Slashgeo

Here's a few geonews items mainly related to cellphones and location-based services. Spatial Sustain informs us of the new "send to GPS" feature linking Google Maps and TomTom devices. Second, MacRumors discuss an Engaget story about TomTom (possibly, it's a rumor!) developing a GPS module for Apple's iPhone. Meanwhile, APB links to a NYT article wondering if Nokia can make serious inroads in the American market of cellphones and location-based services, and finally, APB runs a short entry on TeleNav and Navizon offering free small location-based services applications. Several related previous stories copied below.

In press release by SkyHook Wireless they announced that they are powering the wifi based portion of the new iPhone software location awareness. From the release:

Apple is using Skyhook's Wi-Fi positioning software for the new Wi-Fi location positioning feature in its Maps application on both iPhone and iPod touch. Using WPS, iPhone and iPod touch users can now locate themselves in the popular Maps application with the tap of one button.

This is some nice news from skyhook and lends credence to their theory that wifi is a good method for geo-location determination.

MacRumors.com offers a nice summary on the development of turn by turn GPS navigation software for the iPhone. From MR: " MSNBC recently spoke (via MacDailyNews) with several GPS manufacturers about their plans to develop a turn-by-turn GPS solution for the iPhone. While the manufacturers were unable to provide many details about their plans, TomTom reasserted that they do have GPS navigation working on the iPhone and that it works well [...]" See also some selected previous iPhone stories below.

From the cars.com blog : "The iPhone has unquestionably dominated the mobile phone industry for the past two years. One of its biggest advantages over other devices is the long list of applications of every variety that can be downloaded to it. There are “apps” for everything from keeping track of your Twitter feed to following your favorite baseball team. Finally, after nearly two years, a developer has released the first real-time, turn-by-turn navigation application for the iPhone. XROADS G-Map ($19) is clearly the best real-time navigation option for an iPhone right now, but we ran it through the same tests we would a stand-alone TomTom, Garmin or Mio system to see how it fared with the big boys of navigation. Update: 03/10 16:44 GMT by S : I dare add this to lxnyce's story: AnyGeo links to mapNinja, a commercial mapping SDK for the iPhone.

As a couple of blogs are reporting (Henri Bergius, Mapperz, GeoWeb Guru) there is a new major release of FireFox (version 3.5). The GIS related part of this release is the new support for browser geolocation. To quote Henri Bergius blog : "With both Firefox 3.5 and iPhone OS 3.0 out, a significant number of browsers suddenly have geolocation support. It will be interesting to see how quickly web services start to follow up, providing more meaningful content through the location context. "

Slashdot discusses a story named Standalone GPS Receivers Going the Way of the Dodo. Their summary: "The NY Times reports that more than 40 percent of all smartphone owners and 80 percent of iPhone users use their mobile devices to get turn-by-turn directions driving down sales of traditional standalone GPS units from companies like TomTom, Garmin and Magellan. During the first quarter, TomTom said it shipped 29 percent fewer GPS units compared with the period in 2008 while Garmin's unit sales fell 13 percent from the previous year. While smartphones are susceptible to interruptions from incoming phone calls and using the mapping features for a long time can chew through battery power, the list of the smartphone's shortcomings is dwindling as some of the latest navigation applications offer voice navigation and take advantage of the phone's always-connected state to offer real-time traffic updates, directions to contacts in the phone's address book and more. 'I've not stopped using a GPS because I never bought one in the first place — they are expensive and inconvenient,' says Steve Weller. 'Now with the iPhone, I will actually use GPS — and the 10 other functions it replaces.' The traditional GPS device companies are trying to adapt, seeking to expand their reach into the smartphone market. TomTom recently announced that it would introduce a portable navigation application for the iPhone that would feature turn-by-turn directions and audio prompts. 'The simplicity of having one device and not needing to pull the Garmin out of my glove compartment is enough,' says Andrew DiMarcangelo. 'I want to get into my car and do as few things as possible.'"

Here are a few recent geonews in batch, I'm, and you are, now fully up to date! Geoweb Guru mentions new MapQuest Directions web service entering Beta. The Map Room links to the book Rethinking Maps: New Frontiers in Cartographic Theory, edited by Martin Dodge, Rob Kitchin and Chris Perkins. GeoThought shared his review of OffMaps for iPhone, that all that allows you to use OpenStreetMap data for offline mapping (OffMaps was mentioned before). ROK offered a link to their own HIV/AIDS Atlas of the U.S. In the trivia category, I learned there is a Robinson Crusoe Island, recently mapped by Mr. Minton. A month ago, there was a mention of a Microsoft Surface use for police dispatching, built with Silverlight and the ArcGIS API. All Points Blog have an entry named 74% of Facebook Ad Revenue from Local Ads and another one named Oracle Hikes Oracle Spatial Price: Why? Success of Google Maps and ESRI See also related stories below.