Department of Defense Awards $201 Million for GPS Satellite Contract

As reported by the Motley Fool: The Department of Defense announced nine new defense contracts on Thursday worth $1.31 billion. Lockheed Martin didn't win the biggest of these contracts. That honor went to Boeing. But Lockheed did win the second-largest award -- a $200.7 million contract modification to a contract to build GPS III space vehicles 05 and 06.

The contract being modified was originally awarded to Lockheed Martin on May 15, 2008, being then described as "a new contract for the first increment, of the next generation of Global Positioning System (GPS Base IIIA) ... a satellite-based radio navigation system that serves military and civil users worldwide... [using] existing capabilities [to] introduce a new L1C civil signal, increase earth coverage M-Code power for authorized military users, provide a graceful growth path to achieve full capabilities development document threshold requirements, and continue support for the Nuclear Detonation Detection System mission."

This original contract was valued in excess of $1.46 billion, and has subsequently been modified  -- and had dollars added to its value. The modification announced today covers work that should be completed by Dec. 14, 2017.

Proliferation of GPS-enabled Smartphones Spurs Growth of Global Location-based Applications Market

As reported by Directions Magazine:  The global market for location-based applications is poised for rapid growth, as the mass adoption of global positioning system (GPS)-enabled smartphones is encouraging developers to introduce numerous advanced applications.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.wireless.frost.com), Moving in Smart Spaces, finds that indoor connectivity, augmented reality, big data and wearable devices are the key technology trends likely to fuel the uptake of location-based applications. Location-based technology and data can then be combined to facilitate the development of smart spaces in every city and community.

"Location-based application developers have so far focused on the development of outdoor applications due to the adoption of GPS positioning in smartphones," noted Frost & Sullivan Information & Communication Technologies Research Analyst Shuba Ramkumar. "However, as individuals spend more time indoors, there is a need to roll out indoor location-based applications that capitalize on various functionalities such as mapping, navigation and geo-fencing."

Augmented reality technology could also be used to make location-based applications more interactive. Further, the widening ecosystem of wearable devices such as Google Glass and Samsung Galaxy Gear infuses technology into the daily lives of individuals, widening the scope of context-aware applications.

However there are several challenges restricting the growth of the location-based applications market. The lack of standardization in indoor positioning technologies such as Wi-Fi, sensors and Bluetooth is complicating the development of indoor applications. Location-based application providers will need to wait until wearable device manufacturers address the issues of limited battery life and dependence on smartphones for outdoor connectivity.

Market participants also find it difficult to monetize applications due to the absence of a clear business model. In this scenario, application developers should seek to identify new sources of revenue. They can expedite market expansion by establishing contracts with indoor venues to provide customized applications, and by working with wearable device manufacturers to create related applications.

"Stakeholders should work together to identify the most reliable and accurate indoor positioning technologies that can steer the indoor connectivity market forward," said Ramkumar. "The In-Location Alliance is one such initiative formed by market participants to discuss and resolve issues concerning indoor positioning technologies."

NASA Builds GPS-Based System For Detecting Natural Disasters

As reported by Red Orbit: Existing GPS technologies have been enhanced by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego to develop new systems for California and elsewhere to provide warning of hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis and extreme weather events.

Forecasters at NOAA National Weather Service offices in Oxnard and San Diego, California demonstrated the new technology in July, using it to track a summer monsoon rain affecting Southern California and issue more accurate and timely flash flood warnings. The new technology uses real-time information from GPS stations that have been upgraded with small, inexpensive seismic and meteorological sensors.

Other real-world systems are integrating the new technology as well. For example, it is being used to make damage assessments for hospitals, bridges and other critical infrastructure that can be used in real time by emergency personnel, decision makers and first responders to help mitigate threats to public safety.

The primary goal for hospitals is to shut down elevators automatically and send alerts to operating room personnel in the event of, for example, an earthquake early warning. The earthquake early warning system is particularly effective during large events. The system could be used to detect changes in the structure of bridges due to earthquakes, wind shear and traffic loads, as well.

The implications and possible applications of the new technology were discussed by scientists from JPL and Scripps at the American Geophysical Union meeting this past week.

“These advancements in monitoring are being applied to public safety threats, from tall buildings and bridges to hospitals in regions of risk for natural hazards,” said Yehuda Bock of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “Meaningful warnings can save lives when issued within one to two minutes of a destructive earthquake, several tens of minutes for tsunamis, possibly an hour or more for flash floods, and several days or more for extreme winter storms.”

