Vodafone is to close its navigation business, Wayfinder, less than 18 months after acquiring the Swedish firm for US$30 million. Reuters notes that the offering could not compete with free services provided by Google and Nokia.
The new phone is expected to be popular in the developed and developing world alike and has been developed with urban environments, small towns, as well as rural areas in mind.
Sygic announces the compatibility of its Mobile Maps turn-by-turn navigation application with the new Nokia Maemo mobile phones.
The application will get ready for sale from Sygic web site e-shop by the end of 2009.
Layar, which has forged early leadership in the nascent but inspiring field of “augmented reality,” is about to finish raising a round of more than $1 million.
Destinator Application Available on Ovi Store in 2010 for Easy Purchase and Download to Symbian Devices
LBS activity seems to be growing in Europe. Nokia, along with its Navteq subsidiary, is leaning forward to introduce location-based social networking applications on Facebook. In another event, such companies as Navigon and Garmin are rolling out new connected personal navigation devices (PNDs) in Europe — even though many in the industry think that technology isn’t a moneymaker in North America.
Shipments of dedicated sport and fitness hardware such as Suunto GPS watches, Garmin cycling computers, and GPS golf rangefinders are suffering from the recession. But smartphone fitness applications such as MotionX-GPS are booming, with 1.2 million downloads in 2009. Continued application market growth will contribute to an annual growth rate of 34% through 2014, according to ABI Research.
ShoZu Ltd. announced the availability of its mobile application for download in the new OVI Store by Nokia, offering millions of Nokia device users around the world the option of two-way interactivity with a variety of social networking sites with just one click.
Nokia and cellity today announced an agreement for Nokia to acquire certain assets of cellity. cellity is a privately owned mobile software company which employs 14 people in Hamburg, Germany.
Vodafone is one of the largest mobile operators in the world, spread out in 25 countries under the Vodafone brand, and partnering with operators in 42 other nations. When they make a decision, it ripples through out the entire industry. Nokia purchased NAVTEQ for over $8 billion with the intention of becoming the world’s best, and largest, provider of maps. That may still be possible, but it isn’t going to be with the help of Vodafone.
