NASA LADEE Lunar Mission Confirms Potential of Laser Communications In Space

As reported by NDTV: NASA has completed its 30-day lunar laser mission which confirmed that the possibility of expanding broadband capabilities in space using laser communications is as bright as expected.  

Hosted aboard the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), for its ride to lunar orbit, the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) mission was designed to confirm laser communication capabilities from a distance of almost a quarter-of-a-million miles, NASA said.

In addition to demonstrating record-breaking data download and upload speeds to the Moon at 622 megabits per second (Mbps) and 20 Mbps, respectively, LLCD also showed that it could operate as well as any NASA radio system.

"Throughout our testing we did not see anything that would prevent the operational use of this technology in the immediate future," said Don Cornwell, LLCD mission manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.

For example, LLCD demonstrated error-free communications during broad daylight, including operating when the moon was to within three degrees of the Sun as seen from Earth.

LLCD also demonstrated error-free communications when the Moon was low on the horizon, less than 4 degrees, as seen from the ground station, which also demonstrated that wind and atmospheric turbulence did not significantly impact the system. LLCD was even able to communicate through thin clouds, an unexpected bonus.

Operationally, LLCD demonstrated the ability to download data from the LADEE spacecraft itself.

"We were able to download LADEE's entire stored science and spacecraft data (one gigabyte) in less than five minutes, which was only limited to our 40 Mbps connection to that data within LADEE," said Cornwell.

Using LADEE's onboard radio system would take several days to complete a download of the same stored data.

Additionally, LLCD was to prove the integrity of laser technology to send not only error-free data but also uncorrupted commands and telemetry or monitoring messages to and from the spacecraft over the laser link.

LLCD also demonstrated the ability to "hand-off" the laser connection from one ground station to another, just as a cellphone does a hand-off from one cell tower to another.

An additional achievement was the ability to operate LLCD without using LADEE's radio at all.

"We were able to program LADEE to awaken the LLCD space terminal and have it automatically point and communicate to the ground station at a specific time without radio commands.

This demonstrates that this technology could serve as the primary communications system for future NASA missions," said Cornwell.

The ability of LLCD to send and receive high definition video was proven with a message from NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, completing the trip to the Moon and back with only a few seconds of delay.

Companies Looking to Profit with Niche Fleet Markets - Like Towing

As reported by GPS World: Niche markets for location companies are sometimes hit-and-miss. One real opportunity that is gaining more traction among location companies is towing.

There are legions of Duck Dynasty-type of towing trade show attendees, but you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. There is tons of money in the towing industry as banks, insurance companies, motor clubs and other technology entities are flocking to these shows. Many times that scruffy-looking guy in a Duck Dynasty T-shirt is a multi-million-dollar owner of a big towing company. 

Although it is a strong niche market, the towing industry is gaining traction among the dozen or so location companies that were exhibing at the recent American Towman Exposition there.  

Location companies exhibiting asked towing operators to look at the usual benefits of their products: fuel savings, dispatching tow trucks to the nearest incident, reducing idle time, reduced overtime hours, monitoring of speeds and other features. 

Several financial institutions were on site who acknowledged the importance of tracking and monitoring technology in towing company fleets and headquarters. One banker said that he will not give a loan to a towing company unless it has, across a fleet, a real-time tracking system. The same goes for many insurance companies.

One challenge that location companies may have in smaller niche markets is volume. One company says it cannot sell to fleets with five or fewer trucks.

In related GPS/location news:

• The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently said that more than two-thirds of the calls to 911 emergency centers in Texas from wireless phones do not include the accurate location information necessary to find a caller in crisis. The data, provided to the FCC by state and local 911 agencies, show a dramatic drop in more accurate “Phase II” data in Texas from 67 percent of all wireless calls in January 2011 to just 33 percent in June 2013, despite a dramatic increase in cell phone calls over the same period.

