Location Based Systems

Microsoft and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced yesterday they have forged a strategic partnership and plan to build a global platform for TMC's next-generation telematics services using the Windows Azure platform.

Nexcom's popular VTC series has been extended with the launch of VTC 6200-NI, a dedicated computing solution for in-vehicle surveillance applications. It harnesses the powerful video processing capability of the of Intel Atom D510 processer which can support dual-core technology. With an additional video capture module, Nexcom says the VTC 6200-NI is the ideal solution for surveillance applications within public transport or fleet transport. To facilitate mobile communication and navigation, VTC 6200-NI has

TeleNav has launched hybrid navigation technology which can provide premium turn-by-turn navigation and local search capabilities by either using real-time data sent to the phone over the wireless network or data that has been cached on the device.

TRL's Alan Stevens looks at the evolution and future prospects of in-vehicle navigation devices. Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) plays a crucial role in the safety of vehicles on our roads. Until we achieve full automation (and that's a debatable prospect anyway) a driver's interaction with the vehicle - all the controls, information and systems - holds a pivotal role in safe driving.

Navmii, a publisher of navigation and location apps, has launched its new community-based navigation product, NavFree, a free, fully functioning GPS/satellite navigation app for iPhone and iPad. Currently available for the UK & Republic of Ireland from the iTunes store, the company says it will quickly be rolled out across Europe and the USA. A version of Navfree for Android will also be released shortly.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication Systems ESK in Munich, Germany, have developed a car-to-x communication (C2X) system that makes structured communication possible between an electronic unit in the vehicle and the outside world.

David Crawford sees lively prospects for Finnish innovation

This year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was characterised by consumer telematics solutions, writes Dave McNamara

Philippe Hamet discusses the progress of the European Union's Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System Project

GNSS-based road use metering systems need performance metrics, as well as ways to test and reliably compare them. Bern Grush and Joaquín Cosmen write about the function of the GNSS Metering Association for Road-use charging (GMAR), recently set up to address this issue