Speakers from NextNav and Polaris, as well as test adminstrator Technocom, will take part in a GPS World webinar on April 18. Registration is free.

Also, there is a guessing game in town and stakes are high. Who will President Obama nominate to replace FCC Chief Julius Genachowski? Tom Wheeler, popular in the telecom community, has been a front runner, but the tide may be turning against him with some charging that he is too snug with our industry.

Developers will be even more enticed to utilize indoor location now that Apple has signaled its market intents with the purchase of indoor-GPS company WifiSLAM. Safety and security mandates around the world are spurring a wave of telematics offerings by automotive OEMs. For more, read on.

Who Will Be the New FCC Chief? A coalition of public interest groups sent a letter to Obama warning that Wheeler is too close to the industry that he would be regulating. “You can’t have an objective chairman of the FCC that’s got 20 years of his life invested in being the head lobbyist for industry,” Sascha Meinrath of the New America Foundation said in an interview. In his past life, Wheeler was an industry lobbyist and also served as head of both CTIA and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.

Adding to Wheeler’s woes, 37 Democratic senators have signed a letter supporting FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Since she already sits on the commission, Rosenworcel would not need Senate confirmation to ascend to the chairmanship. That could be appealing to Obama, who has faced GOP opposition to many of his second-term nominees.

However, it could also put Obama in a sticky spot, as he would have to jump over the FCC senior Democrat, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, the daughter of Rep. James Clyburn, a member of the House Democratic leadership who has strong African-American support. Obama has been criticized for low minority leadership appointments in his second term.

Genachowski’s term was a disappointment to people on many sides of the fence, but not the all-out disaster of his predecessor, Kevin Martin. Genachowski will be remember for the introduction of the National Broadband Plan, as well as plans for a complete overhaul of the Universal Service Fund. During his time as chairman, Genachowski took the lead on killing AT&T’s proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. The next FCC chair will need to navigate hefty issues including media ownership, Internet rules, universal and affordable broadband, and locking of phones.

How Good Is It Indoors? The FCC chartered CSRIC to test the indoor performance of location systems across urban, suburban and rural areas in the San Francisco Bay Area. TechnoCom, an independent agent, conducted the trial with more than 13,000 test calls placed from different technologies in 75 unique indoor locations. Three vendors submitted technologies for evaluation: Qualcomm, NextNav and Polaris. They were scored for horizontal and vertical accuracy, speed of location, and reliability and consistency of results. NextNav stood out for its performance on height and horizontal accuracy. The full report is available from the FCC.

To hear from the experts involved, tune in to GPS World’s webinar, “Indoor Positioning & Navigation: Results of the FCC’s CSRIC Bay Area Trials,” on Thursday, April 18. Speakers include Khaled Dessouky (Technocom); Ganesh Pattabiraman (NextNav); Norm Shaw (Polaris Wireless); and Greg Turetzky (CSR). Registration is free.

Apple Goes Inside. Apple has acquired indoor-GPS company WifiSLAM, a sign that the indoor mobile location market will be heating up. Apple’s involvement is a significant move that will ignite the developer community to rush to create more innovative apps and solutions based on indoor location. WiFiSlam is a two-year-old start-up that detects a phone user’s indoor location by analyzing the strengths and IDs of Wi-Fi signals in its vicinity. WiFiSlam has been offering the technology to developers for indoor mapping and new types of retail and social networking apps. Retail has been the first adopter of indoor technology.

Interactive Voice Ads Leverage Location. Nuance Communications unveiled Voice Ads, a new mobile ad format that enables consumers to interact directly with ad campaigns by speaking (or perhaps, yelling) into their smartphones. Voice Ads expands on voice and natural language technologies and leverages capabilities like location to deliver ads that prompt the user to ask questions. In a YouTube video, Mike McSherry of Nuance demonstrates a virtual Magic 8-Ball campaign that answers users’ verbal queries to promote a fictional deodorant brand. “Mobile has a monetization challenge,” McSherry told AllThingsD. “By introducing voice you can transcend the small screen size.”

Telematics Boom. The telematics market is about to ride a wave of growth. Vehicle OEMS are rolling out safety telematics in advance of safety and security mandates throughout the world including Europe (eCall, 2015), Russia (ERA GLONASS, 2013) and Brazil (Contran, 2013). ABI predicts that the OEM and aftermarket safety/security telematics vendors will see the number of users rise from 72 million at year-end to more than 300 million in 2018.

GPS Ankle Monitors Not Working. In 2012 the state of California started conducting tests on the GPS ankle devices that monitor more than 4,000 high-risk sex offenders and gang members. Officials discovered that the batteries died early and reported locations were off by as much as three miles. Tampering alerts failed and offenders could cover the devices with foil or use GPS jammers to go undetected. Many of California’s ankle monitors were replaced with devices from a different vendor, but test results of the new system were not made public.

But a judge of the appellate court said holding a phone to look at a map is distracted driving — the same as sending a text message — and the law applies.  “Our review of the statute’s plain language leads us to conclude that the primary evil sought to be avoided is the distraction the driver faces when using his or her hands to operate the phone. That distraction would be present whether the wireless telephone was being used as a telephone, a GPS navigator, a clock or a device for sending and receiving text messages and emails. This case requires us to determine whether using a wireless phone solely for its map application function while driving violates Vehicle Code section 23123. We hold that it does. “

The National Safety Council has noted that there is no research or evidence that indicates voice-activated technologies eliminate or even reduce the distraction to the drivers’ mind.

Comodo’s Anti-Theft for Android is a new service that enables customers to remotely locate, lock and recover a lost or stolen Android smartphone or tablet. The app can remotely capture and upload photos of whoever is operating the missing device to aid authorities in their recovery efforts and also in identifying the thief.  The product is designed to address the security, monitoring, and management needs of users with limited time and IT support.

“Comodo selected Skyhook’s leading hybrid location service because of its precision, speed, and power efficiency, all of which are critical to Comodo in our mission to locate, track, and recover lost or stolen devices,” said Melih Abdulhayoglu of Comodo.

Comodo Anti-Theft for Android is free and available at the Android Play Store. Skyhook provides an SDK for developers across most platforms.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

The complaint says Google uses deceptive conduct to lockout competition in mobile. Google’s Android is the dominant smartphone operating system, running in 70 percent of units shipped at the end of 2012, according to Strategy Analytics. Google also dominates mobile search advertising with 96 percent of the market, according to eMarketer.

“Google is using its Android mobile operating system as a Trojan Horse to deceive partners, monopolize the mobile marketplace, and control consumer data,” said Thomas Vinje, counsel to the FairSearch coalition. “We are asking the commission to move quickly and decisively to protect competition and innovation in this critical market. Failure to act will only embolden Google to repeat its desktop abuses of dominance as consumers increasingly turn to a mobile platform dominated by Google’s Android operating system.”

FairSearch is an international coalition of 17 specialized search and technology companies whose members include Expedia, Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle, and TripAdvisor.

Google achieved its dominance in the smartphone operating system market by giving Android to device-makers for “free.” Android phone makers who want to include must-have Google apps such as Maps, YouTube, or Play are required to pre-load an entire suite of Google mobile services and to give them prominent default placement on the phone, the complaint says. This disadvantages other providers, charges FairSearch, and puts Google’s Android in control of consumer data on a majority of smartphones shipped today.

The FairSearch complaint comes at a time when users are increasingly switching from desktop to mobile platforms. Mobile Internet usage is expected to overtake desktop usage as soon as 2014, according to MindCommerce.

The European Commission is already considering how to remedy concerns that Google may be abusing its dominance in desktop search advertising, in particular Google’s search bias that favors its own services in search results.

Meanwhile, in April, six European data protection authorities began coordinating efforts to force Google to comply with European Union privacy laws they say Google violated by consolidating its privacy policies. Google paid a record fine to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in August 2012 to settle charges it gave misleading privacy promises to Safari Internet browser users.

“European consumers deserve a rigorous investigation of Google’s mobile practices, and real protections against further abuses by Google,” said Vinje. “Given Google’s track record of ignoring the law, mobile Internet users should be very concerned.”

Janice Partyka

It’s a streak. The Connected Car was yet again the most exciting emerging technology in the room, this time at the Mobile World Congress (MWC). The connected car service includes navigation, infotainment and location offerings. The big news in this sphere has come from General Motors, but more about that later. Do you remember the death of cellular digital packet data (CDPD)? Now it’s 2G’s turn. The 2G network used by many asset M2M tracking devices is going away. And Amazon is getting in Google’s face with a giant, well-oiled mobile ad network.

Beginning with 2015 car models, AT&T will replace Verizon Wireless as GM’s communications partner. Next year, GM plans to install AT&T LTE modems into many of its vehicles and Verizon will be the network behind GM’s OnStar service. The new modems will enable richer, faster content, including streaming video and radio.

The Connected Car squabbles. Should in-vehicle connectivity be controlled by a smartphone or by an embedded device? There are arguments on both sides. Ford’s forward-thinking connectivity choices have helped elevate what was a dowdy brand. “The last thing we want to do is take this [smartphone] thing that updates every 12-18 months and embed it into a car that has a lifecycle of at least 10 years,” asserted Doug VanDagens of Ford Motor Company. “Users are already paying for the data connection on their phone, and so they shouldn’t be assessed another fee for their car to access a network.” On the flip side, Glenn Lurie of AT&T raised concerns about software updates in a smartphone tethered scenario, in which a user might have to pay for data charges incurred by software updates that auto makers push to vehicles.

Vast market. No matter the approach, the connected car is a huge market opportunity. By 2020, Machina Research predicts that 90 percent of new passenger cars will have some sort of a connectivity platform and the market will reach $600 billion. There are concerns that in-vehicle service offerings may be too complex and could delay uptake. Drivers will want to pay one vendor for in-vehicle services and have pricing and billing options that are not complex.

Prepare for the death of 2G. AT&T plans to shut down its 2G networks by 2017. Verizon is planning to shut down its 2G and 3G EV-DO by 2021. The majority of small enterprises that track assets use 2G GPS modems. Many larger enterprises have been transitioning to 3G (HSPA) in this space. Companies that are considering M2M solutions may want devices that will work long into the future, and as the cutoff date approaches, customers will be increasingly reluctant to make purchases of 2G devices. LTE modems are currently about three times as expensive as 2G modems, which will put a dent in ROI calculations.

Amazon is joining the game. Amazon is rolling out a mobile ad network juggernaut. The mobile ads API, now in beta, enables third-party developers to integrate advertising into Android games and applications. Ad targeting options include GPS coordinates, gender and product floor prices. Android developers have struggled to make money through Google’s own storefront. The Amazon App store for Android has proven lucrative. For every $1 generated by Apple’s App Store for iOS, Amazon generates an average of $.89 per user and Google Play generates just $.23 per user, reports Flurry. Apple has been laying the golden egg, but Amazon knows how to sell and just may surpass Apple.

It’s smartphones. It has finally happened. This year, worldwide shipments of smartphones will squeak by feature phones shipments, predicts analyst firms IHS iSuppli and IDC. Falling smartphone prices and the rise of LTE networks have contributed to the growth in smartphone adoption.

Who were we talking about? Lissted analyzed more than 7,000 tweets about the Mobile World Congress sent by 619 journalists and bloggers and 419 media outlets. Nokia was tweeted about more than any other company, followed by Samsung and Android. Who will lead the hashtag race at CTIA?

Contact: jpartyka@gpsworld.com

According to the terms put forth by Apple, anyone whose children purchased currency, medals, weapons or other virtual goods in an iOS app will be given a $5 iTunes store credit. The parents need to prove they didn’t give their children their iTunes account password, and that the IAPs were made by a minor. If consumers can prove their child spent more than $30, they will be entitled to a full refund rather than an iTunes credit, Apple said.

While some consumers applauded Apple’s decision, there seems to be concern among some developers that the company gave into undue pressure from those involved in the class action suit.

Janice Partyka

But Google and Facebook Signal Their Intent to Capture Users’ Location

The biggest international mobile-phone show ever, Mobile World Congress 2013, took place early this month in Barcelona, Spain. It came at an interesting time. Attendees learned it no longer makes sense to think about which device, or screen, is of primary importance to users. Google reports findings that 90 percent of users move sequentially between several screens — TV, phone, desktop computer and tablet — to accomplish tasks.

Google, wanting to more fully exploit ad opportunities across all devices, has revamped its AdWords program to be one platform that advertisers will use to control ads on all types of devices. In the past, advertisers could choose to advertise on desktops and no other devices.  The new rule requires mobile advertising. Although it is an integrated platform, advertisers can use parameters like the device’s location or type to send specially crafted messaging.

The GPS-based fitness watch market looks like it is on a steep curve upwards, and feasible smartphone GPS watches are available.
Rumor says Facebook is going to start tracking users’ locations at all times, to be able to cull more ad revenue from individuals’ preferences and geo life.

Finally, and most importantly in the long run for all location-enabled users, the Federal Trade Commission took a stand on location privacy.

Google Requires Mobile Advertising. Citing concerns that the shift from desktop to smartphones and tablets is damaging its bottom line, Google is revamping its AdWords advertising platform to integrate ad campaigns across all device screens. In fact, Google indicated that it will require all advertisers to pay for mobile ads even if they only wish to reach consumers on desktops. The revamp will allow customers to use contextual factors like location, time of day and device type to control integrated campaigns.

Google provides an example of how a user’s location and device type could change the advertising message. “For example, a pizza restaurant probably wants to show one ad to someone searching for ‘pizza’ at 1pm on their PC at work (perhaps a link to an online order form or menu), and a different ad to someone searching for ‘pizza’ at 8pm on a smartphone a half-mile from the restaurant (perhaps a click-to-call phone number and restaurant locator),” reads Google’s blog.

Will Apple Grab Your Wrist? Rumors continue that Apple will release a GPS-based fitness watch in 2013. Whether Apple enters the market or not, the GPS fitness market is huge and growing. The GPS fitness watch market is set to reach $1.07 billion in 2013, predicts ABI Research. Cellular-connected GPS fitness watches like the I’m Watch may further speed this market.

“There have already been unfounded rumors around Apple in 2013, so let’s wait and see. If an Apple watch did feature integrated GPS, it would no doubt significantly boost shipment forecasts in 2013,” asserts Dominique Bonte of ABI. Some start-ups in the GPS Watch category have joined the action including Leikr, Pebble, Basis and others.

Facebook Is Watching. Is it possible for the relationship between Facebook and Google to get tenser? According to a Bloomberg article, Facebook is developing a smartphone application that will track the location of its users. The app is said to be scheduled for release by mid-March, and would run on handsets in the background, even when the Facebook app or the phone isn’t open or in use.

The location data would help Facebook capture more advertising revenue as ads can be more targeted with information about a user’s location and habits. The project is said to be headed by an ex-Googler and talent from Glancee and Gowalla, both of whom were purchased by Google.

Location privacy Is Covered. Privacy concerns with Facebook location tracking would undoubtedly be raised. Currently Facebook records the GPS coordinates of users when they post status updates or photos from their phones, or check into a venue. Tracking users 24/7 is another thing. Facebook’s current location sharing policy seems to cover them carte blanche. It allows the use of data “to serve you ads that might be more relevant,” and “to tell you and your friends about people or events nearby, or offer deals to you that you might be interested in.”

Also-Rans. Will Windows and BlackBerry smartphones succeed? Will there be a crack, even a tiny one, in the duopoly of iOS and Android? The biggest worry for Microsoft and BlackBerry is if initial sales of their smartphones are too small to excite developer interest. Without abundant applications, consumers won’t continue to buy these phones. ABI Research is predicting that the demand will be strong enough and is forecasting a BlackBerry installed base of 20 million and Windows smartphone base of 45 million by year end.

Location Standards for Next Generation LBS. The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) held a free session and reception at the Mobile World Congress for mobile developers, location data providers, network operators and LBS service users. Attendees learned the latest in open standards development.

Path Social Network Charged on Privacy Infringement. The operator of the Path social networking app has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that it deceived users by collecting personal information from their mobile device address books without their knowledge and consent. The settlement requires Path, Inc. to establish a comprehensive privacy program and to obtain independent privacy assessments every other year for the next 20 years. The company also will pay $800,000 to settle charges that it illegally collected personal information from children without their parents’ consent.

The settlement with Path is part of the FTC’s ongoing effort to make sure companies live up to the privacy promises they make to consumers, and that kids’ personal information isn’t collected or shared online without their parents’ consent.

“Over the years the FTC has been vigilant in responding to a long list of threats to consumer privacy, whether it is mortgage applications thrown into open trash dumpsters, kids information culled by music fan websites, or unencrypted credit card information left vulnerable to hackers,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. “This settlement with Path shows that no matter what new technologies emerge, the agency will continue to safeguard the privacy of Americans.”

Path operates a social networking service that allows users to keep journals about “moments” in their life and to share that journal with a network of up to 150 friends. Through the Path app, users can upload, store, and share photos, written “thoughts,” the user’s location, and the names of songs to which the user is listening.

In its complaint, the FTC charged that the user interface in Path’s iOS app was misleading and provided consumers no meaningful choice regarding the collection of their personal information. In version 2.0 of its app for iOS, Path offered an “Add Friends” feature to help users add new connections to their networks. The feature provided users with three options: “Find friends from your contacts;” “Find friends from Facebook;” or “Invite friends to join Path by email or SMS.”

However, Path automatically collected and stored personal information from the user’s mobile device address book even if the user had not selected the “Find friends from your contacts” option. For each contact in the user’s mobile device address book, Path automatically collected and stored any available first and last names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, Facebook and Twitter usernames, and dates of birth.

The FTC alleged that Path’s privacy policy deceived consumers by claiming that it automatically collected only certain user information such as IP address, operating system, browser type, address of referring site, and site activity information. In fact, version 2.0 of the Path app for iOS automatically collected and stored personal information from the user’s mobile device address book when the user first launched version 2.0 of the app and each time the user signed back into the account.

The agency also charged that Path, which collects birth date information during user registration, violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Rule by collecting personal information from approximately 3,000 children under the age of 13 without first getting parents’ consent. Through its apps for both iOS and Android, as well as its website, Path enabled children to create personal journals and upload, store and share photos, written “thoughts,” their precise location, and the names of songs to which the child was listening. Path version 2.0 also collected personal information from a child’s address book, including full names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth and other information, where available.

The COPPA Rule requires that operators of online sites or services directed to children, or operators that have actual knowledge of child users on their sites or services, notify parents and obtain their consent before they collect, use, or disclose personal information from children under 13. Operators covered by the Rule also have to post a privacy policy that is clear, understandable, and complete.

The FTC charged that Path violated the COPPA Rule by:

• not spelling out its collection, use and disclosure policy for children’s personal information;
• not providing parents with direct notice of its collection, use and disclosure policy for children’s personal information; and
• not obtaining verifiable parental consent before collecting children’s personal information.

In addition to the $800,000 civil penalty, Path is prohibited from making any misrepresentations about the extent to which it maintains the privacy and confidentiality of consumers’ personal information. The proposed settlement also requires Path to delete information collected from children under age 13 and bars future violations of COPPA. Path has already deleted the address book information that it collected during the time period its deceptive practices were in place.

The FTC also introduces “Mobile App Developers: Start with Security,” a new business guide that encourages developers to aim for reasonable data security, evaluate the app ecosystem before development, and includes tips such as making someone responsible for data security and taking stock of the data collected and maintained.

The commission vote to authorize the staff to refer the complaint to the Department of Justice and to approve the proposed consent decree was 5-0. The DOJ filed the complaint on behalf of the Commission in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on January 31, 2013. The proposed consent decree will be filed with the same U.S. District Court today and is subject to court approval.

Janice Partyka is contributing editor for wireless at GPS World. Subscribe free to her monthly e-newsletter, Wireless Pulse, at www.gpsworldcom/subscribe.

