Drawing on the authors' more than six years of R&D in location-based information systems (LBIS) as well as their participation in defining the Java ME Location API 2.0, Location-Based Information Systems: Developing Real-Time Tracking Applications provides information and examples for creating real-time LBIS based on GPS-enabled cellular phones. Each chapter presents a general real-time tracking system example that can be easily adapted to target any application domain and that can incorporate other sensor data to make the system "participatory sensing" or "human-centric sensing." The book covers all of the components needed to develop an LBIS. It discusses cellular phone programming using the Java ME platform, positioning technologies, databases and spatial databases, communications, client- and server-side data processing, and real-time data visualization via Google Maps and Google Earth. Using freely available software, the authors include many code examples and detailed instructions for building your own system and setting up your entire development environment. Web Resource A companion website at www.csee.usf.edu/labrador/LBIS provides additional information and supporting material. It contains all of the software packages and applications used in the text as well as PowerPoint slides and laboratory examples. Although LBIS applications are still in the beginning stages, they have the potential to transform our daily lives, from warning us about possible health problems to monitoring pollution levels around us. Exploring this novel technology, Location-Based Information Systems describes the technical components needed to create location-based services with an emphasis on nonproprietary, freely available solutions that work across different technologies and platforms.

The eld of wireless sensor networks continues to evolve and grow in both practical and research domains. More and more wireless sensor networks are being used to gather information in real life applications. It is common to see how this technology is being applied in irrigation systems, intelligent buildings, bridges, security mec- nisms, militaryoperations, transportation-relatedapplications, etc.Atthesametime, new developments in hardware, software, and communication technologies are - panding these possibilities. As in any other technology, research brings new dev- opments and re nements and continuous improvements of current approaches that push the technology even further. Looking toward the future, the technology seems even more promising in two directions. First, a few years from now more powerful wireless sensor devices will be available, and wireless sensor networks will have applicability in an endless number of scenarios, as they will be able to handle traf c loads not possible today, make more computations, store more data, and live longer because of better energy sources. Second, a few years from now, the opposite scenario might also be possible. The availability of very constrained, nanotechnology-made wireless sensor devices will bring a whole new world of applications, as they will be able to operate in - vironments and places unimaginable today. These two scenarios, at the same time, will both bring new research challenges that are always welcome to research

The eld of wireless sensor networks continues to evolve and grow in both practical and research domains. More and more wireless sensor networks are being used to gather information in real life applications. It is common to see how this technology is being applied in irrigation systems, intelligent buildings, bridges, security mec- nisms, militaryoperations, transportation-relatedapplications, etc.Atthesametime, new developments in hardware, software, and communication technologies are - panding these possibilities. As in any other technology, research brings new dev- opments and re nements and continuous improvements of current approaches that push the technology even further. Looking toward the future, the technology seems even more promising in two directions. First, a few years from now more powerful wireless sensor devices will be available, and wireless sensor networks will have applicability in an endless number of scenarios, as they will be able to handle traf c loads not possible today, make more computations, store more data, and live longer because of better energy sources. Second, a few years from now, the opposite scenario might also be possible. The availability of very constrained, nanotechnology-made wireless sensor devices will bring a whole new world of applications, as they will be able to operate in - vironments and places unimaginable today. These two scenarios, at the same time, will both bring new research challenges that are always welcome to research

Drawing on the authors' more than six years of R&D in location-based information systems (LBIS) as well as their participation in defining the Java ME Location API 2.0, Location-Based Information Systems: Developing Real-Time Tracking Applications provides information and examples for creating real-time LBIS based on GPS-enabled cellular phones. Each chapter presents a general real-time tracking system example that can be easily adapted to target any application domain and that can incorporate other sensor data to make the system "participatory sensing" or "human-centric sensing." The book covers all of the components needed to develop an LBIS. It discusses cellular phone programming using the Java ME platform, positioning technologies, databases and spatial databases, communications, client- and server-side data processing, and real-time data visualization via Google Maps and Google Earth. Using freely available software, the authors include many code examples and detailed instructions for building your own system and setting up your entire development environment. Web ResourceA companion website at www.csee.usf.edu/~labrador/LBIS provides additional information and supporting material. It contains all of the software packages and applications used in the text as well as PowerPoint slides and laboratory examples. Although LBIS applications are still in the beginning stages, they have the potential to transform our daily lives, from warning us about possible health problems to monitoring pollution levels around us. Exploring this novel technology, Location-Based Information Systems describes the technical components needed to create location-based services with an emphasis on nonproprietary, freely available solutions that work across different technologies and platforms.