geolocation
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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.
Google files for a patent on peer-to-peer location finding, says cell tower triangulation is for chumps
Crowdsourcing map data itself isn't a surprise; it's been the cornerstone of OpenStreetMap and is about to get a big boost through iOS 6. Crowdsourcing actual positions is still a relatively untapped resource, however, and Google thinks that it might just be the ticket to getting a device's location when GPS alone doesn't cut it. Much as your current phone uses triangulation between cell sites to help speed up a position lock, a technique in a new Google patent application uses the physical distances between nearby devices to get a complete picture, even if GPS is completely on the fritz. The peer-to-peer technique still needs an internet connection to reach the central service piecing information together -- there isn't much help if you're in areas where reliable internet access isn't always guaranteed. Likewise, there's no certainty that Google will use the patent in a future build of Android or Chrome OS. If it does, though, at least some of us may say goodbye to the days of our map positioning going haywire the moment we drive through a tunnel or step into an office without WiFi.
Parrot Asteroid CK, Asteroid Nav, Asteroid 2DIN infotainment systems: hands-on (video)
At last year's CES, Parrot unveiled its Asteroid car receiver -- a nifty little head unit that brought Android apps to a driver's dashboard. Today, the company expanded its infotainment reach with three new in-car systems: the Asteroid CK, Asteroid Nav, and Asteroid 2DIN. Much like its predecessor, the Asteroid CK features a 3.2-inch color display, and can be attached directly to a vehicle's dashboard. This Bluetooth-powered, Gingerbread (2.3.4)-laced hands-free system connects to the web via tethered phone or 3G key, giving users access to a host of geolocation services, driving assistance features and streaming music. The device also comes with a wireless remote, and features voice recognition capabilities that allow users to place calls or browse their music libraries without taking their hands off the wheel. The Asteroid Nav, meanwhile, features a five-inch, capacitive multi-touch display and offers many of the same functions you'll find on the CK, along with an enhanced onscreen navigation system. At the larger end of the spectrum lurks the Asteroid 2DIN: a "2DIN-connected multimedia car radio" designed to fit within the central column of a car's dashboard. Here, you'll be able to take advantage of hands-free calling, music streaming services and RDS text+ service, along with an array of online services and navigation functions. The 2DIN also packs no less than two inputs, with one designed for rearview camera displays, and one for video output. No word yet on pricing or availability, but be sure to check out the gallery below and our hands-on video, after the break. Joe Pollicino contributed to this report.
Google announces 'opt-out' feature for wireless network owners, aims to allay privacy concerns
Google, as promised, responded to concerns over its data collection policy this morning, by announcing a new "opt-out" feature for its location based services. Under the new policy, WiFi operators can remove their home networks from Google's geolocation database by simply adding "_nomap" to the end of their access point's SSID. A network named "Engadget," for example, would be renamed "Engadget_nomap," and dutifully removed from the Google Location Server. In a blog post announcing the change, the company explained that this solution offers "the right balance of simplicity as well as protection against abuse," since it "helps protect against others opting out your access point without your permission." For more details, hit up the source link below, or check out Google's Help Center for more detailed instructions on how to opt out.
