Tokyo-headquartered Kaga Electronics has integrated u-blox’ high-speed UMTS modem technology into their U130-KG wireless 3G air-interface card. The card is designed for machines, PoS terminals, meters, signage and security systems used throughout Japan. It integrates u-blox’ LISA-U130 UMTS/HSPA module to deliver lightning-fast wireless performance: 7.2 Mb/s download and 5.76 Mb/s upload speeds. www.u-blox.com

Fujitsu exhibited a prototype of its GPS-enabled walking stick at Mobile World Congress recently in Barcelona. The futuristic stick is aimed at getting older people out of the house, but would be equally at home slung over the arm of an Apple hipster while their iPod Nikes are in the wash. The user can configure their route on a PC before downloading it to the stick via Bluetooth. As you tap along the street, a display on the top of the stick shows you when to turn – removing the need to muck about with smartphone maps while you’re trying to pay attention to your surroundings. www.theregister.co.uk

Car owners ‘frustrated’ by navigation systems, says report
According to the J D Power and Associates 2012 US Navigation Usage and Satisfaction study, the increasing complexity of navigation systems is beginning to impact how happy consumers are with their cars.

Nokia has acquired 3D-mapping company Earthmine. Moving quickly, the struggling mobile firm has launched a new free location cloud service called Here, available at the URL Here. net.

According to Microsoft, some products sold by Google-owned Motorola Mobility infringe on a patent that describes a method of obtaining the map from one database, resource information such as Starbucks locations from a second database, and overlaying the two sets of data.

Spirent 8100 Location Technology solution was used by Signals Research Group (SRG) in the industry’s fi rst independent benchmark study of the performance of location technologies in chipset platforms and leading smartphone models.

Northern Constabulary are urging hill walkers not to rely solely on ‘smartphone’ apps for navigation. On two occasions in recently, both Police and Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team have been involved in the rescue of lost walkers who were relying entirely on apps which proved to be insufficient on their own.

Researchers at Anna University of Technology in Tamil Nadu, India have developed a technology that not only jams cell phone calls while a vehicle is in motion, but can report a driver’s attempt to use their mobile communication devices to the authorities. The technology, based on RFIDs, is aimed at preventing truck drivers and other road users from using their cell phones while driving and could also be integrated with police traffi c monitoring.

Platform for innovation project Ford has selected the Nokia Location Platform to leverage Nokia’s global location content, including NAVTEQ Map, as well as scaleable cloud services and APIs. This complete solution offers a fast, easy and cost-effective path to create innovative and differentiated location products.

The latest Apple iPhone will be the first among cellphone manufacturers outside Russia to use both the global navigation satellite systems – American GPS and Russian GLONASS. Russia is working on promoting the use of the GLONASS, an in order to do so it is planning to levy heavy import duties in the country on the Phones not using GLONASS.