Archive for the ‘map’ tag

Case Study: MAP Toolkit saves Heartland Technology Solutions time deploying Windows 7

Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit played an important role in helping to save time and hassle for Heartland Technology Solutions’ (HTS) recent upgrade to Windows 7. Read this MAP case study to learn more.

Revolution versus revolution

Women’s quota: beneficiaries of a previous social revolution are resisting a new one. Opposition to women’s reservation comprises of two strands both of which, writes Varghese K George, are invalid. Read More…  

Map this | Who really is a star?

TomTom – Fightin’ Words for 2010

TomTom had their earnings announcement recently, but buried in the text are a few clues for 2010 that offer a bit of insight into what’s up for the company. They announced that they will be looking at more accurate travel times and predictive traffic in some countries. They have been taking steps towards this for a long time.

1. TomTom launches MapShare – TomTom starts with getting more accurate maps by crowd sourcing map fixes.
2. TomTom Buys TeleAtlas – they now own their map source and start investing in more accurate maps.
3. TomTom Captures User data from their trips – Result is more real-world trip data; IQ Routes is born
4. TomTom Launches iPhone App – starts capturing travel time and traffic data
5. TomTom Announces iPhone App ver 1.3 – Live Traffic on the iPhone

In their earnings announcement TomTom said:

Traffic information is a key investment area for us, as we know that our technology can substantially enhance accuracy and coverage. We will bring innovative, new product propositions to the market this year, such as predictive traffic information, in a growing number of countries.”

It is unclear if TomTom will be using their partner Inrix for the data, or if they will be generating the information themselves through their network of GPS probes and historical information. It is not easy to do predictive traffic, as you need to understand historical speeds, as well as understand how accidents and the effects of those accidents and other effects like storms, large gatherings and special events can change traffic flow. Inrix has figured this out and also has very detailed coverage of secondary roadways in at least the US, and may offer similar quality capabilities in Europe where they have been making headway recently at data and client acquisition.

TomTom is also throwing down the gauntlet on the statement of quality:

“When it comes to location and navigation solutions, we are the only company in this industry fully focused on delivering an uncompromised consumer experience. By continuously enriching the granularity and completeness of our guidance solutions, such as by adding slope, lane and curve information, we differentiate what we can offer across the broad spectrum of our products and expand the available market.”

Sounds like fightin’ words to me. On top of that, I expect with that statement to see innovation in using additional map attributes to create new products this year. Back in 2007 when I went to visit TomTom, I rode in the TeleAtlas van and saw the future potential as they captured road signs, lane information and building image capture – all attributes that are used today in higher level navigation units with speed limit data, lane assist capability and in some cities 3-D drawings of buildings.

Back in 2007, TeleAtlas also talked about capturing information about lane position, and it seems like TomTom is positioning themselves to get into lane departure warnings too with their recent announcement. Never a dull moment in this field and ripe with innovation potential.

Nokia Nuron – 3G Phone with On-Board Navigation

Just in case you thought that things were settling into a nice Garmin v. TomTom and iPhone v. Android war with neatly drawn lines, Nokia is launching the Noika Nuron 5230 in the US that will come with onboard maps, and integrated navigation capabilities; Nokia, you know, the owners of NAVTEQ – the map maker who stars in the NAVTEQ v. TeleAtlas wars.

The Nuron is Symbian based and is coming out in a few weeks for the T-Mobile system and has a 3.2-inch display and is Nokia’s first US phone with on board navigation. The phone will come with a $39/mo minimum plan plus a $10/mo dataplan, making it line up pretty well with other smartphone offerings in the market. What makes it stand out is that it is only $69 for the phone.

It will have driving and pedestrian routing, as well as lane assistance built in. The phone also comes with free real-time traffic updates, event and movie listings, and weather forecasts. Of course, just in case you need more, you can get it from the full HTML browser.

ReadMore in TWICE

63 die in stampede at UP godman s ashram

About 25,000 people gathering in a narrow lane for a feast, with no crowd control, at an ashram in Kunda town in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district on Thursday was a disaster in the making, K Sandeep Kumar reports.  See map | Listen to podcast  | Fatal attraction

Aircraft crashes into house 3 killed

Two Indian Navy pilots and a civilian were killed on Wednesday when a trainer aircraft crashed into a residential building while performing a stunt on the opening day of the Hyderabad Air Show. HT Correspondents report. See map | Plane crash at air show: Watch  | In pics | Ageing fleet

After crash Navy grounds entire fleet of Kiran aircraft

The Navy has a fleet a 20 Kiran aircraft — 12 Mk-I and eight Mk II aircraft — which are based in Goa. “As per the standard operating procedure, the aircraft will not fly till the time they are cleared by the Board of Inquiry (BOI) looking into today’s mishap,” Navy officials said. Hyderabad crash: See map | Navy plane crashes at air show 

Naval aircraft crashes into Hyderabad building pilots dead

A naval aerobatic plane, flying in a formation during an airshow, today crashed into a three-storied building in Hyderabad, killing two pilots and injuring seven persons on the ground. See map

2010 11 Budget goals possible only if states stick together

Pranab Mukherjee has laid out a road map for agricultural recovery and progress based on conservation of ecological foundations, cultivation on conservation principles, consumption with focus on food safety and quality, and farmer-centric commerce.

