INDUSTRY | LBS | GPS | GIS | REMOTE SENSING | GALILEO UPDATE

Partial funding through EU farming subsidies

Following months of disagreements, the EU has reached a funding compromise and resolved the crisis around its Galileo satellite navigation system. Two thirds of the missing 2.4 billion euros will be provided from EU farming pots alone. …

The European Parliament has voted to boost funding for the European Institute of Technology (EIT) and Galileo, the European satellite navigation system, at its first reading vote on the draft budget for 2008. The MEPs voted to reverse over €1.5 billion of cuts made by the Council to payments under the headings 1a (competitiveness, growth, employment) and 1b (cohesion).

A company called Satski has launched GPS navigation system for skiers giving an interactive map of the mountain that will guide, assist and record movements. The system will constantly update the current position on the map, give statistics and record coordinates, altitude, speed, and distance.

Vodafone, has introduced two of its Blackberry models, Curve 8310 and 8820 in India, recently. Curve 8310 is RIM’s latest innovation for customers who demand a featurerich multimedia and GPS-enabled smartphone.

High Tech Computer Corp. launched HTC P3300, a GPS phone in India. It allows users to take pictures outdoors and then automatically embeds the satellite coordinates into the picture. The MapKing R12 is the mobile mapping system which comes with the P3300.

INDUSTRY | LBS | GPS | GIS | GALILEO UPDATE

Magellan introduces its CrossoverGPS
Magellan, enters the consumer driver space with its CrossoverGPS, it caters for road, hiking/off-road and nautical
navigation. It comes with high battery life and with a ruggedised sleeve to protect from drops and the map data comes
from Navteq.
www.magellangps.com
Topcon GTS-750 and GMS-2 Pro …

GPS is overly intrusive
THOUSANDS of cabbies in New York went on strike for two days last month to protest a city rule requiring that all 13,000 cabs get the equipment by year’s end, and among their gripes was that the technology was faulty.
But the new features worked properly 99.21% of the …

EC issues Galileo restructuring plan
The European Commission has proposed changes in running and funding the Galileo and Egnos satellite navigation systems, but deferred proposals on procurement competition and private sector involvement. The proposed revamp was recently submitted to the European Parliament and the European Council, which in June agreed to abandon the public-private partnership arrangement that had been set up to manage and fund deployment of the 30-satellite system.
Lack of clear governance was pegged as a major shortcoming of the original managing structure. Under the new setup, the Parliament and Council are to be fully responsible for political and program oversight, the latter through a new European Global Navigation Satellite System Program Committee. The European Commission will act as owner or sponsor of the project, under the supervision of the GNSS Committee.
The European Space Agency will act as prime contractor, under contract to the EC, with responsibility for the In Orbit Validation (IOV) spacecraft, the 26 Full Operational Capability (FOC) satellites and the related ground segment. The agency will report regularly to the Parliament and Council on program progress. The GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA), which had been created to manage negotiations with the private sector under the original public-private partnership scheme, was given a new job. The GSA will be beefed up and made responsible for preparing market services, handle accrediation/certification, and serve as advisor to the Commission.
The EC determined that the cost of building and deploying the system would not exceed 3.4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) – in line with earlier estimates – provided that there are no further delays or major changes in procurement policy. www.aviationweek.com

Multiple benefits from LIDAR and ortho imagery
Forestal Arauco S.A., a leading forest products companies in South America is using LIDAR and imagery and realizing significant benefits to their operations. It has contracted Digimapas Chile to acquire, process and map 7,500,000 hectares of aerial LIDAR and ortho photo data of forested areas in Chile. On a weekly basis, Digimapas is delivering DTM, DSM; LIDAR intensity images; true ortho images in RGB and CIR; and LIDAR wave form data. It is being used for updating general forest inventory.

VNU-HCM plans to establish the Institute of Space Science and Technology
Vietnam National University – Hochiminh City (VNU-HCM) plans to establish the Institute of Space Science and Technology (ISST) to educate and carry on research in the disciplines of space science and technology, to develop applications of space technology for socio-economy. It will also aim at collaboration with other scientific institutions. With this mission, President Board of VNU-HCM expects collaborations, supports from international institutions on space science and technology. Dr. Tran Vinh Phuoc, Associate Professor in GIS & RS of the VNU-HCM is assigned to hold the Head of the Project Establishing the ISST.