The following is one of the five top submissions to the 2011 USA Challenge. The North American regional contest in the European Satellite Navigation Competition(ESNC) is a global search for the newest, best and most innovative GNSS application ideas with €20,000 in prize money for the international winner, the 2011 Galileo Master.
The following is one of the five top submissions to the 2011 USA Challenge. The North American regional contest in the European Satellite Navigation Competition(ESNC) is a global search for the newest, best and most innovative GNSS application ideas with €20,000 in prize money for the international winner, the 2011 Galileo Master.
ION GNSS participants chose Georeader as the “People’s Choice” award winner from the Final Five, in September 2011.
Georeader
Georeader is a free Android Smartphone app. This unique app allows any written text to be placed at any GPS location in the world. When a user travels by that area, this text is automatically spoken aloud by the text to speech feature of the phone.
There are many useful applications for Georeader. The most obvious is as a mobile travel guide. Most travelers don’t take the time to stop at roadside historical markers to read about the history of a location they are in.
Georeader is connected to one of the largest historical markers databases in the world, and also includes many other points of interest. Instead of stopping the car, Georeader will automatically read the text of the historical marker as the user drives past. With more than 120,000 points in the US, UK, and Europe, including many US states entire historical roadside maker collections, Georeader provides a compelling reason to use the app as a tour guide when traveling as there is always something nearby to hear.
It is designed to be hands free for safe travel, and since the information is read out loud by the phone, there is no need to look at the Smartphone while driving, allowing users to safely keep their eyes on the road. The app is designed to run in the background so it will not interfere with the phone’s GPS navigation or music players.
Georeader is unique because of its use of the phone’s text to speech functionality, and also because it allows anyone to create their own messages and place them anywhere in the world. These points, called Talking Points, can be created either on the phone through the app, or through a web interface. Talking Points consist of a title, a descriptive text of 200 characters maximum, a tag or summary words, a desired broadcast access level of private, friends only, or public, where all users can hear them. A filter will be available to allow users to hear information only on topics they are interested in, such as history, art, geology, etc.
Users are also encouraged to share their knowledge by creating Talking Points™ about a GPS location. This crowd sourcing feature allows the public to create a wide variety of interesting GPS specific Talking Points™ including speed traps, dangerous intersections, hiking trailheads, Ufo Sighting locations, local history and legends, and more.
With a growing user base, Georeader can now attract advertisers with an easy to use and affordable offering. Global GPS linked advertising points can easily be added to Georeader, and just like historical landmarks, when the user approaches a point, the advertising message will be read. This creates an opportunity for an advertiser to provide a message when a customer is at a specific GPS location, for example, directly in front of a retail store or just before a highway exit.
The Georeader app’s website is www.mygeoreader.com, and the app can also be found on the Android, Amazon, and Orange Market.
WHO DID IT?
Georeader LLC
Fayetteville, New York, USA
Dave Moreau, Deb Dihel, Jeff Dihel and Dan Rogas, Social Mobility
FOR MORE INFO
mygeodreader.com
info@mygeoreader.com
Learn about the other finalists:
