NEWSBRIEFS –INDUSTRY

Leica GNSS QC and Spider V3.1

Leica Geosystems introduces GNSS QC V2.1, the latest version of the GNSS quality control and data analysis software. It includes an interface to geodetic processing packages such as Bernese by adding support for the SINEX format. It provides a convenient way of displaying and monitoring site displacements and troposphere estimates computed using high-end scientific software packages that are ideal for wide area or seismic GNSS monitoring and crustal deformation studies.

Leica has also released GNSS Spider V3.1. New are a Network based DGPS service and a unique User Location Service, providing secure external online access to user location information. www.leica-geosystems.com

AAMHatch buy 3rd Intergraph® DMC, opens New Kuala Lumpur Office

AAMHatch has standardized on Intergraph® photogrammetry technology with the purchase of its third large format Intergraph Z/I Imaging Digital Mapping Camera (DMC®).

The company has also opened its new Kuala Lumpur office serving as south east asian regional headquarters. It continues its partnership with local Malaysian company, RS & GIS Consultancy Sdn Bhd (RESGIS) in the new offices. AAMHatch and RESGIS first worked together on a Malaysian LiDAR project in 2003. www.aamhatch.com.au

Virtual Geomatics announces Sanborn as an authorized reseller for LiDAR

Virtual Geomatics has signed a reseller agreement with Sanborn to serve its customers of the VG4D Suite consisting of Production Manager, Data Manager and Viewer. The Virtual Geomatics’ software solutions are deployed for production in Sanborn’s Colorado Springs operations. www.sanborn.com

Trimble announces the Real-Time Corrections Service

Trimble has introduced VRS Now™ H Star™ service. This service provides instant access to H-Star corrections throughout Germany, Great Britain, and the Madrid region of Spain. A subscription to the service gives users working in utilities, local government, natural resources, and land management the ability to obtain real-time, decimeter level accurate positions consistently and directly at the job site. www.trimble.com

Freeway 2008 Drive Time Analysis Software now available

Spatial Insights, Inc. has released Freeway 2008 and Freeway 2008 Premium, the drive time applications from Applied Spatial Technology, Inc. Freeway creates drive time polygons, as well as output tables of drive times and drive distances between multiple origins and multiple destinations. www.spatialinsights.com

Hemisphere GPS new releases

Hemisphere GPS has introduced the LV100(TM) GPS Compass Board, the latest addition to its innovative precise heading and positioning product line. It is a complete GPS compass and positioning assembly utilizing a unique design featuring a single carrier board with integrated GPS antennas, designed for easy integration by OEM customers.

Hemisphere GPS has also released a new product for the aerial application market, the Air IntelliFlow Dual Rate system. It is targeted at a broad range of applications, including crop spraying, pest control, forestry, and fire management.

It has also announced an expansion of its intellectual property portfolio with 4 new patents. These patents are the latest innovations in the areas of GPS positioning and automated steering. www.hemispheregps.com

ASUS launches R2E NoteBook in India

Taiwan-based ASUS has launched its new R2E Notebook in India with GPS and multi-programme capability. It includes an 800 MHz Intel Stealy CPU, a seven inch touch panel with a SunRead glare proof panel, a 945GU Intel VGA, a 1.3 M camera, 1GB memory and Windows Vista operating system. http://sify.com

u-blox GPS chosen by Mobile Knowledge

Mobile Knowledge, a provider of commercial fleet dispatch and management solutions, has chosen a dead reckoning GPS module developed by u-blox, for a cutting edge Passenger Information Monitor & Point of Sale system being used by New York City’s Yellow Taxi fleet. The NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission has approved the Mobile Knowledge and two other systems for this purpose, and has mandated that all 13,000 Yellow Cabs to be equipped by 31 August 2008. www.u-blox.com

GPSi Asia signs exclusive distribution deal for China

GPS Industries, Inc. announced that its Asian distributor, GPSi Asia Pte. Ltd., has entered into an exclusive agreement for China with the Shanghai Hangying Culture Media Ltd.. The company is a GPS provider to golf courses in China with a business model that includes advertising on the GPS units. www.tradingmarkets.com

