A single module supporting multiple GNSS systems shows that the development of satellite based positioning is on a strong upward curve. Adding full blown dead reckoning support is much appreciated among our existing customer base, in addition to the new customers that have already shown interest in the new product.”

“Fastrax’s worldwide sales channels help bring our GNSS technology to a wider customer base”, said Antonio Radaelli, Navigation & MultiMedia BU Director of STMicroelectronics. “We are selective in choosing partners, and the decision to cooperate with Fastrax for GNSS modules is based on their high level of technical expertise.”

Samples of Fastrax IT600 are available in September 2011, and volume production is estimated to start in October 2011.

Spot Satellite Communicator Recalled - not to work below 40 degrees Farhrenheit/4.44 degrees Celsius

2011-04-07T04:19:00.003-04:00

Spot LLC has issued a product RECALL on the SPOT Satellite Communicator which is bundled and sold exclusively with the DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w. Spot LLC has discovered that a part, which does not meet operating specifications, was substituted in some SPOT Satellite Communicator devices during the manufacturing process.

Good thing the company is righting a wrong and compensating owners of the affected models.In certain incidents, intended messages may not be transmitted, including requests for help or emergency assistance, when the SPOT Satellite Communicator is used at temperatures below 40 degrees Farhrenheit/4.44 degrees Celsius.Please note this DOES NOT impact the DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w handheld device itself or any other DeLorme product.

SPOT Satellite Communicator RECALLED

Spot LLC is conducting a complete product replacement of all SPOT Satellite Communicators within ESN range:0-2000000 and 0-2019999.As GPSTracklog points out, hopefully this flaw wasn’t discovered during a real emergency.As a DeLorme and Spot LLC customer with a registered SPOT Satellite Communicator account, you are being notified with important safety information regarding your registered SPOT Satellite Communicator device(s).

Please stop using the SPOT Satellite Communicator and follow the instructions below to promptly return the device for an immediate replacement of a new SPOT Satellite Communicator at no charge. Customers who return their affected SPOT Satellite Communicator devices by June 1, 2011 will receive 6 FREE additional months of SPOT service automatically with a new SPOT Satellite Communicator device.

This product recall is limited to the SPOT Satellite Communicator sold exclusively with the DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w handheld GPS only. This DOES NOT impact the DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w handheld device itself or any other DeLorme product. Additionally, this does NOT impact any other SPOT product including the SPOT Personal Tracker, SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger, SPOT IS, SPOT HUG or SPOT Connect.

You must complete the registration at www.findmespot.com/replacement and follow SPOT Recall Replacement Program guidelines. Spot LLC is not responsible for any data loss. Once you complete the registration, you will be forwarded shipping material. You can expect to receive your new SPOT Satellite Communicator within 7 to 10 business days upon receipt of your return. Spot LLC has chosen to self insure the shipment of your SPOT Satellite Communicator, and will assume the risk of loss for any SPOT Satellite Communicator lost during shipment.

If you have an activated service for a recalled SPOT Satellite Communicator, then Spot LLC will extend all active services to which you have subscribed by an additional six (6) months at no cost to you. (e.g. a 12 month service contract will be extended to 18 months). After receipt of the affected SPOT Satellite Communicator, Spot LLC will automatically apply the applicable service extension to your account with no further action from you.

The LabSat GNSS RF recorder, replayer and simulator - fully test GNSS products without leaving the lab

2011-03-31T03:55:00.000-04:00

LabSat is a Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) simulator which connects directly to the antenna input of a GNSS engine and simulates the signals associated with navigation using GPS / GLONASS satellites. Is there a way to fully test GNSS products without leaving the lab?This allows you to carry out many useful (and highly repeatable) tests without leaving the office, saving hours of effort.

LabSat is now used in several industries. For example, Nokia and Blackberry use LabSat for testing smartphones; Mercedes Benz, Bosch and Continental use it to test in-car navigation solutions whilst Northropp Grumman (makers of the B-2 Stealth bomber) and BAE systems use LabSat to test the latest defence technology.LabSat by Racelogic is a low cost GPS Simulator (with Glonass option) which gives you the ability to record and replay real GNSS RF data as well as user generated scenarios.

LabSat is rugged and can be used in harsh environments. It is very portable (LabSat 1 measures 170mm x 128mm x 38mm whilst LabSat 2 is 170mm x 123mm x 46mm) and is supplied with a mains power supply and an automotive 12v adapter. There is also the option of a high capacity battery pack. The RF output power level is adjustable over a 32dB range in 0.5dB steps.

Could different testing methods save you development time and bring your products to market sooner?The data for the simulation is either gathered in the field using the RF recording function, or using the SatGen Software. To record real world data, LabSat simply connects to your PC via USB, and the raw signals from a GPS / GLONASS antenna are streamed directly to hard disk. There are no limitations on the number of satellites being tracked or the length of the recording.

Racelogic, designers of high accuracy GPS data loggers for automotive testing, were looking for a better way to test their products. They found that neither live sky nor GPS simulation were good enough. The dynamic nature of satellite constellations meant field tests were time intensive and not repeatable, whilst modelling satellite signals was expensive and couldn’t reproduce real conditions.

With nothing else available on the market, they decided to design something that could record live GNSS signals and replay these into devices under test, offering the blend of realism and repeatability that they needed at an affordable price.If you are selling, testing or developing products incorporating GPS or GNSS engines, then you'll find LabSat makes your job easier and more effective.

So, in 2008 LabSat was developed, with the ability to record raw GPS RF signals from a live antenna to be replayed at a later date. Users could now easily record a journey and replay this on the bench with identical results.Racelogic then added the ability to create a scenario from scratch, and soon had five units in constant use. From the positive feedback of their R&D engineers, it was clear that LabSat could be helpful to other companies developing GNSS products, at a lower cost than anything else available.

The signal which is recorded is the normal civilian L1 1575.42 MHz type GPS transmission. This is the same signal used in GPS enabled cell phones, Satellite Navigation Devices, asset tracking units and many more. LabSat 2 is also able to record the GLONASS-L1 transmission at the same time with 2-bit sampling, and can also record either GPS or Glonass alone with 4-bit sampling. Replay real world data.

When the data is replayed, your GPS/GLONASS engine will faithfully re-create the movement and satellite reception encountered during the test, including all original multipath, satellite obstructions and atmospheric effects.LabSat units are supplied in a custom padded flight case with a mains power supply, 12v cigar lighter adapter, USB cable, serial cable, various RF connectors to adapt to the target GPS engine, a 250GByte USB disk (36 hours recording using LabSat 1) with pre-loaded scenarios, LabSat control software and a printed manual.

In addition to the RF output, there is an event marker function which is accurate to 62nS and a 1 PPS (1 pulse per second) output. Due to the nature of the signals, LabSat data files are usually very large, requiring 1GB of data for 8m 45s of recording. Therefore LabSat units are supplied with a rugged, portable 250GB USB drive (500GB for Labsat 2). This contains a number of pre-recorded scenarios, and can be used for streaming your own recordings.

LabSat has the unique ability to synchronise with the video from a Racelogic Video VBOX, enabling you to record live video and then replay it, synchronised with the GPS data, and shown as a graphical overlay on the video. Find out more.Additional modules allow the logging and replay of external signals such as serial RS232/422/485 signals, CAN and analogue signals.We supply a remote control OLE application, which means you can fully control LabSat from your own application written in another language. We have sample drivers written in C#, Delphi and LabVIEW.

LabSat is based on brand new USB streaming technology, which has meant that the majority of work in reproducing GPS and GLONASS signals is handled by a standard laptop PC, vastly reducing the complexity and therefore the cost of the hardware.Not only are the cost savings significant, but LabSat includes some powerful features which are either normally only available on top of the range GNSS simulators. Other features are totally unique; for example synchronised video and serial data record/replay and selectable 2 or 4 bit sampling.

LabSat is the most affordable, full constellation GNSS simulator range on the market, making GPS and GLONASS Test and Simulation accessible for any company involved in GNSS design, test or production.LabSat is very repeatable and works with almost any kind of GNSS, including survey grade engines.With high fidelity 2 or 4 bit sampling, LabSat 2 is ideal for testing GPS and GLONASS receiver sensitivity.

Notable companies now using LabSat include Garmin, Nokia, RIM (Blackberry Smartphone), ST Ericsson, Telefonica, Thales Aerospace, Bosch, Siemens, BMW, Daimler Chrysler, Fujitsu, Broadcom, General Motors, Delphi,Raytheon, Denso, Nav N Go, Seiko Epson and Samsung.

LabSat is designed and manufactured by Racelogic Ltd.,experts in the field of GNSS Testing, Simulation, and data logging. Based in the UK with additional offices in Germany, Racelogic are an ISO 9001 company that supplies specialised GPS and GLONASS based test equipment to many well known corporations in over 80 countries. In 2007 Racelogic were awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise.

Route 66 maps + Navigation by TomTom on Android App - "Follow me"

2011-03-29T08:45:00.001-04:00

Route 66 joined forces with TomTom at the end of last year in order to create a few new products. One of the first products to come from the partnership is a new Android App, Route 66 Maps + Navigation.The app is compatible with Android 2.1 and later. ROUTE 66 selected TomTom as the provider of map data for ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation to ensure its users the best possible mapping and navigation experience available. For this brand new app, ROUTE 66 is using TomTom maps, and a wide range of location content such as 3D City Maps, 3D Landmarks and Premium POIs.

