Tuesday, June 30. 2009

NAVTEQ's Mobile Traffic App Update

You may have missed yesterday's press release from NAVTEQ noting an update to its traffic information app for mobile phones (any with a browser) for free. There are, per C|net some unobtrusive ads, and the navigation is "interesting." The "east" and "west" links to slide the map one way or the other, are not in their typical orientation.

It's hard to imagine that users really want one app for finding directions or local services and another for traffic information. I'm hopeful this is simply a way to get the word out that this sort of functionality (and detail) should be embedded in other apps, a la "Intel Inside," though NAVTEQ uses "NAVTEQ onboard."

Posted by Adena Schutzberg in LBS, Traffic, NAVTEQ at 06:47 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |

Friday, June 26. 2009

Foursquare to add push notification of locations in latest iPhone app

Now, instead of your friends having to actively look up the last place from which you checked in, they can get "pushed" a message about your new whereabouts. TechCrunch thinks some will love this, others will hate it. More options and more control seem to be the best any LBS provider can offer. The new app will be available for free via the App Store soon.

Posted by Adena Schutzberg in LBS at 08:57 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |

Tuesday, June 23. 2009

Podcast: Why not code the real world?

While much money is spent noting attributes of physical objects on paper maps or in electronic files, only for them to be of limited use in the field, why do we not simply code more real world object with key information? In Akron fire hydrants are coded with their water pressure by their colored domes. Even as we put all this information into databases, should we also think more about simply it putting it right where it's needed?


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Posted by Adena Schutzberg in LBS, Real-Time/Dynamic Data, Directions on the News Podcast, Infrastructure at 01:00 | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0) |

Monday, June 22. 2009

Flickr's Location-based Image Gallery

Yahoo announced a new feature of its mobile Flickr page. Those using Android-based phones or iPhones can click a button to "find images taken nearby." Once the user gives permission to the page to determine location, images are found and displayed.

- Flickr Blog
via MocoNews

Posted by Adena Schutzberg in Google, Yahoo, LBS, Apple at 06:00 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |

NearYoo - Using user submitted location over GPS, triangulation

That's the premise of the business model of NearYoo - "you" submit your location via SMS and its servers "put you on the map" for your friends to see. The odd bit - you need to user their syntax ">Location." Many other companies are using SMS for location-based solutions. None seem to have the impact of solutions that automagically "know" your location. Solution looking for a problem?

- IntoMobile

Posted by Adena Schutzberg in LBS at 06:00 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |

Thursday, June 18. 2009

LBS Apps for Wimbledon, U.S. Open

IBM is a partner in Wimbledon, so it makes sense it's offering mobile apps to support the event. One is not that interesting (tweet aggregator) but another is: an Android "augmented reality" app that provides information based on where you are (point phone at court, what court it is, who is playing there now and in future, etc.). The best feature: live data from the scoring center and IBM scouts at the venue. Video after the jump.

- Stuff.tv

A free version of Golfshot for Bethpage State Park Golf Course BLACK, home of this year's U.S. Open feature imagery and GPS-based distance to the hole for those live on the course and in preview mode for those at home. If this is meant for tracking the event, it really has to include real time coverage.

- press release

In running the best you typically can do is track runner's progress via text. That's only vaguely helpful for say, someone looking to "find" their runner at mile 18.6 of a marathon. Each year a dedicated team from my club attempts to support our teammates by providing them fluids/nutrition and the best we can do is expect them based on who passed before them. Ideally, I'd want an estimate based on their pace, of when they'll pass where I am. I'd also like a regularly updated leader board. It took quite some time at Boston for word to filter back to us that Ryan and Kara each took third. During my first Boston Marathon my brother and family went home because they thought I'd dropped out based on SMS from the automated system. I hadn't.

Posted by Adena Schutzberg in LBS at 06:29 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |