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Cape Canaveral, Florida — Dec 17, `07 — The fifth in a series of eight modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellites built by Lockheed Martin for the US Air Force is ready for launch aboard a Delta II rocket on Dec 20, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

The spacecraft, designated GPS IIR-18M, is a modernized version of the Block IIR series designed to enhance the GPS constellation for military and civilian GPS users around the globe. The modernized series delivers increased signal power to receivers on the ground, two new military signals for improved accuracy, enhanced encryption and anti-jamming capabilities for the military, and a second civil signal to provide users with an open access signal on a different frequency.

The GPS constellation provides critical situational awareness and precision weapon guidance for the military and supports a wide range of civil, scientific and commercial functions – from air traffic control to the Internet – with precision location and timing information.

The Global Positioning System enables properly equipped users to determine precise time and velocity and worldwide latitude, longitude and altitude to within a few meters. Air Force Space Command’s 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS), based at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., manages and operates the GPS constellation for both civil and military users. More at Lockheed Martin.

SAN JOSE, Calif — Dec 17, `07 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — As a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance, SiRF today announced it will rapidly implement key end-to-end location-awareness features needed to enable mobile devices powered by the Android platform to provide an optimal location awareness experience for consumers.

SiRF has joined with Google and more than 30 other companies worldwide to develop and deploy Android, the Alliance’s open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. SiRF’s commitment to Android is the latest in the company’s efforts to bring the power of location to the mainstream market by making location an intrinsic part of the mobile experience.

SiRF is actively working on the Android platform to include some of the more innovative features of Secure User Plane Location (SUPL), a standards-based protocol that allows a mobile handset client to communicate with a SUPL Location Platform (SLP), including transport layer security (TLS) for location privacy and multiple session capabilities to provide the most compelling user experience.

SiRF is also implementing support for Android-based assisted GPS (A-GPS) handsets, including mobile station based (MSB) and mobile station assisted (MSA) positioning methods to facilitate the Android platform passing Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and 3GPP conformance testing for third-party certification.

Chicago, IL – NAVTEQ on Wednesday, Dec 12, announced that its stockholders have approved the previously announced merger agreement entered into with Nokia at the special meeting of stockholders held earlier today.

Over 75% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock eligible to vote, representing over 99% of the total votes cast at the special meeting, were voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement.

Adoption of the merger agreement by NAVTEQ stockholders satisfies one of the conditions to completion of the merger between NAVTEQ and Nokia. Completion of the merger is also subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of the other closing conditions set forth in the merger agreement. More at Navteq.

LONDON — Dec 12, ‘07 — Microsoft has acquired Multimap, one of the United Kingdom’s top 100 technology companies and one of the leading online mapping services in the world.

The acquisition gives Microsoft a powerful new location and mapping technology to complement existing offerings such as Virtual Earth, Live Search, Windows Live services, MSN and the aQuantive advertising platform, with future integration potential for a range of other Microsoft products and platforms. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Multimap will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, as part of the Virtual Earth and Search teams in the Online Services Group. The acquisition is the latest in a series of moves as Microsoft seeks to expand its online services to deliver software, services, and premium content and applications to consumers and businesses.More at Microsoft.

Amsterdam — December 05, ‘07 — Today, TomTom, the world’s largest navigation solutions provider, announced it is teaming up with Google Maps so users can search for and send business addresses directly from the Google Maps’ website to TomTom devices. This results in a richer and more personalised navigation experience.

“The ability to search, find and send information from the web to a TomTom is something we have been investing in for some time now. We are pleased to work together with Google Maps on this personalization functionality,” says Eric Pité, Vice President Product Management at TomTom.

How does it work?

Google Maps local search pages have expanded their ‘Send to’ feature with the option ‘Send to GPS’. With just one mouse click TomTom users can instantly benefit from this service without needing to download complicated zip files.

Google Maps allows TomTom users to search for business addresses and transfer them from the Google Maps website to their TomTom device by clicking on the ‘Send to GPS’ button.

