Insta GPS

BenQ recently came up with the release of its latest BenQ-Siemens P51 PDA phone - the much awaited successor to the P50, providing updated sport set with WLAN technology for quick, handy Internet access plus a built-in GPS receiver for navigation service.

The multi-purpose P51 is claimed to run on Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system and is integrated with a 1.3-megapixel camera, a bright 2.83-inch touch screen display as well as an ergonomic QWERTY keyboard. The BenQ-Siemens P51 also comes with the most modern WLAN technology to make available handy Internet access experience.

With the WLAN backup, users are enabled to do chatting on MSN and have a chat using VoIP service suppliers like Skype at any time within range of a hotspot. A feature-packed built-in GPS receiver inside the P51 boasts of providing navigation support via a real-time on-screen map that shows the existing location and guides the best route to any end.

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IL Village, an Italian-based company, is going to break new ground with the deliverance of a GPS satellite application, which is claimed to have specifically been brought about to offer blind users greater independence. The newly designed application is touted to sprint on Symbian cell phones and is at present under examination by the Italian Blind Union.

The device makes use of a Bluetooth headset to announce turn-by-turn directions to the impaired user and is built-in with tow safety buttons on the handset, one to make a call to a call center to ask for assistance and one to promptly mention the exact whereabouts of the users. The 1st phase of the project claims to have brought about 95 per cent accuracy in locating a user’s correct location and its manufacturers are aimed at remodeling the system from scratch for the 2nd phase of examination to get 100 per cent consistency.

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German-based Medion, navigation manufacturer, presented its two latest systems at the recent CeBIT. These two models known as GoPal S2310 and X4510 makes use of the latest version 3.0 of the GoPal navigation software, which had been incredibly doing well in version 2.0. This latest version is provided in 3 options: ME (Medium Edition), AE (Advanced Edition) and PE (Premium Edition). It makes use of maps offered by Navteq.

GoPal S2310 is claimed to be consisted with a 3.5″ screen and includes a sporty outdoors form factor set apart by its round design all in roundnesses and antishock plastics. Apart from that, it is also consisted with a tracking mode to keep record of its route and export to Google Earth so as to envisage them. Coming up with the price range for just 299€, GoPal S2310 seems to be a good deal to make.

While, there is another system from Medion called GoPal X4510, which is claimed to be consisted with a big 4″ screen that is capable of giving support to 16.7 million colors, besides it is built-in with a gyroscope and an e-compass (electronic compass) with the aim of simulating navigation but for GPS reception. The latest system is also typified by its micro SD port.

Check out its main features:

(1) TFT screen at 4″, 16.7 million colors at 480×272 pixels resolution
(2) Integrated RDS/TMC Receiver in Premium version
(3) Voice synthesis to pronounce street names
(4) Centrality Atlas II Processor at 324 MHz
(5) 256 MB of integrated memory
(6) GoPal 3-navigation software
(7) MicroSD port (up to 2 Go)
(8) Hands free Bluetooth Kit
(9) Windows CE 5.0
(10) Images viewer
(11) MP3 player

Comparatively the price range of GoPal X4510 is more than GoPal S2310 as the former one can be grabbed at 499€, with the maps of Europe, not just that there also a remote control, which can be set on the wheel and to manage the navigation device available as an option.

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NXP software claims to have come up with their solution for geotagging digital images. The company says that their system has a tiny circuitry, which builds into your digital camera, or even camera phone, your computer, as well as their server. Well no doubt a very good capability, the latest system can also attach location information to each and every picture captured by you in 100 milliseconds, in this way you will not have to take the weight off your feet there and await up to a minute or two and fail to spot the shot. Amazingly, all of this is made possible with small consumption of power, thus again you are enabled to salt away your battery for your flash.

Rather than try to do all the processing that’s normally required for computing a GPS fix, the NXP device simply takes a digital ’snapshot’ of the raw GPS data whenever it wakes up. This only takes a tenth of a second, and consumes almost no power. Later (back on your computer), their client software queries a server they maintain, that’s continuously logging the detailed ‘ephemeris’ data for all 32 GPS satellites. This is the data that tells exactly where each satellite is located in space at all times. Figuring out which satellites are in view, synchronizing with them, and downloading their ephemeris data is what takes typical GPS systems minutes to handle: This is why it takes so long for your GPS to start up and deliver the first position fix. By offloading all the satellite tracking and computation to your host computer (when you download your images), NXP is able to reduce the ‘footprint’ of their hardware to an incredibly tiny area (5×5mm in production versions), and to grab the needed data and go back to sleep very quickly.

To see all this, it seems that in the long run integrating this type of hardware to your digital camera will be availed with just an extra $2 or $4 if carried out in high volumes.

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Yesterday I talked about Switzerland-based u-blox AG that is going to add its LEA-4S GPS unit in the G300 GPS phone designed by Longcheer, now Chinese Longcheer, has come up with the announcement that they would be making use of u-blox AG GPS chips in their latest G300 GPS phone.

So now, let’s check out what are the other features being offered by the Longcheer in its next-up phone, it is claimed that the Longcheer G300 GPS phone will be included with MP3/MP4 player, VGA camera, GPS receiver, and WAP Internet browser, plus ultra-long standby, weighs just 102 grams, and measures 117 x 50 x 16.5mm.

The Longcheer G300 is likely to be availed next month in China. Shortly it is expected to be availed by the rest of the world.