Find My Friends: Fun, useful and secure
With the release of iOS 5 comes another fun and useful app: Find My Friends (free). The app allows you to share your location with friends, who can then use the app on their iOS devices to figure out exactly where you are. While this may seem like a cyber-stalker's dream, you need to invite friends to share your position information and you can remove that right at any time. There are some very good uses for Find My Friends, like keeping track of a teenage child's location or finding directions to a friend's location at a coffee shop. Find My Friends uses a leather-like skeumorphic design, creating a warm and friendly look. The interface is designed with four main screens: All, which shows all of your friends who are using the app and have given you permission to see their location; Temporary, used to invite friends to temporarily share their locations; Me, which lets you hide from followers and set labels for various locations; and Requests, an inbox for all incoming friend requests. Once a friend has allowed you to find his or her location, their name appears on the All page along with a small green "mileage sign" that shows approximately how far away they are. A tap on their name brings up the Info page, showing their current location, their address, and other contact information. At the bottom of the page are buttons for sending an iMessage to your friend or getting directions to their location. %Gallery-136375% Asking for directions launches the Maps app, which pre-fills the Start and End fields with the current locations of you and your friend. It then provides you with turn-by-turn directions to that person's location, which can be a lot of fun if they're out of state. I'm personally excited about using this app with Siri. It will be nice to say "Where's Brett?" and have it tell me where my colleague currently is. If Siri can read the turn-by-turn directions to me, then I can take a navigation app or two off of my iPhone. The app has a few flaws -- Erica Sadun was looking at the help pages, found at Me > Account > Find My Friends Help > Find > Find Friends, and noticed that some of the pages had placeholders instead of actual help. Ooops. It looks like the app was rushed to get out concurrent with the release of iOS 5 and iCloud. On the other hand, the app is so easy to use, you won't need to use the help pages. Be sure to check out the gallery for screenshots of Find My Friends in action.
Intel to acquire Telmap, dole out easy to implement location APIs to AppUp developers
In case you weren't watching, Intel's Elements 2011 Keynote slipped in a sly acquisition announcement: the firm recently signed a deal to absorb Telmap, an Israel-based outfit whose location platform is the backbone of countless navigation apps. Intel's Peter Biddle says the navigation firm is to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intel, and will help AppUp developers pack their apps with unique location capabilities via Telmap's standardized APIs. Biddle wraps it up simply enough: "New advanced capabilities with just a few lines of code." Details on the deal are scarce, but hit the source link below to see Biddle's full statement in Intel's AppUp wrap-up.
NearPics is a clever idea that could be a lot better
I'm always looking for free apps that blend well with my passion for photography. I've been playing with NearPics, a free app from UK developers The Mac Box. The idea is simple. Start the app on your iPhone and photos that have been taken near your location appear in a slide show. I tried NearPics in Southern Arizona and it worked quite well, bringing up a couple of dozen photos of nearby locations, including some parks, some pictures of a nearby mall, and some nice sunsets. That's as far as it goes, but it could be a lot better. The pictures are sourced from Panaramio.com, not from users of the NearPics app. It would be so much better if I could just use the iPhone camera and submit images directly. I noticed that on Wi-Fi, the app was pretty fast, but in several locations it was dog slow on 3G. I think some users might just give up. The app runs a slide show, but the user has no control of the interval that the images change. You get to choose start and stop. That's it. Support for Flickr and other image services would be welcome. A tap on an icon takes you to Google Maps to see where the photo was taken, which is handy if you want to go there and take some photos on your own, but rather than build the Google Map into the app, you have to exit, making for a somewhat jarring experience. NearPics is a good idea, but it could be so much more useful. Sure it is free, and I appreciate the effort, but with just a little more in terms of features and NearPics would be an app that lots of photographers would use. Then again, unlike Color, there is some utility to the app. You can see some example photos in the gallery below. %Gallery-133265%
Garmin launches StreetPilot onDemand iPhone app, offers transit schedules
Garmin is best known for its in-car navigation systems, but today delved deeper into the realm of personal navigation with a brand new iPhone app for the eternally lost. For a dollar, you'll get standard walking, driving and public transportation directions, but go premium for $2.99 a month or $29.99 for the year, and you'll cop more add-ons designed to transform your iPhone into a full-fledged PND. Like the standard iPhone mapping system or HopStop, the subscription-based version of this app lets you integrate public transportation into your journey -- but the added feature here is the ability to view public transit schedules like you can in the Google Maps app for Android. It also has spoken turn-by-turn directions, Garmin's traffic routing and Google search, making it a handy alternative to a clunky navigation system. Check out the full PR after the break.
Does iPhone 4 Personal Hotspot add GPS to Wi-Fi only iPads?