The selected information is transferred to the TomTom device when the device is connected to the Internet via TomTom HOME, the free software application TomTom offers its customers. Drivers can then navigate to their new destination, as well as view the location on the map of the TomTom device or save it as a ‘favorite’ on the device for later use.

The tie-up would for instance allow TomTom users to plan a city trip by searching for accommodation, restaurants or museums using Google Maps on their computer and then transfer the places they want to visit to their TomTom device.

TomTom’s devices do include so-called “points of interest” — such as restaurants, petrol stations and parking garages — but if a user has not regularly bought map upgrades, such data can become out of date.

Brussels — Nov 28, ‘07 — The European Commission has opened a detailed investigation under the EU merger regulation into TomTom’s proposed acquisition of Tele Atlas, both of The Netherlands.

TomTom produces portable navigation devices (PNDs) and Tele Atlas is one of two producers of navigable digital maps, a crucial input for PND manufacturers.

The Commission’s initial market investigation has indicated that the proposed merger raises serious doubts with regards to vertical competition concerns. A decision to open an in-depth inquiry does not prejudge the final result of the investigation. The Commission now has until 17 April 2008 to take a final decision on whether the proposed transaction would significantly impede effective competition within the European Economic Area (EEA) or a significant part of it.

Tom Tom is active in navigation software and manufacturing of PNDs and is the market leader in the EEA. Tele Atlas is one of only two producers of navigable digital maps offering a complete coverage of Europe and North America (the other being U.S firm Navteq).

After a preliminary review, the Commission has identified serious doubts that the acquisition by TomTom of Tele Atlas might, in the light of the duopoly market for navigable digital maps and TomTom’s strong position on the market for PNDs, lead to a significant impediment of effective competition within the EEA.

Navigable digital maps are essential inputs for producers of PNDs. The proposed acquisition raises vertical competition concerns because TomTom acquires one of the current two map suppliers that provide maps for the whole of Europe. The Commission’s in-depth investigation will focus, inter alia, on assessing whether the transaction would increase the costs of other PND manufacturers for navigable digital map or limit their access to these maps, and as a consequence harm consumers. More at European Commission.

Nov 27, ‘07 — Naomi Kim of Reuters bring us the Brookstone story, which adds 3rd dimension to the online shopping.

“Consumers looking to avoid crowded malls and the tedium of online shopping can now shop in a virtual 3-dimensional store.

Specialty retailer Brookstone Inc. opened the virtual doors to its 3-dimensional store, which combines a Second Life-like visual experience with real merchandise customers can buy.

The virtual store replicates the look and layout of a real store. Customers can move through the aisles and browse and zoom on products using a mouse and keyboard. Detailed information is available by stopping in front of an item.

“We think it really appeals to a younger audience for us, a demographic probably 25 to 40… because of the almost gaming nature of it,” said Sweeney. Brookstone.com will still offer its wares in the conventional way, but offers the 3-D store as an alternative”. More at Reuters.

Brookstone 3D Online Store (Warning: On the next screen, you have to install -never heard before- Kinset shopping browser in order to browse the 3D store).

Related Story: EveryScape Will Show You the Real World, Online!

Worlds are not born, they are created. This is just the beginning of ours. And yours. Welcome to EveryScape beta — where together the real world is being created, online. Says EveryScape.com

Nov 26, ‘07 — Anne Eisenberg of International Herald Tribune writes an in-depth article on EveryScape,  a website that provides 3-D-like tours.

Three-dimensional mapping programs like Google Earth let people fly over the rooftops of virtual cities, and other online services lead them down individual streets.

She further writes, “Now, one company is planning 3-D-like tours of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and other cities that not only venture down streets, but also inside some businesses. Tourists to this virtual Cambridge will be able to click their way along a Brattle Street rendered in realistic detail and move through the computer-generated interiors of dozens of nearby shops and institutions.

EveryScape in Waltham, Massachusetts, will start virtual tours of streets and businesses in Cambridge and Lexington, Massachusetts, in December, said Mok Oh, founder and chief technology officer of EveryScape.

