Tuesday, August 25. 2009

Map Projecting Gadget Takes Silver at Design Competition

I've learned that when a device wins a design competition, there's a good reason: elegant design. That does not mean the device is practical or in demand.

Take the Maptor, designed by Jinsun Park and Seonkeun Park of South Korea's Samsung Art & Design Institute, which received a silver award at the 2009 International Design Excellence Awards organized by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA).

The not-yet-available tubular device fits in your hand (or hangs around your neck) and projects a map image on any flat surface. The device is battery powered and downloads maps via Bluetooth. And there's a GPS inside so there's a "you are here" pin on the map.

- Crave

Monday, August 10. 2009

Don't Track Kids, Track the Folks Checking Up on the Kids

Florida is among the first states to use GPS, digital photography and cell technology to insure that case workers responsible for the state's challenged children are doing their jobs.

The Florida Department of Children and Families new Blackberry app upload information directly to the state database in Tallahassee at each home visit. Social workers snap the child's picture which is sent on to the database stamped with a date, time and GPS coordinates. That helps document visits and keep workers safe in rough neighborhoods. It may also prevent some false records that led to children being lost forever.

For now the app is in use in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties now, with a rollout to the entire data planned for October.

- Miami Herald

Friday, August 7. 2009

What to do if your GPS Fails

Jalopnik has the answer from Ben Wojdyla in article titled: How to read a paper map like an old-timer.

via Gizmodo

Waze Business Model: Collect Data and License It

I noted waze when it came out for the Android beginning in May of this year. This week it debuted for the iPhone (press release) with commentary from the company's community geographer, Di-Ann Eisnor. (It seems she still holds a position at Platial.)

Continue reading "Waze Business Model: Collect Data and License It"

Tuesday, August 4. 2009

Golf Course GPS Firm Files for Bankruptcy

GPS Industries Inc. which manufacturers GPS units for use in golf, is reorganizing under the Chapter 11 bankruptcy code. The Sarasota, Florida firm moved from Canada within the last few months. It's filing listing assets of between $1 million and $10 million and liabilities between $10 million and $50 million. The downturn in the economy did not treat the firm well.

- Tampa Bay Business Journal

Podcast: In the News - State Stimulus Sites and User Generated Corrections

This week two news items peaked our interest: Good Jobs First, a Washington research center, released a report giving mediocre grades to state websites that aim to be transparent about the distribution of federal stimulus dollars. One of the criteria considered? Maps. Second, is there a trend in local news related to sat nav? Is there a move away from "two techs capturing data" stories to how users can get involved with collection and update?

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