Delta 4 Poised to Launch with Next Generation GPS Satellite

Ken Kremer for NASA WATCH 21 May 2010, Kennedy Space Center

The launch of a Delta 4 rocket carrying the first in a new series of next generation GPS satellites has been rescheduled for Sunday night (May 23) at 11:17 PM EDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida after the countdown was halted barely 4 minutes prior to liftoff, shortly before midnight on Friday (May 21).

The last minute countdown scrub was called after loss of "the telemetry signal between the GPS and the satellite ground support equipment," according to a statement issued by the Air Force and United Launch Alliance (ULA).

Sunday's launch window runs from 11:17 to 11:35 PM EDT. The weather forecast predicts a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions.

May 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the Delta program. The first Thor-Delta launched on 13 May 1960.

"This will be the 349th Delta launch. Overall, the Delta family of expendable rockets has a 95.7% success rate. Delta 4 was a 100% success rate since starting 8 years ago," said Bill Cullin, the Delta Launch Director for ULA at Pad 37.

The GPS IIF-1 satellite is the first in an advanced series of 12 satellites funded by the US Air Force which will provide highly accurate, three dimensional position, navigation and timing information on a 24/7 basis in all weather conditions. The spacecraft serve both military and civilian purposes.

The 330 ft tall mobile launch gantry was retracted from around the rocket early Friday morning. Media including myself visited Launch Complex 37 shortly thereafter at noon for a photo op.

See my photo gallery below of the Delta 4 rocket poised at Pad 37.

Watch for my post launch report.

Delta 4 rocket poised to launch on May 23 at 11:17 PM EDT from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer

Close up of Delta rocket with 4 meter composite payload fairing surrounding GPS IIF-1 navigation satellite. Credit: Ken Kremer

Media visit on May 21 to Delta 4 rocket astride fixed umbilical tower, lightening towers and flame trench. Credit: Ken Kremer

The Delta 4 rocket sits atop flame trench. Nearly a million pounds of thrust will be exhausted through the ducts at liftoff towards photographers location. Credit: Ken Kremer

Launch Complex 37 with Delta 4 rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer

Mobile Service Tower at Complex 37 with swing arms open was retracted from Delta 4 rocket on the morning of May 21, 2010. Gantry sits atop flame trench. Credit: Ken Kremer

Ken Kremer on top of Launch Complex 37 with mighty 212 ft tall Delta 4 rocket which will fly in the Medium+ (4,2) configuration with two 65 ft long solid rocket motors. Credit: Ken Kremer

credit:www.spaceref.com

Air Force: Tests didn't include troubled GPS unit

DENVER —

The Air Force says it performed no advance testing on the specific type of military GPS receiver that had problems picking up locator signals after a change in ground-control software.

The Air Force said Monday that it performed tests on other equipment, but none of it contained the type of receiver that was unable to lock on to GPS:Global Positioning System satellites after the change.

The manufacturer of the receivers, Trimble Advanced and Military Systems, says it did run advance tests and found no problems.

An Air Force spokesman says its testers didn't have any samples of the affected receiver. He says the Air Force is now acquiring a more representative sample of GPS receivers that are in use.

The problem occurred in January, and the Air Force says it has been fixed.

Credit: The Associated Press

Darth Vader Offers His Voice For TomTom GPS Units

Ever wished your GPS gave you more entertaining voice commands while you were driving to your destination? Perhaps that voice could be your favorite character from your favorite movie? VoiceSkins.com -- who brought you celebrity voices from Homer Simpson of The Simpsons and rapper Snoop Dogg -- in partnership with TomTom GPS, Lucas Film and the Rebel Alliance, has released the official Star Wars voices.

The voice of android C-3PO is set to be released in July and Hans Solo's in August. Fans can already download Darth Vader's voice commands on the TomTom Web site for $12.95, while Star Wars-themed start-up screens, sounds and car icons are offered for free.


Below are some outtakes of the recording session with Darth Vader himself:

Darth Vader’s VoiceSkin is the first Star Wars GPS voice to be made available for download by users of TomTom GPS navigation systems.
Users can download Vader's voice for their units at VoiceSkins.com.

credit:
www.ballerstatus.com

Stem cells use GPS to generate proper nerve cells

An unknown function that regulates how stem cells produce different types of cells in different parts of the nervous system has been discovered by Stefan Thor, professor of Developmental Biology, and graduate students Daniel Karlsson and Magnus Baumgardt, at Linköping University in Sweden. The results improve our understanding of how stem cells work, which is crucial for our ability to use stem cells to treat and repair organs. The findings are publishing next week in the online, open-access journal PLoS Biology.

Stem cells are responsible for the creation of all cells in an organism during development. Previous research has shown that stem cells give rise to different types of cells in different parts of the nervous system. This process is partly regulated by the so-called Hox genes, which are active in various parts of the body and work to give each piece its unique regional identity - a kind of GPS system of the body. But how does a stem cell know that it is in a certain region? How does it read the body's "GPS" signals? And how is this information used to control the creation of specific nerve cells?

In order to address these issues, the LiU researchers studied a specific stem cell in the nervous system of the fruit fly. It is present in all segments of the nervous system, but it is only in the thorax, or chest region, that it produces a certain type of nerve cell. To investigate why this cell type is not created in the stomach or head region they manipulated the Hox genes' activity in the fly embryo.

It turned out that the Hox genes in the stomach region stop stem cells from splitting before the specific cells are produced. In contrast, the specific nerve cells are actually produced in the head region, but the Hox genes turn them into another, unknown, type of cell. Hox genes can thus exert their influence both on the genes that control stem cell division behaviour and on the genes that control the type of nerve cells that are created.
"We constantly find new regulating mechanisms, and it is probably more difficult than previously thought to routinely use stem cells in treating diseases and repairing organs, especially in the nervous system", says Thor.

