Whilst many LBS present scenarios for users searching for Points of Interest (POI) that are proximate to the current location whereas geo-wands the commonly observed practice of horizon scanning in which users seek out interesting landmarks within their field of vision of direction of travel (often by pointing at them). This phenomenon is particularly prevalent amongst tourists who often scan their surrounding for interesting buildings or objects which they may then look up on a tourist map to find additional information. Point ‘n’ Seek facilitates this process through a novel gesture based control mechanism using the accelerometers and compass enabling users simply point at the object the wish to have information about.

3D Lancaster

Locoblog

LocoBlog consists of a J2ME client application that allows you to link up your phone via Bluetooth to a GPS unit and then create blogs of text and pictures which are the tagged with positional data such as latitude and longitude. The blog is then sent to the LocoBlog Site( via GPRS) where it can be viewed on Google Maps. The service is currently free to use and the application can be downloaded from the site.

Widget Maps

Heart Angel is a Java ME application making use an Alive ECG Heart-Rate Monitor, and allows users to monitor and record their fitness levels on a mobile phone. The application incorporates two cardio respiratory tests, an independent monitoring application “Jog-Free”, as well as a simple mini-game.

Cardio Respiratory Test:

1. The Tecumseh Step-Test; step cycle of four-steps (R-foot UP, L-foot UP, R-foot DOWN, L-foot DOWN) and users is required to complete 24 cycles per minute for 3 minutes.

2. Rockport Test; Users walks for 1 mile after which an estimate on VO2max (volume of oxygen you can consume while exercising) is calculated using gender, age, weight, and the time taken to complete the walk.

“Free-Jog”:

Allows the use of GPS together with the Alive Heart-Rate Monitor to route data being saved together with time and Heart Rate, allowing users to independently plot exertion maps for analysis and future reference.

Heart Controlled Mini-Game:

A simple “Space Invaders” theme game which makes use of the players Heart Rate. At random intervals the player will be promped with a ‘Bonus-Screen’ at which time they should aim to raise their Heart Rate by 10beats/min. If successful the player is awarded a bonus, otherwise the game simply resumes.

Exertion Maps

Exertion Maps are a convinient way to represent and analyze Heart Rate over time, and position.
The Exertion Map on the left shows two exertion paths, one walked and the other jogged. Both routes starts with an incline, at which point HR is highest, then flaten to finally decline. Half-way through the Jog a break was taken, which explains the decrease in HR.

This 2D map is a convient way to show HR relative to position. But for clearer analysis, 3D Exertion Maps can also be used in which time can be plotted so show HR and position, over time. In the current 2D map how long the Walk/Jog took is not appreciated, as is how long HR was maintained for.
Data was collected using Heart Angel’s “Free-Jop” application.