An optimal combination of GPS, accelerometer, pressure and temperature data is the basis for the new technology. This data is collected in real time at many locations throughout Southern California and on large engineered structures—like tall buildings, hospitals and bridges—for focused studies of health and damage. The technology returns data products such as accurate measurements of permanent motions (displacements) of ground stations and instruments deployed on structures, which form the basis for early detection of sustained damage; and measurements of precipitable water in the lower atmosphere, a determining factor in short-term weather forecasting. The combination of sensors significantly improves current seismic and meteorological practices.

NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory used a regional collaborative network of GPS stations—newly expanded to provide dense coverage in Southern California—to provide atmospheric moisture measurements to forecasters in the case of the first successful Southern California monsoon forecast and more accurate flash flood warnings in July.

Hundreds of scientific-grade GPS stations throughout Southern California are constantly receiving signals from GPS satellites to determine their precise positions. GPS ground stations are simultaneously measuring water vapor as well as position because water vapor in the atmosphere distorts GPS satellite signals.

“These water vapor measurements are currently being used to help forecasters better monitor developing weather during periods between satellite overpasses and weather balloon launches,” said research scientist Angelyn Moore of JPL. “Our project is upgrading GPS ground stations to get these data to forecasters in minutes to seconds to help them better understand whether summer monsoonal moisture is likely to cause harmful flash flooding.”

“This GPS network provides forecasters with timely and critical information on the availability of atmospheric moisture, allowing us to more accurately forecast and warn for potentially deadly flash flooding and wintertime heavy precipitation events in Southern California,” said Mark Jackson, meteorologist in charge at NOAA’s National Weather Service office in Oxnard.

“Having such detailed and timely information on how much moisture is available helps us better understand and forecast our extreme winter storms fueled by what are known as atmospheric rivers. It can also help us better pinpoint and anticipate thunderstorms capable of producing flash flooding.” Weather forecasters in Southern California are moving from periodic updates of moisture content once every 30 minutes to continuous updates. Balloon launches, from four locations, occur only twice a day.

According to Bock, the technology improves earthquake early warning by analyzing the very first moments of an earthquake in real time to characterize the more violent shaking that will follow. It is possible to predict the arrival of slower-traveling seismic “S” (secondary) waves that cause the most intense shaking by detecting the initial arrival of seismic ‘P’ (primary) waves, which travel through Earth the fastest, at the upgraded GPS stations.

Depending on distance from the earthquake’s epicenter, the warning time can range between several seconds to as long as two minutes. Critical fault parameters, such as earthquake magnitude, can be rapidly and accurately determined to generate ground intensity maps throughout the affected region, and form the basis of tsunami warnings.

The scientists are planning to integrate the technology into earthquake and tsunami early warnings and structural monitoring for the San Diego County Office of Emergency Service. Other institutions are examining the applications of the technology as well, such as hospital monitoring and early warnings for UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest; monitoring of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Long Beach for Caltrans; and forecasts of storms and flooding for NOAA’s weather forecasting offices in San Diego and Los Angeles.

Geofencing to Unlock Vehicle Functions Detailed in New Apple Patent Application

As reported by MAC Rumors: In June, Apple filed a new patent application [PDF] with the European Patent Office describing a system using an in-car accessory with an iOS device to set up geofences to activate various vehicle functions as a user approaches a vehicle.

According to the 15-claim application, which specifically describes "Accessory control with geo-fencing", the accessory (which may or may not be built-in to the car itself) would transmit a signal to a linked mobile device, allowing the device to monitor the location of a vehicle. When the mobile device (and the user) are close enough to the car, the mobile device would transmit a second signal to the accessory within the car, allowing it to trigger functions like door unlocking, defrosting, heating, trunk opening, seat warming, and more. 

The first signal can identify a current or future location of the vehicle. The mobile phone can generate one or more virtual geofences based at least in part on the location of the vehicle as determined from the first signal. For example, a geofence can be defined as a circular boundary centered on the vehicle's location, the radius being equal to a pre-defined distance. The mobile phone can repeatedly estimate its own location.

Upon detecting that the mobile phone has crossed a geofence (e.g., generally or in a particular direction), the mobile phone can generate and transmit a second signal to the vehicle. The accessory can control or coordinate control of one or more vehicle functions in response to receipt of the second signal.

