Alternative Access Project: Mobile Scoping Study Final Report
GeoLocation API first impressions
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2.1.4 GeoLocation API first impressionsSummary - 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. 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 6.06 Mb. Share with your friends:
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