location-based services
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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.
Google acquires Zagat: good news for foodies, bad news for Yelp?
Long before Yelp, there was Zagat -- a point-based restaurant rating guide, compiled from the best (or worst, depending) crowdsourced reviews. Today, Google has acquired the brand and plans to integrate Zagat's now expanded shopping, eating, drinking and hotel tips into both search and maps. For gastronomes, travelers and locals, that means crowdsourced tips for superb noms and activity recommendations from around the world. Sounds great, guys, as long as your new found friendship helps us find the best bacon-flavored ice cream cone, we're all for it.
We're In ushers Bing into the location-based social networking game
Are you one of the few out there who thought Latitude was, like, totally awesome, but your heart lies with the boys at Redmond? Well, rejoice Bing fans, because We're In is the location-based social network you've been waiting for. At its most basic, the app lets you share your location with friends, find contacts on a map, and update your status -- great for seeing who is around and organizing outings. But, We're In has one unique feature that's actually quite ingenious, location sharing is time limited. You choose who to share GPS data with and for how long. Once the invite expires -- poof! No more tracking. A few more details and the download link can be found at the source.
Fujitsu wants to push out location-based apps, pull them back again
Maybe, just maybe, this wireless technology in development at Fujitsu makes some sense. When you walk within range of an NFC sensor or GPS coordinate, the cloud-based system takes the liberty of pushing location-relevant apps to your phone or tablet. Enter a museum, for example, and you'll automatically receive its tour guide app. Your device could even be made to work as a viral transmitter, spreading the app to other visitors' handsets. Finally, when you leave, all the bloatware just magically disappears. Alternatively, the museum's marketing department conveniently forgets to configure this last step, accidentally signs you up to its newsletter and grabs a donation from your PayPal account while it has the chance. We would obviously find this rather upsetting, unless the museum has dinosaurs.
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]
Augmented reality app concept conjures movie scenes shot in your location (video)
AR technology has been getting seriously powerful recently, but we still need smart little ideas like this to keep us interested. "Augmented Reality Cinema" is a concept which would spot when you're in a famous movie location and then trigger playback of the relevant scene. Although we can't be sure the app actually works yet, the video after the break does at least show off the idea with some memorable London clips, including the classic post-infestation Westminster Bridge scene from 28 Days Later. If the designers ever need movie fans to go around tagging cinematic locations, then obviously we're keen to register our interest.
Apple patent application highlights location-based social networking, encourages intimate pinging
Making friends is hard. Apple knows this. In fact, the company outlined such difficulty in a newly surfaced patent, highlighting the sort of "long and awkward conversation" sometimes required to discover common interests. The patent application, filed back in late-2009, describes a location-based social network that helps users discover people in their vicinity, based on common interests like books, movies, and, naturally, music. Of course, Cupertino already dipped its toes in the social networking waters with the iTunes-based Ping, which, in spite of initial excitement, failed to really capture the imagination of Apple's dedicated base. And this isn't the first time the company has flirted with the idea of location-based social networking either, as a patent that surfaced halfway through last year can attest. The company has clearly learned its lesson with this one, however, and that lesson is: more drawings of women winking and references to Springsteen songs in the application process.
Talkcast tonight, 10 PM EDT/7 PM PDT/4 PM HDT: Casper Phone Edition!
It's that time again kids! This week we have TONS to talk about, from the actual release of the Ghost Phone to the dust-up over iPhones and their location tracking and everything in between. Tonight we have a special guest, too! Chatting with me and the other TUAW staffers about the news of the week will be Editor-At-Large of The Mac Observer, Jeff Gamet! WARNING: If you have a delicate constitution, I feel it is my duty to warn you that Mr. Gamet will not be wearing pants. Forewarned is forearmed and all of that. Keep in mind that when you come for the show, you are invited to stay for the aftershow, and TUAWTF is never recorded for a very good reason. Your calls and questions help us make the show the best it can be, otherwise I'm just talking to myself! To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 PM EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (yay for free cell phone weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Gizmo, X-Lite, or Blink SIP clients; basic instructions are here. Talk to you tonight!
Location-aware album gives Washington DC dynamically modified soundtrack
Musical duo Bluebrain has taken the guesswork out of listening to music -- their latest album dictates where you can listen to it, what songs it plays, and when it plays them. Take that, playlists! The album, titled The National Mall, will be available only as an iPhone app and the band is calling it the first location-aware album. The app... er, album, uses your phone's GPS to track one's proximity to hundreds of tagged zones spread throughout the landmarks of the Washington DC National Mall, dynamically tweaking the rhythm, melody, instrumentation, and pace of the music as you go. Despite this fancy smartphone integration, Bluebrain stresses that this is still an album, not a toy or augmented reality application. The experience is strictly location specific, no user input necessary, or available. Want to hear a new melody or arrangement? Walk to a different monument. The project's location-specific nature means that fans outside of the DC area are out of luck for now. The band says two more GPS-powered albums are on the way -- one designed for Brooklyn's Prospect Park, and another spanning the entire length of California's Highway 1. Music, measured in miles -- neat, but Hwy. 1 manages just fine on its own, wouldn't you say?
