Garmin has announced the availability of the Garmin LBS Toolkit, a flexible location-based service platform that can serve as the engine behind third party LBS applications. It incorporates Garmin's navigation API, local search, real-time content delivery services, and mobile advertising delivery services, into one powerful platform. www.garmin.com

Cingular Wireless has become the first wireless carrier in the U.S. to introduce a wireless navigation system with 3D maps and "fuzzy search" when it launched an enhanced version of TeleNav GPS Navigator on the Nokia E62 device. Using this system, customers will receive turn-by-turn directions while driving and view colorful 3D moving maps on the device's screen.
http://cingular.mediaroom.com

Royal Philips Electronics, Medical Systems division launches 'Philips Asset Tracking Solution', a turnkey solution used for locating hospital assets and improving efficiencies. Using Wi-Fi based technology from AeroScout, the system has been designed around hospitals' existing 802.11 wireless infrastructure.
www.usingrfid.com

Destiny Wireless, U.K, introduces a location-aware DP&P service that can locate mobile workers when they have completed a task or job and automatically navigate them to their next job. Using a handheld device with GPS receiver and SATNAV, mobile workers are able to receive jobs within their geographical remit and effectively plan their route to client-site. On arrival, they can perform their jobs and enter details using their digital pen and paper, enabled by Anoto Functionality. www.destinywireless.co.uk

Motorola's M710 helps enable LBS via integrated AGPS, such as personal and business navigation solutions and fleet management applications. Such applications include optimised routing, traffic advisories, weather updates and roadside assistance. Also available are Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and Java programming capabilities that help allow fleet management dispatchers to communicate specific operational needs. www.motorola.com

eRide Inc., Satellite Navigation Technology, and Wavecom S.A., Paris, announces their collaboration that brings a new generation of location and navigation capabilities to mobile applications.
home.businesswire.com

A team of transportation researchers in New York will be testing an array of wireless, solar-powered readers to monitor traffic flow. The units will be deployed to collect traffic data during the morning commute on busy Capital Region roads. The portable units, which are based on the same technology as E-ZPass tag readers, could eventually be used to provide valuable data for a variety of applications, from decreasing congestion in work zones to assisting emergency evacuations.
www.eurekalert.org

British police officers, Italian fire fighters and Greek taxi drivers are amongst the many users testing innovative LBS under the LIAISON project. The results could mark a coming of age for converging communications and positioning technologies. LIAISON is one of the largest current initiatives to develop and implement a new generation of LBS for the professional market. The project approach, based on what is called 'enhanced assisted GPS', is designed to improve the speed, accuracy and reliability of existing GPS systems, allowing a whole new range of time, cost and life-saving services to be developed. Some applications are likely to be on the market before the project ends in April 2008.
www.innovations-report.de

Berg Insight research report forecasts that 60 percent of WCDMA handset shipped worldwide will have integrated GPS/Galileo receivers by 2010. GPS is already a standard feature in CDMA handsets for the US market. Recently similar requirements were also announced in Japan, prompting NTT Docomo to introduce GPS on all 3G terminals from 2007. www.berginsight.com

A service starting next month could help Parisian drivers locate a nearby parking spot using a cellphone or GPS navigation device. The system will monitor about 120 garages across Paris.
www.taipeitimes.com