GeoSMS .. Been there done that?

Open standard for geotagging SMS text messages

from Between the Poles by Geoff

At the recent GITA ANZ conference in Sydney, Mark Reichardt, President and CEO of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) mentioned in his talk that the OGC's GeoSMS standard for geotagging SMS or text messages had been adopted and would be released as a full standard later in 2011.

There is a bit of confusion around the term "GeoSMS", but the major advantage of the OGC Open GeoSMS standard is that it is intended to be independent of hardware and software platform.
The OGC Implementation Specification is available.

Format
GeoSMS/Version Num;Latitude;Longitude;Format Type;Data Section
Examples
GeoSMS/2;2235.739,N;12133.851,E;B;
GeoSMS/2;2230.978,N;12123.566,E;E;TOWING_SERVICE
GeoSMS/2;2220.693,N;12133.521,E;E; DEBRIS_FLOW_ALERT

Android Backup... Do it now before Moto whipes you out...

Backup your data today so you will not regret tomorrow

from AndroidZoom Blog by AndroidZoom

There are lots of types of Android users based on how they use their device. However, we can identify two great categories: the techies and the regular user. The first ones are constantly worried about being updated on latest Android versions and being aware about breaking news related to Android. They know by heart what’s root, flashing, a ROM or what kernel means. The regular users use to update their devices when the official updates are launched. They care about games, photo editors apps, social networks and other popular apps that aren’t usually related to device management, tracking or monitoring.
However, what both type of users share is their need to backup their personal data and apps, either for flashing and installing new ROMS or just for keeping them in a safe place in case the phone gets lost or robbed. All of them need a must-have Android tool: backup/restore apps.
Thus, throughout this week we’re going to show you Android apps that should be taken into account whenbackupping. Let’s get started!

MyBackup

Although its first launching it was only for rooted devices, now both root and non-root are supported. There are extra features for root like backup/restore .apk, data as well as market links. Same for data/setting of apps.
What it basically does is backupping/restoring all your apps (just the image in case you aren’t root) and your data: SMS, contacts, call log, calendar, Home Screens, alarms… among others. You can save the backups files on your SDcard or upload it to the cloud (Rerware servers). You can check your backup files out from the web. It also allows you to manage your backups: schedule them, freeze/unfreeze apps and clear cache and data. It’s fast and reliable. One of the most used backupping apps on Android. There are only two catches: the layout is too sober and there’s a 30-days free trial, then you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro version ($4.99).

MyBackup

Discover more Android apps

App Backup & Reinstall

This is the best choice for those who’re using older devices from Android 1.5. Unlike MyBackup, App Backup & Reinstall allows you to backup just apps, not data. It’s a pity because you will need to use two apps for backupping all your data, but that’s just a little flaw regarding the troubles that older devices have to face everyday. It allows you to unlimited backup/restore, classify app or game and keep backup files in your SDcard. It’s set in a good-looking layout and user-friendly interface. High recommendable for low-end Android devices.

App Backup & Reinstall

Discover more Android apps

Titanium Backup
The jewel in the crown. It’s a pity that it’s only available for root devices so far. We hope it will be extended to all users as soon as possible. Titanium Backup makes a colored list that shows user apps (white), system apps (red) and mixed (green). From there you can copy, freeze, uninstall, clear data, launch the app and, in case there’s already a backup file, restore or delete the copy. It supports multiversion apps backups. You can do it one-by-one or by batches that you can pre-set. What’s more, it allows you to schedule backups (the free version allows just two scheduled backups per week). The paid version ($4.99) doesn’t have scheduled backup restrictions. What’s more, it includes automatic app-reinstalling with Hypershell and sync with Dropbox (uploading your backups to the cloud). If you’re root, this is the ultimate backupping tool if you like to control every single detail. If you aren’t root or you prefer simplicity, give a go to our other two previous proposals.

Titanium Backup ★ root

Discover more Android apps

Happy backupping apps discovery!

Mobile Support for Vets..

Written on AUGUST 29, 2011 AT 8:45 AM by JTOZER

Real Warriors Goes Mobile

Filed under DOD NEWS

The Real Warriors Campaign recently launched a mobile site, allowing service members, veterans, military families and health professionals to seamlessly access campaign resources from their smart mobile device.

