Swedish Heritage in Your Smartphone

Posted by Martin R on May 25, 2010
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i-db6d5a66de18b4eb2f012b33e27cad8b-kringlamobil.jpgThe National Heritage Board of Sweden has released a beta version of a location-aware heritage-data browser for Android. The name is Kringla Mobil, and it talks to the central mash-up database that collates information from museums and organisations all over the country. My Visby buddies Lars and Johan are driving forces in the project.

I just stepped out into my yard, pressed Kringla Mobil’s map button and searched for gravfält, “prehistoric cemetery”. Immediately I got a number of markers on the map: not all the cemeteries in the vicinity, but the ones for which the database contains some kind of media. Pressing the marker nearest my home, a cemetery belonging to the deserted hamlet of Kaknäs near Stockholm, I got a detailed map of the cemetery, the original of which is in the ATA archives in town, and a descriptive text derived from the sites & monuments register. Cool!

To get Kringla Mobil, just search for it on the Android market on your handset and download it. And to participate in the development of the first full-fledged version, join the Kringla Forum.

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Comments

  1. #1 Janne
    May 25, 2010

    That is pretty cool. I take it the chance of extending coverage to Japan as well is pretty low, though?

  2. #2 Martin R
    May 26, 2010

    The long-term goal of my marriage to a Chinese princess is of course the subjection of China to Swedish colonial rule. And once that is in place, I’m sure it won’t take long to incorporate Japan as well. Riksantikvarieämbetet will provide!

  3. #3 codero
    May 26, 2010

    In addition to extensive territory around and beyond the Baltic, Sweden possessed overseas colonies from 1638 to 1663, and from 1784 to 1878, mainly in North America and Africa…

    (quoted from newworldencyclopedia.org).
    I guess that is long enough ago to crack jokes about world domination sponsored by Swedish Heritage. The same idea would sound rather weird coming from other nations. Remember, don’t mention the war!

  4. #4 Martin R
    May 26, 2010

    It’s nice to live in a country where the idea of invading others is a joke.

  5. #5 Sandgroper
    May 26, 2010

    Martin, after having been married to a Chinese princess for 31 years, I have the unfortunate duty to inform you that while we plot to subjugate China variously to Swedish and Australian colonial rule, the Chinese princesses are quietly working the reciprocal strategy with a great deal more success. But I strongly suspect you already know this.

    The Swedish National Heritage Board is no doubt a formidable organisation, and this is a great initiative, but the Chinese ‘aunty’ network is an overwhelming force, and resistance is futile. Abandon hope all ye who enter.

  6. #6 Martin R
    May 26, 2010

    Quite. And how they laugh whenever I try to say something in Mandarin.

  7. #7 Brian
    June 19, 2010

    Hey, nice post. found it helpful when writing a post on my own blog (http://www.seandalaiocht.com/1/post/2010/06/android-apple-archaeology-and-apps.html)

    There doesn’t seem to be much online about archaeology and apps.