Place Mail location-sensitive to-do list for cellphones
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jun 9th 2005 3:24AM
posted Jun 9th 2005 3:24AM
Pam Ludford, a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at the University of Minnesota, has developed a
location-sensitive to-do list app for GPS-enabled cellphones as her thesis project, but she's not yet looking to market
it. The app, called Place Mail, can send a reminder whenever you're near a particular location. So, for instance, if
you're near the video store, it can remind you of a movie you wanted to rent. Ludford is now looking for participants
for a trial period, after which she'll publish a paper on her research and finish her Ph.D.
[Via textually.org]
well its running on a motorola phone on the iDen networks...ie Nextel. that basically means its a java based app...i wonder if shes interested in open sourcing it...doubtful. but this is still a very good idea...i was thinking about something like this a few months ago, and was wondering why no one (ie service providers) had somthing like this.
imagine combining this with a snart phone and possible google maps...theres a hack for you...
in fact this brings up a fairly good question.
FTA:"The phones use the Nextel service plan - because Nextel is the only provider that allows outside programmers such as Ludford to add software."
is sprint going to carry on that tradition?
hmm... could be a smart marketing gimmic in the future... your all in one pda/phone reminding you that kcf as you walk close has a cupon for you... or reminding you that that movie you wanted to rent has come in... ohh the world of tomorrow...
The new acronym could be called PMS.
Placemail Messaging Service.
Computer science PhD students should be inventing new algothims not wasting time on drivel like this. While it's a nice product for people too stupid to remember they wanted to watch a movie, it's not science.
Pam, please transfer to the b-shcool, you are not a scientist.
All this "break thru" technology mumbo jumbo!?!...
I just want my mobile phone's battery to last an entire week without charging!!!
Am I asking too much??
Why should CompSci students invent new algorithms? Definitely more useless than this, since all those algorithms have already been invented, just not released. Way to rock the month-old (year-old) news, Engadget. (I'm still pissed about the 25-and-up clause. At least I didn't have to explain the phone...)
f
fever,
Because inventing (not "releasing" or "developing" or "implementing") is an academic pursuit.
Using someone else's technology to make a marketing tool isn't.
It's a good project for an MS student, I guess.
Pam Ludford here. Just want to point out that the story here on engadget hardly captures what all I will be doing to earn my dissertation. Rest assured, "That's Hot" Guy, that I will be doing *plenty* of computation and traditional computer science before my committee gives me a nod.
Awesome that you're on here Pam. I totally take back what I said. I even read the article! I liked the "milk" multi-user example. (You can't get this stuff from the summary, people.)
Being the only one that ever picks up the damn milk in my house it would be great if a text message could make someone else to do it just once!
I am a bit more of an academic "purist" then most, but if you say your "primary interest is mostly academic", then who am I to disagree?
I'll have you know I've upped my meds and am feeling great, thank you.