Overview
Conducted a random experiment on with an iPhone with Googlemaps: Captured one of my Westbound Metra commutes from Chicago Union Station to the Rte-59/Aurora station by using live Googlemaps. By using Googlemaps on my iPhone, it was an interesting and fun way to identify landmarks / communities that the express commuter train passes through going ~60 mph.
Observations and takeaways from the experiment
- Captured roughly 37 minutes of Googlemaps usage
- The train route is approximately 30 miles in length
- Roughly equal to 730 MB of iPhone video
- Used iMovie (Mac) to speed up and playback the video to 8X the normal speed to compress it down to roughly 3 minutes long vs the 37 minutes of actual video time (includes the removal/editing out time spent at 2 stops and other screen distractions).
- Playing back the video at 20X was just too fast to really grasp/read nearby locations and landmarks.
- Export of the video in 720p resulted in a file size of 2.15 GB.
- The Googlemaps ‘My Location’ blue dot roughly shows you the path you are traveling. Per Google, accuracy of the location is dependent on several factors - how far you are from a cellular tower, if there is anything blocking your signals and reception. Thus the blue location dot can at times appear to veer off track or jumpy. Either way this still provides a good representation of paths being traveled.
Conclusion
- While there are other apps and ways to capture your travel routes, this was just an experiment to see what it would look like with Googlemaps.
- This could be a good way to track your walk, if you go jogging or biking. Though I advise against using mobile devices while driving unless you are a passenger.
- Experimenting with technology and software is a fun way to find out what works, which can give you ideas for future projects for home or work!
For any questions, feedback, or comments feel free to email me at: mooredlm@gmail.com or leave a comment.
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