The Music in Your Headphones as Nav System

Dr Matt Jones, a Senior Lecturer in Swansea University’s Department of Computer Science has been looking into using the volume of music in a pedestrian’s headphones as a navigation cue. If the music is strong in both ears, go straight. If a turn is needed, the balance shifts. It’s just another way for people to interact with technology, he explains. An article at ITWales hightlights how it might be used to deliver LBS type information: if you like museums it might nudge you in their direction. If you don’t respond, it’ll give up. He’s got a three year grant to further study the idea.

Cell Phone Nav for the Blind

Swedish firm Mobile Sorcery AB is leading the charge in connected standard Symbian mobile phones with Bluetooth GPS to provide spoken navigation to visually impaired. It’s part of Stockholm’s Project of Easy Access which until now focussed on physical changes to the city, like adding ramps and curb cuts.

A prototype was tested last year, and the challenge of getting better locational accuracy may lead to other technologies enhancing the GPS-based location information. Another hoped for feature: the ability of users to share information on temporary obstacles with others. For example if a parked car is blocking a crosswalk.

- Computerworld

Factory Installed In-Car Nav Sytems Reduce Vehicle Resale Value

The world is moving to portable nav systems (for car and in some case “in-hand” for walkers) over factory installed ones.  Here’s more evidence of why: in-car systems reduce car resale values. Basically, in-car systems increase the depreciation rate of a car, per USA Today. One factoid:

LR2 [a Land Rover] without navigation will be worth 55% of its original value after three years, while one with navigation will be worth 52%, Automotive Lease Guide (ALG) has projected. ALG is a major forecaster of so-called residual values, used as a guide for lease contracts and as a measure of expected depreciation.

The article gives two reasons for the lower resale value: used car buyers want value, not tech and nav system tech changes so fast. For that reason more and more dealers are offering portable, after market devcies, right in the show room.

Best quote: “You have Bed Bath & Beyond selling portable navigation these days.” That’s from Stephen Witt, Alpine’s vice president of marketing.

Podcast: A Look at Q1 Geospatial Earnings

We take a look at some of the latest earning reports from geospatial companies and try to tease out what’s going on. Among the companies discussed: Trimble, Garmin, NAVTEQ, Pitney Bowes and Bentley, which as a private company, issued an annual report.

The podcast is 13 minutes long (5 MB) and was recorded on May 7, 2007.

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NAVTEQ Loses TomTom One (Europe) Data Contract to Tele Atlas

GPS Business News reports that as part its Q1 conference call this week NAVTEQ noted it had lost the European account to Tele Atlas. Beginning in Q3 Tele Atlas data will be in use. TomTom One is the leading personal navigation device worldwide and has its largest market in Europe. NAVTEQ President and Chief Executive Officer Judson Green acknowledged the loss, but didn’t identify it as a huge one.

[Disclosure: I’m a contractor to Tele Atlas.]