“With today’s increasingly tech-savvy service member, the mobile site was a natural progression and a huge monument for the Real Warrior Campaign,” said Staff Sgt. Megan Krause, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve who is featured in one of the campaign’s video profiles. “It’s one thing to give someone a website and say ‘Check it out when you get home,’ and it’s another thing to say, ‘Pull out your phone; look at what they’re doing right now.’”

Through the mobile site, visitors can access valuable psychological health resources, such as the DCoE Outreach Center, which instantly connects users with trained health resource consultants who can answer questions about psychological health concerns and connect users to recourses in their local community. TheDCoE Outreach Center is free and confidential, and is available 24/7 through the live chat feature on the mobile site or by dialing 866-966-1020.

Mobile site users can also watch the campaign’s powerful video profiles, which feature real service members and veterans, such as Krause, who have reached out for care and continue to lead successful military or civilian careers. The videos can be watched instantly – or easily shared through social media channels to let others know they are not alone in coping with invisible wounds.

Articles such as Translating Military Experience to Civilian Employment, Combat Stress Overviewand Boosting Family Resilience help service members, veterans and families build and maintain their resilience. Through the shopping cart, visitors can also download or order free brochures, posters and other materials directly from their smartphone.

The Real Warriors Campaign is an initiative launched by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) to promote the processes of building resilience, facilitating recovery and supporting reintegration of returning service members, veterans and their families. To learn more about the mobile site, visit: http://www.realwarriors.net/mobile.php.

The ghost in the Metadata...

Embedded Serial Number Helps Photographer Find His Stolen Camera

from TechCrunch by John Biggs

A photographer, John Heller, had $9,000 worth of gear stolen at a shoot in Hollywood. After giving up all hope of ever getting his Nikon D3 back, he checked with a site called GadgetTrakthat scans Flickr and other image upload sites for photos matching the serial number of his DSLR.
In a few seconds he had found shots with serial numbers matching his D3 belonging to a professional photographer. With the help of the police he got his gear back and now the tracking service is a recommend site for LAPD detectives on the hunt for fugitive cameras.
Want to give it a try? You can search the service for free. It currently holds 10 million serial numbers and it checks sites like 500px.com and Flickr for recent shots. Also note that you should probably write down your camera’s serial number ASAP for this to work correctly at all.
A lot of these posts are a bit self serving but it’s great to see folks reunited with their gadgets so often these days (this tale of a stolen laptop is particularly stirring) that it makes me wonder why anyone tries to gank anything electronic anymore.

Nikon out to nail Ricoh's Hard-body?

Nikon COOLPIX-AW100 $379

AW100 (by Engaget)

The AW100 is a handsome beast with its camouflage paint job and interesting locks and seals. In terms of dimensions and weight it's very similar to the S1200pj and it also has the same 5x lens, but it's a lot more pleasurable to hold and behold.

It's freeze-proof down to minus 10 degrees Celsius and can allegedly be dropped from a height of up to 4.5 feet without smashing. But we reckon most people will want the AW100 for its underwater abilities -- it can shoot as far down as 33ft, which is a lot deeper than most cheaper waterproof cameras that stick to the 10-16ft range, and which makes this an ideal tool for snorkeling and shallow dives.

Nikon isn't trying to compete with $100-$200 rugged cameras, but instead wants to become the market leader in this niche by incorporating added features, including: a 16MP CMOS sensor that can record full 1080p (30fps) HD; GPS plus a compass and preloaded maps for geo-tagging; plus, a handy 'action button' which should make it easier to control the camera when diving or wearing gloves. Pressing this large button brings up a simplified menu and switches the camera into a motion sensing mode, where flicking it left to right or backwards and forwards cycles through menu options just like the arrow keys would during normal operation.

See where you’re going, mark where you’ve been

Built-in GPS, mapping and e-Compass

Imagine you and a friend are white water rafting down an unfamiliar route. The AW100's rugged waterproof build can take the pounding action while you record photos and movies of this incredible adventure, and it's built-in GPS can track your progress with NIkon View NX2 software, NIkon's mypicturetown photo sharing site or Google Earth™. Its built-in map lets you view your path, and its electronic compass is an extra safety measure that can even help you ascertain which branch to take if there's a fork in the stream. Your GPS travelogue will give you bragging rights as you share the adventure with your friends.