Funding:This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council, by the Swedish Strategic Research Foundation, by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation, by the Swedish Brain Foundation, by the Swedish Cancer Foundation, and by the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences to ST. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing interests statement: The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
Citation: Karlsson D, Baumgardt M, Thor S (2010) Segment-Specific Neuronal Subtype Specification by the Integration of Anteroposterior and Temporal Cues. PLoS Biol 8(5): e1000368. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000368

PLEASE ADD THE LINK TO THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT: http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.1000368
PRESS ONLY PREVIEW OF THE ARTICLE: http://www.plos.org/press/plbi-08-05-Thor.pdf
RELATED SYNOPSIS: http://www.plos.org/press/plbi-08-05-ThorSynopsis.pdf

CONTACT
Dr. Stefan Thor
Linkoping University
Dept Clinical Exp Medicine
Linkoping, S-581 85
Sweden
+46-13-22 57 75
stefan.thor@liu.se

$150K bond for man tracked by GPS in stolen taxi

Bond was set at $150,000 Monday for a man charged with robbery and hijacking after police found him at a Northwest Side gas station by following a stolen taxi cab's GPS signal.
Travis E. Conner III, 18, of the 2900 block of West Fulton Street is charged with one count of robbery and aggravated vehicular hijacking, according to police News Affairs.

Conner was ordered held on $150,000 Monday and a preliminary hearing was set for May 3 in Northwest Felony Court (Br. 50), Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said.
Conner allegedly forced a cab driver out of his taxi at gunpoint about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, the release said. He dropped his cell phone at the scene before fleeing in the cab, which is equipped with a GPS.
Using the GPS, police found the cab at a gas station in the 6300 block of North Central Avenue, the release said. Conner was identified and a semi-automatic handgun was recovered.

credit: www.suntimes.com

One Way to Get People Out of Their Cars...

The Dutch have an idea that's good for debate here at home. A proposal would tax the miles driven on a car instead of the current taxes levied on roads and new car purchases.

Specifically, "the plan proposes an average tax of $.07 per mile, with fees higher during rush hour and for commercial vehicles," says Live Earth.

"It would use GPS systems installed in each car to track mileage and automatically bill drivers. The goal, the Dutch government says, is to cut traffic by 15% and reduce transport emissions by 10%."

California considers easing rules on black bear hunting

The population has roughly quadrupled over the last two decades, and some Fish and Game officials say it would remain robust with expanded hunting regions and caps.

A black bear in the foothills above Monrovia. (Rudy Libra)

As outdoor activities in California go, bear hunting is not particularly popular. Officials estimate that, at most, 1% of the state's population hunts black bears. Many of the other 99% are appalled that anyone does.

"I think most people think of it as an anachronism," said state Fish and Game Commissioner Michael Sutton, who speculates that the state's voters may soon ban the practice.

Bear hunting has come a long way since the 1920s, when ranchers and farmers wiped out the grizzly, leaving its sole California presence on the state flag. Gone are the days when you could kill a bear anytime, anywhere, any way.

So Sutton and his fellow commissioners — hunters all — weren't surprised when proposals to expand black bear hunting drew protest.

Nearly 70 environmental, community and animal welfare organizations have lined up against the proposals, most notably the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and various chapters of the Sierra Club. In San Luis Obispo County, the board of supervisors passed a resolution last month opposing expansion of hunting into their area.

"We find the totality of the proposal to be unsporting, unfair, inhumane and reckless," said Jennifer Fearing, the Humane Society's Sacramento lobbyist.

But officials at the state Department of Fish and Game say they proposed the changes because California's black bear population is flourishing and spreading.

On Wednesday the commissioners will vote on whether to allow bear hunting in San Luis Obispo County and to increase the hunting area in Lassen and Modoc counties. They'll also decide whether to eliminate a cap on bear kills per season and allow bear hunters to put collars with GPS tracking devices on their hounds.

Black bears long have thrived from Northern California down to Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, according to Doug Updike, the department's game program manager and a wildlife ecologist. In the last few decades, he said, Fish and Game biologists have seen more bears in San Luis Obispo, Modoc and Lassen Counties. The number of bears statewide, meanwhile, has "increased from under 10,000 in the early '80s to nearly 40,000 now," he said.

"They get hit by cars, we get reports by property owners that they broke into their houses, we get pictures, we know what bear prints look like," he said.

Over the last half-century, California has regulated bear hunting. Trapping has been outlawed and a hunting season set — roughly October to the last Sunday in December, depending on the region. Cubs under 50 pounds and mother bears with their cubs may not be killed. Hunters must obtain identification tags and are allowed one bear per season.

Successful or not, hunters must return their tags to Fish and Game, stating whether or not they bagged a bear. In addition, successful hunters are expected to present their bear skulls to department officials, who extract a tooth from each skull for age monitoring. (Hunters then get the skulls back.) It also is illegal to sell bear parts in California. The state considers possession of as few as two bear gall bladders — lucrative products in Asian markets — evidence of illegal activity.

Still, those who object to the proposed hunting changes say the killing remains too easy.

One proposal they find particularly egregious would allow hunters to equip their dogs with GPS tracking collars that have so-called tip switches, which go off when a dog cocks its head, presumably to look up a tree where it has hounded a bear.

"Given that we are not anti-hunting as much as we are anti-trophy-hunting practices, we zeroed in on these changes," said Fearing of the Humane Society. "Hound hunting is totally unfair and often inhumane — for the bears and the dogs," she said.

Opponents portray hunters as unsportsmanlike folks, watching their GPS devices to see when dogs have treed a bear so they can easily amble over and shoot it. Proponents of the sport, on the other hand, portray hunters with hounds as athletic and focused, sprinting after their dogs, enjoying the chase as much as their canines do. They say that the GPS devices are mostly for tracking lost and injured dogs and that hunters already use radio telemetry to track their dogs.

You don't need a GPS device to tell you when your hounds have found a bear, said Updike, a hunter whose wife has killed a bear. "They can tell by the baying of the hounds how the hounds are doing." He also objected to the idea that California hunters are after trophies, saying that most eat the meat of the bears they kill.

