"New York-based Mexens Technology LLC announced this week the official launch of its peer-to-peer GPS network Navizon, which the company has been testing since August.
Navizon enables drivers and pedestrians to navigate cities wirelessly. It works by synchronizing Wi-Fi and cellular signals to a central repository, offering public access to GPS data for major cities in the United States.
The software-based positioning service doesn't require a dedicated GPS device. It is compatible with Windows Mobile devices—including Pocket PCs and PDAs—or on cell phones that use Symbian Ltd.'s operating system.
Once installed, the application automatically maps the local landscape by calculating specific locations for all wireless access points and cell phone towers in the area.
At the same time, the software syncs to Navizon's Network Server to retrieve data from other users.
"Instead of satellite signals typically used by GPS devices, Navizon uses signals from nearby Wi-Fi and cellular towers," said Cyril Houri, founder and CEO of Mexens Technology. "By looking at the surrounding wireless landscape, the device knows where users are located and can thereby offer location-based services."
Navizon utilizes a P2P system to make available a communal database that houses positioning information for most major metropolitan areas in the United States. Each time a user synchronizes with the system, any new data is instantly saved."
Link to PC Magazine / Yahoo!
