Huawei Allegedly Tracked MWC 23 Attendees
U.S., Germany among countries scrutinizing China-based company's practices...
A company under as much worldwide scrutiny as China’s Huawei should keep a low profile at a major trade show. That’s not how it allegedly played out as Light Reading reported that Huawei may have tracked attendees visiting their massive booth last week at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
At issue is the badge the company issued to visitors that they were supposed to return upon leaving their booth. However, a few left the area with the badges, and when opened, revealed an electronics device that could be used for tracking. A theory is that the company uses beacon technology that can track attendees up to 70 meters.
For its part, a Huawei spokesperson told Light Reading that the pass was only to be used in the booth and returned as there “is no need to track a visitor’s location.” Either way, it should be an embarrassment to GSMA, the organization that runs the conference.
The United States isn’t the only country scrutinizing Huawei’s equipment and devices for possible espionage concerns. This week, published reports say Germany is considering a ban on certain 5G components made by both Huawei and ZTE.
MWC Had 88,500 Attendees
MWC featured more than 88,500 attendees from 202 countries, according to GSMA. This includes 2,400 exhibitors, sponsors and partners.
Although organizers said that in many ways, the 2023 edition overshadowed even the 2019 edition, which had many more attendees and was the last conference before the pandemic. However, there were few mapping and automakers present due to the uncertain nature of connected car markets in Europe.
In other MWC news:
Calgary, Canada-based TEKTELIC Communications has launched the STORK asset tracking device to monitor the real-time location of pallets and equipment around MWC. The device, which tracks indoors and outdoors, features geofencing, motion sensing, and IP67-rated protection from external factors, the company said.
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Geocomm and Esri Canada Collaborate on Indoor Mapping Capabilities
GeoComm and Esri Canada have introduced a proof-of concept (PoC) solution that locates 9-1-1 callers inside buildings during an emergency event. The solution, unveiled at the Esri Partner Conference, enables emergency services personal to find the location of people, assets and events that are indoors, the companies said.
The PoC was demonstrated with the city of Guelph, Ontario, through a more than $1 million (CAD) Defense Research and Development grant.
The companies say that the solution is relevant because people spend more than 80 percent of their lives indoors. In addition, 80 percent of 9-1-1 calls now originate from mobile phones with no fixed location. While geodetic positions are now becoming available, without the context of indoor space, dispatchers only have a blue dot on a map, the companies contend.
In other company news, GeoComm has announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued it a patent for its z-axis vertical location technology. The company said it the FCC had observed rules for wireless carriers required that a determination of mobile 9-1-1 caller z-axis (vertical) position be provided to Emergency Communication Centers in Height above Ellipsoid. GeoComm said it invented a new system and methods for converting raw geodetic position measurements with z-axis information that can be used within the ECC.
Contact: GeoComm, Esri Canada, geocomm@geocomm.com, press@esri.ca, geocomm@geocomm.com.
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Teletrac Navman Survey Shows Economic Challenges Facing Fleets
Teletrac Navman last week released a survey of more than 1,800 global fleet executives, most operating fleets with more than 25 vehicles, to assess their opinions about economic challenges facing the industry. Respondents came from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the United Kingdom, the company said.
Fuel cost was the number one concern for global fleet operators. “As the cost of fuel spiked 33 percent from the start of the 2022, many operators are looking at driver behavior programs and alternative fuel transition as key areas of focus to help ease the pain. As COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine still reshape the supply chain and current working processes, fleets are also looking for new ways to extend vehicle life and conserve fuel through preventative maintenance and driver coaching programs,” the survey said.
Teletrac Navman said that driver safety is the No. 1 benefit of using a telematics platform. In addition, the company said that mobile applications have made it drivers to see how they are performing against targets and peers. Approximately 91 percent of businesses that have improved safety are using driver performance coaching with all reporting a dramatic reduction in accident rates, the survey said.
The survey said that video telematics and computer vision technology is increasing, with the global market expected to grow by 18.5 percent between 2022 and 2027. “Businesses are looking into digital transformation as they want quicker ways to respond to customers while also improving operational efficiency,” the survey said.
The survey recommended that fleet operators:
Implement new driver behavior programs to improve fuel efficiency and extend vehicle life.
Operators should also be looking to accelerate alternative fuel transition.
Take advantage of government incentives.
Gain competitive advantage from lower operating costs.
“2023 looks to be a challenging year for fleet operators with fuel prices continuing to put pressure on operating costs and supply chain issues creating uncertainty around vehicle and parts availability,” the survey said.
