Three Microsoft researchers have built an online application they call the WWMX that combines digital photographs identified by time and linked to MapPoint or TerraServer maps using GPS coordinates. The red dots scattered across a map of the world show you where to look for the stories that people tell in pictures.

The WWMX website FAQ states that a user can “browse the WWMX database not only by location, but by time, photo owner, media type. You can register your own photos with the WWMX. You can add “pop-tag” annotations to any photo you see. You can create Stories which are map-and-text-annotated photo albums.” However, full access to the database requires the download and installation of special client software.

I have been going over this in my head, but I still don’t quite understand how this is different from Google Earth.

I don’t know. When time permits, I’ll download and install Google Earth. My initial impression, though, is that personal annotation is downplayed, while in the GPS Repository, the main focus is personal entry of annotations. In addition, there would be no download of some sort of application — access to the data would be completely online. And does Google Earth allow one to take GPS data and quickly enter annotative content without accessing maps and so on? Maybe, but not sure.

Anyone know?

And I find it somehow familiar…
ever read the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”?

Bingo!
That is exactly what this would be…only not for the galaxy…at least at the moment.

The trouble is, once again, the tech involved.

I don’t think it’sd undoable, but it would have it’s problems.

Take GPS…you cannot make precise measurements with GPS alone at the moment because it is limited in the personal use due to it’s military origin to an accuracy of about 50m. (if I remember correctly)
Also, GPS will not work very well indoors.
Maybe you could combine GPS and GSM positioning?

Concering the device…you would indeed need something like the Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy….
A rugged, lightweight device with long battery life (eink anyone?) and a lot of memory…or a permanent uplink to some sort of SAT-DSL.
You would also need some kind of fast and easy input method. Onscreen mini-keyboard is very awkward most of the time, so are the little mini-keyboards you get on many “professional” PDA Phones.
Maybe somebody could come up with a viable solution for that.
Concerning features, you could perhaps integrate a camera…a useful one for once, so that people can document their experiences with more than words.

Very interesting project…I whish I were in an industrial branch where I could work on somethign like htis…but as a musician…^^

As I noted in the article, a while back I let my mind run wild as to all the possibilties the GPS repository enables — for those who submit data, and for those who search for data. I have a text file with literally dozens of different use case scenarios like the one you mentioned.

I hope others reading this article and comments will likewise describe more use cases.