May

27th 2008

Largest GPS Drawing Exposed as a Fraud

Filed Under GPS | Leave a Comment

An art student claimed to have prepared a self-portrait using the world as his canvas.  Erik Nordenankar explained on his website that he used a briefcase outfitted with a GPS unit on a detailed journey.  The briefcase was allgedly sent by DHL to over 62 countries over a course of 55 days in a very specific order to create the drawing.  DHL recently confirmed that the project is a hoax and intends to contact Nordenankar  to have the site clarify the project as fake.  The strange flight patterns and claims that the GPS unit would not have been able to receive a satellite signal inside the airplanes lead to the eventual debunking of the project’s claims. 

May

26th 2008

You need a map to figure out GPS, Google Maps

Filed Under Essays, GPS, Map Servers | Leave a Comment

Steve Dahl, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune opines on the beauty of simply unfolding a map over the latest GPS and online mapping technology.

Sep

07th 2007

Wiki City Rome

Filed Under Europe, GPS | Leave a Comment

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced the debut on September 8th of “Wiki City Rome“, a project that “uses data from cellphones and other wireless technology to illustrate the city’s pulse in real time.”  The project will provide anybody with access to the Internet a real time peek into Rome, showing movement of crowds, location of buses and trains and locations of notable Romans.  The geographic data will be compiled anonymously from cell phones, GPS devices from buses and taxis and other wireless sources.

wikicity.jpg

Sep

06th 2007

Prague offers GPS for tourists

Filed Under Europe, GPS, Travel | Leave a Comment

The city of Prague has started offering tourists a GPS-based tourist guide system.

“The guide will offer places of interest and monuments along with their history to tourists, as well as cultural events, sightseeing routes, Prague restaurants and many other things.” ~ Dagmar Houbova, spokeswoman for the organising Prague Information Service (PIS) company

The guide is currently offered only in English with plans to add other languages as the popularity of the GPS guide increases.  About 8 million tourists a year visit Prague and about 8o percent travel solo.

Source: Prague Daily Monitor: Prague offers tourists a new GPS guide

Apr

14th 2007

Trimble Launches Premium GPS Content Layer for Google Earth

Filed Under GPS, Google Earth | Leave a Comment

GPS Layer Provides Highly Accurate Outdoor Fitness and Adventure Data, Along with Complete
Multimedia Experience for GPS-Enabled Mobile Phones

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 12, 2007 Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) today launched the first multimedia layer of GPS-based adventure details for Google Earth. The layer incorporates interactive information from the Trimble Outdoors™ catalog of GPS-on-cellular applications, as well as premium content from contributors to BACKPACKER, Bicycling and Mountain Bike magazines.

Premium GPS-based information from Trimble Outdoors and leading national publications is now available as a Google Earth Featured Content Layer. Users can access a wide variety of multimedia data on fitness and outdoor adventures, including routes, points of interest, pictures, video and audio. This information is designed to support the outdoor enthusiast community with new opportunities to explore the earth and share stories of their adventures.

The Trimble Outdoors solution takes advantage of technology convergence by integrating trip details with its planning software, the Web and mobile phone technology to allow users to view and participate in compelling outdoor experiences. Google Earth users can export the layer data to any WAP-capable mobile phone, experience it via a GPS-enabled mobile phone with Trimble Outdoors fitness and outdoor recreational applications, or download to a stand-alone GPS device.

“Trimble Outdoors is providing Google Earth users with the first multimedia GPS content layer for outdoor adventure seekers,” said Larry Fox, business development, Trimble Outdoors. “Using Google Earth and the Trimble Outdoors GPS layer, users can view a 3D trip of running, bicycling or hiking destinations gaining a unique perspective with the addition of audio, video, photos and detailed editorial. Through this interactive interface, users can not only see an activity, they can share an experience.”

For example, hikers, equestrians or families can experience the Pacific Crest Trail online by viewing hundreds of photos, audio clips and videos from BACKPACKER Magazine through Google Earth. Whether these adventure seekers plan to hike a few miles or a few thousand miles, they can download helpful information and virtually fly through several different regions from Mexico to Canada, through California, Oregon and Washington; guided by expert content along the way.

Google Earth combines the power of Google Search with satellite imagery, maps, terrain and 3D buildings. Featured content, such as the new Trimble Outdoors GPS layer, contains highly informative, multimedia-enhanced data about various places around the planet, overlaid on Google Earth imagery. Trimble Outdoors has populated its Google Earth layer with premium fitness and off-road GPS navigation information, such as GPS tracks and waypoints, trailhead directions, trail descriptions, photos, video clips and audio.

About Trimble Outdoors

Trimble Outdoors is a family of GPS-on-cellular applications for consumers.

With Trimble Outdoors, consumers can use their GPS-enabled cell phones to navigate trails and highways, track workout performance, geocache, and create, manage and share those experiences with others.

By leveraging Trimble’s 28 years of commercial expertise in GPS, software, and communications, Trimble Outdoors delivers cost-effective and convenient position-based services that promote consumers’ well-being, security and active lifestyle.

For more information about Trimble Outdoors, visit www.TrimbleOutdoors.com.

For more information about Google Earth or to download the application, visit http://earth.google.com/index.html.

About Trimble

Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location—including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS, lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back office. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Trimble has a worldwide presence with more than 3,400 employees in over 18 countries.

Investor Relations Contact:   Willa McManmon of Trimble: 408-481-7838

Media Contact:   LeaAnn McNabb of Trimble: 408-481-7808

Mar

20th 2007

It’s not a navigation system until it has a name

Filed Under GPS | Leave a Comment

Lauren Beckham Falcone of the Boston Herald has discovered that people have a tendency to name their GPS navigation systems.  As an explanation, Tim Gartner from Garmin states, “I think people just feel like they need to personalize these things.”  He further elaborates by saying, “By naming the GPS, you’re taking a journey with someone.”  

Call me lost without you: Drivers christen their GPS systems

Feb

15th 2007

Real-time Satellite Tracking

Filed Under GPS, Google Maps, Satellite | Leave a Comment

Ever been curious where the satellites are orbiting in relation to the earth? Now you can track satellites through a Google Mashup offered at http://www.n2yo.com/. The site offers categorized satellites that you can click on the link to in order to see where that satellite currently is and to view the real-time tracking of that satellite. Track popular, well-known satellites like the Hubble Telescope, or browse the categories to track a type of satellite. Categories include geostationary, military and GPS satellites. When you track a satellite, the location is displayed on a Google mashup in the middle of the screen. Off to the upper right hand side of the browser, detailed information about the satellite is displayed including a description of the satellite’s purpose. If you are logged in, you can also click on the “What’s up in the sky link” to see the satellites orbiting over your home’s location.

Next Page →