Download pdf - Geolocation in Web and Native Mobile Apps

Geolocation in Web and Mobile Apps

Aaron Parecki – Web Directions – May 2011 [email protected] – http://aaron.pk – @aaronpk

Slides and code available at

aaron.pk/unplugged11

Displaying a Map

aaron.pk/unplugged11 @aaronpk

Displaying a Map - HTML

@aaronpk aaron.pk/unplugged11

Displaying a Map - iPhone


Displaying a Map - Android


Finding the User’s Location


Browser Geolocation

!   Desktop browsers use nearby wifi hotspots

!   Mobile devices may use GPS or cell tower positioning

!   You can also use IP lookups to get a rough location (but is usually very inaccurate)


Browser Geolocation

with Wifi


Browser Geolocation


Browser Geolocation


Finding the User’s Location using Javascript


Browser Geolocation


Browser Geolocation

!   Usability problem with this approach:

!   User is left with an empty page waiting for them to press “allow”

!   You should do the best you can with no location, and then update your page after you get the user’s location

!   Could use IP-based location to center a map somewhere that is (probably) nearby


Using SimpleGeo


Start with IP-based geolocation to quickly center the map. Update with browser-based geolocation after it’s available.


Finding Nearby Businesses

! SimpleGeo Places

!   Foursquare API

!   Twitter API

!   Yelp API

!   Google Places API

!   Many others


Place Search with Foursquare


developer.foursquare.com

Place Search with SimpleGeo


Place Search with SimpleGeo



Finding Information About a Location


SimpleGeo Context


SimpleGeo Context


Monitoring Continuous Location


Monitoring Continuous Location in Javascript


Now go run around outside! (But keep the browser open)

Keep the browser open? That’s kind of lame.


Monitoring Continuous Location on the iPhone


This will keep running in the background! (But now you will potentially drain the battery)

Getting the User’s Approximate Location

Saving battery by


Retrieving Approximate Location on the iPhone

[locationManager startMonitoringSignificantLocationChanges];


•  Your app will be re-launched in the background when the user moves “significantly”

•  Most likely when they change cell towers

•  Location is very rough, ~500-1500m accuracy

Retrieving Approximate Location on Android

locationManager.requestLocationUpdate( LocationManager.PASSIVE_PROVIDER, 0, 0, listener);


•  Service runs in the background, gets locations when other providers or apps request location.

•  Could be cell tower location, could be GPS

Location-Based Triggers


Geonotes Location-Based Reminders


Try it! aaron.pk/geonote

Trigger-Based Actions

Create triggers based on where users are.


Send a message to all users within a radius.


Notify X when you arrive at place Y

Arrived


Real-time location-based gaming aaron.pk/unplugged11 @aaronpk


mapattack.org

Hybrid Web/Native App


Web Views

Communicating Between the Web and Native Components


Communicating Between the Web and Native Components


Turning On/Off Your Lights


Geoloqi API Your Home Server

X10 SMSified.com

Your Home Lights And sending an SMS when you leave work

X10 Lamp Switch

Linux Command Line X10 Client

www.heyu.org

$ heyu on A1



Create a Layer in Geoloqi


Docs: geoloqi.org/API/layer/create

Create a Trigger in Geoloqi


Docs: geoloqi.org/API/trigger/create

Handling a Trigger from Geoloqi


Docs: geoloqi.org/Trigger_Callback

Create an SMS Number


smsified.com or tropo.com

Send an SMS


Questions? Code: aaron.pk/unplugged11 Geoloqi API: geoloqi.org/API SMS API: smsified.com

Aaron Parecki @aaronpk
