So here’s how it works. If you want to sign up for the plan, you’ll receive a TomTom Pro 3100 unit for free, with specialized software that determines when you might make a maneuver that is deemed risky. For example, it’ll notice when you’re going too fast or if you take turns too sharply. But that’s not all. You’ll also have to have a device installed to your car itself which tracks more detailed driving info.

There are benefits to this intrusion. Of course, you get a free GPS. And also, if you are in fact a really good driver, it will recognize that. You’ll be eligible for a discount instead of being grouped into the other people who happen to be the same age and have the same kind of car as you. It’s an interesting step, and one that the bigger insurance players are no doubt very hesitant to try. But it could be a sign of things to come.

[via DigitalTrends]

Presumably, that data can be used to tweak your insurance premiums if you drive at high speed, on a bumpy road, during a high-traffic time of the day. The data that is collected is then remotely transmitted to the insurance company, and the driver can access that data online. I can see parents going for this, so they can see how their kids are actually driving when they are alone.

AA spokesman Ian Crowder also notes that the data the box collects could be used to determine who is at fault in an accident, but that data would only be released by court order. The data sent to the insurance company could also result in “a stern e-mail” being sent to the driver if high-speed driving is recorded. I also suspect a premium increase notice would come along with the e-mail. What do you think about this sort of insurance? I think as long as the driver is willing, there’s nothing wrong with having a black box attached to your car.

[via BBC]

PowerShot SX260 HS – 12.1-megapixel CMOS and 20x optical zoom with optical image stabilization. 1.29-inches thick. Supports 1080p Full HD video recording and GPS phototagging. 10.3fps burst mode. Ships March 2012 for $349.99.

PowerShot D20 – 12.1-megapixel CMOS and 5x optical zoom in waterproof, shock-proof and freeze-proof body. Full HD video recording and GPS integration for location tagging. 3-inch preview display. Ships May 2012 for $349.99.

PowerShot A4000 IS – 16-megapixel sensor, optical image stabilization and 8x optical zoom. 3-inch preview display. Ships February for $199.99.

PowerShot A3400 IS – 16-megapixel sensor, optical image stabilization and 5x optical zoom. 3-inch touchscreen with touch-focus and touch-shutter. Ships March for $179.99.

PowerShot A2400 IS / A2300 – 5x optical zoom and 2.7-inch display. A2400 IS adds optical image stabilization. A2400 IS due March for $159.99; A2300 due March for $149.99.

PowerShot A1300 – Optical viewfinder along with 2.7-inch LCD. 5x optical zoom and uses AA batteries. Due April for $199.99.

PowerShot A810 – 5x optical zoom and 2.7-inch LCD. Uses AA batteries. Due April for $109.99.

The notion of switching to GPS technology is something that has been discussed for years, but bureaucratic red tape always slowed down the process. In addition, the US commercial airspace industry is massive and converting such a wide-sweeping system into something completely new is a daunting process to say the least. Nevertheless, the new bill, once set into law, will give the FAA a firm deadline of June 2015 to implement the new system at 35 of the busiest airports.

Currently, pilots and air traffic controllers rely on information that is updated every 6 to 12 seconds regarding other aircraft in the vicinity. In addition, planes are forced to make “stair-steps” in altitude as they travel from one destination to the other. But with precise GPS information, fewer planes would be diverted, planes could take off more quickly, and landing procedures would be greatly improved. West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller (D) called the bill “the best news that the airline industry ever had. It will take us into a new era.”

[via AP]

Then again, these vanity voice skins don’t come cheap. Each character or celebrity costs $12.95. In addition, if you opt for a custom voice, the GPS will not speak the names of the individual streets. So while the default computerized voice can tell you, “Turn left on 5th Avenue,” Marge Simpson only has the ability to tell you to “turn left.” Not all TomTom units have the ability to generate spoken street names, though.

So in case you haven’t been keeping up to date with all the celebrity GPS news, some of TomTom’s other downloadable voice packages include James Bond, Kim Cattrall, KITT from Knight Rider, SpongeBob, a slew of characters from Star Wars, Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Dora the Explorer, Snoop Dogg, Burt Reynolds, and Dennis Hopper. Forget about anything you see on the big screen – that’s an all-star cast.

[via Cnet]

There’s also Full HD 1080p video recording and integrated GPS for geotagging photos while on the move.

Next up is the COOLPIX S6300, toting a 10x optical zoom and a 16-megapixel BSI sensor, also capable of 1080p HD video recording. It packs an Easy Panorama mode for creating either 180- or 360-degree landscape shots, along with various onboard effects that can be applied to both stills and video.

The Nikon COOLPIX S4300 offers a 3-inch 460k dot touchscreen and 16-megapixel sensor, along with a 6x wide-angle zoom. It has face-priority autofocus, identifying up to 12 faces in the frame, along with Smile Shutter and a smart auto mode.

Finally, the Nikon COOLPIX S3300 is the budget model, pairing the 16-megapixel sensor with a 6x optical zoom and 720p HD video recording. It still gets optical image stabilization, though, like its siblings.

