There is a new GPS-enabled cellphone application for San Franciscans - a real-time map of nightlife hotspots. Users download the free application onto their Blackberry (iPhone support is coming soon) and are instantly able to view where people are aggregating, displayed as red blobs on a city street base map. The display alerts members of higher than normal activity in percents and then, users can gather more info about a happening spot through Google.
Implications - This is done by using the over a billion points of WiFi and GPS positioning data from the cities' last few years, as well as real time feeds, putting the power of San Francisco from above in the hands of users.
Realtime Nightlife Hotspots
CitySense
Trend Themes
1. Real-time Tracking - Opportunities for innovative applications that use GPS and real-time data to track and display user activity in specific locations.
2. Social Mapping - Potential for platforms that allow users to share and discover popular hotspots and activities in real-time, based on location data.
3. Data-driven Insights - Emerging possibilities for utilizing large amounts of WiFi and GPS positioning data to provide valuable insights and analytics on user behavior and trends.
Industry Implications
1. Mobile Applications - Disruptive innovation opportunities for developers to create GPS-enabled mobile apps that enhance user experiences and offer real-time location-based services.
2. Hospitality and Tourism - Potential for leveraging real-time tracking and social mapping technologies to enhance the visitor experience, guide navigation, and promote popular nightlife destinations.
3. Data Analytics - Opportunities for companies to analyze and make use of large datasets of WiFi and GPS positioning data to provide valuable insights, trends, and recommendations for businesses and urban planning.