LBS

Porsche offering retrofit navigation system for classic cars

Porsche is offering navigation for its classic cars, with a system designed to maintain the classic aesthetic of its old dashboards. Porsche has decided that owners of its classic cars deserve some of this high-tech help, and has designed a sat-nav system to fit into the dash of cars dating back to the 1960’s.

Central to Porsche Classic’s new navigation unit is carefully-designed retro looks. These retro-designed elements frame a 3.5-inch touchscreen, which can be used to display maps or, as with most other modern infotainment systems, control a phone connected via Bluetooth. Porsche

NTT to roll out indoor navigation using smartphone sensors

Japanese mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo wants to go beyond GPS with a more granular smartphone navigation system for complex indoor spaces.

DoCoMo has partnered with mapping company Zenrin DataCom to develop the navigation system that makes use of sensors in smartphones. It’s designed to help users find their way through Japan’s dense indoor spaces such as subway complexes or underground malls where GPS signals may not reach.

The new platform uses smartphone motion sensors to track direction when a user walks around. The data is plotted against preloaded maps from Zenrin, which supplies mapping apps for all DoCoMo mobile phones.

Atmospheric pressure sensors, or barometers, in some smartphones can also be used to detect when users of the navigation service climb or descend stairs or use elevators, according to DoCoMo. When that happens, the appropriate map for the floor or outdoor environment is automatically called up. www.pcworld.com