Physical Space & Meta Data
Sunday, March 25th, 2007Haven’t written a post in almost a month. That changes today.
A location is not just a location anymore. Using web-based tools, we can associate any amount of information to a specific space. The boundary between the physical and virtual space is breaking down, and developers are using this new mobility to create something completely new.
A few great examples of this include:
- GeoTagging Flickr’s Map.
- Companies like area/code, specializing in location-based experiences.
- Cars leveraging their GPS equipped navigation systems to collect and broadcast information about road conditions.
- Semacode popping up everywhere.
- Google Earth / Maps.
For the moment, accessing GPS data on a mobile device and building an application around it is relatively difficult. However, as new platforms emerge that make this type of programming easier, we’re going to see a renaissance in location-specific information. Walking down the street will be a different experience. iPods (and iPhones) could broadcast song information, and I could see what the most popular song on the block was (literally). Advertisers could create location-based discounts that would deliver content directly to me. I could stumble upon a blog post that was coded to ONLY be available to those within a certain proximity.
A space without “meta” information could be like a company without a website… or a person without an email. Perhaps the idea of urban exploration will find a new medium. Perhaps the collective unconscious will start to physically take shape. Maybe people will just post stupid crap…