MWC, BARCELONA, 2011 – ROUTE 66, a pioneer in mobile mapping and navigation solutions for smartphones and tablets, announces the launch of ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation, a new app for Android leveraging TomTom's highly accurate maps and enhanced location content.ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation is the first application coming to market that is based on the global agreement between ROUTE 66 and TomTom announced at the end of 2010.ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation offers lifetime free access to maps.Turn-by-turn navigation is a premium feature, which can be purchased via the in-app store. See the License menu for the in-app store for actual end-user prices.

This new ROUTE 66 app is a feature-packed mapping and navigation solution for drivers and pedestrians around the globe.Users can explore maps in any direction with multi-touch gestures for zooming, moving, tilting and rotating the view, even during navigation. ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation provides navigation with clear spoken directions in 57 languages, optional Real Time Traffic and Speed Camera services and a number of unique extras, including the spectacular Follow Me augmented reality feature.The app provides access to the latest crystal-clear maps for over 100 countries, with stunning 3D graphics, packed with handy links to useful information like the weather and Wikipedia. Maps are free to download and also included is a 30 days free worldwide navigation license.

In addition to a full range of premium navigation features, ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation now has Follow Me. Follow Me shows video of the street in front of you using the camera of the phone or tablet and adds a virtual 3D car driving in front of you. Indicator lights flash to tell you where to turn left or right. This is augmented reality navigation at its best: your own Follow Me car on top of a live camera image, combined with crisp, clear, spoken directions which make finding your way more intuitive and more fun than ever before.

With ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation users can access map data in various ways. The app automatically downloads the map data needed from high-speed servers to phone or tablet as you go, giving users the very latest and most accurate maps whenever they need it. Users can also store complete maps on their smartphone or tablet using Wi-Fi before they go on the road, avoiding data roaming charges while abroad and ensuring instant access with guaranteed performance, whatever the local network reception.

The app, which will be available on Android devices, will use TomTom’s precise mapping system. But the new app isn’t just a place to store maps. Route 66 Maps + Navigation is packed with features like 3D graphics, spoken directions, and links to weather. But the most impressive aspect of the new package, is Route 66’s “Follow Me” feature.

The “Follow Me” feature places a virtual car on the screen. The virtual car will put on its turn signals and lead you to your destination.Maps rate very highly in terms of quality and reliability, and are updated daily via millions of GPS system users worldwide, who help to track and validate changes in real time.

CellGuide and Rx Networks demonstrated its new XYBRID RT at the MWC

2011-03-08T17:46:00.002-05:00

Rx Networks GPStream and XYBRID solutions are integrated with CellGuide's GPSense location engine, which supports CellGuide's ACLYS GPS chip or CGsnap GPS IP baseband.Within the integrated solution, the Rx Networks suite provides both assisted services for the GPS technology and complementary hybrid location technology for WiFi and Cellular-based devices.Based on high-resolution, worldwide digital elevation mapping, HiMap helps as an additional beacon for better navigation accuracy with four or more received satellites, and true 3D navigation with three received satellites.HiMap is now being made commercially available for CellGuide's ACLYS chip, ACLYS IP Core, and GPSense engine.

HiMap greatly improves GNSS navigation performance in urban canyons. City skylines create extremely demanding operational conditions for GPS receivers. Because of this, line-of-sight blockages and erroneous measurements adversely affect the accuracy of GNSS device positioning, tracking and navigation. Using CellGuide's HiMap technology, it boosts GNSS receiver accuracy and availability in built-up areas.HiMap is also available for licensing as an add-on to GNSS receiver manufacturers.

At the Mobile World Congress, Rx Networks demonstrated its new XYBRID RT version 1.0 real time hybrid positioning service that leverages Wi-Fi, Cellular and Assisted-GPS technologies.Designed for use in mobile devices, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipsets as well as location applications, XYBRID RT helps determine optimal device location at places where satellite-based navigation falls short. Mobile operators can also leverage the service as a direct positioning solution both for their home networks and LBS roaming.

With the help of a simple HTTP interface, XYBRID RT works comfortably with any application or device form factor, while showing seamless integration with several GNSS chipsets that further improves Time-To-First-Fix.

The device identifies and lists all the detected Wi-Fi access points and cell towers and sends it to the RT server, which in turn analyzes this information to respond with an estimated position along with satellite orbit assistance data, thus enabling GNSS chipsets to acquire precise location. With this hybrid assistance, signal acquisition is significantly accelerated along with improved GNSS receiver sensitivity across both indoor and dense urban locations.

CellGuide, a host based GNSS solution provider, and Rx Networks, a mobile positioning-assistance technology company, are collaborating on delivering multi beacon, hybrid and assisted-GPS technologies.Officials with CellGuide said that both the companies will work to bring to market a solution comprising of the company’s GPSense Multi Beacon Engine and Rx Networks' suite of location assistance products.Using the hybrid service, end-user mobile location experience can be improved considerably with the accelerated three to five second determination of device location.

XYBRID RT, accessed through a simple HTTP interface, can work with any application or device form factor. When a location is required, the device submits a list of currently detected Wi-Fi access points and cell towers to the XYBRID RT server. The server responds with an estimated position based on these observations as well as with satellite orbit assistance data (ephemeris) to help the GNSS chipsets quickly acquire a precise location. This hybrid assistance accelerates signal acquisition and improves GNSS receiver sensitivity in challenging areas, including indoor and dense urban locations. A device’s location can be closely determined within 3 to 5 seconds while the solution rapidly converges to GPS-level accuracy, improving the end-user mobile location experience.

XYBRID RT operates in an anonymous manner without exposing the identity of individual devices. This ensures privacy for both individuals and security-sensitive Mobile Resources Management (MRM) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications. The XYBRID RT service includes real-time satellite ephemeris from Rx Networks’ proven GPStream GRN Global Reference Network, a worldwide grid of GNSS reference stations with highly redundant, real-time views of multiple satellite constellations. The XYBRID RT service is built from the same carrier-grade (99.999% availability) network that Rx Networks’ customers rely upon for E-911 and other priority services.

GPStream GRN provides global real-time and long-term prediction GPS/GLONASS reference data for use by any mobile network location server. GPStream PGPS adds GPS and GLONASS extended ephemeris support to increase the sensitivity and acquisition speed of any GNSS chipset, while XYBRID RT and XYBRID SUPL LE combine Wi-Fi/Cell positioning with real-time A-GPS/A-GLONASS support to extend the location performance of GNSS chips in difficult areas, such as indoors or urban cores.

Garmin Marine Electronics and Chaparral Boats - new relationship

2011-03-07T06:31:00.000-05:00

Garmin announced that Chaparral Boats has selected Garmin to be the exclusive electronics supplier to outfit their broad mix of award-winning recreational pleasure boats stretching from 18-foot bowriders to 42-foot luxury cruisers. This new OEM relationship is being announced in conjunction with the Miami International Boat Show, February 17-21, 2011, and Garmin exclusivity across the entire line of Chaparral boats is expected to begin immediately.

More than a dozen Chaparral boat models will be factory-installing electronics selections that include the leading edge technology customers expect from Garmin, including the industry's most sophisticated array of touchscreen multi-function displays.

The full suite of Garmin electronics selected by Chaparral also includes the GMR18HD and GMR24HD high-definition radomes, GMR404 open array radar , GSD22 digital sonar, VHF200 marine radio, and GXM51 XM satellite weather/audio antenna. For increased confidence at the helm, some models willalso offer the GHP10, Garmin's Marine Autopilot with its patented Shadow Drive technology that automatically disengages the autopilot if the helm is turned, allowing the helmsman to maneuver the boat.

The GMR 404 is a 4 ft (1.22 m) open array scanner with 1.8 ° beamwidth and a range of 72 nautical miles. With this beamwidth and 4 kilowatts of power, the GMR404 offers outstanding clarity, precision and target definition. You also can use the Garmin GMR 404 to avoid traffic on the water with MARPA target tracking.The GMR 404 transmits data over the Garmin Marine Network, a 100 MB plug-and-play proprietary network that gives you the ability to expand your boat’s system as needed. Once connected to the network, any network-compatible Garmin chartplotter can double as your radar screen. And as an aid to locational awareness, you can overlay the GMR 404 radar image on the chartplotter's map page. You also can split the on-screen display so you can view the map and the standard radar page simultaneously.

The Garmin GSD 22's digital design provides extraordinary target definition and deep water performance and allows it to transmit at up to 2 kW, depending on your transducer. The GSD22 also adjust gain and transmit power automatically to optimize the returns for shallow water. It can connect to a dual-frequency transducer and works with everything from a standard 500 watt transom-mount transducer to a heavy-duty 2 kW thru-hull or in-hull transducer and can reach a depth of up to 5,000 ft (1524 m).

The Garmin VHF 200 provides full Class D Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capability via NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 connectivity. Should trouble arise, DSC provides distress calls with the push of a button. And if your boat already is interfaced with a compatible GPS chartplotter, you’ll get mayday signaling and a digital broadcast of your boat’s position. The VHF 200 also features NOAA weather alerts and Position Tracking, which allows a mariner to locate and keep tabs on up to three other boats in the area.

The Garmin GXM 51 Weather and Audio XM Satellite Receiver delivers XM satellite weather, including NEXRAD radar, and hundreds of XM radio stations right to your chartplotter. This water-tight, weather-resistent Marine antenna can be added to your Garmin GPSMAP 5x1, 5x6, 720, 720S, 740, 740S, 4208, 4210, 4212, 5208, 5212, 5215, 6208, 6212, 7212, and 7215. The GXM51 can display NEXRAD Radar, Lightning strikes, wave heights, wave direction, water temps, wind data and has a two-year warranty.