The COOLPIX S9300 will be $349.95 and offered in black, red and silver, while the COOLPIX S6300 will come in at $199.95 in a choice of red, black, silver and blue. The COOLPIX S4300 is $169.95 in plum, black, silver, white and red, and finally the COOLPIX S3300 will be $139.95 in silver, black, pink, purple and red. All four will arrive in February 2012.

It happened at around 7:00 PM. A cashier at luxury clothing and accessories store Tuci Italia was taking a break when a man walked into the store and pointed a gun at her. Presumably hoping to make as quick a getaway as possible, he demanded she hand over her iPhone which was in plain sight. The cashier rushed outside, and as fate would have it Officer Garland, an Apple enthusiast, was right there.

Garland quickly opened his Find My iPhone app, punched in the victim’s Apple ID, and instantly pinpointed the suspect about 10 blocks away. He and his partner hopped into their cruiser and continued to follow the spot on the app until it stopped near a local supermarket. At that time, Garland knew what to do – he pushed the “Play Sound” button on the app and, like clockwork, a pinging sound was emitted about 20 feet away. The victim, who was not identified, couldn’t believe she got her iPhone back so quickly. Good thing she happened to run into a police officer who knows Apple. Garland and his wife both have iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers at home.

[via NY Times]

iPhone apps

First have a peek at the mobile application. Though we do not have a fully working model here in person, we’ve got all the functionality built-in to this setup anyway. First you’ll get a glimpse of the smartphone-based out-of-car controls, then we’ll step into the vehicle for another connection. Here you’ll get a taste of what connecting your car directly to your iPhone for a fully immersive and interactive experience in intelligent console computing feels like.

Built-in Facebook app

Next have a peek at a couple of apps that will be working with mbrace2 aside from the smartphone experience. First you’ll get a peek at Facebook, fully operational with your in-car dial and able to update your status on the fly. Pay special attention to how smooth the operation already is even though we’re still in a bit of a pre-release phase here. This is but one of a collection of apps you’ll have built-in with mbrace2.

Built-in Google Local Search app

Next there’s Google Local Search, this also built-in to mbrace2 and ready for some search and map action. The unique thing about this build of Google’s search and mapping system is that no other group currently has street view and panoramic view from the vehicle. This will prove quite valuable to you when you’re hunting for that one tiny sandwich shop amongst hundreds of buildings in your own gigantic city.

mbrace2 Control Module

Finally take a look at the mbrace2 Control Module. It’s through this that you’ll have the connectivity for everything you’ve seen above, be it the iPhone-connected interface or the built-in applications. This bit is built-in to the car and you’ll never physically see it, but it’s a comfort to know what it looks like nonetheless. This technology is built by Continental and has its own chip, internal Bluetooth connectivity, cellular connections, and GPS connector antenna.

This whole technology suite will be hitting Mercedes-Benz vehicles in spring of 2012. Look for it at your local dealer’s lot relatively soon!

This feat has brought fourth the attention of Lego themselves, who sent a congratulatory letter to the boys complimenting their ingenuity and thanking them for using Lego to do the deed. “We are always amazed by the creative ways in which Lego fans use our products, and humbled by how many unsuspecting places we appear, like attached to a helium balloon in … space,” said Lego’s brand relations director Michael McNally. At the moment just one video has been uploaded from the set of media the boys have collected, seen here:

The whole assembly consisted of a rip-stop nylon parachute that the boys tested by lobbing off their 40-story condominium unit, an $85 weather balloon, and $160 in helium from a party store. In addition there was a wide-angle video camera, a cell-phone with GPS (for locating the setup after it landed), and several more point-and-shoot cameras, all inside a styrofoam box which also held out the Lego man. The entire craft traveled to around 80,000 feed, that three times the average cruising altitude of a commercial aircraft, and fell to the earth payload intact.

We look forward to the rest of the photos and video from these two awesome scientists!

[via YouTube]

Specifically, it will use data about crime statistics, demographics, and other less hot-button factors like the geography of the terrain and weather information. The concept is being referred to as the “avoid ghetto” app though of course Microsoft is trying to be as clinical and neutral as it possibly can. No doubt many users would highly appreciate this kind of functionality in their GPS. There are also people who use GPS technology for walking directions, when the profile of a certain neighborhood becomes much more important.

Then again, many more simply want their GPS to tell them how to get to their destination as quickly as possible, no matter what hazards may lie in their way. Microsoft’s app idea is not one of extreme necessity, and there’s a growing debate about whether or not it should be considered racist. For now, it’s still just an idea written down on a piece of paper but if it ever materializes into something, the debate may get more intense.

[via SCPR, Photo via lovebridotorg]

The Suunto Ambit offers almost everything you need to track your outdoor performance, including a full-featured GPS with 3D Compass that lets you pinpoint your location using multiple coordinate systems. It features an altimeter that determines your altitude and logs your vertical gain should you go mountain climbing and a heart rate monitor that works in combination with a chest strap.