Apple notes that geofences can be made in shapes that parallel vehicle components for very specific in-app functions. For example, a geofence could be tied specifically to a trunk or a door, with the mobile device able to identify the absolute-location boundaries of each individual geofence. With such accurate geofencing, a car's trunk could be opened as a user approaches, for groceries or bags to be put away, while the car doors stay locked until later approached. 

Geofences can also function on time, with features like a car's heating system able to be activated when a mobile device estimates that an owner is "five minutes away and approaching the vehicle."

Like Apple's iBeacons, which are designed to transmit specific location information to mobile devices, Apple's vehicle accessory system would potentially send signals over Bluetooth LE to activate various functions within the car. Apple suggests Wi-Fi and cellular hardware could also be included in order for the accessory to communicate with mobile devices when owners are located far from their cars.

Along with serving as a possible expansion of the use of Apple's iBeacon technology, the geofencing system described in the patent could also be a future expansion of Apple's iOS in the Car initiative, which is designed to provide enhanced iOS integration in automobiles.

The first hints of iOS in the Car have been bundled into the new 2014 Honda Civic, allowing users to access HondaLink apps for iOS to connect to an iPhone 5 or later. Apple's ultimate goal for iOS in the Car is far more advanced, however, with iOS built-in to in-dash systems.

The patent, which was filed in June and published in November, lists former Apple employee Sylvain Louboutin as an inventor.

Street View-style Imagery Lets Mobile Devices Locate Themselves Indoors As Accurately as GPS

As reported by MIT Technology Review: Smartphones locate themselves outdoors using a GPS sensor, but those signals are typically blocked indoors. A new technique uses a device’s camera to get an indoor location fix to an accuracy of within a meter. The technique could enable new kinds of apps, and may be particularly valuable for wearable computers such as Google Glass.

The new location-fixing method is being developed at the University California, Berkeley. It uses a photo from a device’s camera to work out the location and orientation of the device. It does this by matching the photo against a database of panoramic imagery of a building’s interior, similar to the outside views offered by Google’s Street View. The system can deduce the device’s location because it knows the position of every image in that database.

The researchers used a special backpack that captures Street View-style imagery indoors as the wearer carries it around. It has two fisheye cameras, laser scanners, and other sensors. Software uses the data collected to generate a map of the building’s interior, a stitched-together set of panoramas, and a database of individual images that can be used for location lookups.

“You can provide that blue dot you see on a mobile map when out-of-doors for interiors,” says Avideh Zakhor, who leads the Berkeley group developing the system. Zakhor previously sold a 3-D city mapping company to Google that became a major part of the company’s Google Earth 3-D virtual globe.

Zakhor and colleagues have tested their system in buildings on the Berkeley campus and in a mall in Fremont, California. In tests at the mall, they successfully matched more than 96 percent of images taken by a smartphone’s camera against the database of images. When the matches were turned into location fixes, most came out with an error of less than a meter from the device’s true location.

Zakhor says her approach compares favorably with competing methods of determining location indoors in terms of accuracy and the cost of deployment. Alternative methods include using Bluetooth “beacons” or fingerprinting the pattern of Wi-Fi signals inside a building.

Jonathan Ventura, senior researcher at Graz University of Technology, Austria, agrees. “The major advantage of image-based localization is that it works almost everywhere and doesn't require changing the environment in any way,” he says.

Zakhor’s group isn’t the only one capturing such data: Google has begun taking its Street View product inside and announced last month that it had documented the interiors of 16 airports and over 50 train stations.

Ventura’s own research focuses on augmented reality. He says that if devices can be located very accurately it will allow for virtual and real worlds to be closely aligned. “If we want to render a rich and complex virtual world into a high-resolution image,” he says, “we need to have much more accurate positioning than a consumer GPS receiver can deliver.”

Zakhor is planning tests of her method on computerized glasses, with the intention of having the devices use snapshots to track their location, making it possible to provide a map of an interior space in a person’s field of vision. The Berkeley research group is also working on using data from Wi-Fi signals collected by their backpack to provide a secondary method of deducing a device’s indoor location.

New Trucking Regulations to Shrink Capacity, Spur Rate Increase, Economist Says

As reported by Overdrive: Trucking faces the largest concentration of regulatory changes in its history beginning next year, economist Eric Starks, President of research firm FTR, said Wednesday.

