GPS and Location-aware applications Discussion (Commotion)

Global Positioning System (GPS) utilizing a constellation of at least 24 medium Earth orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, which enables a receiver to determine its location, speed/direction, and time. Global Positioning Systems are being used more often in mobile devices. Users are become more and more interested in this technology. I have become one of those interested users. I learned that in many mobile devices, they are using an application with location awareness software or as I refer to it as LAAs. To further explore this application, I started to do some research for the application. In my findings, I came across an interesting location awareness computer application called comMotion. ComMotion is a location awareness program that uses satellites to coordinate a single position of a user, which links locations and places that are relevant to user’s life. ComMotion is a daily or weekly reminder that tells the user information about a location or a building. This application has many interesting features, but with those features, there were many potential problems. Thanks to a study by Natalia Marmasse and Chris Schmandt in Location-aware information delivery with comMotion, I was able to full understand the application through their findings.

The first interesting feature is the mechanics of the application. It uses a program called Location-learning agent. According Marmasse and Schmandt, “It observes the user’s frequented locations over a time and allows them to be labeled”. If information is applied, it saves and calculates their position. The second interesting feature is the Information Services program. ComMotion called this program the “to-do list”. The program is design to let the user be notified when he or she will be in the area of interested by putting in information that is relative to their daily and weekly activities. The third feature is the notification sound. When the user is near a building or area, their device would make a sound to remind them. This could either be a song, their voice, or a repeated beep sound. The last feature is it uses a Graphical User Interface (GUI). By using the GUI, it allows the user to visual view their location and the distance of other location in latitude and longitude numbers. It also allows the user to get and see directions to their location of interest.

However, there are potential problems with this application. In the first feature, it uses the Location-learning agent via satellites. This could be a problem because it only works outside and not in building. The authors found that the calculation takes too much time. It could be several minutes to actually determine where you are when you’re leaving a location. It also has a problem with two location points that are close to each other. Due to the slow calculation time, you may drive pass another point before you are notified. In the third feature, it uses a sound notification system. It was found that the mobile users couldn’t really hear the notifications. If the application is in a mobile device, then a user might carry the phone on their hip or in your pocket. There could also be a problem when a user is driving. Also, in their research, one participle didn’t use this feature in fear of social and privacy issues. The last problem they found was with the Graphical User Interface. Even though it serves as a visual aid, some users feel that the screen was too small to accurately find their position. In addition, the uses of latitude and longitude numbers are unfamiliar with average users.

In conclusion to the comMotion, there are many interesting features. It uses satellites to determine your position and has a program to help the user input information so he or she could be notified. It also uses sounds to help remind the user that a point of interest or location is in their area and uses a GUI to help as a visual aid. I think that this program is very interesting. The features are useful, only when you are not in a building. There are problems, but not enough to stop using the application. Some feature can be corrected by simply using a vibration program. If the screen is too small, then it should only be offered on bigger screen phones. There could be a future with comMotion for mobile devices. However, since this study was published in 2000, I haven’t heard anything about it in 2007 dealing with mobile technology. I assume that it didn’t catch on to many mobile users or it was changed and renamed by someone else.