The GHP 10 marine autopilot adds a whole new level of versatility to the Garmin marine line. This breakthrough unit gives power boat users an easy to use autopilot system to rely upon for auto-guided navigation.The GHP 10’s patented Shadow Drive technology gives boaters the security of knowing they maintain control even when relying upon the autopilot. The Shadow Drive system automatically disengages the autopilot if the helm is turned, allowing the helmsman to maneuver the boat. The autopilot automatically re-engages when a steady course is held by the helmsman.

The GHP 10 is controlled using the GHC 10. This control unit communicates with the autopilot system via a NMEA 2000 bus, so autopilot heading data can be shared easily with other devices. The GHP 10's simple interface makes operation a cinch. And up to 3 GHC 10 controllers can be interfaced with a single GHP 10, allowing for autopilot capabilities in multiple stations on your boat.

Garmin's market breadth in the GPS industry is second to none, having developed innovative products and established a leadership position in each of the markets it serves, including automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, tracking, and wireless applications.

The R&S SMBV100A Now Simulates GPS, Galileo And Digital Communications Standards In A Single Unit

2011-03-03T05:03:00.000-05:00

The field-proven R&S SMBV100A from Rohde & Schwarz sets new standards in satellite simulation. With the addition of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) simulator to this flexible, multi-purpose vector signal generator, the R&S SMBV100A can now generate customized scenarios for GPS and Galileo from up to 12 satellites in realtime.

Users can quickly and easily define their own scenarios to test GNSS receivers under a variety of conditions. The R&S SMBV100A is the only simulator on the market that supports several satellite, mobile radio, wireless and radio standards simultaneously. Now, manufacturers of mobile phones or car radios with GNSS receivers need just one signal generator to check multiple functions at the same time.

GNSS receivers are typically characterized by running a number of tests that measure, for example, how quickly a receiver can fix its position after it is switched on, how much power it needs to do so, and how accurately the calculated position matches its actual position. In order to be able to make statistically sound statements about the characteristics of a receiver, users normally perform a complete series of tests under various scenarios. A satellite simulator that can simulate a wide variety of scenarios is ideal for this task. The GNSS solution for the R&S SMBV100A delivers the required flexibility.

Only a few keystrokes are needed to generate complex scenarios that are unlimited in time and utilize up to 12 satellites. The user can select the almanac file, the number of visible satellites and the receiver's geographical position. It is also possible to simulate stationary positions and scenarios that simulate the movement of a receiver along a chosen route.

The user can also simulate restricted reception conditions on the satellites, such as driving through a tunnel. Simulation of multipath propagation and atmospheric effects result in even more realistic transmission conditions. For full GNSS functionality, the R&S SMBV100A also provides hybrid GPS and Galileo scenarios for testing multistandard receivers.

The R&S SMBV100A GNSS solution offers customization options that allow users to change the configuration of the signal generator to keep pace with new test requirements. New features can be added on an as-needed basis. Additional functions, such as 12 instead of 6 satellites, can be activated with a license key. This eliminates the downtime associated with hardware installations.

Today, GNSS receivers are a standard feature in many mobile phones and car entertainment systems. Even chipsets in pure navigation devices are increasingly multistandard-capable and – at the very least – often support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. In addition to generating GNSS signals, the R&S SMBV100A comes with options for generating standard-compliant signals for all major digital communications standards (LTE, HSPA+, WCDMA, WiMAXTM, GSM, WLAN) and radio standards (DAB, Sirius|XM radio, HD radio). Manufacturers of products with integrated GNSS receivers will find significant benefit in this versatility: They only need one R&S SMBV100A to test GNSS and other functions.

The new GNSS software options for the R&S SMBV100A vector signal generator are now available from Rohde & Schwarz. These include the R&S SMBV-K44 option (six satellites for GPS), R&S SMBV-K66 (six satellites for Galileo), R&S SMBV-K65 (A-GPS), R&S SMBV-K91 (extension to 12 satellites) and R&S SMBV-K92 (additional functions such as moving scenarios or multipath propagation).

Broadcom Upgrades Its A-GPS Data Service and GPS LTO Product/Service with GLONASS Satellite Support

2011-02-25T09:41:00.003-05:00

Broadcom Corporation a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications,announced the upgrade of its Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) data service to support the delivery of GLONASS (the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System)assistance data for mobile and personal navigation device (PND) users. This service supports two new Broadcom GPS system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions(announced earlier today) that feature dual constellation support for GPS and GLONASS:

BCM47511 - Integrated Monolithic GPS Receiver

BCM2076 - Multifunction Monolithic IC with GPS and GLONASS AGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and FM Receiver/Transmitter.

In addition to this upgraded A-GPS service, Broadcom also announces that it has upgraded its current GPS Long Term Orbit (LTO) data product and service to support the GLONASS constellation starting with today's introduction of the BCM47511 and BCM2076 GPS SoC solutions. LTO extends the usability of GPS and GLONASS assistance data for up to 7 days and ensures the fastest possible fix time in mobile wireless devices. This augmented data service is a key element for realizing the full effectiveness of the GLONASS constellation and nearly doubles the number of satellites that can be used for navigation.

GLONASS is the Russian equivalent to the U.S. GPS system, and is a complementary and alternative satellite navigation system. By adding GLONASS support, the BCM2076 and BCM47511 GPS receivers will have the ability to use an additional 21 GLONASS satellites currently (24 projected in the future), on top of the existing 30 U.S. GPS satellites, nearly doubling the number of satellites that can be used fornavigation. In urban areas, many GPS satellites are blocked by buildings, so the additional 21 satellites offered by the GLONASS system will provide significant improvements in location performance and accuracy over currently available GPS receivers.

LTO data offers network traffic reduction benefits while improving the user experience. GNSS receivers require a current set of GPS and GLONASS orbit data for a satellite's range measurements to be incorporated into a navigation solution. Without LTO, GLONASS orbit data must be refreshed to a mobile wireless device every half hour (a notably shorter period than the 4 hour refresh requirement for GPS orbit data). With LTO, both GLONASS and GPS orbit data is refreshed every 7 days, saving on network traffic and ensuring the best possible navigation performance.

Wireless devices with LTO functionality can provide an initial fix time within seconds, instead of the minutes that may be required to download orbit data from the satellites themselves.

In deep urban canyon environments where weak signal conditions often prohibit the refresh of GPS and GLONASS orbit data, LTO becomes a critical element for sustaining high-fidelity GPS/GLONASS navigation
performance for users.

GLONASS orbit data is also supported in Broadcom's Assisted Global Navigation Satellite System (AGNSS) server that enables fast, easy wireless downloads for devices with regular network access, or in use cases that don't require the extended performance that LTO allows.

Broadcom's cutting-edge LTO location infrastructure provides 99.999 percent uptime and uses orbit modeling algorithms, integrity monitoring and operational protocols evolved from its original GPS LTO product, which has been in continuous commercial operation since 2002.

Beginning in the first quarter of 2011, Broadcom's LTO infrastructure will serve approximately 2.3 billion LTO downloads every month -- a number that will grow on a weekly basis as devices and the use of location-based services both proliferate.

The Broadcom LTO product is part of the company's Location Based Services (LBS) and currently serves over 180 million mobile wireless devices worldwide -- a figure that will increase as the benefits of GLONASS become enabled by the Broadcom BCM47511 and BCM2076 GPS SoC solutions.

The BCM47511 SoC solution is Broadcom's latest generation of standalone receivers, featuring both integrated GPS and GLONASS offers faster signal searches, accurate real-time navigation, improved sensitivity in the urban canyon environment and very low average power consumption.

The BCM47511 is the latest generation of standalone, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) solutions, adding GLONASS functionality, while remaining pin-compatible to the popular BCM4751 GPS SoC solution so customers can quickly upgrade their products to include the benefits of GLONASS navigation support. The BCM47511 also supports the Space Based Augmentation (SBAS) and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) constellations to deliver the best possible navigation performance in any geography.

The BCM47511 provides an optimized standalone GNSS solution for smartphones, mobile handsets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable media players and portable navigation devices (PNDs).

The GPS core of the BCM47511 uses a host-based system architecture that splits processing functions between the GPS chip and the CPU on the host system, significantly decreasing system cost, while allowing customization or optimization of GPS/GLONASS navigation software algorithms on the host. This software is compatible with Broadcom's existing GPS solutions, the BCM4750 and BCM4751, enabling rapid adoption while accelerating time-to-market

The host-based architecture permits the GPS software processing tasks to be divided among the chip and the host CPU, so that the BCM47511 performs most of the computationally intensive operations, leaving the host software to implement the final calculations that may be affected by carrier and platform specific requirements. As a result, processing demands on the host CPU are minimized and no real time requirements are imposed

The BCM47511 provides low power consumption and an ultra low power tracking mode

The BCM47511 also includes on-chip low drop-out (LDO) regulators to supply the GNSS TCXO and optional low noise amplifier (LNA), reducing overall bill-of-materials (BOM) cost

Broadcom provides GPS Location Library software API and GPS protocol client software that gives designers complete access to the BCM47511's advanced capabilities

Since it ispin-for-pin compatible with Broadcom's popular BCM4751 SoC solution,customers can quickly upgrade their products to include GLONASS navigation support.

