University of Illinois researchers have created an app and a sensor-filled cradle that turn an iPhone into a mobile spectrophotometer. The combination of that mobile lab data and metadata such as location might prove very valuable. Read more »
The confluence of better location data and audio-recognition could mean big changes to seemingly static industries such as retail and radio as they learn more about what customers really want. Read more »
The FBI has amassed terabytes of data from sources near the terrorist attack that occured during the Boston Marathon. This raises a question about the role crowdsourcing could play in solving some crimes while protecting citizens’ privacy. Read more »
A new research paper shows just how easy it is to identify individuals based on supposedly anonymous mobile-phone data, and this isn’t the first time supposedly anonymous data really wasn’t. But how do we balance the need for privacy with the value of these datasets? Read more »
Just like internet cookies went from major privacy concern to an accepted part of web browsing, the sharing of personal information like location and DNA will become more acceptable once people understand the value they may get out of offering it. Read more »
Placed Analytics has published a blog post showing which retailers had the most in-store visits during the holiday season. Placed can’t track sales, but its mobile-phone-derived location data can give a glimpse into who’s attracting the most physical shoppers, and when. Read more »
Companies such as Inrix are making their money helping commuters and commercial drivers find the fastest routes through traffic, but their reach could go much further. Creative organizations can apply the data in entirely new areas, and crowdsourcing means seeing how the world moves. Read more »
Targeting consumers with relevant ads on their mobile devices is still an inexact science, but new data sources should make the process much more accurate. Knowing precisely where users shop and whether ads influenced their purchases could help everyone get what they expect from mobile ads. Read more »
Placed is broadening its horizons by letting mobile web developers take advantage of its unique approach to location analytics. Previously available for mobile apps, Placed cross-references location data against a massive database to paint a picture of where apps or sites are being used most. Read more »
SpaceCurve has raised another $3.5 million for its technology that should allow users to analyze mountains of geospatial data. Although the company has yet to deliver product code, it already has Fortune 50 customers waiting in the wings to test it on some difficult problems. Read more »
Hey, mobile developers, have you ever wondered where users are when they interact with your apps — like down to the level of whether they’re in a Starbucks or the McDonald’s right across the street? A startup called Placed can tell you so you can act accordingly. Read more »
SpaceCurve, a startup pushing a database designed for location data, has raised $2.7 million on the promise it can help developers better leverage the Internet of things. SpaceCurve is designed for apps that need to analyze lots of complex location data in a hurry. Read more »
Romanian startup Skin Scan is selling an iPhone app that lets consumers take pictures of questionable moles and get back information on its threat level. However, the company has much grander goals than helping consumers figure out whether to see a doctor. Read more »
Apple CEO Tim Cook said iCloud “is not just a product, it’s a strategy for the next decade.” What will that mean for a company trying to lead us all into the post-PC world? We look at possible future applications of cloud-based services from Apple. Read more »
Connectivity changes everything. That’s the credo driving just about every corner of our day-to-day lives. As human beings, we are now connected to one another through not just our social networks but also our cars, the books we read, the albums we download and even our own health and wellness habits (to name just a few areas). With that in mind, GigaOM Pro has singled out certain areas in the technology industry where we see this shift to constant connectivity taking place most drastically. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in a case that could decide how connected the concept of big data is to constitutional expectations of privacy. How much data is too much before allowable surveillance crosses the line into an invasion of privacy? Read more »
Michael Krell of Crowdflow takes the location data from 880 iPhones for the month of April 2011 and creates a time-lapse video that shows how iPhone users flow across Europe. It is pretty hypnotic. There are three videos that are worth watching. Read more »
Senator Al Franken released a letter Wednesday calling for the institution of mandatory privacy policies from all apps offered via the official software marketplaces of Apple and Google. He argues all apps should disclose what info they gather from a user, and how they use it. Read more »
According to Boy Genius Report, Apple is preparing to release iOS 4.3.3 “within the next two weeks, possibly sooner.” The purported update will specifically address the iPhone “tracking” issue that has mesmerized the mainstream media, and deliver fixes promised by Apple last week. Read more »
If you’re security conscious, or you just want your personal data to be safer, you can encrypt the backups iTunes creates of your iOS devices. You may just be hearing about this following Apple’s location troubles last week, so here’s how to do it. Read more »
There will come a time when you realize that you want to get something off of your iPhone, and yet you don’t have access to the Mac your normally sync with, or your Mac’s HD has failed. Don’t worry, you can still reach your iPhone’s data. Read more »
