Wow Technologies Found at CTIA 2005

The Cellular Telecommuncations Industry Association (CTIA) Exhibition has LBS on its mind as many new products were announced this year in New Orleans.Here are the ones we found that wow'd us!.

	Trimble Outdoors^TM - This nifty little application from Trimble runs on a Nextel, GPS-equipped phone can deliver a complete set of topographic maps and aerial images.Although limited by the space on the phone the device can be a handy substitute for a separate handset with a similar application.The application will allow the user to plan a trip using a PC interface and then select only that geographic area of interest. Monthly fees start between $4.99 and $9.99 depending on your exiting Nextel plan.
	Wherifone G550^® - It is the smallest GPS cell phone on the market.It may also be the simplest.No keypad; just five pre-programmed numbers to remember.Push one number and it dials.A service plan that allows you to view the map location of whoever is supplied with the phone is available.Wherify offers some pretty compelling applications: Kid's "first" mobile phone, executive security, Alzheimer's patients, fleet management, mobile work force, theft prevention and tracking of stolen assets.It weighs only 2.5 ounces and is about the size of a credit card.
	smart2go^TM - This product is a collaboration between gate5, Tele Atlas, and Socket Communications.It is a platform "agnostic" personal navigator for cell phones or PDA's.It uses a Bluetooth® GPS unit that fits in your pocket and uses a rechargeable battery.Obviously, the handset needs to be Bluetooth enabled as well.It is gate5's first product in North America and is due to launch this spring.It will sell for $299.The product will come with 8 CDs to cover the U.S.and Canada, and includes points of interest information.The obvious market differentiator here is price. Similar, but self-contained units such as those from Garmin or Magellan sell for in excess of $1000.See more at smart2go.com