geotag
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Twitter taps Yelp for detailed location tagging in the UK
The next time you decide to add a location to one of your tweets, expect to see a lot more businesses and popular places in your list. That's because Twitter has teamed up with business listing and review site Yelp to supply location services for UK and Japanese users inside its app. It's very similar to the deal the social networking giant struck with Foursquare in the US last year, giving brands and (more importantly) followers a little more context around what it is you're doing.
Mapping project catalogs Instagram sunrises from around the world
Have you noticed the wealth of sunrise and sunset photos on Instagram? Michelle Chandra certainly has, and her project offers a look at the sun's activity around the world in real time. "All Our Suns" gathers snapshots upload with either the #sunrise or #sunset hashtag, using the posts to populate a set of data-driven maps. Two of the crowdsourced cartography pieces catalog every image that's uploaded during the course of a 24-hour period -- one for sunrises and one for sunsets based on a user's location. What's more, you can click on a location marker to view the photo. A third map notes times when two people are posting at the same time, with one updating the beginning and the other observing the end of a day. The whole thing is a study on how our lives literally revolve around the sun and how social networks illustrate time as a never-ending loop.
Bump's photo-sharing Flock app now supports 15 languages
Flock, Bump Technologies' photo-sharing app, has just added localization for 15 different languages, gaining it potential international appeal. Founded by CEO David Lieb, Flock is essentially a photo-sharing app that collects photos taken within a certain location and remembers who you were with thanks to that aforementioned geo-tracking data. It's similar to Highlight or even Color, except the app doesn't need to be open. Instead, a push notification is sent to all users in attendance, giving them a choice to create a group album of shared photos. Lieb tells us that it's picked up some notable user stats since the app's debut in July last year. Apparently more than 60 percent of the photos that Flock recommends are actually shared, and push notification response rates are around 40 to 50 percent. He also revealed that the average user gets around 33 photos from friends every week, while active users share 25 to 40 percent of all photos taken. It's no wonder then that the company aims to widen its reach with added localization -- after all, we know how well that's worked for other social networks. Head on past the break to see Flock in action, or just download it yourself from the source. Added languages are iOS-only, with the Android version remaining monolingual for now.
Nikon's Coolpix S800c: an Android-powered point-and-shoot camera for $350
It's here: Nikon's first Android-powered camera, and it's one that you'd actually consider buying. The $349.95 Coolpix S800c is nearly as slim as a smartphone from the middle of last decade, boasting inbuilt GPS (you know, for excessive geotagging), a 10x optical zoom lens, 16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, 3.5-inch OLED WVGA touchscreen, a 1080p movie capture mode and Android 2.3. That's right -- there's a bona fide copy of Android running the show on a point-and-shoot camera, something that it seems Nikon beat Samsung to the punch with. Put simply, it possesses the ability to generate its own network and tether with your phone, and users can also download photo sharing applications directly onto the cam's 4GB of internal storage. Needless to say, we're anxiously awaiting our chance to see how Android handles on a camera (and how it impacts battery life), and you can find out yourself when it hits shelves in black / white motifs next month.
Embracing geotagging: how to journal your trips (and contribute to Google Earth) with snapshots
Geotagging. It's not exactly a long, lost art, but it's certainly not something most folks bother to do after a trip. Avid travelers, hikers and the general outdoorsy crowd have been embracing the feature for years, though, and it's actually seeping into the mainstream without most individuals even noticing. How so? Smartphones. Given the proliferation of iPhones, Android handsets and Windows Phone devices making their way onto the market -- coupled with the explosive use of geo-minded social networks like Path, Instagram and Foursquare -- an entire generation is now growing up in a geotagged world. Phone users have it easy; so long as there's a data connection and an embedded GPS module (commonplace in modern mobile devices), there lies the ability to upload a photo with a patch of metadata embedded. Snap a shot at a national park, upload it, and just like that, viewers and friends from around the world now have an idea as to what a specific place on the Earth looks like. Solmeta N3 geotagging module review Columbia's GPS Pal app for Android and iOS Casio Exilim EX-H20G (with Hybrid GPS) review For travel hounds like myself, that's insanely powerful. I'm the kind of person that'll spend hours lost in Google Earth, spinning the globe around and discovering all-new (to me, at least) locales thanks to the magic of geotagging. It's sort of the photographic equivalent to putting a face to a name. By stamping latitude, longitude, altitude and a specific time to any given JPEG, you're able to not only show the world what you saw, but exactly when and where you saw it. It's a magical combination, and with GPS modules finding their way into point-and-shoot cameras -- not to mention external dongles like Solmeta's magnificent N3 (our review here) -- there's plenty of opportunity to start adding location data to your photos. For more on the "Why would I want to?" and "How would I best display 'em?" inquiries, let's meet up after the break.