• C.J. Driscoll & Associates released a new multi-client marketing research study covering U.S. fleet operators with Mobile Resource Management systems and services. The 2013-14 Survey of Fleet Operator Interest in MRM Systems and Services assesses fleet operator interest in GPS fleet management, driver behavior management, and GPS-equipped handset/portable solutions for managing mobile workers. The study was partially funded by 14 companies, including major cellular carriers, GPS fleet management solution providers, suppliers of driver behavior management systems, and other leading telematics suppliers to the fleet market. The following are among the key findings of the study: More than three-fourths of the fleets that are using a GPS fleet management system reported a high level of satisfaction with their system and two-thirds reported that they have recouped their investment in the system. Another study finding indicates participating fleets that have never used a GPS fleet management system expect to deploy a system in the next 12-18 months.

• MapQuest, which hasn’t gotten the publicity of Google Maps or Apple, recently rolled out a new mapping application, which was a nine-month project. The new mapping app features layers of information “around” a user such as coffee, bars, gas, banks and parking. The new app gets traffic updates on the fly and works more like a standard GPS system, according to published reports. MapQuest is still the number 3 mobile map provider, which is a quiet stat given how long the company has been around in the location industry.

The Year in Mobile: 2013

As reported by GIS User:   Just like there is no “year of electric cars” or “year of razor blades” or “year of the Greek yogurt,” there is no “year of mobile” or “year of this or that.” However, as we have seen over the 30+ years of mobile evolution, the next year is better than the previous one and so on and so forth. So, 2013 ends in the long tradition and continuum of human endeavor to make significant progress in multiple mobile dimensions and make an impact on individuals and societies alike. 2013 proved that connectivity has become the core of our fabric and we are entering the “connected intelligence era” that will enable the Golden Age of Mobile.

In no particular order, here were some of the highlights of mobile 2013:

Number of mobile subscriptions ~ humans: the total number of mobile subscriptions got tantalizing close to the number of humans on the planet. Next year, we will go past the milestone but it shows the pervasiveness and strength of the mobile technology that it has become the basic part of our Maslow’s hierarchy.

More data please: As smartphones approach the 2B mark, the data appetite of consumers showed no signs of abating. In Sweden, the mobile broadband subs are consuming over 7GB/mo. In the US, some Android devices are consuming over 4 GB/mo on average. Operators will need to continue to refine their pricing and margin models as the demand for more spectrum will continue.

The dominance of Samsung and Apple: The tussles in the device segment has all the intrigue and juxtaposition of a Shakespearean drama and the ups and downs of a Pavarotti’s masterpiece. Through sheer muscle tenacity and the execution speed of Usain Bolt, Samsung was able to firmly dominate 2013 despite Apple’s grip on the high-end smartphone market. These two account for almost 50% of the smartphone shipments and almost all of the profits in the space. Apple continued to set the tone for the market with the launches of new iPhones and iPads. Though iOS trails Android in raw deployment, it trounces it in consumer usage. It is also remarkable how quickly consumers upgrade to the latest iOS in stark contrast with the Android fragmentation. Apple finally got access to the big Chinese market.

The disappearance of the legacy device brands: Nokia, Motorola, and RIM were dominant players a few years ago but Apple ensured the smartphone script is rewritten. They all made serious strategic errors one after another and while Nokia and Motorola have found new families to host their aspirations, their story should be a reminder of the turbulent cycles of the device business and that the complacency virus spares no one. The rise of the local OEMs should keep everyone on their toes in 2014.

Android juggernaut: In 2013, Android continued to create distance with Apple in terms of downloads, easily going past the mind boggling 1 billion milestone. Android has changed the industry for the better. While there is trouble in the house, Android will continue to play a major role in the device and app ecosystem in 2014.

The growth of OTT Services: As we discussed in our 4th wave paper earlier this year, OTT Services will be the biggest growth segment for the next decade. In 2013, the segment grew 50% ahead of any other telecom segment. Young IP messaging stalwarts fundamentally altered the messaging landscape with Whatsapp performing exceptionally. SMS usage and revenue numbers were impacted worldwide.

The digital revenue streams are very distributed with diverse players such as Facebook, Twitter, Starbucks, Expedia, Uber, Pandora, Amazon, AT&T, Telefonica, Verizon, DoCoMo, Netflix, China Mobile, Rovio, Square, Softbank, Ebay, Hertz, Apple, Google, and Microsoft. In our work with players around the world this year, it is clear that there is significant energy and application in mining the opportunities on the 4th wave. With nascent efforts in Bhutan, Vietnam, Malaysia to moonshots in the US and Europe, mobile is rewriting the rules in virtually every industry. Fasten your seat belts for another fast paced year in 2014.

