In+ersec+ion for Spatial People

A story discussed over Slashdot: Hackers Can Jam Traffic By Manipulating Real-Time Traffic Data.

Their summary: "Hackers can influence real-time traffic-flow-analysis systems to make people drive into traffic jams or to keep roads clear in areas where a lot of people use Google or Waze navigation systems, a German researcher demonstrated at BlackHat Europe. 'If, for example, an attacker drives a route and collects the data packets sent to Google, the hacker can replay them later with a modified cookie, platform key and time stamps, Jeske explained in his research paper (PDF). The attack can be intensified by sending several delayed transmissions with different cookies and platform keys, simulating multiple cars, Jeske added. An attacker does not have to drive a route to manipulate data, because Google also accepts data from phones without information from surrounding access points, thus enabling an attacker to influence traffic data worldwide, he added.' 'You don't need special equipment for this and you can manipulate traffic data worldwide,' Jeske said."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Quantum Inventions Launches First Live Traffic Information Service for Motorists in South East Asia

Singapore, 7th February 2013 – Quantum Inventions, a key provider of GPS navigation and traffic solutions in Asia Pacific, announced the launch of mapSYNQ, a map-based, traffic information service that provides real-time traffic data for the region. Available on the web and mobile, mapSYNQ is the first of its kind application that combines live traffic with personalized user information to offer motorists a seamless, one-stop application that addresses all their commuting needs.

“One of the key differences in mapSYNQ is the manner in which the information is accessed by users,” said Mohit Sindhwani, Head of Innovation at Quantum Inventions. “mapSYNQ offers traffic information to users in a personalized and contextual manner. For example, instead of providing all traffic incidents, toll prices or cameras in a list and leaving the user to deduce which ones might affect him, mapSYNQ actually figures out the ones that would affect the user based on his current location and his destinations saved in his profile or calendar. The entire experience becomes personalized, hassle-free and simple to use.”

Although mapSYNQ was developed in Singapore, it was built with a global audience in mind. Motorists from countries in the region such as Malaysia and Thailand can leverage upon mapSYNQ and expect a similar set of features as traffic information from these countries has been included. Mohit further commented “The mapSYNQ platform is ready for a global push. We are in discussions with data providers and partners to supply country specific data to enrich mapSYNQ and offer our users a truly global application.” 

mapSYNQ is also positioned as a companion product to Quantum Invention’s existing navigation software, Galactio. Saurav Bhattacharyya, CEO of Quantum Inventions said “Over the years, users of our GPS navigation products have responded positively towards the inclusion of live traffic information within their devices. However, they felt that providing this information to them beforehand would go a long way towards helping them plan their journeys. This reinforced our vision for a connected navigation system and provided us with the starting point for mapSYNQ. “.

Saurav went on to say “At Quantum Inventions, we recognize the current trend that users are engaging with an increasing number of devices such as tablets and smartphones. These users expect to access their applications across all the different devices and they demand a similar experience throughout. Navigation, maps and routing applications are no exception to this trend and this is the approach we have taken with mapSYNQ.”

mapSYNQ is now available in Google Play and Apple’s app store. mapSYNQ on the web can be accessed at http://www.mapsynq.com.

About Quantum Inventions:

Quantum Inventions (QI) has been developing solutions for navigation, routing and map-based applications with a focus on live traffic information for consumers, enterprise and government systems. Headquartered in Singapore, Quantum Invention’s solutions has been deployed and sold in the Asia Pacific regions and various countries in the Middle East.

Contact: 

For more information about mapSYNQ or Quantum Inventions, please contact:

Daniel Poon (Manager, New Business)

[email protected]

Block 2 Innovation Centre, 

Unit #02-236

18 Nanyang Drive

Singapore 637723

Office: +65 6794-2591

###

Discussed over Slashdot, a story named Bluetooth Used To Track Traffic Times.

Here's their summary: "The City of Calgary, AB has introduced a new traffic congestion/timing information platform for drivers. 'The system collects the publicly available data from Bluetooths to estimate the travel time and congestion between points along those roads and displays the information on overhead message boards to motorists.' Currently only available on the Deerfoot Trail (the city's main highway artery) but will be 'expanded in the future to include sections of Crowchild Trail and Glenmore Trail in the southwest.' As for privacy concerns the city says it cannot connect the MAC address collected to the device owner."

This was meant to happen, via the LinkedIn OpenStreetMap group I learned about the OpenTraffic project.

Here's their introduction: "OpenTraffic is a open data project initiated by doroga.tv to create open traffic jam map of the world. We use OpenStreetMap vector graph and data feeds from various fleet management systems to calculate the traffic. Each contributor and every developer may use the traffic APIs for mapping and navigation projects and researches. [...]

