Jon Westfall
04-04-2006, 03:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.navizon.com/releases/navizon_api_now_available.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.navizon.com/releases/nav...w_available.htm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Mexens Technology announced today the release of the Application Programming Interface (API) of the Navizon (<a href="http://www.navizon.com">http://www.navizon.com</a> ) software. The API will make available the positioning engine behind Navizon, allowing other applications to make use of its dynamic geo-positioning network. The innovative Navizon API works by triangulating signal measurements from cellular towers and Wi-Fi access points. Once a map of the wireless landscape for a certain area has been created with a GPS device, the Navizon API uses this data to offer a software-only positioning system for wireless devices, completely independent of carriers."</i><br /><br />Navizon is a GPS alternative to location-based serving of content. I can imagine a lot of neat uses for this (and some uber-intrusive ones as well). Walking into XYZ Department Store and having the specials & sales for XYZ pop up on my screen may be a blessing, but driving by a billboard for XYZ Department Store and having my device beep with a "Come to XYZ message" may be quite annoying. With the advent of GPS being built-in, would we even need this for mapping or navigation? Perhaps, but I smell marketing aims as well, eventhough they are not explicitly stated now.