ISRO’s Desk
India to launch satellites to study climate change
India shall soon be launching two dedicated satellites in polar orbit to study climate change through atmospheric research and detection of greenhouse gases. It will make India one of the few countries in the world to have such advanced facility to study the impact of climate change due to emission of greenhouse gases. www.thaindian.com

Digital village in China
A two-year project to bridge the urbanrural digital divide in Yunnan Province in southern China is gathering pace. US$18 million so far has been spent in the creation of the ‘Yunnan Digital Village’, which will bring information technology to 16 cities, 129 counties and 130,000 villages in the province. The initiative was devised by Intel, which provided consulting services as well as technology and engineering solutions. http://chinadigitaltimes.net

GPS IC shipments forecast for 2010
According to ABI research GPS IC shipment growth should see a 30% increase. The unabated interest in GPS-enabled smartphones during the recession has been a life-saver for the GPS IC industry, and future growth will be fuelled by the integration of GPS in feature phones across Europe and Asia. www.abiresearch.com

Integration of GPS Flight Tracking into Aviation Management SaaS
Trindigo has integrated Blue Sky Network’s GPS tracking and automated flight following technology into Blue Sky aviation management suite. It will enable continuous monitoring location of flights within Trindigo’s web-based solution using Blue Sky’s near real-time GPS data. www.blueskynetwork.com

ikeGPS™ powered by u-blox
u-blox and Surveylab has unveiled the successful integration of u-blox’ LEA GPS receiver module into Surveylab’s ikeGPS remote data capture products. It is a combination of positioning technology from u-blox with a 3D compass, laser rangefinder and digital camera. www.u-blox.com

EU’s satellite system to fi ne-tune GPS
The European Union launched a free satellite navigation network that could help pilots, drivers and blind people by fi ne-tuning the accuracy of the US GPS to around 2 meters. The EGNOS system will use three satellites and 34 ground stations to narrow the horizontal accuracy of GPS from around 7 meters previously and improve its vertical accuracy to help pilots during landings. Farmers could also benefi t from improved precision for spraying fertilizers, and new applications could emerge on roads, such as automatic tolling and pay-per-use car insurance. The system was pioneered by the Commission, the European Space Agency and aviation safety authority Eurocontrol. www.reuters.com

JAXA and DLR co-operation
JAXA and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) signed a letter of intent concerning mutual cooperation for satellite disaster monitoring. Both parties confi rmed a mutual intention to use JAXA’s ALOS and DLR’s TerraSAR-X – both of which carry a SAR instrument – to improve response to disasters. They will exchange data as required on requests for emergency observations. They also agreed that will start collaborative research related to disaster monitoring. www.jaxa.jp

PCTEL GPS antennas in GAGAN
PCTEL will deploy its WAAS ground station GPS antennas in India’s GPS-Aided Geosynchronous Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system. These antennas are currently deployed for the North American WAAS system and Japan’s MSAS. The land-based WAAS antennas enable highly precise navigation and tracking of aircraft and covers L1, L2, and L5 GPS frequencies.http://investor.pctel.com

Magellan RoadMate 1700
Magellan unveiled the new Magellan RoadMate 1700. It is designed to better meet the needs of consumers who are seeking larger-sized displays and easyto- use electronics. The 7-inch WVGA full-colour display provides 4 times the standard screen resolution for better readability and increased safety on the roads. www.magellangps.com

Leica ScanStation C10, builder total stations
Leica Geosystems announced the new Leica ScanStation C10, a laser scanner for as-built and topographic surveys. It provides users with a combination of greater versatility, reduced cost of ownership, and even higher productivity for scanning. With the Leica Builder, Leica has designed a tailored measuring tool for anybody on or around a construction site who needs a simple, intuitive yet innovative and powerful measuring tool. From simple tasks to professional all-day use, it offers a scalable product family that meets the needs for almost any construction job. www.leica-geosystems.com