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)

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IsWhere Visitors

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Clear Path heading for Disaster? HP and bad dealings

The printer market isn't exactly full of the most intersting news, but it's still big money, and big money tends to bring out the worst in people -- like former HP VP Atul Malhotra, who was just charged with stealing trade secrets from his former employer IBM and emailing them to other HP execs.
Apparently Malhotra requested some confidential sales data two months before he went from the three-letter company to the two-letter one, and when he got there he hit up some other senior execs with the files -- marking the subject line "For Your Eyes Only." Yeah, that's an effective way to keep a lid on things. Malhotra was fired from HP in 2006, so all this went down some time ago, and HP says it actually conducted an internal investigation about the matter before firing Malhotra and reporting the theft to both IBM and the authorities. Sure, sure -- but we'll know what's up when the next HP AIO is running a Cell chip.

New Wintec Bluetooth GPS Handheld

Wintec G-Trender ABC integrates high-sensitivity GPS receiver, barometric altimeter and electronic compass, also provides not only a large LCD showing various dynamical information but also the data logger supporting the off-line tracking. It is the best companion for sport and recreation.

Product Features

  • GPS Receiver with latest "Atmel / u-blox Antaris® 4" GPS chipset
  • 1-4 Hertz technology
  • WAAS/EGNOS possible
  • LCD display
  • A very easy to read and user-friendly menu
  • GPS data logger
  • Trackback-Navigation with directional signs
  • Large storage space for over 130.000 waypoints
  • Photo function via freely obtainable PC software "Time Machine X"
  • Barometric altimeter
  • Electromagnetic compass
  • Thermometer
  • GPS Information (PVT)
  • Lunar and solar system display
  • Bluetooth interface
  • USB interface
  • Firmware updatable
  • Dual function: utilizable via USB data cable as well as Bluetooth
  • Mini-USB connection
  • Rechargeable and replaceable Li-ion battery (BL-5C format)
  • approx. 20 hours continuous operation when in log modus
  • Very small, lightweight, handy
  • Sturdy and rainproof design

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

What is a SMARTPHONE?

I have tried and tried to better understand the GPS chip count but the " industry pundits " used as sources are not much more that soggy cow-chips .

I have even gone to the horses’ mouths to try to sort out not the finite count but the magnitudes of growth. Too sensitive - fortunes and futures are at stake!

And my absolute biggest gripe is the speculation as related to so called smart-phones, the Mother-of-all-GPS uses, evolution into PDNs (or is it really PDNs/PDAs into smart phones?) for which there seems to be a rather dynamic definition that so crumbles the statistical edges that nothing or very little can be determined… with the result of FUD.

Personally I see the one-handed smart-phones versus enlightened PDAs and PDNs (also know as "I want-2-b-a-phone too!" devices) as key to really understanding what may or may not be really happening…

My personal bet is where ever you have a good digital camera the chances of having a GPS location will soon be the norm - so just count the great cameras? Too easy.. just point me in the direction of great cameras - Nokia, Nikon, Cannon, Kodak, and Apple or Google?

Smart Phones Must Have's:

  • Provide voice communication via a carrier
  • Provide Internet connectivity via carrier and WiFI/WAN (I don’t need no stupid carrier!)
  • Can be programmed by third-parties
  • Organize internally around a directory tree structures for programs and data
  • Provide removable data storage/chips
  • Include the Bluetooth halo
  • Have a good camera – better than 3mp IMHO and VGA MPEG video
  • Have good GPS – CEP less than 30m

Now the statistical chaff starts when “form/size” is included. There are two types based on size – candy-bar origami and ham-sandwiches both now exhibiting an evolving form identified as finger-fud:

One-handed – small, fits in your pocket including origami designs (which reveal a hidden keyboard) but can be and best operated with one hand and thumb – billions sold

One Hand vs Origami

Two-handed – needs two hands to operate either with touch/micro-keyboards or finger/stylus.

ham-sandwiches (size factor) like most Palm, RIM, and Microsoft OSed devices – keyboards not hidden but sometimes can be virtual – tens of millions to be sold soon

Ham Sandwiches

Both forms are evolving features I identify as finger-fud – best example is iPHONE and like derivatives (Ham-sandwich with crusts trimmed?).

So if you or your group can help normalize all of this noise we, at least this MidNight Mapper, will all appreciate your skills and clarity of purpose. Heck you might even be called over to DC to alert our government that things are happening in the GPS domain.

Lastly, there are two phone-GPS pieces really missing IMHO –

  • really cool "integrated" usability (a review of third-party GPS utilities not just maps!), and
  • accuracy of the GPS since LBS and its certain 2-come ad-$$ can be as bad as phantom clicks if the revenue models think 100m CEP versus 3m CEP is the smarter choice to deliver and charge 4 an ad?