The restrictions on precise satellite definition of on-land coordinates will be lifted by yearend, a senior military official said. Lieutenant-General Valery Filatov said the location of geographical objects at accuracy of up to 30 meters would be available for civilian use from the Russian GLONASS satellite system and the US GPS.
www.spacedaily.com

US state Oregon is investigating a new method of assessing taxes used to bankroll state highways. Instead of collecting money via gasoline taxes, Oregon is testing a GPS-based system, which levels taxes based upon miles driven. By switching to such a system, the state would not lose revenue with every resident that purchases a more fuel-efficient vehicle. The ‘black box’ system keeps tabs on how many miles are racked up both in and out of Oregon’s borders, as well as during rush hour, and levies taxes on the totals accrued. As things stand, Oregon derives some 80-percent of its highway funding from its 24-cent-per-gallon tax, thus the move towards more fuelefficient vehicles stands to negatively impact the state’s coffers by millions of dollars.
http://sports.autoblog.com

Mainland China and Taiwan are expected to manufacture a combined US$3.3 billion worth of GPS products in 2006—an increase of 20 percent. 80 percent of production is expected to be exported. China Sourcing Report provides production; technology, price and component supply forecasts for the GPS industry in both the countries. It features detailed profiles of 32 leading manufacturers compiled through factory visits, plus specifications for 112 popular export products.
www.pr.com

Archeologists in China are launching a new round of investigations to determine the number of sites of historical interest and to protect them better. They will be using technologies such as GPS, aerial photography, remote sensing, digital cameras and computers to survey sites of historical interest across the country. The investigation is an important step towards securing the country’s cultural safety. www.shanghaidaily.com

Indore City Transport Service (ICTSL) will soon introduce the GPS for an online bus tracking system (OBTS) to offer better facilities to commuters in this Indian city. ICTSL held a prebid conference for the project. It is planning a control room for OBTS, and every bus would have a GPS-based tracking device installed with online data transfer facility. Initially it will flash the estimated time of arrival at 50 bus stops. www.business-standard.com

The Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Department, India, has opted for GPS to monitor the endangered red deer or the Kashmir stag. In collaboration with the Dehradun based Wildlife institute, the department has procured 8 GPS collars from Germany.
www.indianexpress.com

As many as 56,000 schools in Tamil Nadu, India will be mapped with the help of GPS to facilitate future decisions on upgrading the schools or giving funds. The data will contain details on the number of schools, students in each school, number of teachers and the student-teacher ratio in each hamlet. The project has been launched by the state’s Madurai Kamaraj University and the Bharatidasan University in collaboration with the government programme ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ (SSA), education for all.
www.newkerala.com

Micro Technologies in India launches a special software package in Ludhiana for truck and bus-fleet owners, called Micro VBB Marshal. The software identifies the location of vehicles and ensures the safety of passengers. Ludhiana has one of the largest fleet-owning communities in the country. As of now, the company has stocked the product with leading petrol pumps and prominent dealers in the city. This mobile phone and GIS-based vehicle location and tracking application security product with messaging system is available at an array of dealers in the city.
www.business-standard.com