While there are always advance warnings about the potential privacy risks of emerging technologies, it usually takes a “killer app” for people to take notice of the real dangers. For geotagging, that app is the rather aptly named creepy.
Read moreLoyalty discounts, the power of recommendations, serendipitous encounters with friends and colleagues, recognition badges, and stalkers. I think that’s a fair summary of most commentary about the growth of location-enabled services and tools.
Read moreIn a move to monitor inventory in its stores, Wal-Mart will launch an item-level Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) inventory tracking program starting August 1st, 2010. In its first phase, the system will track individual pairs of jeans, socks and underwear. The items will be tagged with removable RFID tags that can be read from a distance using hand-held scanners so employees will know what sizes are missing from shelves and what is in the stock room, all in a matter of seconds. If the program is successful, it will be rolled out at Wal-Mart’s more than 3750 U.S. stores with more products.
Read moreDo you know how your location information is used? A recent survey commissioned by security company, Webroot, asked 1,645 social network users in the U.S. and UK who own location-enabled mobile devices about their use of location-based tools and services. The survey found that 39 percent of respondents reported using geo-location on their mobile devices and more than half (55 percent) of those users are worried about their loss of privacy.
Read moreHere in Ottawa, a group of like-minded citizens held an open data hackfest last weekend, meant to show off cool apps designed by local developers using public municipal data.
Read moreThe intersection of geolocational apps and social media has produced… virtual graffiti.
Read moreEarlier this month, a rich subset of social media users and technology evangelists descended upon Austin, Texas for the annual SxSW interactive conference. Some see SxSW (South by SouthWest) as an early indicator of developing technology trends. Twitter, the popular microblogging service, broke out as a popular consumer application at the conference two years ago.
Read moreThe combination of microblogging services like Twitter and location-aware social networking games on your mobile device like Foursquare is like the Red Bull and vodka of the internet — it’s one big party until your great-aunt’s end table is smashed.
Read moreA recent research report titled Research Related to Privacy and the Use of Geospatial Information explores Canadian’s awareness of the uses of location (or geospatial) data and their concerns about privacy when it comes to sharing their location-linked personal information.
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