Nokia has released their open-source mobile phone server. It’s running Apache, which seems kind of heavy-handed for an embedded web-server, but definitely full-featured.

Combine a local mobile webserver with the Opera Mini or Full Opera web browser makes for rapid development of nice phone applications.

They even offer some nice suggestions:

Interactive, Context and Location Dependent Content

These demonstrate that a website on a mobile phone is not just like any other website that simply happens to be on a mobile phone, but that it enables functionality that in the context of regular stationary websites is largely meaningless.

* Remote interactive picture taking.
* Use the phone as a webcam.
* Find other mobile web sites in the proximity.
* Find out the location of a mobile website (cellid).

On the geowanking mailing list (a discussion group for various gps, geolocation, and tracking ideas) a question was asked regarding how to make a DIY fleet tracking to be used at Burning Man.

Ok. need to throw together a system to track multiple cars around burning man from a mobile command car.

Wroking on command car software and hardware now. Have never used GPS at the playa. Worked a good bit with GPS years ago on robots.

Quick start with command car: (is this acceptable, better ideas?)

1. Purchase NMEA module like the GPS25-LVS.
2. Acquire attenna (any recomendations).
3. Wire up everything.
4. Connect module serially to computer.
5. Write software.

Ok, any flaws with the previous.

No assuming similar computers on the other cars, just need to get the gps position back to the command car. Good recommendation for PTP serial links that will span the playa? Maybe a network system (not PTP) like 802.11, then only one antenna on command center instead of one per client.

Now, for accuracy may need differential. Stationary base station with same PTP communications to command car.

The big problems are that you cannot rely on having cell towers (for mobile/sms), power may be limited, location needs to be fairly exact, so some sort of differential or WAAS is necessary.

Several options have been suggested:

Garmin Rino

a GPS-enabled handheld that integrates radio functionality to provide two-way communications. The Hardware Hacking Projects for Geeks book goes through how to build your own

Mologogo

Built-in cellphone location tracking using Nextela or Boost Mobile phone (Best Buy sold it for $45)

OpenTracker

an open-source hardware that connects GPS over serial link to APRS, a radio system for transmitting location and location information. However, this requires a HAM radio license. Kenwood TH-D7AG

FindU

a website and system for uploading and sharing APRS location information

Walkie-talkies

since there is no cell or necessarily wifi - hook up computers to walkie-talkies and somehow audio-encode/decode the information

Local Wifi

Put a wifi station on the command vehicle and possible others around burning man. Setup a local Wifi network and transmit GPS location information as well as possibly use the Wifi signals as differential correction

It will be interesting to see what works in the end for fleet tracking in such a remote location.

I am working on a large project with a good potential future and am seeking a couple of developers and a designer. If you want to work on a cutting edge, dynamic, fun & interesting application with the possibility of a broader future, then let me know. There is a prototype done, but I am looking for some help in getting the features all complete and ready for public roll-out.

More specifically, the application is a server/desktop/mobile hybrid, and deals with a lot of items that have come across this blog. Think along the lines of Plazes, Platial, MobilePlay, Mologogo, and my own Travelogue.

There are 2 developer spots:

• Ruby/Rails, web development
• J2ME/Python for mobiles

The designer should be versed in web design methods, CSS/XHTML, User interface for desktop and mobile apps (or willing to quickly learn).

If you’re interested in finding out more and helping out, please email me at software@highearthorbit.com. Please include references to some other projects, code, or designs that you’ve worked on.

(By the way, anyone from any country/time-zone/culture is welcome, despite the “Uncle Sam” personage. I just felt he embodied the message: “We want you!”)

porting wxPython and wxWidgets to the Maemo platform. This is very awesome news. Back in the days, I’ve done my fair share of C++ programming. But I have just gotten increasingly tired of dealing with development environments, preprocessing, linking, and portability. I spend half of my development time staring a link lines for missing function references from unknown or incompatible libraries.

Rapid development of tools and applications with interpreted languages like Python or Ruby allows developers to get ideas and useful programs out instead of just giving up halfway. Furthermore, it’s much easier to develop in a non-embedded environment or even on the device itself. This is why the Python for Series 60 phones and other devices has been widely embraced.

I’m trying out several mobile mapping solutions. None of them are really great, and none of them (apparently) are ‘hackable’. It’s very easy to get location information from GPS, network, or the user. What’s not easy is getting and using maps. Projects like OpenStreetMap are trying to create shared, open maps for users. But this is a long way off, and will never have the support and infrastructure that the commercial map providers have.

ThoughtFix has a plea to Nokia to provide a mapping application for their Nokia 770, and points out the (hereforeto unbeknownst to me) Route66 Mobile which can run on my Nokia 6600. I already have a BlueLogger GPS, so the $300 price-tag including GPS unit is a bit steep, though the package does include lots of goodies (RS-MMC memory card, card reader, GPS unit car charger, phone car mount).

What would be great, however, would be able to use the map files included with Route66, or Delorme Handheld StreetAtlas, or any other maps meant for a mobile platform (small resolution, small file size). Then developers could provide additional solutions and add-ons via their favorite programming medium. The high-cost of map delivery really precludes innovative, market-risky application development.