THE SKYMAP

The Skymap is a new application that uses GPS-enabled mobile devices to display the current sky at the user’s current location. Astronomy has one of the largest followings of any of the sciences. It is also one of the few sciences in which “citizen scientists” still make significant contributions. The application helps amateur astronomers conveniently explore the current sky whenever and wherever they are, on their mobile device.

Astronomy has one of the largest followings of any of the sciences, and is also one of the few sciences in which "citizen scientists" still make significant contributions. The Skymap helps amateur astronomers conveniently explore the current sky anytime, anywhere on their mobile device. It also features a "night vision" mode that helps amateur astronomers retain their eyes’ night adjustment. To access the Skymap, users can download WHERE on the Apple App Store for free, and activate the Skymap widget from the WHERE menu.

The Skymap was selected at the Grand Prize Winner in the WHERE Spring Developer Contest 2008. Learn more here.

THE WILDLAB

The WildLab aims to enable birdwatchers first. Out of all wildlife-watching activities, birding dominates: in a 2006 study, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) estimated that nearly 50 million people participated in some birdwatching activity during the year in the U.S. alone. Organizations like the National Audubon Society sponsor birdcounts that collect data from millions of people; scientists use such data for analyses that indicate the overall health of ecosystems.

The WildLab was selected at the First Runner Up at the NAVTEQ LBS Challenge in April, 2008. Learn more here.

THE SOUNDSCAPER

The Soundscaper uses mobile GPS technology to create a way of experiencing "here" and "there" through sound. The sound map is akin to research being done by scientists, using locative data to map likely flood zones, stores of minerals, and the progress of pathogens. But the intent here is to evoke poetry and fantasy in the form of a sound map on the Web. The Soundscaper was recently on display at the NIME 2008 conference in Genoa, Italy.

Learn more here.