So far, a limited number of street tours in Boston, New York, Miami Beach and Aspen, Colorado, can be seen on a beta version of EveryScape’s Web site.

EveryScape’s service may be attractive to companies that want to expand their online presence beyond a standard Web listing, said Denise Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association.

Online visitors will be able to take the tour when they go to the Harvard Square Business Association site, www.harvardsquare.com. A preliminary version of the tour, already posted, lets visitors navigate local streets, but not the interiors of businesses.

The Harvard Square site is popular, Jillson said. It gets about 2 million hits a month, about 37,000 of them first-time visitors, up from about 1.3 million and 30,000 new visitors a year ago.” More at IHT.

AMSTERDAM, Netherland – Nov 18, ’07 – Two days after Garmin dropped its effort to buy Tele Atlas NV, TomTom NV said it would begin an offer of $43.88 a share for the digital-mapping company.

The other global map maker, Navteq, has agreed to be acquired by cell phone manufacturer Nokia Oyj for $8.1 billion.

The period in which Tele Atlas shareholders can tender their shares will begin on Nov. 19 and end on Dec. 18, the companies said in a joint statement on Sunday.

Tele Atlas will hold an extraordinary shareholders meeting on Dec. 7 to discuss the offer.

TomTom Press Release:

“With reference to the press release of 7 November 2007, TomTom NV and Tele Atlas NV hereby jointly announce that TomTom is making a recommended public cash offer for all of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares with a nominal value of EUR 0.10 each in the capital of Tele Atlas.

Highlights
- The Offer is a cash offer for all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares in the capital of Tele Atlas of EUR 30.00 per Share.
- The acceptance period commences at 9:00 hours, Amsterdam time (3:00 hours New York time) on 19 November 2007 and will end at 15:00 hours Amsterdam time (9:00 hours New York time) on 18 December 2007, unless extended.
- Tele Atlas will convene an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to be held on 7 December 2007 during which the Offer will be discussed.
- The Boards fully support the Offer and recommend the Offer to all Shareholders for acceptance.
- A condition to the Offer is that the number of Shares tendered for acceptance under the Offer, together with the Shares that are held at that time by the Offeror, represents at least 80 per cent. of all issued and outstanding Shares as set out in the Offer Memorandum.

The Offer
TomTom is making the Offer, subject to the terms and restrictions contained in the offer memorandum dated 18 November 2007.

Shareholders tendering their Shares under the Offer will be paid, under the terms and subject to the conditions and restrictions contained in the Offer Memorandum, in consideration of each Share validly tendered and delivered (geleverd) a cash amount of EUR 30.00.”

More at TomTom, Tele Atlas.

Cayman Islands — PR Newswire — Nov 16, ‘07 — Garmin Ltd. announced today that its subsidiaries, Garmin International Inc and Garmin Corporation, have signed a six-year extension to their agreement with NAVTEQ, a leading provider of digital map data for location based solutions and vehicle navigation.

The agreement allows Garmin to continue using NAVTEQ data through 2015, with an option to renew for an additional four-year period. In addition, the parties have agreed to pursue expanded points of cooperation that will result in improved mapping quality and coverage worldwide, and will drive further device innovation into the future. The parties did not disclose specific details of the agreement.

“Garmin has partnered with NAVTEQ for many years. We utilize their map data in the majority of our products and we have always appreciated their commitment to the market,” said Garmin CEO Dr. Min Kao. “Extending our agreement with NAVTEQ ensures the availability of quality mapping data for our customers, and provides a basis for enhanced cooperation which is a win-win for both Garmin and NAVTEQ. We believe the outcome creates the best value for Garmin, our customers, and stakeholders.”

In addition and with reference to the press release dated October 31, 2007, Garmin also announced today that in light of these developments it does not intend to pursue its offer for Tele Atlas N.V.

Garmin is a leading, worldwide provider of navigation, communications and information devices with subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Brazil and Singapore with pending acquisitions in Denmark, Italy and Spain. More at Garmin.