ERDAS adds support for WorldView-1 Satellite Data

ERDAS Inc. has announced support for WorldView-1 satellite products in ERDAS IMAGINE and LPS. It will help ERDAS users such as GEOINT and military analysts, state and local governments, civil organizations, first responders and non-governmental organizations to transform the satellite information into timely, relevant and accurate geospatial intelligence. www.erdas.com

Safe Software and WeoGeo partner

Safe Software and WeoGeo have partnered to bring the powerful data transformation capabilities of FME technology to the cloud. It will make it easier than ever before for spatial data to be accessed when, where, and how it’s needed. www.safe.com/fmeserver

SIRF: $332M loss, to reduce headcount by 7-9%

SiRF has announced a net loss of $332.6 million per diluted share for its second quarter ending ended June 30, 2008. The revenue in the quarter was $63.1 million, a decrease of 10.6 percent from $70.6 million reported in the second quarter of 2007.

Cadcorp mSIS enhances productivity of mobile data capture users

The latest release of Cadcorp Mobile Spatial Information System enhances both mSIS Office, the desktop project management package and mSIS Mobile, the Pocket PC based data capture software for mobile mapping applications. It provides increased accuracy and flexibility in customising overlays, significantly improves the handling of attributes and supports the creation of lightweight GeoTIFF images.

BAE Systems to provide surveillance sensors to U.S. Army

BAE Systems has received a $14.5 million U.S. Army contract to develop surveillance sensors. The system, to be developed under the Army’s Airborne Wide Area Persistent Surveillance Sensor (AWAPSS) program, will use dual-band visible and infrared imaging technology to collect high-resolution imagery from large areas of interest. It will enable military aircraft to conduct 24-hour surveillance.

Intergraph® Introduces New Medium Format Digital Aerial Camera

Intergraph has introduced the RMK DT, a new medium-format digital aerial camera designed to replace film-based technology for smaller mapping and remote sensing projects and for high resolution engineering projects. The RMK D sets itself apart from other mediumformat cameras by incorporating the best features available in the market into a single solution. It also features high geometric resolution, a 14 bit per pixel, high radiometric dynamic range of 70 dB, which allows users to capture quality images even in lower light conditions, and wide range digital forward motion compensation.

Microsoft’s Vexcel Imaging Develops the UltraCamL

Vexcel Imaging has announced the UltraCamL, a smaller, lighter version of the UltraCam large format digital aerial camera system designed to better serve the needs of small mapping firms. It sets a new standard for this market segment by offering an excellent performance/price ratio and comprehensive photogrammetric capabilities, including aerotriangulation and digital surface model production. It is ideal for smaller aircraft and local projects that require a rapid response.

India, Canada strike S&T cooperation at $ 17 million

A new partnership between India and Canada in researches in science and technology is in the offing. A deal to this effect was signed between the Indian science and technology minister Kapil Sibal and the Canadian minister for foreign affairs, international trade and Pacific Gateway, David Emerson in Ottawa recently, involving research initiatives also by Companies on both sides valued at more than $ 17 million. Among the eight identified joint research projects is a next generation interoperable geo-portal solution for the emerging spatial data infrastructure market.

Spirent Federal GPS Simulator selected by Honeywell

Spirent Federal Systems has announced that Honeywell has selected a Spirent GPS/Inertial simulator to develop, integrate and verify the navigation system for NASA’s Orion project. The Spirent simulator includes comprehensive modeling of the space environment and will provide multiple radio frequency (RF) outputs, allowing multiple antenna locations to be simulated. In addition, the system provided for the Orion project will include multiple SimINERTIAL units—Spirent Inertial interfaces that provide Honeywell engineers the capability of emulating Inertial sensor output while simultaneously simulating GPS RF signals.www.spirent.com

Blaupunkt enters in-car navigation devices market

Blaupunkt, a Bosch group-owned incar entertainment products company, forayed into in-car portable navigation devices market in the country with the launch of three models under the TravelPilot series. Blaupunkt is the third organised player after SatNav and MapmyIndia in this nascent market, which is estimated at 50,000 units this year.

Announcing the launch at a press conference here, V K Viswanathan, Managing Director, Bosch Ltd, said: “We have been innovating new technologies for the mass market. Blaupunkt’s latest product reflects our technological prowess and commitment towards the development of user-friendly advanced navigation systems.” To begin with the company aims to sell the product through the after market. It is currently in talks with several OEMs for introducing the product as a standard fitment, he said. www.business-standard.com