Friday, December 14. 2007

GPS-enabled Ski Jacket

I don't ski, so those of you who do can perhaps evaluate the value of the new O’Neill NavJacket. It's a ski jacket with built-in GPS. Audio in the hood provides navigation instructions to lead you down the hill while a screen on the sleeve shows maps. If you hook it up to a cell phone you can get 3D visuals and other resort information. Word is that like most satnav devices you tell it where you want to go (it's not clear how this is done - key in, select from list, input from computer?)

Perhaps they are confused, but the report I read says that in addition to speed and location, the device can provide (apparently on its own) local weather information. I'd think that'd require cell or Interent access, no?

The jacket will be tested this year in the Alps and perhaps be on sale next season.

- pocket-link.co.uk

Wednesday, November 21. 2007

Weatherbonk! A traveler's tool for the holidays.

A mashup of data from The Weather Channel, WeatherBug, Google Maps, DOT street-level webcams, road speeds, and traffic...in other words a very comprehensive tool for travelers during the holiday season, Weatherbonk is a combination of good data that looks like the first generation of tools that are sure to become standard references for web or mobile users.

Friday, August 10. 2007

A Weather Prediction Web Map Service from PSU

Gary Price (ResourceShelf) tipped me off to a new GIS internet Map Service for weather. This one comes out of a partnership between the National Weather Service and Penn State. The article provides little information on the nature of the service:

PSIEE Web enables the weather data through the creation of Internet Map Services (IMS) so they are available to anyone with an Internet connection. These map services allow the served data to be easily integrated into a desktop GIS software package via the Internet with just a click of a button. The team also developed viewing capabilities through Google Earth.

However, a PowerPoint referenced in the article, from the ESRI UC this year makes clear the data is available in ArcIMS Image and Feature Services, but if you dig through it seems that it's also accessible via WMS. I believe you can access the services here (the article provides no links, so I'm guessing based on the PPT.)

Tuesday, July 31. 2007

Podcast: The Cross Pollination of Professional and Consumer Geospatial Innovations

Joe Francica and Adena Schutzberg explore where innovation is occurring in the geospatial marketplace in both geospatially focused professional tools and in the consumer marketplace. There's interaction between the two markets as well as innovation moving up and down the geospatial user pyramid.

The podcast is 14 minutes long (~ 6 Mb) and was recorded on July 27, 2007.

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Thursday, July 26. 2007

Podcast: Tipping Point for Personal Navigation Devices?

Darren Koenig, Wireless Market Director for Tele Atlas, provided insights on how the market for personal navigation devices is set to exponentially explode and why we are perhaps at a tipping point. He explained how both the in-vehicle and personal navigation devices markets will benefit from wireless network infrastructure development and why certain market segments, of varying demographic composition, are likely to buy both types of devices, and why generational differences are not a hindrance to widespread market indulgence. Editor-in-chief Joe Francica conducted the interview on July 23, 2007. The interview is approximately 18 minutes long.


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Tuesday, July 10. 2007

The war of the Worlds and Earths is over?

I turned that into a question, but it was actually a statement in an e-mail from the folks behind Globe Glider. The message states:

New geobrowser turns Microsoft and Google products into single,
easy-to-use tool

Most important, because Globe Glider is a geobrowser, it gives you a smooth, one-click ride around the world and to all of the information needed on each destination via (your choice!) Google Maps©, Google Earth©, Microsoft Virtual Earth© and Google Street View©.

Something Globe Glider does away with: the minutes, even hours spent hunting-and-pecking your way through today’s search engines, trying to put together a portfolio of travel information.

Two of the Google Earth blogs use terms like "groundbreaking," "awesome" and "holy grail."

I didn't feel that way; I found myself confused and bewildered. I don't think I'd visit it again for travel planning. I don't think the problem was the content - it's from all over he Weather Channel via Yahoo, Rough Guides, some unknown hotel listings, etc. I don't the problem is technology - it's a nice mix of using APIs and open source.

The challenge was the four panel interface, the menu bar in the middle, smaller panel (not the main map) and the fact that I had to read the directions to figure out how to use it. I suspect I was expecting too much from the marketing speak; I look forward to the next incremental update.