Part 1. LBS, the big picture

In this first part of the book, we look at the big picture of location awareness and location-based services (LBSs).

From the first chapter, you’ll gain an understanding of what an LBS is and of the different elements that make up a typical service. It also widens your view of the range of LBS applications that exist across different industries and the globe.

Chapter 2 gives you all the facts you need to understand the positioning technologies available today, highlighting both their strengths and weaknesses in building location-aware applications.

Chapter 3 takes you through mapping options you can choose from when developing your application, and also covers the open source mapping components now available in the market.

With millions of applications now available to choose from, content remains king and can help set your application apart from those of the competition. The last chapter in this section, chapter 4, gives you insight into different content that can be included in your application, from map layers to content mashups.

After digesting this part of the book, you should develop a feel for how LBS works on mobile and the amazing opportunities that this technology now opens up to developers and businesses.