GPS Technology Reviews reported on the testing of this new GPS navigator during its extensive testing phase in May 2007. The Dash Express is the first of an evolutionary change in GPS navigation devices to encompass Internet connectivity and add location based search functionality and capture and communicate traffic information. Dash Navigation like to refer to the concept as a social network on the move. Internet connectivity allows drivers to search for and download information about their destinations in the car.

Dash Navigation have emphasized that they have put their initial focus with this new product on providing better traffic reporting/information and better search/destination information. From looking at the Dash Express’s capabilities, user testing and customer reviews it is apparent that the Dash Express is the GPS device to buy if you are seeking traffic and POI search strengths in a GPS. A typical satisfied purchaser would be using the Dash Express to make quicker trips using current, accurate traffic information, get accurate time to destination estimates, score the lowest fuel prices and find up to date information of services in areas local to them. You also won’t find some common GPS features on the Dash Express (see below) including any multimedia functionalities, like a MP3 player. A unique theft-deterrent feature available is the ability to wirelessly disable your Dash Express.
(read more..)

The ASUS R50A Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) was recently announced as an honoree for the 2008 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Best of Innovations Design and Engineering Awards in the Computer Hardware category. ASUS was well represented with the R50A sharing honors with the very new and extremely popular, low cost PC, the Eee PC and the P527 GPS cell phone.

According to ASUS’s news release, the ASUS R50A comes with GPS, 3G / 3.5G connectivity, TV tuner, webcam, microphone and full notebook functionality. It’s a step up from the PDA platform without going to the form factor of a notebook computer. To achieve the ultra mobile tag there is no QWERTY keypad rather relying on a 4.8 inch, 1024 X 600 pixel resolution touchscreen combined with ASUS’s InfoPen software for data entry. The R50A’s size is similar to some of the larger screen car navigation GPS devices available.

ASUS’s R50A ultra mobile computing platform integrating Internet connectivity with GPS capability is a move towards a future including GPS connected navigation devices. With an expected rapid rise in LBS (Location Based Services), GPS devices will become more find and navigate devices rather than navigation devices. Points of Interest from a static database will no longer be acceptable to consumers expecting dynamically updated location based search results.

GPS devices without Internet connectivity are on a path to extinction. You only have to look at Nokia’s recent strategic purchase of Navteq as evidence of corporate acceptance of the bright future for connected navigation devices.

It is not just LBS that will boost the demand for products like the ASUS R50A. Consumers will expect location aware software applications as well. For example, address books will be expected to be location aware even in real time if someone has agreed to ongoing sharing of their location with you.

The roll out rate for new location based services and software is set to jump dramatically due a number of factors such as:

• the rapid proliferation of GPS enabled devices
• reduced development times and easier deployment of location based software applications stemming from the release of multiple phone and carrier programming platforms such as the one recently released by uLocate
• the maturing and simplifying of GPS applications as evidenced by examples such as WHERE, the world’s first wireless GPS widget platform

We are on the edge of a rapid phase of development with expectations like those from market analyst Strategy Analytics prediction of the LBS market growing from some 200 million dollars in 2006 to 1.2 billion in 2011. It’s time for all manufacturers to start looking at what mobile connected computing platforms, such as the ASUS R50A, consumers will be looking for in the near future.

Further Reading

Read our review of Yahoo! Zurfer, a research prototype application from Yahoo! Research Berkeley which brings the location based photo browsing functionalities of Flicker to mobile devices.

Technorati Tags: ASUS R50A, Ultra Mobile PC, UMPC, GPS, 3G / 3.5G connectivity, TV tuner, webcam, ASUS’s InfoPen software, ultra mobile computing, location based services

EarthSearch Communications AutoSearchGPS 1.4 is a automotive GPS device with both tracking and remote vehicle management features available from a cell phone or computer.

AutoSearchGPS 1.4L provides numerous features including:

• Movement Sensor – provides capability to detect vehicle movement;
• Locate/Track — ability to locate and track your vehicle in real time or with the assistance of EarthSearch Communications customer support;
• Disable/Enable – for disabling the engine remotely (only when engine is disengaged unless carried out by EarthSearch Communications); and
• Alerts — receive various alerts: silent alarm, movement, speed, battery disconnect, geo-fence.

(read more..)

Technorati Tags: EarthSearch Communications, AutoSearchGPS

Sony Ericsson’s K530 3G smartphone is another example of technology convergence in the mobile phone market. It can rapidly become a personal navigator with the addition of the previously reviewed plug-in Sony Ericsson HE-100 GPS Enabler. In what one might call a double up of convergence, the HGE-100 is actually a stereo headset with a GPS receiver built-in.

The K530 is intended provide personal GPS navigation capabilities however, for in car use the voice navigation may be more useful as the 2 inch screen is much smaller than specialist GPS car navigation devices. Sony Ericsson highlight its application to fitness training through recording speed and distance and provision of a visual analysis on screen afterwards. Further details of GPS capabilities are provided in our previous review of the HGE-100 GPS Enabler. (read more..)

