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Geotagging, Geoblogging & Geo-broadacsting: Dynamic Applications of Neogeography

Sangeeta Deogawanka
Freelance Journalist, Writer & Researcher
Working Member, India Water Portal
Email: s_deogawanka@yahoo.co.in

Neogeography has moved beyond the realms of traditional Geospatial, to an essentially fast evolving web-based technology, that integrates cartography and GIS software for end usage. It is an emerging trend that has enabled mainstream users to sync various data and imaging with location based geographic variables.

As new applications and software begin to emerge, the uses of Neogeography are becoming more evident and versatile. Amongst the various trends, the most widely used, user-friendly and non-technical application of Neogeography is Geotagging.

Geotagging
Geotagging is the application of geospatial metadata to a range of web based media. It involves the integration of geographic data or coordinates as latitude, longitude, altitude and grid bearing with non-coordinate geographic information such as data, text, photo, video, web resources and even people, for an effective visualisation and analysis.

With maturation of GIS and users looking to add geospatial to their needs in a broad range of disciplines, Geotagging has emerged as the latest trend in multi-streaming of digitally mapped information and images. The ability of data being defined geographically, allows the mapping of online and off-line resources for access, study and annotation of patterns, trends, historical paths and real-time streaming.

Geotagging has thus become an important aspect of development, making it possible to collate integrated location based information for an effective and easy distribution. The same can now be played back, applied real-time, analysed or merged into new user-based applications and solutions. All of this enables to leverage the tool of Geotagging for effective planning and implementation in a broad range of disciplines.

TECHNIQUES
Geotagging involves using a latitude-longitude based coordinate system in simple textual form or information embedded in the metadata stored in EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) IFD or XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) in the case of electronic image file formats.

For cameras with built-in GPS receivers, the location based information is stored automatically in the EXIF header. Many smartphones equipped with the GPS receiver use Location Tagger, a software from Nokia Beta Labs, while those operating on the latest Android operating system, geotag images with the integrated camera apps.

EXIF employed for geotagging information and depicted as a series of rational numbers in the GPS sub-IFD, is restricted to digital cameras. While the XMP model is applied to geotagging proprietary information related to a file, as it is processed through photography, scanning, texting or editing, additionally enabling the integration of other attributes along the way.

Recorded GPS data can also be synergized with a digital resource, either, offline and online. This is done by correlating time stamps with a GPS record, either manually using mapping software like ARC GIS or GeoIPTC, or using a hand-held GPS receiver, in a process termed geocoding

Web pages are geotagged in HTML format using the ICBM address method of coordinates. Alternatively, the GeoURL tool or software like the A2B is used to syntactically break down the webpage ICBM address through metatags and the same is mapped to geotag the blog or website page.

The Geo Microformat is used to sync WGS84 (World Geodetic System, dated from 1984 and revised) coordinates with existing HTML and XHTML tags and other attributes.

TOOLS
The tools used for Geotagging are primarily the web browser, the supporting 3D geospatial and the multimedia enabled Google Earth. Secondary and tertiary tools include various geo-centric tools like the GeoURL and Geo Microformat, and Web sites that use the Google Earth and Maps API, together with various interactive apps and software.

Google’s Picasa 3, lets you geotag and edit your digital photos using Google Maps or Google Earth. While Geo Setter has various additional features, that allow to export geotagged images to Google Earth. The Geotag enables intelligent matching of GPS data to photos. Twitter’s Geotagging API is today the most popular feature for geotagging tweets.

However, some common problems of popular Geotagging tools that need to be addressed, are the incompatibility of RAW files with GPS data, modification or destruction of data when embedded directly into the EXIF header section of JPEG files, and slow GPS track logging.

USES

Integrated Project Collaboration
Geotagging apps enable both, the technical and non-technical end-user to use sophisticated GIS data, collaborate on-site images and data for usage and analysis across worldwide offices. A live dimension when added to off-line maps, charts and data, also enables a streamlined continuous communication between people for an integrated project collaboration. The same can also be accessed offline anytime, by the management or project team-mates for easy reference and annotation.

With various geographic metadata embedded within company documents and reports, this can be a powerful cutting-edge mechanism for a business to remain ahead of its competitors.

