Geotagging Imagery and Video


IsWHERE is a log of my thoughts, reflections, and news/blog links on the emergence of image and video geospatial tagging. On May5th this year, I opened a second blog to deal with more detailed aspects of tools for FalconView and TalonView can be found at RouteScout. Trends I want to try and follow are the various disruptions resulting from spatial smart-phones, how many GPS devices are out there, smart-cameras, and other related news. And yes, I have a business interest in all of this. My company Red Hen has been pioneering this sort of geomedia for more than a decade.

So beyond a personal blog, I also provide a link to IsWHERE a shareware tool created by Red Hen Systems to readily place geoJPEG or geotagged imagery and soon GEM full motion media kept on your own computer(s) into Google Earth/Map from your File Manager media selection. Works great for geotagged images from Nikon, Ricoh, Sony, iPHONE, Android and all geo-smartphones that can create geotagged images. IsWhere - read about it

IsWhere Free Download (XP and VISTA)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<+>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

IsWhere Visitors

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Smartphone and PDN Statistics

11% of Americans have more than 10,000 digital photos

Fully 11% of respondents to a Tabblo survey indicated they have more than 10,000 digital photos. The largest group of survey respondents (27%) has between 1,001 and 5,000 digital photos. If this data is extrapolated to the general public, it translates into Americans having almost 500 bln digital photos. Additionally, when asked how they were going to photograph the holiday and New Year's parties they planned to attend, point and shoot cameras remain the preferred choice, with 55% of survey respondents indicating they planned to use them. Digital SLRs were a popular second choice, with 37% of respondents indicating they planned to use them to capture holiday memories. Despite the dramatic growth in the number of camera phones, only 3% of respondents indicated they planned to use them to take pictures at upcoming parties,

Global Shipments of Smart Phones

Global shipments of all smart mobile devices rose 30% YTY in Q4 2006 to hit 22 mln. 18 mln were smart phones, 2.5 mln wireless handhelds and 1.5 mln handhelds. Total smart mobile device shipments for 2006 were 77 mln, of which 64 mln were smart phones. Nokia remains market leader in Q4, accounting for 50% of all shipments. RIM returns to second place, with device shipments rising 54% YTY in the quarter. Sony Ericsson gets back into top five for the first time since early 2004. Combined shipments of smart phones and wireless handhelds ("converged devices") were up 42%. But handheld shipments fell 41% compared to Q4 2005.

1.5 mln portable navigation units shipped in the US in Q4 2006

1.5 mln portable navigation devices (PNDs) shipped in the US in the Q4 2006. Overall PND shipments for the year hit 2.9 mln units, up 269% on 2005. Garmin was market leader in 2006 with 50% share, ahead of Magellan and TomTom. The US represented 23% of the global market in the quarter, up from just 15% a year earlier.

630 mln devices shipped in 2006 supported MPEG


MPEG already has conquered the PC and consumer electronics worlds, with the video-compression technology integrated into 630 mln devices shipped in 2006 alone. However, the technology is just getting warmed up, as the rise of the MPEG-4 standard spurs its spread to mobile phones and expands its influence on the Internet, according to iSuppli Corp. The number of MPEG-4 (H.264/AVC/MPEG4) codecs in mobile handsets will rise to 509 mln units by 2010, expanding at CAGR of 206% from a mere 1.9 mln units in 2005. The total market for handset video codecs is set to grow to 1.9 bln units by 2010, rising at a 13.6% CAGR from 836.5 mln units in 2005.

A Million Nokia Handsets a Day!

A Million Nokia Handset a Day

Indeed, if analyst estimates are any indication, the numbers will speak for themselves. Sales should be up this year some 7% in the quarter to $13.9 billion. Nokia is expected to have sold 93.6 million handsets in the first three months, a 25% gain on a year earlier.