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Other Location News:
News tip? Send them to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Top News:
🙁 Waymo Cuts 200 Employees After Second Round of Layoffs. “Combined with the initial cuts in January, the self-driving technology company has let go of 8%, or 209 employees, of its workforce. The layoffs — mostly engineering roles — are part of a broader organizational restructure that follows a “fiscally disciplined approach,” according to a Waymo spokesperson.”
🚀 NASA Mission To Test Powerful New Navigation Capability on the Moon Using Earth's GNSS. “Texas-based Firefly Aerospace will deliver NASA's Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) payload, a collaborative effort between NASA and the Italian Space Agency, on the lunar surface to investigate whether signals from two GNSS constellations can reach the lander and provide precise navigation on the Moon for future missions.”
Maps:
😮 ChatGPT (et al) for Geospatial. You Ain’t Seen Nothing… Yet. “It turns out ChatGPT lives in an alternate maps universe.”
😦 Apple Request for Detailed Korean Mapping Data Rejected. “Apple AAPL 0.00%↑ cannot export detailed mapping data from Korea, the government has said. The National Geographic Information Institute under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Monday it has rejected Apple’s request to export a precise 1:5,000 scale map data — the most detailed among all data currently available in Korea.”
📱 Apple Maps Redesign Expands to Finland, Norway, and Sweden. “Look Around provides 3D street-level imagery in cities where it is available, and it is similar to Google's GOOG 0.00%↑ Street View.”
🙁 Android Auto Coolwalk Feeling Unpolished as New Google Maps Issue Discovered. “The more users receive the new Android Auto design, the more glitches are discovered. This time, Coolwalk seems to be plagued with a lag issue that impacts both music apps and navigation software.”
😕 Google Maps Is Being Fined. “A new bill would levy a $2,000 fine on [mapping] companies whose services cause a commercial truck to become stuck in a congested but narrow Northeast corridor. The state of Vermont has introduced bill S. 77, an initiative to lessen the number of commercial vehicles obstructing Smugglers’ Notch due to their having followed navigation not intended for such vehicles.”
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
😲 Autonomous Trucking Upstart Embark Goes From $5 Billion Valuation to Kaput in 16 Months. “Autonomous trucking startup Embark Trucks capped off one of the faster riches-to-rags stories of the SPAC era, announcing that it is laying off most employees and winding down operations.”
👍 Port Authority To Host Second Platooning Demonstration of Autonomous Vehicles at JFK Airport. “The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Ohmio announced that in June John F. Kennedy International Airport will host the country’s first three-vehicle platooning demonstration at a U.S. airport.”
🚗 GM's Ultra Cruise Will Use Radar, Camera, and Lidar To Enable Hands-Free Driving. “The automaker wouldn’t reveal its lidar supplier, but it had more to say about the various sensors that will power its forthcoming Level 2 driver-assist feature.”
🚘 GM's Cruise to Focus On Cost Cuts as It Ramps up Robotaxis. “General Motors' GM 0.00%↑ robotaxi unit Cruise is focusing on cutting costs this year, a top executive said, as mounting losses in the autonomous vehicle companies have sparked investor concerns and forced some to shut shop.”
Drones:
🛩 BAE Systems Develops New Sovereign Drone and Guided Missile. “BAE Systems Australia has used the Avalon air show to reveal plans to develop an Australian designed and manufactured armed VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) drone (pictured) as well as a new sovereign guided missile.”
Financial:
💰 Mapxus Raises $5 Million in Series B Funding. “Mapxus, a Hong Kong-based GIS platform that provides global indoor mapping and navigation services, closed its $5 million Series B funding. The round was led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.”
Tracking:
🤞 Japanese Government Backs Use of GPS Trackers To Prevent International Bail Jumping. “The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday approved legal revisions to enable courts to order the use of GPS trackers to prevent international bail jumping, such as former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn's escape from the country in 2019 while on bail.”
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Location Industry Briefs
Send your news releases to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Cambridge Mobile Telematics Acquires Amodo
Cambridge Mobile Telematics has acquired Amodo, a European telematics company. The acquisition gives Amodo’s customers access to such telematics services driver risk measurement, proactive crash and claims services, and behavioral modification to reduce driving risk, the company said. Amodo will adopt the CMT name. CMT now powers nine telematics programs in Europe.
Contact: Mike Fiorentino, CMT, mfiorentino@cmtelematics.com, www.cmteletmatics.com.
Taoglas Rolls Out Transparent Antennas
Taoglas has introduced three transparent (invisible) antennas for cellular, Wi-Fi, and GNSS technologies. The antennas come with simple “peel and stick” mounting to any nonmetal surface, the company said.