The BCM2076 combo chip is a cutting edge Bluetooth + FM + GPS solution for portable and wireless devices that require Bluetooth, GPS, and a FM receiver/transmitter. It offers audio, Bluetooth 4.0 and improved audio compression that reflects Broadcom's ongoing focus to improve the user experience.

Features dual constellation support for both GPS and GLONASS. In addition, to these supported satellites, the BCM2076 combo chip also supports and uses augmentation satellites such as SBAS (Satellite Based Augmentation System) and QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System).

The Bluetooth core is optimized for low power while maintaining high receiver sensitivity and is fully compliant with Bluetooth 4.0.

Also integrated is Broadcom's popular SmartAudio® technology that enhances voice quality by supporting Packet Loss Concealment (PLC) and Wide-Band Speech

Its FM+RDS/RBDS receiver core is enhanced to support an internal or external FM antenna.

It also includes on-chip low drop-out (LDO) regulators to supply the GNSS TCXO and optional low noise amplifier (LNA), reducing overall bill-of-materials (BOM) cost.

Integrated InConcert® collaborative WLAN coexistence technology mitigates potential radio interference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and reduces the complexity of designing them into mobile devices

Burst buffer operation (allows the host to sleep for 90% of the time during music playback, recording and A2DP operation)

MP3, AAC+ on-chip decode for low power music playback

Programmable 5-band audio equalizer)

The BCM2076 combo chip is backwards compatible with Broadcom's popular BCM2075 Bluetooth + FM receiver/transmitter.Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. We provide the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices.

Broadcom, one of the world's largest fabless communications semiconductor companies, with 2010 revenue of $6.82 billion, holds more than 4,800 U.S. and 2,000 foreign patents, and has more than 7,800 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video, data and multimedia.

Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the demand for Broadcom's Assisted-GPS and LTO products and services incorporating GLONASS and our ability to improve the satellite navigation user experience. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with the BCM2076 GPS combo chip solution and the BCM47511 GPS standalone chip solution include, but are not limited to:

the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Broadcom's GPS technologies and products;

our ability to timely and accurately predict market requirements and evolving industry standards and to identify opportunities in new markets;

competitive pressures and other factors such as the qualification,availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products.

GPS satellite phone collar rescue Minnesota's moose

2011-02-10T03:33:00.001-05:00

From Voyageurs National Park on the west to the Grand Portage Reservation on the east, researchers from a half-dozen agencies are trying to discover why the Northland’s moose are in decline. New GPS/satellite phone collars may help them get answers.It’s also the first study to track moose on both sides of the international border, with several in Quetico Provincial Park now collared and monitored.

Researchers want to know where moose are going to eat, rest and seek shade and cool water on warm days, and where they go to have their calves and to die. And that’s what this $1.1 million project, funded through federal, state, tribal and provincial sources, is expected to do. Researchers can even overlay what the weather was like, including the temperature, for each position recorded by the GPS.

The work is done in the winter when the black/ brown moose stand out against the snow in the leafless forest, and when marshes and bogs are frozen over.After Northwestern Minnesota’s moose population crashed from 4,000 to just a few dozen over the past 25 years, Northeastern Minnesota moose now are showing similar warning signs. Fewer calves are surviving their first year, and overall moose numbers are trending down.

The new GPS/satellite phone collars ($3,500 each) offer researchers a new world of data. In a pilot project last year, collars on 21 moose in Voyageurs and Grand Portage provided tens of thousands of data-points over just a few months – exactly where each moose was every 20 minutes.

The GPS unit on the collar will take a reading every 20 minutes for at least the next two years, and every four hours a tiny satellite phone calls a researcher’s computer at the Natural Resources Research Institute in Duluth and sends the coordinates.Minnesota moose have been studied for years, but mostly with radio-transmitter collars that require researchers to recapture the moose to recover the data. That requires expensive and time-consuming airplane flights to keep track of the animals. And it may be days or weeks before researchers know the animal is dead.

So far Northeastern Minnesota’s moose population has not dropped to a crisis level. The DNR broadly estimates there are about 6,000 moose in their core survey area in Cook, Lake and northeastern St. Louis counties. But state, federal and regional researchers want to find out all they can before that number drops more.Some moose experts have questioned whether Minnesota moose can survive higher temperatures when they are already at the southern edge of their North American range.’Next winter, if money from the state’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund is approved, DelGiudice and DNR veterinarian Erika Butler hope to put GPS/satellite phone collars another 100 moose to expand the overall study to more than 160.

While Moen’s work focuses on habitat and when and why moose uses certain parts of the forest, DelGiudice and Butler will look at what’s killing the moose.The GPS/satellite collars will allow researchers to know within about 4 hours if a moose stops moving and is likely dead, and, they hope, to get to the dead animal within 24 hours so it can be retrieved for a necropsy.

DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator

2011-02-10T02:48:00.002-05:00

With its selection as a 2011 CES Innovations honoree, along with a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award, the Earthmate PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator will clearly be among the leaders in groundbreaking product design at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show, to be held January 6-9 in Las Vegas.

DeLorme, a longtime innovation leader in mapping and GPS, will be demonstrating the product's unique GPS navigation and communication capabilities at Booth 3327 at CES, in the Living in Digital Times area (Las Vegas Convention Center, North Hall).

The Earthmate PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator comprises the world's first handheld GPS capable of sending custom text messages using SPOT satellite technology. Ideal for anyone from outdoors enthusiasts to international relief workers, it introduces a revolutionary new way to communicate from remote locations beyond the reach of cell phone coverage.

"This is really two great products in one," said company Vice President Caleb Mason. "DeLorme and SPOT have both pioneered a number of first-to-market innovations. Combining our unique GPS capabilities with SPOT's satellite delivery has produced a one-of-a-kind navigation and communications solution, for peace of mind wherever you go."

In addition to the CES Innovations and Popular Mechanics Awards, the PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator earned National Geographic Adventure Gear of the Year honors, and Wired Magazine included it in its "100 Things We Want" feature. The influential Gear Junkie also accorded it Best in Show honors at the giant Outdoor Retailer show.

Joining Team DeLorme at this year's CES will be world champion and Gold Medal snowboard great Seth Wescott. He will be signing autographs on Friday Jan. 7 from 10:30 to noon at the DeLorme booth; at noon he will be the keynote speaker for the Sport and Fitness Tech Summit conducted by Living in Digital Times.

DeLorme is the longtime leader in innovative mapping and GPS solutions for both consumer and professional markets. The company's Earthmate PN-Series GPS receivers feature rugged, waterproof designs and provide a wide array of DeLorme topographic and street maps, plus aerial imagery and nautical charts. The company's business and government solutions include a variety of World and North America mapping datasets and XMap GIS software tools. Located in Yarmouth, Maine, DeLorme is home to Eartha™, the world's largest rotating and revolving globe.

The SPOT product family uses both the GPS satellite network to determine a customer's location and the Globalstar network to transmit messages and GPS coordinates to others including an international rescue coordination center. Spot LLC, a subsidiary of Globalstar, Inc.provides emergency notification technology that allows users to communicate from remote locations around the globe. Thanks to this affordable, cutting edge personal safety device, the company offers people peace of mind by allowing customers to notify friends and family of their location and status, and to send for emergency assistance in time of need, completely independent of cellular phone or wireless coverage.

CALLAWAY GOLF INTRODUCES NEXT GENERATION UPRO GPS DEVICE

2011-02-05T18:26:00.000-05:00

The device introduces a full-color Multi-Gesture Touch Screen and a precise Optical Finger Navigation system so golfers can easily navigate the deep feature set with the swipe of a finger. Pre-loaded with more than 25,000 courses from the Company’s global database, the Upro MX allows golfers to use the GPS device’s offerings straight out of the package. Additionally, Callaway Upro MX is the only dedicated golf GPS system on the market that offers hi-resolution actual aerial photography of each golf course. Available in May for a new product introduction retail price of only $199, the upro mx features no annual fees.

Callaway Golf Company revealed its next generation golf GPS device, the Callaway Upro MX. A successor to the Company’s acclaimed original upro device, which earned a Best of What’s New Award from Popular Science, the Callaway Upro MX sets a new standard for innovation in the category with a host of intuitive technological advancements.

In addition to the improved navigation features debuting in the Callaway upro mx, the Company has developed a simplified online process for downloading content to the device. Some of the on-course features include the Virtual Green View, which uses a proprietary imagery process to show the green and the surrounding area in vivid detail, including exact putting distances.

SmartView displays the ideal view for the upcoming shot based on the golfer’s position on the course, while two other views are also available at the press of a button. Beyond the device’s comprehensive list of standard features, ProMode offers an enhanced feature set, including TV-style video flyovers that provide an advantageous perspective for each hole layout, and AnyPoint Technology, which provides golfers accurate distances from any location on the golf course.

The Callaway upro mx features a full-color 2.2” LCD screen in a conveniently compact profile, weighing only three ounces. No annual fees are required after purchase so consumers will immediately have access to both Basic Mode and GoMode. ProMode, which grants access to some of the device’s more advanced technology features, including hi-resolution aerial photography, will be available for an additional fee.

Russia restores contact with lost satellite GEO-IK-2 after entering into the wrong orbit

2011-02-05T18:05:00.000-05:00

Russia restored contact on Wednesday with a military satellite that went missing the day before after entering into the wrong orbit, in the latest setback to the Kremlin's ambitious space programme.