Translation: The company is selling a whopping one million handsets a day. The biggest buyers are consumers in India, China, and other emerging markets who purchased more than half of Nokia's mobile devices last quarter. While that's been largely driven by sales of no-nonsense phones, Nokia is also introducing more jazzed-up models designed to appeal to an emerging middle class with money to spend.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

IPTC Photo Metadata Conference

IPTC and Ifra Photo Metadata Conference in June

IPTC Photo Metadata Conference

WINDSOR, England – 3 April 2007 – For the first time, an international conference focusing exclusively on photo metadata will bring together camera makers, photographers, editors, software designers and others who have a stake in professional imaging.

The 1st international Photo Metadata Conference will be held in Florence, Italy, on 7 June 2007. Held in conjunction with CEPIC Congress 2007, this event is organised by two major news industry organisations, IPTC and Ifra, and is sponsored by Adobe Systems Inc.

Everyone agrees that it's difficult to describe photos in a universal way -- independent of language and culture -- but only recently have technologies such as XML permitted photos to carry advanced metadata that can survive throughout the photo production process from camera to finished product. In addition, such formerly exotic technologies as GPS and digital recording can now be embedded in cameras to make a permanent record of such important parameters as the photographer's location and audio comments.

For a full day, representatives from standardisation bodies and such vendors as Adobe, Apple, Canon, Fotoware, Hasselblad and Microsoft will discuss how to improve the interoperability of photo metadata. Photographers, editors, image buyers and others leaders in the photo industry will discuss better ways to describe photos and related rights and permissions information, and will learn how crucial data generated by cameras can improve the editing and long-term resale of images.

The goal of the conference is to simplify the convergence and global applicability of photo metadata, and determine how to maximize the widespread and consistent implementation of standards -- adding value to photos.

As the creator of so-called "IPTC header," a 15-year-old metadata standard that has gained nearly universal acceptance among professional photographers, the IPTC is well positioned to lead the photo industry in this effort. The 2007 congress being held by CEPIC, the Coordination of European Picture Agencies Press Stock Heritage, is the perfect venue for the International Photo Metadata Conference, bringing together the biggest players in Europe's vibrant photo industry.

We welcome participation everyone in the photo industry. To attend the Photo Metadata Conference or learn more about CEPIC's convention in historic Florence, please visit http://www.phmdc.org/. The modest fee includes coffee breaks, buffet lunch and all Conference materials.

LBS and PND Statistics QI 2007

GPS devices are gaining impetus in the market. Europe is the key market for GPS systems, however the technologists anticipate the US market should also take off over the next two year (2007-2008).

As per the RNCOS report “World Global Positioning Systems Market Forecast (2006-2008)”, “Globally, the GPS market is expected to exceed US$ 30 Billion by 2008 as the market is being flooded by a number of affordable GPS components and receivers. The two segments under this technology namely people tracking & handset market will have maximum growth rate, about 9% by the year 2008.”

This research report “World Global Positioning Systems Market Forecast (2006-2008)” provides extensive research and objective analysis of the World GPS Market. The report addresses some interesting issues for today’s global business environment, such as overall status of the world GPS market, applications of the GPS technology, capabilities and uses of Global Positioning System’s equipment, forces propelling the GPS industry, opportunities and challenges for the growth of GPS market, etc.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

http://research.cibcwm.com/res/res_descriptions.html

“We are launching coverage of the Applied Technology sector with an initial focus on GPS and location-based services. We believe this market is in its early stages and that total unit shipments of navigation systems will expand at CAGR of 27% through ‘11—a trend that should benefit both Garmin (GRMN-SO) and NAVTEQ (NVT-SP).

Consumers have been relatively quick to appreciate the attractiveness of vehicle navigation systems. In 2006, more than a decade after the products began hitting the market, year-on-year volume growth continued to clock in above 50%. In all, approximately 4 million vehicle navigation systems were sold in North America last year and approximately 13 million in Europe.

