Mash-up camp live blogging

I’m at the Polaris Centre in Pula, near Cagliari in the marvellous island of Sardinia, to speak at a research-driven event named Mash-up camp organized by the guys at CRS4. The event is based on the Mash-up and spacial web applications subject and its aim is to animate and shake the local companies on the subject of innovation and research.

I’m going to live blog each event (surprisingly I’m the only guy I see just two guys – yours truly included – with a laptop connected to the open wi-fi lan here).

Stefano Pezzi – Core Soluzioni Informatiche

Stefano comes from Bologna, his company , CORE, is partnering with CRS4 (who’s hosting the seminar) some other companies in Sardinia to work at the SIT project for the Regione Sardegna.

The SIT project aims at the creation a database to host and communicate geographical data of the Sardinia Region giving the chance to use these data in touristic and city planning applications.

Stefano’s presentation is very VERY technical (probably too much, IMHO) he describe the whole layer structure of the SIT app and the usage possibilities. The whole application is based on standards both W3C and ISO while Stefano admints that some of the services aren’t standards yet such as the tools for path retrieval and the tiled map service.

The intersting thing is that they developed a Javascript API set to interface outside applications with the SIT framework: when the project started Google Maps (and its API) weren’t on the market and they wanted to build something that would have been reusable and extendable. Nice move! (but what about porting the APIs to something more compliant with the current de facto standard?).

Stefano SannaBeeweeb

Slide

Stefano immediately starts with a humorous intro on himself (his a friend, and I can assure his ALWAYS a laughable guy) and then introduce the difference between Mobile Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0.

He says tha if we speak about Web 2.0 is because Web 1.0 existed, so since we speak about Mobile 2.0 it is because mobile 1.0… existed? sure? Who really used WAP? NOBODY! With wap we were entusiasts with the devices not with the applications; we were just trying mobile!

Web 2.0 is about building a platform: develop applications that can be mashed-up together; Mobile web 2.0 is uding Web 2.0 on mobile devices (eg. widsets); Mobile 2.0 means having native apps on the mobile devices that uses web 2.0 services and dedicated sensors.

What is now a barrier for a lot of applications (eg streaming on Mobile) is the cost of traffic; the mobile companies are now fully aware of this and are about to mass release flat mobile connections. So once the costs of connection won’t be a problem any more Mobile web 2.0 can really arise only if user experience and developing costs will be (at least) comparable.

The next step in mobile applications is to transform monodirectional phisical tags (such as Shotcodes) to bi-directional phisical tags users could write and modify (imagine a bi-dir tag at the supermarket were the choice of the product becomes social).

Marco GuisoInteroperabile
Marco starts talking about openGIS, a system to create HTTP requests for geodata. This is another highly technical speech: I start doubting I’ll be able to properly blog the talk.

Marco’s aim wa to build a software that could “cannibalize” geodata available on the web from different sources. To do this he used AJAX, some OGG web services (SITR, Landsat5, 3D Marine, etc.) and Google maps.

Now it’s my turn to give a talk. See you later!

Matteo Penzo - Mobup

Top 10 2006 life tags

Top 10 Life Tags of 2006

Blogging
It’s now a year since I switched the blog to the English language and – even if I expected a more vertical growth in RSS subscribers – I nearly doubled my BlogLines subscribers (or, staying with Feedburner, I’m having a media of 35 subscribers: whom I’d really like to thank).
I never blog as much as I’d like, mostly for time constraints; but – counting my 2006 posts – I reach the quote of 64: which means something more then 1 per week. not good, not bad, just ok for me as I use my blog as a life diares for when I’ll grow up (now: when? :-)

Eyetracking
I’ve done a lot of eyetracking in the last 3+ years. most of my activities were centred on RnD (I’ve filed a couple of patents on it) but I’m mostly known for my eyetracking analysises published by UXmatters. I’m really honoured of the results, the last one – published back in June – got more than 40 comments to the article. Further more then any other article published by UXmatters.
The future? Well I’m still in the eyetracking business working with the University of Rome (ciao Francesco) but I don’t feel eyetracking is going to be a 2007 life tag. Making the wheel turning.

Family
I realy enjoyed family life this year. A lot of readings, vacations and time to spend with family. Things are going to change in 2007: during week days I’m able to see my wife and baby just a couple of hours a day. Coming home too late from work: things need to be done.

Flickr
Still enhancing my love for Flickr after 3 more years: got a pro account since 2005 and part of our Christmas present to my sister was a PRO Flickr account. It’s definbitely the killer application for digital photography (and I’m still waiting for GPS wi-fi/UMTS enabled digital cameras)

Francesca
She’s our life. Growing up at the fastest pace. If you’re a Flickr friend of mine you can take a look at the Flickr photoset (just the best shots, I’m counting approximately 500 of them). Drop me a line if you’re a friend of mine but have no access to the set.

Gabetti
I’m really honoured to work for this company. A lot of innovation is going on but it’s too early to talk about it. Let’s say we have an appointment late in January 07 and another one late in February 07. But the most groundbreaking one is coming up more or less near April 07. Stay tuned.

Mobup
If you regularly read this blog you couldn’t have missed it. It’s open source, it’s free, it uploads your cameraphones shots to Flickr. Originally born in July 2005 in Consultechnology it’s now available to every developer or cameraphone lover. We now have a top of the notch CTO (Thomas Landspurg) and a dedicated team of developers. We’re improving but we still need your support and suggestions.

Public speaking
I think 2006 has been the most crowded with speaking opportunities year in my life: I featured international conferencies, nation wide ones, universities, and small but innovative ones. I wa sborn for standing on a stage since I enjoied myself being an MC back in early 90s.
2007 coming up with other great seminars!

Second life
I discovered it at the Interaction Frontiers 2006 thanks to Andrea Benassi *see his presentation here). I now say that Second Life is today what the web was in 1995 a great opportunity for trend setters and first movers. I count myself in. more on this coming really soon.

Writing articles
I count more than 50+ articles in the last 4 years published on the web (Idearium, UXmatters and Flashability mainly). I prefere writing in english due to the broader audience I can reach.
A book is oin the air for 2007 but I’m really not sure whether it’s going to see the light or not. At the moment I’m really to busy with Gabetti (see proper life tag) to think about writing.

Have a great 2007!

Mobup: it’s new release time!

We recently released a new version of Mobup (download it here) which marks the entrance in a new subversion, the 6th in a year or so.

We haven’t added any hypening functionality but concentraed ourselves in listening to our users: bugs fixing, device compatibility and usability related functions that Mobup users suggested by email or on our development site.

The whole 0.5 series will be dedicated to this kind of stuff, but interesting things are coming up for the next major release.

Till then, start mobupping your phone shots now.