The state relies on a variety of methods to track the bear population. In addition to anecdotal evidence and field work by biologists, hunters' tags tell officials when and where bears were killed.

Critics of changing the hunting rules say monitoring killed bears is not enough to get a sense of their real population. They say the state's methods also don't take into account regional pressures on bear habitats.

The state also monitors the median age of bears killed and the percentage that are female, Updike said, to alert them of when to pull back on hunting. Hunters prefer larger bears, which are usually male. So if a season's total kill is more than 40% female, for instance, "that's a red flag because it means the number of males is getting scarce, which means the hunting pressure is starting to affect the population."

Because of such tracking, he said, state officials are confident that the population is robust enough to withstand well over the 1,700-bear kill figure that now prompts the state to send out an alert closing down the season.

"We looked at a mathematical model for the hunting season which would take 3,100 bears — which we've never ever done," said Updike. "That still is an insignificant number relative to the population. The population would still be robust."

And not having to send out an alert would save thousands of dollars, he said. Some commissioners said they are still not sure how they will vote Wednesday. Commissioner Daniel Richards, who hunts mammals, said he is inclined to widen the hunt. Commissioner Richard Rogers — a duck hunter — said he has no problems with bear hunting but was leaning against the changes.

Sutton, who hunts birds but not mammals, said he too is leaning toward voting no. He's not against bear hunting. But his experience as a former federal game warden has made him sensitive to the dangers of hunting, such as "the potential for increased poaching and illegal commercialization."

"Our wardens are already strapped," he said. "All these things tend to argue against expansion of bear hunting."

carla.hall@latimes.com 

credit:www.latimes.com

GPS backpacks identify leaders among flocking pigeons

A freewheeling flock of birds is one of nature’s most endearing spectacles. The flock’s members move with uncanny coordination, changing direction in unison, splitting and reforming, and even landing as one. The intricacies of these synchronized flights are very difficult to entangle. Who is following whom? Is there even a leader and, if so, does the same bird always take up pole position? Our feeble eyes could never hope to discern the answers just by watching a flying flock. But fortunately, we have technology that can do the job for us.
Máté Nagy from the University of Eötvös, Budapest, has found that flying pigeons obey strict chains of command, even when in flight. He used state-of-the-art GPS devices to track the movements of groups of ten pigeons with exquisite sensitivity. The lightweight monitors, just 16g in weight, captured the subtleties of the pigeons’ twists and turns in mere fractions of a second. Back on the ground, Nagy analysed their recordings to show that pigeons fly according to the pecking orders they establish on the ground. The dominant bird takes the lead and the others follow his directions.
Studying the collective movements of animal groups has been a difficult challenge. Many cameras can be used to film animals moving within the same block of space, but the jostling bodies often block one another from view. Mathematical models can tell us about the basic rules that groups of moving animals adhere to, but they are difficult to test in real life.
But our technology has now become advanced enough to start skirting around these problems. For scientists studying birds, the key breakthrough was the creation of sensors that are light enough to be strapped to a flying bird without compromising its aerial abilities. Now, these sensors include GPS devices that can record a bird’s speed and direction every fifth of a second. Nagy attached such devices to 13 homing pigeons and watched as they flew in flocks of 7 to 11 birds.
Nagy catalogued every instance when one pigeon changed direction only to be followed by another. By pooling together this data, he created a network of leaders and followers, showing the relationship of each bird to its peers. This colorful diagram shows one such network. Each circle represents an individual pigeon, the arrows point from a leading bird to one that follows it, and the numbers represent the time delay between the leader’s movements and those of its follower’s.
The networks showed that flocking pigeons maintain a dependable hierarchy on the wing. On average, when a leading bird changed direction, its followers would follow suit after around a third of a second. Birds will consistently copy the movements of specific individuals further up the pecking order and, in turn, they are consistently copied by more junior underlings.
What makes a leading pigeon? It seems that skill counts for something. Nagy released each of his birds on a solo flight, some distance from home. When they returned, he found that those who arrived home quickest were also most likely to wield leadership authority, although this link between navigation ability and seniority wasn’t quite statistically significant.
Indeed, the chains of seniority within pigeon flocks are fairly flexible, changing dynamically from flight to flight. Influential birds tend to remain influential but Tamas Vicsek, who led the study, says, “There are days when the pigeon which takes the role most of the time is less active. Perhaps it did not have a good sleep! During these days some of the birds on lower levels of the hierarchy have their chance to lead.”
Nagy’s data also revealed that leaders do indeed take up pole position at the front of the flock. That may seem intuitively obvious to us, but remember that pigeons have a field of vision that extends for almost a full 360 degrees. When you can easily see individuals flying behind you, the leading bird doesn’t necessarily need to be at the front, and yet it does.
More surprisingly, leaders also tend to stay on the left of the flock. Nagy found that the more time that a bird spent behind a leading partner, the more likely it was to be flying on that partner’s right. There’s an obvious reason for this – like us, pigeons have highly asymmetric brains with each half wielding greater influence over certain thought processes. Their right brain, which receives signals from the left eye, controls the ability to recognize other pigeons. So if a pigeon sees one of its peers through its left eye, rather than its right, it responds more quickly or more strongly.

Reference: Nagy, M., Ákos, Z., Biro, D., & Vicsek, T. (2010). Hierarchical group dynamics in pigeon flocks Nature, 464 (7290), 890-893 DOI: 10.1038/nature08891

credit: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/
Images: by Zsuzsa Ákos

Drunk man steals ambulance

Paul John Sos, 52, was arrested for auto theft, after he stole an ambulance and fled from police.

Sos, led the police on a slow chase Saturday morning, after he took a ambulance that was parked outside Sharp Hospital. Sos was in the hospital for intoxication after he was taken their earlier that morning for being drunk in public. When he checked out of the hospital he saw the ambulance with the keys still in it.

