Request for help: Would like community applications to show and discuss at LinuxWorld

[Michael Shiloh]

Marcos Mezo wrote:
>>  So tell me your stories! They are valuable content for my talks.
>>
> First hello everybody, as it's the first post to the list.
> 
> I've been following this project since about 1 year, and as soon as the 
> Freerunner was on sale I ordered mine (2nd July) and I'm eagerly 
> awaiting it from Pulster's shop (hope it is sent tomorrow).
> 
> I have to say that I bought and had on my hands a Nokia N95 for about 
> 100 Euros less than what I've payed for the Freerunner, and inspite of 
> having more features (camera) and beeing more proven I sold it on ebay 
> without even opening it cause I received it the same day I learned the 
> Freerunner was on sale.
> 
> As for my story,.I don't know if I will ever have the time for it, but I 
> envision the following:
> 
> For some years now I've been an "official" and scorer (sort of a judge) 
> for Hot Air Balloon competitions, and previously an "observer". Until 
> recently an "observer" followed each balloon in competitions either in a 
> car or on the balloon. The "tasks" a balloon has to fly are mostly going 
> as near as possible to a given set of targets some kilometers away from 
> where it launches. Remember hot air balloons can only climb or descend, 
> but otherwise flow in the wind. By changing heights they try to find the 
> winds and local airstreams that bring them as close to their target as 
> possible.
> 
> With the observers they had to throw a coloured marker when they thought 
> they were as close as possible to the target and then it was measured by 
> tape if close enough or on the map by reference.
> 
> Now (at least in national events; I think world and continental 
> championships still require observers) everything is measured using GPS 
> tracks (except on some targets where there is a measuring area of 
> ~50-100m and they have to drop markers to be measured by a team). I'd 
> like to write an app that automaticaly sends the track live over GPRS to 
> the competition centre (if there is GPRS signal), and also that stores 
> it crypted on the phone so that it can't be altered. I also would like 
> to try to emulate the "marker dropping" by having some push buttons on 
> the screen the competior would had to push when he decides it's best, 
> because sometimes there are scoring areas where, if your "mark" is 
> outside of it, it isn't valid. With markers thrown, the competitor had 
> to decide if he drops the marker when he is about to leave the scoring 
> area of he will try to reenter later to have a better mark. With current 
> GPS rules this pilot decision is lost, as all trackpoints inside the 
> scoring area are measured.
> 
> Me trying it doesn't mean it will be adopted (that would mean every 
> competitor had to buy one FR or maybe the the national federation), but 
> maybe at least we will have something to show and who knows..... Of 
> course this can be made with any other phone with java and a GPS, but 
> still I prefer the FR.
> 
> Of course, even if I don't do anything of the above, I plan to using it 
> for sshing to some servers, maybe even VNC or Remote desktop, also for 
> openstreetmap and also as a SIP UA. And I almost forgot, also for fun!!!!
> 
> Marcos


Another excellent story! Thanks for sharing Marcos, and I hope you find 
the time to write the application.

Michael