Despite the relative success of Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) and industrial GPS applications, the location ecosystem has yet to reach a mature stage as it continues to encounter challenges on its way to continued profitable growth.

Global shipments of PNDs (Portable Navigation Devices) in Q3 2008 rose 14% year-on-year.

Based on its latest research, Canalys estimates that global shipments of PNDs (Portable Navigation Devices) in Q3 2008 rose 14% year-on-year, from 7.7 million to 8.8 million units, with North America and Asia Pacific still seeing good volume growth, of 49% and 25% respectively.

Q: What's the difference between portable navigation devices (PNDs) and smartphones with built-in GPS? Why do we have to pay for GPS service on a smartphone although they have a built-in GPS antenna whereas for in-car GPS, we don't need to pay a monthly subscription? Is there a ... Originally posted at Miss Direction

The portable navigation device's (PND) days of navigation domination are numbered, as mobile-handset alternatives gain in popularity over the next few years, according to iSuppli. In 2007, PNDs accounted for about half of all navigation device shipments, with the remainder divided up among automotive in-dash systems, smart phones and mobile handsets. However, by 2010, the PNDs' share of shipments ...

While many GPS-enabled mobile phones and Windows Mobile phones uses Qualcomm's gpsOne technology for embedded GPS, not all mobile devices either use Qualcomm chipsets or Qualcomm's GPS enhancement. And therefore, Broadcom's latest victory might prevent a release of SiRF-enabled in the U.S. As Broadcom announced yesterday, an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) has recommended that the U....

With media attention currently focused on GPS-enabled cellular handsets and PNDs, the potential of emerging vertical markets for GPS and location services are going unnoticed by many.

TechWeb - InformationWeek - Windows Embedded NavReady 2009 includes technologies for connecting PNDs to online services, mobile phones, and Windows-based PCs.

Canalys has released the first highlights from a new survey of around 1,200 consumers, which explores the opportunity for navigation and location-based services on mobile phones and portable navigation devices (PNDs) in India.

Lower-priced PNDs and GPS-enabled handsets helped the Asian navigation market to prosper in 2007, and total shipments topped 39 million for the year. That figure is expected to exceed 185 million in 2012, according to a new forecast from ABI Research.