Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong claims Google Earth helped her win. The cyclist went to China in 2007 to scope out the route and took along her husband’s GPS unit. She was concerned about hype surrounding the "non-traditional" trail, which included a great deal of climbing.

She biked the route and tracked it using the GPS unit and then when she got home, used the data to find a similar training route.

Here’s part of her post on the Google Earth blog:

After returning home to Boise, Idaho, I exported the GPS data to several different formats, one of which I was able to launch with Google Earth. I was then able to trace the entire course from the comfort of my home half a world away and find a similar route to train on back in Boise. This capability along with having the elevation profile proved invaluable in my preparation for my Gold Medal race. It was also very nice to be able to show family members and friends the course from the excellent satellite views presented by Google Earth.

In July, Google launched a walking feature as part of its mapping service. It’s one of many ways to find a good running route, or a safer bike route to work. Check out my KWWL.com Extra on online mapping resources.

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

…at least when it comes to politics.

A new study by technology company and content tracker Attributor compared the online presence of Barack Obama and John McCain in a study released this weekend. Attributor gathered the key issues and speeches of both candidates, then compared and analyzed where those elements showed up and how many people were viewing them.

Last year I did a story leading up to the Iowa caucuses examining how much money the campaigns were putting towards their online presence and who was receiving the most attention. Since launching his campaign, Obama has led the pack in page views, blog references and social networking followers.

And according to Attributor, he continues to lead online, but the gap is closing. Specifically, McCain has closed the gap by 10% in the last two weeks.

Attributor credits McCain’s gain in blog references, a traditional Obama stronghold, and success in negative campaigning. There are twice as many attacks or negative messages against Obama as there are against McCain.

Despite Obama’s overall popularity, the study says McCain’s words are featured 80% more often on official news sites.

Attributor also looked at what information was referenced in regards to each candidate. In Obama’s case, people are drawing from his speeches. His Berlin speech has been viewed an estimated 2 million times. While McCain’s online message focuses on his position statements.

The study is pretty interesting, and Attributor plans to continue to update the data through November. You can check it out for yourself (pdf).

-jj

Posted under Politics

If you haven’t checked out the Democratic and Republican National Conventions websites – you should. Both parties have spent months developing online content and researching technology in order to make the conventions accessible.

The Dems are in full swing, with live streaming video of the convention, full text of all the speeches, photos, and an aggregated feed from the 120 blogs credentialed at the event. There’s also a Town Hall section where you can submit video and text questions that will be answered by elected officials.

The Republican site is still progressing ahead of their Sept. 1 start date. But there are videos, a list of speakers and a time lapse video of preparations at the convention center.

-jj

Posted under Politics

I picked up my iPhone the night before I left on vacation. So, I’ve really just had 3-4 days to really explore since I got back to the U.S.

I have quickly become that annoying person who is out with friends and checking my e-mail or more importantly – checking my social networks. And while I’m completely addicted to my new online accessibility, there are some dislikes.

Here’s some thoughts:

I love the Applications that you can download for your phone! So far I haven’t been convinced to buy any of them, but I am sampling some of the free ones.

I also love being able to listen to my voice mails in any order, pause, rewind and then easily delete. Text messages are also organized like an instant message conversation. Make it’s easier for an ongoing conversation.

I do find myself missing an actual keypad. Gone are the days of calling someone without looking at my phone. The keypad requires some precision that takes a little adjustment. Also, you can’t copy and paste text.

I also hate the short battery life. Most of my previous phones only needed to be charged every 2-3 days. I find myself charging the iPhone at least once a day and sometimes twice.

So far, I haven’t had any major problems…I’ll keep you posted.

While I think it was the right choice for me, I can see how it’s not the right phone for everyone.

Still, Apple has big plans. They are now selling the phone in more than 40 countries and have opted to stock it in a select number of Best Buy stores. (That would have been handy during my initial search a few weeks ago.) My phone did work in Africa and I even had access to a 3G network.

Many of you have been leaving comments or even sending e-mails with your own smartphone advice and experiences. Keep them coming. I’m sure there are others looking for some guidance when it comes to a new phone purchase. And I’m always interested to see how technology fits into our lives.

-jj

Posted under Apple

Sorry for my long silence. I’ve had the rare luxury of a long vacation.

I went to Africa to visit my parents. Here’s a picture of me on my parents’ patio overlooking Lake Victoria. Notice the t-shirt…I took a bit of Iowa with me on the trip.

I consider Africa home, and I haven’t been back in 7 years. So, it was a whirlwind trip of visiting friends and old haunts and eating all my favorite foods. My sister and I also stopped in London for a few days on the way back. I lived in London for a while, so it was another homecoming for me.

While it’s impossible to sum up all my wonderful adventures, here’s some thoughts I think might be of interest…

I was continually amazed by how technology has changed in 7 years. When I first arrived at the airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, it was the first of many encounters that showed how the country has advanced in my absence. Instead of scribbling my visa information on countless pieces of paper and notebooks, they took my picture with a small security camera and printed it on my visa complete with a hologram image.

And everyone has a cell phone now! When I left, you could barely buy a cell phone and now there’s one in every hand. The cell companies in Tanzania and Kenya (where I spent most of my time) don’t require contracts and incoming calls are free. So, even if someone runs out of money on their phone, they can still receive calls.

And text messaging is even more popular than here in the U.S. I was amazed that everyone from children to 60 year olds were texting each other because it’s much cheaper than calling. My parents were getting text messages from friends and colleagues and I had to teach them how to message back.

And while Internet Cafe’s are now on every corner, the actual Internet connections haven’t improved much since I left. In Nairobi you can get broadband, but it’s extremely expensive. Most people are still connecting at a speed only slightly above dial-up.

Despite the changes, some things will always be the same. It was overwhelming to be back at home where life moves at a slower pace and strangers greet you with a hug. I hope it won’t be another 7 years before I go home again…

-jj

Posted under Uncategorized

Okay, this is somewhat technology related, but possibly of more interest to us journalists than the rest of the world.

According to the Associated Press and Reuters, a member of the International Olympics Committee admits the IOC struck a deal with the Chinese government to allow Internet censorship during the games.

China said news organizations would have full access to the Internet when bidding for the games seven years ago, and reiterated that promise as recently as April. But, even this week, journalists already in China say many sites are blocked.

Chinese officials say the sites are not related to the Olympics and that the censorship will not prevent the journalists from doing their jobs.

Reporters Without Borders issued a guide for journalists, showing how to avoid firewalls and encrypt files. Not surprisingly, this site is one of many blocked in China.

MSNBC has a poll question connected with their story. And while the majority seem to disagree with the censorship, about 15 percent believe its China’s sovereign right as a country to follow their own laws, regardless of the international attention.

What do you think?

-jj

Additional resources:

NBC’s World Blog
Right now it’s buzzing with posts and comments on the Olympics

And if you’re a big news nerd like me then check out the Asian American Journalists’ Association’s take on the Olympics. There’s audio of an interesting panel discussion involving journalists based in Beijing.

Posted under Uncategorized