La Tribune reported that Michelin subsidiary ViaMichelin has stop making GPS navigation devices when it was under pressure in the Europe market which is mostly dominated by Netherland’s TomTom. 60 of ViaMichelin’s 170 employees are affected by the decision, the paper reported.

ViaMichelin, which has 14 percent of the French market, has not been building a GPS brand that did resonate with consumers. Being strong in the auto market was not good enough. Perhaps Michelin is better in selling in tires but not GPS devices.

From: Trading Markets

CTi has just announced a new GPS antenna. What is so special about?, you may ask. This antenna is an innovative design to operate at wide voltage range of 1.8 DC to 6VDC. The GPS-UNI is widely regarded as the first to operate at such low voltage. Similar products offered by other companies operate at 3.3 V at least.

The main use for this device will be for vehicle tracking. Its low voltage consumption means prolonged battery life which leads to longer operation time, extending time available to recover stolen vehicles. This unit is compatible with any 1575.42 MHZ GPS receiver capable of supplying the low voltage needed for this device. As all standard GPS-UNI antenna, this device come equipped with a 3 meters RG174 cable, terminated with an SMA make RF connector. The antenna is enclosed in a robust ABS enclosure protecting it from the harsh environment of everyday life.

• From electropages.

USA is the only country in the world that has a fully functional GPS system for itself. It has been with them since the 1960s. It started as a military project but it was open for civilian usage in 1993 at no cost at all. President Ronald Reagan makes the suggestion after a Korean civil aircraft strayed into Russian airspace and was shot down. It has proved itself beneficial especially to the military as it plays its role to great effect in the Gulf wars.

Other powers are keen to launched their own GPS system with the European Commission and European Space Agency launching a similar technology they called Galileo Project. The project is expected to be fully operational by 2011. Russia has also come along with their own system called GLONASS. It has been there since 1982 but now they have decided to revive it. China also has come into the picture with their recent boom with a system they will call Compass. If all goes well, it will be the end of US monopoly in the GPS segment.

• From Newsnow.

A very good day to you. My name is Colbert Low and I will be your new Editor for GPS Gadgets. I will be reviewing new GPS devices, accessories and breaking a few too on the way. So keep tuned and thanks for stopping by.

GPS is a hot market right now. An incredible amount of devices with GPS integration are being released every day: mobile phones, cameras, GPS navigators,… We would like to keep track of all of them, but we need your help.

We are searching for one or two bloggers who can write about news in the GPS area. If you are interested in these kind of devices and can write in English, please apply for this position. This is a remunerated job, so you can even win some money while writing about something you like.

If you feel you are qualified for this please use the contact form in the about page.