Hasta La Gadget!

This week ObjectVideo is one of several multi-million-dollar contract winners with IARPA, the Intelligence Advanced Research Project Activity, for investigation into a technology that will geolocate any image on a massive map of the planet. This technology will “geolocate an outdoor image or video from anywhere on the land surface of the world via the use of publicly-available information.” This geolocation task will have users able to utilize open-source knowledge to locate any photo or video they’ve got on hand with precision – a scary yet exciting concept indeed!

The folks at ObjectVideo, Inc., are one of several to receive rewards for research, their cash sum equaling out to be $15.6 million. This contract will also include the following bits and pieces – read em and weep!

“The Finder Program aims to build on existing research systems to develop technology that augments the analyst’s abilities to address the geolocation task. Technical innovations of the system will include the integration of analysts’ abilities and automated geolocation technologies to solve geolocation problems; the fusion of diverse, publicly-available, but often imperfect data sources; and expansion of current automated geolocation technologies to work more efficiently and accurately over all terrains and large search areas.

If successful, Finder system will deliver a rigorously-tested technology solution for image and video geolocation tasks in any outdoor terrestrial location.”

So no worries on those mirror-pics you took of your body appearing in any location searching public archives. If you’re shooting embarrassing photos out at the public park, on the other hand – think twice. Stay tuned as technology in locating you from the objects in your video and photos advances very, very rapidly.

BONUS: It won’t be exactly like Blade Runner, but it won’t be completely different from Blade Runner either – have a peek at what’s up:

[via ObjectVideo]

IARPA awards millions for worldwide image mapping project is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft is significantly ramping up the amount of imagery available to users of Bing Maps. Late last month Bing Maps received 165 TB of new imagery to round out its offerings. This week Bing Maps has received another new infusion of imagery to the tune of 215 TB of new Bird’s Eye images.

Most of the 215 TB of imagery focuses on Asia and Europe. The data specifically covers Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and Tokyo. While the US didn’t get much in the way of new imagery, Microsoft has apparently sharpened up some of its US visuals. The coverage area of the new Birds Eye imagery is massive.

The 215 TB of new imagery covers 88,800 square miles, including new and updated aerial shots. The image you see here is of Cinderella’s Castle at Disneyland in Tokyo. Microsoft seems intent on competing with Google and the mapping market, and competition is a good thing.

[via Engadget]

Microsoft adds 215 TB of new Bird’s Eye imagery to Bing Maps is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

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Google has already taken us on a trip to the frigid shores of Antarctica before. Now the search giant is back with even more panoramic images, this time from deeper inside the frozen continent. With help from the Polar Geospatial Center at the University of Minnesota and the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust (not to mention a light-weight tripod and a fisheye lens), Street View can now bring to you the wonders of our most southern land mass. This isn’t a short stroll in the footsteps of penguins either — the ceremonial South Pole and Shackleton’s Hut are among the numerous landmarks that get exposed to Google’s image sensors. Enjoy the quick tour above and the video after the break.

Continue reading Street View heads back to the Antarctic, visits historic landmarks (video)

Filed under: Internet

Street View heads back to the Antarctic, visits historic landmarks (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After covering more than 23 million miles of the world’s roadways, Nokia has focused on expanding its interior mapping footprint. Since its launch during CTIA 2011, the company’s Destination Maps service has grown to cover a total of 4,605 different venues in 38 countries, including airports, department stores, shopping malls and transit hubs. As you can see in the infographic above, the majority of those locations are in North America, with a total of 2,595 mapped on the continent, followed by 1,778 in EMEA, 225 in the Asia Pacific region and just seven in Latin America — that’s 235 million square feet in all. Nokia also promises much more to come in the future, with hints identifying amusement parks and stadiums as possible beneficiaries. The company also reiterated its recent partnership with Bing, adding that Nokia Maps will have access to Destination Maps in the not-so-distant future as well. You’ll find a few more details at the source link below, and while we don’t have precise predictions to share, you can rest easy knowing that Nokia’s indoor effort is far from complete.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS

Nokia grows Destination Maps coverage to 4,605 venues in 38 countries, coming to Nokia Maps soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Still trying to figure out which way to turn when it comes to on-phone navigation? How’s about a free option to ponder? MapQuest‘s gratis iPhone and Android programs are set to get a heck of a lot better, and soon. The company just announced that TomTom would become its maps provider, enabling it to provide coverage for more than 7.5 million miles of roads across North America. Interestingly, it seems that TomTom is finding new life after the death of the PND (personal navigation device) in software; just last month, Apple knighted TomTom to power its own internal Maps app, which is set to debut with iOS 6.

Filed under: GPS

MapQuest picks TomTom Maps to power iPhone and Android turn-by-turn navigation apps originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Jul 2012 13:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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