LBS

Boosts for LBS by Singapore government

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has published an Open Positioning Framework (OPF) which is a set of standards and protocols which will help reduce the time and costs involved in developing and deploying Mobile Positioning and Analytics Services (MPAS) and enable more businesses in various sectors to reap the benefits of location-based services.

In the airport sector, for example, an operator can make use of MPAS capabilities in workforce management to locate roaming customer service officers and re-deploy them where they are most needed. In estate management, the location of maintenance officers can be detected automatically using MPAS, without requiring them to scan QR codes at every station, thus saving time and process.

Today, smart phones are typically equipped with a variety of sensors such as GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and accelerometers, making it possible to have more accurate and effective location positioning, both outdoors and indoors. With the deployment of MPAS still in its infancy and in the absence of wellestablished standards and protocols, IDA has taken the lead in developing the OPF to drive interoperability across the MPAS ecosystem and help businesses take advantage of developments in this space. http://www.ida.gov.sg

Sony Seeks ‘SmartWig’ Patent for Hairpieces With Sensors

Sony Corp., is seeking a U.S. patent for “SmartWig” hairpieces that could help navigate roads, check blood pressure or flip through slides in a presentation. The wig would communicate wirelessly with another device and include tactile feedback, Sony said in the filing with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Depending on the model, the hairpiece may include a camera, laser pointer or GPS sensor, it said. The development of wearable technology such as eyeglasses, watches and earpieces is expanding as consumers seek new ways to integrate computers into everyday life.

NTT Docomo to provide GPSbased tracking services

NTT Docomo Inc. will start providing location tracking services for corporate customers in late January. It will provide a 30-gram device that can be easily attached to a person’s belongings like shoes worn by elderly citizens and to satchels carried by schoolchildren. The location and time information of users of the device can be tracked with cellphones and other equipment that use GPS. http://ajw.asahi.com

TRAI prescribes tariff for service data-based mobile banking

Aiming to promote the use of mobile banking services across India, the telecom regulator TRAI has come out with guidelines and tariff on unstructured supplementary service data (USSD)- based mobile banking services.

USSD technology is used by telecom operators to send alerts to their users. It can be used for pre-paid call-back services, location-based content services and menu-based information. A large section of the population, especially in rural areas, do not have easy access to banks and this facility will help to tide over that shortcoming, he added.

The Mobile Banking (Quality of Service) (Amendment) Regulations, 2013, have come into immediate effect and the Telecommunication Tariff (56th Amendment) Order, 2013, will come into force on January 1, 2014, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a note yesterday. www.thehindubusinessline.com

Kinexon GmbH wins 10th European Satnav Competition

Kinexon GmbH at the ESA Business Incubation Centre Bavaria has developed a cloud-based solution for analysing and visualising training data on mobile devices. The solution kits athletes out with a small, portable location sensor and feeds the resulting data into the cloud by means of a stationary base antenna. This enables users to track and analyse performance parameters and tactical movements down to the centimetre – all in real time. In particular, however, it was the solution’s user-friendliness during training and relatively low cost that won over the international jury of experts in the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC). So far, the high price of such systems has limited their use to professional sport; Kinexon’s system will now give amateur clubs the chance to benefit from adding online analysis to their training activities, as well.

Microsoft partners with TCS, Wipro

Microsoft India announced the launch of Microsoft CityNext in the country. It is an initiative to enable city residents and city leaders to use technology to build a foundation for sustainable growth. Globally the programme was launched in July this year.

Microsoft has also signed up technology services providers Tata Consultancy Services ( TCS) and Wipro as partners to implement the CityNext solutions and services. Such solutions can help in areas including traffic management, healthcare services, payment of local taxes and tackling environmental issues. http:// articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

EIAST successfully launches Dubai Sat-2

The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) has successfully launched Dubai Sat- 2. It marks another accomplishment for the UAE in aerospace and complements EIAST’s achievements in the fields of space science and advanced technology. Dubai Sat-2 was launched from the Yasny Launch Base in Russia, using the Russian Dnepr rocket launcher in cooperation with the Russian International Space Company (Kozmotras). http://gulftoday.ae/portal