| CE-based nav stack heads for CES |
Jan. 05, 2009
 Intrinsyc Software announced that its Windows CE application stack for connected PNDs (personal navigation devices) will debut at this week's CES (Consumer Electronics Show). "Soleus Transit Navigation Edition" will be shown on a GSM-equipped device from Taiwanese ODM (original device manufacturer) Supa Technology, says Intrinsyc.
Intrinsyc's Soleus is a software stack that runs on top of Windows CE 5.0 or 6.0, and includes a suite of development tools. While the stack was originally touted as a "turnkey" development platform for "feature phone" hardware that lacked the power to run Windows Mobile, it has increasingly been re-spun as a platform for PNDs.
In June of last year, for example, Intrinsyc released version 1.5 of Soleus, touted as being compatible with Microsoft's Windows Embedded NavReady 2009, a customized version of Windows CE 5.0 designed for PNDs. In July, the company completed a $16 million purchase of assets from Destinator Technologies, including Destinator navigation software, plus related patents.
Then, in September, Intrinsyc announced Soleus Transit, said to integrate Soleus and Destinator into a single product offering. The company claims its Soleus Transit Adaptation Kit includes all the components manufacturers require to create a customized PND, including OS and system services, core applications, and Microsoft Platform Builder integration.
Now, says Intrinsyc, Soleus Transit devices will be shown in public for the first time, courtesy of Supa, which will feature a GSM-equipped PND at its CES booth later this week. While no further details of the hardware were provided, the device is likely to be a more integrated version of the S1200G already shown on Supa's website, and pictured below.
Supa's previously released S1200G (left) relegates its GSM module to a cradle (right)
According to Supa, the S1200G runs Windows CE 5.0, has a Freescale i.MX21 processor clocked at 266MHz, offers a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, and uses SiRF's starIII GPS chipset. The device's dual-band GSM module and associated SIM card are included in a cradle bundled with the device, Supa says.
We expect that for the new Soleus Transit version it will show at CES, Supa has integrated the GSM module and SIM card into the main body of its device. That's the approach already taken by two other vendors of Windows CE PNDs with built-in cellular modems -- TeleNav, with its Shotgun, and Best Buy, with its Insignia NS-CNV20. Both devices are touted as offering real-time traffic updates and "intelligent rerouting," providing online map and POI (points of interest) updating, and letting users send destinations to their devices from desktop PCs.
Either way, the deal with Supa provides welcome post-holiday cheer for Intrinsyc, which last year suffered management changes, a reduction of its workforce by approximately 30 percent, and closures of various facilities, including sales offices in Arizona and California. At the end of December, Intrinsyc announced the signing of a Soleus license agreement with "one of the world's largest original design manufacturers of computers and consumer electronics devices." The unnamed company will use Soleus to create both a mobile phone and a handheld barcode-reading payment device, Intrinsyc says.
Further information
Supa's new Soleus Transit device will be on display during CES in booth #4633, located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, according to Intrinsyc. The massive show, now in its 41st year, opens Jan. 8 and continues through Jan. 11.
For more information on Supa's S1200G, as shown above, see the company's website, here.
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