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FutureLab is a non-profit that is making available for schools Create-A-Scape. The package, based on original work developed by a research arm from HP in Bristol, UK enables students to produce “mediascapes”.

Or narratives with images, sound and GPS data. The whole package includes the necessary software and hardware. From ElectronicsWeek.

Celestron announced a new series of telescopes with GPS technology.

“The CPC Series’ internal GPS receiver automatically downloads the date and time from orbiting satellites and pinpoints its exact location on Earth.”

TeleAtlas will be providing map data to Nokia according to article from InformationWeek. Check the video at the bottom of the page showing how TeleAtlas produces map data with its mobile mappers. Nice PR.

Tags: Maps, GPS & Astronomy, DIY by gpsguy
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Gothamist attacks again: Flickr based images of New York City maps in great pieces of work.

GPS as bait: it might work, or not.

Some more on the newest GPS satellite in orbit.

And be prepared:

Solar flares will probably get you lost if you haven’t found yourself till then…

Tags: News by gpsguy
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A-GPS or true GPS right now seems almost a moot point. But transfer speeds to enable fast map data, tracking & so on fits well. So today ALK the maker of CoPilot software has its Managing Director, Michael Kornhauser given an interview that help puts things into perspective.

HSDPA is the keyword here. Which translates to High-Speed Downlink Packet Access.

It seems the EV-DO is being pushed harder in U.S. (Qualcomm developed) but worldwide deployment of HSDPA is far ahead. The idea to push for some other protocotol only helps keep companies like Nokia out of the U.S. market.

Things do sound as targetting Europe and that’s fine because they are way ahead in consumer awareness. But it is surprising to see the amount of devices supported. Specially those currently targetting the american consumer.

On a side note, demos and trial versions would be nice to have.

Tags: Technology, Nokia by gpsguy
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Nokia launched something that is worth giving a note about: the newest member of their NSeries, the N95.

It says “integrated GPS” but nowhere to be seen the chip that makes that happen. So I’m guessing it uses Assisted GPS for now. It would be their first model with true GPS.

The good thing is that you get the maps acquired through the acquisition of gate5.

In another news, GPS World pointed to Indy pilots sharing their cars position, velocity and other stats while in the race through GPS with technology developed by the Canadian RaceF/X.

Tags: Something else by gpsguy
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Boeing launched GPS2R-15, its second satellite with sucess from Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to the Decatur Daily:

“Once online, the satellite launched Monday will be the 30th operational GPS satellite. The GPS2R-15 is replacing a satellite launched in 1992.”

Dash unveils its GPS product at PC Magazine.

This site has very good descriptions about how GPS satellites operate. Which complements this panel of GPS manufactures at the now online “Earth Observation Magazine”.

Tags: News by gpsguy
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CNet published a two page interview with Kanwar Chadra, co-founder and currently VP of Marketing for Sirf (disclosure: jeepx owns Sirf stock).

Mr. Chadra points to the intereoperability of Navstar and Galileo with their products, geolocation search API’s and the Xmas season for navigation gadgets for cars. He also mentions how Japan has 3D maps of its cities.

Tags: LBS, Hardware by gpsguy
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Slashdot brought up Jelbert Geotagger, a piece of hardware that will get your current location into your photos. Privacy concerns fills the thread. Certainly more expensive than a cheap dedicated GPS unit, a digital camera and some software.

Tags: GPS & Privacy, GeoTagging by gpsguy
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Yes I know, tons of ways to answer it.

But did it ever occured to you to ask where exactly is our Sun headed to?

As in looking for the actual direction of the Solar System…

And if you decide to look for youself, here are good directions (take into account that the dates are not for 2006 moonless nights).

BTW, going up the Ecliptic by Equinox today.

Tags: GPS & Astronomy, Here by gpsguy
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October issue of Wired goes graphic novel on Gizmondo’s meltdown. More later. It also includes a two-page article on the growing dominance of TeleAtlas against the giant NavTeq.

It details the sale of GDT and how the group helped move the company forward.

[Articles go online in a month or so or put 10$ a year (US) for these enjoyable suprises.]

California passing legislation on GPS tracking: “SB 1178, sponsored by Sen. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, […] makes permanent a pilot sex-offender GPS program.”

Second from the new-generation of GPS satellites from Lockhead Martin to be launched Monday.

Tools

Nokia announced the release of Carbide c++ based on Eclipse. “Developed in cooperation with Symbian”. Care was taken to provide a migration path to users of the previous toolkit provided by CodeWarrior.

As in their toolkit, Carbide offers three product levels: Professional, Developer and the free Express. Previous users can upgrade from CodeWarrior 3.1 offers to the corresponding ones in the Carbide toolset.

Carbide c++ 1.1 Professional and Developer are now available in the same download, requires registration for product key generation.

RAD

Carbide c++ Professional includes an User inteface designer for the SWT based graphical library.

RAD Tools were introduced by Borland with products like JBuilder with RAD standing for Rapid Application Development.

The free version, Carbide 1.0 Express wasn’t updated since touched last at Feb 21, 06.

For Java development also based in Eclipse there is Carbide.j 1.5, available for free.

Installed base

Just notice that we are talking here in 39 million devices running Symbian OS and still according to the PR, “during the first half of 2005, more than 14.5 million devices were sold to more than 200 network operators worldwide.”

Tags: GPS & Games, Development, News, Symbian by gpsguy
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Good one so far. Precious article at “The American Spectator” going right to the point about bad and distracted driving versus conscious and hopefully blessed if you try, multitasking by shifting attention targets while taking a ton of metal around town. (The same multitasking that is probably used in a computer based video-game. ) In any case Eric Peters at some point says:

“Any suggestion that driving is in fact a privilege to be earned rather than a right to be conferred is met with violent opposition — from teens to AARPers to everyone in between.”

Get the whole piece to understand where GPS fits into this.

Another interesting piece comes from NPR. A very clever explanation of GPS equipped phones, like the Nextel models and the different remaining breed of Assisted-GPS devices. Mologogo and Smart Agent mentioned as cool examples of LBS product & use.

And at this same blog on a previous post learn how to install a midlet, or Java J2ME app to your Nextel/Motorola phone. Finally, if you still think some more of this Assisted-GPS deal requires a better understanding check: Want to understand Assisted-GPS? and for privacy issues Can you Track me now?

NPR article also mentions “Fun with GPS” author’s Don Cooke.

Tags: News by gpsguy
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