Post-PC beat PC+: Apple expertly wrote the post-PC narrative and while the PC+ crowd has a legit argument, perception is often reality and there in no doubt that from here on out, the industry will be talking about the post-PC world in one voice. Even Microsoft will grudgingly admit to the transition and likely shift its strategy accordingly. As we wrote long time ago, Tablets have fundamentally altered the computing paradigm. In our SMB research released earlier this year, it was clear that smartphones and tablets are the tools of choice for the enterprise and that is not only altering the device business but also the software landscape. Mobile broadband, the cloud, and the applications are altering the enterprises – big and small. Microsoft should take solace from a tough year of progress. Blackberry is practically done and Microsoft has established itself as the distant but a viable third mobile ecosystem. Had it not been for a series of strategic mistakes, Microsoft might have made better inroads in 2013.

LTE launches: LTE is the fastest growing generation of cellular technology in the history. With over 250 networks launched, the desire to launch IP networks quickly is on top of the agenda. US leads with all major operators having substantial LTE deployments but other nations are fast catching up. While there has been quite a bit of focus on LTE, WiFi has been emerging as the white knight and its importance only grew in 2013 with 60-70% of the mobile data traffic being carried by WiFi networks in most of the countries. It might lead to some interesting business models in the coming years. 5G entered the industry lexicon.

M&As: It is natural for fast growing and competitive industries to consolidate. 2013 wasn't any different. There were some blockbuster and expected M&As: Microsoft acquired Nokia, Softbank surprised with Sprint/Clearwire acquisition, Verizon finally got hold of its destiny from Vodafone. As we have eluded to several times in our past research notes, we expect the global M&A to continue with several block buster deals slated for 2014. Stay tuned.

Patent wars: In maturing markets, patent wars are the unfortunate part of the ongoing battle for dominance. Mobile saw its share of patent wars. With roughly quarter of the USPTO grants becoming mobile related, it shouldn't come as a surprise though.

Regulatory tussles: Regulators are generally always behind in understanding a fast growing industry. It was clear in 2013, that the convergence of the computing and communications world has left the regulatory world woefully short of expertise and imagination. Governments around the world will do better by hiring folks from the industry to get a grip of the fast-paced every-changing dynamics of the mobile world as the very competitiveness of a nation depends on it. From spectrum to privacy, from competition to commerce, regulators need to get up to speed on unexpected trajectories of the new world.

Security and Privacy: From Snowden revelations to industrial espionage, from credit card data loss to enterprise security, the security and privacy of mobile data, applications, networks, and devices became front and center of the security and privacy debate.

Operator disruption plays: In the telecom space, the #4 player generally doesn't have a big impact on the overall mechanics of the industry. However, when it has nothing to lose, it can provide a potent dose of disruption to the market. Free in France and T-Mobile in the US were examples of that this year. In France, by offering cheap mobile data services at low margins, the newcomer altered the economics of the segment tumbling the incumbent revenues by 10%. In the US, through a series of financial and marketing maneuvers, T-Mobile was able to alter its net-add trajectory and had meaningful sub gains for the first time in three years. Also, for the first time, T-Mobile forced the top three to react to its moves and not the other way around. It also inspired other smaller players in other countries to rethink their strategies.

Connected devices: The promise of M2M and connected devices has been there for some time. Internet of Things (IoT) has morphed into the gimmicky Internet of Everything. While the hockey stick curve hasn't arrived yet, there was plenty to celebrate with the introductions of Google Glasses, wearables, fitness bands, smart watches, connected autos, glamorous thermostats, winking light bulbs, home security and energy management solutions and much more. GE is spending billions for its “industrial Internet” initiative. A nice platform has been set for continued feverish growth and product introductions in 2014.

Mobile’s impact on commerce: Mobile is changing every industry but its impact on commerce is particularly notable. In the 2013 holiday season (according to IBM), mobile made 17% of the online sales increasing over 55% from 2012. Tablet users spent $126/order.