Collaborative and Continual Documentation
As geotagging supports annotation and playback, changes can be incorporated as a continual work-in-progress or documentation for a perpetually updated status, or creation of a geographic metadata catalogue, as in data inventory or data directory.

Facilitates Team Work
Geotagging supports exchange of inputs, ideas, photos and online data feeds, with simultaneous comments and feedback. So the same can be accessed easily and problems resolved instantaneously, thereby facilitating synchronized participation for excellent team work.

APPLICATIONS

Geotagging for photo sharing
Geotagging involves the adding of geographic coordinates to digital photographs. Several internet-based applications like the Google Earth, Panoramio and Flickr assist to geo-locate images, while offline solutions are available as both, hardware and software.

Using Picasa, PicasaWeb or iTag to geotag and organize images integrating Google Earth or Google Maps, is a traditional and cumbersome method of geotagging photographs. However, by using location data from a GPS unit and embedding into the EXIF header or IPTC tags, photographs can be retrofitted with software that automate the process. The GPicSync allows to automatically geocode pictures from the camera and GPS track log, while GeoSetter offers additional features like synchronizing untagged with geotagged photos.

The Microsoft Expression Media 2 software and Pro Photo Tools allow quick export of photos and other media into multiple formats including RAW, offering a comprehensive photo management solution using location data.

As Geotagging supports GPS coordinates on photographs, photos can be mapped for sharing through online photo sharing services like Yahoo’s Flickr or Google’s Picasa. Photo sharing has also become a part of online communities, travel journals and geoblogs, with unlimited functionalities.

Open platforms, online apps and offline resources like GPS enabled cameras, have made geotagging of photographs automated and simple, enabling online streaming and sharing as well.

With photographs geotagged and placed on the world map, 3D modelling software and other apps can also be integrated for a dynamic representation. Besides, geotagged images can also complement traditional web searches, adding a social aspect to geotagging.

Geotagging for Travel Journals
Geotagging of photographs and geoblogging, are perhaps the most popular applications of neogeography. With online streaming, cataloguing and geo-documenting of travel photos, journals and hiking routes, geotagging has become the new mantra for travellers, travel writers and photographers. The Iocr geotagging photo community integrates geotagged photos with location based content, Wikis and other apps, while the IocrExplorer supports searches, geocoding and mobile apps.

Geotagging for the Travel industry
Geotagging has assumed a whole new connotation in the travel industry. Geotagged photos and information support travel archives and travel blogs. More significantly, the various tools, web content, Google Maps, geospatial data, GPS enabled gadgets and third-party applications can be leveraged for planning trips, tours and expeditions, allowing to check on destinations prior to booking.

The PlanetEye Traveler has used geotagging very effectively, to bring location information into the magazine article or to geocode the article.

Geotagging for Crisis Mapping
Increased availability of open source platforms, dynamic real-time mapping tools, apps for integrating user-generated content and new techniques for mobile data collection, has given shape to dynamic crisis mapping and social advocacy.

Geotagging is increasingly being recognized as an important tool in crisis mapping using participatory GIS and community data. Integrating numbers, textual references, news feeds and imagery on a multi-level seamless structure for crisis mapping and management, take geotagging and neogeographic applications to widest possible realms of mapping and analytics.

Platforms like the CrisisWire and HealthMap gather real-time information during a crisis, while those like Global Incident Map and Buzz Tracker map news events, where every input is geotagged.

Managing News is one such open source product cum platform that allows to add news feeds, import OPML, geotag articles and map it all, not merely for live news mapping but also dynamic crisis mapping. Resist Network applies the technique of Geo-bombing to geotag video and display on Google Earth.

The most recent example was seen by Ushahidi, an open source early response platform for crowdsourcing crisis information, in response to the earthquake in Haiti on Jan 12, 2010. Photos, videos and news provided by people on the ground as live updates via texts, tweets, email and online form, were auto-geotagged for immediate response and relief operations.

Geotagging as an Engineering Tool
High resolution imagery, when overlaid with streetscapes and road data, can be used as effective tools for Client Presentations, Community Planning and multi-dimensional prints of proposed development sites.