Fujifilm unwraps FinePix F800EXR camera with wireless sharing to Android, iOS
If your company doesn't have a camera with WiFi sharing somewhere in your lineup, many will say you're not even in the photography game. Fujifilm is definitely playing: welcome the FinePix F800EXR, its first camera with wireless sharing as part and parcel of the experience. Its centerpiece is a free Photo Receiver app for Android and iOS devices that will catch as many 30 images at a time from an ad hoc WiFi camera link. The matching (if unceremoniously named) Camera Application can return the gesture by geotagging shots as well as finding existing photos on the map. Fujifilm will even pre-Instagram the photos through six new on-camera filters for those who can't stand posting images online without at least some Lomo or tilt-shift effects thrown in. As for the actual camera part of the camera, Fujifilm is keeping afloat in the competitive waters with a 16-megapixel, CMOS-based EXR sensor that can widen the dynamic range or lower the noise if sheer resolution isn't all that vital. An equally noteworthy 20x (25-500mm equivalent) lens out in front will zoom in a lot closer than any phone camera -- well, most of them. We're otherwise looking at the technology we'd expect in a point-and-shoot of this class, such as full-resolution burst shooting at up to eight frames per second, 1080p video and a RAW mode for image quality sticklers. Stores should have the F800EXR in August for about $350, or about as much as the Galaxy Nexus that just might serve as its companion.
Solmeta N3 geotagging module for Nikon DSLR review: fast GPS locks, minimal battery drain
There's a reason "Nikon GP-1 alternative" is a search phrase that finds its way into Google's simplistic query box frequently. Put simply, the only GPS add-on with Nikon's name on it is universally seen as a poor purchasing decision. For one, it's still right around $200... despite the fact that it's pushing four years old. But perhaps more importantly, it's a major battery hog and takes eons (read: four to five minutes) to get a solid GPS lock if you attempt to conserve your juice by having it shut down each time you flick your camera's power switch to 'off.' Recently, we embarked on a road trip that took us through sparsely populated areas of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and California. For the purposes of using a geotagging module to accurately journal the precise locations of thousands of shots through some of America's most pristine wilderness, we strapped Solmeta's Geotagger N3 atop a Nikon D3S. For those unaware, the N3 was first introduced at CES 2012, and just recently started shipping directly from the company's Hong Kong headquarters to purchasers all over the globe. Much to our surprise, it managed to not only outgun the GP-1, but it also exceeded even our lofty expectations. Care to hear more? Join us after the break. %Gallery-159538%
Flickr brings in Nokia map data for precise geotagged photos, Instagram shots just got eerily accurate
Open Street Map has been helping Flickr display geotagged shots for some time. That crowdsourced map data has led to more than a few photos being located in a gray blob, however, which is why Yahoo just struck a deal to put Nokia maps into as many nooks and crevices of the world as possible. The addition will make sure that Instagram photo tour of Africa is often accurate down to the street corner, not to mention give a slightly Finland-tinged look to the maps themselves. Open Street Map isn't going away, but it's now being used only for those areas where regular coverage is spotty or non-existent. The images already apply to any existing and upcoming uploads -- there will be no question that self-portrait was taken in Tanzania.
ZOMM Wireless Leash Plus speaks up for abandoned iPhones (video)
ZOMM's Wireless Leash plus is a hockey puck you clip onto your keychain and forget about -- until things start to go wrong. Tethering to your iPhone over Bluetooth, it'll start raising hell if your phone gets too far away from you. It's also a speakerphone (with a noise-canceling microphone) for taking calls on the road, a personal attack alarm, and it'll call the emergency services at the push of a button. Paired to the free myZOMM app, you can geotag your car so you remember where it is in the multi-story lot or check out the last known location of your most precious stuff. It's shipping now for $80 and a further $30 will get you a safe driving kit, not that we need to remind you that driving with a phone in your hand is a bad thing, right?