Technorati Tags: K530 3G smartphone, Sony Ericsson, personal GPS navigation, fitness training

Yahoo! Zurfer is a research prototype application from Yahoo! Research Berkeley which brings the location based photo browsing functionalities of Flicker to mobile devices.

Zurfer is ideal travel companion as it can show you photos that have been taken around your location providing an opportunity search Flickr and discover what local highlights there are to see. Its possible to access the latest photos posted by Flickr friends and check on comments on your own Flickr photos.

To use Yahoo! Zurfer you need a free Flickr account and a free Zonetag account. ZoneTag is another Yahoo! Research Berkeley application which simplifies geotagging of photos taken with cell phones and other mobile devices.

Zurfer has been tested on the N73, N95, N80, 6682 and N70 Nokia Series 60 v2 and v3 cell phones and the Motorola RAZR V3x. Yahoo! Research Berkeley believes it should work on most Nokia Series 60 v2 and v3 phones.

Yahoo! Zurfer is yet another example of the spread of GPS location based social networking services. Other GPS social networking services recently reviewed are:

• Loopt
• Ask Mobile GPS
• Geo Stories

Yahoo! Zurfer is a not a certified Yahoo! Application (yet) and its installation and use are at the risk of the user.

With GPS receivers starting to penetrate the cell phone market and new developments GPS SIM receiver by BlueSky Positioning Ltd (UK) poised to quicken the speed of uptake, location based services are beginning to emerge in greater quantity and variety. GPS social networking is a location based service that is adding variety to the mix.

The basic concept underlying GPS social networking is the ability to share one’s location dynamically. Privacy is ensured by the opt-in nature of the location sharing whereby users can manage their list of those who can know their location. Many phone calls made between friends and family are made to check up on where people are. By sharing ones location anyone on your sharing list can see just where you are in real time. Its easy to imagine the benefits for families - particularly anxious parents.

Loopt is a new GPS social networking service being provided by Boost Mobile, a Sprint/Nextel subsidiary. Its core feature is a “My Friends” page which provides a map of where friends (those who share their location with you) are. Using icons users can see a friends status (available or not) and send SMS text messages or chirps (short pings to their cell phone to let them know you are close). Using a journal feature it’s possible to share photos and other information.

While the concept of sharing one’s location seems fairly basic it seems certain to be a tool a majority of cell phone users will find useful in managing their social networks including family and friends.

Debut Single Video of Lost Loopt Bros

SnowSports Interactive’s technology and software is providing the recreational snowsports industry with real-time personal performance analysis for those who need performance feedback. Concurrently, it’s systems are providing an important safety service. Surprisingly, SnowSport Interactive’s R&D is headquartered in the sub-tropical warmth of Brisbane, Australia but, it also has a branch office in Australian snowfields at Mt Buller and has branch offices opening in Vancouver, San Francisco and Torino.

SnowSports FLAIK performance monitoring hardware is a combination of GPS, RFID and CDMA technologies all packaged in a compact impact resistant casing. It provides the ability to locate friends and family and have personal performance data recorded to monitor speed, vertical footage, distance travelled, time, difficulty, runs and calories burned. Performance data can be viewed on or off the slopes in real time online or via SMS. Data can be sorted by various relevant criteria and statistics mailed or posted to the flaik web community. Skiers can maintain an online blog of their performance statistics and upload pictures, video, music and other content.

(read more..)

Garmin has announced the launch of the Garmin Developer Website dedicated to providing software tools and information for website developers who wand to make their website, application and data content compatible with Garmin navigation devices and systems. The website provides both free and licensed Garmin resources and a library of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), toolkits and web services offering six core products: Garmin Communicator Plugin, MotionBasedâ„¢ Web Services, Content Toolkit, Garmin PeerPointâ„¢ Messaging System, Garmin LBS Toolkitâ„¢ and Fleet Management Interface.

Garmin has also announced the MotionBased Web Services API providing developers access to the same GPS content that MotionBased.com customers enjoy. It will enable third-party websites to store, manipulate and display Garmin GPS data with minimal or no development. The API will be available for testing in the summer of 2007 and will compliment the Communicator Plugin API.

(read more..)

Ask Mobile GPS, a location based service, has been launched by InterActiveCorp providing Google Maps for Mobile with some competition. Ask Mobile GPS is a subscription based service which combines GPS navigation with a friend locator (ala TomTom’s Buddies), Evite (invitation) and Citysearch (local search). InterActiveCorp has plans to add other brands from its corporate stable to the application including; Match.com (dating), RealEstate.com (home listing) and Ticketmaster (box office service).

The Ask Mobile GPS application was developed by Wavemarket, an LBS application provider which already provides the back-end for Sprint networks family locator application. Navteq supply maps for GPS navigation.

Here is a link for Ask Mobile GPS.