8Motions blog

Jon Spinney from Maperture blog pointed on my previous post the effort of Christopher Schmidt from GSMLoc to create the same kind of database. So thanks to both of them, I’ve integrated the previous database of GPS cell, and we are now at 15301 cells covered with 541728 mesurements…

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

Just put in place a better design for the j2memap developer web site. Let me know if you have any issue….

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!

Navx, a french company selling customized voices and POI for GPS, seems to go also in the UGC content. They just announced yesterday the opening in public beta of their platform.
This seems very similar to what 8Motions is doing, except that they are focused on  the GPS market. While GPS is a big market, I stilll doubt that GPS users will be big UGC contributors: the primary goal of a GPS is to help you to navigate but it will be far from being a perfect device to create UGC.

Our objective is to bring the ability to create user generated content related to geolocalisation with a clear focus on mobile, which is in our view the most interesting device for this. Export is possible for plenty of format, including GPS to consume some user generated content.

Anyway, good luck for NavX, and we will see how the platform will evolve!

Identificateurs Technorati : gps, navx, 8motions, ugc

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

Aurel, posted a great trip of his holidays in Guadeloupe on 8Motions….Look at this:

Thanks to 8Motions, you can follow Aurelien path, and get all these great places on your mobile, for your next trip in Guadeloupe

You can even check his trip on Google Earth:

8Motions just run perfectly well on my latest N95 8Gb. The screen orientation is supported, as well as taking picture and uploading them to the flickr directly.

Other very interesting info, is the fact that the landscape mode is well supported by 8Motions, like this:

TIP: put the software in the internal memory, not the 7GB one. This one is extremely slow, and will slow done applications like 8Motions which use local storage for caching.

TIP2: if you want to upload directly to flickr, remember to put ask a flickr token on the mobile. It will be asked the first time that you try to do it, so you need to be close to your computer and type the required URL. I know that this could be better, and we will improve this later on.

Also thanks to nokia 95 user blog for linking the app…

One of the most interesting feature of 8Motions, is the ability to view a KML file on mobile. Here is a step by step to help you to do so.

Here is how.

So, lest use this KML sample, created using MyMaps from Google:

(you can see this page using this direct link ).
The KML link is link under the “show in google earh” button

You have two options:

First option:

You just want to see one single track, and are ready to type this URL on your mobile. Then start 8Motions (you can download it at http://www.8motions.com or directly from your mobile at http://www.8motions.com/m ) and go to “track” -> options -> import -> from internet and then put the URL of the KML file you want to import.

Here is the result on 8Motions:

 Note that if you use GoogleMyMaps, the URL can be sometime very long, like this: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=fr&msa=0&output=nl&msid=100794107530973749779.000434a046c54077b3580 and hard to type. You can use a service like tinyurl ( http://tinyurl.com ) to transform it into a shorter link, this one in that case: http://tinyurl.com/34k738

Other option, if you want ot manage several track: put then as “Mapz” in your account:

First, go to 8motions and create your account (http://www.8motions.com).
Go to “Mapz”, then, “create a new mapz”,

Then, put the name of your maps, like “My first KML file ” and in the field “url if it’s a KML file” just put the URL of the KML file and press apply once it’s ok. You can eventually add extra info, like a specific icon to be displayed on mobile or to setup a public/private flag. A public mapz will be visible by everybody (but can not be changed by them) while a private will be only visible by you.

Then, if you go to the “Mapz” menu of your 8Motion mobile client, you will see the newly created mapz.

You can create as many mapz as you want…

Note: do not forget to set up your username/password on mobile if you want to be synched with your web account.

A few bug have been recently corrected on the web site. Let me know if you encounter any issue….