The TFX62.A, TFX257.A, and TFX125.A can be used standalone or in a custom combination to enhance cellular, Wi-Fi, and GNSS antenna installations, respectively, the company said. Example use-cases include EV chargers and parking meters, smart buildings, and transportation vehicles.
Contact: Taoglas, www.taoglas.com.
United Rentals Surpasses 335,000 Telematics-Enabled Assets
United Rentals URI 0.00%↑ has announced that it surpassed 335,000 pieces of equipment outfitted with telematics technology in its rental fleet. The equipment includes aerial work platforms, earthmoving equipment, generators, all-electric trucks, compressors, e-dumpsters, light towers and more. United Rentals’ Total Control is a cloud-based worksite management solution that provides customers with visibility into both rented and owned telematics-enabled equipment, the company said.
Contact: Ted Grace, United Rentals, (203) 618-7122, tgrace@ur.com, www.unitedrentals.com.
Skydel Becomes First GNSS Simulator to Break High-Capacity Barrier
Orolia, a Safran Electronics & Defense company, has announced today that its Skydel GNSS simulation engine software can generate more than 500 signals from a single platform. Markets include GNSS users, experts, manufacturers and those looking for a LEO-capable simulation system.
Skydel features multi-constellation/multi-frequency signal generation, remote control from user-defined scripts and integrated interference generation. Skydel can also produce navwar signals without any additional hardware, the company said.
Contact: Charles Jones, Safran, (585) 450-2889, charles.jones@nav-timing.safrangroup.com, www.safran-group.com.
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Inpixon Named Gartner Indoor Location Services Leader
Inpixon INPX 0.00%↑ has been named a leader in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Indoor Location Services evaluation. The evaluation was based on a company’s overall completeness of vision and ability to execute. Gartner projects the indoor location services market to reach $55 billion revenue by 2030, up from $1.9 billion in 2021.
Contact: Inpixon, marketing@inpixon.com, inpixon.com/contact-us.
TCarta Expands Role in Seabed 2030 Ocean Survey Project
TCarta Marine has expanded its role in the Seabed 2030 project that seeks to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. TCarta has developed capacity building initiatives to train international hydrographic offices in creating their own SDB data sets for Seabed 2030 and other applications, the company said.
As a Seabed 2030 partner, TCarta has contributed 150,000 square kilometers of 10-meter resolution seafloor depth measurements from its Global Satellite Derived Bathymetry (G-SDB) product line, the company said.
Contact: TCarta Marine, info@tcarta.com, www.tcarta.com.
Four Companies Develop Indoor/Outdoor Tracker
NGK Insulators, Exeger Operations, Tachibana Electronic Solutions and Semtech SMTC 0.00%↑ have developed a maintenance-free indoor/outdoor position tracker. The position tracker features LoRa connectivity, solar cell to generate electricity indoors and outdoors and a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, the companies said.
The companies plan to look at such markets as child and elderly protection, office management, and logistics and industrial. In addition, the tracker can not only record location, but temperature and humidity for goods and containers, the company said.
Contact: Aki Sawfuji, NGK Insulators, ngk-cc@ngk.co.jp.
Mapxus and NOIZChain to Develop Indoor Location Game
Indoor mapping technology platform Mapxus has announced a joint venture with NOIZChain to co-create Honio, the first indoor location-based Game-Fi metaverse. Mapxus has partnered with NOIZChain to build spatial digital twins of shopping malls and landmarks in the Honio metaverse, using indoor maps and positioning technology, the company said. Honio, focusing on the Japanese market, will target 5,000 landmarks and buildings by 2024.
Contact: Mapxus, info@mapxus.com, www.mapxus.com.
Ituran Issues Cash Dividend
Ituran Location and Control ITRN 0.00%↑ has announced a cash dividend in the amount of 14 cents per share, totaling $3 million. The dividend will be paid to shareholders of record as of March 21, 2023. The company said its location-based services subscriber base has been growing, particularly in Israel and Latin America.
Contact: Udi Mizrahi, Ituran, 972 3 557 1348, udi_m@ituran.com, www.ituran.com.
People
Theo-Han Jansen has been named as WirelessCar’s new vice president, strategy and product management. Jansen has 30 years of experience at such OEMS as FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles/Stellantis, Maserati and Ferrari, where he was responsible for implementing global connected vehicle programs.
Tracy Cozzens is retiring after 17 years at GPS World. Cozzens, a former newspaper reporter, was the magazine’s managing editor and senior editor, covering the worldwide GNSS industry.
Jobs
Senior Product Manager II, Mapping. Axon.
Multiple Positions. European Space Agency.
105 Open Positions. Thales.
Open Positions. PreAct Technologies.
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