The changes include CARB trailer regulations, hours of service changes, new greenhouse gas/mpg regulations, as well as potential mandatory electronic onboard recorder and speed limiter requirements.

The regulatory bottleneck heading toward the trucking industry in 2014 — and partly already in effect, headlined by the hours-of-service rule changes that went into effect July 1 — will further shrink the driver pool and the industry’s capacity and could lead to a 6 percent increase in truckload rates by the second quarter of 2014, said Mr. Starks. 

Starks spoke at CCJ‘s Fall Symposium in Scottsdale, Ariz., this week, where he told an audience of fleet executives that some estimates show that fleets will need to hire an additional 1.5 million drivers to maintain current productivity levels, due to regulatory changes that loom. 

He pointed to tightening emissions regulations in California, federal greenhouse gas and mpg regulations, electronic logging device mandate, speed limiter requirements and the already-underway hours-of-service changes as a concentration of regulations that will be what he called “game-changers” for the industry.

Starks said his estimates show that fleets will need 150,000 to 200,000 additional drivers to maintain current productivity in the coming years, and the regulations will create a tough environment for smaller fleets and create barriers for newcomers to the industry. 

The 6 percent increase in truckload rates “is a good number,” Starks said,” but not as dramatic as the initial data suggests” due to a rate drop this summer. 

GPS Farming App Goes Global

As reported by Ag Professional: A new precision crop management tool for mobile devices was introduced by AgDNA. 

Since AgDNA was launched by founder Paul Turner less than six months ago, the cloud-based program has registered users in more than 80 countries with six million acres of farmland boundary mapped.

The growth rate of one million acres a month is set to accelerate with the launch of a version for Android smartphones and tablets to complement the original system developed for iPhone and iPad.

To help build international penetration, AgDNA was showcased at the world’s biggest farm machinery show, Agritechnica, which attracted more than 450,000 visitors to Hanover in Germany in November.

“Our mobile farming platform has excited a lot of interest and feedback in the European farming community,” Turner said.

The intuitive software is a free download from the AppStore or Google Play and can be used for a number of applications each month at no charge.  Inexpensive subscription plans are available for larger farms and power users.

Turner said the technology had unique features, including the ability to track machinery operating in the field in real time using the mobile device’s GPS, linking multiple users to a single account and displaying season activities for each field.

“It allows farmers to make full use of the ever increasing amount of electronic data being generated in modern agricultural systems.

“It brings all this data together in a usable form to help the farm business run more smoothly,” said Turner, who has an extensive background in precision farming and was a pioneer in the development of GPS auto-steering technology in Australia and the USA.

New data only needs to be entered into the AgDNA system once and if there is no internet connection it automatically uploads when the device comes back into range.

“The program can be accessed by multiple operators, including work groups in the field, agronomists and advisers, in packing sheds and processing facilities.

“This makes for easy planning and coordination of farming activities,” Turner said.

Once the field boundaries on a property have been mapped or imported other information such as soil profiles, irrigation and fertilizer applications can be overlaid to provide a complete picture.

Weather data can also be added to build a detailed history of how individual crops have performed across the seasons.

“We are working closely with machinery manufacturers so that electronic data being generated on crop yields or fertilizer application or spray rates can be readily up loaded to the AgDNA program.

“A lot of this technology is now invisible. The capability is built into the machinery and it is just a matter of collating it all into a format that the farmer can use to help in their decision making.

“AgDNA is an extremely powerful farm management tool when all the data comes together. Information that might otherwise take months to assemble can be captured as it is generated,” Turner said.

All the data is stored in a secure account on the Internet where it can’t be lost or corrupted, with access password protected.

“When it comes to meeting external demands such as quality assurance or product traceability, all the information needed about the history of a particular crop can be extracted with ease.”
“We are continuing to work closely with farmers, agronomists, retailers and service providers to increase the information gathering potential of AgDNA as more and more electronic data is generated.”

“The potential productivity gains, improved yields and timely access to critical farm data using mobile devices and connected data services is huge.

“AgDNA is quickly being recognized as an industry leader in this space and we are committed to helping growers around the world to access their farm data wherever and whenever they want,” Turner said.