There's a bit of a discussion floating around these days regarding the ability of the iPhone 4 Personal Hotspot to add GPS geolocation data to a Wi-Fi only iPad. This got started with an Urbanape post by blogger Zachary Bir in which he described being able to put his iPhone 4 in Personal Hotspot mode, make a connection to the phone with his original Wi-Fi iPad, and then watch on Google Maps on the iPad as the "blue dot" followed his car precisely on the road. Some bloggers have been saying that they believe this is just the iPad using the standard Wi-Fi geolocation that's available on laptops and other devices, but I agree with Bir that he's getting true GPS information transferred to the iPad from his iPhone 4. WIRED seems to agree. The reason? Most of the standard 3G "mobile hotspots," such as the Novatel MiFi, send GPS information to connected devices as well. Many of the providers of mobile hotspots, including Sprint and Verizon, make a big deal out of the fact that these hotspots provide accurate location information. Sprint, for example, provides Mac OS X and Windows software with the MiFi that can be used to find local services based on your current location. I was able to test the GPS capability on an original iPad using the iPhone 4 Personal Hotspot, and I found the locations to be quite accurate on Google Maps. I tried testing the location service on the Geocaching.com website, and I found that not only were my coordinates listed very accurately, but I was also able to use the site's search function to look for nearby caches. The only way the iPad could be getting the GPS coordinates was by using the iPhone 4 Personal Hotspot, since I had the device in a greenbelt away from any Wi-Fi signals. Bir notes that he has decided to forego the 3G version of the iPad this time as a result of his tests. For many people, that extra $130 can go for more storage in a new iPad 2. [via Cnet]
Internet Explorer 9 RC now available to download, tracking protection in tow (update)
The Internet Explorer 9 beta pleasantly surprised us with Microsoft's renewed competitiveness in the web browser wars, and the pinnable, hardware-accelerated experience is getting even better today -- you can download the IE9 release candidate right now, which streamlines and beautifies the tabbed browsing layout considerably, adds those previously promised, fully customizable tracking protection lists for privacy and freely toggled ActiveX filters, as well as an updated Javascript engine, geolocation support via HTML5, the ability to pin web apps to the taskbar, and a host of assorted speed and functionality improvements. Find the files you need at our source link below, and let us know if the Beauty of the Web captivates you this time around. Update: We spoke to Microsoft IE9 privacy guru Andy Ziegler, and learned to our dismay that tracking protection lists won't actually be included in the browser per se; rather, the company's created a feature where you can generate your own lists or download ready-made one from providers like TRUSTe. The thing is, IE9 won't suggest one for you, or even curate a group of them when you install -- you'll need to put on your power user hat and do the legwork there yourself.
Dokobots game for iOS brings together the inevitable: robots and geolocation
Now, wait. Don't just write Dokobots off because you hate Foursquare... this one has robots! While we've seen plenty of similar uses for geolocation, Dokobots operates as a sort of global scavenger hunt, with the ability to 'scan' the map of your surrounding area for items needed to charge up and repair your little robots. So far, we haven't gotten up the steam to walk the block and a half to pick up the batteries we need, but there's also a magnet tool for the super lazy, and other Dokobots will 'visit' your location over time, allowing you to record and photograph those moments for posterity. While we can't say yet if this game has staying power in our app catalog, it's definitely adorable at first glance. Dokobots is a free application available now in iTunes.
