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iPhone 3G

EXIF File Header information from ExifTool on Mac OS X

I've recently got quite excited by photographs that have been geotagged with location information. This is an example of EXIF file header which can be found in files. I have highlighted the GPS location information which is stored by the Apple iPhone 3G.

ExifTool is useful tool. It is essentially a file editor that enables this information to be modified.

 


 

ExifTool Version Number 7.41
File Name jamboree-small.jpg
Directory /Users/jonathan/Desktop
File Size 28 kB
File Modification Date/Time 2008:08:30 23:54:50
File Type JPEG
MIME Type image/jpeg
JFIF Version 1.01
Exif Byte Order Big-endian (Motorola, MM)
Make Apple
Camera Model Name iPhone
Orientation Horizontal (normal)
X Resolution 72
Y Resolution 72
Resolution Unit inches
Modify Date 2008:08:01 20:21:27
F Number 2.8
Date/Time Original 2008:08:01 20:21:27
Create Date 2008:08:01 20:21:27
Color Space Uncalibrated
Exif Image Width 360
Exif Image Height 263
Gamma 2.2
GPS Latitude Ref North
GPS Longitude Ref West
Compression JPEG (old-style)
Thumbnail Offset 191
Thumbnail Length 5904
Date/Time Digitized 2008:08:01 20:21:27+00:00
Profile CMM Type ADBE
Profile Version 2.1.0
Profile Class Display Device Profile
Color Space Data RGB
Profile Connection Space XYZ
Profile Date Time 2000:08:11 19:51:59
Profile File Signature acsp
Primary Platform Apple Computer Inc.
CMM Flags Not Embedded, Independent
Device Manufacturer none
Device Model  
Device Attributes Reflective, Glossy, Positive, Color
Rendering Intent Perceptual
Connection Space Illuminant 0.9642 1 0.82491
Profile Creator ADBE
Profile ID 0
Profile Copyright Copyright 2000 Adobe Systems Incorporated
Profile Description Adobe RGB (1998)
Media White Point 0.95045 1 1.08905
Media Black Point 0 0 0
Red Tone Reproduction Curve (Binary data 14 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Green Tone Reproduction Curve (Binary data 14 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Blue Tone Reproduction Curve (Binary data 14 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Red Matrix Column 0.60974 0.31111 0.01947
Green Matrix Column 0.20528 0.62567 0.06087
Blue Matrix Column 0.14919 0.06322 0.74457
Image Width 360
Image Height 263
Encoding Process Baseline DCT, Huffman coding
Bits Per Sample 8
Color Components 3
Y Cb Cr Sub Sampling YCbCr4:2:2 (2 1)
Aperture 2.8
GPS Latitude 51 deg 51' 18.00" N
GPS Longitude 1 deg 14' 32.40" W
GPS Position 51 deg 51' 18.00" N, 1 deg 14' 32.40" W
Image Size 360x263
Thumbnail Image (Binary data 5904 bytes, use -b option to extract)

 

InstaMapper GPS Tracking on iPhone 3G

I'm having a lot of fun with InstaMapper's GPS Tracking application on my iPhone 3G. The client application takes live GPS data from the iPhone's position and transmits this to their servers at regular intervals. Using GPS positioning, the iPhone software can calculate the speed at which you are travelling and also the heading as a bearing.

However, it isn't until you log in to the InstaMapper GPS Tracking website and analyse the data that the iPhone has transmitted, that things become really interesting.

After a recent trip to the Lakeside Shopping Centre to collect a repaired MacBook, I looked at the data recorded. Journey time home was 20 mins from start to finish, travelling at an average speed of 48 miles per hour. The InstaMapper site also overlays each GPS position when data was transmitted onto a Google Map showing my entire journey to and from the Centre.

...and of course, using Google Maps as the mapping engine, it can also be viewed using the Satellite view.

I've started to cycle more regularly and next time I shall take the iPhone with me to track the route, speed and distance travelled.

Unfortunately, with Apple's policy on not permitting 3rd party applications to multi-task on the iPhone, the application only transmits data when it has been launched and is the running foreground application. This means you can't have the device constantly uploading GPS data - which is a real pity as this would then become the ideal anti-theft security system. Well, it wouldn't stop the iPhone from being stolen, but you'd be able to track the device quickly and within just a few metres. I'd love to see InstaMapper creating a variant of their tool which perhaps just uses a Unix application which runs in the background and posts GPS data - it doesn't need a GUI. Is this possible?

There are inherent dangers of having a device posting GPS data of course, not least having someone close to home knowing exactly where you are at every heartbeat. Hmmmm.  Or, as in this case, being busted for growing Cannabis plants

Time to blog

It'll be unfair for me to say that I haven't blogged for ages because I haven't had the time to do so as I've had the same amount of time as I have always had. I hate the expression 'I just haven't had the time to...' because that really means 'I've chosen to do something else' which is ok really - life is a busy place to be and we each have different priorities and needs.

That said, although my blog may have experienced the odd piece of tumble weed, my online presence as been as busy as ever - I'm just spread around a bit (!)

I couldn't begin to recount everything that has happened in the last four and a bit months, but you might try skimming through some of those 'other' online places.

I've invested much of my time building a Kings Road Primary School community, involving pupils in Year 4 initially and gradually bringing others into the online space. Building online learning communities is not a trivial task, and requires a fairly careful balance of ingredients for trust to be gained and responsibility understood. I'm delighted to see the fruits ripening as pupils are confidently posting articles whilst developing an understanding of language and audience.

The Orion Online site is thriving too. Take a look at some of our recent activities:

The mobile blog is pretty full-on, and kinda tells it's own story of where I've been and who I've met along the way. Using the iPhone 3G to blog is not only a delightful tool to use, but have began tagging photos with GPS location information. Watch this space for more on GPS location tagging.

...and of course there is also my online presence on Facebook and currently features my sisters wedding, she looked stunning. Take a look: album 1 | album 2

 

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