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.
Localscope is a slick and complete tool for finding and getting to your destination
There are plenty of apps that find restaurants, hospitals and other things near you using the iPhone's GPS. Localscope, a US$1.99 app, is the most complete and easy to use solution I've seen. Localscope easily lets you find destinations using Google or Bing, Foursquare, Twitter and Wikimapia. You don't have to re-enter your search terms, just slide from one search engine to another. One side benefit was that in my area of Southern Arizona, Google had far more information than Bing. The app makes it easy to compare search results. You can also search using your contacts or recent searches. Results can be viewed as a list, on a map, or using augmented reality, which is basically a live camera view with the direction of destinations superimposed on the screen. Phone numbers of destinations are provided, as well as websites for more info. A really nice feature is integration with both TomTom and Navigon apps. When you find a location, a tap on a button sends the data to those apps. Another tap, and you are navigating with turn-by-turn directions. I also like the ability to save a location to your address book or share a location via email, SMS, Twitter or Facebook. %Gallery-117559%
'Find my Friends' MobileMe feature revealed in iOS 4.3 developer build
Looks like Apple will be adding a new "Find My Friends" feature to its MobileMe service in the not too distant future. The settings pictured above were unearthed in the latest iOS 4.3 developer build that's already yielding a healthy list of new devices and functionality including in-app AirPlay video support, a carrier-dependent personal WiFi hotspot, the return of the physical orientation lock switch, and a host of new multitouch gestures. Presumably Find My Friends will offer functionality akin to the free Google Latitude app doing little to justify Apple's $99 MobileMe annual cost. Update: Remember Apple's iGroups location-based social networking patent application? We just did.
Google rolls out NFC-equipped Places business kits, muscles in on location-based territory in Portland
Yelp may be the raconteur of restaurant recommendations and Foursquare the cardinal of check-ins, but Google has an ace up its sleeve: NFC chips. The company's embedded near-field communications chips into each and every one of these "Recommended on Google Places" window stickers, which you'll be able to trigger with a shiny new Nexus S -- just hold your handset up to the black dot, and voila, your phone gets a "tag." Google's now distributing the signs on a trial basis to Portland, Oregon businesses as part of a larger Google Places kit, though it doesn't explain how (or if) they'll be able to program the chips. Either way, if you own a hot new joint in Portland, you might as well give it a spin. Find the sign-up form at our more coverage link, or peep a Nexus S doing its thing after the break.
Garmin navigation to be an Android exclusive for ASUS, headed to Apple and RIM app stores
Details of the Garmin-ASUS breakup are slowly being revealed. We now know that ASUS has obtained exclusive rights to license Garmin navigation and location based services on its Android smartphones with a Garmin navigation trademark slapped on the back -- other Android handset makers need not apply. ASUS will go back to selling its own-brand handsets in January, including models equipped with 3D for gaming and connectivity with ASUS ebook readers and tablets, according to DigiTimes. For its part, Garmin's official blog says that it will be expanding its mobile application handset development by offering navigation and other applications through "certain consumer application stores." According to DigiTimes, that means Apple's iTunes App Store and RIM's App World. So, in other words, Garmin and ASUS are still friends but are now free to date anyone they want, you know, except for anyone in eachother's families. How mature.
Foursquare check-in from space makes the mayor of Blue Bottle seem rather lame
Sure, we long ago realized that you can't say Foursquare without the word "square," but in this case it only took an appearance of the International Space Station to arouse our interest. Indeed, when we heard that the current ISS commander (and enthusiastic Twitter user) Douglas Wheelock beat us to unlocking the NASA Explorer Badge, we realized that it's true: astronauts have all the fun. And the best part? The badge entitles him to a free "scoop" of space ice cream! But fear not, fans of location-based social networking games, 'cos this is only the beginning: NASA is teaming up with the company to create additional locations around the country.
