Thursday, June 19. 2008

Just because we can track something in motion using GPS...

doesn't mean we should:

Lawn Chair Pilot To Be Tracked Using Latest GPS Technology

On the other hand, it's a good marketing stunt for the technology provider.

What's the next hot geographic data set?

And how do we find it? How about looking at new devices. The New York Times reviews the Ikan, a countertop scanner that captures barcodes from grocery packages to build your shopping list for a delivery service. That's not so interesting, but this is: the device, after being customized for you will note which of the packages can be recycled in your municipality. So, there's no good database of the recycling rules for US cities/communities? Apparently not:

A big green Recycle log appears on the Ikan’s screen whenever you scan a package that’s recyclable in your town, warning you not to throw it away; very, very smart. (The company researches each municipality’s recycling policy individually as Ikan units are purchased, so the logo may not appear the first day you own the Ikan.)

Ok readers, go sell them your dataset!

Nuvifone Update

There's a video of the device making the rounds (Wired). Also, Asus will manufacture the device. it's the first time Garmin has outsourced hardware manufacturing, per DigiTimes. The Street quotes analysts who argue the expected $399 price with $100 discount from service providers for service won't fly. To compete with the iPhone it'll have to be $199. That means less margin and less profit. Garmin dropped 5% on Tuesday, Shares of Garmin have lost nearly half their value since the beginning of the year. On Tuesday, shares fell more than 5% to close to $43.48.

Another Google Maps Customization Tool: Quikmaps

Webware describes the app which allows freehand drawing on Google Maps. The Quikmap maps can then be embedded. Hey, some of us like that personal touch!

The site was down for a few hours when I wrote this.

Werner on Traffic.com "monopoly" and Mineta and Trimble Ethics Concern

Jerry Werner has been digging into the first topic for a while. His latest findings appeared last week in the Hawaii Reporter. For those new to the allegations:

(1) There's been a long standing concern that Traffic.com (now owned by NAVTEQ) received a government contract to capture traffic data effectively creating a monopoly.

(2) Former Transportation Secretary Mineta's allegedly failed to disclose the details of his capital gains income of up to $1 million in Trimble Navigation stock options back in 2000. At that time he was a proponent of location technology which may have benefitted the company.

"Werner has consulted in the intelligent transportation systems (ITS) field since 1991. From 1998 through 2005 he was a subcontractor to the USDOT and Editorial Director of the National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC)." So, while not an investigative reporter, he knows the biz. I encourage interested readers to trace his source materials noted in the article above and his blog.

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