There's not much more to say about this camera until we're able to take it beneath the waves and grab some stills and footage. But from what we saw today, there's a good chance that the AW100 will be worth its fish-scaring price tag.

InReach for those who you have to keep track of...

DeLorme InReach Satellite Communicator - Best in Show Awards

from GPS Lodge by Scott Martin

DeLorme's soon-to-be-released communicator to the stars won best in show type awards from both Outside Magazine and GearJunkie.com at the recent Outdoor Retailer Show in August. The InReach communicator allows users of certain DeLorme GPS devices to communicate with friends and family (two-way communication) over the Iridium Satellite communication network. This allows you to send and received messages, and send tracking information over the Iridium network's "pole to pole global" footprint. Yes, with an "SOS" button, you can also reach out for help.

The InReach can also be paired (via Bluetooth) with an Android phone to allow its user to send and receive 160 character messages, including Facebook and Twitter updates. Go ahead and laugh, but an increasing number of long range and remote trips are putting up web pages, and offer tracking of progress in real-time. No doubt they are packing a solar charger to keep their mobile tech empires at the ready.
Expect this little piece of amazingness to be available in mid-October. for more information see DeLorme's InReach page.

Android Stats - RIM being eaten alive?

Android, iOS Surging While BlackBerry and Windows Slide

from All Things Digital by John Paczkowski

No surprises here. Android continues to extend its lead as America’s most popular smartphone operating system.
According to new data from NPD, 52 percent of the smartphones shipped in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2011 were running Android, up 19 percent year over year. Apple’s iOS charted significant gains as well, but along the same order of magnitude as Android’s. It claimed a 29 percent share in the U.S., up seven percent from the same period a year earlier.
Sadly for the rest of the mobile industry, much of those gains were delivered at its expense. Research In Motion’s BlackBerry OS, for example, saw its market share drop precipitously, from 28 percent in the second quarter of 2010 to 11 percent in the second quarter of 2011. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile suffered a similarly brutal decline, falling from 10 percent in Q2 2010 to four percent in Q2 2011. And, suffice it to say, Windows Phone 7 didn’t quite offset the difference.

Two HD Underwater Cameras for under $150

Vivitar to offer affordable underwater video camera

from (title unknown) by Paul Worthington

Pocketable HD video camcorders are increasingly common: even once-rare underwater models are now offered by many vendors — for a price.

Now Sakar International of Edison, NJ, under its Vivitar brand, will sell a waterproof video camera for just $60 — about a third the cost of some comparable models.

The 690 HD pocket video camera can go down as deep as 10 feet underwater. It has an SD card slot, 4x digital zoom, and 2-inch LCD.

Samsung W200 waterproof / rugged 1080p camcorder review

from Engadget by Darren Murph

Samsung slid its 'multi-proof' W200 pocket cam out a couple of months back, and we've spent the past few weeks testing it out in a place that's no stranger to water (read: the Big Island of Hawaii). Hailed as a waterproof and shockproof 1080p pocket camcorder, it most resembles a ruggedized version of Cisco's now-deceased Flip HD, and it's definitely a heck of a lot more petite than Canon's PowerShot D10 -- a waterproof P&S that we reviewedback in June of '09. Aside from putting high-def recording capabilities in the palm of your pruney hand, the W200's other key selling point is the trifecta of digits to the left of the decimal. At just $150 on the street, it's certainly classifiable as a bargain in the category, but does it deliver results worthy of laud? Read on for our take!

Garmin Montana 650t

From Road to Trail to River - Garmin Montana 650t GPS

By Fred Zahradnik, About.com Guide   August 12, 2011

I've been using Garmin's new Montana 650t (see photo)
 on a trip in Wyoming and Idaho including long drives
on paved and dirt back roads, hiking, and river wading
and floating. My 650t is equipped with Garmin's City
Navigator street maps, and topo maps for the regions
where I'm traveling. So far, the Montana is living up
to its promise of being a powerful street navigator that
instantly transforms into a backcountry color-mapping
handheld. It was especially useful for getting us back to
our camp off of a dirt road 30 miles from the nearest
paved highway. Waterproof and ruggedized, the
Montana also has a 5 megapixel camera built in, giving
me the ability to take photos when wading or floating
rivers. Furthering its backcountry capability is its
dual-battery configuration - a long-lasting rechargeable
lithium, but also compartment space for AA batteries
when you're away from a charge. Watch for a full review
here. Image © Garmin

BaseCamp establishes its Future...

Take it hiking. Take it hunting. Take it on the water.
Montana 650t features a bold 4 in. color touchscreen
dual orientation display and TOPO U.S. 100K maps,
supports multiple mapping options like
BirdsEye™ Satellite Imagery and it has a 5 megapixel
camera to boot. Montana has key features for the outdoors
such as a 3-axis tilt-compensated compass and barometric
altimeter. Buy the auto mount and a City Navigator NT®
map, and it'll give you spoken turn-by-turn driving
directions. It's big. It's versatile. It's tough. It earned the
name Montana - the ultimate in touchscreen toughness.

With Montana 650t you can share your waypoints, tracks,
routes and geocaches wirelessly with other compatible
Garmin GPS users. So now your friends also can
enjoy your favorite hike or cache – simply press
“send” to transfer your information to similar units,
and let the games begin.

Montana 650t features a one-of-a-kind dual battery
system. You’ll have the option of using the rechargeable
lithium-ion pack or traditional AA batteries – whichever
suits your needs better.

SONY's Big Gun - Better than a Nikon D300s in MPG mode? Not Progressive enough?

HDCP1

2/3" Full Multi Purpose Compact Camera

SONY's HDCP1 ... Link

Three 2.2-million pixel 2/3"-inch type Power HAD FX CCDs and a 14bit A/D converter offer a sensitivity of F11 at 1080/50i. A wide range of recording formats are supported, including 1080/59.94i 1080/50i and 720/59.94P, 720/50P with 23.98PsF, 24PsF, 25PsF, and 29.97PsF capabilities available via optional software upgrade.  $30k without lens.  Get two plus the proper mounting rig and your doing 3D ... say $120k all in?

http://nikonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Nikon-Fieldscope-EDG85.jpeg 

Busy with my new born baby, I took the opportunity to test my new scope, the Nikon Fieldscope EDG85, Digital Photo Adapter FSA-L2 for my Nikon D300s and the EDG 20-60x zoom eyepiece. horukuru

 Digital Photo Adapter FSA-L2 - $900 Compatible Nikon digital SLR camera (as of August 2009): D3 series/D2 series/D700/D300 series/ D200/D100/D90/D80/D70 series/ D5000/D60/D50/D3000/D40 series

Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 - $3,500 All of Nikon's spotting scope line is backed up by the "No-Fault" lifetime warranty. Regardless of what happens to your scope-even of your own negligence-Nikon will repair or replace (at their option) your scope for just $10 plus the return shipping costs.

Calling all Spatialists... The Geotrek of an Infrequent Intervalometerist

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

An Infrequent Intervalometer: A Journey from Film to Digital

An intervalometer is a device which counts intervals of time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intervalometer

In 1998 I travelled to Nepal and treked to Mt Everest with my brother Mark, we went there to see our youngest brother Alan and wish him good luck in his quest to climb that highest of peaks.

My quest was to take a bunch of photographic equipment, camera, film, tripod & hand held GPS to capture sequences of images down the side of a mountain and later stitch those images together into 360 degree panoramas.

This was the equipment for my 1998 trip -

    

Now in 2011 I am travelling to the USA on another intervalometers journey, here is the equipment I am carrying -

Tomorrow I'll explain the details and d

QR Duct-tape

No Projector? Use QR Code & SlideShare to Share a Presentation on Smartphones

I’m scheduled to make a presentation to a professional organization on Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, the venue is a restaurant and doesn’t have a configuration appropriate for a traditional projector and screen arrangement. Here’s what I’m going to try for the first time that day to work around the physical constraints.

1. I uploaded my presentation to SlideShare.net. SlideShare transforms PowerPoint files into a slide deck that is viewable in web browsers including mobile ones.

2. I used Google’s URL shortener (goo.gl) to create a short URL that points to my presentation on SlideShare.

3. Adding a “.qr” to the goo.gl’s shortened URL creates a QR code that will be printed on paper and scattered around the venue.

4. People with smartphones and tablets can point apps like Google Search at the QR code on the pieces of paper and be taken to my presentation.