The GEO-IK-2 satellite, designed to measure the shape of the Earth, blasted off from the Plesetsk launchpad in northern Russia on Tuesday but mission control soon lost contact with it.

The mishap follows a failed launch two months ago of three satellites at the centre of a Russian global satellite navigation network designed to rival the U.S.-made GPS system.

"The parametres of the satellite's orbit have been established. Currently, there is stable contact with it," Russia's Space Forces Commander, Lieutenant General Oleg Ostapenko, said in a defence ministry statement.

A commission of experts is studying whether the off-kilter satellite has been stranded in a useless orbit, forsaking its intended mission, the ministry said.

The low-orbit Geo-IK-2 was designed to probe the Earth's gravitational field for potential military use in guiding ballistic missiles. Its civilian use included monitoring tectonic plate movement, ice conditions and ocean tides.

Interfax news agency cited space industry sources as saying that only a long and painstaking investigation can say why the satellite now appears to be on the wrong orbit.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has put strong emphasis on Russia's "satellite navigation sovereignty." But the botched December launch cost Moscow over $168 million and delayed by six months plans to complete its GLONASS system.

Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov last week said three new GLONASS satellites worth 2.5 billion rubles ($83 million) would be launched in May and June to replace those that fell into the Pacific Ocean in December.

The lost satellites were the last of 24 needed for Russia to fully deploy GLONASS, a project that has its roots in Cold War technology used to guide strategic missiles.

Russia has spent over $2 billion in the last decade on the system, personally promoted by Putin to help build Russia's technological independence and stimulate production of domestic consumer devices such as smartphones and vehicle sat-navs.

In a stunt to publicise the new system, Putin even fitted his dog Connie with a collar bearing a GLONASS transmitter.

GPS signal simulator with 16 channels and SBAS (WAAS, EGNOS) - GSG-55

2011-01-31T18:19:00.001-05:00

The Pendulum GSG-55 is a GPS constellation simulator that expands on the set of features of the popular GSG-54, adding 16-channel simulation, SBAS simulation and white noise generation. These new features make the GSG-55 capable for in-line production testing, including navigational fix and position testing, for engineering and development of even more applications than the GSG-54.

Spectracom announced the Pendulum GSG-55 GPS receiver test instrument capable to simulate Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS). Navigation systems that use SBAS can improve the accuracy and reliability provided by the GPS satellite signals alone, enabling critical applications such as aircraft navigation, and surveying and mapping. SBAS simulation (support for Europe’s EGNOS and North America’s WAAS) is a new feature in the GSG-55.

The GSG-55 user can configure scenarios on-the-fly without the need for external PC and pre-compilation phase. Via the front panel the user can swiftly modify parameters such as user position, time and specify output powers in carrier to noise ratio instead of absolute output power. Utilizing the white noise generation extends the usability and flexibility.

Versatile 16-channel GPS signal generator with pre-configured test scenarios
SBAS (WAAS, EGNOS) simulation
Configurable multipath simulation
White noise generator for receiver SNR testing
Easy-to-use and intuitive
Fully operational via front-panel
Multiple interfaces for remote control
Affordable and powerful GPS Simulators

12-channel GPS receivers are popular in GPS applications today, the GSG-55 16-channel simulator makes it possible to simulate all the channels those receivers can track. In addition other channels can be used for SBAS simulation of EGNOS or WAAS satellites.

GSG-55 is shipped with several multipath scenarios where the receivers’ response to an increased multipath environment can be analyzed. It also has a set of trajectories (static, circles, rectangular according to 3GPP TS 25.171) that allows the user to upload their own trajectories in NMEA standard format. The user can upload their own ephemeris data in standard RINEX format or re-use the default data for any time periods. GSG-55 can even automatically download historical RINEX, WAAS and EGNOS data from official ftp sites, as needed. GSG-55 has USB, GPIB as well as Ethernet interface, allowing remote control via network connection.

Besides the variety of built-in navigation/positioning tests, the GSG-55 is also suited for accurate testing of timing GPS-receivers. The GSG-55 can be equipped with an ultra-high-stability OCXO timebase for precision timing of the satellite data, or use external synchronization from a 10 MHz reference from e.g. a Cesium or Rubidium clock. A built-in 1-pps output, synchronized to the generated satellite data, allows comparison with the 1-pps signal from the timing receiver under test.

The GSG-55 is a perfect fit for a wide-variety of test cases including:

Test of simulated movements (user trajectories).
Test of receivers’ sensitivity to loss of satellites, multi-path, leap seconds and atmospheric conditions.
Fast production test of connectivity and sensitivity (conducted or over-the-air).
Production test of positioning receivers' accuracy.
Test of timing receiver accuracy.
Test of receivers’ dynamic range.
Test of receivers' susceptibility for noise (SNR limit testing).

It is also able to generate white noise, making it possible to test receiver sensitivity under different signal-to-noise ratios. The GSG-55 builds on the popular Pendulum GSG-54 eight-channel simulator including accurate testing of GPS timing receivers and portability through its compact and lightweight bench-top chassis. The 16-channel GPS simulator will be available in March 2011.

TomTom Rider Pro Bike waterproof GPS

2011-01-31T17:47:00.003-05:00

TomTom Rider Pro GPS - waterproof GPS unit with touchscreen, 3.5" glove-friendly touch screen, improved glove-friendly screen for easier and safer navigation.The display screen of the unit, though fairly small (3.5 inch, 320x240 pixel), is very clear and manages to pack a lot of information within its frame.The display also packs in current speed versus the speed limit (highlighted in red when exceeded), eta, distance, and time to final destination, phone and headset status and the all important battery status.The main menu has just two simple buttons 'Navigate to' and 'Browse map', so you can get going without any hassle.

Clearly shows which lane to take at junctions so you don’t miss your turning. On the most difficult highway intersections, realistic 3D representation of the junction keeps you relaxed and safe. An impressive feature is the extremely clear lane guidance it gives especially on motorways.Although I’m a regular up there it still requires concentration and planning to get into the right lanes yet the TomTom highlights which lanes you need to be in as it expands the display to concentrate on the junction only. Once the junction has been negotiated it returns to the normal distance view, and the whole thing works seamlessly.

Only TomTom uses actual speed data collected from millions of users to calculate the fastest routes at any point in time. Imagine a route that takes into account rush hour, traffic lights, zebra crossings, school exits or even shopping crowds, every minute of every day.The display also packs in current speed versus the speed limit (highlighted in red when exceeded), eta, distance, and time to final destination, phone and headset status and the all important battery status.

You get a ‘U’ bracket to clamp around something – usually your handlebar or in my case the windscreen brace (the benefits of an old bike). Both long and short stemmed ball sockets are supplied, the short one I’ve got permanently attached and used it again. The long one would be needed if the unit is going to be used from the handlebars, you don’t want to be fouling the unit while reaching for levers etc.

To the ball socket is attached a double ended collar, and into this the ball from the unit cradle sits. That way you have movement at both ends of this ‘arm’ and should be able to find a comfortable viewing angle whatever bike you’ve mounted it to. Tighten the arm up and it clamps both ball sockets, and away you go.

Start driving with the latest map - guaranteed! If a new map for your device is available within 30 days of first use, you can download that map once for free via TomTom HOME, please note you are only entitled to one free map download. Due to the continuous improvements in our map quality, some new maps may not fit on your device. In these cases, detailed Map Zones are offered for download. You can only use one Map Zone on your device at a time but it's easy and free to change to another zone at any time using TomTom.

Your device comes with fixed speed camera alerts pre-installed, to help you to drive more safely and responsibly, while saving money on speeding fines.The final thing I was able to test was the speed camera alert system. Since I hadn’t studied the reference book I was somewhat taken aback by the level of detail in which the speed cameras are notified. All the current types of camera have their own symbols and noises, including the average ones which don’t work on bikes as they face forward – I would disable these to be honest. Which is a shame because you are warned on approach, when entering the zone, while in the zone (aural if speeding), and at the end of the zone. All very clever but on a bike, in this country, we don’t need warning of average speed cameras.

Cardo wireless headset includes: Cardo scala-rider Bluetooth headset - receive clear voice instructions, and receive phone calls easily, through wireless technology.The Rider Pro set does indeed come with one of Cardo Systems Scala headsets so the unit doesn’t have to bellow directions at you like a crazy person, which would be pretty startling for passers as a voice. I was a little sceptical I will admit, sceptical about how I’m going to make myself heard at 80mph in a full face lid but more of this later.Also in the box were a couple of bags of bolts and brackets for fixing the unit to the bike, plus the Scala microphone and of course the actual TomTom Rider itself and you can also listen to music this way too directly via the Scala Rider headset (not the TomTom).

The Cardo Scala-Rider headset is state-of-the-art Bluetooth enabled, completely waterproof and apparently easily mounted in the helmet. With that marketing guff in my head I set about my beloved Xlite, and a few minutes later I’d attached the mounting plate (with microphone attached) to the side of the lid, a small cut being needed in the plastic collar on the neck padding, and I’d run the very thin speakers through the lining and velcro’d them into position. The main guts of the Scala-Rider is a waterproof rubberised ‘pod’ which clips over the fixed plate and lives on the outside of the helmet where you have the on/off and volume controls.I tried the helmet on and it was no bother. I could feel one of the speakers against an ear but it was far from uncomfortable and something I’d spend more time fiddling with if I was keeping the unit.

