Photokina News: Geo-Tagging For The Masses

By TWICE Staff -- TWICE, 9/24/2008

Cologne, Germany — U.K.-based Geotate, a spin-off firm that was originally part of Philips, said at the Photokina trade show that it had partnered with semiconductor manufacturer SiGe to bring GPS technology to “low-cost, mass-market digital cameras.”

Camera manufacturer DXG said it would offer a GPS-enabled video camera based on its DVH586 platform with Geotate technology. Pricing and availability were not announced.

Geo-tagging is a technology that embeds location co ordinations within an image’s files data — coordinates that can be accessed by mapping programs and software to place images on a map, reminding consumers where they were recorded.

SiGE Semiconductor is providing its SE4120 integrated GPS receiver IC, while Geotate is contributing its software. According to Geotate, because latitude and longitude data are added when images are downloaded to an Internet-connected PC, camera manufactures can “offer value added features and services” alongside their hardware. Adding the data after capture also saves the camera battery and eliminates the need for a cellular signal, the company said.

The embedded GPS solution will be available to manufacturers in the fourth quarter of this year for roughly $5, the companies said.