5. SlideShare’s web presentation system recognizes mobile web browsers and lets people swipe through the slide deck.

Tiny RFID amulet stores medical records, makes paramedics' lives easier

from Engadget by Terrence O'Brien

Using RFID to store medical records, ultimately making the jobs of paramedics and doctors that much easier, is hardly a new concept. But, for the most part, such devices have been limited to clinical trials. Asahi Kasei Corp. is hoping to change that with the debut of a tiny, 3cm-square charm that can be read by a computer or smartphone. In addition to basic info, such as name, birth date, and blood type, the chip could transmit links to more storage-intensive data like X-rays images. Instead of building out a proprietary system, the company is relying on established technology called FeliCa from Sony. That means the device will enjoy broad compatibility with existing products, and should be inexpensive to produce. Asahi Kasei hopes to begin selling the medical amulets to cities and hospitals within a year, for as little as ¥2,000 (around $25).

Toucan News

Toucans with GPS

from NaviGadget by Administrator

Scientists at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute recently used nutmeg-loving toucans to study seed dispersal. This is a very old problem in plant ecology and the newest high tech solution is to have these toucans wear GPS transmitters. Toucans were the choice of species because apparently they’re good seed dispersers.

The researchers collected fresh seeds from a common Panamanian nutmeg tree and fed them to captive toucans at the Rotterdam Zoo. They gulp nutmeg seeds whole, the outer pulp is processed in the bird’s crop, and the hard inner seed is then regurgitated. Five zoo toucans fed 100 nutmeg seeds took an average of 25.5 minutes to process and regurgitate the seeds.

Not only GPS information was collected; but also an accelerometer was also in this mini back pack the birds had strapped on. The accelerometer helped measured birds activity level… via
Brought to you by your GPS navigation site NaviGadget.

ArcGIS on Android? Sometime later on...

This topic will describe the system requirements for developing and deploying applications using the ArcGIS application programming interface (API) for Android.


Esri offers users a host of solutions, designed to be used from PC, web and mobile clients, however, lately there’s definitely huge interest in the mobile ecosystem. The company actually offers 5 solutions they bill as “mobile” offerings. These include ArcGIS for Win Mobile, ArcPad, ArcGIS for Windows Phone and ArcGIS Desktop – each has it’s benefits, price point, and target audience/user.

Supported operating systems

The System Requirements page from Google provides a list of supported operating systems. Development of ArcGIS Android apps is supported on Mac OS X (Intel), Linux, and Windows based operating systems. Refer to Google's documentation for the specific Windows operating systems that are supported.

Eclipse IDE

The Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) will be the only supported development environment and it is required if any development work is to be done with the ArcGIS API for Android. The following items must be considered when setting up your development environment:

• The Android Development Tools (ADT) plug-in for Eclipse provided by Google is required before you can install the plug-ins provided by Esri. Instructions on installing this plug-in are provided by Google on the following page: ADT Plugin for Eclipse. In general, Esri's Eclipse plug-ins are loosely coupled with Android's ADT. Thus, you should be able to work with the latest ADT plug-in for Eclipse.
• The ArcGIS API for Android Eclipse plug-ins will be supporting Eclipse 3.5 (Galileo) and Eclipse 3.6 (Helios).
• Eclipse's Java development tools (JDT) is required before the ADT can be installed. Most Eclipse IDE packages include this plug-in by default, but it must be installed if not included with the package you download from Eclipse's web site.
• There are several types of Eclipse packages that can be downloaded from the Eclipse Downloads site. Esri supports all of the Eclipse IDE packages stipulated by Google (see Google's System Requirements document for a list).
• Java development kit (JDK) 6 is required. A Java runtime environment (JRE) is not enough for development.

Supported Android SDK platforms

Esri is supporting only the following Android software development kit (SDK) platforms:

• SDK Platform Android 2.1, API 7
• SDK Platform Android 2.2, API 8

Supported ArcGIS Server versions and platforms

The ArcGIS API for Android will work with ArcGIS Server 9.3.1 and 10.0 services. You can also use the ArcGIS API for Android with:

• ArcGIS Server for the Java Platform
• ArcGIS Server for the .NET Platform
• All flavors of operating systems that are supported by Esri