If you'd like to start OpenTraffic project in your area, you need to do the following steps: 

1. Contact us so we could install the vector OpenStreetMap data for your region
2. You need to provide datafeeds from GPS-equipped vehicles so we can calculate traffic based on that data
3. Enjoy! Access the traffic data by API and use it on any web or mobile map​"

Here's the recent Google-related geonews in batch mode.

From official sources:

• Google announced Street View comes to Google Maps on your Mobile Browser: "Starting today, use Street View on your mobile browser to check out a new shop across town or get a feel for the ambiance at a restaurant before you arrive. To use Street View on your mobile browser simply go to maps.google.com and search for a location. Then click the “pegman” icon at the bottom right of your screen to access Street View."
• Google also launched MoreThanAMap.com to showcase uses of the Google Maps API
• Google's Ed Parson chimes in on the Apple Maps woes: "[...] the bigger issue is the lack of a true geocoded search index of places and the search algorithms that sit around it. Local search is in many ways what makes smart phones smart, because the users location and the location of things around them provides a set of contextual pointers to relevant information."
• There's traffic estimates now available for enterprise customers in the Google Maps API
• Yes, there's new imagery, including new 45deg imagery for 51 cities

From other sources:

• Slashdot ran a discussion named Google Glass, Augmented Reality Spells Data Headaches, with Google Glass being the topic of our current poll (right hand side column)

Please allow the recent silence, busy week, I should be able to catchup next one. Here's the recent Google-related geonews.

Regarding Google and Apple Maps:

• MacRumors claimed that Apple's Split with Google Over iOS Maps Driven by Turn-by-Turn Navigation Dispute, that Google's Work Toward Standalone iOS Maps App Complicated by Integration with Google Earth and apparently, Apple Reportedly Had Over a Year Left on Maps Contract with Google
• Slashdot discussed Apple Reportedly Luring Ex-Google Mappers With Jobs

From official sources:

• Google Maps now offers underwater imagery, a topic discussed by Slashdot in Google Captures 'Street View' of Underwater Habitats
• Street View reaches other new places, introducing Imagery of Chile and Croatia on Google Maps, and Andorra too
• Google Maps for Android has been updated, and you get all your Google Maps searches in one place
• Live Road Traffic Launches in 3 New Countries, in three new cities: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait City, Kuwait and Guayaquil, Ecuador
• Your can now explore the great indoors of France with Google Maps for Android

From other sources:

• Slashdot discussed California Legalizes Self Driving Cars, and to my knowledge, Google is leading the way the car's future
• Here's Geoception, a new Google Earth-based game: "In a nutshell, you command and control a fleet of combat drones to provide local and regional security, eventually taking over the whole world."
• The GEB also offers an entry named Cambodians fighting malaria with SMS and Google Earth
• And yes, there was another imagery update

You guessed it, that's the last 'batch geonews' entry for the next two weeks. This edition is much shorter than usual. 

From the open source front:

• The open source virtual globe Marble 1.4 has been released for MS Windows
• On scalability, Troubleshooting large GeoServer deployment

From the Google front:

• Nothing less than 130 smaller U.S. cities now with traffic on Google Maps, along with additions and improvements elsewhere
• Expect cities added to the new Google 3D display mode on a regular basis, this time, fly through Seattle and Denver with new 3D imagery on Google Earth for mobile
• Google Map Maker spreading, add your knowledge to the Poland and Ukraine maps (you know me, I am going to tell you you can also add it to OpenStreetMap ;-)
• Kurt shares two short entries on MSL/Curiosity in Google Mars and Gale Crater - Mars Science Laboratory / Curiosity

In the miscellaneous category:

• A demonstration of how things can be easy nowadays, a DM article named Georeferencing on a Budget: Using iPhone and Freeware Apps to Geotag a Mountain of Image Files

Here's the recent geonews in batch mode.

On the open source and open data front:

• This entry introduces iD, a new open source friendly editor for OpenStreetMap, which uses only javascript (no plugin required like Potlatch)
• If you want to try a full-featured OpenStreetMap maps display, try this version by skobbler

• Here's what's coming to the next QGIS: Better date and time support in QGIS expressions and styles
• Here's an entry on MapGuide Open Source scalability
• In Canada, the Province of Quebec now has its open data portal, a lot of it being geospatial [site in French]

On the Esri front:

• Big news, GeoIQ, which runs GeoCommons, has been acquired by Esri, several bloggers see this move as a reduction of competition, from GeoIQ: "GeoCommons and GeoIQ customers will continue to be supported as we integrate the capabilities of ArcGIS Online and GeoIQ into a next generation platform."
• The ArcGIS 10 Service Pack 5 is now available