Study: select Android apps sharing data without user notification
Come one, come all -- let's gather and act shocked, shall we? It's no secret that Google's Android Market is far easier to penetrate than Apple's App Store, which is most definitely a double-edged sword. On one hand, you aren't stuck waiting a lifetime for Apple to approve a perfectly sound app; on the other, you may end up accidentally downloading some Nazi themes that scar you for life. A curious team of scientists from Intel Labs, Penn State and Duke University recently utilized a so-called TaintDroid extension in order to log and monitor the actions of 30 Android apps -- 30 that were picked from the 358 most popular. Their findings? That half of their sample (15, if you're rusty in the math department) shared location information and / or other unique identifiers (IMEI numbers, phone numbers, SIM numbers, etc.) with advertisers. Making matters worse, those 15 didn't actually inform end-users that data was being shared, and some of 'em beamed out information while applications were dormant. Unfortunately for us all, the researchers didn't bother to rat out the 15 evil apps mentioned here, so good luck resting easy knowing that your library of popular apps could be spying on you right now. Update: A Google spokesperson pinged up with an official response to the study, and you can peek it after the break. Update 2: Looks as if the full study (PDF) has been outed, with the 30 total apps named. Here they are: The Weather Channel, Cestos, Solitaire, Movies, Babble, Manga Browser, Bump, Wertago, Antivirus, ABC - Animals, Traffic Jam, Hearts, Blackjack, Horoscope, 3001 Wisdom Quotes Lite, Yellow Pages, Dastelefonbuch, Astrid, BBC News Live Stream, Ringtones, Layer, Knocking, Barcode Scanner, Coupons, Trapster, Spongebob Slide, ProBasketBall, MySpace, ixMAT, and Evernote. Thanks, Jordan! Update 3: Flixter, the company that makes Movies, has chimed in with this: "At Flixster, we do not and never have sold any personal or identifiable confidential information with anyone. We do use non-identifiable location information (e.g. metro-area) to show more relevant ads, as does almost every mobile app that relies on advertising. Users have to opt-in to sharing their location when they install the app, and how we use information is explained in detail (for those that care) in our privacy policy." Update 4: And here comes The Weather Channel's comment: "Regarding our Android app – Our customers and their privacy are very important to us. In our Android application, TWC does not share any of your personally identifiable information with advertisers or third parties. TWC does track location – which users consent to at install – for the purpose of providing you the most relevant and accurate weather conditions based on your location." Update 5: And there's more, this time from Barcode Scanner: "Barcode Scanner has never collected or sent personal information. There is no "third party" server to receive such info any way. Barcode Scanner has never requested location information, or phone or user ID ("phone state" permission in the TaintDroid paper). It didn't help that the paper originally reported that the app had these permissions -- it has been fixed since. The app can't send information it can't collect in the first place. The application has always been open source; anyone can inspect exactly what it does (http://code.google.com/p/zxing). We have a complete statement on app permissions (http://code.google.com/p/zxing/wiki/FrequentlyAskedQuestions). Finally, the authors of the paper have in fact confirmed Barcode Scanner was not one of the "guilty" apps: http://appanalysis.org/letter_oct-01-10.html" Update 6: The hits just keep on coming. Today, the developers of Astrid have both addressed privacy concerns and added a detailed EULA to the newest build. They've also added the ability for users to opt-out of analytics through the settings menu
FCC: white space devices won't require spectrum sensing modules
Phew. For a moment few years there, we thought any device set up to operate on these so-called white spaces -- which have been vacated following the analog-to-digital TV transition -- would be forced to use spectrum sensing modules in order to ensure that no TV station was operating in areas in which it wanted to. Based on the FCC's Second Memorandum Opinion and Order, which was just published a few days back, it looks as if forthcoming white space devices will not be required to ping databases in order to make absolutely sure that it won't interfere with TV stations. That's the long and short of it, which is fantastic (if not expected) news for device makers and anyone who despises red tape, but Ars Technica has taken an in-depth look at why the Commission made such a call. Indeed, the FCC's 2008 Order mandated that white space gadgets check in beforehand in order to "protect TV signals from interference." Essentially, the call that nixed this addition was the fact that this security ring would inadvertently provide "many wireless microphones systems that go to unlicensed use" -- things like wireless systems at churches, football games, concerts, etc. As with anything FCC-related, it's a long and wordy explanation, but those interested in the finer details are just one click away from the nitty-gritty.
