Gender Differences in Perceptions of Technology, Technology Readiness, and Spatial Cognition

With developments in new technologies such as mobile mapping and mixed reality (virtual and augmented reality), there is demand for insight into how individual differences influence technology readiness. We examined the influence of gender, perceived sense of direction, mental rotation, and navigation on the different aspects of technology readiness: discomfort, optimism, innovativeness, and insecurity. The results of an online questionnaire showed that women were equally optimistic about embracing technology. However, they rated themselves higher on discomfort and insecurity and lower on innovativeness. We also examined the perceived usefulness of navigation aids. For example, both men and women found mobile maps useful, but men found paper maps more useful than women. Women were more likely than men to feel that using Google Maps increased safety. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that women are less ready to embrace technology, rather it depends on its usefulness for the task at hand.

The Business of Maps

This chapter builds on prior work on the political economy of location-based services to examine the business of mobile maps, asking the following questions: Who controls maps data? What are these data? Where do these data come from? What is their quality? What does it take to build new mobile maps? What are the motivations for wanting to build new maps? And what are the business and revenue models associated with these maps? The focus of this chapter is an examination of the efforts of one of Google’s key rival firms—Apple—and its struggles to build mapping capacity of its own at sufficient quality to be able to lessen (if not entirely break from) its reliance on Google. Apple presents an interesting case in that, as is well known, it is a major player in other areas of the mobile location services ecosystem, yet took industry pundits by surprise when it announced Apple Maps in 2012.

Selected qualities of mobile maps for indoor navigation

The map is the key element in any navigation system. The dynamic growth of indoor navigation systems requires improvements in quality not only of positioning systems but also of maps of building interiors. Most emergent solutions in this field do not use cartographic knowledge. Cartographic methodology for representing building interiors is still in its initial stages of development. Its proper use may, however, be of great importance to the effectiveness of indoor navigation. The author presents important features that indoor mobile maps should possess, for both the data model and the presentation method to be used. In this context, the question of the contemporary definition of a map is also discussed.

Trajectory-based POI recommendations for mobile maps

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Providing mobile map users with relevant information about their surroundings based on their current trajectory is a necessary next step in providing them with the information they need or want without requiring direct interaction with the map, which can be dangerous or distracting, as well as time-consuming and annoying. Providing these recommendations requires integrating spatial information from the mobile device’s GPS chip with attributes about the underlying map and point of interest (POI) data, as well as the preferences and goals of the user. The Flyover Country app provides a relatively contained test case for the development of predictive software for recommending current and upcoming POIs during travel.</p>