“We know that most GPS watches on the market are too bulky and complicated to use while training,” said Corinne Vigreux, managing director, TomTom Consumer. “Just as we developed easy-to-use navigation products that changed the way that people move from A to B, we have developed a range of ultra-slim GPS sport watches that are far more comfortable to wear and far easier to use. Runners and multi-sport athletes can now view their performance information at-a-glance, making it easier to achieve their fitness goals.”

The new TomTom watches feature an extra-large, high-resolution and high-contrast display that makes it easy for runners and multi-sport enthusiasts to quickly see their distance, time and pace while they workout even in bright sunshine, TomTom said.

The new watches feature TomTom’s Graphical Training Partner. Easy-to-read full-screen graphics help users get the most out of their workouts. They can view their real-time performance at-a-glance with three graphical training modes:

Race: Race against a personal best or most recent run. Quickly track performance with real-time graphics, to continue to improve run-after-run.
Goal: Set a distance, time or calorie goal and see progress toward that goal with simple, full-screen graphics and alerts.
Zone: Set a target for pace or heart-rate (with optional heart-rate monitor) and track progress in a simple full-screen graph throughout a workout.

The new TomTom range includes an intuitive one-button control that enables users to easily navigate up-down-left-right through menus to access key stats and watch features, the company said. Unlike the majority of existing GPS watches on the market that feature multiple small and hard-to-operate buttons, the one-button control is easy to operate while moving and can be easily controlled in all weather conditions and while wearing gloves.

In addition to their ability to deliver at-a-glance performance information, the TomTom Runner and TomTom Multi-Sport include advanced features designed to address the needs of runners and multi-sport enthusiasts alike:

Ultra-slim design: At just 11.5mm, the slim design of the watch module comfortably fits men and women, and all wrist sizes.
Indoor tracker: Accurately track indoor runs using built-in sensors to count strides, so that users can monitor pace and distance even while running on a treadmill.
QuickGPSFix: Get started faster by using the latest in GPS and GLONASS satellite technology to quickly find their precise location.
Multi-platform compatibility: Sync, analyze and share stats on popular running sites and community platforms, including the TomTom MySports website, MapMyFitness, RunKeeper, TrainingPeaks and MyFitnessPal.
Super-tough display: Scratch- and impact-resistant glass stays easy-to-read, workout after workout.
Weather- and waterproof: Waterproof up to 50 meters/5ATM.
Long-lasting battery: Up to 10-hour battery life (GPS mode).
Bluetooth smart: Connect to sensors using the latest wireless technology.
Heart rate monitor: Use the Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Monitor to track training zone for weight control, performance or speed.

TomTom Multi-Sport includes all the features included in TomTom Runner, and also allows multi-sport athletes to track their distance, time, speed and other key metrics when they cycle or swim. The TomTom Multi-Sport is also enhanced with the following features and options:

Dedicated bike mount: Easily see key stats at-a-glance with the specially designed bike mount.
Cadence sensor: Track cadence, speed and distance, indoors and out.
Built-in altimeter: Accurately track elevation, ascent, descent and grade with the built-in barometric altimeter.
Swimming motion sensor: Check detailed swim metrics such as laps, strokes, time and speed, and calculate a SWOLF score to show swim efficiency.

The TomTom Runner and TomTom Multi-Sport will be available in Summer 2013.

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.

The Furuno eRideOPUS 7.

Furuno Electric Co., Ltd., has announced that new multi-GNSS receiver chips eRideOPUS 6 and eRideOPUS 7 will be available in August. The new receiver chips are multi-GNSS compliant single-chip LSIs, capable of concurrently receiving signals from multiple satellites in GNSS systems and satellite-based augmentation systems, as well as Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System. Both chips receive signals from GPS and Galileo; the eRideOPUS 7 also receives GLONASS signals.

The ability of concurrently receiving GNSS/GNSS augmentation signals from multiple satellites from different satellite services means that the receivers have more probability of acquiring a greater number of satellites at any single time. Subsequently, position stability as well as accuracy will be greatly improved, minimizing the chance of a position lost. Also, the receiver chips incorporate an enhanced level of noise rejection capability, implementing the anti-jamming function as well as the improvement of multipath mitigation.

Time-to-first-fix capability of the existing eRideOPUS 5 (no more than 1 second when hot started) is retained in these new receiver chips with a combination of A-GPS compatibility and self-ephemeris extraction. Moreover, the position update rate of the new receiver chips is greatly improved, achieving a 10-Hz update (every 0.1 second), which is twice as fast as the capability achieved by eRideOPUS 5.

The new receiver chips are capable of dead-reckoning navigation, using a gyro sensor and vehicle speed pulse signals, a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and wheel tick data taken from a CAN-Bus network, achieving high positioning accuracy even in locations where satellite signal reception is not available, such as inside tunnels.

In May 2013, Furuno is planning to start the delivery of evaluation kits for the receiver chips so that third-party manufacturers can evaluate the feasibility of incorporating the receiver chips into their products, and in August 2013, the new compact GNSS receiver module GN-86/GN-87 as well as
dead-reckoning-capable GV-86/GV-87, using these new receiver chips, will be made available for automotive navigation systems as well as eCall systems.

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.

“IFEN Inc., located in Corona, California, will greatly facilitate order placement, delivery and support for U.S. customers,” said Günter Heinrichs, head of Customer Applications and Business Development, of IFEN GmbH. “We look forward to addressing the needs of this market.”

IFEN has appointed of Mark Wilson vice president of sales at IFEN Inc. Wilson has more than 20 years of experience in the GNSS market. “I am very excited to join the IFEN team. They have extensive experience in all aspects of GNSS and I am looking forward to offering this expertise and the excellent IFEN products to the American Market,” Wilson said. “Our exceptional products offer unrivaled flexibility and capability, at realistic prices providing huge advantages to our customers.”

IFEN has more than 15 years of experience in GNSS and offers a range of GNSS test equipment, including simulators capable of simulating all GNSS constellations and frequencies and a multi-GNSS software receiver.

M100 Smart Glasses

Vuzix Corporation today announced that it has begun shipping M100 Smart Glasses to the first of its Gold developer partners — enabling them to start creating and testing their apps on the real hardware.

The M100 Smart Glasses are a smart hands-free display and communications device for mobile data access, once paired to a smartphone and connected to the Internet. The glasses include an integrated head tracker and GPS for spatial and positional awareness.

Vuzix is a supplier of Video Eyewear products in the consumer, commercial and entertainment markets.

Google Glass

The M100 is in competition — and a race to market — with Google Glass, a similar wearable device. Google recently held a contest to provide sample sets of the glasses to non-developers willing to pay $1,500 — which encouraged Internet and media buzz.

Google Glass could be released to the mass market by the end of the year. Google Inc. already sold an unspecified number of the glasses to developers who also paid $1,500 apiece at a company conference in June 2012. The mass-market version of Google Glass is expected to cost less than $1,500, but more than a smartphone.

Like the M100, Google Glass is intended to perform many of the same tasks as smartphones. The glasses include a little display screen attached to a rim above the right eye, run on Google’s Android operating system, and respond to voice commands, which is intended to make it easier for people to take pictures or record video wherever they might be (such as skydiving or riding a rollercoaster). Here is a video showing the glasses in action:

When he demonstrated the glasses at last June’s company conference, Google co-founder Sergey Brin acknowledged the company was still working out bugs and trying to figure out how to extend the product’s battery life.

Privacy Concerns. The ease of taking pictures and recording video with the glasses is causing some to question whether privacy will be affected.  zdnet blogger Ben Woods writes, “These glasses can instantly capture and store every move of everyone around the person wearing them. Remember that drunken argument you had with your partner? Well, now Google Glass will mean you have no possibility of forgetting it. If it’s entertaining enough, or you’re well-known enough, the video of that argument could well be on YouTube before you get home. Do you do a lot of business on the phone while out and about or while sitting in coffee shops? Will you continue to, if you know that every call could be recorded by the stranger sitting at the table opposite, staring innocently at the picture on the wall behind your head?”

Google first began developing the glasses in 2010 as part of a secretive company division now known as Google X.

How the M100 is worn.

Vuzix Showstopper. Displayed at Mobile World Congress in February as a “Showstopper,” the M100 contains a near-eye micro display with an integrated camera and powerful processor running an Android OS. It connects wirelessly to a user’s smartphone (iOS or Android) or other compatible device via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, can connect directly to the Internet, and run applications and games on its own. Working in harmony with a user’s smartphone, the M100 enables access to a vast array of existing and future text, video, GPS, and audio applications, Vuzix said.

With the glasses, users can answer the phone using a visual address book, record video and run applications, including basic augmented reality apps. Interactive tracking and an integrated camera, combined with newly developed applications on the M100 and a wireless link to the Cloud, enable the merging of virtual information with the real world. An integrated camera enables video recording, still image capture and the potential for powerful augmented reality applications.

Industry, Medical. “Although we are seeing applications developed in most every market, there has been a strong focus on the industrial and medical markets,” said Paul J. Travers, chief executive officer.

“Our Company has a focus on developing the fundamental tools that enable applications from training to warehousing,” said Pete Wassell, president of Augmate Corporation, one of the first M100 Gold developers. “This new category of device is going to revolutionize many markets by injecting cloud-connected, hands-free and geospatially accurate information to applications that desperately need it. The M100 does a great job of delivering on that promise.”

The Vuzix developer program offers early access to the M100 smart glasses, technical support and advice. The M100 software developers kit is available in two versions, Gold and Silver. These SDKs are being delivered in stages and include frequent updates, hardware advances when released, and access to the developer center to provide technical and developer community support.

Because the demand is strong, Vuzix is delivering the first smart glasses on a first-come, first-served basis with custom-built prototypes going exclusively to its Gold Developers.

Fujitsu’s GPS cane allows users to set a route and get directions through an LED display in the handle, and follow directions along with a large arrow. If the walker turns the wrong way, the handle vibrates to alert him or her. The cane also allows friends and family to track a user’s location, and send an email alert if the user has fallen down.

The cane include medical monitoring features, with a sensor that monitors the heart rate and skin temperature of the user. This information can be viewed online in real time, giving caregivers peace of mind while allowing the cane user greater independence.

Read more about the device, and engadget’s hands-on demo, at the blog’s website.

Following the recent announcement of Magellan’s SmartGPS device, the free Magellan SmartGPS Apps for iOS and Android devices are the next key elements in Magellan’s Smart Ecosystem, a cloud platform that integrates social media and navigation content directly onto a navigation map, the company said. The SmartGPS Apps automatically deliver continually updating reviews and tips for local businesses from social media including Yelp, Foursquare, and other partners to create current, local and personalized driving and pedestrian experiences.

The Magellan SmartGPS mobile apps display location-relevant information “squares” that graphically flip to show reviews, tips and offers from Yelp and Foursquare for nearby restaurants, stores and services. Users can then navigate to those locations directly from the SmartGPS App without needing to open an additional application or device. The cloud architecture enables new monetization of end users’ mobile search and navigation, and additional social media and content partners.

“We architected the Smart Ecosystem to integrate with automotive infotainment and mobile network service platforms so users can enjoy a truly mobile, connected car experience now,” said Peggy Fong, president of MiTAC Digital Corporation. “SmartGPS mobile apps connect to the vehicle dash, allowing users to easily search social media and points-of-interest for destinations, and send the locations via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to SmartGPS-enabled vehicle navigation systems.”

Magellan’s free iOS and Android SmartGPS apps create a total-solution SmartGPS experience that is truly mobile. Magellan connects the smartphone to the vehicle dashboard, enabling location sync and sharing, hands-free operation and data connectivity. Users can pair their Magellan SmartGPS app with SmartGPS-enabled navigation systems. Using their SmartGPS App, SmartGPS enabled navigation system, or PC, users can search for a location, save the location in Magellan’s Smart Ecosystem cloud, and sync and share the location to any SmartGPS enabled device via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

The free Magellan SmartGPS Apps will be available in North America this Spring, and in Europe this Summer, from iTunes and Google Play. Premium versions of both apps featuring spoken turn-by-turn navigation will also be available.