The Windows Sensor and Location platform, which is new for Windows 7, enables your computer and applications to adapt to their current environment. With location sensors — including GPS devices, WWAN radios, and even triangulation technology — your applications and gadgets can know exactly where they are, enabling them to provide more locally relevant content and functionality. Ambient light sensors, for example, can allow your computer to automatically adjust your screen’s brightness based on the current lighting conditions. They can also enable applications to optimize their content for readability, making your computer more useful in a range of operating environments than ever before.
The platform provides a standard way to integrate sensor and location devices into Windows, as well as a standard programming interface for applications to take advantage of these devices. On Windows 7, the user has control over how data from these devices is exposed to applications. Hardware manufacturers can learn how to write sensor and location drivers by installing the Windows 7 WDK. Developers can learn how to write location-aware and sensor-enabled applications by installing the Windows 7 SDK.
Sensor and Location White Papers
- Implementing Light-Aware UI Using the Windows Sensor and Location Platform [1.5 MB]
- Integrating Ambient Light Sensors with Windows 7 Computers [296 KB]
- Introducing the Windows Sensor and Location Platform [177 KB]
Sensor and Location Labs
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