Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
John RistevskiPrivacy rebellions such as recently drove a Google Street View crew from Broughton, England, or security-oriented legislation that would require blurred features or position accuracy in commercial imagery is just part of the market environment for 3-D mapping company earthmine, Inc., which is moving out of beta mode into full-fledged operations.
By Inside GNSS
NavCom Technology Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Deere & Company, and Astrium Services have formed a strategic partnership to deliver precise positioning solutions throughout Europe.
By Inside GNSS
CAST Navigation LLC is relocating to expanded facilities as a result of increased demand for the company’s GPS simulators, GPS/INS navigation test equipment, and embedded GPS/inertial (EGI) integration tools.
Effective April 20, the new physical location for the CAST Navigation team will be: One Highwood Drive, Suite 100, Tewksbury, MA 01876. Phone contact is 978-858-0130. Faxes may be sent to 978-858-0170; website, <www.castnav.com>.
By Inside GNSS
Typical implementation of geotagging in camera. Source: GeotateIn a €5.5-million cash deal, u-blox AG, of Thalwil, Switzerland, has acquired Geotate B.V. and its patented technology and products in the area of software GPS and geotagging GPS.
The acquisition will enable u-blox to expand its position in consumer markets with geotagging solutions for digital camera manufacturers and other portable device manufacturers.
By Inside GNSS
Sea State MonitoringSurrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) will lead a British project to exploit signals from GPS and other GNSS satellites that are reflected from the Earth for remote sensing purposes.
The project will investigate a prototype instrument capable of measuring the roughness of the sea and soil moisture content, providing data for atmospheric science and for operational ocean and weather forecasting.
By Inside GNSS
Montreal, Quebec, Canada–based OnPOZ Precision Positioning has released, GNSS Driver for ArcPad, a new extension to the ESRI product that allows GNSS post-processing using different GNSS receiver brands.
The receiver-independent extension can significantly improve GNSS/GIS data accuracy and reliability, logging real-time positions, metadata, and all GNSS observations in order to increase the reliability and accuracy of GNSS positions by post-processing ESRI Shapefiles.
By Inside GNSS
Steve Koles, Hemisphere GPS president & CEOHemisphere GPS has reported a 35 percent increase in revenues in 2008 — to a company record of US$72.7 million, versus $53.7 million the previous year. According to the company, 2008 growth was driven by strong market fundamentals in agriculture, including higher farm incomes.
By Inside GNSS
u-blox PCI-5S and PCM-5Su-blox has announced the immediate availability of a GPS “PCI Express Mini” card. The card enables laptops, netbooks, mobile Internet devices, and “Ultra Mobile” PC OEMs to provide GPS and location-based services such as personal navigation, services/people finder, and geo-tagging.
Sales of mobile PCs with integrated GPS are projected to grow from 3 million units in 2007 to 45 million units in 2011, according to the company.
By Glen Gibbons
CellGuide, a Rehovot, Israel–based fables semiconductor manufacturer of highly integrated host-based GPS/GNSS receivers, has introduced the RAMON GPS module.
Measuring 5.4 x 4.6 x 1.1 millimeters, the RAMON module includes both active and passive components in a single fully integrated package, meeting the demanding design and cost requirements of device manufacturers.
By Glen Gibbons
Racelogic Ltd., of Buckingham, United Kingdom, has introduced LabSat, a one-box system designed to record and replay real-world GPS data for use in designing and validating GPS products.
By Glen Gibbons
GSG-L1Pendulum Instruments, of Stockholm, Sweden, has acquired the GSG-L1, a single-channel, single-frequency (L1) GPS signal generator, from Naviva, a Space Systems Finland (SSF) business unit.
The GSG-L1, which is designed for production test or R&D purposes, will be available for delivery in March. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
By Glen Gibbons
RF Micro Devices (RFMD), which last year announced plans to exit the GPS solutions business in order to focus on core semiconductor component opportunities, hasn’t abandoned the GNSS marketplace completely.
By Glen Gibbons
Michael Ritter, NovAtel President & CEONovAtel, Inc., announced today (January 27) that it has named Michael Ritter as the company’s new president and CEO.
Ritter succeeds Jon Ladd, who will take on a new strategic advisory role with NovAtel’s parent company, Hexagon AB, of Sweden. A provider of core GNSS technology, including GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo receivers mostly in high-precision OEM form factors, NovAtel is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
By Inside GNSS
