Who’s Got 40% of GIS Marketshare in China?

The same company being touted as China's Apple. Beijing-based Uni-Strong Science & Technology Co Ltd. And, no I've not heard of it either.

UniStrong's geographic information system (GIS) services has about 40 percent of the marketshare in China, said an Orient Securities Company Ltd report. The company's automobile navigation products, known as the renwoyou series, are the best-selling brands in the country,according to an Economic Observer report on Aug 5.

It's China Position navgiation service launched on July 28 and the company plans to use the Chinese GNSS Beidou to support future products based on an "app model" like Apples.

- China Daily

Podcast: Three LBS Events, One Takeaway: One Device for Work and Play

Editor in Chief Joe Francica ran the LBS gauntlet last week by attending NAVTEQ Connections, CTIA and the SiRF Location 2.0 Summit. The big takeaway is the power of a single device to manage one business and personal life on a single location-enabled device. In the last year, Francica explains, LBS has become part of the enterprise. He and Executive Editor Adena Schutzberg explore the changes that have come with this growth.

Subscribe to Podcast RSS

Listen Now (to download, right click on the link at left and choose "save target as")

Read the show notes

Missed any podcasts? Want to subscribe via iTunes, Yahoo, etc? Here’s the index with all the info.

Podcast: Wither Paper Maps in a World of Satellite Navigation?

This week the California State Automobile Association announce it would end its production of road maps due to falling demand. The slack will be picked up by the national Association. At the same time police and response organizations are warning the public and their staffs to keep a paper map on hand. What is happening to paper maps as GPS devices become part of our daily lives? Editors Adena Schutzberg and Joe Francica share their thoughts.

Subscribe to Podcast RSS

Listen Now (to download, right click on the link at left and choose "save target as")

Read the show notes

Missed any podcasts? Want to subscribe via iTunes, Yahoo, etc? Here’s the index with all the info.

All Dash, All the Time

The Internet-connected DASH is now available for pre-order. That means all the techies are showing off their reviews and sharing pricing.

Some tidbits:

Compared to your usual, run of the mill GPS, whole connected navigator experience was not dissimilar from the jump between going from a VCR to a TiVo—which is why we think maybe, just maybe, people might actually want to pay for service with this thing.

- engadget

The big news today is that the eagerly anticipated Dash Express is available for pre-order for $599 with three months of free two-way GPRS information and traffic service. After that, the service will cost $10 to $13 monthly on top of that. Pricey to be sure, but the newly unveiled features solidify the Dash’s reputation as a turn-by-turn GPS navigator unlike anything seen before…

- Gizmodo

And although it is by no means the most expensive GPS system out there, it is indeed a device that reflects the true spirit of Web 2.0. ...I didn’t necessarily want to do a review of Dash, but it’s allowed me to point out something that is being forgotten in the mad scramble that is Web 2.0: The Internet is not just about the browser, but rather it is about data and how one can use it to build clever products. I think Dash, much like Amazon’s Kindle and RCA’s Small Wonder video camera, is part of a movement that is breaking Web 2.0’s browser shackles.

- GigaOm

Also of note - “Mark from Dash” chimes in regularly on blog comment threads to answer questions posed by readers. This is the way to support marketing and outreach being done by bloggers. That’s another sign Dash gets Web 2.0.

Podcast: Black Friday and Cyber Monday from a Location Intelligent Perspective

Retailers are reveling in the news that Black Friday saw a better than expected boost in consumer spending with Cyber Monday taking on a life of its own. Directions Magazine editors Joe Francica and Adena Schutzberg try to make sense of the current retailing environment with an eye on the location technologies that are contributing to the way consumers think about getting to the mall or shopping online. The podcast is 12 minutes long and was recorded on November 25, 2007.

Subscribe to Podcast RSS

Listen Now (to download, right click on the link at left and choose "save target as")

Read the show notes

Missed any podcasts? Want to subscribe via iTunes, Yahoo, etc? Here’s the index with all the info.