The built-in SiRF IV low power GPS chipset allows for a long battery life of up to 15 hours with continuous GPS tracking and 50 hours with GPS tracking every 1 minute. The watch is water resistant to 100m and comes in either black or silver for $550 or $600 with the optional heart rate belt. It will be available starting in March.

[via Gizmag]

What this ruling does is take GPS devices and place them in the same category as a Police officer demanding that a person empty their pockets if they’ve got no real reason to do so. The word “search” is what’s important here, and the Supreme Court has found it unreasonable to search a person, or track a person, as it were, without justifiable intent. Have a peek at some important bits from the ruling here:

The Government’s attachment of the GPS device to the vehicle,
and its use of that device to monitor the vehicle’s movements, constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment.

(a) The Fourth Amendment protects the “right of the people to be
secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.” Here, the Government’s physical intrusion on an “effect” for the purpose of obtaining information constitutes a “search.” This type of encroachment on an area enumerated in the Amendment would have been considered a search within the meaning of the Amendment at the time it was adopted.

You can check out the entire ruling in PDF form if you wish, noting especially how the addition of a whole new category of search is important to us all when speaking about privacy in our country. The image you see above comes from Jon Snyder and Wired, Snyder being the fellow on trial here as his movements were tracked by the government for 32 days without his consent via his car and a couple of GPS devices, one of them being the one you see in the image above.

[via Wired]

That can be quickly rectified with some subsequent hacking, of course, getting you back on track with your unofficial modifications. Early feedback on the new GPS performance seems generally good, with owners reporting more satellite locks than previously, even when indoors.

Meanwhile, ASUS has a second solution in store, but it does require a whole new slate. The new, 1080p-capable Transformer Prime 700 Series has a redesigned rear panel which, ASUS reckons, improves not only GPS performance but that of wireless connectivity, including Bluetooth and WiFi. However the Prime 700 (aka TF700T) isn’t expected to go on sale for several months yet.

[via Android Community]

Alternate words from LightSquared on the subject have included them pushing for additional testing and trying to get the FCC to say that GPS has no exclusive rights to the waves they use. This most recent statement from the group has us wondering how much time they’ve got left given how far they’ve gotten thus far. As LightSquared Executive VP Jeffrey Carlisle says:

“The testing just doesn’t reflect reality — and it was probably never intended to. [Recent testing] was rigged by manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce bogus results. We’ll continue to look at alternatives … assuming this goes past the end of January.” – Carlisle

The folks on the GPS side of things have another opinion, that LightSquared is attempting to attack the testers because they do not like the test results. This would certainly seem to be correct save for the idea that maybe, just maybe, GPS doesn’t hold the exclusive rights to the waves (reserved mainly for faint emissions from satellites), and LightSquared has full rights to argue. As Jim Kirkland, general counsel to GPS maker Trimble Navigation Ltd, notes,

“LightSquared does not like the test results, so it is attacking the testers. Test after test has shown that LightSquared’s ill-conceived plans do in fact cause widespread interference with GPS.” – Kirkland

It appears that GPS might come out on top of this one, by the looks of it, and LightSquared’s position will turn into a move over or get out sort of situation. Will the group be able to convert their technology to turn over a new leaf, or is this the end for LightSquared? We’ll see in a few weeks, at the latest!

[via Business Week]

The initial plans for the wireless broadband service were shot down due to interference with many GPS devices on the market right now. LightSquared came back with an alternative plan with a lower powered service that it said would not interfere as badly. Even those plans are being frowned on by the FCC, and it appears that LightSquared may be dead before it starts.

A letter from the FAA has been published that used tests by a panel of nine experts in different government agencies and departments. The conclusion was that LightSquared posed a risk of dangerous interference with GPS devices. LightSquared has argued in the past that GPS has no right to protection and that the GPS makers had poorly designed devices. The insinuation by LightSquared was that it’s not its wireless service but shoddy GPS designs that allow interference.

This system has just been launched this past week with real-time local information as well as integration with your contacts, music, and all of it from the one “My Dashboard” page. You’ll be able to connect with iPhone as well, it having an initial offer of Scout.me integration, the site offering you the ability to plan with friends via Facebook and Twitter and organize and save your favorite spots for later viewing. All of this is then synced to your device where your in-car display will be able to access it whenever you’re plugged in to the system.

Telenav announced that their initial partnership will be with Ford for its SYNC system, and as you’ll be able to see in the hands-on video, the whole system is already working quite slick. Voice guidance is also offered through your stereo, and text prompts are there too if you’re not a fan of being told where to go. All of this is available on the mobile end this week, but as for how soon we’ll see it in cars, there’s no solid date as of yet – soon though!

Grab the phone-based application from the iTunes App Store for your iPhone, check out http://www.scout.me/ as it enters its Beta stages, and grab the Android app in the near future!