Yet that still leaves the market vastly underpenetrated. According to our estimates, less than one in ten cars in North America and Western Europe have some kind of navigation system, and in 2006 only about one in nine new cars arrived at the dealership with in-dash navigation systems. In all, we estimate that, entering 2007, only 7% of the addressable North American and Western European markets had been penetrated.

So how high could penetration eventually go? Quite high, in our view. According to a study by NAVTEQ, approximately 85% of navigation system owners across the UK, Germany, France, and the U.S. were somewhat or very satisfied with their device and would recommend it to others. With that level of satisfaction, it’s easy to imagine navigation systems one day becoming as prevalent as automatic transmissions, power windows, and air conditioning — if the price is right. But price is no minor matter. In the last few years, pricing has played a pivotal role in the growth and competitive dynamics of the navigation market. During 2006, the staid carmakers, who continued to demand a hefty premium for their factory installed in-dash systems, saw nav unit sales grow at the relatively modest rate of 12%.

By contrast, the makers of portable navigation devices (PNDs), who slashed prices, reduced costs, and launched dozens of new models, saw their industry’s unit volumes expand by a whopping 160%. In 2006, PNDs outsold in-dash systems at a rate of approximately two and a half to one. And it wasn’t bad business, either. In 2006, earnings for the world’s top two makers of PNDs, TomTom and Garmin, grew 55% and 71%, respectively.

In our view, this outperformance will last for several more years. The first reason is that PND makers are targeting a much larger addressable market—approximately 415 million nav-less in-service vehicles — compared to the 34 million new cars OEMs sell annually. Second, the price-value equation is likely to continue tilting heavily in favor of the PND for at least a few more years. And last, though by no means least, the short development and production cycle of the PND makers puts them in a better position to respond to the fast-changing tastes of an emerging market.

In the longer term, we believe that the navigation market is the carmakers to lose. The history of the automobile suggests that every relevant accessory that can be integrated into the vehicle will be in time. Consider the fate of the aftermarket air conditioner, the CD player, and the lowly cup holder. Yet the vehicle makers’ ultimate ascendancy could be a long time coming. For the next few years, the OEMs’ abiding affection for the $1500-$2000 price tag of their indash nav systems will in all likelihood keep consumers lapping up the PNDs.

We estimate that unit volumes for PNDs will expand at a CAGR of approximately 31% for the next five years and grow to approximately 56 million units in 2011 from approximately 14 million units in 2006. In dollar terms, we expect the PND market to grow at annual pace of 21% over the next five years, to approximately $12 billion in 2011 from approximately $4.5 billion in 2006.

The vehicle mapmakers whose databases are the cornerstone of every navigation systems are also likely to see robust growth, though their expansion could be hampered by the slower growth of the in-dash market. We forecast that total map volume will increase to 65 million in 2011 from 7 million in 2006, a CAGR of 27%. In dollar terms, we estimate that the market for digital maps will expand at a CAGR of 13% over the same period to approximately $1.9 billion in 2011 from approximately $1.0 billion in 2006.”

http://research.cibcwm.com/res/res_descriptions.html


Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Flickr: *just* hit 20 Million geotagged photos

Quick update:

Public geotagged photos: 14,500,174
All geotagged photos: 20,076,235

Semi-Offical geoFlickr satistics

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Hoot's Dugong Adventures with Nikon D200 GeoTagging

Where are the dog-gone dogongs?

In collaboration with researchers from the Centre for Dolphin Studies, South Africa, we will be conducting aerial surveys of the Bazaruto dugong population. The work forms part of an ongoing environmental impact assessment that is being carried out to determine the potential impacts of planned offshore gas exploration activities.

The flights will cover the area between the Rio Save mouth and the southern end of Bazaruto Bay and will be conducted three times a month, from April 2007 up to and including November 2007.

