iSpot mobile

Citizen Science & Biodiversity: Meeting at the crossroadsThe Open University, 21st-23rd October 2011

Jon Rosewell & Richard GreenwoodJ.P.Rosewell@open.ac.uk R.M.Greenwood@open.ac.uk

Mobile affordances• Availability: more phones than PCs• Portability: in your pocket• Immediacy: instant on• Context: GPS• Connectivity: links to web• Social interaction: links to people• Individuality: personal

Mobile issues• Connectivity?• Platform specificity?• Cost?• Accessibility?• Interface constraints?• Equity?

Approaches• Java applications• PDAs• WAP/WML• Smartphone / small browser• Apps: iPhone, Android, Windows, Blackberry

Browser vs App Cross-platform

Connectivity required

Zero installation

Restricted functionality

Platform specific

Off-line use feasible

New marketplace

Full functionality

phones with large touch screen phones with small screen and cursor

http://www.iSpot.org.uk/mobilekeys

iSpot mobile keys

iSpot mobile app• API created• Android app in development – release in new year• iPhone app awaiting funds – Spring 2012?

iSpot app functionality• Upload observation

– Photo, location, identification• Browse observations

– Own observations– Latest observations

• Provide identification; agree identification• Manage profile & account

Tree of life: a visual taxonomic browser for iSpot

Jon Rosewell & Richard GreenwoodThe Open UniversityWalton HallMilton KeynesMK7 6AA

J.P.Rosewell@open.ac.uk; R.M.Greenwood@open.ac.uk

www.open.ac.uk