Geocaching Version 4.0 features UI redesign and new functions
As a longtime fan of the pastime of geocaching, I've been following the evolution of the official Groundspeak Geocaching app (US$9.99) since the painful early days. With the release of Geocaching version 4.0 yesterday, it appears that Groundspeak has raised the bar with a new design and additional features. If you're not familiar with geocaching, it's a location-based hobby where you seek caches (usually small containers with a logbook and goodies inside) based on hints, latitude and longitude coordinates, and a keen eye. You can also hide caches for others to find. GroundSpeak has a free Geocaching Intro app available if you're interested in learning about the hobby but don't want to make the $10 investment in the full app. So what's new in Geocaching v.4? A lot. The user interface has been redesigned to make it much more streamlined. I found that actions that formerly took a number of screen taps are now usually no more than one or two taps away. Although I'm not fond of long lists of features, there's no other way to show all of the additions and improvements: -- Google Maps integration (now have choice of Google Maps, Bing, or OpenStreetMap) -- Ability to take photos and submit them with geocache logs -- Ability to submit logs for trackable items such as geocoins and travel bugs -- A logs tab with displays of pending and sent logs -- Better reliability downloading pocket queries -- Online / offline indicator -- GPS acquisition status and location display -- Listen to iPod app during caching -- Support for home location (specified in geocaching.com user profile) -- Notepad for every geocache listing -- View any list of caches on map -- View trackables inventory Geocaching 4 has not been specifically rewritten for iOS 4 or the iPhone 4, so if you want to see the map graphics in all of their glory on your Retina Display, you're out of luck. A few screenshots of the revised app are included in the gallery below. %Gallery-96979%
Mozilla shares tentative vision for Firefox 4
Our first glimpse of Firefox 4 was limited to a few tasteful mockups; this time, Mozilla's main man Mike Beltzner has revealed the company's plans for its next generation web browser in its entirety. While exact features and dates are sketchy, his presentation reveals Mozilla would like to hold the Firefox 4 beta in June, before unleashing a CSS3, partially HTML5 compliant web browser with multitouch support, background updates, geolocation, Firefox Sync (aka Mozilla Weave) and a greatly streamlined UI this holiday season. The presentation has "PLANS MIGHT CHANGE" written all over it in large red letters, so trust us when we say none of this is for sure, but we like the direction Firefox is going and we'll be happy to see more. Video presentation at our source link, full slideshow after the break.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Should I buy the 3G iPad?
Dear Auntie T, I was hoping you could help me decide something since I think many people will be trying to figure out the same thing. Namely, is the 3G on the iPad worth it for my purposes? I live in NYC, which has lots of available Wi-Fi. I have a laptop and I also have a Sprint mobile broadband for those rare occasions when I can't pick up Wi-Fi somewhere. I noticed in the last few months that I haven't used it at all. The places I use my laptop (library, cafes, graduate school classes) all have Wi-Fi. These are the same types of places I'm planning on using my iPad (with one exception: Beth Israel hospital doesn't have Wi-Fi, although I've yet to need my computer there) Is the 3G price tag, coupled with the AT&T price tag, worth it? Should I get the Wi-Fi only version now and wait for the price drop and hardware bump sure to come in version two? I would greatly appreciate your opinions on the matter. I've read your blog for years and highly respect the articles and advice you produce. Love, Your niece Trish
Foto Brisko: leading you to the places where great photos are made
iPhone developer Bill Dudney is well-known for his classes and books on iPhone development. When he's not teaching others how to write iPhone apps, he's writing his own code for Gala Factory Software. When I met Bill at the 360iDev Conference in Denver last October, it was after a talk he had given about using Map Kit to add location information and maps to iPhone apps. Since he's an expert in the use of this iPhone toolkit, It's not surprising that his latest app is full of map and location capabilities. Foto Brisko [$2.99, iTunes Link] has an appropriate name -- it's Greek for "photo find." The idea behind Foto Brisko is brilliant, and the app is well executed. As a longtime amateur photographer, I've devoted a lot of time and effort to improving my photography by taking a lot of pictures. Sometimes it helps to know where really incredible subjects are located, so you can increase your chances of taking an amazing photo. Foto Brisko is the one piece of my photographic toolkit that was missing. Regardless of where I am, I can now pull up the app and look for geotagged Flickr photos taken near my present location by other photographers. If I like the looks of a location, Foto Brisko can give me directions on how to get to that place so I can try taking a picture of the same subject.
