LocationAwareness
Latest
Microsoft brings true, background multitasking to Windows Phone 8
Well, Microsoft has officially left Apple as the only player in the Mobile field to not support real multitasking. With the next version of Windows Phone, background multitasking will be opened up to all devs, thanks to libraries provided directly by Redmond. During today's presentation two different background tasks were demoed, VoIP and location. The VoIP integration allows users to have calls come in, preferably via Skype if Microsoft has its way, without having the app running in the foreground and have them appear the same as a standard phone call. While watching for incoming calls is nice, a more commonly used feature is location monitoring. Now apps will be able to monitor location in the background while you perform other tasks. One by one, Microsoft is checking off boxes on our list of complaints about Windows Phone.
Microsoft offers up 'managed driving' source code, gets back to location-based business
WiFi-sniffing -- all the major tech giant's are doing it. But it's for your own better-targeted, location-based good... they swear. It's a familiar story that saw Google get served in France and the UK for its fleet of data-collecting Street View cars, and had Apple accidentally storing users' geographic info unencrypted on their phones. Given the history, it's not surprising to see Microsoft take the offensive by offering up source code from its own 'managed driving' program: the cars that collect WiFi, GPS and cell tower data. With the code out in the open, MS can easily side-step allegations of personal data-mining and continue its focus on improving local search services. The move is further evidence that the Ballmer-led company intends to take user privacy very seriously, having already stopped the tracking of individual Windows Phone handsets last May. Location aware devices are an inevitable part of our search-assisted lives, we just wish they all came with a giant opt-out button. [Image credit via WinRumors]
Verizon says it will put location warning labels on all phones sold
See that rather ominous warning label above? That's a new sticker that will soon be placed directly on the screen of every new device Verizon Wireless sells. Contrary to what you might suspect, however, that's not being done in response to the most recent iPhone 4 tracking fiasco. The label was revealed in a letter to Representatives Ed Markey and Joe Barton, who themselves sent a letter to Verizon (and the three other major carriers) on March 29th inquiring about a New York Times story that raised concerns about how carriers collect and store personal location data. As for the other carriers' responses, they apparently aren't going as far as Verizon has with its warning label, but they do mostly echo Verizon's response in other respects. They all say, for instance, that personal data is secured by a variety of means and stored only as long as needed (which can apparently vary by carrier, though), that they don't rent or sell personal information, and that they request customer consent before accessing location data. Despite those assurances, however, Rep. Markey says he's still left with a "feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty," and he's pointing a finger at third-party developers in particular, who he says must be held "accountable."
inPulse Bluetooth smartwatch gets Facebook Places check-in app for Android (video)
Ever since Allerta released an SDK for its well-hyped inPulse smartwatch, it was only a matter of time before we start seeing more practical applications that take this Bluetooth peripheral beyond the BlackBerry ecosystem. For instance, the latest example comes from the inPulse's very own Lead Designer Eric Migicovsky, who happens to be a fan of Facebook Places and possibly an Android convert. Rather than having to pull out his Nexus One for every check-in, Migicovsky can now use his simple app on his inPulse to grab a list of nearby locations off the phone, and then check in with just a click of a button. Pretty neat, eh? For those interested, you can grab the project code off inPulse's website and get programming.
Geocron lets Latitude automate your life, or at least your wife
Our pockets and camera bags are stuffed with locationally aware devices, yet for some reason we find ourselves still having to do stuff manually when we get somewhere. Shouldn't our thermostat click on the AC when we head home? Shouldn't our house lock itself when we embark on our morning commute? Shouldn't our car come and rescue us, even if it entails turbo boosting through a brick wall? We tend to think so, and Sunlight Foundation's geocron is a simple way to start that kind of automation. Born out of a desire for one of the app's developers to avoid having to manually send his wife a text to pick him up at the train station, geocron tracks your location in Google Latitude and automatically e-mails, text messages, or pings a web page when you reach a certain location. You can set up windows of time for each activity and, while using this service does have the somewhat disconcerting requirement of perpetual access to your current location, the source code is available so you can run your own, private instance. Or, you could just give your wife a call -- regular conversation is generally considered an important part of a healthy relationship.
