Looking forward to 2011 (and beyond)

At the end of the year everyone looks forward. Especially marketeers want to predict the future based on the latest trends.
This one is from the trendwatching group of global advertising agency JWT.

It sounds like exciting times that were are up to.
I wish you all the best in 2011!

Read an article on "location-based everything" from JWT here.

Outdoor GPS game lets players run like hell to avoid virtual bombs!

Bomb Disposal Squad (working title) is a GPS computer game that can be played on a range of smartphones outdoors. Locomatrix labs in Brighton will be producing the game in the next few months. This old-timey video should provide an example of a few things that may happen in the world of virtual bomb disposal.

Locomatrix Labs website.

Play mobile Football with your friends

Created by Dutch company "The Saints"

What's new in Google Maps 5.0?

Google just released Maps 5.0 for Android. MobileBurn shot a quick video of it running to demonstrate some of the new features, such as the 3D view, two-finger gestures, and electronic compass support.

Foursquare explained

Howcast is a really useful series of "How-to" video's that can be watched on YouTube, on a mobile app and on Howcast.com

Google Latitude voor de iPhone, iPad en iPod Touch

Google Latitude bestaat al bijna twee jaar maar tot vandaag was deze app nog niet beschikbaar voor de iPhone (en iPad). Nu dus wel. Google heeft de app eindelijk in de App Store weten te krijgen.

De Google Latitude app werkt op alle versies van de iPhone, iPad en iPod Touch die geschikt zijn voor iOS 4. Daarmee vallen de iPhone 3G en 3G dus buiten de boot, evenals de eerste twee generaties van de iPod Touch.

Google Latitude is een zogenaamde location-based weet-waar-je-vrienden-zijn service.

How to start with Geocaching, the world's biggest location-based game

Millions of people around the world use Geocaching.com to launch and share their treasure hunting adventures. And every person has something in common—each geocacher was just “newbie” in the beginning.

Watch this video and learn some tricks for first-time geocachers. Go along as “newbies” tackle their very first GPS-enabled treasure hunt. But they’re not alone. Hear the wisdom of experienced geocachers who have logged thousands of finds and hidden hundreds of caches.

Story from: Latitude 47

AR Pilot dogfights controlled by iPhones

Remember Parrot's awesome iPhone-controlled AR.Drone? Of course you do. Grab an AR.Drone-owning friend and when the augmented reality app hits the App Store, get downloading for some healthy Bluetooth-based competition.

It's a two-player game, which rather limits the app, as you'll need to find someone else who owns a $300 (£300) drone as well as an iPhone or iPod Touch. Take turns in being the pursuer on the unwitting pal, using automatic machineguns and missiles as they try and hide. Halfway through the game though, the roles are reversed, and it's your turn to try and escape the bullets, lasting longer in hiding than the friend managed.

All the time, both players are looking at their iDevices, as their AR.Drones whizz around their heads. Each shot fired (or received, if you're unlucky) registers on the screen through the magic of augmented reality.

Make the world your golf course!

With the flick of a button Gigaputt transforms your neighborhood into an exciting 3-hole mini-golf course, complete with popping manholes, treacherous fire hydrants, and giant coins. With each new game Gigaputt creates a course starting from where you stand and gives you the option to either walk the course like the pros using your iPhone's GPS, or play from the comfort of your living room.

Gigaputt uses intuitive gesture-based controls that allow you to swing your iPhone like a real golf club and send the ball sailing over your neighborhood. While easy to play, mastering the game takes skill and finesse - swing too hard and you'll slice the ball sending it veering away from your target.

Once you've perfected your swing compete against your friends to see who can collect the most coins while still coming in under par. Up to 4 players can play on the same phone.

See your neighborhood in a new light! Catch a quick round of golf wherever you are! With Gigaputt the world is your fairway!

As featured in The New York Times and Gizmodo.