LBS

IoT platform revenues will grow to € 2.4 billion worldwide in 2020

The global market for third party Internet of Things (IoT) platforms will show solid growth in the next few years, according to Berg Insight. Total IoT platform revenues are forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.2 percent from € 450 million in 2014 to € 2.4 billion in 2020. Third party IoT platforms are relatively new in the market and display a great diversity in terms of functionality and application areas. berginsight.com

Researchers test smartphones for earthquake warning

Introstart smartphones and other personal electronic devices could, in regions where they are in widespread use, function as early warning systems for large earthquakes according to newly reported research introend. This technology could serve regions of the world that cannot afford higher quality, but more expensive, conventional earthquake early warning systems, or could contribute to those systems.

The study, led by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey and published April 10 in the inaugural volume of the new AAAS journal Science Advances, found that the sensors in smartphones and similar devices could be used to build earthquake warning systems. Despite being less accurate than scientifi cgrade equipment, the GPS receivers in a smartphone can detect the permanent ground movement (displacement) caused by fault motion in a large earthquake.

China’s Internet leaders are adding features to sell mobile ads

Mapmakers in ancient China were renowned for innovation in accuracy and scale. As the nation’s Big Three Internet companies compete to attract users to their mapping software, their focus remains much the same, with a few high-tech twists.

Online marketplace Alibaba, search engine Baidu, and messaging-app maker Tencent are pouring money into free mapping apps to draw larger mobile audiences. The location data that comes with the new users is coveted by advertisers, who can push products to people in specific places. Google Maps’ share of the market has slipped into the single digits since the company stopped providing search services in China fi ve years ago, complaining of government censorship. The three Chinese companies offer mapping features that Google doesn’t. http://www.todayonline.com

India’s UrbanClap matches customers with the best local service providers

Based in Delhi, UrbanClap wants to make fi nding good service providers as easy as, well, clapping your hands.

With more than 1,000 service providers currently listed, including individuals and companies, UrbanClap claims to be the largest mobile-based services marketplace in India. The startup, however, aspires to be more than just a listings platform.

Co-founder Varun Khaitan says that UrbanEye’s proprietary matchmaking engine sets up potential customers with the best service providers in their area, saving them from the tedium of going through hundreds of listings or having to rely on word-of-mouth referrals. http://techcrunch.com

Apple being wooed by Nokia for $3.2B HERE mapping acquisition

A report claims Apple is among a number of high-profi le tech companies being courted by Nokia in the Finnish fi rm’s attempt to sell off its HERE mapping service and related assets. Nokia is seeking more than 3 billion euros (roughly $3.2 billion) for HERE’s mapping assets despite the cache being valued at $2.14 billion last year. Nokia’s investment in HERE’s technology, including those got through acquisitions like NAVTEQ, was pegged at $8.1 billion in 2008.

For Apple, the addition of HERE could play an important role in the buildout of Apple Maps, which drew criticism when it launched in iOS 6. http://appleinsider.com