Also new is their extremely detailed 3D rendered building view. Taking two fingers and expanding them across the screen will zoom you in far enough to take advantage of it. It is also possible to pan 360 degrees around the 3D buildings by touching the screen simultaneously with two fingers, and turning them at the same time. The same features are included in Google Maps, but again – the Garmin doesn’t need the internet to render a single thing.

Like other LMT models, the 3590 is Bluetooth hands-free calling compatible, and compatible with their Smartphone Link application for Android. This isn’t new, but Smartphone Link gives users access to Garmin Live Services. This can help display live traffic, the weather, SMS messages, fuel prices, and even alert you when you’re approaching a red-light (Europe only).

That will mean users may be able to find pedestrian-level indoor mapping data for their location, with Google suggesting malls, airports, museums and educational institutions across the US will be catered for. Other tweaks to the app include better power management for Latitude users, reducing the demands on battery life, along with the ability to use vehicle speed to guesstimate position if a GPS fix is lost while using the Public Transit Navigation beta.

Finally, there will be more public transport route options shown by default after searches, increased from three to four. Locations of friends also using Latitude is described as “fresher” too.

As for the game, there’s a video preview of a new Google Maps for Google+ app – shown below – which uses WebGL and apparently user-location to collect points as you travel around floorplan maps. Full details haven’t been shared, but the game will apparently arrive in February.

Google Maps is a free download for Android devices.

[via Android Community]

This device is a purpose built GPS tracker when it comes down to it, whenever your dog goes outside the barrier you’ve made for it, it sending you a message via whatever device you’ve got attached to it. There are apps for Android and iOS for iPhone and you can get to this tracker through your web browser on any device that’ll work with it. You can locate your animal in real time or start up a brand new tracker session.

This device is waterproof and is able to send a signal when its low on battery so you can be sure to plop it down in your charging station. For $99 you get the tracker and the docking station as well as one month of service. Each additional month of service is $7.95 for your one animal, then just 95 cents for each additional animal. Sound like a bit of magic you’d like to use?

JVC Multimedia units:

KW-AV50 ($379.95; available now) – Detachable 6.1-inch QVGA touchscreen, SiriusXM read and iPhone/iPod connection support. Powered USB port plus 4.0V line and subwoofer pre-output level; USB PMP/drive media playback of WAV/MP3/WMA files. 50W x 4 plus 3 pre-out terminals.

KW-AV60 ($429.95; January) – DVD/CD/USB receiver with detachable 6.1-inch WVGA display. App link mode support, plus Satellite and HD Radio ready; same WAV/MP3/WMA compatibility and connectivity.

KW-ADV64BT ($489.95; January) – DVD/CD/USB receiver with detachable 6.1-inch WVGA display and integrated Bluetooth. Powered rear USB port with 2-way iPod control plus App Link Mode. Satellite Radio and HD Radio ready, plus Dolby Digital support; same connectivity and WAV/MP3/WMA support as AV60.

KW-AV70BT ($579.95; February) – 7-inch WVGA motorized widescreen touchscreen with proximity sensor and detachable face. Integrated Bluetooth for phonebook sync, hands-free, audio streaming, voice recognition dialing and phonebook search. USB 2.0 port for 2-way iPod/iPhone control; powered USB supply with drive-change mode for smartphones. App Link Mode, Satellite Radio and HD Radio support, plus WAV/MP3/WMA compatibility. MOS-FET 50 watts x 4, three sets of 4V pre-outs, line input terminals, plus a front SDHC/SD slot and dual zone/dual play.

JVC Navigation units:

KW-NT300 ($899.95; March) – DVD/CD/USB/SD Navigation receiver with 6.1-inch touchscreen. Bluetooth, powered rear USB port, 30,000 control backlight color options. Mapping supports Junction View, Off-Axis View, 3D Viewing with 3-D Footprint, 360 degree rotation and built-in color 3D landmark icons in most major cities. Voice guidance, turn-by-turn instructions.

KW-NT500HDT ($999.95; March) – As NT300, but adds built-in HD Radio audio and data tuners. Free lifetime subscription to Total Traffic HD+/Total Traffic Connect with on-screen news, sports, weather, and real-time traffic updates

KW-NT700 ($1,099.95; March) – As NT300, but with 7-inch motorized faceplate with five positions of forward tilt and one reverse tilt.

KW-NT800HDT ($1,299.95; March) As NT700, but with built-in HD Radio audio and data tuners. Free lifetime subscription to Total Traffic HD+/Total Traffic Connect

Bluetooth and Apps

The JVC KS-BTA100 Bluetooth add-on module ($79.95) adds phone book access/phone book transfer, hands-free calling, audio streaming with remote control and text message alerts to 2012 head units without integrated wireless. There’s also support for Pandora and other streaming from Android and BlackBerry phones.

As for apps, App Link mode pulls across data from iPhone/iPod touch software onto the head-unit display. Functionality depends on the app itself, but can include text-to-speech of RSS feeds, weather and traffic updates, streaming media, video recording and more.

