Delivering Real-World Ubiquitous Location Systems

In Delivering Real-World Ubiquitous Location Systems, Borriello, Chamlers, LaMarca and Nixon, emphasize the praticle aspects of getting location-enhanced applications deployed on existing mobile devices without the need to set up special infrastructure. It contains many similaor content to my post mortem on CatchBob!. They mention that the cell phone is the most ubiquitous computing platform and therefor is an excellent condidate for location-based service deployment. However, accuracy, privacy, and cost ore concerns in phone-based location. They mention the problems of using radio frequency signals-based location, because it is hampered by inherent technology problems such as limits on coverage, signal interference, and reliance on infrastructure, and by broader issues such as privacy concerns. There is a high demand from users for security, privacy and trustworhiness. By 2008 the European Union will deploy Galileo, a next-generation GPS system that promises greater accuracy and operation covering both indoors and out, due to stronger radio signals that should penetrate most buildings.

Developers of applications will have to accept variation in the accuracy and availability of location data for some time. Systems that expose the variable accuracy and availability of location systems should not be seen as standing in opposition to research aimed at improving accuracy and broadening availability.