[GeoStL] The Know where you are!
- From: "Mike Griffin" <griff@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <geocaching@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 22:07:39 -0500
Interesting navigational article.. However, They would also be able to track
you as well...
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A car navigation company is using the increased power of
the latest mobile phones to debut the world's first route finder service that
works without any help from a personal computer or a mobile telecom network.
Privately-held Dutch firm Route 66, already one of Europe's biggest sellers of
CD-ROM-based car navigation kits for use on personal computers, said it would
sell road maps of an entire country and the necessary navigation software on a
tiny memory card that can be inserted into the latest advanced phones.
It is the first time detailed maps for countries such as France or Britain are
stored and used on a phone.
The software works on advanced phone models from Nokia (news - web sites),
Samsung, Siemens and Sendo which cost between 400 and 500 euros before
subsidies.
As part of the 399-euro package, which includes a satellite positioning module,
users can opt to receive free traffic information, which the route finder can
use to avoid busy areas.
Until recently, car navigation kits cost thousands of euros, but privately held
companies such as TomTom and Route 66 have started bringing them to much
cheaper, hand-held computers.
Route 66 is now expanding into the even bigger market of mobile phones which
have enough computing power to handle small computer-like applications. Market
research firm expect this segment to grow to 170 million units a year within
four years.
Also on Friday, French mobile phone service provider Orange launched a 499-euro
route finder service. It sends directions of a specific journey to handsets
over the air, and does not work with a map stored on the phone. Sweden's
WayFinder has a similar package that does not use a specific mobile network.
Mike
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