A GPS Chip Made to Sip Power, Not Guzzle


nytimes.com
SiRF Technology recently announced the development of SiRFstarIV, which sounds like a TV show about a team of teenage spies operating from a groovy beach house.

It is a breakthrough in GPS chip design, which the company says is more accurate than current chips while using 1 percent of the energy. That matters because always-on GPS functions in phones guzzle battery power. This new chip would allow for constant positioning –- and use of location service apps –- while gently sipping electricity.

GPS positioning sucks energy in a two-step process. First, the phone connects to a satellite and locates you. That takes about one second and burns a modest amount of power.

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