Alternative Access Project: Mobile Scoping Study Final Report
GeoLocation API first impressions
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- 2.1.5 3d objects for AR browsers
2.1.4 GeoLocation API first impressions Summary - Experiment with using the HTML5 geo location API to obtain a user’s location on different devices such as iPhone and Android. The demo uses a lightweight version scholarly portal to perform a journal search and reorders the search results based on the user’s proximity to the holding library. Without the Geolocation API [2] it would not be feasible to deliver a pure web (browser) mapping tool for mobile. Smart phone owners are used to native applications such as Google Maps, and therefore expect a mapping application on a smart phone to show their current location on the map (the ubiquitous blue dot) using built in location sensors such as GPS. The problem is that web browser security model prohibits remote code such as JavaScript from being able to access the operating system and therefore native hardware and sensors devices such GPS are not normally available to web developers. Fortunately the Geolocation API [2] has been adopted by most mobile browsers making it possible for web developers to obtain information on the users’ location in a secure, browser agnostic and standard complaint way that respects the privacy of user. When a user accesses a web site that attempts to use the Geolocation API the browser alerts the user that the website wants to access the device location and prompts the user to confirm that they are willing to allow the website access to the information. If the user accepts the browser will access the operating system to obtain the device location coordinates which the web developer can then use in their application. 
Geolocation API demo screenshot on Android simulator showing warning that m2m.edina website is trying to access user’s location. 
The application can now use location coordinates reorder search results. Our first use of this was in a simple library search application, where a skinned version of the scholarly portal was used to run a SUNCAT journal search, passing in coordinates obtained from the geolocation API and using these to reorder results so that the nearest holding library was shown first. We found very few problems using the Geolocation API and found it worked fairly consistently across browsers. An issue does seem to arise when an attempt is made to access location when the browser is working offline. It seems the implementation tries to access location first by making a call a location broker, before attempting the device GPS. As no data connection is available the system fails and no location is returned. Generally some extra parameters that allow more fined grain control over the mechanism for obtaining user location would be a useful enhancement to the current standard, although as is the case with most standards, the interface converges to lowest common denominator. One of our first blog postings the stats show reasonable interest in the geolocation API with 410 total views, averaging 50 views a month or 2 views a day. 2.1.5 3d objects for AR browsers Summary - Experiments with the Layar augmented reality browser by showing a 3d image of a building internal structure superimposed over the camera view. In this evaluation we set up a service that could display 3d images in the Layar augmented reality browser [6]. The model adopted by the Layar framework is that the Augmented Reality browser application is provided by Layar “out the box” for users to download to their iPhone or Android phone. Users can then browse “Layars”, which are published collections of “points of interest” which the Layar browser is able to access from the web and display as text or images on the camera view. The “point of interest” content provider must make their data available following the Layar API specification for the browser to consume using their own hosting software and infrastructure. The content provider must also publish metadata to the Layar site so that the user can discover (e.g. search for ) Layars using the mobile client. We were fortunate to have some help from an architect called Chris Lowry from the Edinburgh College of Art who has a teaching method called "Building Anatomy" where 3d models are used to show students the intricate details of the inner structures behind building facades. We tried implementing one of Chris models’ in a Layar provider service so that the 3d model could be superimposed on the camera view as the student holds up the device in front of the actual building. The first problem to overcome was adapting the rich 3d model from Chris Lowry’s study into a format that the Layar browser could consume more easily. After a fair bit of manipulation to the 3d model we did get something working and learnt some interesting lessons around the process. First we established that some degree of technical knowledge and infrastructure is necessary to publish to Layar. At a minimum, the content provider needs to implement the Layar API as a web service using a server side language such Java. The documentation for the API was good, but not always 100% accurate – for example some fields specified as mandatory in the specification were not in fact included in the Layar browser request and it was clear from frequent updates to the wiki that the API specification was still in a fair amount of flux. Directory: 2010 2010 -> Through the Roof 2010 -> 2004 ieee international topical meeting on microwave photonics technical digest 2010 -> The petition and case system 2010 -> Hr 116 Application for Employment with Hills and Dales 2010 -> Polimaster ltd V. Rae systems inc polimaster ltd.; Na&se trading co., Limited, Plaintiffs-Appellants 2010 -> The tandem project 2010 -> Cape Lookout National Seashore Historic Resource Study By 2010 -> Cape Lookout National Seashore Historic Resource Study By 2010 -> Ap u. S. History presidents list the Young Republic, 1788-1815 George Washington, 1789-1797 Download 6.11 Mb. Share with your friends:
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