Merging the embedded geospatial metadata with existing project management systems in the form of datasets, images, related objects or services existing in some other native environment, it has become possible to access project data as 3D live models and effectively collaborate on engineering projects spread across the world.

Google Earth Pro, the ultimate mashup platform, offers a full range of features for high-end usage with worldwide datasets, ideal for engineering projects and site analysis for commercial real estate.

Geotagging for Worldwide Datasets
Geotagging of imagery helps create a historical worldwide database with geographic attributes. The possibilities are endless, where high resolution images, road data, 3D buildings, LBS services and POI data can be integrated into a seamless software platform.

Geotagging can also be effectively used by companies to archive ‘live’ records of customers for an automated personalised client servicing.

The GeoTag locational technology, (by GeoTag Management Group), targets building up a business’ ability to sell and service its customer base.

Wide applications are seen in geotagging conflict data. While PITF has created worldwide atrocities dataset, the ACLED has geotagged conflict data for 12 countries between 1946 and 2009.

Geotagging for Genealogical Mapping: GeoGenealogy
Geotagging has become the latest tool in genealogy. Genealogists and historians can geotag information like birthplaces, homesteads, graves, tombstone photographs, dated news clips or migratory routes, for genealogical research, historical mapping and even geographic mashups.

GeoTagThings is one such volunteered geotagging project. MacGenealogy is a Genealogical Mapping software using Metes and Bounds, a Mac OS X land mapping or plotting application.

Geotagging for Mapping Climate Change, Pollution and Water
Geotagged photographs and data when applied by organisations monitoring climate change, give a real-time and visual documentation of changes occurring around the globe, with support of annotation and analysis. In view of the recent fiasco concerning reports of about the Himalayan Glacier melt by 2030, such applications of geotagging become significant for environmental advocacy and research, as visual documentation supports statistical attributes.

Mibazaar maps geotagged photos of the world’s polluted cities, as well as world’s highest CO2 emitting power plants. Remarkable application of geotagging is seen in the areas of water, like mapping of prescription drugs in drinking water or the climate induced sea level rise in the coastal cities of U.S.

Geotagged images and data variables like the river surface longitudinal profile using differential geotagging, has the potential to assist in river management.

Geotaging for Geoanalysis
Geotagging of images and data when integrated with other 3D apps and web based platforms can facilitate analysis and management in various areas like monitoring of disease cluster patterns or crime trends. Real-time geo-tagged dashboards enable correlation and multi-dimensional visualization for effective decision-making and planning on a wider scale.

Platforms like Location World make use of geotagged information or resources for analysis, control and optimization of public resources related to safety issues.

Geotagging in broadcasting: Geobroadcasting
Collaborative mapping has given shape to a wider application of geotagging, called Geo-broadcasting. It is the latest integration of apps where live mobile or video streaming merges with local GPS mapping and location based factoids with a geo-navigational interface.

Seero is such an open platform, combining live streaming videos with real-time GPS tracking, tagging the same with local content and data feed, tracking GPS real-time and providing archives for playback. Nano Equipment provides solutions for geotagging live video broadcast from 3G video phones, with the geo-location recorded and tagged for future viewing.

Geotagging in Blogging: Geoblogging and Moblogging
Geoblogging involves geotagging such media as blogs, websites, RSS feeds and images, for online mapping or cross-referencing with other location based information, using the geotag technology.

With the development of various online apps, geotagged blogs have been integrated with GPS phones and GSM localisation to emerge in a new avatar of moblogging, where blog entries posted directly from mobile handsets can be geotagged.

Open platforms like the Calis API 3.1 web service allow to annotate and identify content with rich semantic metadata and display in text form on an OpenLayers Map.

Geotagging in Social Networking: Geosocial Networking
Social networking that uses geotagging, geocoding or mobile phone tracking to add location data and time for sharing, planning meets and networking, is called geosocial networking. This is a fast evolving platform, assuming importance in collaborative mapping, particularly in times of crisis and disasters.

