Coastal navigation upgrade
The UK’s General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) have awarded a £4m contract to VT Communications for the upgrade of 14 Differential Global Positioning Service reference stations. The upgrade includes adding the capability to use modernised GPS signals that will be needed for tracking the future satellite navigations systems, Galileo and GLONASS. www.vtplc.com

New GIS software from India
The Space Applications Centre and Scanpoint Geomatics in Ahmedabad have released a new product, IGIS. It has been developed to a requirement from Indian Space research Organisation for a GIS software that could ingest data from its satellites and turn out information products. It contains an integrated image processing engine and a GIS. www.scanpointgeomatics.com

Canalys: EMEA Q3 GPSs phone shipments overtake PNDs
According to Canalys, shipments of PNDs in the Q3 to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa fell to 4.3 million from 4.8 million in Q2, while shipments of GPS-enabled smartphones soared, rising from 4.7 million to 10.4 million. Based on its latest research, the firm estimates that global shipments of PNDs in Q3 2008 rose 14% compared to Q3 2007, with North America and Asia Pacific still seeing considerable volume growth of 49% and 25% respectively. The risk to PND vendors is likely to rise further as the economic situation forces more consumers to take a hard look at their discretionary purchases/ www.canalys.com

EU not boldly funding space ambitions
The European Union wants to become a major player in space projects, EU ministers agreed, amid concerns that member states and industry are unwilling to provide the astronomical costs involved. They agreed on “the need to develop instruments and financial schemes for European space policy,” announced French Research Minister Valerie Pecresse, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency. However a statement issued after the ministerial meeting gave no details on the funding needs or means, highlighting the problem. http://www.spacedaily.com

‘Bhuvan’- India’s answer to Google Earth
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will soon launch ‘Bhuvan’, which will provide online maps based on GIS in line of Google Earth, ISRO chairman, G Madhavan Nair said recently. It is equivalent to the Google Earth, but is going to be much more precise .It will provide the latest information on our natural resources. We are going to provide very accurate maps of the region with the latest picture. The service likely to commence in the coming six months, will be available to the people in appropriate manner. This will provide valuable and updated information to the people. The software and infrastructure necessary for the service is being established. Though most of the information will be online, but precision data will be given to selected users only,” Nair said. http://www.thehindu.com

Kathmandu goes digital with online city-guide
Savant Associates has unveiled mapmandu.com, the first online cityguide of Kathmandu. It uses an interactive mapping engine to facilitate localized search of destinations in Kathmandu on a digitalized map. It provides the users with up-to-date online information and other extensive services on various aspects of city life in Kathmandu. http://www.nepalnews.com

Motorola launches GPS-based touchscreen phone
Motorola has launched its touchscreen GPS-enabled phone offering navigation maps and landmarks of 30 cities in India.
http://economictimes.indiaticommes.

Magellan News
Real-Time Data Server software
Magellan is also introducing new PC software called Real-Time Data Server (RTDS) that allows GPRS communication between one base and several rovers. The base could be a fixed base (with a direct/local connection to the RTDS) or a mobile base (connected to RTDS through GPRS)

The issue of FDI in GPS systems came up recently in a series of meetings held by the foreign investment promotion board (FIPB). Of late, many Indian companies have evinced interest to manufacture GPS devices in joint venture with foreign counterparts. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

ESA shortens list of bidders for Galileo
The ESA has listed 11 industrial groups invited to compete for contracts to get Europe’s satellite-navigation system, Galileo, into orbit. They are Italian, Dutch, French, British and German. Galileo now aims to launch its 30 satellites by the end of 2013, giving Galileo users more precision that the current American GPS coverage offers. Europe has already spent 1.6bn euros on Galileo. http://www.euronews.net