Update: Geode (blog post from Mozilla labs, download) built on Skyhook's Wi-Fi-based solution. I guess the real question is where should such a tool sit? In the operating system? As an app running on the operating system? As an add-on to the browser (as this is)? It feels like we are still determining where in the "stack" the LPS (location positioning system) should fit. I do like that it follows the W3C spec; specs are good. Still, there are those like Brian Kraemer at ChannelWeb that feel location is still a hard sell, no matter where in the stack it lives: "Mozilla Labs' initiative with Geode is admirable, but getting users to embrace location mapping or location awareness still seems a few years out at the earliest, because, right now, there's no compelling reason to share location information."

In an e-mail Tuesday (after the launch) from a PR person on the campaign I learned how Mozilla is positioning the offering: "Geode presents developers with an open mobile platform alternative to Google Chrome and Gears."

--- original post 10/07 9 am EDT -------

Reader Kevin pointed me to this Webware article that teases about a new add-on for Firefox called Geode expected today. ReadWriteWeb describes it as " "a Firefox add-on that understands location, enabling enriched, personalized, and localized content" and VentureBeat explains it's a location determination tool, built on the W3C spec, upon which developers can build. Exactly how it determines location is not clear, though its likely IP location, wi-fi, cell tower - the same thing other platforms offer. Such tools are becoming common so such announcements seem less and less important. My sense is that if you want your device to be location aware, you can probably find software, often free, to determine it. Whether that location will be available to your other apps seems to be the sticking point. That in turn points to Yahoo's Fire Eagle, which VentureBeat suggests is a great manager for Geode's location information.

I got an e-mail, as it seems many bloggers did, touting the beta of "Map My Miles Per Gallon." It basically does a "drive distance" for two different vehicles on a single gallon of gas. The result is a map, starting at a location you select, with two amoeba-like polygons. The smaller one shows how far the the lower mpg car could travel, and the larger one where the higher mpg car could reach. It's sort of fun to key in your current car (my 2000 Subaru Impreza is listed at 23 mpg in the city) and a friend's and compare them.

But that's not my point. The e-mail came from eMergeGIS and simply noted the site was an ESRI site. So I asked who sent the e-mail. Here's the rest of the story from ESRI:

The MapMPG site was built by ESRI’s BusinessMAP group in Dallas. The site is useful tool, but is also an advertisement for BusinessMAP. eMergeGIS works closely with ESRI-Dallas handling the fulfillment of BusinessMAP. (BusinessMAP sells mostly via direct channels - toll-free number and the Internet rather than the standard ESRI sales reps.)...The technology behind it is ESRI’s, but not BusinessMAP... BusinessMAP does have drive-time functionality, but this is really just an awareness campaign – an interesting place to put an ad so that more people discover BusinessMAP, or at least ESRI.

There's a bit of an invasion into geospatial. A few weeks ago Netezza and Teradata, two data warehouse appliance companies added geospatial support to their offerings. These sorts of appliances were new to me and per our recent poll new to many of you. Today another type of company comes invading. Mark Logic has added geospatial support its XML Server (press release). So, just as last time I had to ask a seemingly naive question, "What's a data warehouse appliance?" this time I have to ask, "What's an XML Server?" An XML server is a specialized database for XML that's "wired" like a search engine. That's how Mark Logic's Chief Technologist Chris Biow explained it to me yesterday. On top of the database is a layer that allows easy exposure of Web (and other) services.

It's from XRoad and covers only a few U.S. cities, but apparently G-Map (unfortunate name, I'll offer) is ok by Apple as it's said to be available via the AppStore. It's a large download (700 Mb free space needed) and apparently downloads all the data so there's no need for a connection to do a search or get directions.

TG Daily notes that v 2.2 of the iPhone firmware will include StreetView and opens up navigation. The current firmware version is 2.1 and it seems the app above is delivered on that version, though product page does not specify.

via Electric Pig

The plan was to get the online mapping app online in the municipality before the Commonwealth Youth Games beginning October 12, but that won't be met. Still, the app, from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), should be online by December. Delays are something with which GIS pros are familiar. What's interesting about this implementation which offers local search and routing: "The PMC would initially allow citizens to add to missing locations on the map."

This can't be the only city in India that allows input from residents. But it's not the only place they can add data. Google is looking to fill in gaps in its maps of the country as well. What will convince a local to add to one or the other implementation?

Timing? Google already has an app up and running.
Ease of use? Why bother if adding information is clunky or slow.
The type of information? Why add data is the type of POI or nature of the data is not requested?
Tie to community? If one feels connected to, or has pride in, the local community, will they be more likely to "give" data to its database?
Licensing? Will users even consider what will happen to the location information they provide in the long term?
Advertising? Will the user-generated content simply go the service provider who makes residents most aware of the data collection program?

- a href=<"http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/gis-plan-misses-date-with-games/370268/">Express India

John Puopolo, most recently the vice president of software and product engineering at Tele Atlas, has signed on as CTO at Massachusetts-based Searchandise Commerce, an eCommerce ad network for product manufacturers. While at TA, the press release notes, "he transitioned his engineering organization to a global structure, streamlined the engineering practices and adopted contemporary development techniques resulting in a substantial decrease in time-to-market for end-products and 100 percent improvement in software quality in just 18 months. Through consistent, on-time delivery to both domestic and international customers such as Google, Microsoft and MapQuest, he helped grow company revenue a combined 58 percent in 2006 and 2007."