Meteoric rise of mobile apps: In 2010, we evaluated the impact mobile apps will have on the industry. Much of the growth has been expected, however the players who lead in revenue and downloads have fluctuated across the various platforms. In 2013, Google started to match Apple in downloads though Apple easily wins in the revenues category and thus still remains more attractive to the developers though the gap is closing.

There was much more – Twitter IPO, Surface, Moto X, spectrum scandals, Facebook’s love for mobile, Google mobile advertising dominance, the rise of the Chinese OEMs, decline of HTC, and several other events captivated our attention.

2014 is going to be another terrific year for mobile. The progress and surprises will come from all quarters. New players will emerge, new business models will take hold, and we will take a significant step forward in the new year. I am sure that you all will do your part in shaping the mobile cosmos.

Fuel ‘Fingerprints’ Could Mean More Efficient Vehicle Engines

As reported by GigaOM: Modern cars are crammed with computers that measure and respond to everything from brake pressure to luxury features. Soon, they will also come with a mini-computer than can sniff the contents of gasoline and tell the engine how to react.

The new technology, which relies on a $25 sensor, promises to improve fuel efficiency and reduce pollution. It also shows how many of the sensors and connected computers that used to found only in industrial operations are making their way into everyday things.

Thousands of fuels - and none of them fit

“Many people don’t realize that fuel is not the same every ten miles you go,” said Alain Lunati, a former petroleum executive who now heads SP3H, a startup based in Aix-en-Provence, France.

As Lunati explained in a recent phone interview, the gas we buy varies from station to station due to factors like the refinery source or the additives that gas retailers add to the fuel blend.

The difference in gasoline matters because car engines are built and calibrated around one specific gas blend that varies with each car model. Optimal engine performance occurs when the car uses the exact same gasoline that the auto maker did; however, in reality, a driver has little hope of finding that same fuel when it’s time to fill the tank.

“The engine is only calibrated with one fuel, but there are an infinite number of fuels,” said Lunati. “It’s statistically impossible to find the fuel that is calibrated with your engine.”

As part of its research, SP3H has sampled 3000 different fuel blends from 60 countries.

The fact that you’re not using the same fuel as the manufacturer doesn't mean, of course, that you’re harming your vehicle. Your car is doing just fine since engines are built to ingest a standardized range of fuel variations, and gas stations ensure that what they sell falls within this range. (And there’s no need to buy that premium gas, by the way).

The issue, instead, is a question of waste. According to Lunati, cars’ use of non-optimal fuel means a decline in fuel efficiency of up to 5 percent and up to a 20 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

Those numbers are not jaw-dropping for an individual car. But what if this inefficiency could be reduced across a nation’s entire vehicle fleet?

Personalized gasoline

When he worked at petrol giant BP, Lunati said he used industrial sensors that could detect the precise molecular composition of fuel. The sensors, which are also used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, stood three feet high and cost over $3 million apiece — hardly a practical option to strap onto a Toyota Camry or Ford Focus.

Now, though, SP3H is producing a mini-version of the sensors for cars that uses near-infrared technology to acquire a “fuel fingerprint” of whatever is in the tank. This information can then be relayed to the car’s central computer system, which can in turn direct the engine to adjust the fuel injection, consumption and treatment process.

The system, which can be applied to gasoline, diesel or any other type of fuel, is not part of the auto manufacturing process yet, but Lunati said it soon will be.

“The system is already there. Cars now have around 60 computers, including one for engine optimization that uses 10 parameters that adjust in real time to outside temp, the temperature of engine, pressure, altitude, and more.”

He added that SP3H already has deals with car makers around the world, and is in talks with one of America’s two auto giants to license the patented technology. SP3H’s business plan calls for the car companies and parts makers to manufacture and and integrate the sensor as they see fit, and expects test models to be on the road by next year.

A SP3H prototype envisions the sensor to be about 3 inches long and a few hundred grams, and to cost about $25.

A cleaner global fleet

If SP3H succeeds, the result will be a new low-cost way to monitor fuel quality on the road and in real time. This could yield an immediate reduction in CO2 from vehicles, especially if more countries also adopt the start-stop technology that is taking off in Europe.