It would appear so although there is a battery cable available on the TomTom website for the princely sum of £6.84. Why it isn’t included is a mystery to me, no matter how good the battery is on the Rider it will only get worse through use and not everyone will remember to recharge the unit after use, plus it surely means taking a charger with you for overnights etc? In its defence the mains charger is basically a USB cable and a small plug unit so it’s dual purpose and indeed I suspect could be charged off a computer if you forego the wall plug adaptor.

TomToms are supplied fully loaded before shipping so there was no CD enclosed, and any further map updates are done online via the TomTom software on the unit itself. Plug it in via the mains/USB cable mentioned and it’ll load up. Subsequent maps are a chargeable download normally, although if a new one is available within the first 30 days of you using the Rider you get it free (one only). Upgrade bundles are available – 2years costs £70 for example.

To explain fully, this is the Rider Pro (£400 per TT website) which comes with Western Europe, (except some of the Balkans) as standard. You could save some money and dispense with the headset to get the Urban Rider (£300) unit, the GPS unit on its own. Or there is the Urban Rider Regional for nigh on half the price (£250) of the Pro which has only a map of the UK on it. So you won’t need to be buying maps left and right, city by city, as the buying of maps is about keeping the unit up to date rather than, Regional unit aside, expanding its coverage.

Without bothering to download the user reference guide (the manual supplied is little more than a fitting guide in about 30 languages) I set about programming both my home address and my client’s address. It is a simple and intuitive task although I did struggle with the keyboard letters in the corner of the screen but if I’d bothered to read the online reference manual I’d have found the ‘Glove Friendly’ screen option which resizes the buttons.

My travel time was about 8hrs, and the unit came back with a shade under half its battery life intact. I was using it in the power saving mode whereby it only illuminates the display when there’s something to tell you about – a change in direction, a speed camera etc, which I don’t think is too bad at all. There won’t be many times you ride for more than 8 hours without charging opportunities, and certainly it will cope with the occasional night where it isn’t charged. Battery cable? Ok maybe it doesn’t need one right away.

If the standard display shortcuts aren’t enough for you there is a custom menu (the Quick Menu) you can control which is accessed straight from the main driving screen as the blue pointing hand. By the time I get a chance to use the unit on the bike I’m really warming to it, and can already see numerous advantages over my current system. But using it in the car is one thing, but how will it work in its proper environment on the bike? And how does the touch screen handle my big winter gloves?

I called home and once the mic was better placed Lou could hear me and despite having my ear plugs in I could hear her too! Amazing, and I was really impressed. I hate riding without plugs, albeit only cheap everyday bike-shop plugs, and really doubted I’d be able to hear the conversation. Operating the phone via the TomTom is easy although I’d advise pre-programming all numbers you want – tapping in a number while riding really isn’t on for safety reason as much as the practicality of it.

I was surprised to receive a call while en-route too, I had the TomTom set to answer automatically after 3 seconds and no sooner had I realised what the warbling in my ears was then someone was asking how I was! I will admit that at illegal motorway speeds it was difficult to hear this call and he couldn’t make out properly what I saying either. I slowed to about 50mph and it was much better but stopping was the answer.

I’m not a fan of phone calls on the move, hands free or otherwise, anything other than a social chat and too much concentration is involved. So I pulled over when it was safe to do so. Despite this advice, I would still go equipped as it is so much easier to deal with a call after pulling over than to remove helmet, gloves and plugs then dig out the phone to hear the voicemail and make a call.

Bavaria Yachts takes Garmin marine electronics on-board

2011-01-25T09:21:00.005-05:00

Garmin International Inc. the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced that Bavaria Yachts, one of the world’s leading yacht manufacturers, has selected Garmin to be the exclusive electronics supplier to outfit their robust line of sailing and cruising yachts. Garmin equipment will be onboard all motor and sail boats by BAVARIA and can first be purchased at the Düsseldorf boat show 22nd to 30th January.

Bavaria Yachts, one of the world´s leading top yachting manufacturers with international presence, and Garmin, the global leader in satellite navigation, is delighted to announce their partnership with effect from January 2011 onwards.

Bavaria has selected a complete Garmin marine electronics package to offer its customers that includes multi-function displays from the GPSMAP 4000 and GPSMAP5000 series, the GPSMAP 720s with its brilliant 7-inch touchscreen display, Garmin’s GHP 10V autopilot system designed specifically for the Volvo IPS drive, as well as the GMI 10 marine instrument display, which makes it easy to monitor navigation, heading and environmental data. Bavaria Yachts is the first marine OEM to offer its customers the new, award-winning GHP 12 sailboat autopilot system which is designed for 20- to 70-foot sailboats with linear-actuated steering systems.

Bavaria Yachts is among several new OEM contracts Garmin has won recently. In 2011, Garmin has also added Ranger Tugs, Cutwater Boats and Broom Boats to its growing roster of marine OEMs.

Since its inception in 1989, Garmin has delivered 75 million GPS enabled devices – far more than any other navigation provider. Garmin’s market breadth in the GPS industry is second to none, having developed innovative products and established a leadership position in each of the markets it serves, including automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, tracking, and wireless applications.

Equipment on board will include:

NMEA 2000 compatible 4000 and 5000 series of chartplotters which have a multifunction display,
satellite enhanced worldwide basemap,
XM weather and radio,
compatible with optional remote control and much more 720s (received a special mention at the Dame awards, METS 2010),
featuring a brilliant 7-inch display putting all the information you need right at your fingertips.

GMI 10 Digital Marine Instrument display adds a new dimension of flexibility for boaters who want a fully integrated marine instrument system.

And last but not least, the autopilots – the GHP 10 designed for powerboats with hydraulic steering, delivering stunning performance in all sea conditions, and the GHP 12, second-generation autopilot designed for 20- to 70- foot sailboats with linear-actuated steering systems.This collection of products from Garmin combined with BAVARIA kicks off the First Sailboat manufacturer to use the new Garmin sail pilot and starts an exciting partnership for the marine industry in 2011.

Garmin GHP12 Sailboat Autopilot System

2011-01-25T07:43:00.003-05:00

Garmin have announced the GHP12 sailboat autopilot system – bringing robust performance and sophisticated control capabilities to 20 to 70 feet sailboats equipped with linear-actuated steering systems.The Garmin GHP 12 brings Garmin’s full-featured marine autopilot technology to the sailing community. Using the GHP12 sailboat autopilot system is like having an extra set of hands aboard your vessel. When interfaced with Garmin's GWS 10 or compatible wind sensor, GPS and network electronics (all sold separately), the GHP 12 can support heading hold, wind hold, step turns, tack/jibe and much more. This allows you to safely attend to your sails, lines, winches and radios without worry.

Designed for sailboats with linear-actuated steering systems, the GHP12 is a below-deck autopilot system that acts as a second set of hands aboard your vessel. This new system is available with two linear drive options: the Class A Drive Unit for sailboats with up to 28,500 pounds of displacement, or the Class B Drive Unit for larger sailboats with up to 79,000 pounds of displacement, and is designed primarily for sailboats 20 to 70feet. For optimal performance, the GHP 12 features a built-in gyro that maintains precise turn response and control stability. In addition, the integrated rudder feedback ensures ease of installation and exceptional reliability. And the GHP 12 offers minimal power consumption to conserve onboard power systems.

The GHP 12 is accessed through the GHC10 helm control unit, which is fully NMEA 2000 certified. In addition to easy installation, NMEA 2000 compatibility allows you to share autopilot heading data with other devices on your network, including Garmin chartplotters that can provide GPS-enabled route guidance. The GHP 12 supports both linear actuated steering systems on sailboats on a single system. For sailboat applications there are two linear drives available from Garmin capable of driving many different steering systems to fit almost any midsize to large sailboat (depending on the particular installation):

GHC 10 dimensions, WxHxD: 4.3 " x 4.4 " x 1.9 " (10.9 x 11.2 x 4.8 cm)
CCU dimensions: 3.6 " diameter (9.1 cm diameter)
ECU dimensions: 6.6 " x 4.6 " x 2.1 " (16.8 x 11.7 x 5.3 cm)
GHC 10 display resolution, WxH: 320 x 240 pixels
GHC 10 display type: QVGA color LCD display
NMEA output: NMEA 0183 (GHC 10), NMEA 2000 (GHP 12 & GHC 10)
Supply voltage:GHP 12: (10V to 28V);GHC 10: (7V to 32V)
Operating temperature: -15° C to 60 C° (5° F to 140° F)

With a 3.5-inch full-colour display, the GHC10 is a dedicated autopilot control unit designed to engage and disengage the GHP 12 autopilot. Three GHC 10 controllers can be interfaced to a single GHP 12, allowing autopilot functionality at a remote location on the boat. When interfaced with Garmin’s GWS10 or other compatible wind sensors, GPS and network electronics, the GHP 12 can support workload-saving features such as heading hold, wind hold, step turns, tack/jibe, MFD route following and more. In addition, this new system features sailing-specific software and employs the industry-standard NMEA 2000 interface, ensuring ease of installation and network access to autopilot heading data.

Sony XNV-770BT GPS (TOMTOM navigation) with LCD monitor, digital player, DVD player and radio

2011-01-25T05:52:00.006-05:00

The Sony XNV-770BT GPS features TomTom navigation and delivers incredible audio and video picture quality. TomTom incorporate real world, real-time feedback, providing the most accurate maps available. An external GPS module essentially puts a TomTom navigation device inside the Sony, utilizing all of the technologies and interface design of TomTom's midtier PNDs. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Sony's newest all-in-one car audio receiver pairs a brilliant 7-inch display with GPS navigation powered by TomTom. The result is almost the best of both worlds, but we'd like to see a bit more integration.

