8Motions blog

Dash corporation, who plans (since a long time) to launch a connected PND will bring mashup capacities to this PND: the ability to display user generated content on their PND…Seems not to far to the Mapz concept that I’ve introduced yesterday!

Through Techcrunch

Let me introduce today one of the coolest thing, both from the technical point of view and end user point of view of the new 8Motions client: the “Mapz”.
What is a mapz?

It’s to map what widget is to the web…A small map oriented application, focused on doing one task, but doing it well. User can select one or more mapz to be downloaded on his phone.

Example of mapz:

• Google “MyMap” published on a mobile
• a traffic overlay (Mapz)
• The list of flickr pictures near you, or Fon hotspots…
• A new map provider: OpenStreeMap for instance
• “Velib” map. Show available velib (bicycle stations in Paris), and ask to the server the remaining bicycle on selected stations….
• Interconnection with a collaborative Geolocalized Wiki: TellMeWhere ( Mapz)

Mapz creator: everybody!

A mapz can be created by many people, no needs to be a developer (but of course, as a developer, you have more possibilities!)

• it can be a simple KML file! Now, so many contents are available as a KML file, that putting a KML link to create a new mapz is a matter of seconds. A cool way to publish content on mobile.
• it can save user preference
• it can contains some intelligent behavior
• Mapz can contain some scripting code, JavaScript based. For instance, you can create a function called when you click on a point. This function could for instance do a request on the server to fetch more detailed information.
• it can save user preference
• All your mapz and mapz data are synced with the server. If you use the same username/password on a different mobile, you’ll find all your mapz and preference

Current status: Mapz is still early and in development, API is not yet documented, but we are workig on this.
But if you are interested, drop me a line, or use the discussion forum.

Identificateurs Technorati : widgets, mobile, maps

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 

8Motions is proud to have been invited as a speakrer at the Location Based Services 2007 hapenning in Madrid, from Monday the 8th to Thursday the 11 of October.
I will talk about “How geotagging can drive LBS usage through mobile social network and user generated content”. If you want to speak about business opportunities, or just chatting, lets meet there.

Identificateurs Technorati : 8motions, lbs, lbs2007, madrid

I will be in the next “Mobile Bar Camp” in Paris, Saturday the 13th of October, organized by Philippe Jeudy and Louis Van Proosdij. Will be in French, but imprevissive list of participant. If you want to chat with me, drop me an email.

In French, from “Trans-Id” blog: 8Motions: donnez toutes les cartes à votre mobile

Thanks a lot!

Big news: 8Motions (the J2memap successor) support now translation. For new, english, french and russian are supported.

First, thanks to Andrew Petrov who made the Russian traduction of the client. So we are looking for more translator. The process is fairly easy: just download this CSV file, and use a plain text editor, or eventually excel or open office to edit it and add a new column with your language, and send me back the result at 8motions@gmail.com

The translation file for the monbile is here: http://www.8motions.com/res/lang.csv
while the one for the web is here, but just started: http://www.8motions.com/res/languageWeb.csv

And don’t be shy, put your name in the “trans_author” line to be added into the credit list!

Update:

Thanks to Wilfred Chan and “king midi” for their help in the chineese traduction, both on the handset and the web site. I did not experimented yet with Chineese, so I am not sure that the web site will switch automatically in Chineese, I will add soon a popup to select the lange directly from the web site.

The j2memap forum moved to my new hosting, and is now under phpBB3. Hopefully, there is not anymore manual confirmation, the new default phpBB3 capcha, so I hope that this will be enough to stop spammers….

This post will be both in French and English, as it’s “Paris Centric”

Pour demontrer certaines des capacités du moteur de “Mapz”, une petite extension Velib a été crée. Elle permet de voir les stations les plus proches de l’endroit ou vous trouvez, ainsi que le status (nombre de vélos libre) de cette station. La grande nouveauté est que cette extension peut utiliser le GPS interne ou externe (via Bluetooth) de votre téléphone si vous en disposez. Ceci devrait fonctionner parfaitement sur un Nokia N95 par exemple
De plus, elle affiche aussi la carte SUR le mobile, afin de mieux visualiser ou ce trouve cette sation.

Pour l’obtenir, clickez sur le lien ci-dessus, et télécharger le client sur mobile. Si l’affichage ne demarre pas tout seul, allez dans “Mapz” et choisissez “Velib”

To demonstrate the capacities of the “Mapz” engine, a small extension has been created this week end. It allows you to see the nearest Velib station. Velib is a smart system put in place in Paris (and some other cities) where you can reat a bike for some hour in a “station”. You can then give back the bike to another “station”. The issue, for Parisian, is to find the nearest station, and to know if there is a free bike available at the station.
Thanks to Velib map, they are now able to do this!

Identificateurs Technorati : n95, gps, mobile, velib, map

Some snapshot of one of the new effect to be introduced in the new client version: a cool “iTune” like effect. Will not be available on all browsers, but look quite cool….Hope to have a screen cast soon.

Identificateurs Technorati : j2memap, itune