An Alternative to the iBeacon; Qualcomm Has Low-Cost Gimbal Proximity Beacons

Apple's iBeacon isn't the only game in town when it comes to
Bluetooth Smart Proximity devices for retailers.  Qualcomm's
Gimbal proximity sensor is now available, supporting IOS today
and Android in the future.  Get ready for a Hyper-personal in-store
shopping experience.

As reported by GigaOM: Apple’s iBeacon is already tracking where you are in Apple Stores in order to present a more personalized experience.

It’s not the only game in town though. Qualcomm’s Gimbal Proxmity Beacons are now available for as low as $5 in quantity, the company announced on Monday. Currently a favorite vendor for chips in smartphones, Qualcomm’s Gimbal represents another product to keep the company powering mobile devices, smartwatches and just about any other Internet of Things connected gadget.

There are actually two Gimbal sensors now available: The small Series 10, measuring 28 x 40 x 5.6 millimeter and the larger Series 20 that takes up a 95 x 102 x 24 millimeter footprint. Both use low-energy Bluetooth Smart technology for detailed micro-location data; accurate within a foot. The idea is that retailers can add the Gimbal sensors throughout a brick-and-mortar store to see where customers are. That data provides the opportunity for a hyper-personal shopping experinece, says Qualcomm:

“Use of the platform enables brands to increase sales and drive loyalty by delivering highly relevant communications while those consumers are physically present in their stores and venues. Brands using the Gimbal platform can send customized communications based on interest derived from geofence triggers and proximity triggers, all matched to inferred interests.“

The concept is exactly what Apple is trying to do in its stores — as is Macy’s, which has installed Apple’s iBeacon in some locations. With accurate in-store location data of customers, retailers know what section of the store potential buyers are in. It can then tailor ads, product information, even limited in-store product specials, to the most likely buyers of such products.

The use of Bluetooth makes far more sense than other alternatives: NFC generally requires a customer action, such as tapping a phone to a tag, while GPS is pure overkill and not likely as accurate in some indoor locations. Before Bluetooth Smart, the Bluetooth wireless technology simply lacked either the range or used too much power to effectively be a detailed proximity location tool.

Qualcomm’s Gimbal product, which combines “physical location, activity, time and personal interests” currently supports iOS devices for now but the company says Android support is planned. This past January, I got a demo of how Gimbal can be used in other unique ways, such as the launch of a new Star Trek movie. Qualcomm can’t beam you up just yet, but it can provide computers with your exact location.

Germany’s DHL Test Delivers Medicine by Drone

As reported by GigaOM: Germany’s postal service has completed its first drone-based package delivery, successfully using a “Paketkopter” to carry a pack of medicine from a Bonn pharmacy to the Deutsche Post (DHL) headquarters a kilometer away.

When Amazon announced its own drone delivery plans just over a week ago, DHL was quick to say that it too was already developing a similar scheme. Monday’s maiden flight proves this to be true. However, Germany’s airspace rules remain unclear on drones, and this flight required a special permit.

According to Deutsche Welle, DHL currently has no plans to actually launch drone-based deliveries. This was just a trial to check the technological feasibility of the idea.

In that case, medicine was a great choice. It’s light, which is handy as drones aren't very strong. It’s also something that could plausibly merit very urgent delivery — delivering stuff via drone only makes economic sense when time is of the essence, due to fuel costs and the fact that drones will probably only be able to carry one package at a time.

Benefits of Fleet Tracking

As reported by Business2Community: Fleet tracking is the simple tracking of vehicles through a GPS system. It has widely been proven to assist businesses in fully enhancing the performance of their fleet. 

Typically, fleet managers have even been known to see a tremendous reduction in costs within just days of the installment of a GPS fleet tracking system. There is a wide range of top reasons to use vehicle tracking on your fleet.

Reduction in Fuel Costs

Fleet tracking assists businesses in making their vehicles much more efficient by reducing excess in speeding, idling, or unauthorized usage. With optimized routes, a business can greatly improve schedules and decrease the costs of fuel. Speeding and idling both waste fuel. However, with GPS tracking, alerts, and maps, it will easily show a fleet manager those employees who speed and where they are speeding.

Unnecessary wastes of fuel such as speeding and idling can be greatly reduced by regulating the total number of minutes that a driver is permitted to idle. This significantly decreases business costs due to fuel expenses. With fleet tracking, businesses are provided the unique opportunity to even notify drivers with alerts instantly.

