Hello!
I'm Brady Forrest, the Chair for O"Reilly's Where 2.0 Conference.
Sadly, Nat will not be returning as the Where 2.0 Chair and I will be
running the conference solo.
We are beginning the process of getting ready for Where 2.0 (or
2.2 ;-). The site should come up, and the dates announced, next week.
I've gotten to know a lot of you over the past months and look
forward to interacting with more of you at the conference and hearing
your thoughts about what should be included. To kick that
collaboration off I am sending you all a copy of the CFP (Call for
Participation) that will be posted next week (probably Monday). I
would love to hear your feedback and engage in conversation about
what I am asking to be sent in as possible session topics. One more
thing, just because it is not listed on the CFP, does not mean that
it won't be included
As it will be posted on Monday I'll need to get the feedback today or
this weekend.
thanks a lot!
brady
Location technology is booming across the Web and into people's
homes. Since Where 2.0 2006, we've seen Microsoft release an amazing
computer-generated, 3-D mapping tool complete with realtime traffic
and an API, Platial create a distributed mapping platform built on
top of Google's mapping platform, Sony release two consumer GPSs, and
Open Street Map cinch a commercial deal. Google has added time phases
to Google Earth and expanded Google Transit. Yahoo! has launched
Flickr maps which now holds over four million geotagged photos. There
are even hints that Apple is getting into the game with references to
Google Maps being found in iPhoto. In the open source and data
worlds, Wikimapia created a Google Earth layer and GeoRSS reached
1.0. In the meantime, Amazon has gotten out of the game by dropping
it's innovative street-side maps.
And this is just the beginning--there is so much further for us to
go. Phones know where we are, but can't tell us or someone who is
browsing the phone's webserver. Photos can only be geotagged with
expensive add-ons or by painstakingly adding them to a map. We still
don't have the ability to correct that home or business showing up
two blocks away from its actual location on most mapping services.
O'Reilly Media invites technologists and strategists, CTOs CIOs,
technology evanglists and scouts, researchers, programmers,
geographers, researchers and academics, artists and activitists,
business developers, and entrepreneurs to lead conference session and
tutorials at ETech, the 2007 O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference.
Where 2.0 will be held May 29-30, 2007 at the Fairmont Hotel in San
Jose, California, U.S.
Some of the Topics on the Radar for Where 2.0 this year are:
Local Search and Advertising: Local search and advertising is driving
this new wave of innovation, but the models aren't set yet. Microsoft
has created a 3-D world complete with visual ads using technology
from acquisition Massive. Yahoo! is trying tiered pricing. Google is
using AdSense, but has not added ads to its expensive-to-run Google
Earth. MerchantsCircle is trying to create a new form of Yellow
Pages. Yelp has received 10 million in funding as well as good
growth, while similar players have stagnant user bases. What are the
new trends? What are companies going to do to get a piece of the
local advertising market? How will this impact mobile applications?
Data: Recently, Open Street map got it's first commercial deal. All
of the major players have started adding the ability to mod their
site's maps. This year the triumvirate of GeoRSS-Mapufacture-GeoPress
were released. Still deep in the geek terrain these products show
there is a desire from users to geotag there data and then use an
open format to use that data elsewhere. Platial has released a more
consumer-friendly, distributed system that serves the dual purpose of
increasing ad inventory, but more importantly allowing other sites to
become the point of data entry. While all of this is happening
formats are still being decided. GeoRSS 1.0 was just released, but
there is still confusion around the more complicated GML and KML. Who
will end up with the best data? Who will own it? Will users be able
to take it with them? What effect will GeoDRM have?
Data Policy: As we saw with Chris Schmidt at Where 2.0 2006 and on
the web with deadcellzones.com, there is always more data to be
collected -- even if it hasn't been formally released. Who has
rights to this data? What about pubic GIS data? Every country has it
own policies and restrictions, how will and should they change as the
need for it increases?
Open Source: This year brought us the largest FOSS4G yet. OSGeo
graduated MapBender. GeoBliki was shown. PostGIS is gaining in
prominence. The open source GIS stack rivals the proprietary one.
What are the new advances in the OS stack? Where are they pushing the
GIS software companies?
Sensorweb: Cheap sensors are become ubiquitous and increasingly web-
based. Right now they are being used to track traffic, give out speed
tickets, detect the weather, and turn on the music in my house. Where
are they going and how will they affect our lives?
Ultralocal: Bluetooth, WiFi... these are the ingredients of ultra-
local applications. Utilizing this information companies like Skyhook
Wireless, Microsoft, and SixthSense are able to locate you and
provide services. It seems like users would want them but they
haven't taken off yet. Is the killer app around the corner or is this
never going to truly take off?
Visualization: Google Earth and Sketchup. Frappr. Windows Spaceland.
These tools have turned us all into voyeurs and neogeographers. What
are the advances in this area?
Society: Having access to geodata is a new phenomena. The YellowPage
directory books go straight from the door step to the recycling bin.
Who are the users of Geo Apps? What do there uses look like? Who is
studying this and what do they have to say?
Privacy: With greater access to location and sensor data comes
greater concern for privacy. If you are online, then someone knows
where you are. There has been no public subpoena of user location,
but that time will come. How are companies preparing for this? How
will society react?
Environment/NGOs: As demonstrated in the book and movie Inconvenient
Truth, maps can be used to convey powerful messages and forecast
potential doom. Regardless of your political bent, geodata and
software will be needed through out the world by governments and
NGOs. MSR India is working on this right now. What are they doing
with it right now and what will be needed in the future?
Wild Cards: There are also some wild cards in the geospace. Virtual
worlds are currently fun and being used for experiments. Will they
eventually become more than just geodata playgrounds? Games. People
play games to explore their world, but in doing so they can be
exposed to new technology. What are the latest advances in location-
based gaming? How is it changing people's perceptions?
These are just some of the technologies and transformations we've
noticed and represent just the starting point for the program. While
we'd like you to tap into the theme as your inspiration in writing
your proposal, feel free to wander. What are you working on that will
change the world, or at least the world you're in? What project is
bringing you pleasure, or teasing your brain? Surprise and delight
us; shake us out of our assumptions. We're angling for shorter talks
with longer breaks so you'll have more time for one-on-one interactions.
Brady Forrest
O'Reilly Radar Team
c: 206.355.1091
e: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
w: http://radar.oreilly.com
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