GIS, Maps, Geo and Location Technology by @gletham
Mobile post sent by gisuser using Utterz. Replies.
Mobile post sent by gisuser using Utterz. Replies.
I’m relaying a request I received from a local contact here in Fort Collins, CO… teh company is looking for some local help (preferably) to help in porting their mobile app to the latest Symbian OS S60 3 environment. Some details on the request…
There is sort of a time frame issue so it would probably have to be an established team with a history of Nokia development (although one great coder with sufficient caffeine could probably do the job.). The job chiefly involves refactoring the existing code, breaking the functions down to more manageable and supportable size and rendering to all form factors for Series 60, 90 and probably UIQ. OS9 also has some significant new security components that would need to be addressed as well.
As a second piece, if there isn’t anyone who leaps to mind to fit the immediate bill, we would also like to look for someone who can work/consult directly with us in terms of project/product management for our Symbian products.
Anyone interested, contact me directly (glenn at gisuser dotcom)
TaxiWiz – what a clever mashup and a fine mobile app.. TaxiWiz is now available for 9 cities and hopefully more soon! Enter a start point and destination and taxiwiz routes you on Google maps, predicts a fare, and even can provide directions and routing… this is awesome! Using the PC version simply click a start and end point on the Google map and your route is traced. You are then presented with distance of trip, suggested taxi fee + tip, and then optional routing directions. The site also offers taxi tips to users as a handy extra. See www.taxiwiz.com
Results of a search for a taxi route in New York City using the PC client. Notice the suggested route and fee listed in upper left.
The TaxiWiz Mobile app as seen using Nokia N95 8GB device. Ideally I’d love to see this app taken a couple of steps further, for example, how about integrating it with Google Maps mobile? Since I have Google maps on my device perhaps an option to see the route on a map would be a nice offering. I’d also like to see an option to call a cab company or search for local cab companies… this app could be HUGE!
Another great read in the Globe and Mail as a new article touches on the birth and history of GIS and it’s Canadian roots from Tomlinson. I love this paragraph which is so bang on…
“It’s not for lack of trying. Every school in Ontario has a free GIS software package… but the subject often doesn’t get taught because of a shortage of trained teachers. “One day of GIS training in Ontario makes you a specialist,” Dr. Tomlinson grumbled. “That’s abominable!”
Indeed, how often have you seen that one person in an office or organization that has used Google Earth or maybe ArcView or ArcExplorer for a day and they are the one that moves on to be the champion of GIS within the organization. In this day and age with so much training, certification, post-grad edu programs etc… yet most people are likely learning about GIS from novices that share a slight interest in maps or computers. Check it out – I also love this quote.. “A map is one thing, but knowing exactly where you are on a map is another”
An interesting company that I just ran into (never heard of them before) at MainStreetGIS… the crew seems to offer a hosted GIS solution for local government – similar to the awesome solutions from Latitude Geographics I would assume… from the company ” An online GIS hosting service that provides parcel searches, property information, and an intuitive web application for GIS map browsing over the internet. Your town can be online in one week” licensing starts at about $2500 a year. Unfortunately the company has no “about” section on their website – a MUST have in my mind – and they don’t list the address either so I have no idea where they are located, although their fax line has a 309 extension, wherever that may be – see http://www.mainstreetgis.com/MunicipalGIS.htm
New from QuickOffice… As the first mobile office software suite to support the new Microsoft Office 2007 file formats on the S60 platform, Quickoffice allows users to now open, view, edit and create Word and Excel 2007 documents in their native XML formats, directly on their phone and without compromising data integrity. See www.quickoffice.com.
Interesting to note that the Nokia Global website at www.nokia.com has been down for about a day now and there’s still no news or a sign of N-Gage which was supposed to launch today as part of the roll-out of Nokia services via Ovi… hhhmmmmm.. seee www.nokia.com
Sony Ericsson has announced the winners of it inaugural Content Awards along with a special award for the best use of phone functionality. The winners of the 2007 Sony Ericsson Content Awards (source: SymbianOne.com):
Gaming – Mr Goodliving / “Playman Extreme Running”
“Playman Extreme Running looks great and plays really smoothly. It’s addictive – I’ll play this again and again.”
Imaging – BitCycle / “PullFace Image Manipulator”
“Making people look funny is a sure-fire success. This is the kind of application that made me want to be a designer.”
Productive Mobility – Opera / Opera Mini 4.0
“The best mobile browsing experience. Now I can go to any website in the world on my mobile phone.”
Music& Audio – Grace Note / “Track ID”
“Being both useful and great fun, this is really good stuff. It’s right there when you need it and it’s easy, easy, easy.”
Themes & Graphics – Metronize/Clavitones / The Geeks themes and graphics
“It’s not just great animation – it’s a great story!”
Sony Ericsson Special Recognition Award: Best use of phone functionality – Vringo
Vringo is a rich and deep application that makes extremely good use of the capabilities available in Sony Ericsson Mobile phones – from voice, video, camera and buddy lists. And with its community features, it adds a new dimension to the consumer experience.
You can find more information on the winners at the award site: http://developer.sonyericsson.com/contentawards
I was asked to make a quick mention about a cool job opportunity in Tyler Texas for a talented individual to join Tyler’s team. Some details… This position requires the candidate to participate in product analysis and design. Our ideal candidate is a team player that wants to work with small, dynamic groups of highly motivated individuals. We offer a casual family environment where attitude and skills outweigh tenure. At Tyler you can make immediate contributions to mission-critical projects without enduring a long apprenticeship. The company’s Appraisal and Tax product integrates with ESRI’s ArcGIS Server/ArcIMS mapping software. More details here and good luck!