The ambulance had a GPS installed and police tracked the vehicle down at Balboa and Genesee Avenue, but Sos would not pull over.  Police followed him for about 12-minutes through Clairemont as he traveled down the city streets at a top speed of 20 mph. Authorities put down spike strips, and after the second attempt they were finally able to stop him.

Sos was booked for suspicion of auto theft, drunk driving and failure to yield to police.

On the way to police headquarters, Sos fell asleep, said San Diego police officer Brad Ruff.

credit:examiner.com

MapQuest 4 for iPhone now offers free voice-guided GPS navigation!

 

Google Maps Navigation already offers it, as does Nokia (NYSE: NOK)’s Ovi Maps, and now MapQuest is getting into the free turn-by-turn, voice-guided GPS navigation game. MapQuest has announced that its MapQuest 4 for iPhone app has been updated to give users voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation service for absolutely free! The app will track your iPhone via GPS and alert you when you approach an exit, turn, or other navigation directions. It’ll even reroute you at the push of a button when you miss an offramp.

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) provides free GPS nav service on Android OS-powered phones, which gives Android phones a strong appeal among tech-conscious types on a budget. Nokia also offers free sat-nav through its clunky Ovi Maps for those of you still using Symbian-based phones. Now, the iPhone can lay claim to having a free voice-guided GPS solution of its own.

MapQuest 4 also sports power savings controls. Since using GPS on the iPhone 3G and 3GS can severely tax the battery, the app allows for three levels of power management. With power-management off, the app will keep the handset display fully lit and powered on, preventing the display from locking and shutting down. With low power management enabled, the app will allow the display to dim to save battery power, but will prevent it from locking and turning off altogether. With full power management enabled, the display will dim and turn off like normal.
If you have an iPhone 3G or 3GS running iPhone OS 3.x, you can download MapQuest 4 for free from the iTunes AppStore. Seeing as how it’s free and offers services that you normally have to pay through the nose for, we’d say it’s totally worth the few clicks it’s going to take you to download the app.
credit:http://www.intomobile.com By Will Park

Argyle Style for GPS with Team Garmin(R) versions of Edge(R) 500 and nuvi(R)

OLATHE, Kan., Mar 16, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. /quotes/comstock/15*!grmn/quotes/nls/grmn (GRMN 35.59, -0.32, -0.89%) , the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced new limited-edition color schemes for the aerodynamic Edge 500 and nuvi navigation devices, unveiling argyle designs inspired by the iconic orange and blue patterns of professional cycling's Team Garmin-Transitions. The argyle Edge 500 and a new neutral Edge 500 in black and white will be launched at the Tour of California, included in unique team promotions and also made available at participating local cycling specialty retailers. The argyle nuvi models will be sold exclusively at Tour of California, May 16-23.
"Fashion, function and fun intertwine with these argyle designs, perfect for a lighthearted road trip or a hardcore road race," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "Team Garmin has used Edge technology to win professional races around the world, and these new models help us spread the spirit of the Argyle Armada to even more handlebars and dashboards."

Budget-friendly and weighing a mere 2 ounces, Edge 500 features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, requires no calibration and can be switched quickly between bicycles. It also connects wirelessly with ANT+(TM) compatible third-party power meters. Edge 500 tracks speed, distance, time, GPS position, elevation, calories burned, climb and descent. All of this data can be displayed, shared and analyzed on maps and charts at Garmin Connect(SM). For extra-precise climb and descent data, Edge 500 uses a barometric altimeter to pinpoint changes in elevation. And thanks to a recent software update, available as a free download at www.garmin.com, owners of any Edge 500 can now design workouts with multiple steps based on time, distance, calories, power output or heart rate. This feature also allows them to establish workout targets based on speed, calories, cadence, power output and heart rate.
The sleek and slim Edge 500 combines more data than ever into one device. In addition to syncing with compatible power meters, Edge 500 also pairs wirelessly with Garmin speed/cadence sensors and features advanced heart rate-based calorie computation when used with a Garmin heart rate monitor. Edge 500 also displays temperature readings, changes time zones automatically and alerts riders if they're moving but the timer is not running. With up to 18 hours of battery life, Edge 500 features a low-profile, quarter-turn mount that fits easily on the stem or handlebars. The new argyle Edge 500 is packaged with Garmin's premium soft-strap heart rate monitor, speed/cadence sensor, bike mount, AC charger and USB cable. The neutral Edge 500 comes with the bike mount, AC charger and USB cable, and it can be paired with the other optional accessories when purchased separately to best suit each specific cyclist's needs.
Thanks to Garmin's Edge products, recreational cyclists have been able to use the same technology employed on the Pro Tour. Now two new promotions help them get a step closer to feeling like they're in the peloton. Throughout the month of April, Slipstream Sports and Felt Bicycles are giving subscribers to Garmin's fitness email newsletters a chance to buy a team replica Felt F1 -- the same model that Team Garmin's pros ride. This bike is built by team mechanics and comes packaged with an argyle Edge 500, full team kit and team casual apparel and is only available while supplies last. Team Garmin fans also can go the extra mile with their argyle at the Tour of California, where this new Edge 500 will be bundled with a replica Team Garmin jersey from Pearl Izumi. For details about these and other exclusive packages and promotions, visit www.garmin.com/teamgarmin and www.slipstreamsports.com.
Also in limited availability at Tour of California, nuvi will get an argyle makeover. Featuring either a 3.5" or 4.3" touchscreen, the argyle nuvi 1200 and argyle nuvi 1300 showcase the familiar intuitive interface, turn-by-turn directions with spoken street names, and the expansive database of more than six million preloaded points of interest, such as restaurants, hotels, gas stations and coffee shops. Travel is made easy through nuvi's ecoRoute fuel-efficient navigation, enhanced pedestrian options and ultra-thin design for unmatched portability.
Cyclists and fans can track Team Garmin's featured rides -- or download, analyze and share activities of their own - by participating in Garmin Connect, an online community of more than 20 million activities around the world. Garmin Connect displays metrics such as time, distance, speed, elevation and heart rate. This information is shown through charts, illustrations, reports and a variety of map representations including street, photo, topographic, and elevation maps as well as the popular Google Earth application. Garmin Connect users can search for activities in their area and try the activities for themselves by uploading the data to Garmin devices.
Edge 500 is the latest breakthrough from Garmin, which has spent more than 20 years developing technologies and innovations to enhance users' lives, making Garmin a household name in the automotive, aviation, marine, wireless, outdoor and fitness industries. For more about features and availability, as well as information about Garmin's other products and services, go to www.garmin.com, www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/jakesjournal.
About Garmin International Inc.
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. /quotes/comstock/15*!grmn/quotes/nls/grmn (GRMN 35.59, -0.32, -0.89%) , the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications -- most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin's products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin, nuvi and Edge are registered trademarks, ANT and ANT+ are trademarks and Garmin Connect is a service mark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
About Slipstream Sports
Founded in 2005, Slipstream Sports LLC is a highly progressive sports management company dedicated solely to promoting the ethical growth of American cycling.
About Team Garmin-Transitions
Team Garmin-Transitions is dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions. Team Garmin-Transitions competes in a full schedule of professional cycling races in the U.S. and Europe. Additional information is available at www.slipstreamsports.com.
Notice on forward-looking statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. All statements regarding the company's future product introductions are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management's current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 26, 2009, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of Garmin's Form 10-K can be downloaded at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6215044&lang=en
SOURCE: Garmin International Inc.

GPS Study: Walmart Top US Destination; Md. Drivers Use It Most Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/03/10/urnidgns852573C400693880002576E300016DB5.DTL#ixzz0hqmWNuVX

New Global Positioning System (GPS) data released today by GPS-navigation provider TeleNav offers a number of insights into the behaviors--and preferences--of U.S. drivers.

The data, collected randomly from millions of U.S. TeleNav users throughout 2009, suggests American drivers are most frequently searching for big-box retailers like Walmart and Target, as well as a quick caffeine fix via Starbucks. And on a state-level, residents of Maryland are by far the most frequent users of GPS for navigation.

TeleNav customers employ the service via mobile applications for popular smartphones like Apple's iPhone and Research In Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry, as well as via standalone GPS navigation units, like TeleNav's Shotgun.

The top "states" for GPS-based navigation in 2009 were Maryland, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, North Carolina and California, according to TeleNav. In fact, Maryland residents used TeleNav for twice as many trips per month than the national average, according to the company.

TeleNav says its users conduct millions of GPS-based searches a month. The leading U.S. city-areas for GPS-searches were Los Angeles, Dallas/Forth Worth, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta.

And Americans are using TeleNav frequently to help find popular retailers; the most sought-after U.S. businesses in 2009 were Walmart, Starbucks, Target, Best Buy and Bank of America.

Additional noteworthy data includes the most frequently searched for types of food--Pizza in Chicago and Chinese in New York; along with the cities in which drivers most often used GPS to avoid traffic and locate the cheapest fuel--Los Angeles and Phoenix, respectively.

For additional information on TeleNav and its 2009 national GPS usage data, visit the company's website.

And if you're a BlackBerry smartphone user, check out my tips, tricks and best practices for getting the most out of TeleNav for BlackBerry.

Copyright (c) 2010, IDG News Service. All rights reserved. IDG News Service is a trademark of International Data Group, Inc.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/03/10/urnidgns852573C400693880002576E300016DB5.DTL#ixzz0hqmKzIvC

Petraeus Expects Iraqi Leaders to Remain Inclusive

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2010 – Despite sectarian and ethnic differences across Iraq’s political landscape, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said he expects new Iraqi leaders will continue their previous government’s efforts to employ inclusive coalitions to bridge those divides.

Today marks the second democratic, parliamentary elections held in Iraq since the fall of the late dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, told CNN’s GPS television news program host Fareed Zakaria.

Petraeus said he would like to see the new Iraqi government be as inclusive as the previous one. That is to say, he said, the new government would continue “to be generally representative of the people, responsive to all the people, and to continue the progress that has been achieved over the course of the last couple of years, again, in the economic, social and political realms.”

The way forward in Iraq, Petraeus said, depends on continued accommodations between Sunnis, Shias, Kurds and other members of Iraq’s diverse sectarian and ethnic population. Iraq’s population is majority Shia Muslim.

“All progress that has been made [in Iraq] to date -– all of the legislation that’s been passed and so forth -- has all required cross-sectarian, cross-ethnic coalitions,” Petraeus said.

Petraeus also expects continued employment of such coalitions in the running of the Iraqi government.

“Because, when you do the math, there’s no way that a prime minister will be elected without a cross-sectarian, and indeed, cross-ethnic coalition developing to elect that individual” and other key legislators.

In a statement released by the White House today, President Barack Obama congratulated Iraqis “for casting their ballots in this important parliamentary election”

Obama praised Iraqis “who refused to be deterred by acts of violence” and exercised their right to vote. Iraqi security forces are responsible for maintaining security for today’s election. There have been reports of some deaths due to insurgent actions.

“We mourn the tragic loss of life today,” Obama continued, “and honor the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people who once again defied threats to advance their democracy.”

Meanwhile, Petraeus told Zakaria, there are now about 96,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. That number, the general said, is expected to decrease to about 50,000 U.S. forces by the end of August.

“And, of course, with the new government in place, there will be the dialogue” between the U.S. and Iraqi governments on future security agreements.

Other topics Petraeus discussed with Zakaria included Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the issue of homosexual service within the U.S. military.

Regarding alleged Iranian aspirations to obtain nuclear weapons, Petraeus said he’s not sure whether the Iranian leadership has yet made the decision to actually develop such devices.

However, the general said, it’s important to realize Iran has been working to acquire “all of the components of a program to produce nuclear weapons” and the means to deliver them.

Many Middle East nations, including Israel, Petraeus said, look at alleged Iranian efforts to acquire nuclear arms as a “worrisome” development. That’s why, he said, the United States and its allies are considering employing stricter sanctions against Iran if it doesn’t come clean about its nuclear aspirations.