In the drones category:

• UAS can stay in the air for a long period of time now, Slashdot discussed a story named Laser Powers Lockheed Martin's Stalker Drone For 48 Hours
• However, another story goes like this; GPS Spoofing Attack Hacks Drones

In the car navigation category:

• Slashdot discussed a story named Ford Predicts Self-Driving, Traffic-Reducing Cars By 2017
• And another one named Boston Using IBM Engineers To Solve Traffic Problems

In the everything else category:

• Certainly using the momentum against Google that is limiting the free use of their Google Maps API, MapQuest shared an entry named Unlimited Free Maps with MapQuest API Community Edition, and whle they do use OpenStreetMap data, MapQuest selected TomTom Maps to power its mobile application
• Direction Mag offers an Overview of Pitney Bowes Software’s Server and Web Technology for Geospatial Applications
• Slashdot discussed a story named MIT Develops Holographic, Glasses-Free 3D TV
• Still want more on Google's Project Glass before it hits the road? Sergey Brin Shows Project Glass Glasses to Journalists (Video)
• APB shares an entry named Algorithm Uses Your and Friends Locations to Predict Your Future Location (within 20 meters!)
• James shares an short entry named Autodesk on the Future of Design
• APB links to the top world cities to live in, based on the Spatially Adjusted Livability Index

In the maps category:

• Ogle Earth has detailed entries named Apple censors iPad Maps app over South Korea and Constraining online maps: The case of South Korea
• It's hot over there? Here's a map of continental US climate changes, 1895-2012
• Two related entries, Renewable Electricity Production Mapped and Mapping Renewable Electricity Generation
• Here's Misleading Language Maps on the Internet and from the same source, Mapping International Languages

• Here's a map of Global Earthquakes since 1898

Here's the recent Google-related geonews in batch mode.

From the official sources:

• Google introduced 'Google Maps Coordinate': "That’s where Google Maps Coordinate comes in, a new tool designed to improve communication between businesses and their employees in the field.  As the number of mobile employees continues to grow, so does the need for a location sharing solution that works in real-time.  Research firm IDC estimates that there will be over 1.3 billion mobile workers by 2015 (37.2% of the total workforce). Google Maps Coordinate combines the power of Google’s mapping technologies with modern smartphones to help organizations assign jobs and deploy staff more efficiently." See introduction video below.
• There is traffic conditions in 7 new countries and updates in 19 existing ones: "Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Mexico, Peru, Romania and South Africa"
• Google Map Maker (which always makes me think of OpenStreetMap...) is now available in 8 new countries: "Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland"
• Street View is now available in Hawaii

From other sources:

• DM shares an article named A Use Case: Google’s Cloud-based Earth Builder: "Rod Erickson of Next Tier Concepts provides provides a solution using Software-as-a Service (SaaS)."

• APB mentions Google’s Peer to Peer Location Determination Patent Application

24 hours ago Apple announced  the new 'Maps' app for iOS 6, which includes turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic and 3D maps: "Designed by Apple from the ground up, Maps gives you turn-by-turn spoken directions, interactive 3D views, and the stunning Flyover feature. All of which may just make this app the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever."

Here's the reactions on the geoblogs and other sources:

• Let's start with MacRumors which were amongst the first to let us know about it
• Spatially Adjusted links to the Apple attribution page for the Maps app, and it's TomTom data for navigation amongst other sources, and not surprisingly, there's still OpenStreetMap data in there like for the latest Photo app

• Spatially Adjusted also shares an interesting entry named Will Apple Maps Impact Web Mapping? "Thus in the short term, it becomes one more API we must learn if we are deploying to Apple devices. [...] Second, it might not be useful for GIS applications. [...] Third, if you are already using Google or Mapbox, do you really need to switch?"
• Peter Batty also shares an interesting reaction: "Another interesting development is that a good number of major car manufacturers have committed to adding a button on their steering wheel within the next 12 months that will activate Siri on your iOS device, which will make iOS devices even more attractive as in car devices. [...] The most obvious thing missing from Apple Maps that Google Maps has is Street View. They also didn't mention anything about an offline mode, which Google announced last week. [...]  Another thing missing, which I use a lot on Google Maps on my iPhone, is routing using public transit."
• Adena at APB is collecting 'facts' about Apple's new Maps app

• The Map Room links to Cult of Mac's 4-minutes hands-on demonstration of the Apple Maps app
• You can read more on The Verge, Gizmodo, and several other generic sources 
• If you want to see the 10-minutes video announcement and demo of the Maps app, fast forward to about 98 minutes into the talk

I expect more Apple Maps information and analysis in the coming weeks, and by the time it becomes available as part of iOS 6 "next Fall".