Augmented reality Twitter 360 app geolocates your friends by their tweets
We're going to start off by stating unequivocally that we think this is a bad, bad idea. The Twitter 360 app, just launched by Presselite, is an augmented reality app for your iPhone 3GS which enables you to track your friends by the geolocation of their tweets. The app makes use of the iPhone 3GS's compass to locate the tweeter, then reports back on their location. Now -- if, like us, you want to be able to tweet about the rocking party you're at on a Friday night when you're actually sitting on the couch watching Mama's Family -- don't worry: you can opt out of the geolocation feature. The Twitter 360 app, sure to be a resounding success with creeps the world over, is available now in the iTunes store for $2.99. Check out a video demonstration of it after the break.
Tweetie 2.1 for iPhone ships with lists, retweet and geolocation support
One of the top Twitter clients for iPhone has been refreshed: Tweetie 2.1 is now available in the App Store [iTunes link]. Our friend Christina previewed the new features in 2.1 for Mashable last week, and the updated version delivers with support for Twitter lists, the Retweet capability, spam reporting, and geotagging of tweets (opt-in and optional, so don't worry that Tweetie is going to supercharge your stalkers without telling you). The full list of changes and features is on the app's iTunes page, and it's impressive. Among the many improvements and tweaks is a crucial bug fix for an issue that had caused many 2.0 users (myself included) to gnash our teeth in frustration: the older version had a lot of problems saving state, causing old updates to appear again and, in the worst-case situation, old tweets to be sent repeatedly. It was aggravating, and it kept me from using Tweetie 2 as my full-time iPhone Twitter client -- but now it's gone. Tweetie 2 is US$2.99, whether or not you own a copy of Tweetie 1 (it's considered a whole new app). If you're a busy Twitter user on your iPhone or iPod touch, you really ought to give it a try. [via MacNN]
Your iPhone and iPhoto library are in sync with Simplify Photo
Like its music app on the iPhone, which allows you to use your iPhone to tap into your desktop's music collection, Simplify Media provides similar functionality with photos through its Simplify Photo [iTunes link] iPhone app. Many of us are forgetful in some form, and this trait is especially magnified when one proceeds to show others an "awesome photo" on your iPhone that, sadly, didn't get synced. Instead of telling your friends that you'll show or email them the photo later -- assuming you even remember to -- you can use Simplify Photo to view your entire iPhoto collection. While increased megapixels in digital photography brings with it the promise of better picture quality, in most cases it comes at a file size premium. And because storage space on your iPhone is a finite resource, you can choose to set aside dedicated space for those really important photos and use Simplify Photo for those that are not as important but would nonetheless like to have access to just in case. Simplify Photo is available for 99 cents on the iTunes App Store, while the required desktop client (available for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux) is available as a free download at the Simplify Media site. The desktop app allows you to not only specify which iPhoto albums and events to sync, but the people as well -- via integration with the app's "Faces" facial detection feature. And if you're not exactly sure which album or event a photo is stored, you can use the app's search feature, which searches your photos' tags, titles and comments. But the standout feature of Simplify Photo is its geolocation support. Like iPhoto '09's places feature, Simplify Photo displays a map with various dropped pins; and tapping on the pins will display the photos taken in the vicinity. If a picture can say a thousand words, then Simplify Photo's desktop syncing capabilities have the potential to make your iPhone speechlessly filled with photos.