Garmin Forerunner 305 – $152 at Amazon – Running and Biking GPS

The Garmin Forerunner 305 has been a long standing, well performing GPS trainer for a lot of runners and bikers alike. I continue to find that people enjoy training and keep ing track of that training with a GPS enabled device, which allows them to not only track mileage but also pace, heart rate, and route on the map. With communities like Garmin Connect , you can upload your data to share the route with others, while also finding out about new routes in what ever area you are in or going to.

The Garmin Forerunner 305 comes with a heart rate monitor and a design that allows it to grab and lock onto satellite signals quickly and reliably. I have used it successfully to bike with too. With the optional Garmin Forerunner Bike Mount, you can mount the forerunner on your handlebars.

Spring running and biking is here – get out there and go.

At Amazon – Garmin Forerunner 305

Casio EX 10HG Camera – 12 MP, GPS Tagging and Navigation

Casio has given the green light to move the Casio EX HG10 camera to market sometime late this year, which will include a whole bunch of digital camera features and a GPS chip that not only tags your photos, but also serves as the basis for GPS/PND type point to point navigation. It apparently uses Google Maps, and one might assume Google is providing the Points of Information too. The camera itself has a whopping 12.1 MP sensor for your photo shoots, and the ability to browse where you took those detailed pictures on the map.

Cost is expected to be around $400.

Via Slashgear

Minaret falls during prayers in Morocco, 36 dead (Yahoo – Most Viewed)

AP – A minaret collapsed during Friday prayers — killing 36 people and injuring 71 — at a crowded mosque in the old town of the historic Moroccan city of Meknes, the official MAP news agency said.

Minaret collapse toll rises to 41

The toll in the collapse of a minaret in northern Morocco rose to 41 on Saturday, with the number of injured put at 75, Moroccan news agency MAP reported.

Minaret falls during prayers in Morocco 36 dead

A minaret collapsed during prayers killing 36 people and injuring 71 at a crowded mosque in the old town of the historic Moroccan city of Meknes, the official MAP news agency said.

Update Your Garmin and TomTom Maps? Lifetime/Regular Map Upgrades

Got Maps? Well eventually you need to upgrade your maps and I want to explain a couple of options I like that get you updated maps almost all the time.

Garmin

Garmin has a lifetime map upgrade for North America at a $95 price point. Sure it’s a lot, but at about $50 a year, this is a pretty good deal to keep your GPS updated for the long haul. The $95 gets you updated maps about every quarter for the lifetime of the device that you register it with.

There are no monthly fees or continuing maintenance costs; you pay only once per Garmin GPS. When you want to update your maps, connect your device to your computer and log into your myGarmin account, where the latest map data is ready to load to your individual device. We’re constantly gathering new map data, and a new update is available up to four times per year. Sign up for our email notification, and we’ll email you when the newest data is available.

Garmin nüMaps Lifetime North America Map Updates

How does it work?

• Each time you connect your device to your computer, TomTom HOME will let you know if a new map is waiting for you.
• New maps are released each quarter and are added to your account as soon as they are available.
• Warning – Map Update Service starts with the latest map, so you may have to upgrade your map at a discounted price

TomTom Map Update Service

DeLorme Earthmate GPS Receivers Compatible with MyTopo Terrain Navigator

GPS waypoints and tracks collected on DeLorme’s Earthmate PN-Series handheld GPS receivers can now be imported and displayed within MyTopo’s Terrain Navigator map data. Law enforcement and search and rescue volunteers are among those who use both Terrain Navigator mapping software and Earthmate PN-Series receivers.

Navteq to Support Homeland Security

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has (NGA) selected Navteq to provide map data for the Homeland Security Infrastructure Protection Program.

Maoists kill eleven people in Bihar village

Suspected Maoist rebels raided Korasi village in Jamui district, around 210 km from Patna, early this morning and killed at least 11 people. The attack was apparently carried out to avenge the suspected killing of eight Naxals by the villagers, reports Arun Kumar. More camps waiting to be hit | Full coverage | Naxal or jihadi?
See map | Listen to podcast 

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