Garmin and TomTom have settled their intellectual property suits that were pending in the U.S., UK and the Netherlands. The settlement may enable both firms to divert more resources and attention on another battle: fighting for the right to acquire Tele Atlas, a digital map publisher.

CAYMAN ISLANDS/November 15, 2007/PR Newswire - Garmin Ltd. announces today a confidential global settlement of all of its intellectual property litigation with TomTom.  The settlement resolves all of the pending intellectual property litigation including cases in the UK, Netherlands, Wisconsin, and Texas. The parties did not disclose details of their agreement.

Garmin, based in the Cayman Islands but with operational headquarters in Olathe, Kan., makes products that use global positioning system data and leads the market for navigation devices in the U.S.

TomTom, based in Amsterdam, is the European leader in similar devices.

Garmin sued TomTom in federal courts in Wisconsin and Texas, claiming it infringed on Garmin patents. And Garmin asked courts in the Netherlands and United Kingdom to invalidate registered designs and patents claimed by TomTom.

TomTom countersued in Wisconsin, claiming Garmin infringed on three patents TomTom bought from Horizon Navigation Inc., based in Santa Clara, Calif., which makes in-vehicle navigation devices.

A year ago, Garmin won the first round when a court in The Hague, Netherlands, refused TomTom’s request for a preliminary injunction against Garmin for allegedly copying a European registered design it owned.

The lawsuits were seen as an ill-time distraction for both companies. They come at a time when the GPS market is growing rapidly and reaching critical mass in many developed markets.

Earlier this year, Garmin overtook TomTom for the global market share lead in delivering GPS systems, shipping 1.85 million units in the second quarter, a 25 percent global market share, according to research firm Canalys.

TomTom was close behind, with 1.81 million GPS systems shipped, a market share of 24 percent. Those two were far ahead of the rest of the pack, with the top five rounded out by Mio Technology, Magellan and Navman. In Europe, TomTom has 30 percent of the market and Garmin about 17 percent. Garmin has long led in the U.S. with more than 50 percent market share.

Tele Atlas is the last remaining independent publisher of the digital maps that power GPS systems following Nokia’s purchase last month of Navteq in a deal worth $8.1 billion. More at Garmin.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19, 2007 — Hundreds of industrial designers attending the Connecting’07 conference in San Francisco this week are experiencing the HP mscape software platform as they roam through the city’s neighborhoods playing Defenders of Design, a customized and highly interactive location-based mobile game created especially for the conference.mscape is a software suite that enables people to design, play and share “mediascapes” – location-based experiences, games and tours. Developed by HP Labs, the company’s central research facility, the technology has been used to recreate historical moments, bring a community’s stories to life and develop new ways of socializing, entertaining and learning.

Earlier this year, HP made the mscape authoring toolkit and mobile player software available via download from the community website, mscape, at no cost for non-commercial use on specific iPAQ models and other compatible handheld devices. The toolkit allows people to associate physical locations with digital media, such as video, music, images and text.

Defenders of Design was created by The GoGame, which produces and stages interactive participative team-building games for corporations and other groups. The group incorporated mscape’s location capabilities into the game, which supplies clues and other information that guide Connecting’07 participants to some of San Francisco’s premier design studios and through special missions that challenge their creativity.

“mscape is a great tool that opens new possibilities for the designers of our high-tech urban adventure,” said Finnegan Kelly, co-founder, The GoGame. “The mscape platform gives us the ability to integrate customized digital media that we can link to a specific location in our futuristic storyline. We can send fun facts about a design company just as players walk in the door of a studio, or a video containing an important clue before participants approach an undercover actor with a secret password.”

HP Labs offered the mscape platform to the public so consumers, gamers and designers could experience its capabilities and explore new uses for location-sensitive technologies. The mscape site hosts numerous ready-made mediascapes, which can be downloaded by anyone to use with a GPS-enabled HP iPAQ or other compatible handheld device running the Windows® Mobile operating system. The website provides everything people need to develop their own mediascapes, including training and tips to get started, and it encourages people to upload their mediascapes so others can enjoy them.