Guidance 3.0 uses nearly 60,000 junction views in the U.S. and Canada to show photographic details of signs and lanes, while the the nuvi 3590LMT pairs that with subscription-free Digital 3D Traffic information pumping out updates as to condition of the road ahead as often as every 30s. 3D landmarks, Bird’s Eye views at junctions and boosted search speed are also included.

There’s also Bluetooth on the nuvi 3490LMT and above, for hands-free phone use, and those higher-end models also have voice-activated navigation.

As for Smartphone Link, that pairs on-PND information services, like weather and speed cameras, with your smartphone, using a Bluetooth connection. The app also helps you find your way from your parking spot to your final destination, and then find your car again.

The Garmin nuvi 3500 series will go on sale in February, priced from $329.99. The Smartphone Link app is a free download, with live weather information and myGarmin messaging also free to use; however Live Traffic ($19.99 per year), photoLive traffic cameras ($9.99 per year), Fuel Prices ($9.99 per year) and Advanced Weather ($4.99 per year) are all premium services. It works with all Bluetooth enabled 2012 Garmin PNDs, the nüvi 2475LT, 2495LMT, 2595LMT, 3490LMT and the 3590LMT.

There’s also an integrated 4x45W MOSFET amp, hands-free calling and a pair of line-out connections, along with an included remote control.

The Parrot Asteroid Nav has a larger, 5-inch touchscreen and comes preloaded with navigation software, real-time map updates and various geo-location services and apps. There’s also hands-free calling, the same connectivity options for music sources as the Asteroid CK, voice navifation and automatic phonebook sync. USB or Bluetooth tethering can get the Asteroid Nav online, or alternatively there’s WiFi. A steering wheel mounted remote is included.

Finally, the Parrot Asteroid 2DIN has a 6.2-inch TFT multitouch touchscreen and does all of what the Asteroid Nav can, adding in reverse camera support, the ability to broadcast video to separate rear-seat displays, and packs more choice for inputs and outputs. There’s a video output and a video input, twin audio outputs and a subwoofer output, a line-in and two line-out, along with a remote control.

Parrot is yet to confirm pricing and availability.

The EGO comes with a tripod mount and a multipurpose mount, and will have a range of suction-cups, surfboard and handlebar mounts, and other options available separately. It has a 136-degree wide-angle lens and measures 1.6 x 1.2 x 2.5 inches, controls boiled down to two buttons, and an LCD preview screen. Alternatively, full control is courtesy of a wirelessly-connected smartphone app. Storage is via a microSDHC card (up to 32GB).

As for the TORQUE HD and APEX HD, they’re Liquid Image’s more traditional video goggles, each with WiFi and GPS for geotagging stills and clips. Both have simple onboard controls along with remote app control, microSDHC storage, 30-degree adjustable camera angles and a replaceable, rechargeable battery good for 1.5 to 2hrs of use.

Liquid Image’s EGO 727 will arrive in June priced at $149, alongside the $399 TORQUE HD. The Apex HD will follow on in October 2012, priced at $399 for either the black or white models.

Point and Shoot

FinePix F770EXR and F750EXR - 16-megapixel with 20x Fujinon optical zoom (25-500mm) and ISO 100-12800. Full HD 1080p video recording. 3-inch 460k dot LCD. RAW file support and integrated GPS on F770EXR.

FinePix F660EXR - 16-megapixel with 15x Fujinon optical zoom (24-360mm) plus 1080p Full HD recording. ISO 100-1280 and 5cm Macro mode. Optical image stabilization and 3-inch 460k dot LCD. Motion Panorama 360 mode.

FinePix XP150 and FinePix XP100 – 14.4-megapixel compact waterproof (10m), shockproof (2m), freezeproof (-10-degrees C) and dust/sandproof camera. GPS, electronic compass and tracking on XP150. Both support Full HD video recording and underwater recording. 2.7-inch anti-reflection LCD. 5x optical zoom (28-140mm).

FinePix XP50 – 14-megapixel compact waterproof (5m), shockproof (1.5m), freezeproof (-10-degrees C) and dust/sandproof camera. 5x optical zoom (28-140mm), CMOS Shift Image Stabilization. 1080p HD video recording and Motion Panorama 360 capture. 2.7-inch anti-reflect LCD.

FinePix Z1000EXR – 16-megapixel CMOS sensor and 5x optical zoom. 3.5-inch 460k dot LCD touchscreen and Full HD video capture, with mini HDMI port. 9cm macro mode. Wireless image transfer to Android/iOS devices with free app supporting easy social networking upload.

FinePix Z110 – 14.1-megapixel CCD, 5x optical zoom and 2.7-inch LCD. 720p HD video recording and ISO 100-3200. Digital image stabilization and 2cm macro mode.

FinePix T350 and FinePix T400 – 16-megapixel (T400) or 14-megapixel (T350) sensor with 10x optical zoom plus CCD shift image stabilization. ISO 100-3200. 720p HD video recording and Motion Panorama Mode. In-camera movie editing. 3-inch LCD.

