Geomob

This week we spotlight an exciting event: London Data Week. This city wide festival will take place from 3rd to the 9th of July and is meant to bring London’s thriving data community together. It’s also a chance to brainstorm ideas on how to bring useful data to the general public. Joining Steven is Jen Ding of the Alan Turing Institute (and winner of the SplashMap best speaker prize at our April 2023 London event). Jen explains the aims of the week and gives Steven a preview of what to expect. Whether you’re into cycling, comedy, or AI, London Data Week has it all. This community led event aims to encourage people to actively participate in data collection themselves. Events by Citi Maps, Geomob London on the evening of July 5th, and Statisticians for Society are just some highlights of the festival, tune in to find out what else is in store and how you can participate. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Joining Ed this week is co-founder and CEO of Radar, Nick Patrick. Radar is a New York based company that aims to be the go to all-in-one location infrastructure provider. Over the past years they have worked with many consumer brands to create innovative geospatial experiences, and the company is now working on the next generation of foreground/product-centric geofencing use cases, like "in-store mode" for retailers or order ahead arrival detection for restaurants. A lot has changed over the past 15 years, while privacy and permissions have become more difficult to obtain, location accuracy has vastly improved. Radar is at the forefront of working with consumer brands to bring modern geospatial interactions to life. Tune in to hear Ed and Nick chat about the challenges of working with geocoding, the development of open source maps, and geofences. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

This week Steven chats with two member of the team responsible for FOSS4G 2023, which will be held in Prizren, Kosovo from June 26th to July 2nd. Steven shares his own FOSS4G experience with Besfort Guri and Gresa Neziri ahead of their first ever FOSS4G in Kosovo. The hosts hope to spotlight Kosovo and bring attention to their local geospatial organisations, but they have also assembled an international team to ensure there is a wide range of topics and experts in attendance. The three chat about the logistics of organising this event, and share which speakers they are looking forward to the most. The conference will only be available in person this year, but there is still time to register to join. Tune in to find out how to get involved. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.  

This week Ed chats with Peter Rushforth from the Maps for HTML project. This is an open source project with accessibility at the centre of their work. With their "lead by example" approach, the community has defined a vocabulary to make maps native elements of the web. Peter is convinced that specifying and implementing accessible maps on the web remains not only possible, but also of huge potential benefit to society. Tune in to find out where the project is now, how to get involved, and what drives Peter to continue with the project despite the difficulty of the undertaking. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Do you know the difference between GNSS and GPS? This week Ed chats with Xavier Banqué Casanovas from Rokubun. Xavier is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) expert and the perfect person to explain the importance of precise geolocation. Learn how GNSS has evolved, how it can be used for mass market applications and how accurate it actually is in this weeks episode. For those familiar with GNSS, you’ll want to tune in to hear about the hottest research topic in the GNSS area and what solutions are on the rise for those pesky GNSS/GPS jammers and spoofers.  Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Ariel Seidman, CEO and founder of Hivemapper, shares insights on his innovative crowdsourced mapping platform using specialized dashcams. Unlike traditional models, Hivemapper rewards drivers with cryptocurrency for their contributions, allowing them to earn HONEY tokens as they navigate diverse routes. He discusses the challenges of data accuracy, community engagement, and the evolution of mapping technologies. Learn how Hivemapper is changing the mapping landscape and what it means for the future of navigation.

Ed had the pleasure of attending the first Geomob Finand in Helsinki (see the summary thread), and was then off to London to join Steven for the biggest Geomob London ever (summary thread). They recap both events, ponder the skyrocketing price of beer in UK (which means we really could do with some more sponsors), muse briefly on whether London has lost its international technical mojo, and then give brief updates on their projects. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

What does it take to make a detailed illustrated map of Melbourne? A lot. On this episode Steven speaks with the self-proclaimed ‘accidental map maker’ Melinda Clarke. This large scale map project began 30 years ago when Melinda was travelling and collecting illustrated maps. When she couldn’t find one for her own town, Melbourne, she decided to make it. Listen in as she explains the journey that includes hitchhiking on helicopters, last minute hot air ballon flights, and years of ‘ink on paper’ drawing. Melinda's love affair with her hometown continues 30 years on with a new Melbourne map available in traditional or jigsaw form. Tune in to hear about the process of this amazing map/art project and what Melinda is working on next. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Joining Ed this week is cartographic technologist and the man behind Protomaps, Brandon Liu. Protomaps is a set of tools for creating and deploying maps, or as Brandon describes it: an open source Google maps. Tune in to learn how Protomaps attempts to simplify map making for some of the more underserved groups including journalists and non-profit organisations. Ed and Brandon discuss the cost and complexity of using OpenStreetMap for your business, and clear up some misunderstandings and misconceptions about mapping with open data. Is a simpler and radically cheaper service really possible? Listen in to find out! Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

In this episode Steven and Ed examine challenge of commercializing geo. They discuss the evolution of Citymapper and Mapbox, and muse about how much money you need burn to create a unicorn. Is it possible in the age of open data and open source, even with a mountain of VC money? And how much can/should companies give back to the open community before jeopardising their own position? Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.