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During 2005-2006, The Annenberg Center for Communication at The University of Southern California is sponsoring a research group on “Networked Publics."

netPublics explores the roles of audiences, activists, citizens, and producers in maturing networked media ecologies.

Geomatics is the discipline of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering of geographic information, or spatially referenced information.

But some say the flood of information becoming available through mobile phones and other means is not always such a good thing. "I worry that people attribute too deep a meaning to raw information," said Danah Boyd, who researches social media at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. "An increased flow of information should not be confused with a deeper bond." Boyd stressed that this also applied to other social media that gather large amounts of personal information, like blogs or digital photo accounts. "The situation these technologies create is similar to what happens with Angelina Jolie or another celebrity," Boyd said. "Just because I know a lot about a person does not mean they will help me on a tough day." An added risk for the location-announcing services is that people might find themselves unable to break away from following friends or old lovers, Boyd added. "The problem is that people really, really love stalking," Boyd said. "When you have just ended a relationship, it is not necessarily healthy to follow the exact location of your ex- lover minute-by-minute on your phone."

Geomática, en algunos lugares del mundo denominada Geoinformática, es un término científico moderno que resulta de la unión de Ciencias de la Tierra y la Informática para expresar una integración sistémica de técnicas y metodologías de adquisición, almacenamiento, procesamiento, análisis, presentación y distribución de información geográficamente referenciada.

LooseGrid is a laboratory for interdisciplinary research in the city exploring the relationships between the urban space, art and new technologies. It takes the form of a computer-based network built as a creative environment where residents of local districts and researchers can work together exploring the urban space through the generation of creative feedback.

Editor's note: Julian Bleecker heads the Mobile Media Lab (MML), a near-future think tank and research and development lab at the University of Southern California. In today's article, Julian describes a design approach for location-based services utilized in many of the projects under way at MML. At O'Reilly's Where 2.0 Conference later this month, Julian will be taking part in a panel discussion on the secrets behind good social mobile applications and the obstacles they face in the real world.

Pervasive games are a radically new game form that extends gaming experiences out into the physical world. To achieve a high quality interactive experience for these games, new technologies to support the creation of new compelling forms of content will be explored by this consortium. Brief Intro Four game types are currently being investigated under IPerG: Crossmedia Games - bridging the gap between different media channels and game spaces Socially Adaptable Games - exploring how pervasive games can fit into (and transform) social environments Enhanced Reality Live Role-Playing - enhanced experiences through technology City As Theatre - artistic games that take place online and on the streets.