WiMAX Hits the Road with Multiple Personal Navigation Devices

The consumer electronics world gets each New Year off to a quick start at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show 2008 in Las Vegas.

One of the consumer device categories that look popular for 2008 is Personal Navigation Devices (PND). The PND space combines the navigation capabilities of a GPS handheld with location-aware services and access to Internet content found on a personal computer. The merge of the two creates the PND with new services to help find local retailers, provide targeted marketing content, and access your media library. PNDs are an alternative to the singular-function GPS devices, while enabling personal and vehicle navigation services with the flexibility to use it with or without your car.

Clarion Mobile Internet Navigation Device (MiND)
Car audio and entertainment vendor Clarion introduced MiND to provide users access to navigation, high-speed Internet connection, digital music and videos, hands-free phone connection (via Bluetooth), built-in camera and other entertainment features. The system is based on an Intel Menlow platform, a Linux OS, and offers wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standard. 3G and WiMAX add-ons are expected in the future. Clarion intends to introduce the MiND system to the US market first.

dmedia F200
Taiwan's dmedia not only introduced a WiMAX-enabled PND at CES 2008; they also took home a CES Innovations Award for the device. The F200 is a GPS phone with dual screen, single touch panel, GPS chipset built-in, Bluetooth enabled, 2M pixel digital camera, Mobile WiMAX supported, and incorporates a G-Sensor. The G-Sensor enables a step counter (pedometer function). And the handset only measures: 124 x 46.9 x 15.9 (mm). This combination of features will be valuable for geocoding data in transit. What is geocoding? Take a photo with the F200 and the GPS function adds the coordinates to the photo's metadata (which includes information like date, time, camera settings, etc). That photo is uploaded to an online mapping community that allows visitors to see all the images taken at the exact location. This type of device will open up new markets, such as user-generated content, photo blogging, guided walking tours, and more.

Alpine Electronics In-Car Navigation System
OKI Electric Industry, Co., Ltd. and Alpine Electronics Inc joined forces with Runcom Technologies Ltd to demonstrate a vehicle navigation system with streaming content based on Mobile WiMAX technology. The companies worked closely for the past several months to develop an in-vehicle navigation system with embedded broadband wireless communications capabilities. The system can upload information -- such as road maps, attractions, nearby events and additional Location-Based Services -- to report car maintenance status and failures and many other broadband IP applications.

Networks In Motion AtlasBook PC-Based In-Car WiMAX Navigation Solution
Networks In Motion (NIM) demonstrated a WiMAX-connected navigation system proof-of-concept. While similar to installed auto navigation devices, the AtlasBook enables access real-time location assisted search and travel information. The AtlasBook turn-by-turn GPS navigation application, which runs on the Azentek in-dash computer running Windows Vista; and uses WiMAX for wireless data access, may soon be available on touch-screen PCs installed into vehicles. The application is also part of a mobile vehicle demo provided by Intel Corporation on Clearwire's WiMAX demonstration network, which is built with Motorola's wi4 WiMAX end-to-end solution.

The technology also uses NIM's AtlasBook product to provide maps, local search and turn-by-turn directions with voice guidance, 3D moving maps, and visual instructions. It also features navigation based on real-time and historical traffic information, automatic trip recalculation, and 3D perspective view. It will also allow users to search for points of interest (POIs), such as restaurants, hotels and ATMs, along their route or around a selected location and will display traffic incidents and weather conditions.

With these solutions coming to market starting this year, you may not want to go home as often. Not only will they keep you from getting lost, these WiMAX-enabled devices will help you find local resources and participate in building better information for future users to take advantage of.

By Jeff Orr, ORR Technology

Tuesday, January 08, 2008 in Applications  | Permalink |  Comments (0)