Some blogging, microblogging and social networking sites support geotagging of blogposts and updates. Twitter’s geotagging feature allows users to selectively geotag tweets with exact location information, for annotating while traveling or joining into local conversations. The Twittervision is a web mashup merging Twitter with Google Maps for a real-time display of mapped tweets. GroundMaps is a social geotagging platform that integrates your social networks while allowing to upload content.

Geotagging in Mobile Social Networking: Mobile Geotagging
The growth of the LBS market and GPS enabled mobile phones, have made possible mobile mapping and geotagging. Social networking using geotagging for user generated content, has emerged as mobile geotagging, a concept that has grabbed the attention of the industry for its enormous potential for advertisers, manufacturers and operators to get involved profitably.

The JuiceCaster is such a mobile social networking service that supports geotagging, and allows sharing and exporting geotagged photographs to various Social Networking platforms.

Geotagging in texting: Geotexting
With rapid growth of mobile web convergence, geotexting has emerged as the latest geocentric marketing campaign using the texting / SMS feature. The widest applications have been in communicating with customers directly for map based directions and local geographic directories, using the channel of texting.

RESOURCES AVAILABLE
Though resources at disposal are currently limited, they are increasing rapidly, as its potential is being tapped for wider applications.

Hardware

GPS enabled Cameras
The RICOH Caplio 500 SE and RICOH Pro G3 GPS come with an integrated GPS module, while the NIKON CoolPix P6000 with a built-in GPS logging are some of the cameras available. Other GPS enabled Cameras include the Kodak DCS PRO SLR/n Digital Camera and the Kodak DCS PRO 14N, that can be easily connected to a GPS like Garmin GPSMap76.

Other GPS enabled Devices
There are also devices that enable digital cameras to capture latitude, longitude, altitude and time for geotagging of photographs. Devices available are the AGL 3080 GPS Data Logger & Photo Tracker from AMOD Technology, the GPS-CS1KA Location Recorder from Sony, the ATP PhotoFinder and PhotoGPS from Jobo AG International that actually fits onto a digital camera's hotshoe and uses GeoTate technology.

The Bluetooth devices are the i-Blue747 Data Logger GPS Receiver, Wintec G Rays 2 WBT-201 GPS Receiver, Locosys GT-31 GPS Handheld device, GiSTEQ CD110BT GPS Digital Photo Tracker Life and the VisonTac/Columbus VGPS-900 GPS Data Logger that supports multi-functionality. PhotoMate 887 GPS Recorder and Travel Honey SJ-5286S3TH are other alternative devices.

There are also devices that enable cameras to record location attributes and time, like the di-GPS Pro and di-GPS USB from Dawn Technologies that work well with Nikon and Canon cameras. Nikon's GP-1 GPS unit also supports such geotagging. The Nokia N900 mobile handset also geotags photographs automatically.

Software
GPS Data Logging Software are plenty. Popular ones in use are the Xylon. GlobalSat DG-100, ezTour Data Logger, Holux M-241 Bluetooth GPS Data Logger and the DNR Garmin.

Some of the best geotagging software inlcude Geosetter, IMMAGEO, Grazer, Microsoft's Expression Media and Pro Photo Tools, GPicSync, Panorado 4.0 image (for Panoramio.com), PicasaWeb and iTag. Open source programs include the popular GeoTag and Grazer, and the more flexible PhotoMapper.

Online Platforms like Picasa, Panoramio, Flickr, Nikon's myPictureTown, FanFare, SmugMug and GroundMap allow you to upload your getagged images for online streaming. Desktop applications such as iPhoto 09, Ovolabs Geophoto (Mac only), Adobe's Photoshop Elements 6 and Microsoft's ProPhoto Tools for PC, support geotagig on your computer. The geotagging service of Eye-Fi is one of the most simple and user-friendly, with photogrpahs being auto-geotagged and mapped online.

In recent times, geospatial has evolved at a very high pace with new tools and software being integrated into a comprehensive seamless solution for wider and dynamic applications. As the uses of neogeography are becoming more evident and versatile, geotagging has emerged as perhaps the most universal and user-friendly tool, with its historic application in collating and sharing of images. Moving beyond, geotagging is fast developing as a technology enabled whiteboard for access, study and analysis of digitally mapped data and images.