According to a report on My TomTom Go, Teleatlas is working on providing 3-D maps of select cities in Europe and America by the end of 2006. In order to create these maps Teleatlas has been using 6 cameras on their map-data-capturing mobile homes as well as measuring the height of buildings with a gyroscope. While it is undecided what GPS units will be the first to to employ the 3-D maps, or which cities will be the first to be available, it is likely it will be dedicated GPS units. Because of the power needed to render the maps …

A press release on Friday from Volkswagen talks about a plan between the car maker, nVidia, and Google Earth to produce a new navigational system prototype that shows terrain in 3D with mapped orthophotos such that drivers can see from their point of view what things should look like. Interesting plan from a technological proof of concept, but I'm not sure how useful it will be for drivers in real-world situations. I understand the idea that seeing exactly what's in front of you might be beneficial, but if it's going to be low resolution or distorted, I think a less …

SiRF, the company that makes what is likely the most popular GPS chipset available today, has announced the acquisition of Impulsesoft Pvt. Ltd.(Word file), a Bluetooth-enabled software company in India, and has combined this announcement with the introduction of the SiRFLinkI (Word file) (a chipset with Bluetooth and GPS built in). According to the company's press releases, Impulsesoft has a series of embedded software products that address features such as streaming music from phones to Bluetooth headsets. The product data sheets for the SiRFLinkI are not yet available, but it is another step towards smaller and more capable GPS …

Engadget is reporting that Sprint is working on a new service for its LG Migo limited use cellphone for kids called chaperon. Using the GPS chip already within the phone, parents will be able to track the whereabouts of the phone for a small fee ( $10-15 a month). Parents will be able to view a map of the kiddie phone location using either their phone or a website and will also be able to set up a georeferencing feature so that they can receive text messages if their kids enter a "forbidden" territory. While this is marketed at parents tracking …

The New Zealand company Rakon announced this week that they had created the smallest GPS chip ever. Measuring in at about the size of a baby's fingernail, the unit is small enough to be easily embedded in PDA's, Cellphones, and watches. The impact of this new chip is that it brings the potential of pervasive tracking and location services. Coupons sent to you as you stroll past shops, google local searches and ads on your cellphone, stalking your family and friends. With GPS chips this small how long will it be before people are being chipped?

I personally met with people from Garmin today at MacWorld (Yes, they were there) and was told that by the end of the year they would be fully supporting the Macintosh. Details after the link. Here's their plan (or read their press release): Support for Macintosh uploading of data to their recently-purchased MotionBased web site through a plug-in for Safari. I saw a demo version of Training Center software the the Macintosh, showing data uploaded from a Forerunner 305 (which I also got to see and touch... very cool-Carol thinks it's too big). By the end of 2005 they will …

Its that great time of year again when the holidays are technically over but the giving keeps right on going. Next week the giving will be from the Detroit Auto Show and MacWorld, but this week the giving is from the Consumer Electronics Show. While the show really gets moving tomorrow the product announcements have started in earnest already. With that in mind Garmin jumped on it and basically released about 1,000 new or redesigned units. Changes come to the Forerunner, Nuvi, iQue, and a host of other receivers. The details are too numerous to list but basic descriptions …

The Economist has a good article discussing the rationale and controversy behind the new European GPS system that launched its first satellite on December 28th. Named Galileo, the new system promises 1 meter accuracy for users of the free service and centimeter accuracy for those willing to pay for service. Importantly, it is this accuracy that has caused some of the controversy. In particular the U.S. is worried that this type of accuracy will be used against it militarily. This fear, rational or not, is compounded by the fact that China is a major backer financially of Galileo and …

In a flurry of announcements yesterday, venerable GPS manufacturer Garmin announced the StreetPilot 2730, the StreetPilot 7200, and the StreetPilot 7500, each with XM Satellite radio, weather, and traffic capabilities. More details after the jump. Add a subscription to XM and you have weather, traffic, and music along with your navigation. So, why 3 new models you may ask? Well, it's simple (more or less), the 7XXX series uses a monstrous 7" LCD display that's designed for "larger vehicles such as RVs, semi-trucks, and buses". They're a bit huge for a little car, but look gorgeous. As you would expect …

It seems like GPS is showing up in everything these days, including dog collars which can help you locate your lost pooch should they run away. Read more after the jump. The new product from a company called Environmental Studies, integrates GSM and GPS to allow you to SMS your dog's collar to locate the missing dog. Apparently, once the collar is called it provides the user with a location that is sent back to the owner for use in plotting a location. The company claims it can be used with almost any GSM cellphone capable of viewing maps, although …

An article from Auntie Spam entitled Rental Car GPS Leads to Nightmare Vacation, details the story of a family that rented a vehicle in New Zealand and ended up on a harrowing bit of single track road. Sometimes, there's no substitute for a good map. And, although a GPS is a fine device, they can have optimistic views of what the road network actually looks like. It's unclear from the story if the problem is pre-dated road upgrade information or settings on the GPS that indicated they would be happy with single track. Either way, it's a good reminder to …