News: Speed Cameras Snap Southampton Biker 15 Times

Southampton biker Dean Stockwell was fined £180 and banned for a year after speed cameras recorded him over a period of two months speeding past them on 15 separate occasions. He must also take a test before he gets his licence back.

Stockwell was able to evade conviction the first 14 times as the cameras were only able to record images of the front of his bike - bikes are not required to have front number plates. This of course makes identification of the driver difficult.

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: ALK's CoPilot Software Returns To Microsoft Powered Phones

CoPilot from ALK was one of the first navigation software packages that we reviewed way back in 2002. Back in those days it was on HP iPaqs running Microsoft Windows Mobile software. Things have moved on since then and Windows Mobile has been replaced with Windows Phone. As of today CoPilot GPS is available on Windows Phone 8 bringing it full circle back to it's roots.

CoPilot GPS is a free mapping application with self contained maps on the phone. You do not need a data connection to view the maps, which is helpful when you are abroad. Just to whet your appetite ALK include a 14 day free trial of the fully featured navigation upgrade which adds full turn by turn guidance with spoken instructions and live traffic.

CoPilot GPS can be downloaded from the Windows Phone Store now.

The full ALK CoPilot press release follows:

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: Topless Women Add Pressure For Average Speed Cameras

Members of a Cambridgeshire Women's Institute (WI) group, who recorded a song to the tune of Jerusalem highlighting traffic concerns, must now be celebrating.

Whether the decision was partly attributable to the song was not reported, but it appears their plea was taken into account as the speed limit along their local section of the A1 through Cambridgeshire will now be reduced from 70mph to 60mph.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency commented: "The new speed limit and average speed cameras will cover the A1 between Buckden, and 300 metres south of Lees Lane, Southoe. This will help to manage traffic flows along the A1 through the villages of Buckden, Diddington and Southoe and address recent safety concerns."

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: Official - Google has bought Waze

After much speculation Google have today announced the completion of a deal which will see them acquire Israeli mapping and navigation outfit Waze.

The figures involved have not been disclosed but, if rumours are to be believed, the sale price may have been as high as $1bn.

Posting on Google's blog they wrote, "To help you outsmart traffic, today we’re excited to announce we’ve closed the acquisition of Waze. This fast-growing community of traffic-obsessed drivers is working together to find the best routes from home to work, every day."

Waze's development teams will remain in Israel. That issue was one of the sticking points that prevented an earlier deal with Facebook.

"We are excited about the prospect of working with the Google Maps team to enhance our search capabilities and to join them in their ongoing efforts to build the best map of the world." said Waze CEO, Noam Bardim.

Source: googleblog.blogspot.com

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: BlackBerry over-the-air software update service for vehicles

BlackBerry have unveiled an over-the-air software update service, directed firmly at car makers, that will enable them to manage and download software updates to a vehicle, securely.

The Software Update Management for Automotive service makes use of BlackBerry's secure data infrastructure and provides a manufacturer with the ability to update vehicle software without the need for a dealer visit.

The benefits to the manufacturer and the customer are clear but so are the risks. A failed update could be disastrous but looking further than simple vehicle software updates, it's not hard to envisage other possibilities such as map updates or upgrades to infotainment systems.

Source: blogs.blackberry.com

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: NavFusion - an integrated smartphone/vehicle solution

Hungarian navigation company NNG has unveiled what it thinks may be the answer to smartphone and in-vehicle integration, Nav N Go NavFusion.

Integration of your smartphone with the vehicle dashboard is likely to be the next major leap forward in functionality. Whilst a number of companies have demo'd solutions that allow your smartphone to display apps and data on in-dash displays, Nav N Go's solution will require a head-unit that has their iGO Navigation Software pre-installed.

NNG have already lined up some OEMs ahead of the launch next year.

Source: www.nng.com

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: SatNavs Direct Drivers Down Stairs

The Telegraph has reported that five cars have been directed down pedestrian-only street steps in Teruel, Spain after drivers blindly followed incorrect instructions on their satnavs.

As a result of the latest Italian Job-style manoeuvre, a car had to be rescued by a crane from a cobbled staircase in the pedestrian thoroughfare of the medieval town.

Four other drivers were also rescued in recent weeks and it's possible more have gone unreported.

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: India's first navigation satellite set for Jun 12 launch

The Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System, IRNSS-1A, India's first navigation satellite, is set for a June 12th launch.

