NextNav’s FCC petition gettting flap from industry groups and companies…see our paid content for more information (NextNav image).
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Top News:
😐 Israel Set to Procure $6.75 Billion Worth of GPS-Guided Bombs from the US.
🌏 ESA Advances Optical Technology for Next-Generation Navigation. “The European Space Agency (ESA) is taking a significant step towards integrating optical technology into PNT systems. To advance this effort, ESA has entered into a contract with a European industry consortium to conduct a definition study (Phase A/B1) and initiate critical technology predevelopment.”
👍 Zephr.xyz Awarded $1.7 Million Air Force Contract to Enhance Battlefield Situational Awareness. “Zephr.xyz has been awarded a $1.74 million Small Business Innovation Research Direct-to-Phase II contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory to provide real-time detection of GPS/GNSS jamming and spoofing in contested domains while geolocating the sources of these attacks.”
👉 Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need GPS. “MIT‘s MiFly uses mmWave signals and a small tag to help drones navigate precisely in GPS-denied locations, like tunnels and urban canyons.”
🛰 SSTL’s DoT-1 Mission Completed. “One of the mission’s major technological achievements was the deployment of GNSS Reflectometry (GNSS-R), an advanced technique that repurposes GPS and Galileo signals to measure Earth’s surface properties. DoT-1’s GPS antennas captured reflected signals, allowing scientists to derive ocean wind speeds and other geophysical data.”
Drones:
🛩 Top 10 Drone Startups in USA.
👍 MIT Develops Indoor Navigation for Drones. “Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Michigan have developed an indoor navigation system for drones that works without computer vision or lidar. Instead, the scientists based their MiFly system on the evaluation of reflected radio waves.”
Expert nationwide installation services for fleet technologies.
Maps:
😕 This Google Maps ‘Safety’ Feature Could Actually Make Roads More Dangerous. “Google Maps now prompts drivers to confirm traffic incidents, but experts warn the urgent requests could lead to dangerous distractions on the road.”
🚗 Elitek Vehicle Services Announces Launch of ADAS Map.
🤞 Google Maps Tests New Weather-Related Incident Reports on App and Android Auto. “Google Maps is testing several new incident reports through its Android app and, by extension, on Android Auto. The new options are weather-related and include flooded road, low visibility and unplowed road.”
📲 Google Maps Updated With Even More Waze Features, Users Afraid a Merger Is Underway. ““Google Maps started importing police reports from Waze, which made people wonder if a merger of the two apps was again on the table.”
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Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
😮 Tesla Executives Confirm Robotaxi on Track for June. “At the Tesla Q4 2024 Earnings Call, we found out that Tesla TSLA -4.27%↓ now has a firm date and set location for the first deployment of its robotaxi fleet. Now, several of Tesla’s executives have re-iterated that deployment date and location in several different places.”
⚡ Smartcar Partners with BMW Group Europe to Deliver Enhanced Connected Mobility. “BMW vehicles in Europe will be available through the Smartcar platform, allowing developers and businesses across industries to connect their apps effortlessly.”
🤔 A Waymo Subscriber Program Could Be in the Works. “The Rideshare Guy’s Harry Campbell got ahold of a survey asking about a potential Waymo membership program, with potential perks such as cash back and discounts for future robotaxi rides. The monthly plans could cost between $9.99 to $29.99.”
📌 Intel’s Mobileye Plans a Third Path to Robotaxi, Unlike Tesla, Waymo. “Mobileye’s business is selling chips and software to automakers, and while it briefly flirted with a plan to run its own robotaxi business, it currently hopes to do that, under the name Mobileye Drive in partnership with automakers, such as VW commercial vehicles, Rimac’s Verne, and some Chinese vendors.”
👉 Bosch Acquires Roadside Protect to Support Mobility Service Business. “Bosch Service Solutions plans to further expand its mobility service business in the U.S. by acquiring Roadside Protect. Roadside Protect is a provider of towing and roadside administration services along with motor club products in North America to fleets, automotive manufacturers, aftermarket and insurance clients.”
Fleet Telematics: (Editor’s note: a lot of news from the Geotab Orlando Conference).
🚍 Webfleet Collaborates with Krone to Offer Seamless Trailer Telematics. “Webfleet, Bridgestone’s fleet management solution, is collaborating with Krone, a trailer manufacturer in Europe to offer an integrated telematics solution via its OEM.connect partner program.
🙂 Geotab: AI Will Expand Across Mexico and Chile. “In 2025, fleet management trends in two of the largest countries in Latin America, Mexico and Chile, will align on several key areas, including sustainability, AI adoption, and driver well-being initiatives. Both countries are expected to see a rise in the use of AI models designed to address customer challenges, along with significant strides towards electric fleets, particularly for last-mile deliveries. These priorities, as outlined in the Geotab Predictions for 2025 report, will shape fleet management strategies in both nations.
👌 REE Automotive Collaborates with Geotab to Provide Advanced Data Analytics to Fleets. “REE Automotive REE 0.78%↑ has announced a strategic collaboration with Geotab to integrate REEai Cloud with Geotab’s network, allowing fleet operators to monitor REE’s software-defined vehicles alongside other vehicles through Geotab’s GO platform.”
🚛 Jungo Launches VuDrive on the Geotab Marketplace. “Jungo has announced that VuDrive AI video telematics camera is now available on the Geotab Marketplace.”
🚚 CANGO Mobility and Systech Announce Partnership for Integrated Telematics and CANbus Data Solutions.
🌍 Targa Telematics Tops European Fleet Management Rankings. “According to the 19th edition of Berg Insight’s Fleet Management in Europe, Targa Telematics manages over 801,000 vehicles across the continent, widening the gap between its closest competitors — by more than 66,000 units from second place and 300,000 from third.”
🏅 Samsara Earns Frost & Sullivan’s North American Company of the Year Award. “Frost & Sullivan researched the commercial vehicle telematics industry and, based on its findings, recognizes Samsara IOT -2.06%↓ with the 2024 North American Company of the Year Award.”
Financial:
✔ Trimble Outlines $3 Billion ARR Target by 2027 With Strong Q4 2024 Performance. Trimble TRMB -2.09%↓ released a profit for its fourth quarter that increased from last year and beat the Street estimates. CEO Rob Painter highlighted that Trimble ended 2024 with strong performance, citing Q4 revenue of $983 million, ARR at $2.26 billion, and EPS at $0.89, all above midpoint guidance. The company’s earnings totaled $90.20 million, or 36 cents per share. This compares with $63 million, or 25 cents per share, last year.
✔ Garmin Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Results.
💲 AiDEN Auto Closes Oversubscribed Seed Round, Bringing Total Funding to $6.1 Million.
✔ Inseego Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results.
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