Signature Q3 2008

By David Strom | Q3 ’08 Bluetooth Technology MOTION A Cold War-era military technology has become the leading edge of innovation. The first satellite launched for the Global Positioning System (GPS) in 1978 has in turn launched a wide variety of programs and innovative applications. The story behind today’s 24-satellite GPS array began with the U.S. Department of Defense’s desire for precise military positioning and navigation. The system, an improvement over the six-satellite Transit System of the 1960s, incorporates highly advanced atomic clocks and communication technologies. To calculate location, Earth-bound GPS receivers transmit and receive signals to and from at least four satellites. The signals are then translated into a precise coordinate on Earth, making it possible for the military to accurately aim weapons, position ships and aircraft, and manage equipment and personnel movement around the world. The system was declassified in 1984 and opened for civilian use, leading to the development of applications across multiple industries, including mining, farming, science, What started as a defense program has blossomed into shipping, marketing, public transit a full-blown industry that offers innovations for consumers, and, of course, personal navigation. That last category is perhaps the scientists, businesses and, yes, even the military. most pervasive; it’s not unusual to find GPS units as standard equipment in automobiles, and prices for after-market systems have dropped dramatically. GPS chipsets are also installed in several mobile phones, and Google map “mashups” have made geospatial and location data available for a wide variety of Web-based applications and activities like geocaching. But it’s onboard navigation Perfectly Positioned 16 | SIGnature | Bluetooth.org http://bluetooth.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Signature Q3 2008

Signature Q3 2008 Contents Connect: Growing Markets Inbox: Spread the Word Ask the SIG: The Fast Lane In the News Perspectives: Views From APAC Bluetooth Technology in Retrospect: Headset History Bluetooth Technology in Retrospect: Headset History Bluetooth Technology @ Play: Unplug Your Fun Bluetooth Technology Interactive: Wireless Tourism Checkout: Groovy Gadgets Bluetooth Wireless Explorer: Mind Games Bluetooth Technology 101: Ads You Like It Bluetooth Technology 501: Group Efforts Wacky Apps: What’s NXT? Get in the Game: If The Glove Fits ... Revolution: The Space Age

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