By determining when your company’s vehicles are being used for non-business purposes, you can substantially improve the efficiency of your fleet. The vast majority of these fleet tracking systems also offer the capability to set customized hours that your vehicles can be utilized. This will effectively track improper use of company vehicles and report the data back to you.

With the benefits of a fleet tracking system, you also will receive the chance to completely optimize every route. It will assist you in determining whether a trip has been wasteful as well as specific routing that can assign advanced routes to your vehicles. The proactive and intuitive technology is a must for the vehicles in your fleet.

Increase in Productivity

A fleet tracking system permits a business to enhance the dispatching process by ensuring that the proper driver is dispatched to every job. With the careful insight received, a dispatcher can easily and quickly identify the most efficient routes for specific drivers. During particular weather conditions, this can be a major necessity for your drivers by giving your dispatch team the ability to reroute a driver or a fleet instantly.

Reduction of Labor Costs

Without the worries of time sheets, you no longer need to deal with punch card disputes. Your drivers are reported at the start of their shift, along with the stops made and time of completion. By monitoring your fleet, you will cut out those workers who may be finding less productive ways to pass company time. This will greatly improve your labor costs as well as the life and efficiency of your vehicle or fleet.

Improvement in Safety

Improved navigation can easily enhance the safety of your drivers and your fleet by keeping drivers on track with directions. The fleet tracking systems also offer ways to safely communicate with your drivers. Aside from safety in navigation and location, by improving simple tasks such as recorded maintenance needs, you will prevent potentially treacherous situations that unreliable vehicles can cause.

Apple to Locate Shoppers Within Its Stores Using iBeacon Technology

As reported by Fox News: GPS will tell you how to get to the nearest Apple store. With iBeacon, Apple hopes to guide you around once you're inside, whether it's to pick up an order, upgrade to a new iPhone or shop for a pair of headphones.

On Friday, Apple will begin using the technology at its 254 U.S. stores to send you messages about products, events and other information -- tailored to where you are inside, provided you have downloaded the Apple Store app and have given Apple permission to track you.

Using the iBeacon feature, the app will notify you if the computer you ordered is ready to be picked up, for example. Show a clerk your screen with the order number, and the clerk will get it for you. Walking by an iPhone table? You may get a message asking if you want to upgrade, check your upgrade availability and see if you can get money for trading in your old phone.

The company demonstrated the technology to The Associated Press this week at its busy, 24-hour Fifth Avenue store in New York City. At this particular store, Apple has installed about 20 iBeacon transmitters, some of which are simply iPhones and iPads, which come with the capability as part of the iOS 7 mobile software released in September. The transmitters use Bluetooth wireless technology to sense your exact location. That's not possible with GPS, which don't work well indoors and aren't good at distinguishing between locations that are just a few feet apart.

The beacons can be adjusted to specific distances, so you may get some notifications regardless of where you are inside. Others will come only when you are standing at a particular aisle, wall or product demo table. The store can also send out notifications about deals or upcoming events.

The implications go beyond Apple stores. One day, commuters might get information on subway delays as they stand on the platform, while museum visitors might get details on the painting they are standing in front of. Other retailers, of course, will be also able to offer special deals or track which aisle shoppers spend the most time at.

In-store location technology does raise privacy concerns, though many shoppers have shown a willingness to be tracked if there's something in it for them.

Major League Baseball already plans to use the technology next year to customize fans' experiences at its ballparks, provided they download the At The Ballpark app to their iPhones or iPads and have iOS 7 installed. In a demo earlier this year, MLB officials showed how the app can offer special features based on users' location in a stadium, such as coupons in the souvenir shop or a video that plays near landmarks.

Apple is not the first to offer in-store location technology. An app called Shopkick, for example, sends users discounts when they enter Macy's, J.C. Penney and other stores. But Apple's entry into micro-location puts the nascent technology into the hands of thousands of developers and broadens its reach considerably.

Apple said iBeacon provides apps with "a whole new level of micro-location awareness, such as trail markers in a park, exhibits in a museum, or product displays in stores."

To take advantage of this, make sure you have Bluetooth enabled on your phone and download the Apple Store app. You'll have to agree to let Apple track your location and to receive notifications while in the store. It'll only work if you say yes to both as you set up the app.