Turning to Afghanistan, Petraeus said counterinsurgency operations in Marja have gone well.

“This is a clear, hold and build, or re-build, depending on the damage done, and transition,” Petraeus said of the Afghan-coalition operations in Marja that began Feb. 13.

In order to be successful, he said, the Marja operation has to be seen by the Afghan people as a means of bettering their lives.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has been fully involved in details of the Marja operation, Petraeus said. Karzai, he added, also “has rightly” called into question what occurred when Afghan civilians have inadvertently become casualties of war.

Turning from Afghanistan to Pakistan, Petraeus pointed to the Pakistani government’s realization that internal extremists are directly threatening its existence. Pakistani military forces have been engaging extremists operation in the country’s Swat Valley region.

“That has been a very impressive counterinsurgency operation,” Petraeus said of Pakistani military forces’ gains made against insurgents in Swat Valley.

Pakistan’s leaders, Petraeus said, are realizing the truth of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ assertion that Taliban, al-Qaida and other extremists operating in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region share a symbiotic relationship and belong to a syndicate of terrorism that threatens all law-abiding nations.

Zakaria asked Petraeus about his stance regarding the possible repeal of the 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law by Congress regarding homosexuals serving in the U.S. military. Defense Secretary Gates has directed a 10-month review to determine the potential impacts across the military if the law is repealed.

Petraeus observed that he’d once served with some CIA officers of both genders who’d been reputed to be homosexual. The general implied that the two CIA officers’ reputed sexual preference didn’t seem to negatively impact their work performance or professionalism.

Petraeus said he’s slated to appear before Congress soon to provide his views about homosexuals serving in the military.

“You, know, I think this is something that can be worked through, frankly,” Petraeus told Zakaria. Other nations’ militaries that allow homosexual men and women to openly serve, he noted, employ “very sensible and pragmatic policies.”

credit:www.defense.gov

Your GPS cellphone makes a Star Trek communicator look like a kid's toy

By Scott Edmonds, THE CANADIAN PRESS


WINNIPEG - So, you've got GPS on your smartphone and can tackle the trip to Uncle Charlie's new house in the suburbs with a fresh sense of confidence.
But are you ready for a trip down the Amazon?
"Interesting, I'd love to do that test," laughs Christ Peralta, head of social location services for Nokia.
"That's a real interesting use case. I wouldn't advise it," says a slightly more definitive Ken Kershner, vice-president of software at Research in Motion's subsidiary Dash.
OK, it was just a thought. And perhaps smartphone GPS isn't ready for the jungles of Brazil, but both men suggest it's perfectly designed for the more urban jungle most cellphone users must deal with every day.
GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It's a worldwide navigation tool, supplied courtesy of the U.S. military, that relies on 24 satellites that transmit their location and the current time.
Signals arrive at GPS receivers at slightly different times based on how far away each satellite is from the receiver. With at least four satellite signals, a receiver can then calculate its position. Hand-held GPS receivers are usually accurate to within 10 to 20 metres.
It's old hat now and in use for commercial navigation, helps hunters find their way in the woods and leads fishermen unerringly back to that hotspot they found last year. It continues to grow in popularity as the cost of receivers comes down.
Cellphones have had GPS locators in them since 2005 because the United States decided it wanted to be able to track cellphone location for emergency purposes after Sept. 11, 2001.
While initially the feature just sat there, cellphone manufacturers were quick to make good use of the application. Besides finding out where you are, or where you're going, you can also keep track of your children, post your location to Facebook or find a lost phone.
Manufacturers are always on the lookout for new ways for customers to use their cellphones and there seem to be few limits on the applications. Smartphones already make the old 'communicator' that once seemed so slick on "Star Trek" look like a kid's toy.
"I think the key is to find out what consumers want," says Peralta. "The second step is to make it easy out of the box."
He says that's what Nokia is trying to do with its latest offering for its smartphones: the preloaded Ovi mapping system that makes them into more effective GPS units.
Onboard maps in a GPS-enabled smartphone mean it can function as an independent GPS unit, without connection to a cellphone network.
That's a key feature for anyone who wants to use their GPS-enabled phone while travelling and doesn't want to incur hefty roaming or long-distance charges.
"It can be a travel companion when you travel abroad . . . or can help you rediscover your city," says Peralta. "There are features that require online connections. . . but the consumer has the choice."
All of the new Ovi-loaded Nokia GPS smartphones can function without connection to a cellular network, he says.
Just how popular is the GPS feature in cellphones? A recent Angus Reid survey for Nokia found that 38 per cent of Canadians use some form of GPS device, but most use a traditional portable unit. So far, only eight per cent use it on their cellphone.
But that's already twice as many as use an installed in-car device. The survey of 1,000 people is considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
There have been suggestions that cellphone GPS might someday replace stand-alone devices. Kershner says it can replace the stand-alone units, "in some uses."
"It depends how much value you place on GPS." And, he adds, how much you're willing to pay. Cellphones are pretty near the bottom of the price point, considering what else they offer.

But function is also important and all GPS devices have their requirements and capabilities. The most expensive can cost thousands of dollars and are also the most accurate, using other aids to further refine position to within a metre in some cases.
But what if you want to use your GPS-equipped smartphone in your car, for example.
First, there are power requirements that have to be met. Turning on the GPS chip in a phone means it uses power faster. So if it's being used in a car, it needs to be able to connect to the car's power supply.
If it's used in a car it also has to have a large enough screen to be seen easily or have a good text-to-voice feature, so you can hear the instructions to get to your destination (these are what's generally known as a 'turn-by-turn' GPS guidance system). And be sure to check for d
ap-l
BC-20100303-US-FEA-Food-Tiny-Wine-Bottles, Budget
code:8
Budget
Eds:TastingRoom as one word is cct.
See Photos
CP Lifestyle, Beverage, Retail, Food
Vintners hope tiny tasting bottles will pay big dividends in wine marketing
By Michelle Locke