The first of seven satellite which will for the fleet and providing a regional navigation service, IRNSS-1A will be launched atop the Indian Space Research Organisation's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

IRNSS has been independently developed by India and is designed to support terrestrial, aviation and marine users and reflects an increasing demand for navigation services that are not reliant on third party nation operators.

Source: isro.gov.in

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: Intel buys ST-Ericsson's satnav chip business

It's less than two years since Intel announced the acquisition of Israeli navigation company TelMap and now it has dipped into its war chest again with the purchase of ST-Ericsson's satnav business.

The deal includes the assets and intellectual property rights for ST-Ericsson's GNSS business. Although headquartered in Switzerland, ST-Ericsson's GNSS team has staff located in Daventry, Bangalore and Singapore and all are expected to remain in their current locations after joining Intel.

ST-Ericsson was established in 2009 as a 50:50 venture between STMicroelectronics and Ericsson. The company had a small selection of GPS system-in-package chip designs including one that incorporated a low power GPS alongside Bluetooth and FM radio receivers and another that combined GPS, GLONASS, QZSS and SBAS.

Source: stericsson.com

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: Now Google is rumoured to be looking at Waze

Three weeks ago it was widely reported that Facebook was in talks to acquire Waze for a cool $1bn.

Now the rumour mill is rife with gossip that Facebook has dropped out and Google is now in talks. All this interest must be very reassuring for the investors but separating rumour from fact is proving difficult.

Whilst Waze acknowledged that Facebook had shown interest it has remained tight lipped on speculation that Google is in talks. It would certainly make more immediate sense for the search engine giant to want Waze than Facebook.

Source: VentureBeat.com

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: Nine Speed Cameras Issue $85 million in fines in just 1year

Nine speed and red light cameras in Washington DC divvied out a huge $84.9 million in fines last year.

Drivers were issued individual fines of between $50 to $100. It was noted that drivers only face a fine, but no points were added to their licenses.

Opinion in the US, as you might expect, is divided about the use of speed cameras - whether the argument is about their effectiveness in saving lives or whether they are merely a revenue earning tool for the authorities. Twelve US states have actually banned them.

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: M4 average speed cameras catch 1,200 drivers

The BBC reports that more than 1,200 drivers have been caught speeding through average speed camera controlled road-works on the M4 in Wiltshire in less than two months. The highest speed recorded was 107mph, and this is in road-works!

I continue to be amazed at the number of motorists who seem to be oblivious to SPECS camera zones and make no attempt to slow down as they enter them. There seems to be a widely held belief that they don't work, and they couldn't be more wrong!

A SPECS zone on the M4/M5 near Bristol last year caught 14,000 drivers. There is no way of knowing if these cameras are live or not but, for road-works at least, they are there for obvious safety reasons, to protect construction workers and their equipment. Speeding through road-works is just plain stupid.

Meanwhile, SPECS manufacture Vysionics ITS, has agreed to amend its advertising after a complaint was made to the Advertising Standards Authority. Its claims that "on average reduce KSIs (Killed and Seriously Injured casualties) by more than 70 per cent" could not be proven as there were other factors involved in the reductions.

Source: BBC and theNewspaper.com. Image courtesy of FreeFoto.com

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: Garmin announce satnav for MINI

Garmin have announced a new, semi-integrated, navigation device, designed exclusively for MINI. It features a custom finish with silver MINI logo and comes loaded with MINI vehicle icons.

Available as an accessory, the MINI Navigation Portable XL uses a dealer-installed mount that sits on the steering column and integrates all the power and audio wiring.

The device comes with Garmin's Real Directions, Active Lane Guidance, traffic and lifetime maps Android or iOS handsets can be connected via Garmin's Smartphone Link app to enable hands-free and connected services.

Source: BusinessWire.com

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: US Man Found Guilty Of Using GPS To Stalk Ex Wife

A New Jersey man has been found guilty of using a GPS device to track the whereabouts of his ex wife.

Paul W. Prince, 49, activated the system 522 times in one month and often turned up where she was out of the blue . He also sent her text messages telling her he knew where she was.

The victim understandably thought the coincidences "weird and bizarre".

Click here to read more...

Click here to discuss...

Tweet

News: We Are Moving Servers

Please bear with us as we move our servers. For a short time we will not have access to the forums. Our normal pages will still be available.

The transfer to the new server is expected to take a few hours.

Thank you for your Paitence.

Regards,

The Team @ PocketGPSWorld.com