Photo Tagging

GPS has taken one more step forward with Nokia’s Location Tagger. There are several applications that add location tagging to pictures taken with your mobile device but most only add them as a tag, exactly how you or I would add a tag. Location Tagger is different in that is encoded the geolocation into the EXIF data of the image. This is then read by severs to automatically map images. I once went through several hundred pictures and placed them on the map through Flickr and from time to time I still login and place new images I’ve uploaded. Many of those images I could not remember where I took them. With Location Tagger that is mostly a thing of the past. As with most GPS based applications it only works if the device can acquire a signal. Thanks A-GPS many devices are able to pick up a signal faster and where previously it might not have been possible. One caveat to such applications; GPS can be a real battery killer. For that reason I recommend disabling the application when indoors or other locations GPS is not available. This application embedded the geolocation into the EXIF data of the image however from the two tests (via online sharing 3.0 and via email) flickr did not read the location despite being clearly embedded, as seen in each example. Perhaps flickr will update their systems or Nokia will update this application on the next update, after all it is only a beta.

Wouldn't it be grand if we did not have to map our photos anymore? For now we can only dream...

- Matthew Stevens

NOTE:  Sharing your location-tagged pictures online requires Share Online 3.0.

Comments

[R2]

You need to enable the geo thing in flickr settings first. http://www.flickr.com/account/geo/exif

[R2]

And Share Online 2.0 works also..

[Fabio]

It worked for me!! without Share online. You have to say to Flickr that your photos are tagged (it is explained in the installation notes of Location Tagger). And I have not experienced higher than usual battery use with Location Tagger running in background. Apparently the GPS is started only when you are taking a picture. I have been using it yesterday (a couple of tagged photos are in my Flickr photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/gillum/)

[Danny Andrew]

Wouldn't it be great if the photo tagging feature would also work with the My Location technique introduced by Google Maps Mobile? By also using the cellphone towers for an approximation of the location, the feature would also be useful indoors and less battery intensive..

[Mario]

You have to enable GPS data import in Flickr in your account settings under privacy.

Tested it on my N95-8GB and works great. I don't know why OnlineShare 3 is needed as it worked with the inbuilt version 2.

[James Whatley]

I've been doing this on ShoZu for ages!

Why the big hoo hah because Nokia have made a separate app which then has to work with another app and then another app to get the same result?

[Matthew]

I thought I did have Geotagging enabled on flickr, turns out I did not.

To enable geo tagging: http://flickr.com/account/geo/exif/?from=privacy (in flickr's privacy settings)

To make flickr go back and geotag previously uploaded photos: http://flickr.com/account/geo/import

That second link was given to me, as I couldn't find where that setting was buried in flickrs settings. Thanks Whatleydude!

[Matthew]

@Whatley this is different from Shozu as it embeds the location in the EXIF data, making is a permanet part of the image, with Tags it only good for that upload.

[Ayman]

ZoneTag from Yahoo! will work with your cell tower id (and/or GPS) to find your location and send the geo-tagged photos to Flickr. Plus it also suggests other tags based on your location...so you don't have to type the obvious 'golden gate bridge' into your Nokia. It pulls the suggestions based on public and friend's tagged photos from the same location. Pretty slick. Check it: http://zonetag.research.yahoo.com/