Gizmodo: crowdsourcing

The Secret to Dash GPS's Live Traffic Data: Networked Crowdsourcing

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:00:49 EDT

We're excited about the upcoming Dash Express GPS because it corrects so much of what's gone wrong with in-car navigation. In the end, you get the same green, yellow and red traffic indicators on highways that Google maps gets, plus that on some local roads. No other GPS has this. Because each unit is basically a two-way pager, it records the traffic you experience and shares it with others. It's a simple idea, perhaps, but to really harness the potentially unwieldy power of crowdsourcing, you need rules:

1. Each Dash Express anonymously and automatically sends its position and speed back to the Dash servers
2. Dash also receives traffic info from road sensors, commercial fleets and other sources through our partnership with Inrix [shown in dotted colored lines]

3. Dash then calibrates these sources against "ground truth" provided by the Dash devices actually driving the roads every day [shown in solid colored lines]

4. Dash then sends out updates to all of the Dash devices in the area with current road speeds

So what you're probably getting is that the first guy with a Dash is going to be like the goose at the head of the flock, making everything better for the rest. How many drivers in one metro area are needed until the system of realtime crowdsourced data is reliable?

For an averaged sized metropolitan area it takes just a few hundred units for the Dash Driver Network to provide live up-to-the-minute data for most major roads during commute hours.

For a major city, the number is more like 1,000, but then again, major commuter cities are probably where Dash will sell the most units up front, so I see it as a self-fulfilled prophesy kind of thing. Right now, Dash is looking only at data from its beta run, so for instance the LA map above was filled in by only about 40 testers. (Note the dotted lines where new Dash users will still rely on Inrix data.)

When the device hits the market, all those lines will go solid—green or red depending on whatever kind of hellish commuter traffic you're in for. Dash can steer you around it maybe, but it lacks the guided surface-to-surface missileage to actually make the other commuters go away. [Dash via NaviGadget]

Obama Would Make Chief Technology Officer a Cabinet-Level Position

Benny Goldman — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:15:00 EST

In preparation for his visit to Google headquarters today, presidential candidate Barack Obama released a nine-page statement outlining his plan to improve technology (if elected). His first order of business would be to appoint a Chief Technology Officer, a new government official who makes sure Obama's ideas are put into action.

The CTO would have a much different agenda than the head of technology under the current administration, the "cyber-security czar". While that post is concerned with preventing cyber attacks, the CTO would concentrate on critical issues facing the technology world as well as maintain an open line of communication between the government and the American citizens by using—what else?—the internet.

The rest of his outline includes plans to provide broadband access to areas lacking it, open up the 700MHz wireless spectrum so smaller carriers can compete, and create a federally-backed, $50 billion venture capital fund for the development of more environmentally-friendly technology.

Obama also wants a transparent government, where meetings between Cabinet officials and government executives are streamed live, and the public can comment on legislation on the White House website for five days before it is signed into law. Giving the public wide access to the policy makers is a radical step from the closed governments of the past. Though it kinda takes the term "commentard" to a new level. No word yet on Obama's banhammer, but we guess it will be as swift and merciless as ours, democracy be hanged.

Other proposals in Obama's technology manifesto include reforming the patent system to provide better security to important innovations and decreased protection for trolls, and regulations on network neutrality. Overall, Obama's plans seem very advanced, open-source and engaging to the community, things that any technology buff can appreciate. OK, Hillary: your turn to network with the nerds. [Venture Beat]

Digital Wall Calendar Combines Everyone's Calendars In One Gadget

Benny Goldman — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:00:00 EST

The Digital Wall Calendar combines calendars for every member of a family, no matter what program or website they are on, into one gadget. Still a concept, the brainstorming map shows that it will use an LCD screen, SD card, have music/movie playing abilities, and an internet connection for synchronization. The development of this device is interesting, too.

The idea is the first finalist picked by the members of CrowdSpirit, a new gadget-by-committee project. The community has made some changes to the original idea, such as leaving out an expensive touchscreen, but overall they are very enthusiastic about its potential. All that's left now for this concept is the software, hardware, and design experts, as well as investors, to turn it into something more than words and drawings on a page.[Digital Wall Calendar on CrowdSpirit]