A few days back I uploaded a photo on
Facebook. After uploading, I went on to add the location of the photo and
Facebook offered a suggestion as to where the photo was taken. I looked at the
first option; it was the exact location where I had clicked the pic.
I tried to tag location of an old
photo but this time it gave a wrong suggestion. It became pretty obvious that
there had to be some difference in the properties of both the photos. When I
compared the properties, I got to knew a whole new phenomenon known as ‘GEO – TAGGING’. We will find this
keyword on specification list of almost all the new smartphones but it is
mostly neglected .
What is Geo-tagging?
Geo-tagging is the process of
adding geographical data such as latitude and longitude to various media like
photos, video , websites ,RSS feeds. Or it can define the location place name or regional
identifier. It can also include information such as the altitude and bearing.
When our website or blog consists
of geotags then it provides information to search engines or readers about the
location of the site.
Geo-tagging photos
There are a few methods of geo-tagging
photographs, either automatic or manual. The simplest and the most precise
option to geo-tag a photo would be to have a GPS enabled smartphone or camera.
Thus, when we click a photo, the latitude and longitude of the location will be
embedded onto the photo without our knowledge. These properties are stored in
the metadata of pic or the Exif (Exchangeable image file format)
FILE.
Manual geo-tagging involves the use
of software with which the properties of a photo can be manipulated.Several manufacturers, such as Sony,
Panasonic, Fujifilm, Nikon are now providing cameras with built-in GPS feature
which results in storing accurate data location in the photos or videos.
Geo-tagged Websites
Geo-tagging provides Internet users
with a variety of features. For example, by entering the street address into
Google Street View, users can get photographs taken from the street near the
input location, with links to maps and satellite or aerial photographs of the
area.
Internet and computer geotagging can be
performed by associating a geographic location with ‘Internet protocol (IP)’,
WiFi and GPS co-ordinates.
The combination of html 5, google
maps and geo-location API has provided webmasters to add great new
features to their websites.
The easiest way to add geotags to a Web page
is with meta tags. We create meta tag that includes the latitude and longitude
in the contents of the tag:
<meta name="Example" content="48,
-122" />
You
can then add other meta tags that include the region, placename, and other
elements (altitude, etc). These are named "geo.*" and the contents
are the value for that tag. For example,
<meta name="geo.placename"
content="Mumbai" />
HTML
5 Geo-location API can only return users location in co-ordinates. Using these
co-ordinates, the location can then be displayed on google maps.
W3C
Geo-location API allows for scripted access to geographical location.
Geo-coding is the process of converting an
address into latitude and longitude. Reverse Geo-coding is the process
of converting latitude and longitude to human friendly address.
Google
maps come in handy when we want to go a certain location but are not sure of
how to get there. We just search for the location and then click on ‘Get
Directions’.
Voila!
We get a map with a specific route. All this has been possible due to the
Geo-location API.
Some
functions of the geo-location API:
getCurrentPosition(
) :This function is ued to get user’s position.
watchPosition(
): it gets the user’s current position and continues to update as user moves
.(Specifically used in GPS)
Since
the position can compromise user’s privacy, the position is not available till
user approves it.
Examples
:
Justdial.com
‘Near
Me’ feature gives a list of restaurants, cinema halls or hospitals within a
certain radius.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Geo-tagging
is being widely used on social networking sites such as Instagram, Facebook,
Flickr. With the growing number of social users using geo-tagging, it has led
to broader access of information. As geotagging focus on pinpointing people,
important questions arise over privacy.
---Tejas S.Ekawade
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