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At CeBIT 2007: Taiwan-based Novogo last week showcased a new line of personal navigation devices known as X series. Navigadget says,

These latest devices will be in supplement to the S700 & S700BT models, which I frankly telling could not go through my keyboard.

Anyway, let’s talk about the new range now, the info I got I don’t think can satisfy the urge of your knowledge but yet at least you could be aware of its some of the sports and specs. The Novogo X series is claimed to be consisted with a 4.3″ screen, hands free bluetooth kit, RDS/TMC traffic info receiver built-into the windshield mount kit, while the navigation software has been provided by iGO. No date or availability have been made public so far, obviously as and when it will come I will let you know, so do catch me.

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Meet Navigon’s latest user interface dubbed as Reality View, which is sported on models 7100, 7110, 5100, and 5110. In the new Reality View, main traffic points are shown in photo quality. Whereby I guesstimated that this is not that is to be shown all through the journey but just during certain intersections.

Check out the specs for the latest 71xx and 51xx series:

(1) Monitor: 7100 and 7110: 4.3″ 16:9 ratio; 5100 and 5110: 3.5″ 4:3 ratio
(2) Dimensions: 71xx: 130 x 90 x 23 mm; 51xx: 107 x 82 x 21 mm
(3) Operating System: Microsoft Windows CE 5.0
(4) Bluetooth: Hands free calling on 71xx
(5) Weight: 71xx: 200 g; 51xx: 180g
(6) Processor: Samsung 400MHz
(7) Battery: 4.5 hours, 1200mAh
(8) Memory: 64ROM/64RAM
(9) TMC: Subscription free
(10) GPS: SiRF Star III

Besides, both devices can accept voice commands and consists of text-to-speech function for pronouncing street names.

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Switzerland-based u-blox AG recently said that it will add its LEA-4S GPS unit in the G300 GPS phone designed by Longcheer, a China-based developer of portable devices. The latest phone boasts of integrating a high performance GPS engine, VGA camera, MP3/MP4 music player, GSM phone and WAP Internet browser in a device that has the weight of just102 grams, measured only 117 x 50 x 16.5 mm, and is consisted with extra- long standby time.

Dr. Du Junhong, CEO of Longcheer, said:

We chose u-blox’ LEA-4S GPS module because it is cost effective and offers high sensitivity and low power consumption in a very small and easily integrated package. No other GPS module that we tested matched its performance. This, coupled with its remarkable indoor performance and high accuracy, makes the LEA-4S the ideal positioning engine for our G300 phone.

The LEA-4S GPS unit is consisted with u-blox’ integrated SuperSense(R) weak signal tracking technology, which purports to enable users to plot a course successively via train stations, shopping malls and building interiors but for failing the signal, which are supp-osed to deteriorate in indoor environs and urban canyons. Its diminutive form factor and SMT pads makes for completely automatic assembly processes available with normal pick-and-place tools and reflow soldering, making possible cost efficient, high volume production. Additionally, the unit also claims to give support to A-GPS services like u-blox’ AssistNow(R) Assisted GPS solutions that guarantee instant positioning anywhere, at anytime.

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AOL is very soon going to roll out its AIM instant messaging service, whereby its users are enabled to spot where people on their buddy lists are bodily to be found. Available as a free download, the latest feature known as Skyhook plug-in is touted to be integrated with a new assemblage to AIM’s buddy list window dubbed as “Near Me.” That group boasts of sporting the names of any buddies who choose to share their locations and who are in a fixed distance from the AIM user. The latest application is also boasted of being capable of showing a buddy’s location on a map. For the time being, these potentials can be availed while making use of AIM on a PC, but not on a mobile phone.

Marcien Jenckes, who heads the AIM business,

As we build these platforms for people to connect, we find that context is very important.

The latest features of AIM are being offered at while mobile phone giants are throwing a range of location-enabled services to make available driving directions, to help parents keep an eye on their child, or to illustrate when friends and family are in the vicinity. Remarkably, where those cellular services depend on the Global Positioning Satellite potentials integrated into many a mobile handsets, the Skyhook system was brought about via a outwardly oddball, arduous process:

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With the aim of achieving an 11 per cent share of the European market in 2007, Mio is about to come up with the deliverance of 1.6 million GPS portable navigation devices (PNDs), as told by the company sources.

Mio’s target shipment volume will grow by 55% from the 1.03 billion PNDs shipped in 2006, the company said. Mio is showcasing 4.3-inch wide-screen PNDs at CeBIT 2007 taking place in Hannover, Germany, from March 15-21, the company indicated.

In terms of Mio’s GPS PND shipments in Europe, France makes up the biggest portion, Spain depicts the uppermost increase, and Mio is at present the biggest brand in Greece. But, UK & Germany are top markets, as far as the demand and growth potential is concerned and that is why is going to be the center of attraction of Mio’s marketing in Europe in 2007.

Mio’s GPS PNDs are produced on an ODM basis by parent company Mitac International. Mitac delivered nearly five million GPS PNDs in 2006, about 30% of which where to Mio, according to the latter. In 2007, Mitac expects to ship 7-8 million GPS PNDs, 2.45-2.80 million of which will be to Mio, Mio indicated. This implies that Mio expects to ship 0.85-1.20 million GPS PNDs in markets other than Europe, especially in North America.

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