“mscape matches digital media with the physical world, providing an immersive and location-aware experience,” said Phil McKinney, vice president and chief technology officer, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Mobile devices will increasingly incorporate context and location awareness in the coming years, and mscape helps us better understand how associating digital media with physical locations can not only be fun and informative, but also useful in our personal and professional lives.”

More at HP, mscape

Consumers can shape and share ideas in 3-D in Virtual Earth. REDMOND, Wash., and PARIS — Oct. 18, 2007 — Dassault Systèmes (DS), a world leader in 3-D and product life-cycle management (PLM) solutions, and Microsoft Corp. today launched Microsoft^® Virtual Earth™ -3DVIA (Technology Preview). This free online application, developed by Dassault Systèmes, allows consumers to imagine and create realistic 3-D models — such as of buildings and structures — then share them through Microsoft Virtual Earth and online communities.“Virtual Earth -3DVIA users will be able to build a world that mixes their future projects and ideas with real-life places, buildings and structures,” said Lynne Wilson, senior vice president and general manager of 3DVIA at Dassault Systèmes. “Through Microsoft’s online geographic location mapping technology and our 3-D modeling and realistic visualization know-how, we have created a new level of realism within Virtual Earth that provides an unrestricted freedom for creativity and innovation.”

Users can download Virtual Earth -3DVIA for free and immediately begin using the fun, easy-to-use and intuitive application. Virtual Earth -3DVIA allows anyone to do the following with their ideas:

– Create. With just a few clicks, users can easily design a 3-D model of their house, favorite building or any structure, then select from different visualization options, textures and colors to give their 3-D model a style of its own.
– Publish. Users can upload their 3-D models to Virtual Earth, specifying an address or neighborhood so they can experience the model within a real-life context.
– Share. Users can add their 3-D model to collections, and share it with friends and colleagues through Web communities.

“Our alliance with Dassault Systèmes, a company that has 26 years of technology experience in 3-D modeling, will help us bring a new level of realism to Virtual Earth,” said Stephen Lawler, general manager of Virtual Earth at Microsoft. “Microsoft is committed to delivering the highest-quality product for our Virtual Earth customers, and this enhancement is another step toward fulfilling that commitment.”

Virtual Earth -3DVIA is being released as a technology preview to allow community feedback before the next release of the product. More information about Virtual Earth -3DVIA is available online at http://maps.live.com/Help/en-us/VE3DVIADownload.htm.

About Virtual Earth

The Virtual Earth platform is Microsoft’s next-generation integrated set of powerful online mapping and search services that offer a variety of capabilities, including unique bird’s- eye view, three-dimensional imagery, and aerial and satellite imagery. The Virtual Earth platform also powers a variety of consumer, enterprise and government applications that enable people to discover and explore a specific location. Virtual Earth powers Live Search Maps, Microsoft’s online local search and mapping Web site. More information about the Virtual Earth platform is available at http://www.microsoft.com/virtualearth/default.mspx.

About 3DVIA

3DVIA is Dassault Systèmes’ brand for online 3D lifelike experiences. It establishes 3D as a universal media for consumer and professional communities, and allows anyone to imagine, play, and experience products and services used in our daily lives. Once perfected in the virtual world, these can be delivered in the physical world. The Virtools product line is part of 3DVIA. For more information about 3DVIA, go to: www.3dvia.com.

Microsoft has rolled out updates to the latest release of its Live Search service, introducing improvements to local and mobile search. Following hot on the heels of Google’s newly unveiled Google 411 local search offering, Microsoft announced the availability of its rival LiveSearch411 service.

REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 15, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the final updates to the fall release of its Live Search service, introducing a broad array of new services and features to its local and mobile search offerings. Microsoft also announced the availability of the Live Search 411 service. Customers can gain toll-free* access by dialing (800) CALL-411 (800-225-5411) from any phone to find and connect to local businesses and other local information, such as weather updates, movie show times and airline information. People using a cell phone with Internet access can also receive links to traffic maps from Live Search 411. Today’s release offers these key features:

Maps and Directions

Mobile Enhancements

More at Microsoft Press Room