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Source: Middle East Maps
IWM co. digital mapping company announced a range of update and improvements for Iran GPS map. The new version of Iran GPS map releases with more cities and many improvements. (Read more)
IWM co. is the main digital mapping company in Iran which develop Iran Digital map for Garmin GPS and Navitel systems.
The new versions of Iran GPS map for Garmin and Navitel are available here.
To inform Iran GPS map users and customers, IWM co. sat up recently a daily map update blog (See here) with daily coverage of Iran GPS map updates, releases and improvements.
Iran GPS map news blog runs in both English and Persian.
If you want to add a new point to IWM Co. GPS Maps (Navitel and Garmin ) easily go to one of these links :
Blaupunkt’s new display system, ‘Dual View’ lets user to view two different images from the same screen, at the same time, depending upon the angle they view. This means the driver and the front passenger can see two distinct pictures when looking into the same display. It makes possible to see both entertainment programmes and sat nav navigator when viewed from passenger seat and driver seat respectively.
The model is been expected to be produced by next year and will be first introduced in high end car models like BMW 7 series.
In about three years the sat nav technology has gone through a drastic advancement so as the survey team, currently using the latest techno survey cars. Initially they used only a laptop computer and a small display screen as the main equipment for survey but now the whole setup has changed, the entire car is packed with technology with hardly enough room to get in.
The Survey Car
The exterior appearance of the car look quiet regular to other cars, holding a luggage box on the top. However once the lid of the car is removed, you can see an industrial GPS antenna and a perspex dome hiding in which when driving around the town, gains attention of the people. The dome contains an array of about 6 cameras that are video cameras which constantly capture images while the car is in motion. 
Out of 6 cameras, three are placed to the front, one on each side and one covering the right shoulder view. Altogether as the car is traveling, the video camera’s are positioned to cover all road, side roads and footpath.
The data put down from the camera is then integrated with the GPS signal while each frame of the video is Geo referenced. In case there is a mismatch among map data, the image is reference in order to obtain precise information. GPS is the main instrument for the survey which need to have great industrial strength since it is a crucial system. The antenna works fine for ground but in case of tunnel mapping, Gyros and motion sensors are used as back up by the GPS.
The car has got all necessary equipments, a network and docking station for a laptop, a wireless connection between keyboard and mouse and a microphone which is suspended from the roof to allow the surveying person to report what he is seeing. A simple keyboard, touch screen display and trackball controls all these equipments.
The Survey Car On The Road
As the car moves around the road, the video cameras starts capturing the features of the route while the analyst starts dropping icon, describing the POIs for GPS track is recording all these information. At office, the datas are downloaded and processed.
Processing Data In The Office
The video image and voice file is reference geographically with the GPS position. These info when loaded into the system provides number of POI on the map which could be later used to determine the current database.
A database is determined as the end result of the information which helps to generate maps that are been currently used in daily life in sat nav device.
Blom will continue to provide the oblique images both offline and online through the company’s own server BlomURBEX.
Garmin Nuvi 1690T Sat Nav System offers various facilities and functions that give more satisfactory experience. Its dimensions are 4.9 x 3.1 x .75 inches and weighs 6.2 ounces. It has a TFT screen with white backlight. The screen supports maximum resolution of 480 x 272 pixels. Touch screen interface offers more precise operation. It offers internal memory for storing all the maps. Furthermore storage space is facilitated with microSD card support. Basemap and Preloaded maps are included and you can even add your own maps in it. It is able to store 1000 Waypoints, favourites and important locations.
This Garmin satellite navigation device supports functions like Voice prompts, Lane assist, Auto sort multiple destinations, Auto re-route, Choice of route setup, Route avoidance, Bluetooth wireless technology, Garmin nLink Services, Speed limit indicator, Garmin Locate, ecoRoute, Qwerty, Custom POIs, Garmin Garage voices compatible, Photo navigation, World travel clock, currency & unit converter, calculator, Picture viewer and Garmin Lock. Bluetooth technology allows you hands-free calling. The device supports ‘Speaks street names facility’ which provides more information.
The Garmin Nuvi 1690T GPS System provides a rechargeable lithium-ion battery which delivers up to 4 hours battery life. It is highly compatible with Windows 2000 or later and Mac OS X 10.4 or later operating systems. Accessories included with the device are Preloaded City Navigator NT for Europe, Vehicle suction cup mount, Vehicle power cable, USB cable, Dashboard disc and Quick start manual. Free 1 year data subscription to Garmin nLink Services is offered by the company.
Starting from a small base of 690,000 units in 2008, total Android-powered shipments is said to reach 68 million units by 2013, making for a CAGR of 150.4%.
According to IDC Android will benefit from having a growing footprint of handset vendors supporting it and will finish second to Symbian in shipments by 2013.
GPS Maker Garmin announced today that it will begin offering an annual subscription service to download highly detailed aerial and satellite imagery to a number of its outdoor GPS handheld. Called “BirdsEye Satellite and Aerial Imagery”, the service, to be available in March 2010 in the United States, costs .99 per year and allows the user unlimited downloads for a single Garmin device.
This imagery can be displayed on Garmin’s high-end outdoor handheld Oregon, Dakota, and Colorado series. The quality of the imagery is 0.5 meter per pixel resolution in many areas of the United States. Users can also view imagery at every zoom level – from 12 miles to 20 feet. BirdsEye Satellite Imagery also lets users overlay vector maps, to get a better idea of terrain contours and points of interest. The data is collected by DigitalGlobe, a leading provider of high-resolution satellite imagery.
The European availability of this subscription has not been confirmed at this stage by Garmin.
In addition, Garmin has recently announced Custom Maps, a free utility that allows to transform paper and electronic maps into customized downloadable maps for Oregon, Dakota, or Colorado handhelds.
