8Motions blog

Here is a project that I wanted to introduce to you: OpenCellID.The purpose of this project is to create an OpenSource database of GSM cells.

Why? Because this can be used as a “cheap” way to get your location. There is not a lot of phones that provides this access to JavaMe application (mostly SonyEricsson), but this may change in the near future.
The idea is do it in a transparent way for end user, thanks to 8Motions or other applications. This is not a new idea, as Google probably made the same for his GoogleMap mobile application. The only issue, is that the application needs to access to two informations:

• the cellID
• the GPS position

and for now, no handset provides this. N95 for instance, haves a GPS but does not provide CellID information in JavaME. Latest SonyEricsson phone, provides CellID, but not GPS position. I think that new GPS enabled handsets will provide both, but for new you need to use a SonyEricsson phone and an external bluetooth receiver….

You can check the result of collected data on the OpenCellID.org web site….

There were other initiatives like this, but the idea is to provide the Datas as an OpenSource information. The code of the project is hosted on Google Code.

Identificateurs Technorati : cellid, mobile, opencellid, gsm, towers

Hello dear J2memap developer,

We’ve just put on line a new version of the SDK.

Beyon some small improvment, there is a major (but easy to handle) change:

• Tha package name has changed, to follow our company organisation. It moved from net.landspurg to com.eightmotions. So just replace it in your source code
• There was also  some cleanup on what is included and what what is not, to reduce library size

As a reminder, this SDK allows you to easily create mobile mapping application, and is freely available for non commercial application at http://j2memap.8motions.com

Let us now if you have any issue!

Navizon integrate the J2memap library from 8Motions…. Navizon, a well know provider of geolocation software uses the J2memap library to display on line maps… See more on the Navizon blog.

If you want to add easily maps in your j2me app, just contact us, or check directly the SDK .

Identificateurs Technorati : 8motions, J2memap, mobile, maps, navizon

8Motions is a revolutionnary new mobile map client, full featured.

With 8Motions, you can do the following things:

• Browse maps on your mobile. You can choose your map provider, between Google Map, Microsoft Live, Yahoo!Maps and ask.com
• See map or satellite picture
• Search for location, commerce
• Connect a GPS (internal or external through bluetooth) to get your current location
• Download “Maps” created by yourslef or other users
• Download KML files, GPX, or GeoRSS file
• Create and record tracks, that can be later uploaded to the web.
• Take geolocalized picture
• You can expend it and add more “layers”
• OpenStreetMap
• Traffic
• use predefined extension:
• Flickr search
• Wikimapia
• “Velib” tools
• Can be linked directly to your Google “MyMaps” created maps.

Other features:
Multilanguage supported, French, English and Russia for now (translator needed!)
Ultra speed tile download

Companion WebSite, to create your own map, setup your settings: www.8motions.com

Note:

• this program make use of your data connection, so ensure that you have the right data plan to use it.
• It was based and it’s the evolution of “J2memap“

Want to download it? Press this button 

A new version of the library has been deployed. As usual, go to http://j2memap.8motions.com and register to download it!

This correct some small bugs, and include the latest version of the Google Map API numbers….

As you have probably noticed, J2memap as a project is moving to a company. And the great news of the week is that the project of this company was one of the winner of the “OSEO“(in French, sorry!) contest, organised by the French research agency: it was one of the 158 selected file out of 1153 proposed, and one of the twenty selected in the emerging software category.

So last Wenesday was the official ceremony, at “La Sorbonne”, with the french minister of education and research, Valerie Pecresse.

This mean also some funding for the project, and a great recognition as an innovative product. So expect to see more in the future.

This does not mean that J2memap will stop, or will be a commercial product: it will remains a free product for non commercial use….

• Better feedback when a map is not found at a certain level of zoom
• upgrade with new googlemap version….
• Imrpvoed support of KML file (with custom icon support)

A separed post about the KML support later on

Interested by creating cool mobile mashup, or by helping this nice project?

We are looking for some help/ideas in the following areas:
- You have some mashup ideas that you would like to implement?
- You want to participate to the project and you are a server side developper (Ruby On Rails?)
- You have some j2me knowledge
- Or you just want to help us on some various task (like managing forum!)

Just contact me (thomas.landspurg at gmail.com )

Short notice to announce the update of j2memap to V09.19. This contains mainly update for GoogleMap API, and some custom menus for better navigation. Let me know if you have an issue with version.

The library has been also updated, so for people who see “red squares” while using the library, please go to the developper web site and download it.

Technorati Tags: j2memap, googlemap, mobile, mapping

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It has been out since a few weeks, but did not blog about it, but MyCityMate is another nice application with J2memap library embeeded in it.

The basic idea of mycitymate is pretty simple. You add the places you know and like or write reviews about places you’ve been. You do this for the city you know best, your home city, let’s say London or Berlin. Others do it for Barcelona, Madrid or New York for example. The more people participate - the better the guide!

Of course, there’s also quite a bit more to it, such as the possibility to share reviews exclusively with your friends, get individual recommendations from mycitymate, and download all this stuff to your mobile or iPod. Perhaps it’s best if you discover it yourself!

Technorati Tags: mycitymate, j2memap, mobile, tourism

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