Click here to find some Dugongs

A company aircraft will be stationed at Vilanculos or Inhassoro for the duration of the work there.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

GeoGathering 2007

May 7th and 8th - Estes Park, Colorado

GeoGathering 2007 is a first of its kind event dedicated to providing oil and gas gathering system professionals a venue to share their experiences and best practices with geospatial information while learning about current industry regulations and GIS solutions. This conference will provide valuable insights into the process of GIS enabling your organizations and what role the technology could play in your day to day operations. Speakers will address topics ranging from integrity management and gathering system regulatory requirements to field data collection and GIS based system analysis.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

2.6 Billion Images Served! And that is a bucket full!

CANON LEADS, BUT SAMSUNG CLIMBS IN CAMERA SHIPMENTS

Digital camera shipments continued to rise in 2006, climbing 14.5 percent to 106 million units -- and Samsung more than doubled its digital camera shipments in 2006, reports IDC, expanding its market share to 7.8 percent from just 3.8 percent a year earlier.

However, Canon remains firmly in the lead in overall global digital camera shipments in 2006, according to the Framington, MA-based research firm.

IDC says Canon shipped 19.7 million cameras in 2006, 18.7 percent of the market. Sony was 2nd with 15.8 percent; Kodak, 4th at 10 percent; Olympus followed with 8.6. Nikon, knocked out of the top 5 by Samsung, had a close 7.6 percent market share in 2006.

In particular, digital SLR shipments grew 39 percent to 5 million units last year. Canon had 46.7 percent share of that market niche, with Nikon taking 33 percent.

www.6Sight.com

“The Weekly Briefing from Future Image:

Leaders in Visual Communication and Imaging Technology”

Issue #432 April 6, 2007

2005 Leading GPS Manufactures Gross Sales Millions

Novatel $63.3m

Sirf 165.2

Trimble 774.9

Garmin 1,030.0

CSI 32.7

Note created June 9, 2006

The Business - April 2006 - GPS World - www.gpsworld.com/...

Here’s How We Get to the Future

By Eric Schwarz

Picture yourself as a soldier in the field, communicating with your command via a personal digital assistant (PDA) and availing yourself of NGA services. Your wireless PDA has imaging capability and it’s "secure at rest" (all the data it contains is encrypted, even when the device is turned off, so that if it falls into the wrong hands, it can’t be used). It’s equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver as well as an integrated inertial measurement unit—a micro gyroscope that lets images taken with the PDA be mapped onto the earth.

Being in the field location for the night, you upload images of local features, including nearby hills and rivers, and send them to NGA. Then you use your PDA to set up a 24-hour, 5-kilometer geo-protection cylinder around your position with a 30,000-foot ceiling. You select the option to be notified of the presence of Red Forces and Blue Forces, that is friends and foes, and over flight. NGA watches the world for you.

Or, consider one of these scenarios:

An NGA imagery analyst has the power within her work space to create her own work flow in concert with the way she works best. She sets up geospatial areas of interest that are monitored for new source from a variety of intelligence disciplines to tip her off to new actionable intelligence. Reported changes indicate the presence of meaningful activity, and she calls on the advanced technology at her fingertips to create endless chains of actions to cross correlate source, initiate data mining, cue imagery, and literally bring the universe of information to her desktop for analysis, in a presentation style she’s requested.

An NGA geospatial analyst’s command customer requires an immediate symbolic information product to identify optimal avenues of traversability (ingress/egress) from a current location to a desired endpoint. The analyst can access the unit’s equipment specifications, such as vehicle size, and analyze road networks and cross country mobility options from his work space. He adds current variables into consideration such as weather, soil and geology and current Red and Blue locations to create information that will intuitively convey the options to the command customer.

An NGA source analyst interacts via a visual interface with the world’s sensors to determine how to gather the right combination of imagery sensed from the electro-magnetic spectrum to satisfy source information requirements for NGA analysts. She tasks by interacting with sensor facsimiles that instantly show her the available options and allow source to be collected and distributed to those who need it.