Janice Partyka

The biggest mobile show, the Mobile World Congress, starts next week in Barcelona, Spain. It comes at an interesting time. Attendees will find it no longer makes sense to think about which device, or screen, is of primary importance to users. Google reports findings that 90 percent of users move sequentially between several screens (TV, phone, desktop computer and tablet) to accomplish tasks.

Google, wanting to more fully exploit ad opportunities on all devices, has revamped AdWords to require that all ad campaigns include mobile. The GPS-based fitness watch market looks like it is on a steep curve upward, and feasible smartphone GPS watches are available. Rumor says Facebook is going to start tracking users’ locations at all times to be able to cull more ad revenue from individual’s preferences and geo life.

Analytics firm Flurry tracked mobile app usage during the Super Bowl and found that overall app usage declined by less than 5 percent during the Super Bowl, compared to same time period on the prior Sunday. A large amount of consumers’ attention was spent in apps, even as they sat in front of their TVs on the biggest football day of the year. Surprisingly, app usage did not greatly differ between commercials and game play. Mobile app usage peaked during the game’s power outage and declined during Beyonce’s apparently riveting half-time show.

Google Requires Mobile Advertising. Citing concerns that the shift from desktop to smartphones and tablets is damaging its bottom line, Google is revamping its AdWords advertising platform to integrate ad campaigns across all device screens. In fact, Google indicated that it will require all advertisers to pay for mobile ads even if they only wish to reach consumers on desktops. The revamp will allow customers to use contextual factors like location, time of day and device type to control integrated campaigns.

Google provides an example of how a user’s location and device type could change the advertising message. “For example, a pizza restaurant probably wants to show one ad to someone searching for ‘pizza’ at 1 p.m. on their PC at work (perhaps a link to an online order form or menu), and a different ad to someone searching for ‘pizza’ at 8 p.m. on a smartphone a half-mile from the restaurant (perhaps a click-to-call phone number and restaurant locator),” reads Google’s blog.

Will Apple Take Control of Your Wrist? Rumors continue that Apple will release a GPS-based fitness watch in 2013. Whether Apple enters the market or not, the GPS fitness market is huge and growing. The GPS fitness watch market is set to reach $1.07 billion in 2013, predicts ABI Research. Cellular connected GPS fitness watches like the I’m Watch may further speed this market. “There have already been unfounded rumors around Apple in 2013, so let’s wait and see. If an Apple watch did feature integrated GPS, it would no doubt significantly boost shipment forecasts in 2013,” asserts Dominique Bonte of ABI. Some start-ups in the GPS watch category have joined the action including Leikr, Pebble, Basis and others.

Facebook Is Watching. Is it possible that the relationship between Facebook and Google can get even more tense? According to a Bloomberg article, Facebook is developing a smartphone application that will track the location of its users. The app is said to be scheduled for release by mid-March, and would run on handsets in the background even when the Facebook app or the phone isn’t open or in use. The location data would help Facebook capture more advertising revenue as ads can be more targeted with information about a user’s location and habits. The project is said to be headed by an ex-Googler and talent from Glancee and Gowalla, both of whom were purchased by Google.

Privacy concerns with Facebook location tracking will undoubtedly be raised. Currently, Facebook records the GPS coordinates of users when they post status updates or photos from their phones, or check into a venue. Tracking users 24/7 is another thing. Facebook’s current location-sharing policy seems to cover them carte blanche. It allows the use of data “to serve you ads that might be more relevant,” and “to tell you and your friends about people or events nearby, or offer deals to you that you might be interested in.”

Will Windows and BlackBerry Smartphones Succeed? Will there be a crack, even a tiny one, in the duopoly of iOS and Android? The biggest worry for Microsoft and BlackBerry is if initial sales of their smartphones are too small to excite developer interest. Without abundant applications, consumers won’t continue to buy these phones. ABI Research is predicting that the demand will be strong enough, and is forecasting a BlackBerry installed base of 20 million and Windows smartphone base of 45 million by year-end.

Open Geospatial Consortium Location Standards for Next-Generation LBS.  The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is having a free session and reception at the Mobile World Congress for mobile developers, location data providers, network operators and LBS service users. Attendees will learn the latest in open standards development. The event is being held on February 27, 2013 in Barcelona. Register for free.