GeoCluegeo-information framework for

mobile Linux desktops

Henri Bergius

http://bergie.iki.fi

Location matters

Your desktop or mobile knows who you are, what time it is, who you

know and what you're doing.

But it doesn't know where it is.

Open mobile devices

Mobile device manufacturers are pushing location awareness

iPhone, Android, N95, ...

Location comes in many flavors

GPS

GSM

WiFi

IP address

Proximity

User tracking

aKademy 2008 plaze name:De Nayer instituut

http://plazes.com/plazes/78782_de_nayer_institu

...and that is not all

+51° 1' 6.38"+4° 28' 58.44"

StationsstraatMechelen, Belgium

StationsstraatMechelen, Belgium

aKademy pre-registration Stationsstraat, Mechelen, Belgium

GeoClue

A D-BUS service that applications can use to become geo-aware.

Makes reading and writing geographical information as simple

and easy as time or date.

GeoClue

as simple and easy as time or date.

...regardless of whether you deal with coordinates or civic location

GeoClue Architecture

Geoclue is API definitions - but also implementationsInterfaces for "current location"

PositionAddressVelocity

Interfaces for conversionGeocode (address to position)ReverseGeocode (position to address)

Geoclue providers

Implement one or more interfaceseasy to code (a webservice provider is ~200 LOC)have slightly different abilities and attributes like accuracy

Geoclue Master

Geoclue providers are useful but could be easier in real world scenarios...

Master uses the best provider based onclient requirements (accuracy, etc)provider availability

Client applicationsideas and examples

Context for my friends

Instant messaging and microblogging can be used for

sharing location

Telepathy: Where are my friends?

Context for me

Location awareness can help make apps smarter

GNOME panel clock

Gnome panel clock

GeoRSS2POI

Location-aware weather

OpenStreetMap-based vector navigation

OpenStreetMap-based vector navigation...but only when you have good map data.

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