Microsoft working on extreme GPS

Microsoft researchers are working on a variety of location-based tools, some of which could turn into interesting commercial applications.

In one project, the researchers gave cheap GPS (Global Positioning System) devices to drivers and asked them to leave the devices on the dashboards of their cars for a couple of weeks, said John Krumm, a researcher at Microsoft Research. He discussed the results of his work at the Microsoft Research Faculty Summit in Redmond, Washington, on Monday.

Krumm's group examined the data they collected from the GPS units for a number of different factors, including what time of day people were most often in their cars and where they most commonly were going at what times, such as to commercial or residential areas.