FinePix JX700, JX580, JX550, JX520 and JX500 -  16-megapixel (JX700, JX580, JX550) or 14-megapixel (JX520, JX500) sensor with 5x optical zoom. 2.7-inch LCD (JX700, JX550, JX500) or 3-inch LCD (JX580, JX520) each with 260k dots. 720p HD video recording with dedicated movie button. Super-backlit LCD – 150- to 200-percent brighter than normal.

FinePix JZ100 and FinePix JZ250 – 16-megapixel (JX250) or 14-megapixel (JZ100) sensor with 8x optical zoom. 3-inch 230k dot LCD on JZ250; 2.7-inch 230k dot LCD on JZ100. ISO 100-3200 and optical image stabilization, plus face detection mode.

Bridge and Superzoom

FinePix HS30EXR and FinePix HS25EXR - 16-megapixel with 30x Fujinon optical zoom (24-720mm) and 60x digital zoom. Both 3-inch LCD and 920k dot EVF (latter only on HS30EXR). Hotshoe and 1cm Macro mode. RAW photo support on HS30EXR.

FinePix S4500, S4400, S4300 and S4200 - 1/2.3-inch 14-megapixel sensor, 24x/26x/28x/30x optical zoom. 200k dot EVF and 3-inch 230k dot LCD. Runs on four AA batteries. 720p HD video capture, 2cm Super Macro Mode.

FinePix SL300, SL280, SL260 and SL240 - 1/2.3-inch 14-megapixel sensor, 24x/26x/28x/30x optical zoom. 3-inch 460k LCD and 200k dot EVF. Hot shoe flash, ISO 100-5400. Second, side-mounted zoom lever and 720p HD video capture.

The full range of Fujifilm cameras will be shown off at CES 2012 next week, where the company will confirm pricing and availability details.

Ran Cheng of CASTC made a formal commitment this week that Beidou service would be free and remain free to all through the future. Chinese workers are currently seeing to the fact that this system must be operable with the US GPS system in the future as well as the forthcoming EU Galileo network and Russia’s already in-place GLONASS. This first service is currently working for the area inside 84 degrees to 160 degrees east longitude, 55 degrees south latitude to 55 degrees north latitude: greater China.

Meanwhile it’s been reported that “excitable” members of the Pentagon have decried the creation of a satellite network by China, saying that if there were a war that China could destroy the USA’s GPS network with minimal effort. The Register is also reporting the the USA also has plans for satellites to monitor orbital war, this certain to clash with China’s ability to do the same. Time for Star Wars, anyone?

[via The Register]

LightSquared here is noting that they’ve done no wrong because the problem is caused, first of all, by GPS receivers looking into its fully licensed spectrum. What they’re saying with this then is that even if the interference exists, these GPS representatives have no rights that would stop LightSquared from continuing on with business as usual. In fact, if what LightSquared executive vice president for regulatory affairs and public policy Jeff Carlisle says is true, the GPS industry agreed to their plans years ago:

“LightSquared has had FCC authorization to build its network for over eight years and that authorization was endorsed by the GPS industry.” – Carlisle

What LightSquared’s CEO Sanjiv Ahuja says is especially pointed in this regard as well:

“This petition goes to the very heart of the FCC’s mission, which is to ensure that the nation’s airwaves are governed by regulatory certainty.” – Ahuja

You can read the petition for declaratory ruling in a PDF file hosted by LightSquared and note the massive nature of the soft threat. When you tell a group like LightSquared that they can’t go through with a plan they’ve had on the books for 6+ years because some punk GPS jockeys have an issue with you, it’s time for business.

Qualcomm is calling the ability to use both networked dual-core navigation. The ability to use both GPS and GLONASS satellites means that the location services are more accurate and the user is more likely to get a fix than using one system alone. This dual connectivity is supported on the Samsung Galaxy S II. The ability may not be activated on all handsets though.

Qualcomm does note that you will need to check with the carrier to see if the GLONASS capability is activated. The Snapdragon processor knows when to turn on the GLONASS capability so battery power isn’t wasted. The accuracy using both networks is increased to 2 meters. Qualcomm also notes that you can get a faster location fix too. Qualcomm had announced GLONASS support was coming in March.

All that make sense to you so far, all that make it alright to have disrupted the GPS of poor defenseless little navigation machines across the nation? It’s not quite so simple as that, folks, and as Ahuja notes, the team at LightSquared has been working to fix the problem which, as you’ll see him say, isn’t of their making in the first place. In other words: LightSquared didn’t do it! Have a peek at this paragraph written up by Ahuja himself:

“The testing further confirmed that the interference issues are not caused by LightSquared’s spectrum, but by GPS devices looking into spectrum that is licensed to LightSquared. We have taken extraordinary measures — and at extraordinary expense — to solve a problem that is not of our making. We continue to believe that LightSquared and GPS can co-exist. And we will continue to work with the federal government on a solution that will allow us to begin investing $14 billion in private money into the infrastructure of America to create jobs, competition and increased access to technology to the nation.” – Ahuja

The issues brought up in the case earlier were regarding a terrain avoidance system, they say, and as they “profoundly disagree with the conclusions drawn with respect to general navigation devices,” so too do they say we should just forget about it. We’ll see how this continues to play out and if the FAA will enjoy this message as they work with LightSquared to fix up any future abnormalities.

