This month I attended my second WCA event, “On Deck–LBS Apps for 2010 & Beyond,” presented by the LBS SIG (Location Based Services Special Interest Group). For a biz dev guy, this event rated way higher than the first one I attended, Mobile SIG’s “Mobile Display Technology,” which was apparently a sweet event for the über techies of the mobile handset world.
LBS Apps for 2010 showcased some very cool apps for LBS enabled devices. Among the presenters were TourSpot, UrbanMapping, MotionMaps, DialPlus, Gokivo Navigator, zhiing, Aha, B4UGo, myGeoDiary, MADMaps, Google Latitude and geomob. NAVTEQ‘s Laura Diaz moderated the event from the famed PARC auditorium, which is apparently one big concrete bunker. I got bupkis for a signal on my Blackberry, while inside the auditorium. Nifty way to keep the phones quite during a presentation.
Interesting side note concerning PARC–I learned that in 2002, PARC was established as an independent company. After decades of giving away the coolest of technologies, PARC now seeks strategic partners to commercially monetize its innovations.
But PARC was by far the minor attraction. The presenters wowed the audience with impressive LBS smartphone gadgetry. Aha and B4UGO actually showed their products for the first time ever to the public. I found UrbanMapping, arguably one of the least sexy apps, to be among the most fascinating. What did I find so fascinating? The app can show parking data, including useful parking info for 3500 US and Canadian parking facilities–data collection at it’s finest. MotionMaps was much more the technical marvel, showing 3D maps that you can pan across and zoom in on with a mere twist of your wrist, using your device camera as a motion sensor. I should also give props to DialPlus, which brings contextually relevant caller data to your handset.
An interesting thing I’m reminded of, as I peruse the presenter websites, is that not everyone has ignored the Blackberry. In fact, I’ve seen far fewer than expected iPhones in the hands of developers at these WCA events. Perhaps the iPhone is as much (or more) an accessory as it is a truly good phone, from an LBS developer’s perspective.
This event enlightened me to the latest in LBS apps, while my last WCA event educated me to the struggles of maintaining acceptable battery life with ever increasing demands on mobile handset displays. As for WCA sponsored events, I’m looking forward to continued exploration and attendance. Obviously, LBS is highly relevant to Less Networks since we’re all about mashing up WiFi hotspots with social and LBS apps.
