Time to box up the Nokia N8 and send it back… here’s a brief look at the device , the first Symbian^3 OS smartphone from Nokia complete with 12 megapixel camera – See all the photos I captured with the N8 in this Flickr Gallery… enjoy!
Archives for February 2011
When Will Public Transit Provide Users With Mobile Apps?
Oh man, when will they get it? That’s what I find I’m asking myself once again. Here in the Pacific NorthWest (Victoria BC Canada) we’ve been hit with another snow storm. Once again that meant that the roads are a mess and in particular, public transit is in turmoil. What I find very interesting is that I’m getting the impression that many people, in particular the local social media junkies, seem to think that Twitter is THE solution for getting the word out about buses, including interruptions in service, delays, etc… I guess Twitter serves as a fine band-aid solution but come on… Twitter as the answer to BC Transit communicating with the public?
I know people will think to themselves, ok, what’s Glenn ranting about now… how about this for a solution – real time information served up on the web and the mobile web! Pretty simple really! Ok, granted, it takes some tech savvy folks, a little $$$ but really, why not? Sorry but Twitter isn’t a viable solution for people standing for an hour at a bus stop wondering where their bus is or when is it coming. Buses are mobile and easily tracked. how about some positioning devices on buses to monitor where they are in real time. Then that information is relayed to a corporate server for display on the website or even better, on a mobile app. People using public transit have smartphones… sure not all of them but many of them do. Just look to any major metropolitan area or Europe and you’ll find fabulous mobile apps for users of public transit. [Read more…] about When Will Public Transit Provide Users With Mobile Apps?
Checking out the New Android OS and Android 3.0 SDK for tablets
This via the Google Android Dev blog as details of the final Android 3.0 update and SDK tools are now available – note, the first Android Tablet will be shipping to consumers this week on Feb 24th! Details… The first tablets running Android 3.0 (“Honeycomb”) will be hitting the streets on Thursday Feb. 24th, and we’ve just posted the full SDK release. We encourage you to test your applications on the new platform, using a tablet-size AVD. Developers who’ve followed the Android Framework’s guidelines and best practices will find their apps work well on Android 3.0.
See teh following resources:
- Final Android 3.0 Platform and Updated SDK Tools
- See also Optimizing Apps for Android 3.0
- and see the Android 3.0 Platform Highlights
Foursquare Hosts Developers at Hackathon
Recall, it was not too long ago that foursquare released their latest developer toolset, the foursquare API v2. Recently, in an effort to bolster the developer community and kick start more foursquare-based apps, the company hosted their first Hack Day event in New York. According to the foursquare dev blog, some 150 developers showed up at the event including geeks from around the States and even a few from Canada. Foursquare hosted a series of technical workshops, had engineers on hand to respond to questions, and fed the group – apparently more than 25 pizzas and 300 cups of coffee were consumed! Attendees took part in a hackfest of 15 hours of coding that resulted in the creation of 39 new foursquare based apps – if you’re wondering why foursquare is leading the war in the Check-in space there’s no doubt that opening up their API (developers now have access to the same code that the foursquare engineers do) is the main reason why this has become not just the checkin app of choice but also the social checkin platform of choice!
Some of the cool apps that developers created include:
- Fourgraph – auto-generate your own foursquare infographic
- MayThemPayMe – split a shared bill with people you checkin with
- And the “winning” app Dealio – leave a private message for a friend when they checkin
See complete details of the hackfest on the foursquare Blog
Photo Credit – foursquare Flickr
Developers can learn more about the API at http://developer.foursquare.com/
facebook fun – Mark Zuckerberg Comic Book Coming Soon!
A little bit of end of the day fun for you facebook fanatics! In the Oscar-nominated movie “The Social Network”, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is portrayed as a detached, cold and calculating internet visionary. This week, a more balanced portrayal of Zuckerberg hits stands this week in the form of a Bluewater Productions biography comic.
Mark Zuckerberg: Creator of Facebook,” a 48-page giant-sized issue written by freelance journalist Jerome Maida and illustrated by Sal Field, is scheduled to hit newsstands, comic book stores and online venues on Wednesday. The special edition title retails for $6.99 and is available through comic book shops. Find a retailer at www.comicshoplocator.com
Mark Zuckerberg Comic Book Cover
Originally uploaded by @gletham GIS, Social, Mobile Tech Images
Register your business and track your stats on foursquare #4sq
Very cool… I guess I’ve been a foursquare user long enough (yes I go way back and have hundreds of check-ins, tips, photos and venues shared to my credit… add to that, in addition to being a “super user” I’m now also an “official” foursquare ambassador! What does this mean? Well, essentially it means I can provide tips and suggestions to business owners to help them get their venue listed, setup specials, and track foursquare checkins and other useful stats.
For business owners it’s simple to verify your business and add the venue to foursquare:
- Simply Sign up at http://join.4sq.com/gletham
- Find and claim your business
- Setup a special and access your venue stats!
See http://join.4sq.com/gletham to get started. Note, you don’t have to be a coffee shop or pizza joing to have your business added. GIS consultants, engineering companies, hardware providers, software resellers etc… you can all get listed on foursquare!
Cool, I’m now a @foursquare ambassador… Register your business http://join.4sq.com/gletham
Originally uploaded by @gletham GIS, Social, Mobile Tech Images
Esri Social Media Response Map, Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake
Esri has announced a social media map effort to share information from the areas affected by the recent earthquake in Christchurch New Zealand. The app shares near real-time updates from Ushahidi which includes important updates on transportation routes, power lines and other important infrastructure as well as updates from Canterbury Regional Council and Power. There’s also geotagged tweets, flickr photos, and youtube videos. See the map at http://s1.demos.eaglegis.co.nz/JavaScript/earthquake-christchurch/
Responding To Australia Floods With Esri GIS Mobile Technology
Ever wonder what GIS / Geo mapping geeks do when disaster strikes – like the recent devastation in Queensland Australia? They head out into flooded areas with their hardware and they get to work providing first responders with the data they need – these guys are awesome! With Queensland recently subjected to an unprecedented flood crisis, the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service Rapid Damage Assessment Teams have sprung into action, delivering vital information to assist in recovery operations. See more http://bit.ly/flood-esri
Google Person Finder Christchurch 2/22/2011 Earthquake #eqnz
In the wake of yet another devastating earthquake, this time in Christchurch, New Zealand, Google has rolled out a resource to try and help people connect with friends, colleagues, and loved ones – the Christchurch person finder. Data is crowd-sourced and all data entered will be made available by all users. People using the app can either search for a person or report a found person or themselves. The app can be embedded on websites – ideal for popular Kiwi-based portals and government web sites and Google has also made available some resources for developers that are looking to build on this app. See http://christchurch-2011.person-finder.appspot.com/. Note, you can follow updates on the situation in New Zealand on Twitter via the hashtag #eqnz
GIS Event Tip… 2011 ESRI Canada User Conferences
This year, Esri Canada kicks of the Canada user conference season in Canada with a stop in Victoria. B.C., Canada on April 12-13 for the ESRI Canada User Conference. From Esri… Learn how ESRI’s new release, ArcGIS 10, can dramatically transform how you use and apply GIS. Plenary sessions, user presentations and technical sessions take place Tuesday, April 12, 2011 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and early bird reg is just $75! See more details HERE – for more event information see esricanada.com/uc2011
