Geotagging

About this page:
This is the beginning of investigating geotagging and mapping. It will start with questions and include links to various programs and resources. Of particular interest is research in use of the iPhone, other phones/hand-held devices and mashups with various mapping programs, Google Earth, Flickr, etc. which offer some services.

Guiding Questions

 * 1) How can I make a map to record significant locations and associate that with images taken in those places? Example, a study abroad program which could allow faculty and students to collaborate on the development of various resources.
 * 2) What is geotagging?
 * 3) What software can be used to associate images (by date and time the image was taken) with geotags / waypoints on a recorded trek?
 * 4) What are some technical considerations in recording trek information, such as battery life of the device, access to G3, etc.?

Software, Programs, Apps -
Advertised as intuitive GPX mapping for the iPhone**.**
 * Trails** - App for iPhone.
 * Requires 2nd generation (or later) iPhone with 3G connectivity
 * Battery life is a significant consideration - many users report that 2 hrs. is the maximum, even with many features of the phone disabled.
 * Settings issues:
 * In my first attempt at using Trails, the iPhone acted irratically; it would go black and I did not have control. About the time I thought I needed to reboot the iPhone, it would flash on. I found a reference in a blog to the Proximity sensor.
 * **???** Images taken with iPhone during Trails recording do not display any GPS information when viewed in iPhoto. Photographs taken with Trails not running do have GPS data. *** Perhaps (it begins to make sense) that the image bears a time/date stamp which connects with the recorded track and therefor does not want any recorded GPS data. Hmmmmm???**

Blogs / comments about Trails


 * GPS Obsessed**[| http://gpsobsessed.com/200-garmin-edge-305-more-acccurate-than-199-trails-iphone-app/]**

Sensors (http://www.apple.com/iphone/iphone-3g-s/high-technology.html)
 * When you lift iPhone to your ear, the proximity sensor immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent accidental dialing. The ambient light sensor in iPhone automatically brightens the display when you’re in sunlight or a bright room and dims it in darker places.**

Google Maps
Google Earth Tours []**
 * You can [|create] and [|play] tours of places and content. Tours are a guided experience where you fly from one location to another, view terrain and content and look around as you wish. You can create tours that record your exact navigation in the 3D window and even add audio. You can then [|share] these tours with other Google Earth users.

Google Maps Mania: 50 things you can do with Google Maps Mashups** An unofficial Google Maps blog tracking the websites, mashups and tools being influenced by Google Maps. []

Geotagging
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotagging

Geologgers
Devices which are separate from a digital camera, but record geostationary waypoints to be used in creating a map and for association with images via time/date stamp to tie images to specific locations.

File Formats for Geologs
GPX KML is a file format used to display geographic data in an Earth browser such as Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Maps for mobile. KML uses a tag-based structure with nested elements and attributes and is based on the XML standard. [|Introduction] and link to [|KML Tutorial]

Resources
Make Online: How to GPS Tag []

Google Maps Mania - 50 things to do with Google Maps []

Google Earth - Creating Maps Using My Maps []

Converting Geotagged Photos ot KML PhotoOverlays by Mano Marks, Google Geo APIs Team, January 2009 Note: see Cautions and Where to go from here at the bottom of this linked page []

Introducing the Google Maps Data API in Labs Much like [|KML], the Google Maps Data API is based on a data model of maps (collections) and features (placemarks, lines and shapes). Since it uses this familiar model, this new API makes it easy to build geo applications for specific activities like planning and sharing trips, collaboratively mapping hiking trails, or saving a list of favorite restaurants. []