SiRF and Intel sign license and development agreement - Engadget

SiRF Technology Inc. (makers of the SiRFstar chip line, amongst others) and Intel (makers of everything else) have just signed a license and joint development agreement to collaborate on products which the companies hope will "help location and wireless connectivity become more mainstream in next generation mobile devices." As part of the agreement, SiRF will license some of its technologies to Intel, but the company will also co-develop new products which will be destined for Intel-powered gear like mobile phones and "mobile internet devices." So what does this mean for us? Well, we're probably about to see a lot of "you got chocolate in my peanut butter" scenarios, like GPS operability hardwired into Intel chipsets -- which will pretty much guarantee the mainstreaming of GPS, and open a lot of very interesting doors.

SiRF and Intel sign license and development agreement - Engadget

Asus P530w GPS PDA phone -- NaviGadget

Asus’ other new addition to its line of GPS PDA phones is the new P530w. P530w works on UMTS networks as well as GSM and has an impressive 150-200 hours standy but only 2-3 hours talk time. The Li-Ion battery has 1200mAh capacity. The OS is Microsoft Windows Mobile6 which runs on a TI OMAP 850 processor at 200MHz. Asus P530w also has 802.11 b/g, bluetooth, and USB connectivity and a microSD slot for memory expansion.

Here are some of the other features:

• Memory: 256 MB flash + 64MB SDRAM
• Display: 2.4″, 65K colors, TFT, 320×240 resolution
• Camera: 2MP camera with auto macro, VGA camera for VT
• Audio: MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, MIDI support
• Browsing: HTTP and WAP 2.0
• Messaging: SMS, MMS 1.2, and email
• JAVA: J2ME (CLDC 1.1, MIDP 2.0)
• Video: MPEG4 / H.263 playback and recording; audio video streaming video call
• Ringtone: 64 channel polyphonic ringer and MP3
• Others: ClearVue document viewer, Bluetooth remote presenter, and business card recognition

We have no information on pricing or availability for Asus P530w just yet.

Asus P530w GPS PDA phone -- NaviGadget

Pets locator in UK 20 pounds/month

Buddi of UK is getting ready to release a new personal GPS locator that is miniaturized in size to make it easier to carry around with you. The specs are not released at this point but it probably is a GPS GSM tracking device that notifies a network at a pre-determined time interval.

You will have to spend an initial £300 on the GPS/GSM hardware and then pay £20 per month to get the service which will include 24/7 customer support as well as a website to pinpoint your loved ones on a map

buddi GPS locator coming out soon -- NaviGadget

Sirf Chipset for tracking and accuracy capabilities

GPS manufacturer SiRF today announced a new technology they call “SiRFDirect” which enables GPS navigation manufacturers to provide tracking and accuracy capabilities so far only available in higher-end systems.

SiRFDiRect technology uses heading and acceleration data from the sensors to boost the accuracy of portable navigation systems when GPS signals are weak or blocked, such as in dense urban canyons and tunnels. Transitions between combined GPS/DR and dead-reckoning-only operation are seamless and accurate without operator intervention, and the closely coupled GPS/DR architecture of SiRFDiRect technology continuously auto-calibrates the heading and acceleration sensors…

The first adapter of SiRF’s new SiRFDirect technology will be Mio which is expected to reveal a few new models at Computex Taipei 2007. Mio will call this technology Navsteadi.

new SiRFDirect uses heading and acceleration sensors -- NaviGadget

Nokia N95 A-GPS available with new firmware -- NaviGadget

Nokia after hearing a few bad things about the GPS performance on the N95 decided to include A-GPS support with its new V12 firmware. With the new A-GPS support your N95 will connect to the assistance server operated by Nokia which in return send back the up-to-date ephemeris data of the GPS constellation and help decrease the time it takes to get a satellite fix where GPS signals are poor even in places with no direct view of the sky.

Nokia N95 A-GPS available with new firmware -- NaviGadget

HTC Omni revealed with GPS and VGA/TV-out? - Engadget

It'll also be packing a GPS/A-GPS nugget in a 130 x 81 x 16-mm slab making it a bit smaller than an Advantage but bigger than the phone-that-shall-not-be-named.

HTC Omni revealed with GPS and VGA/TV-out? - Engadget

TomTom, Vodafone Team for U.K. Traffic Data Service - GPS LBS

Vodafone and TomTom expect to make the service commercially available sometime in the first half of 2008; they will release more details of the system and service at that time, the companies said. The traffic data service will also be available for road authorities and businesses for dynamic traffic control and fleet management purposes, according to the two.

TomTom, Vodafone Team for U.K. Traffic Data Service - GPS LBS

Yahoo Expands LBS Offerings, Integrates GPS - GPS LBS

Yahoo says Go 2.0 will incorporate improved mapping with both satellite and hybrid maps available, as well as navigation including current traffic conditions. It will also give users the option to enable the software to utilize the GPS technology embedded in a users' device for its location-based services, the company says.

In addition to releasing Go for Mobile 2.0 in the United States, Yahoo said it was offering localized beta versions of the software in 13 other countries: Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, Thailand, and Vietnam. These localized versions will incorporate much of the functionality found in the U.S. version including oneSearch, the company said; it will initially be available on some 200 different models of mobile phone, with plans to expand to 400.

Yahoo Expands LBS Offerings, Integrates GPS - GPS LBS

Mobile Phones Threaten Dedicated PND Market - GPS LBS

Recent research by In-Stat found that:

• The market for PNDs will reach 56 million units worldwide by 2011, up from 14 million in 2006.
• Market drivers include falling price points, enhanced features, stronger consumer awareness of PNDs, and increased marketing and promotion by leading PND manufacturers.
• In 2006, PND manufacturers significantly reduced prices, with entry models priced under $200.

Mobile Phones Threaten Dedicated PND Market - GPS LBS

AmberWatch Mobile GPS tracking service announced - Engadget

The AmberWatch Foudation used QUALCOMM's recent BREW 2007 conference to take the wraps off its latest initiative, with QUALCOMM CEO Paul Jacobs himself helping to talk up the new AmberWatch Mobile GPS tracking service and urge others in the industry to jump on board. Among other things, the new service will allow individuals to send alerts to family and friends when they're in need of assistance (which'll include their GPS location), allow chosen friends or family members to check on an individual's location from their PC or cellphone, and give parents the ability to set up scheduled checkups with their kids. Look for the software to roll out this September, with about half of the proceeds from sales going to support the AmberWatch Foundation.

AmberWatch Mobile GPS tracking service announced - Engadget