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NAPA, Calif. - Thousands of people visit the Domaine Carneros Winery each year, snapping pictures in front of the 18th-century-style chateau and sipping wine on the terrace overlooking a sweep of green vineyards.
Now, the winery hopes to extend the experience with new sample-sized bottle kits that aim to send the tasting room experience home - you read the tasting notes, you sip, you rekindle those sensory memories. All without ponying up for a full bottle of untried wine - or stripping down for an airport security check.
"You can stay in Iowa or New York or Miami, wherever you are, and you can have this experience come to you," says Eileen Crane, CEO and founding winemaker of Domaine Carneros.
The idea seems simple enough. You try sample sizes of drapes, mouthwash and wallpaper. Why not wine?
But test-driving wine isn't as simple as opening a big bottle and pouring it into a bunch of little ones, says Tim Bucher, CEO and founder of TastingRoom Inc., which launched last year and is making the 50-millilitre samples for Domaine Carneros.
For one thing, wine is sensitive to oxygen. So if a little bit is exposed to a lot of oxygen, which is what would happen if you merely poured wine through a funnel, that will change the character of the wine. Beyond that, each winery has its own method of bottling, such as "sparging," in which bottles are filled with an inert gas before filling to ensure the right conditions.
Bucher's process involves a patent-pending technology called Total Anaerobic Sample Transfer Environment - TASTE - that aims to replicate what the winery does on a miniature scale. Transfers are conducted in a sealed, zero-oxygen chamber, similar to a semiconductor "clean room," and the goal is to come up with something that duplicates the tasting room experience.
"For us it was never about taking wine from a barrel and just putting it into a smaller vessel. That would not capture the real product that wineries are selling," Bucher says.
While it's hard to say for certain this hasn't been done, sample-size wine bottles appear to be new, says Robert Smiley, director of wine industry programs in the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis. It's too early to say whether the kits will be successful, but they sound like a good idea, he says. "I'm all for innovation."
For Bucher, the power of try-and-buy wine grew out of his experiences at his own winery. Going over the books, he realized, "Wow, my tasting rooms are gold. I asked myself how could I scale my tasting rooms intergalactically."
Another player in the small-is-big trend is San Francisco-based Crushpad, the do-it-yourself winery where individuals can select fruit and supervise the making of small batches of wine to get the vintner experience without the farming headaches (and sizable capital investment).
Crushpad's "Tiny Bottles," also 50 millilitre, use an oxygen-free transfer system and are being used in conjunction with Brixr, a web-based tasting service.
At Domaine Carneros, the kits will be available in the Napa Valley tasting room - price about $25 - and also will be offered to wine club members as a convenient, low-cost way to try wines. Domaine Carneros is primarily known for its sparkling wines, so the six-bottle kits are being used to showcase its lesser-known still wines.
"We think it's a wonderful way for people to reconnect with the winery," says Crane.
-
TastingRoom: http://tastingroom.com/
Domaine Carneros: http://www.domainecarneros.com
Crushpad: http://www.crushpadwine.com/
Brixr: http://www.brixr.com

credit:technology.canoe.ca

"Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver with heart rate monitor"

"Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver with heart rate monitor"

Obesity is destroying lives every day.
There are over 67% of adults in the USA, over the age of 20, that are overweight or obese.
The worst thing about being overweight or obesity is the struggle to start eating and exercising again.
But it doesn’t have to be hard, Amazon.com have a simple solution, for anyone who wants to take those first steps into changing their lives.
The Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver with Heart Rate Monitor, is a magical device. This watch like product, has a world of abilities on it, and is very simple and easy to use.
It is highly sensitive, and provides exceptional signal reception as a GPS receiver. It also provides precise speed, distance and pace data, as you step, walk or run to the new you.
Basically this device, will allow you to, not only track most details of your journey, but also offers you GPS tracking, so you can view exactly where you are on a map, and zoom in or out to view.
With this you can also recall your journey, and record it so you can follow the same path at a later date.
The waterproof design, can track the GPS satellites within 3 minutes, so you will not have to worry about time and fuss. It also is sensitive, so you can run under trees and even ride your bike and the GPS will continue to track you.
The device comes with a cradle, which makes charging and data connectivity easy to do.
It also includes Training Center Software, which gives you the ability to download data for a detailed analysis of your work out.
You can use the watch for not just running, but as mentioned cycling, cross country skiing and windsurfing.
And with the ability to track your heart rate, all while doing these activities, it will allow you to see how hard your working, or where you need to step it up a notch.
One of the best options is the Workout Menu, that offers three different workouts for you to consider, such as Quick Workout, Interval and Advanced Workout, so you can be guided through the process rather than have to wonder what to do.
Amazon.com are offering the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver with Heart Monitor, at amazing prices, they also have an array of other weight loss, fitness and work out gear.
When you visit the site you may be astounded at the choice and product lines, but also the incredibly low prices.
So if you have been wondering how and what you can do to initiate your change, to a healthy life, then this is the answer for you.
So why not jump over to Amazon.com, right now and check the great prices, and pick yourself up the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver with Heart Rate Monitor, and get a start on your new life today, now!

 

Sagema and Puma to Introduce the Puma Phone

 

Sagem a well-known phone maker in France together with a popular sports brand known as Puma have rolled out the latest Puma phone at the Mobile World Congress 2010. The device comes with a 2.8-inch QVGA TFT display, apart from this, it boasts of a solar panel due to which a user is able to charge the handset by means of sun rays

The screen offers the resolution of 240×320 pixels. It is based on Puma’s OS. Moreover, you are able to find sports equipment support for such features as Pedometer, Analogue Stopwatch, Yachting Compass. There is also GPS that runs tracker and GPS bike Speedo.
It is a 3G ready handset that is equipped with a built-in 2 megapixel LED Flash camera, furthermore, there is a secondary camera found in the front panel and used for video chat. The handset features ‘Open Internet browser’, FM Radio, Bluetooth, as well as motion sensor that comes with auto display rotation. One can also observe several playful applications such as Icon Messaging, Scratching Turnable, Sarcastic Calculator, Easy Peasy video calls and Tell.
The phone packs Li-Ion 880 mAh battery that provides 4 hours of talk time on 3G as well as 5 hours on 2G mode. There is a microSD memory card that is bundles together with other standard things in an eco-friendly box.

