Yahoo Updates the Yahoo! Maps Geocoding API with PlaceFinder

PlaceFinder updates the existing Yahoo! Map Geododing API (which will run as is until year end) with PlaceFinder, “a REST Web service that provides consistent multi-language global geocoding of named places.” So, not only do you get lat/lon from your address in 75 countries, you get 32 response fields including:

WOEID
Neighborhood
Time Zone
Area Code
Locale Code
Bounding Box Coordinates

And, you get reverse geocoding!

Why? That’s the real question. Yahoo! has been making all kinds of great developer goodies, just nothing that’s turned a developer’s world upside. Even Yahoo’s “end user” goodies are pretty techie (Fire Eagle, which few understood and Pipes, about which I might make the same argument). So, is this for developers or is this part of Yahoo actually getting into the LBS game? If nothing else it is solidifying Yahoo’s tools by integrating WOEID which is used elsewhere. Some are suggesting this is the core of a check-in play in the near future.

- Yahoo Developer Blog

LBS Tidbits

Apples new Terms of Service say they can grab your location - but it’s ok, it’s anonymous. And, there are more tools to manage location sharing.

- C|net

Loopt is first to offer LBS as a background app on iOS 4 (iPhone OS 4).

- San Fran Chronicle

There are 3 million users of Poynt, the local search app.

- press release

SCVNGR, the platform for building LBS games, now offers profile pages for its players. This was the most asked for enhancement since launch.

- TechCrunch

“To date celebrities are not adopting any of the major location-based social networks. ” That’s in contrast to their explosion on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

- The Next Web

WaveMarket Renames itself Location Labs; Offers New Services

WaveMarket changed its name and has re-organized around a Location-as-a-Service Platform, which is in closed beta. It’ll go public in Q3 of this year. Invites to the beta or info on launch are available here.

What’s inside?

· Geofencing Service: Allows developers to leverage background processing on smart phones to create location-based triggers for their applications. For example, developers can create a Geofence around a favorite place and automatically “check-in” subscribers when they enter the place.

· Universal Location Service: Allows developers to locate over 180M devices (Google Latitude has 3M)  in real time through a cloud-based API.  There is no download required for the end user, and the service can locate ALL types of devices: both smartphones and non-smartphones.

· Location Privacy Service: Provides developers a simple set of user interface widgets that let the user control how her location is shared, offering the end user control and transparency in sharing location. The Location Labs Privacy Service lets users opt in or out of location sharing via SMS, mobile web, or even a web portal. Leverages industry-standard OAuth for easy integration.

I had two questions when I read the PR. I contacted Location Labs this am, but found that my questions were answered by a VentureBeat story that ran yesterday (Maybe VB got more than a 20 minute heads up on the announcement?):

How does Location Labs count 180 million devices in its sphere?

“Location Labs’ “Universal Location Service” (called the “Veriplace platform” in WaveMarket days) reaches 180 million devices through partnerships with AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, which required getting access to the carriers’ networks and customizing the software.”

Why the name change?

“Roumeliotis says the company has always been about location, and when he founded WaveMarket in 2000, he wanted to have the word “location” in the name, but the idea was laughed at then. Now, it’s a new day and location-based services are drawing hot interest from investors.”

- press release
- Venture Beat

PBBI Business Insight Picks O’Hara as New President

John O’Hara will fill the shoes of Mike Hickey, who announced his resignation earlier this month.

O’Hara joined Pitney Bowes in 2007 when Pitney Bowes acquired MapInfo. At the time, he was executive vice president of international operations, later becoming general manager of international affairs. Before joining MapInfo, O’Hara held management positions at Microsoft UK, Pivotal Corp. and Lotus Development Corp. in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Matthew Broder, a spokesman with Pitney Bowes, said O’Hara will relocate to the region from the United Kingdom over the next two months.

- The Business Review (Albany)

Broadcom Acquires Innovision

Broadcom is a U.S. communications hardware and chip maker. Innovision is a UK-based company that makes near field communications (NFC) hardware. NFC is a method of information exchange that works of about 10 centimeter. It’s really not taken off in recent years, but has the promise of being the technology for in-store payments and other “close by” activities.

The reason for the acquisition, perhaps? Nokia has committed to supporting NFC in all its new phones by 2011. So, perhaps NFC’s time has come?

Daily Finance

- NFC Forum Competition Winners