2005 June 29

These links come courtesy of the chat room at Where 2.0:

• GoogleMappingBOF – Kwiki
• Flickr- Photos tagged with where2005
• API (gmaps) Demo
• Google Maps API Documentation
• del.icio.us-tag-where2.0
• mapufacture — Where 2.0 collaborative map by mikel

Read more on Random Mapping Links…

[Observed at Where 2.0] Tim O'Reilly, in his presentation, keeps speaking to the term “hacker friendly” when referencing newer, less rigid applications: Users add value, Network effects by default, Small pices loosely joined, Software above the level of a single device, Data is the next 'Intel inside.' These bulletpoints have been pulled directly from one of his slides. “Alpha Geeks” also keeps rearing its head – so, are these labels set to become a pivotal part of forthcoming elevator pitches? This is a call to arms by Tim, and investors should undoubtedly be listening. What needs to be understood, however, is that geekitude continues to vary on a sliding scale. Opening your APIs is one thing, but listening to non-programming PowerUsers is just as vital. There needs to be a balance in the force for it to truly work.

Read more on Maps: Hacker Friendly?…

[Observed at Where 2.0] We have a few WiFi-capable digital cameras, right? We have EXIF information automatically recorded with JPEGs, right? Why couldn't we embed a simple GPS into the same device, tag the images with proper coordinates, instantly upload them to a Flickr-type Web service… and suddenly make the photoplanet a one-click reality? Are there any mediahackers up for the challenge? Forget about waiting to come home before you can document a trip to, say, Seattle. Let the technology work for you out-of-the-box. It's not like this can't happen – it's that it hasn't happened (and the hardware manufacturers and larger software companies ain't gonna get it as quickly as we do). Opportunities are sitting here like ducks on a pond! Kudos to Tim and Nat for the foresight to assemble this conference – my mind is racing. UPDATE: From the chat room, “coral” passed along this link… and “_dav” passed along this one.

Read more on GPS + WiFi + Digicam = DUDE!…

[Observed at Where 2.0] Where are we this morning? Sitting next to ubergeek, pt, at Where 2.0 – and it looks to be the most visual conference of the year. Everything is about mapping, and there's plenty of maps to see – not just your regular Thomas Guide stuff, either. Without my in-car navigation system, I'd get lost in Seattle (as evidenced by an upcoming episode of the 'Chris and Ponzi Argument'). We're going 3D, folks – we're seeing the future in the present. World Wind is a good starting point for the mapping n00b, and we now have Google Earth. Let's follow the breadcrumbs here, folks: what happens when we merge Google Earth with Picasa? Web 2.0 just became Desktop 2.0… and that's just the beginning. The next generation “Office suite” appears to be mere months away.

Read more on Maphack the Planet…

I don't have iTunes installed on my computer, largely because I don't need yet another media manager at my fingertips. If it supported WMA natively, I'd be more inclined to give 'er a spin (due to my personal library containing thousands of WMA files not willing to be converted to another proprietary format). Since buying Ponzi a shuffle, she's had problems getting it to work like the Windows Media Player – which is likely never to happen. Regardless, I may be remotely interested in giving the new version a shake – if only to see how it handles podcasts. Again, I find myself thanking Apple for making this whole process easier for the masses. They moved quickly on this – a lot quicker than I think anybody had expected. In viewing their podcasting page, however, I find myself a little put off. I thought the whole allure of podcasting was its grassroots-ness? Instead, I see traditional brands like Disney, ABC News, and ESPN sitting there. Certainly, this adds legitimacy to the movement, but it also has the great potential for taking away from the indies. Just like newer aggregators have gone with default “traditional press” feeds over much better independent content publishers, I fear the same thing will happen in this audio space. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but…

Read more on iGotta Thank iTunes…