GPS is often very unreliable indoors, leading to the creation of different types of indoor navigation.  Unfortunately, these systems often require a wireless signal, which is also sometimes sketchy indoors, or a custom infrastructure which is also not always reliable and inconsistent.  Cambridge Consultants are working to develop a yet to be named system that solves this problem by utilizing low powered sensors and a custom formula that doesn’t require any already existing framework.

According to the UK company, all you will need is a smartphone that has a magnetometer, gyroscope and accelerometers, which most smartphones do, and their specially developed Bayesian algorithm.  With their concept, you can either map your location directly on your device or send it remotely to an offsite storage system.  Cambridge Consultants is developing this system with Firefighters and hospital workers, but the potential for other applications is endless. What do you think, could this could soon be commonplace technology?

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You may not have any problems finding a building in a busy city via the GPS receiver in your handset, but it won’t be helpful once you step inside one. How will you find the elevator or the bathroom or the fire exit? This problem could soon be a thing of the past all thanks to a new system, called the MST-Smartsense Sensor, from Fraunhofer which uses simple sensors to enable in-building navigation. They have introduced a tiny module that could work with tablets and smartphones.

All you have to do is enter the building and scan a QR code, and your current position will be displayed on your mobile device. When you start moving around, the system’s built-in pedometer and compass will determine your speed and direction. No GPS required here as it can tell your location based on stride length.

These include an acceleration sensor that registers the motion of the body, and a magnetic field sensor that measures the alignment of the body through its position in relation to the earth‘s magnetic field. In tandem, they map a highly precise movement pattern. “Sensor fusion” is the term von Rosenberg uses to refer to such intelligent coupling of multiple sensors. The fascinating thing is that the module does not have to be calibrated by the user. On its own, it detects if the individual has long legs, or is just taking baby steps.

The system comes equipped with its own processor and needs less power to work. But the same feature could be made available via a modern mobile device provided it has a built-in pedometer. But do you really need such a system to find your way around in a building? It certainly would be very useful for those of you who have a tendency to get lost in big indoor locations like malls.

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Your iPhone should be making your life a whole lot easier thanks to all the features that it brings with it. But for accessing all that power while you are driving your car requires complicated docking accessories or different types of cables, or a well trained brain for handling your car and the device simultaneously (not recommended!). But all that will change with the arrival of Dash, a car stereo system custom-made to fit the iPhone 4 and 4S.

As soon as you connect your iPhone to Dash, it starts charging the device and also lets you turn your iDevice into a car audio system of its own. You will be able to place your phone safely into Dash’s faceplate (yes, no more stowing your device in cupholders) and simply access everything via your iPhone’s touchscreen.

The system amplifies the audio and could also be used with GPS and navigation apps. And non iOS users should not feel left out as the company, Colorado based Devium, is reportedly working on faceplates that will fit Android and Windows Phones. But the only problem is that you will have to give up access to your car’s current radio and satellite hook-up, but there are several apps out there as good replacements.

The $300 stereo system is a kickstarter project and it appears like the campaign has raised more than enough money the company needs to manufacture and sell it. But if interested, you can still show your support. Check out the video to know more about Dash.

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Garmin Asus A10 Android GPS Smartphone

The standalone GPS market isn’t nearly as hot as it has been in years past, so many people are moving toward “convergence” devices that can do GPS and more.  Garmin is aggressively expanding its smartphone line with the new Garmin-Asus A10 in response to this new trend.  This follows up on the nuvifone from AT&T and the Garminfone with T-Mobile. A good move on Garmin’s part, I’d say, since they can continue to sell hardware to the growing navigation-centric smartphone market.

With the newly announced Garmin-Asus A10, you get a large 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen display along with Google Android (no mention of which version) for its operating system. The webKit browser is there for your web surfing needs and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera will satisfy shutterbugs. The Walkman line from Sony Ericsson married MP3 players with cell phones and the iPhone is offering a better mobile gaming experience. What better way to bring great GPS navigation to the smartphone realm than to use the resources of a company like Garmin?  In additiion to regular old maps, the Garmin-Asus A10 has voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, cityXplorer maps for public transportation options, and more. Look for the A10 to launch in Europe and Asia-Pacific around the middle of the year.

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Nokia wishes to increase popularity of navigation and location-aware services on its mobile phones, the release of the Ovi Maps service is in direct response to Google Maps Navigation for their Android OS, which Google released in October of last year. It offers Google Maps, Street View, turn-by-turn voice navigation and voice searching.

The free software is going to cut a small portion of Nokia’s revenue, but in the long run they may just save themselves from people migrating to the iPhone or Android devices to reap the benefits of their free navigation software.

Stocks of Garmin and Tom Tom slightly dipped on todays news.

The latest version of Ovi Maps features both automobile and pedestrian navigation features, turn-by-turn voice guidance for 74 countries in 46 languages, with traffic information for another 10 countries and detailed maps for 180 countries Nokia said.

Support devices include the Nokia N97 mini, 5800, XpressMusic and E72. It’s a free download from Nokia’s software website, in March new phones will come preinstalled with the Ovi Maps Softare.

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This is an annual subscription service that gives the user the ability to load “highly-detailed photo-based maps” on their “select Garmin handheld navigators.” Instead of a regular old map, you get actual images of your surroundings.

The images are raster-based, so they are compiled from actual aerial photos that are then scanned, geo-referenced, and overlaid onto the GPS receiver’s display. The resolution for most of the United States is 0.5 meter per pixel.

The Garmin Birdseye subscription costs $29.99 a year and allows for unlimited downloads to a single Garmin device.

Now, where have I read about something like this before? Oh right. That darn satellite mode in the free Google Maps application. I guess BirdsEye can come in handy when you’re in the woods, but I’ll stick to Google Maps in the city.

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