Hacker claims third-party iPhone apps can freely transmit UDID, pose serious threat to privacy
When Apple addressed a congressional inquiry on privacy in July, the company claimed that it couldn't actually track a particular iPhone in real time, as its transactions were anonymous and thoroughly randomized. Bucknell University network admin Eric Smith, however, theorizes that third-party application developers and advertisers may not have the same qualms, and could be linking your device to your name (and even your location) whenever they transmit data. Smith, a two-time DefCon wardriving champ, studied 57 top applications in the iTunes App Store to see what they sent out, and discovered that some fired off the iPhone's UDID and personal details in plaintext (where they can ostensibly be intercepted), including those for Amazon, Chase Bank, Target and Sam's Club, though a few were secured with SSL. Though UDIDs are routinely used by apps to store personal data and combat piracy, what Smith fears is that a database could be set up linking these UDIDs to GPS coordinates or GeoIP, giving nefarious individuals or organizations knowledge of where you are. It's a scary idea, but before you direct hate Apple's way, it's important to note that Cupertino's not necessarily the one to blame. iOS is arguably the best at requiring users to opt-in to apps that perform GPS tracking; transmitting the UDID and account information together publicly is strictly against the rules; and we'd like to think that if users provide their personal information to an application developer in the first place, they'd understand what they're doing. Of course, not all users monitor those things closely, and plaintext transmission of personal details is obviously a big no-no. Smith's piece opens and closes on the idea that Apple's UDID is like the unique identifier of Intel's Pentium III processor, which generated privacy concerns around the turn of the century, and we wonder if ths story might play out the same way -- following government inquiries, Intel offered a software utility that let individuals manually disable their chip's unique ID, and removed it from future CPUs.
Motorola snaps up location specialist Aloqa
Location-based services are a pretty hot topic right now -- though not necessarily for all the reasons Google would like -- and Android specialist Motorola is diving a little deeper this week with its acquisition of German firm Aloqa. For those of you not familiar with Aloqa's app (which is available on a pretty wide variety of platforms), it basically keeps track of local events and deals that you might be interested in based on your location (and on Aloqa's partnerships, of course). For its part, Motorola says that it's looking to integrate the company's technology with Blur, both proving that Blur isn't going anywhere any time soon and also suggesting that Aloqa's apps on competing platforms might be short for this world; no word on a launch timeline, though. Follow the break for Motorola's full press release.
Skyhook sues Google for business interference and patent infringement
You might not know the company by name but you've almost certainly taken advantage of Skyhook's WiFi location-based services if you're a smartphone nerd. And let's face it, as an Engadget reader, you are. Now the company is suing Google for anti-competitive practices and patent infringement claiming that the ad giant used its control over Android to "force device manufacturers" to not only integrate Google's location technology instead of Skyhook's "superior end user experience," but also terminate contract obligations with Skyhook where they existed. Specifically, Skyhook says that Google wielded its power against handset manufacturers by "threatening directly or indirectly to deny timely and equal access to evolving versions of the Android operating system and other Google mobile applications." Boston-based Skyhook filed two lawsuits after negotiations with Google broke down, a business interference lawsuit filed in the Massachusetts Superior Court and a patent infringement lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. According to Skyhook CEO Ted Morgan, "The message that Android is open is certainly not entirely true. Devices makers can license technology from other companies and then not be able to deploy it." Meow.
Apple responds to congressional inquiry, details location data collection in 13-page letter
When Apple's latest privacy policy revealed the company could track any iPhone's location in real time, it threw some for a loop... including a pair of gentlemen from the US House of Representatives, who asked what Cupertino was up to. In a thirteen page letter dated July 12, Apple's legal counsel explains the whole matter away, while giving us a fascinating look into how the company collects -- and justifies collecting -- all that GPS data. Legally the defense is simple, as Apple claims users grant express permission via pop-up messages for every single location-based service and app, and if you don't care to be tracked, you can simply shut down location services globally or (in iOS 4) on a per-app basis in the phone's settings panel. Where it gets more interesting is when Apple explains what it actually collects, and who they share it with -- namely, Google and Skyhook, who provided location services to earlier versions of the operating system. In iOS 3.2 and beyond, only Apple has the keys to the database, and what's inside are locations of cell towers, WiFi access points, and anonymous GPS coordinates. None of these are personally identifying, as the company doesn't collect SSIDs or any data, and in the case of device coordinates they're reportedly collected and sent in encrypted batches only once every 12 hours, using a random ID generated by the phone every 24 hours that apparently can't be linked back to the device. In the case of iAd, Apple says coordinates don't even make it to a database, as they're immediately converted (by remote server) to a advertising-friendly five-digit zip code. Concerning location data collection for services other than iAd, there's still the little question of why, but we'll just leave you with Apple legal's quote on that subject after the break, and let you hit up the full document yourself at Scribd if you want the deep dive.
Vodafone's Wayfinder is first victim of free smartphone navigation services
Back in January 2009, as Vodafone was preparing to close a £20 million ($30 million) deal to buy Swedish mapmaker Wayfinder, it was seen as a bold move from a carrier intent on entering the apparently lucrative market for location based services. Fast forward to the present day -- past the bit where free Google Maps Navigation destroyed TomTom and Garmin share prices, and past the introduction of free turn-by-turn navigation to Nokia's Ovi Maps -- and you'll find Wayfinder gently sobbing into a handkerchief as it permanently closes up its doors. Vodafone's Anna Cloke gives us the reason for it with devastating concision: "We could not charge for something that others gave away for free." So there we have it, the paid navigation services deathwatch has its first fatality, and it's the unfortunate nature of the beast that plenty of others will be following suit, unable to resist the destructive effects of the free and ubiquitous services now on offer. [Thanks, Chris]
