<|begin_of_text|><|begin_of_text|><|begin_of_text|>PARIS (Reuters) - Finding friends and meeting new ones could become even more important uses for global positioning chips than getting from A to B as the technology spreads to cellphones in coming years.
Combined with mobile Internet access, GPS (global<wm> positioning system), which is already found in phones and car radios and has become ubiquitous, and electronic payment systems that are increasingly integrated into smart home appliances like refrigerators, the use of mobile phones and electronic payments could lead to new trends in transportation services, manufacturing processes, and customer relationships.
"Your new car might include navigation, Wi-Fi connectivity and automatic parking," said a representative from Microsoft, a leading US tech firm, in an interview last week. "In a global economic environment, it's going</wm> to be the first generation of the smart home."
Other tech firms such as Apple and Intel have also