Wednesday, October 13, 2010
just shake your mobile to find your way
Believe it or not! Now, just shake your phone and you will find your way. Mobile phone maps have guided people through streets around the globe. Now it has also taken a new turn by adding cellphone maps to help people find their way when they are inside mall or airport. In the map users will be able to see a floor plan of a shopping mall, with stores indicated by name, escalators, exits, restrooms and elevators marked in.
A New York based company MindSmack's FastMall, is one of the indoor mapping services. FastMall has a search engine to help users find stores on its maps and the service places a pin on the map to show the store's location. Tap the 'take me there' button and the service plots a route to the destination. To find the nearest restroom, all the users have to do is shake their phone.
The various mapping services differ in how they obtain their maps. Some get them from mall management companies or mall developers. Others use maps that are already available online or they copy ones posted on mall directories. Most of the indoor mapping apps are free, like PointInside, FastMall and Micello, which work on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. PointInside is also available for many Android phones.
One of the major challenges that the mapmakers face is the possibility of maps becoming outdated as stores close and new ones replace them. Since the mapmakers cannot possibly keep visiting each one, they rely on users to tell them that a map needs to be updated. For now, shopping malls are getting the most attention from indoor mapmakers, although many of them hope to add casinos, stadiums, universities and hospitals - anything big enough to get lost in and that draws big crowds.
A New York based company MindSmack's FastMall, is one of the indoor mapping services. FastMall has a search engine to help users find stores on its maps and the service places a pin on the map to show the store's location. Tap the 'take me there' button and the service plots a route to the destination. To find the nearest restroom, all the users have to do is shake their phone.
The various mapping services differ in how they obtain their maps. Some get them from mall management companies or mall developers. Others use maps that are already available online or they copy ones posted on mall directories. Most of the indoor mapping apps are free, like PointInside, FastMall and Micello, which work on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. PointInside is also available for many Android phones.
One of the major challenges that the mapmakers face is the possibility of maps becoming outdated as stores close and new ones replace them. Since the mapmakers cannot possibly keep visiting each one, they rely on users to tell them that a map needs to be updated. For now, shopping malls are getting the most attention from indoor mapmakers, although many of them hope to add casinos, stadiums, universities and hospitals - anything big enough to get lost in and that draws big crowds.
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