Pentax releases O-GPS1 add-on for DSLRs, appeals to astronomy nuts
Pentax's Optio WG-1 GPS point-and-shoot satisfied geotaggers out of the box, but owners of its K-5, K-r and 645D DSLRs have had to make do with third-party taggers like the PhotoTrackr or Eye-Fi. The new hotshoe-mounted O-GPS1 module fixes that oversight by recording latitude, longitude, altitude, Coordinated Universal Time and shooting angle. Everyday snappers might find an extra hotshoe attachment cumbersome, but astro-photography enthusiasts could well be enticed by the device's interesting "ASTROTRACER" function. This helps you take clearer photos of celestial bodies by using the in-built sensors to calculate a star's movement and then employing the camera's shake reduction system to compensate. Sounds clever, but be advised: this module is only for Pentax DSLRs -- and only for very specific models at that. You'll get full functionality with the K-5 and K-r cameras, and geotagging (no ASTROTRACER) with the 645D. Oh, and you'll need to make sure your camera's firmware is up-to-date. Peer carefully through that lens and you'll see the O-GPS1 heading for a July landing, priced at $250. [Thanks, Iddo]
Fujifilm adds GPS module, geotagging functionality to waterproof Finepix XP30 camera
Remember Fujifilm's Finepix XP10 from... oh, right around seven months ago? Hopefully you're not one to get overly depressed about the rush of progress, because Fujifilm has just outed an update to that very camera that's significantly improved. Following Casio's footsteps on the Exilim EX-H20G, Fuji is introducing the GPS-enabled Finepix XP30 here at CES. The overall size and shape remains similar to the aforementioned XP10, with this point-and-shoot being waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof. What may really entice the argonauts in the crowd is the embedded GPS chip; this will keep tabs of your location and embed your exact coordinates into every picture you take. Once you get back home, just dump 'em into iPhoto or Picasa in order to view photos based on location. Moreover, the GPS Tracking Data function will regularly store location data, and when you get home, you can actually create a map of your travels. Other specifications include a 14 megapixel CCD sensor, 720p movie mode, image stabilization, a 2.7-inch anti-reflective LCD, a reinforced hardened glass lens barrier, a metal, unibody chassis and a riveted front panel. The XP30 should ship next month for $239.95, while a GPS-less sibling (the Finepix XP20; pictured after the break) will ship a month later for $199.99; those looking to accessorize will find an adjustable float strap, protective silicone skin and a neoprene sports case for sale in March for an undisclosed amount.
Revised PhotoTrackr Plus works with Nikon D90, D3100, D5000 and D7000
Nothing like a little competition in the morning, eh? Just days after the Foolography Unleashed Bluetooth geotagging family hit the scene, in flies GiSTEQ with a mildly tweaked PhotoTrackr Plus (RT90, compared to last year's RT10). The only major difference with this guy is its list of compatible cameras -- Nikon's D90, D3100, D5000, and D7000 are now supported. It's still a two-piece solution, which requires users to plug one end directly onto the camera, but it touts near-instant bootup, low power consumption and the incredible ability of making far-fetched dreams come true. And by "far-fetched dreams," we mean "help you remember where your photos were taken." It's available now for $179 if you're memory's fading faster than ever before.
Foolography Unleashed Bluetooth geotagging modules land for Nikon D90 and Dx000 DSLRs
There's no shortage of fancy ways to geotag with your old beater of a shooter, but Foolography's new solutions for Nikon DSLRs might be one of the most understated. Two new "Unleashed" modules have just arrived, one for the Dx000 series (D3100, D5000, and D7000), and the other for the ultra-popular D90. The little Bluetooth modules embed GPS data from an external GPS receiver (yeah, it's BYOEGPSR) directly onto photos as you take them. They're retailing for €125 outside of the EU (about $170 US) and a bit more to consumers on the continent -- nobody ever said classy comes cheap.
PhotoTrackr Plus brings geotagging to Nikon DSLRs, leaves your hotshoe open
Oh sure, Nikon's got its own solution for adding native geotagging to your existing DSLR, but the GP-1 dongle definitely has its drawbacks. Aside from sucking down around 4x more power than Gisteq's new PhotoTrackr Plus, it also eliminates the ability to use a dedicated flash in the hotshoe while capturing GPS data. Moreover, it has to warm up every time you turn the camera on / off, and there's just 18 tracking channels compared to the Gisteq's 44. Regardless of the back and forth, we do appreciate the PhotoTrackr Plus' ability to plug directly into the 10-pin terminal that few amateurs even think to recognize, though we do fear that the reliance on Bluetooth could cause issues if you stray too far from the transceiver. Still, this newfangled dongle is far superior to its past iterations, both of which simply logged data as you went and then added metadata after you synced the information with your images via PC; this dongle, however, embeds the data right away into every image. Better still, there's even a price advantage to going third party -- Nikon's aging GP-1 is pushing $200 on many webstores, while the Gisteq apparatus can be procured right now for $179. Take your pic, as they say.
Jobo doubles and quadruples the storage on its photoGPS geotaggers
It took a heck of a long time for Jobo to get its first photoGPS hot-shoe-occupying geotagger to market, and now that model is getting a pair of successors offering two and four times the coordinate-keeping internal storage (2,000 and 4,000 locations, respectively). The new models are appropriately named photoGPS 2 and photoGPS 4, both of which capture your current coords whenever you snap a shot and then inject those waypoints into the photos via software when you pull down the pics. That suite is also getting an update to identify POIs that were near your scenic overlooks, a feature that, honestly, doesn't seem particularly useful. The photoGPS 2 and 4 are set to ship by the end of this month and will set you back €99 ($125) or €129 ($175).
Leica V-Lux 20 compact with 12x superzoom is pure brand extortion
It's out -- the V-LUX 20 -- what was rumor is now official courtesy of a Leica press release. The 12.1 megapixel superzoom with 25-300mm Leica DC-VARIO-ELMAR 4.1-49.2mm f/3.3-4.9 ASPH lens and integrated GPS is slated to ship to the UK in May for a suggested retail price of £495 (about $757, likely a bit less when priced Stateside). The matte-black finished compact sports a 1/2.33-inch CCD sensor, 720p/60fps Motion JPEG video recording, a 460,000 pixel 3-inch LCD, 11-point AF, SD/SDHC/SDXC storage, and plenty of options to drop into manual mode when you want a bit more control of the action. Nice huh? Just remember that the V-Lux 20 is a near exact replica (same lens, sensor, LCD, and GPS) of the DMC-ZS7 which lists for just $399, is smaller, and shoots HD video in the more sophisticated AVCHD Lite format. Yeah, we know.%Gallery-91218%
JVC ships Bluetooth-packin', geotagging Everio GZ-HM550 camcorder
Ah, springtime. Ain't it beautiful? So beautiful, in fact, that you're apt to want to capture the flowers blooming and the kids playing around you, which is probably why JVC finally decided to ship the Everio GZ-HM550 that it announced back at CES. As far as handheld camcorders go, it's one of the better specced models on the market, touting a 10.6 megapixel CMOS sensor, 32GB of inbuilt storage, an SD / SDHC expansion slot, an integrated Bluetooth module (for controlling the camera's play, zoom and record functions via cellphone) and geotagging support when used with a compatible BT phone. Oh, and users can even sync up a Bluetooth headset in order to monitor the recorded sound or input voice recordings. You'll also get 1080p recording, a 16x zoom and the ability to snag 9 megapixel stills, all for the low, low price of $799.95. Go ahead -- step your YouTube game way up.
Ask Engadget: Best geotagging camera or solution?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from James, who needs more geotagging in his life for reasons that are far too personal to share. That said, we have to confess that we're curious... "I am looking for the best geotagging camera currently available. The most important feature for me is the accuracy of the GPS module, so any hard specs on satellite receiver would be really useful. Thanks for your time!" Short and sweet, precisely how we like it. We're also expanding the question to include geotagging accessories, being that it may actually be best to snag a well-respected standalone camera and then add something like the PhotoTrackr Mini -- besides, this will ensure that you can upgrade cameras whenever you darn well please without losing the geotagging abilities. Shout out your recommendations in comments below!
PhotoTrackr Mini geotagging device shrinks down, adds Mac and RAW support
Looking for a geotagging solution that doesn't discriminate based on what kind of camera you have? Looking for one that can fit snugly into your Fifth Pocket? The PhotoTrackr Mini looks to be that very device, boasting a diminutive thumb drive-esque appearance and the same geotagging technology as found in the original. Put simply, the device works by syncing the time of your camera with bundled software; when you're back from a shoot (a shoot where your device also was), you just allow the application to figure out where a given shot was snapped at what time. There's also Mac and RAW file format support on this model, neither of which were compatible with the prior version. Pre-orders are being accepted now at $69, and the first shipments are expected to go out next month.
Garmin nuvifone G60 officially coming to AT&T: October 4th for $299
Can you believe it? No, seriously -- can you believe it? Nearly two full years after its surprise introduction to the world, the nüvifone G60 is finally coming to US shores. In an official press release outed today, the Garmin nüvifone G60 has been blessed with an October 4th launch date on AT&T. Oddly enough, nary a mention of "ASUS" or "Garmin-Asus" is found, but regardless of semantics, you can bet that it'll be looking for buyers this Sunday. The internal GPS chip and 3 megapixel, auto-focusing camera will enable users to geotag photos and emails and navigate using the same heralded user interface that folks rely on today with the company's standalone PNDs. You've already pounded the specifications into your head by now, but the last figures you'll need to know are these: it'll run $299 on a two-year agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate, and if you're hoping to access Premium Connected Services -- which includes traffic updates, white pages, weather, movie, local events and fuel price content -- you'll be forking out $5.99 per month after the 30-day trial expires. So, after all of this, who's in?