The Sony XNV-770BT features an extra-sharp TFT (WVGA) 7-inch touch-screen display with gesture command and on-screen touch buttons and checks all of the audio and video playback boxes we like to see with iPod, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity. Separate audio and video power supply circuits provide added clarity.

Despite a few forays into the world of turn-by-turn navigation and two generations of Nav-U portable GPS devices, Sony simply isn't a manufacturer that comes immediately to mind when most of us think "navigation." Instead most think of a brand like TomTom for GPS, associating Sony with nice displays or crisp PlayStation-esque graphics. Rather than fighting this brand perception, Sony embraces it with the XNV-770BT in-dash AV/GPS receiver.

This all-in-one receiver plays to its strengths and outsources its perceived weaknesses with an external TomTom GPS module that fills its crisp 7-inch Sony video display with the full TomTom .The XNV-770BT integrates seamlessly with Satellite Radio and HD Radio using Sony Bus adaptors so you can receive digital satellite radio or HD Radio broadcasts.

The menu structure can be a bit clunky, requiring multiple button presses to jump between the device's three modes. The navigation interface runs at a lower resolution than the screen's native resolution, causing maps to look blurry relative to the crisp menus and audio source screens.

Galileo Europe GPS project will be started ....when?

2011-01-20T08:57:00.002-05:00

Galileo is a multi-billion-euro venture which will complement - but also compete with - the US Global Positioning System (GPS), providing very accurate timing and location data that can be used in a host of applications from landing planes to co-ordinating financial transactions. The endeavour is controversial because its deployment is long overdue and significantly over-budget.

Satellite navigation users in Europe today have no alternative other than to take their positions from US GPS or Russian GLONASS satellites.As the use of satellite navigation spreads, the implications of a signal failure will be even greater, jeopardising not only the efficient running of transport systems, but also human safety.

OHB-System and UK-based company Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) were awarded a contract valued at 566m euros (£465m) in January 2010 to start the production of the Galileo constellation.
Surrey will assemble the electronic payload for each satellite in Guildford before shipping it to Germany to be incorporated in the spacecraft bus, or chassis, prepared by OHB.

Bremen-based OHB-System is part of the consortium that will build Galileo's first 14 operational spacecraft.The consortium's contract win was a spectacular achievement for the two firms which beat off the combined bid of Europe's two biggest satellite manufacturers, EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space (TAS).OHB-System then followed this triumph by winning the other high-profile European satellite-manufacturing deal of 2010 - the 1.3bn-euro contract to produce the next generation of weather satellites for the continent. In this case, the contract is shared with TAS.

When Galileo, Europe's own global satellite navigation system, is fully operational, there will be 30 satellites (27 operational + 3 active spares) in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at an altitude of 23 222 kilometres. Ten satellites will occupy each of three orbital planes inclined at an angle of 56° to the equator. The satellites will be spread evenly around each plane and will take about 14 hours to orbit the Earth. One satellite in each plane will be a spare; on stand-by should any operational satellite fail.

Planners and engineers at ESA had good reasons for choosing such a structure for the Galileo constellation. With 30 satellites at such an altitude, there is a very high probability (more than 90%) that anyone anywhere in the world will always be in sight of at least four satellites and hence will be able to determine their position from the ranging signals broadcast by the satellites. The inclination of the orbits was chosen to ensure good coverage of polar latitudes, which are poorly served by the US GPS system.

From most locations, six to eight satellites will always be visible, allowing positions to be determined very accurately – to within a few centimetres. Even in high rise cities, there will be a good chance that a road user will have sufficient satellites overhead for taking a position, especially as the Galileo system will be interoperable with the US system of 24 GPS satellites.

ESA will launch the first four operational satellites using two separate launchers. The first two satellites will be placed in the first orbital plane and the second in the second orbital plane. These four satellites, plus part of the ground segment, will then be used to validate the Galileo system as a whole, together with advanced system simulators.Then, the next two satellites will be launched into the third orbital plane. They will be followed by several launches with Ariane-5 or Soyuz from the Europe’s Space Port in French Guyana. The first services will be delivered when the constellation has reached its Initial Orbital Configuration.

When the 30 satellites are in space on all its three orbital planes, Galileo will be fully operational, providing its services to a wide variety of users throughout the world.

A user will be able to take a position with the same receiver from any of the satellites in any combination. By offering dual frequencies as standard, however, Galileo will deliver real-time positioning accuracy down to the metre range.It will guarantee availability of the service under all but the most extreme circumstances and will inform users within seconds of a failure of any satellite. This will make it suitable for applications where safety is crucial, such as running trains, guiding cars and landing aircraft.

Thereafter, four operational satellites - the basic minimum for satellite navigation in principle - will be launched in 2011 to validate the Galileo concept with both segments: space and related ground infrastructure. Once this In-Orbit Validation (IOV) phase has been completed, additional satellites will be launched to to reach the Initial Operational Capability. At this stage, The Open Service, Search and Rescue and Public Regulated Service will be available with initial performances. Then along the build-up of the constellation, new services will be tested and made available to reach the Full Operational Capability (FOC).

Once this is achieved, the Galileo navigation signals will provide good coverage even at latitudes up to 75 degrees north, which corresponds to the North Cape, and beyond. The large number of satellites together with the optimisation of the constellation, and the availability of the three active spare satellites, will ensure that the loss of one satellite has no discernible effect on the user.

Two Galileo Control Centres (GCCs) will be implemented on European ground to provide for the control of the satellites and to perform the navigation mission management. The data provided by a global network of twenty Galileo Sensor Stations (GSSs) will be sent to the Galileo Control Centres through a redundant communications network. The GCC’s will use the data from the Sensor Stations to compute the integrity information and to synchronise the time signal of all satellites with the ground station clocks. The exchange of the data between the Control Centres and the satellites will be performed through up-link stations. Five S-band up-link stations and 10 C-band up-link stations will be installed around the globe for this purpose.

As a further feature, Galileo will provide a global Search and Rescue (SAR) function, based on the operational COSPAS-SARSAT system. To do so, each satellite will be equipped with a transponder, which is able to transfer the distress signals from the user transmitters to the Rescue Co-ordination Centre, which will then initiate the rescue operation. At the same time, the system will provide a signal to the user, informing him that his situation has been detected and that help is under way. This latter feature is new and is considered a major upgrade compared to the existing system, which does not provide feedback to the user.

Magellan RoadMate 1700

2011-01-20T07:31:00.001-05:00

The Magellan RoadMate 1700 looks a lot like every other RoadMate, until you put it side by side with any other GPS device on the market. Its 7-inch wide WVGA color touch screen monitor seems freakishly large compared with the usual 3.5 inch and 4.3 inch PND screens. However, while the 1700 is much taller and wider, the device is also one of the thinnest PNDs.

Tapping anywhere on the map screen puts the map into an exploration mode. Here you can change between 2D and 3D views, zoom in and out, touch and slide to move around the map. Tapping a location in this mode drops a pin and displays an address along the top of the screen. Subsequently touching the icon next to the address chooses that point as a destination and takes you to the destination confirmation screen.

This smartly designed ,ultra-clear display lets you clearly see where you are on your route with four times the detail found in a standard GPS device. Intuitive and robust navigation The Magellan RoadMate 1700 device lets you bookmark your favorite destinations and searches with the OneTouch favorites menu so you can access them anywhere you travel. With a single touch, find your favorite café or restaurant when you're traveling within any city. QuickSpell with SmartCity search helps you quickly enter addresses and narrow your address and city searches, making destination entry easy. Multi-destination routing with route optimization lets you plan your trip with multiple stops in the order you want or optimize a trip for the most efficient route, saving you time and money.

Go To takes you to the destination selection menu, where they are given a choice of address entry, POI search, or address book browsing.Entering an address or searching for a POI is quick thanks to the 1700's responsive touch screen and QuickSpell system, which attempts to predict what you're typing and blanks out invalid letters and numbers to prevent mistyping. Unlike the smaller 1470, the onscreen keypad is laid out in the more familiar QWERTY layout, which is very conducive to two-handed input.

Once a destination is chosen, the destination confirmation screen gives you the option of simply hitting a large GO button to start a route or, through a route options menu, comparing a variety of potentially different routes. Available options include Fastest time, Shortest distance, Mostly freeways, and Least use of freeways. You are presented with estimated times for each of these routes and can even compare all four routes on the same route screen. Typically, these granular routing options are hidden deep in the menu structure. We like that the RoadMate makes them easily accessible.

The second button on the main menu is the View Map button. The RoadMate's map screen features a volume icon on the right side that brings up a volume slider. Along the bottom is a bank of soft keys, one of which is customizable to display current speed, current time, elevation, time remaining on route, estimated time of arrival, and direction of travel. There are also buttons for zooming in and out, and a menu key.

Along the unit's top edge is the power switch. This slider has settings for on, off, and reset. When powering the unit off, you are presented with a 10-second countdown and the option to return the slider to On or shut down immediately. If no option is chosen, then the shutdown is completed. If power is disconnected or if the battery level gets too low, a similar countdown timer is displayed on the device, but the length is increased to 30 seconds, at the end of which the device goes into standby.

At the top center of the unit is a microSD card slot. Along the bottom edge are the Mini-USB port for charging and connecting to a computer, a 3.5mm AV input, and a connection for the 12-volt charger. On its back are a speaker and the slotted connection for the windshield suction-cup mount. The 1700 ships with a Mini-USB cable for synchronizing, a 12-volt charger to keep the vehicle powered when used in a car, a suction-cup windshield cradle that attaches to the 1700 with a tongue-in-groove-type connection, and a soft slipcover. In the box, you'll also find an adhesive disk for dashboard mounting and a nice full-color, multilanguage guide.

Text-to-speech turn-by-turn directions enable the unit to read street names and exits aloud. English, Spanish, and French languages are supported out of the box, but with only one voice per language. It has graphic lane guidance that helps with navigating complex freeway interchanges by displaying a representation of the intersection and highway signs, while indicating what lanes are valid for the current route.

You can keep your eyes on the road as you drive because spoken street name guidance announces street names with every voice direction so you'll know when to make your next turn. Highway lane assist offers visual aids to point you in the right direction and ensure that you'll choose the correct lane well before your next turn.Should your vehicle unfortunately break down as you travel, the AAA locate screen provides your location so help will know where to find you. Get support fast with the AAA Member Roadside Assistance phone number and your location displayed on the Magellan RoadMate 1700 device screen.

Traffic is always a headache, but your Magellan RoadMate 1700 device has the SmartDetour™ feature that prompts you to route around suddenly slow or stopped freeway traffic, automatically calculating the quickest detour. The new Magellan RoadMate 1700 device is designed to help ensure driver safety, while providing useful features that make navigation truly enjoyable. Your Magellan RoadMate 1700 is ready to travel with preloaded maps and points of interest for the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. (Mexico map upgrade is sold separately).With 6 million points of interest at your command you can easily locate gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, coffee shops, and much more.

When you're traveling down the Interstate and need to find gas, food, or lodging in a hurry, touch the highway exit POI icon to see which upcoming highway exits have the services you need.Turn it on and go!The Magellan RoadMate 1700 device is loaded with premier features you'll need to get you where you want to go. If you need more information or you want to save money, select the AAA search menu after your search entry. The integrated AAA TourBook provides ratings and descriptions on AAA approved places to stay, play, dine, and save.

Some of disadvantages:In urban environments, the 1700 takes longer to establish satellite lock and can be inaccurate. Its 7-inch screen size may be too much for smaller dashboards and can make mounting it awkward. Its battery life is extremely short.

Magellan eXplorist GC GPS handheld device

2011-01-15T19:03:00.002-05:00

GPS device maker Magellan introduces the eXplorist GC, the first dedicated GPS device for geocaching. The handheld device features -the-box paperless geocaching and is pre-loaded with the most popular geocaches in the world.

The eXplorist GC utilizes SiRFstarIII GPS chipset that provides 3-meter accuracy and features a 2.2-inch color display. It rugged, waterproof, and submersible (IPX-7). The device is powered by two AA batteries that is enough for 18 straight hours of outdoor adventure. It comes with a 30-day free premium membership to geocaching.com and is priced at $149.99.

Magellan eXplorist GC is built for a premium geocaching experience. Whether you're a seasoned geocacher with more than a thousand finds or a newbie that's interested in getting in on the action, eXplorist GC provides all the tricks of the trade.

Probably most important, eXplorist GC supports paperless geocaching, which allows you to download more than 20 unique characteristics of each cache, including name, location, description, hider, size, difficulty, terrain, hint, spoilers, attributes, and last 20 user logs among a number of other details.

Magellan eXplorist GC comes with the most popular geocaches pre-loaded to provide a unique out of box experience. You can literally "turn it on and go!"

To customize your geocaching experience with caches that meet your specific criteria, the eXplorist GC has seamless connection to geocaching.com. This allows you to search more than one millions caches worldwide. With a click of the mouse, you can transfer the information with the Send to GPS feature. Additionally, with a Premium Membership to geocaching.com, you can create custom Pocket Queries and update your device with fresh cache information easily on a weekly basis.

Did we mention that eXplorist GC comes with a free 30 day pass to geocaching.com premium member services? Yes it does! Get access to full GPX file downloads, pocket queries, member only caches, and a host of other great features.

Now that you're hooked up with a premium membership to geocaching.com, download thousands of geocaches to the eXplorist GC. The device can hold up to 10,000 geocaches so you can continue to load new caches for each and every new adventure.

Searching for the right cache is easy by setting your search preferences: by nearest, by name, by type, by date, or by geocache ID. Also, you can customize your cache list. For example, show all regular size, traditional type caches that have not been found.

To support all your geocaching adventures, the eXplorist GC comes packed with tons of helpful hardware features. Most striking, the vibrant color screen is transflective, which allows for the best readability in direct sunlight. To zero in on the exact location of a hidden cache, the SiRFstarIII GPS chipset provides accuracy of 10-feet (3-meters). To keep your fun going all day long, the device is powered by two AA batteries for 18 hours of constant usage. Finally, to keep your new favorite toy safe as you explore the outdoors, eXplorist GC is rugged, waterproof, and submersible (IPX-7). All of this is packed into a small and attractive handheld form factor that can be hung around your neck or attached to your pack with the built-in carabineer hook.

eXplorist GC provides unmatched assistance with navigation, such as the combination of the world's two most useful navigational tools - a compass and a map! Overlay a series of different transparent compass styles on top of a pre-loaded worldwide map that show roads, water features, parks, and city centers. Access the dashboard screen that shows a mini-compass for quick reference and customizable navigation data fields, such as latitude, longitude, heading, bearing, distance to end, trip odometer, and many more. Go back to the map screen and view your active track, which is a series of digital breadcrumbs to record all yours movements. Mark your starting point (car, trailhead, parking lot...) with a waypoint and easily navigate back to that location once you've unearthed your fill of caches. eXplorist GC will not only find hidden treasure, but it will also help you find your way back.

Compete with your friends with the unique geocache tracking features. The "time to find" cache feature records the time is takes to find each cache. eXplorist GC will keep a record of the time it takes to find each cache in the geocache details page and average all finds in your user profile. The device also tracks the number and type of geocaches found. Keep track of your finds on the geocache awards screen and stats page.

Reference your Trip Summary to keep track of your distance travelled, complete travel time, moving time and stopped time, and average time to find. Easily reset your Trip Summary statistics to track the details of your next geocaching adventure.

Whether you are searching for treasure in the Nordics, the Orient, or in the West Indies, eXplorist GC will provide accurate GPS signals thanks to the Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) of WAAS, EGNOS, and MSAS, which is identified in the GPS status bar. eXplorist GC also displays coordinates in a myriad of different global systems, including UTM and WGS84. Geocaching is a worldwide phenomenon and eXplorist GC will help guide you accurately to treasures all over the globe.

eXplorist GC has the ease-of-use to help a novice geocacher discover the world of high-tech treasure hunting and the sophistication to keep an experienced hunter satisfied with loads of advanced features. "X" marks the spot and eXplorist GC can help to find it!

TeleNav GPS Navigator 6.2

2011-01-14T15:35:00.001-05:00

Today, they announced TeleNav GPS Navigator 6.2 that you will first see appear in the Android Market as Navigator 2.2 on AT&T Android phones, such as the Samsung Captivate, HTC Aria, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, and Motorola BACKFLIP devices. This latest update will roll out soon on other Android smartphones.

You may wonder why you would pay the monthly fee for this when you get Google Maps Navigation, but as you can see TeleNav’s solution provides a much more feature packed option and reliability that is critical to those who must get someplace on time.

A list of the key enhancements in this latest update include:

Multiple Route Suggestions: Users are presented with up to three route suggestions overlaid on a map with route distance and estimated drive times.
Quick Search: Users can simply touch the Quick Search box on the Home screen and type an address, landmark, category, or a business name. TeleNav GPS Navigator 6.2 uses predictive search technology.

Speech Recognition: TeleNav has included an expanded Speech Recognition feature, allowing users to press a single button on the home page and speak a command, including common phrases such as “How’s the weather” or “How’s traffic.”
Map Overlays: The map view includes one-click options to layer information on the map screen, such as traffic flow information and the locations of traffic cameras.

Expanded POIs: We added millions of new Points of Interest (POIs) to our search database, giving TeleNav users access to more than 22 million U.S. business locations, historical landmarks, airports and more.

Garmin Approach G5 golf GPS

2011-01-14T09:25:00.000-05:00

Give your game a boost of confidence with Approach G5, a rugged, waterproof, touchscreen golf GPS packed with thousands of preloaded golf course maps. Approach uses a high-sensitivity GPS receiver to measure individual shot distances and show the exact yardage to fairways, hazards and greens. The Garmin Approach G5 has been extremely successful for Garmin. After being on the market a short 6 weeks, Garmin has updated the Approach G5 with another 2500 courses to bring the total number of loaded courses to 7500.

The Garmin Approach G5 golf GPS now boasts even more top notch courses. We are confident the list of courses for the Approach G5 will continue to be added to quickly and on a regular basis.Golf course updates are always free with the Garmin Approach G5, and no subscription is ever needed! The complete list of all included golf courses for the Garmin Approach G5 Golf Rangefinder is available here.

Approach displays and updates your exact position on stunningly detailed, preloaded course maps throughout the United States and Canada. Approach’s highly sensitive GPS receiver pinpoints your position and removes guesswork from your game. And as you move, Approach automatically updates your position, so you’ll always know your yardage. There are no subscriptions or setup fees, and Approach is compliant with USGA and R&A rules.