The app will automatically switch to "in-store mode" once you enter. Even without iBeacon, the app already lets you scan and pay for some items using your phone, get customer service help and reserve products.
Location tracking does raise privacy worries. After all, shoppers may not want their every move watched and recorded inside a store. Apple, however, said that it does not collect information about shoppers inside its stores. But other companies using iBeacon could, as long as people who download their apps agree to be tracked.

Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the various ways that retailers track shoppers, whether it's their location, purchase history or how often they visit a store. But consumers often agree to be tracked in exchange for discounts.

‘Brightest Flashlight’ App Shared Users’ Location, Device ID Without Consumers’ Knowledge

Android Flashlight app developer settles FTC charges it
deceived consumers.

From the Federal Trade Commission: The creator of one of the most popular apps for Android mobile devices has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the free app, which allows a device to be used as a flashlight, deceived consumers about how their geolocation information would be shared with advertising networks and other third parties.

Goldenshores Technologies, LLC, managed by Erik M. Geidl, is the company behind the “Brightest Flashlight Free” app, which has been downloaded tens of millions of times by users of the Android operating system. The FTC’s complaint alleges that the company’s privacy policy deceptively failed to disclose that the app transmitted users’ precise location and unique device identifier to third parties, including advertising networks. In addition, the complaint alleges that the company deceived consumers by presenting them with an option to not share their information, even though it was shared automatically rendering the option meaningless.

“When consumers are given a real, informed choice, they can decide for themselves whether the benefit of a service is worth the information they must share to use it,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “But this flashlight app left them in the dark about how their information was going to be used.”

 In its complaint, the FTC alleges that Goldenshores’ privacy policy told consumers that any information collected by the Brightest Flashlight app would be used by the company, and listed some categories of information that it might collect. The policy, however, did not mention that the information would also be sent to third parties, such as advertising networks.

Consumers also were presented with a false choice when they downloaded the app, according to the complaint. Upon first opening the app, they were shown the company’s End User License Agreement, which included information on data collection. At the bottom of the license agreement, consumers could click to “Accept” or “Refuse” the terms of the agreement. Even before a consumer had a chance to accept those terms, though, the application was already collecting and sending information to third parties – including location and the unique device identifier.

The settlement with the FTC prohibits the defendants from misrepresenting how consumers’ information is collected and shared and how much control consumers have over the way their information is used. The settlement also requires the defendants to provide a just-in-time disclosure that fully informs consumers when, how, and why their geolocation information is being collected, used and shared, and requires defendants to obtain consumers’ affirmative express consent before doing so.

The defendants also will be required to delete any personal information collected from consumers through the Brightest Flashlight app.

Foursquare 7.0 Brings Passive Location Technology to All

As reported by GigaOM: After months of running a beta to a handful of users, the newer, “smarter” Foursquare is now available to the masses. Foursquare 7.0, released today, will bring passive location push notifications to all of its users, recommending locations nearby, according to TechCrunch.

The new version of the app, available for iOS and Android, comes along with a sleek redesign and small performance boosts. According to the company, the new alerts are designed to create the right balance between performance and battery life, as recommendations are useless if they constantly drain the phone of power. Interestingly, Foursquare 7.0 does not use any background app features — notorious iPhone battery-killers that, in providing up-to-the-minute changes in information, ultimately end up draining the battery even when the app is not in use.

It’s clear that Foursquare is making an earnest effort to make unobtrusive, sustainable, and informative passive location alert technology, but that’s a tall order. A large portion of what makes passive alerts useless is that for many users, it’s just not feasible to expect a phone to constantly fetch GPS or location data. The sheer limitation on technology might be to Foursquare’s ultimate detriment, as it has plenty riding on this deal (including $41 million in debt financing), but executing a great passive location app could solve the service’s great problem: being essential to its users.

The NSA Is Gathering 5 Billion Records On Global Cellphone Locations Every Day

As reported by Business Insider:  The National Security Agency collects nearly 5 billion records on the locations of cellphones worldwide, including within the U.S., Barton Gellman and Ashkan Soltani of The Washington Post report.  

Much like the agency's PRISM program, the GPS program collects a substantial amount of Americans’ data “incidentally."

The Post, drawing on documents form Edward Snowden and interviews with intelligence officials, reports that NSA analysts "can find cellphones anywhere in the world, retrace their movements and expose hidden relationships among individuals using them."

The ability to retrace someone's movements provides an astonishing ability to map that person's entire life, as seen by the metadata published by German politician Malte Spitz.

