Category Archives: Scoop.it

NBCNews.com Q&A: How Malaysia Airlines can salvage its brand The Seattle Times “They are a victim this time, so it is very different from a situation where they have no answers,” said Caroline Sapriel, managing director of CS&A, a company that…

Source: seattletimes.com

This is different to most posts you will get from me. I’ll take it from a location based perspective, because I’m interested in 2 aspects.

One is, whether they were legally entitled to be in that airspace or not, 2 Ukrainian aircraft had been shot down over that airspace in the previous few days. I would not willingly fly on any aircraft going over a war zone, period. I accept that other airlines did the same and got lucky. I’d be interested to know if any other airlines are doing it now.

The second is, I am really interested in branding and how a brand recovers from disasters and these 2 incidents are potentially huge disasters. Most airlines run on very tight budgets these days. A large number have fallen by the wayside in recent years. Even if they did nothing wrong, they are tarnished. Not only will people shy away in general, but a lot of people, especially Asian people have a thing about numbers, European people also often say things come in 3’s. Obviously that’s not scientific, bu people want a scapegoat and there is a major brand in the firing line.

If an individual gets their name tarnished, there are lost of things they can do, lots of experts tat can help them, or they can simply escape from the limelight for an appropriate period of purgatory. Go do some good somewhere remote perhaps. But a big brand doesn’t have that luxury. Changing the CEO, sad but obvious is an option, because even if they ‘did nothing wrong’ boards and others expect a sacrificial goat. But this doesn’t appease hundreds of people who have lost a loved one, the insurance which company which will undoubtedly payout against or before a class action and passengers who will vote with their feet.

So what do they do? at one end of the scale, I see them slowly go broke and little appetite to fund them through what would be a long and difficult period from which they still might not recover, probably depends a lot on the support of their nationals. Another more probable option would be a sale/merger to another airline, as per the example of KLM.

So what would you do? It is the Malaysian national airline. It hasn’t to the best of our knowledge failed in any way legally, they are doing their best to cooperate, they are certainly as devastated as the rest of the world is.  If you were going on a long trip next week and they were $100 cheaper than another airline that was globally trusted, for the same route. Which airline would you choose? How could they make you change your mind?

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More than one million people checked into World Cup stadiums on Facebook during the month-long tournament, with Brazilians making the most check-ins.

Source: skift.com

Not bad for one sporting event given that it wasn’t the only check in app in town. Really interesting to see the stats that of friendship growth amongst people who attended the World Cup and became Facebook friends that they met there.

This is also illustrates to me that we may have reached a tipping point, (must do some research here) on mobile users. One would have to assume that a very large percentage of those million check-ins were on mobile devices.

This once again asks the question about what retailers and other service providers are doing to attract these people. There has been talk of Google expecting to increase their sales revenue on the back of a 25% increase in mobile advertising.

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New York Times
Real Adventurers Read Maps
New York Times
But I would argue that a road trip, especially one taken with another person, is a lesser experience with GPS or navigation apps.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Luddites of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your destination. Here’s the other side of the story. http://luigicappel.wordpress.com/?s=road+trip&submit=Search

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Fermanagh Herald
Kinawley man’s free app is opening up tourist potential
Fermanagh Herald
His firm has built a reputation across the UK and Ireland as a leader in Digital Technologies and Augmented Reality solutions.

Source: fermanaghherald.com

Why is it taking so long for apps like this to be developed? Augmented Reality is now commonplace in children’s books. Schools and students now have smartphones and tablets. Apps like this encourage learning by making ir fun.

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WCYB
GPS problems with new homes
WCYB
New homes sometimes mean new roads. Can you find your way around, or can you be found? We visited one new development, typed in the address of a new home into a GPS locator, and nothing showed up.

Source: www.wcyb.com

Having worked for a mapping company supplying data to car navigation companies this has always been a classic issue. We subscribed to information from councils regarding new streets and suburbs and most of the time would have the information prior to the homes being built.

