Wiki for Maps

Map-wikis are an excellent way of generating digital map content for countries/regions that don't have digital maps. In addition, it is a cost-effective way of keeping the map-data updated, for a fraction of the cost that companies spend.Contrast this to a fairly new addition to the long list of Google Services - the Google Map Maker. Sitting in the luxury of your house you can add/modify map content. It has a simple-clean interface. This content is almost instantly added and used by the Google Maps. This service will be very valuable to countries that lack digital maps, e.g. countries in Africa, Asia and even India.



I am interested in learning more about how they will customize Google Maps/Transit for differences in countries/cultures. E.g. Indian addresses are very different from ones in US and Europe. Having "opposite ABC Hospital" is very common. Or including "auto rickshaws" in Google Transit :)

While different groups try to make it easier to add/update map-data in different ways, I continue to work on my university project on building a wiki for routes & campus activities (RouteKi) for Columbus/OSU Campus area. Start of a new quarter. Let's get started!

Welcome to Wherever you are

Bon Jovi video on youtube

Lyrics

Welcome to wherever you are
This is your life, you made it this far
Welcome, you gotta believe
That right here right now,
you're exactly where you're supposed to be
Welcome, to wherever you are

Geo engineering

Environmental scientist David Keith proposes a cheap, effective, shocking means to address climate change: What if we injected a huge cloud of ash into the atmosphere to deflect sunlight and heat?



Shocking idea! But it makes definite sense to have global agreement over next steps of tackling climate change.

Geo engineering makes me think.

• Makes me realize that the global climate could change dramatically over a short period of time. I knew that it was possible and it has happened many times in the past, eg the extinction of the dinosaurs, volcanoes, etc; but when someone asks you to make a choice of whether that is the future you want for your own planet ... hmm ... not so sure, difficult one.
• Such research, does however, gives us the ability to influence the climate of planets we might inhabit in the future. In the future, you won't need to buy the "I am rich" app to prove that you are rich, all you would need is a custom built planet ;)
  

Technological fix for Terrorism

In response to the recent terrorist attacks in N.Delhi.

I sincerely hope that the Government is able to break this network (Indian Mudjhahideen and other terrorist threats) and bring justice. I hope this happens before the population of India gets used to them and starts treating the attacks like road accidents, with indifference. In addition, I hope the victims of the Gujarat riots get their due justice.

It is frustrating to wait for the Government and the judicial system to do everything. Is there anything that folks like us can do? Can we have a technological fix for terrorism and give voice to everyone?

• For example, people in technology could pursue research like this
• I read earlier about some city in New Zealand was using a wiki to make local laws. How did that work out? In this video Mike Gravel talks to Google about similar initiatives. Is that how our society will evolve into and give a voice to everyone?
• Is anyone at IIT working on fixing the problem of terrorism? Not even going crazy - a mix of GPS devices, special cameras/sensors on satellites to check border infiltration.

Of course, when basics like checking ‘illegal’ planes in the airspace, are not in place, it is difficult to expect much.

I am interested in finding more about solutions. If you have more info give me a buzz.

"Simple" Route

It would be useful for GPS’s to have the functionality of finding a “simple” route. A route which takes major roads/intersections, has few turns, but might not be the fastest route or with the shortest distance. It should not, of course, take ridiculously long either.

If someone is new to a city, then taking the major roads or a straight road might be more useful than trying to reach the destination in the shortest time/distance, which might involve a lot of turns (often quick) and/or taking little known streets.

A “simple” route would provide an opportunity to see good parts of the city, and reach the destination in time, without haste. It would be especially helpful if one is new to a city, new to driving or older folks might prefer it while driving at night.

TomTom One and iPhone GPS

I was looking for a GPS which had good reviews and was relatively cheap. TomTom One has that, but most importantly it let's users make minor changes to the map and share it with others in the community. However, after using it for a few weeks I returned it. I now have an iPhone and I am pretty happy with its GPS. Below I share my experience with both of them.

Tom Tom One
• The map cannot be moved around easily. I am so used to having full control of the map that anything less feels too restrictive.
• Sometimes it took forever for the GPS to locate where I was.
• Worse, if I chose to make a slight detour, it would take forever to give me new directions. Sometimes it just gave an obviously bad direction, e.g. on an open straight main street, and it asked me to take a right into a smaller lane, go around the building and come back to the main street. I refused; continued on the main road and the device froze; it took forever to calculate the “new” directions!!
• The GPS did not speak out the names of streets, so I had to keep looking at the GPS screen to see where I had to go. Upgrading to more expensive models of the GPS would have dealt with this problem, but it definitely involved spending more money, and more work.

iPhone GPS
• It does a good job of locating where I am.
• It gives me full control of the map (thank you google maps!!). I can zoom in wherever I want, see neighboring areas with ease, see the map in multiple modes (satellite, map, hybrid, etc)
• It calculates a good enough route, comparable to any other GPS device. However, if I choose to make a detour, it does not automatically start calculating another route. It does not freeze. Last week I happened to get stuck on the highway traffic. So took the earliest exit and took a parallel road for a couple of hours. I could use the map to zoom in, pan around till I found a route I was happy with. The iPhone GPS ensured I didn’t get lost. I could plan my own route without the instrument recalculating a new route at every turn and asking me to go back to the clogged up highway.
• However, I feel the iPhone GPS requires more attention than the TomTom One, so I am not comfortable using the iPhone GPS when I am driving alone. It does not speak out directions, let alone speak out names of roads. It works perfectly well if you have a navigator who is fiddling with it the entire time.

And so, in spite of having some of the same flaws as the TomTom, I prefer the iPhone GPS because it gives me greater control of the map, and thus the route. And so for now, I stick to the iPhone.

TomTom has announced that it is making an app for the iPhone.

"Web 2.0" in just under 5 minutes.