One senior collection manager told The Post that the agency is “getting vast volumes” of location data from around the world by tapping into the cables that connect mobile networks globally.

U.S. officials insisted to the Post that the location data programs are lawful and only used for intelligence on foreign targets. The number of Americans whose locations are tracked is unclear Snowden documents alone, the Post notes, and senior intelligence officials declined to offer an estimate.

The NSA collects locations in bulk and then uses powerful analytic tools — known collectively as CO-TRAVELER — to "map cellphone owners’ relationships by correlating their patterns of movement over time with thousands or millions of other phone users who cross their paths," according to the Post.

The result is astonishing, since the agency can then track the metadata of a target while also seeing the general public and "co-travelers," or those who may be associates with the target.

The issue for privacy advocates and concerned citizens, ACLU technologist Chris Soghoian explained to the Post, is that “the only way to hide your location is to disconnect from our modern communication system and live in a cave.”

Furthermore, the Obama administration has argued in court that Americans have no Fourth Amendment right to privacy when it comes to GPS location data.

Stolen Truck in Mexico with Radioactive Material had Inactive GPS Locator

As reported by CBS News: A cargo truck hauling extremely dangerous radioactive material from used medical equipment was stolen from a gas station in central Mexico, and authorities sent out an alert in six central states and the capital to find it, Mexican officials said Wednesday.

The truck was carrying a metal container of cobalt-60 headed to a nuclear waste facility in the state of Mexico, said Juan Eibenschutz,  director general of the National Commission of Nuclear Safety and Safeguards.  Though the container is heavily sealed in lead, designed to be difficult to break and to survive accidents intact, he said it contains an amount of radioactive material that could do serious damage if opened.

Direct exposure would result in death within a few minutes, he added.

"This is a radioactive source that is very strong," Eibenschutz told The Associated Press on Wednesday, adding that it can be almost immediately fatal, depending on proximity. "The intensity is very big if it is broken."

Eibenschutz didn't know the exact weight, but that it was the largest amount stolen in recent memory, and the intensity of the material caused the alert. Local, state and federal authorities, including the military, are searching for the truck.

The material was used for obsolete radiation therapy equipment that is being replaced throughout Mexico's public health system. It was coming from the general hospital in the northern border city of Tijuana, Eibenshutz said.  The thieves most likely wanted the white 2007 Volkswagen cargo vehicle with a moveable platform and crane.

Eibenschutz said there is nothing so far to indicate that the theft of the material was intentional or in any way intended for an act of terrorism.

The thieves likely didn't know what the truck was carrying, he said, and may have discarded the metal container, which he said is about a meter square.

"If someone finds a big chunk of metal with radiation symbols all over it, they should notify us immediately and don't open it," Eibenschutz said.

The truck marked "Transportes Ortiz" left Tijuana on Nov. 28 and was headed to the storage facility when it stopped to rest at a gas station in Tepojaco, in Hidalgo state north of Mexico City, driver Valentin Escamilla Ortiz told authorities.

He said he was sleeping in the truck when two men armed with a gun approached about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. They made him get out, tied his hands and feet and left him in a vacant lot nearby.

When he was able to free himself, he ran back to the gas station to get help.

The truck has a GPS locator but it wasn't active at the time of the theft, Eibenschutz said.

Mexican customs officials are on alert, Eibenschutz said, to prevent the truck from crossing the border. He said the material could not be used to make a nuclear bomb, but could be used in a dirty bomb, a conventional explosive that disseminates radioactive material.

All of the U.S. ports of entry have radiation detectors in place, and trucks crossing the border are routinely screened for radiation.

There are an average of a half-dozen reported thefts of radioactive material in Mexico each year, Eibenschutz said, and none have proven to be intentional, meaning the thieves were not after the material. He said in all cases so far, they were after the containers or vehicles.

Such unintentional thefts are not uncommon, said an official familiar with cases reported by International Atomic Energy Agency member states, who was not authorized to comment on the case. In some cases, radioactive sources have ended up being sold as scrap, causing serious harm to people who unknowingly come into contact with it.

In a famous case in the 1970s of stolen radioactive material in Mexico, one thief died and the other was injured when they opened the container, he said. The container was junked and sold to a foundry, where it contaminated some of the steel reinforcement bar that was made there. Eibenschutz said all foundries in Mexico now have equipment to detect radioactive material.