It is however a complex problem. For example in many cases several different street names are put forward and sometimes the one that is agreed on by council is contested and changed after it is gazetted. Another common problem is gated communities where the ‘roads’ are named, but are entirely on private property, effectively the roads are privately owned and maintained. We would often get a call from people in these communities complaining that they were not on the brand new car nav unit they had just purchased.

Mapping companies do their best, but keeping this info is always a challenge.

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GPS worn by pot robbery suspect places him at shooting scene, says prosecutor Worcester Telegram WORCESTER — A GPS monitor worn by a suspect in a shooting and robbery Monday on Greenwood Street placed him at the scene of the crime, according to…

Source: www.telegram.com

Another case of GPS helping with identifying what where and who, but its really frustrating when people who are being tracked still manage to commit cries. It certainly shows on their part a total disdain for society.

We must never forget that GPS is just a piece of technology. It is the systems around it that determine its usefulness.

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KVAL
Forest Service road maps still available
Elko Daily Free Press
ELKO — Summer is upon us and the many people looking to enjoy the warm weather in the forest should remember to pack a map. The U.S.

Source: elkodaily.com

This is a story that I have heard many times lately. We may have mobiles and tablets and navigation systems for Africa, but what happens when the battery goes flat. Besides voice and data, navigation uses a lot of battery and if you are relying on your first world technology and for some reason can’t make it back in the time you prepared for, then having the paper map could save you a lot of grief.

If I was going tramping, exploring forest trails and parks, the first stop would be to the park HQ or information center to buy me a paper map. I’m a digital kind of guy but I’m also practical. Never forget the basics. A compass would also be a good idea and again, yes you have one on your phone, but when that little battery is gone, so is your digital compass.

Have fun, be safe and y’all come back now y’all hear?

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Here’s something nice: Researchers working out of a Yahoo lab in Barcelona are building a maps application that doesn’t just spit out the fastest path from A to B but instead endeavors to show you the most enjoyable one.

Source: www.wired.com

As someone who really enjoys road trips, this caught my interest, and I’m looking forward to learning more about what they come up with.

2 years ago I did a road trip which was mostly the Blues tour which is available on paper from any tourist center which took me to places like the homes and museums everywhere from Tupelo to Spring Creek. I couldn’t find any apps that would include places like the Cotton Museum, Robert Johnson’s museum or Mississippi John Hurt’s backyard. I did the Natchez Trace, the trail the Indians took from Tennessee to Louisiana and in between visited historical villages, Indian burial mounds and much more.

What I want in an app is one where I can enter the keywords and areas I have of interest. Places that will make my trip memorable. When I think of scenic routes. Most countries and cities already have those mapped out and sign posted. I’m not sure which direction this app is going, but the need in my mind is for something I can’t otherwise easily get. People in an area generally know where the great views are and what places have amazing views. I don’t think you would need an algorithm when you have access to local experts. Doesn’t mean you don’t need the app though:)

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Tableau recently partnered with Stamen Design, to release three new map template, which anyone can play around with.

Source: www.wired.com

At first glance this looks awesome. I’m a huge fan of showing data on a map and if there is a simple free tool to help us do that. I’m all for it.

When I have time I’m going to give it a try. If anyone reading this is already using Tableau’s free software, I’d welcome your feedback.

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NDTV
Foursquare With a Storyline: Google Brings Ingress to iOS
NDTV
That’s because Ingress is – at its heart – a location based check-in service, like Foursquare or Facebook Places.

Source: gadgets.ndtv.com

I’ve got so many friends who have been playing Ingress since way back when and raved about it, maybe its getting old hat to them, I don’t know, but I’m going to find out for myself now that it is finally available on iOS.

There just don’t seem to be that many location based games as opposed to gamified location based apps.

I also love Science Fiction so I look forward to finally being able to download it myself.

Location and mobile open so many opportunities for gamification in apps. Hopefully opening this up to more users will revitalize it and encourage more organizations to find ways to engage customers, staff and stakeholders where their relationship has a location based element.

It’s funny how many companies I have spoken to or consulted with have shown an interest but never done anything, despite acknowledging the potential value. I don’t know that this will help, but for some it might.

I’ll be back at some stage to share what I have learnt from Ingress on iOS.

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