What we’ve got here is TeleNav’s award-winning navigation system brought over to an HTML5 world of full-color moving maps, automatic rerouting, and audio directions. Essentially what you’ve got is a very similar experience to what you’ve been using in your regular app-based TeleNav navigation system, only here you’re in the browser and using a very universal HTML5 set of bones. As co-founder and vice president of products for TeleNav Sal Dhanani says:

“This is an enormous amount of added value for any mobile, location-based website or app focused on travel, shopping, local search, deals and more. With one line of code, you can give your customers one-click access to premium, voice-guided turn-by-turn directions to any location, including hotels, restaurants, merchants or deal locations. Customers never need to leave your app.”

What this means for you, the developer of your own app or service, is that you’ll be able to add a button on your “find us here” page that links to a turn-by-turn navigation system that leads the clicker of the button directly there. This is beyond simple and certainly a value proposition we’ll see many businesses pick up in the coming months. The full TeleNav HTML5 service will be launching in early 2012.

Anyone who uses GPS has had the frustration of not being able to get an accurate location reading under trees, indoors, and under cloud cover. The new generation of satellites is said to be much more powerful allowing the devices to get readings when they previously could not. The new-generation satellite also uses a common band that is shared with other countries so GPS devices can work wherever you are.

The best part though is that the new satellites have better accuracy than older versions. The new satellites have the ability to determine your location within roughly one meter whereas the older satellites needed had a range of about ten feet. This is the first satellite in the US upgrade plans. The new satellites also have military uses with signals that are harder to block. This satellite will not be used in space. The first satellite of the Block III units to go into orbit will not be delivered until May of 2014.

[via Huffington Post]

Meanwhile, a power-dock keeps the AFC running while it’s bridging your cellphone’s 2G/3G/4G connection to your WiFi router. ip.access suggests production versions of the concept could be battery powered, meaning even greater flexibility in where the palmsized femtocell could be placed.

For instance, a hotel or bar WiFi connection could be used, with the AFC bridging that to get smartphones and other cellularly-enabled devices online for voice and data, even if there’s no regular signal available. Integrated GPS could be used – along with auto-setup systems – to automatically get the AFC working with a public hotspot. Of course, it would also likely be used by carriers themselves to make sure subscribers weren’t bypassing international roaming fees by using the ip.access kit abroad.

“In an LTE world, this would be the ultimate in personal metro zone hot spots” ip.access CTO Dr Nick Johnson concludes. The AFC is functional but unlikely to go on sale in its current form.

Google Maps new indoor features will help you get around two of the most labyrinthian locations in your everyday life: airports and malls. One of the first malls to be mapped will be one of the largest in the world, the one not 20 minutes away from your humble narrator’s abode: the Mall of America. You can back out and see the whole mall, or move in close to see your nearby surroundings including current stores, exits, and most importantly, bathrooms. You can choose which floor your own, where you want to go, and switch over to your car with only a couple of taps should you want to head to the nearby IKEA across the street.

You can take a peek at a couple of demonstration videos here, first on the airport feature, then one on the rest of the Google Maps Indoors push as a whole – enjoy the animations! The first locations to participate are first the Mall of America along with several chains like IKEA, Home Depot, a handful of Daimaru, Taskashimaya, and Mitsukoshi stores, and select Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s locations. As far as airports go, currently you’ll be able to explore Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Narita International (NRT). We’re hoping for Minneapolis International Airport (MSP) to come on soon since the Mall of America is literally 10 minutes away – how about the full experience, Google?

Then for those of you who own businesses and want to get in on the fun by submitting your own floor plans, head over to maps.google.com/floorplans and join in! There’s nothing we love more than Google getting on every street, every city, every business, and someday every home! Map the entire planet!

UPDATE: I stand corrected! Google has informed your humble narrator that there is indeed a brand new look for Minneapolis International in this version of Google Maps, complete with indoor maps galore! Have a peek at the hands-on with this map here:

That’s useful for frequent travelers, who can avoid extortionate roaming costs by downloading the maps for their upcoming destinations to the iPhone’s local storage rather than accessing it over a data connection while there. By splitting the core app and the navigation data, Garmin has also streamlined the update process: rather than everything being downloaded each time a new version is pushed out, only the app changes need be delivered.

Meanwhile, there’s a new UI with animated menus and new gesture support, and Garmin has sensibly split the settings options away from the main functionality of the app to keep things easier to use while on the move. 3D map navigation has been simplified too.

