GNSS

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Avoid tweet at London Olympics

LONDON Sports fans attending the London Olympics were told to avoid non-urgent text messages and tweets during events because overloading of data networks was affecting television coverage. Commentators on men’s cycling road race were unable to tell viewers how far the leaders were ahead of the chasing pack because data could not get through from the GPS satellite navigation system travelling with the cyclists.

An explosion in the use of mobile phones to access the Internet and take and send photos and video has made London 2012 the first true “social media Games”, but also put pressure on the networks. The host broadcaster, the BBC, is enabling fans to see many events live on their smartphones. http://www.reuters.com

GPS can now measure ice melt

Researchers have found a way to use GPS to measure short-term changes in the rate of ice loss on Greenland – and reveal a surprising link between the ice and the atmosphere above it. The study, published in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, hints at the potential for GPS to detect many consequences of climate change, including ice loss, the uplift of bedrock, changes in air pressure – and perhaps even sea level rise. http://researchnews.osu.edu

Telekom Malaysia partnership to enhance local GPS

A collaboration between MSC [Multimedia Supercorridor] Malaysia status IT solutions firm Milan Utama and national telco Telekom Malaysia (TM) will enhance content for a Malaysian GPS navigation solution.

TM executive vice president, SME, AziziA Hadisaid one of the objectives of the partnership is to enhance the content of Lokatoo, a local GPS navigation solution. “Through this partnership, Yellow Pages business listings and TM WiFisites will also be embedded into the GPS navigation system; a synergy that will provide a richer content of directory information for Lokatoo users and bring a whole new meaning to navigating.”

Currently, the Lokatoo GPS navigation system is developed specifically to cater to automakers and will be available for mass consumer segment by the end of 2012. http://www.mis-asia.com

Four GPS centres to come up in Rajasthan, India

With a view to monitor and study earthquakes, over 250 GPS centers would be set up in the country including four in Rajasthan. These centers will be funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi. Though most of these centres will be set up in the Himalayan region but having identified earthquake-sensitive zones in Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Ganganagar and Kota, four centres will be set up in Rajasthan too. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

RMIT in Japanese space hook-up

Australia’s RMIT University has secured an agreement to develop global navigation satellite systems with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The collaboration, recursively dubbed the Multi-GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Joint Experiment in the Asia-Oceania Multi- GNSS Demonstration Campaign, consists of a series of evaluation activities over five years. These evaluation trials will include the JAXA Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) which is a network of multiple satellites in orbits with zenith paths over Japan. Under the agreement, JAXA will loan two GNSS receivers to RMIT to conduct the Multi-GNSS Joint Experiments. http://www.theregister.co.uk

Russia Offers India Joint GLONASS Development

Russia has offered India joint participation in development of its GLONASS satellite navigation system on an equal basis, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. “We have offered our Indian counterparts not only use of the Glonass system but also participation in upgrading it. We practically see it as a joint effort. ithink our Indian counterparts will be interested in it,” said Rogozin, who has special responsilibity for Russia’s military-industrial complex. http://en.ria.ru/mlitary_news

Police suspect Glonass contractor of misappropriating

$17M Police raided a Russian space firm suspected of misspending 565 million rubles ($17 million) of state money on developing the country’s Glonass satellite navigation system, according to the Interior Ministry. Investigators established that managers at Russian Space Systems, a contractor used by the Federal Space Agency, signed research contracts with unqualified commercial companies, only to siphon off the money later. http://www.themoscowtimes.com

GLONASS designer honored with Royal Institute of Navigation Award

The Royal Institute of Navigation has awarded the Duke Of Edinburgh’s Navigation Award for Technical Achievement to Professor NicolaiTestoedov, who received it on behalf of YuriUrlichich, the chief designer of GLONASS, “in recognition of the achievement of a complete operational constellation of satellites in December 2011, thus providing a full global positioning and timing service.”

Country will soon have its own navigation satellite: ISRO chief

India, which is using navigation satellites of other countries now, will soon have its own navigation satellite system, said K. Radhakrishnan, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation and the Space Commission. He said that the first of the seven satellites of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System would be launched in 2013. He said that ISRO would launch Astrosat, an Indian multiwavelength astronomy satellite, in 2014. He added that Chandrayaan ihad helped discover water molecules on the Moon and ISRO would work in this area in the coming years too. http://www.thehindu.com

SLA launches 7th SiReNT station

Singapore Land Authority (SLA) launched its 7th SiReNT Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) recently. This latest reference station, SNSC, is GNSS capable and provides GPS + GLONASS corrections. This CORS is located at the National Sailing Centre along East Coast Park. This CORS is fully independent, using solar & battery power with 3G/ GPRS for communications. SNSC is also the first SiReNT ground based CORS. With the introduction of SNSC, the SiReNT infrastructure now consist of 5 GPS + 2 GPS/GLONASS CORS. For SiReNT users, the introduction of a 7th CORS means the ability to apply differential corrections for equipment that are GPS+GLONASS capable. These equipments are preferred to traditional GPS only equipment in urban canyon environments, which are common in Singapore’ landscape. www.sla.gov.sg

Europe clears first airline satellite navigation operation

Europe is rolling out operational service of its satellite-based aircraft navigation system EGNOS, an official with Britain’s largest air traffic control agency said. An 18-passenger aircraft serving the island of Alderney, located off the French coast of Normandy, is the first to be outfitted and certified to use the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, or EGNOS. The system, which makes use of GPS signals to guide aircraft to the runway, is particularly useful when visibility is limited. http://www.reuters.com

NICT and Fujitsu develop indoor guidance technology for the blind

Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and Fujitsu have announced their joint development of an indoor support system for the blind that uses ultra wide band (UWB) technology and a smartphone. The system is able to provide realtime positioning data, even indoors where GPS cannot be used, and provide audio instructions on the distance and direction to a destination to help guide the blind. This guidance support system for the blind reduces inconveniences facing the blind and is expected to pave the way to major R&D advances in other guidance support systems. http://www.nict.go.jp/en/index.html

Navilock presents new generation of u-blox based GLONASS receivers

Navilock has announced a new family of GLONASS receiver products including the NL-662U USB based receiver equipped with a u-blox GLONASS chipset. The receiver products have internal patch antenna in various configurations to serve different installation requirements. Four housing variants with USB or serial MD6/ TTL interfaces are available for installation on vehicles or boats. www.navilock.com