And in places like China and Brazil, where SP3H plans to road-test them first, the sensors could make an additional difference. According to Lunati, the fuel quality in such countries varies to a much greater extent from gas station to gas station than it does in the U.S. or Europe — and the fuel product from some unethical sellers is so bad it can kill engines. The mini-sensors could make it easy to find out who is selling bad or dirty fuel to the benefit of both motorists and the air.

Bridge Inspection Robot has Magnetic Wheels, Shuffles up Walls

As reported by Engadget: Most wall-climbing robots rely on advanced forms of suction to keep them adhered to a flat surface, but Japan's latest wall crawler employs a different method: magnets. Hailing from the Osaka City University Graduate School of Engineering, BIREM (which stands for Bridge Inspection Robot Equipping Magnets) is designed to -- as the name suggests -- inspect bridges. Riding four spoked wheels adorned with eight magnets a piece, it can creep across metal girders at a rate of 7.8 inches per second. Its flexible midsection promises to give it an edge over uneven structures, and its creators hope that it will eventually lower infrastructure inspection costs. You won't see it crawling across the Golden Gate any time soon, however -- the team doesn't expect to commercialize it for another three years.

Telematics Evidence Helps Prove Knife Attacker’s Location in Court Case

As reported by Fleet World:  Daniel Paita has been convicted for a knife attack on a man in Glasgow in February last year after the device pinpointed his location despite Paita claiming he was not in the area on the day.  

The evidence collected by the device was passed onto the police by motor anti-fraud team Asset Protection Unit Ltd (APU), which now works closely with Police forces to reduce motor fraud.   

After Paita was sentenced Thursday. the 19th of December at The High Court, Edinburgh, APU’s Neil Thomas was clear about the role telematics can play and the benefits of private anti-fraud teams cooperating with the police.

‘It is extremely pleasing to have been an important cog in convicting an individual like this, it might never have happened at all had the device not been installed in his car. They are able to generate data about the inner workings of a vehicle but also show its location at any time, which is a great help to us, the police and victims if vehicles are used for criminal activity,’ said Thomas.

Nearly Half of All Phones in UAE are Smartphones

As reported by The National: Nearly half of the registered phones in the UAE are smartphones, new data from the telecoms regulator showed.

“During the period between July 1, 2013 and September 30, 2013, 46 per cent of handsets registered on the UAE’s networks were smartphones, a figure that has increased during each quarter in 2013,” the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said in a statement.

That is up two percentage points from June, when the smartphone penetration rate stood at 44 per cent.  At this rate, smartphones would account for half the phone market sometime around the middle of 2014.

The TRA report also showed that the iPhone 5 was the most popular smartphone in the country during the quarter, with a 2.8 per cent share of all registered handsets. Coming second was the Samsung S3 with 2.5 per cent. The iPhone 4S came third with 2.3 per cent, and tied for fourth were the iPhone4 and BlackBerry 9900 at 1.8 per cent.

Following them were: Samsung S4 at 1.6 per cent; Galaxy S Duos at 1.2 per cent; BlackBerry Bold 9790 at 1.1 per cent; and BlackBerry Bold 9780 at 1 per cent.

Overall, Nokia dominated the market with a 56.2 per cent market share. Samsung came second with 16.4 per cent. Third was BlackBerry with 10.2 per cent, and fourth was Apple with 7.8 per cent, then LG at 1 per cent, Sony at 0.9 per cent, Huawei at 0.5 per cent and HTC at 0.6 per cent.

“Unlike Nokia and Blackberry, Samsung and Apple recorded increases in their market shares in third quarter,” said the report.

Apple’s iTunes was the most popular applications website during the quarter, followed by Nokia OVI; Samsung Apps; BlackBerry App World; and Android Applications, the report says.

Users of smartphones and fixed line phones made a total of 13.7 billion visits to social media sties during the quarter. Facebook topped the list with 91 per cent of the visits. It was followed by Twitter with 8 per cent of the total visits, Maktoob at 0.1 per cent, then LinkedIn and MySpace.