Wis. man finds stolen iPhone through GPS

 Wis. man finds stolen iPhone through GPS

OAK CREEK, Wis. — A man whose iPhone was stolen from his car used GPS to track it down. Tiernan Paine left a $400 phone in his unlocked car while at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Oak Creek on Thursday night. The 28-year-old subscribes to MobileMe, a service that synchronizes data between his phone and home computer. It also includes a global positioning system.
Paine told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he pinpointed his phone's location and saw a picture of the suspect's home.
Paine took the material to Oak Creek police. The next day, he and another church member who also had a phone stolen that night had their phones back.
Police Chief Tom Bauer said the suspect confessed to about six thefts from parked cars.
Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com

Is your Palm Pre Plus giving you wacky GPS performance?

The Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre Plus was recently released as Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s answer to webOS fans not willing to hop on Sprint (NYSE: S)’s network just for the Palm Pre. The Palm Pre plus looks and performs a lot like its Sprint predecessor, but nixes the home button and adds gobs more RAM. There’s also apparently another difference – the Palm Pre Plus on Verizon is reportedly giving wonky GPS results for some users. The problem arises when trying to the Palm Pre Plus’s GPS feature with any app outside of VZ Navigator – Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Maps, for example.
Some users are posting on PreCentral forums, saying that their Palm Pre Plus is giving some inconsistent location data, if any at all, when trying to get a position-lock in Google Maps. Some report that they are getting inaccurate location data, while others are reporting no GPS signal at all.
There’s talk of Verizon going back to their old ways and locking down the Palm Pre Plus’s GPS receiver to work only with their for-pay VZ Navigator turn-by-turn navigation service. There’s also speculation that the GPS receiver is going into sleep mode, which is preventing the Palm Pre Plus from getting a GPS signal.
But, before you get your tin-foil hat out of your panic room, we don’t think the Verizon GPS conspiracy argument holds water too well. Seeing as how the carrier hasn’t locked down GPS service in other recent smartphones, it’s unlikely that they did so for the Palm Pre Plus. As for the GPS hardware going to sleep, some users have had success in turning off Google Services and GPS, rebooting the phone, and restarting GPS to get Google Maps working with GPS. Others, though, are still frustrated.
Have you been experiencing any wacky GPS performance with your Palm Pre Plus?

credit: http://www.intomobile.com/2010/02/01/is-your-palm-pre-plus-giving-you-wacky-gps-performance.html

Homeless sex offenders may have to wear GPS devices

Homeless sex offenders may have to wear GPS devices 

Columbus -- Homeless sex offenders would be required to wear global positioning devices to track their whereabouts, under legislation being considered in the Ohio House.
Rep. Clayton Luckie, a Democrat from the Dayton area, offered House Bill 369 after two women in his district were attacked by the same homeless sex offender.

"There are predators out there that prey on women and children in our society, putting not just the public but our families in danger," Luckie told members of the House's Criminal Justice Committee Dec. 9. "... Are there better ways to track and monitor people convicted of major sexual crimes but do not have a permanent address? I believe there is a better way."
Tier III sex offenders -- category includes those guilty of rape and crimes against children -- already are required to register their addresses with law enforcement every 90 days.
But of the 5,586 sex offenders currently being monitored by the state, close to 500 are homeless, Luckie said.

Under his bill, those who do not have home addresses would be required to be monitored via a GPS device until they have a fixed residence.
"I believe this law is necessary to monitor those who are deemed most dangerous," Luckie said. "No one can foresee who will commit a crime and when they will do it.
"However, we can take steps to help deter criminal behavior."

Mobile outlets with GPS to deliver veggies in Gurgaon

Mobile outlets with GPS to deliver veggies in Gurgaon

Come January 14 and residents in posh colonies of Gurgaon will find an easy and smart way to buy vegetables, fruits and dairy products as `fresh green on wheels' will soon be available at their doorsteps. Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has given green signal to a private company to launch 150 mobile retail outlets in the city and has waived trade license fees for these kiosks.

According to senior MCG officials, the first 30 state-of-the-art outlets by the company Adarsh ThoughtWorks will be launched in upmarket areas like DLF city and Sushant Lok in January.

The outlets will be equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and will be run by a central control room in Jaipur. Senior officials of the firm claimed these outlets will be eco-friendly and will use alternate technology to preserve vegetables and fruits. For preserving the stock, a green technology incubated by the National Innovation Foundation of India for temperature control will be used.

Interestingly, the owners of these retail mobile kiosks will be women from the economically challenged urban communities. "We have joined hands with 16 NGOs which will help us pick women self-help groups. These women will be given training to operate real time software and hardware platforms attached to the mobile kiosks. They will also be provided micro home loans, insurance and education for their children,'' said Aditya Bhardwaj, managing director of the company.

In addition to selling fresh greens and dairy products, the pushcarts will also double up as `Mobile Citizen Service Centres' where citizens can submit and collect various forms and documents related to the civic body, Aditya added.

"With 150 in Gurgaon and 1500 in Delhi and NCR, we plan to launch over 25,000 mobile kiosks in 25 cities in a span of one year. The project will provide self-employment to 9,000 micro-entrepreneurs,'' Aditya said.

Officials said the customers will be able to order a large number of commodities sourced from rural economic zone developed by the firm through a call centre for home delivery within minutes. The rates of all the commodities will be fixed.

Meanwhile, the facility has generated interest among residents even before its launch. Said Homemaker Mala Verma, "I am eagerly waiting for the outlets to be launched. I am happy I will not need to stock vegetables anymore and get them fresh at my doorstep everyday. This will save my time and money without even compromising on quality.''