Hasta La Gadget!

Skobbler has had some success in the mobile mapping market, thanks in part to iOS’s historical first-party weakness in the area. But, with Apple offering its own solution and Google breaking Maps free from the OS-update chains, it’s facing a more difficult landscape in which to make its mark. So it only makes sense to beef up its offerings on other platforms, and Google-fans are reaping the benefits. An update to Skobbler’s Android app is finally adding the turn-by-turn directions and offline maps, which have been offered on the iOS edition for sometime. The full version has a starting price of just $1 (with one free map download), and the company is even offering a free light version for those who aren’t sure they want to part ways with a Washington (or a Sacagawea) just yet.

Interestingly, the update is actually an entirely new app called GPS Navigation & Maps +offline, though existing users of ForeverMap 2 will be able to upgrade for free. Navigation & Maps also makes the move to OpenStreetMap to provide data, which has both its problems and its perks. Going open source means that Skobbler can undercut competitors like TomTom and Navigon, but there are lingering questions about the accuracy of the database. You’ll find both the full version and the 14-day trial light edition at the source links if you’re looking for an alternative to Google Maps.

Filed under: Software, Mobile

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Source: GPS Navigation & Maps +offline (Google Play), GPS Navigation & Maps – light (Google Play)

This week the folks at Runtastic have made it clear that their ability to track and bring together a community of runners and fitness fanatics is not limited to software. The company has today shown a Bluetooth heart rate monitor, a GPS watch, a “Runtastic Sports Armband” for holding your iPhone or similarly-sized Android phone, and a receiver and chest strap – for heart rate, altitude, distance ran, and more – each of these then fed wirelessly into your smartphone with a Runtastic app. While Runtastic has offered hardware like these accessory bits and pieces before in a more limited way, this week they’ve made their move to the USA.

The company has spoken up about how well they’re doing for downloads, noting their main app to be at a point where it’s downloaded once per second – though when and for how long this happened is not exactly clear. On the other hand, it can be noted that Runtastic’s community of users is above 25 million counting mobile app users and up to 10 million in registered users on their website.

The Runtastic hardware family has also been expanded with a bike mount for iPhone and Android smartphones. The full collection of hardware accessories offered by Runtastic this week have been entered into an exclusive agreement with Amazon.com – so you might not be seeing them available in your local corner shop any time soon. A Runtastic Speed and Cadence Bike Sensor rounds off the family, turning your bike into what the company says will be a “cycling computer” with Bluetooth capabilities.

“By offering hardware, apps and services that are all developed in-house, Runtastic creates an integrated experience that is easy and fun.” – Runtastic CEO Florian Gschwandtner

The company is banking on the idea of creating and offering all software and hardware in their workout ecosystem themselves. With control over all elements from top to bottom, Runtastic enters a place where they’ve got the ability to make changes to software in app form and in updates to the software embedded in each device – if need be.

Such a system has worked well for larger companies in the past – and though businesses such as this don’t often start with the software and work out to the hardware from there, Runtastic seems to be doing just that, in a big way.

Runtastic accessories bring hardware in-house: GPS and Bluetooth on-deck is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Pioneer’s nicer Cyber Navi GPS units already revolve heavily around cameras that dish out augmented reality. That clearly wasn’t enough for the company, though, as its new tilt-screen AVIC-VH0009 and fixed-screen AVIC-ZH0009 models wring even more value out of that front sensor. Their new Smart Loop feature automatically snaps photos at traffic hotspots that it shares with fellow drivers, giving them a crowdsourced glimpse of any trouble that lies ahead. Other upgrades don’t depend quite so much on collective wisdom, however. The AR Scouter Mode is now smart enough to spot upcoming crosswalks, and the voice search lets drivers freely speak keywords rather than follow a strict syntax. Pioneer isn’t divulging pricing ahead of the Cyber Navis’ June release, but their Japan-focused location services hint that we won’t see either navigator reach the US anytime soon. We can at least live vicariously through the (very detailed) video after the break.

Filed under: GPS, Transportation

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Via: PCWorld

Source: Pioneer

Between buying Instagram and calling Facebook Home the “next version” of his social network, it’s fairly clear Mark Zuckerberg’s obsessed with the prime real estate on your smartphone. Israeli newspaper Calcalist is reporting that Zuckerberg and Co. are eyeing up crowdsourced GPS app Waze, which generates mapping data by pulling it from its users’ devices in real time. The paper says that Facebook entered into discussions around six months ago, with prices in the $800 million to $1 billion range being mentioned — and while that sounds like a big number, it’s still only a dollar per user.

Filed under: GPS, Internet, Software, Mobile, Facebook

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Via: Reuters

Source: Calcalist (Translated)

When we think about GPS satellites, most of us think about how the typical consumer uses GPS in their vehicle to get from one place to another. In fact, many people rely so heavily on GPS that in the event of a map problem, some people have literally driven right off the road because they depend so heavily on GPS. While a significant GPS outage for your average consumer might be an annoyance, an outage for the military could be catastrophic.

The military uses a number of different types of weapons that rely on GPS signals to accurately track and destroy enemy targets. If the GPS satellite system were to go down due to accident or a military strike, GPS guided missiles, and bombs could be rendered ineffective. DARPA doesn’t like the thought of military weapons rendered ineffective by taking down a few satellites that orbit unprotected in space.

Therefore, researchers at DARPA have been working on creating something called the TIMU, or Timing and Inertial Measurement Unit. This tiny chip has everything it needs on the single piece of silicon to navigate around the globe without relying on GPS satellites. The sensor has a six-axis IMU including three accelerometers and three gyroscopes. It also has a highly accurate master clock all packed into a space measuring only 10 mm.

DARPA says that the tiny piece of silicon can give hardware using it a near precise location. DARPA says that the little sensor works because it provides three pieces of information that are required to accurately guide anything to a desired destination. The three pieces of information are orientation, acceleration, and time. The chip DARPA designed uses six layers of silica and is only 50 microns thick. That is about thickness of a human hair with each of the six layers providing a different function depending on the sensor embedded there. The TIMU does have applications outside of military use and could allow for civilian GPS devices offering improved navigation indoors or underground where GPS satellites can’t be used.

[via Element 14]

DARPA divorces satellites for GPS-free tracking chip is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.