“The new Settings menu allows users to easily customize functions and change preferences, for example when to receive speed warnings, while the new Actions menu lets you use functions that are needed while navigating such as points of interest search and social network postings” Garmin

NAVIGON 2.0 for iPhone is available now as a free update to existing users, or as a $39.99 purchase for the North American edition [iTunes link]. In-app purchases will get up to $25 discounts until the end of the month.

Meanwhile a companion site, MOTOACTV.com, allows you to plan you route and then monitor your performance over time, setting goals and challenging your friends to beat them. It’s intended to work with Motorola’s SF700 and SF500 wireless Bluetooth headphones, which also include heart-rate monitors to feed info to the MOTOACTV itself.

Battery life is up to five hours of outdoor workouts, up to ten hours of indoor workouts, or nearly two weeks of standby. There’s both Bluetooth 4.0 and ANT+ connectivity, all in something 46 x 46 x 9.6 mm and 35g. An FM radio is also integrated.

Unfortunately, all this wrist-borne fitness doesn’t come cheap. Motorola has two versions of the MOTOACTV in the pipeline, priced at $249 for the 8GB version and $299 for the 16GB version. They’ll both go on sale in the US on November 6, with European availability in Q1 2012.

The app offers maps for the US and Canada and allows them to view, create, and annotate maps right on the tablet screen. It also offers aerial, hybrid, street, and terrain maps. Access to over 68,000 USGS topo maps that are stacked together and enhanced in MyTopo mode is included. A wealth of other features makes this a very useful app.

It has place search to find campgrounds and peaks. Dual maps let the user turn on dual map mode for precise trip planning with street maps and topo maps on screen at once. The trip plans can be saved to the cloud, waypoints can be marked, and has a ruler tool, and a digital compass. The app also offers GPS coordinates. The app is free for the next seven days and then it will be a paid app.

Like Google Latitude does on Android, Find My Friends will allow iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users to see their friends’ locations. Access to your position can be granted permanently, or groups set up to reveal location for a specific length of time: for instance, until the end of a day out to the beach or a theme park.

There’s also a single switch that turns off all location sharing, for those times you want to be completely off the grid. There’s full details on Find My Friends in the SlashGear iOS 5 review.

[via 9 to 5 Mac]

The Navigon GPS app for Windows Phone 7.5 Mango will offer several advanced navigation features, including spoken turn-by-turn directions with text-to-speech, live traffic information and visual lane guidance with Lane Assistant Pro, and rerouting options of up to three different routes depending on driving style with MyRoutes.

Additionally, the app features an augmented reality function called Reality Scanner that lets you easily identify nearby landmarks while on foot. It also offers real-time traffic alerts, speed warnings, camera warnings, photo-realistic views of exits, and Google Local Search for POI searches.

The app is available now via the Windows Marketplace, but it’s compatible only with the latest Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system. Priced normally at $50, the app is available now until November 11 for a special introductory price of $39.

[via CNET]

This newest version of TeleNav includes three whole new widgets you can place on any of your homescreens, simple blue background and white icons making you feel as though you’re part of a truly graphically conscious organization now. One of these three widgets is a 4×2 sized block that shows essentially all the same controls you get when first logging into your TeleNav app, search bar, commute times, and local map included. All of this includes a new rendering engine that TeleNav lets us know is both smoother and faster – can’t wait to try it out!

And goodies, yes there are goodies, including best of all, customizable car icons for your map. You can now be represented on your own map as a spaceship, a tank, a sports car, and more, all of these floating through the city with great ease. Each little car icon will cost you $0.99, how could you possibly resist? That said, all Android users with compatible devices will be getting the ability to download this update in the near future for free, with unlockable features like graphic lane assist, speed trap and red light camera notifications, and commute reports costing a total of $4.99 per month. Will you update?

The TomTom GO LIVE Top Gear edition features Top Gear-themed start-up and shut-down screens and car icons. You can use the device in silent mode by selecting The Stig mode, or you can choose to have Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson’s voice guide you throughout your journey. This limited edition also features more detailed maps, hands-free calling via Bluetooth, and voice recognition.

Like other TomTom GPS devices, it will also feature the TomTom HD Traffic technology that steers drivers away from traffic jams and updates traffic information every two minutes. This includes incident reports that detail the length of the delay and the cause.

The device is priced at $269.95 and includes a one-year subscription to TomTom’s LIVE Services, which offers access to Google local search, weather forecasts, and TomTom HD Traffic, among other connected features.

[via TomTom]

The watch is water resistant to 50 meters and is the first multisport watch from Garmin that offers swim metrics like distance, stroke identification, stroke count, and pool length. The watch can also compute the swimmers swolf score, which is a measurement of swim efficiency. The battery on the watch is good for 20 hours of use.

The 910XT also has a virtual Racer mode that allows the user to compare their time against other times. The watch can also be handlebar mounted on a bike. The 910XT has a vibration motor or alerts like heart rate and distance so when audible alerts can’t be heard the wearer can feel them. Garmin also included ANT+ support for connecting to wireless sensors. Pricing is unknown at this time.