Comments on: Should I replace my GPS with my Cell Phone? http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone A blog for Spatial Science and the Environment in America's Heartland Sat, 18 May 2013 05:48:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Casey McLaughlin http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/#comment-270 Casey McLaughlin Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:30:31 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/?p=649#comment-270 The cell phone vs GPS location topic will be revisited for awhile and here is another post from Directions Magazine and includes links to some congressional testimony from a cybersecurity researcher.

http://apb.directionsmag.com/entry/cellphone-network-upgrades-make-location-tracking-almost-as-precise-as/326175

]]> By: cmclau02 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/#comment-51 cmclau02 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:51:18 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/?p=649#comment-51 I’m sorry, I really don’t know much about the iPad or any GPS apps. Please post back if you find something useful!

]]> By: Regy bulner http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/#comment-50 Regy bulner Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:27:35 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/?p=649#comment-50 Can you tell me about GPS app for iPad ?

]]> By: cmclau02 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/#comment-45 cmclau02 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:53:11 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/?p=649#comment-45 It partially depends on the situation but personally I would choose knowing the accuracy. Its easy to improve and troubleshoot known accuracy limitations but too often I’ve dealt with the unknown. Usually the mapmakers gets the blame, not the people acquiring the data — they’re job is long finished. The bureaucracy forces me to accept whatever I can get and use whatever is available. Our central data set that we use is populated in multiple ways by multiple entities with multiple purposes — see more at Where is that Facility

]]> By: Alan Ladde http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/#comment-44 Alan Ladde Wed, 09 Jan 2013 07:22:47 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/?p=649#comment-44 So, faced with the choice:
1. More accurate, but unable to document how much more accurate, or
2. Less accurate with metadata to confirm exactly how inaccurate it is,
which would you personally choose?
Which does bureaucracy force you to choose?

]]> By: cmclau02 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/#comment-33 cmclau02 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:32:25 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/?p=649#comment-33 Interesting and relevant article about battery life. I didn’t read the actual paper so I’ll just include a link to Phys.org — http://phys.org/news/2012-12-low-energy-gps-looms-large.html

]]> By: Casey McLaughlin http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/#comment-25 Casey McLaughlin Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:49:40 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/?p=649#comment-25 Emergency Response always has different requirements and is always focused on getting the best actionable intelligence as quickly as possible. This is the same principle that is prevalent right now in mobile apps because “about here” is enough actionable information for the follow-up question of “what is around here.” Perhaps coming from the government where we have so many procedures and polices is a bit different, which I willingly cede. The point is (har-har) still getting information ABOUT the point (and how it was collected) can and should be factored when someone actually uses the point later on.

]]> By: jrobicha http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/#comment-24 jrobicha Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:56:47 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/?p=649#comment-24 Good points all…I know I talk about it all the time…data quality objectives, or as Wesley put it business requirements…in most instances we do need that precision and accuracy. But just because its my nature to be contrarian, Casey how much would have cell phone GPSs helped five or so years ago during the chemical fire response when responders were calling data back with cross streets that weren’t on maps?

]]> By: cmclau02 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/#comment-23 cmclau02 Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:20:02 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/?p=649#comment-23 Great comments! I think the technology is there, or near enough that the next part of the conversation may be about applications recording and reporting the quality of their locational data. We are getting more and more spatial data and maintaining it for use and re-use, in my opinion, is heavily dependent on knowing the quality. I have been dealing with this issue since graduate school where we were collating locations of biological specimens written about in journals and trying to map them — which become very challenging when dealing with location descriptions such as “about a mile from Sandy Point.” We captured the data as a point and gave it an accuracy rating. Imagine getting this point without any idea that it is a +/- 1 mile and I can imagine the problems this could create when lumped in with higher quality data. (Yes, I realize critters move about so spatial accuracy of any one specimen being collected is more dependent on the samplers’ path of sampling than it is on the specimen but I am illustrating a point about spatial accuracy here!)

Bottom line remains, we are close but not quite there. I don’t want my field people going out with their cell phones and collecting data quite yet.

]]> By: Greg Overtoom http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/2012/10/should-i-replace-my-gps-with-my-cell-phone/#comment-22 Greg Overtoom Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:26:42 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/bigbluethread/?p=649#comment-22 We’re starting to look at this issue for our field staff as we look to implement iPhones and iPads for field use. These devices cannot meet our current locational accuracy standards, but the low cost and high functionality of these devices compared to our dedicated GPS receivers is making us reevaluate our standards.

Personally, I rely almost totally on my cellphone for geolocational activities now, but I’ve seen enough problems in routing and run tracking (usually lost signal in remote areas) to keep me from wholesale switching away from a dedicated GPS device.

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