GEO: connexion back issues from July 2008:
3-D GIS--are we ready? Google announces expansion of its 3D Cities program.
Jul 01, 2008; ... Google's recent announcement of expanding its Cities in 3D Program to Europe, following on from initial success in the USA and Canada after the program was launched in March 2008, prompts me to ask the obvious question--are we ready for implementing 3D GIS globally? More importantly--who ...
Nokia Maps updated.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Nokia has announced that the update for Nokia Maps is now ready for consumers to download. Downloaded over 240,000 times since announced in February, Nokia Maps 2.0 has improved its optional Car Navigation, enhanced its pedestrian navigation, added multimedia city guides, now offers ...
Mobile tool streamlines workflows.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) is expanding its suite of Intergraph field automation tools with a new application for field design sketch. The new technology will enable KCP&L to capture intelligent design information in the field and incorporate it into critical back-office systems ...
New mobile mapping system; Rapid Surveyor uses next-generation technology.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Infoterra Ltd launched Rapid Surveyor, a new mobile laser mapping system, based on next-generation of laser technology, specifically designed for mobile use, to enable the capture of precise information of the built/natural environment at unrivalled resolution and coverage. For example, ...
SpaceX and NASA mission critical software systems.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (Space X) and NASA's Independent Verification and Validation (IV and V) Facility at Fairmont, West Virginia, working through the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, announced the signing of a Space Act Agreement effort to advance the ...
NFC key mobile services enabler.
Jul 01, 2008 ... New research report from analyst Berg Insight indicates that technologies such as NFC are enabling a completely new segment of mobile applications--proximity services or local services--but the industry first needs to settle several critical technical and pedagogic issues. The market is ...
Mapping the planets.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Researchesrs at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and MIT are developing a new generation of LIDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to map planetary bodies in more detail than ever before. These maps could help further our goals to explore outer space by providing more ...
Navteo data drives Teletrac fleet Director.
Jul 01, 2008 ... NAVTEQ announced that Teletrac, a provider of fleet management systems, will integrate NAVTEQ Traffic and NAVTEQ Transport in its newly enhanced Fleet Director product. Fleet Director is the first automated fleet management navigation system to leverage both NAVTEQ solutions in one robust ...
Moscow 2008 VHR imagery; EROS B image fragment, acquired on April 25, 2008, Moscow-city center.
Jul 01, 2008 ... ScanEx has acquired complete coverage of Moscow with EROS B satellite imagery at 0.7 m resolution. The images are highly valued due to the absence of foliage and snow. Due to high onboard imaging equipment output the entire area of the capital of over 3000 [km sup 2] was covered with only ...
Geoeye launch 22 August 2008.
Jul 01, 2008 ... GeoEye, Inc. announ ced a 22 August 2008 launch date for its next-generation, earth imaging satellite, GeoEye-1. Boeing Launch Services and GeoEye finalized this launch date in an amendment to the Launch Service Agreement that was signed on May 7, 2008.GeoEye-1 remains at the Gilbert, ...
Google Maps mobile adds transit information.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Google's Map service added a route planning feature in 2007, but only in June did this service offer transit information. Google allows you to choose between two ways of transportation: driving and transit. While the first one plans the best route that can take you from your current ...
Leica ADS40 supports relief efforts in Sichuan, China.
Jul 01, 2008 ... In the aftermath of the devastating May 12th earthquake in Sichuan, China, and following a request from the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Taiyuan Aero Photography Co.Ltd immediately agreed to dispatch their Leica ADS40 digital airborne sensors to Chongqing near Chengdu in the Sichuan ...
Cities in 3D Program spreads to Europe.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Google announced that their Cities in 3D Program is extending to Europe with localised websites for governments in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands to share their 3-D data with the public by adding a model of their city to Google Earth. They are to share their data ...
ESA satellite update; ESA Earth Explorer mission EarthCare satellite.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Astrium GmbH will be prime contractor on ESA's new [euro]263 million EarthCARE satellite, the sixth Earth Explorer mission of ESA's Living Planet Programme. EarthCARE, ESA's Cloud and Aerosol mission developed in co-operation with JAXA, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, addresses ...
Fastrax pure software GPS solution.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Fastrax Ltd. has introduced a new completely software based GPS receiver solution, with the aim of extending the use of location-based services in consumer electronics. Optimized in performance, footprint, cost efficiency and flexibility, the Fastrax Software GPS marks a new milestone in ...
Support for SQL server 2008 spatial enhancements.
Jul 01, 2008 ... The Intergraph GeoMedia suite of geospatial information management and analysis products will support Microsoft's SQL Server 2008 spatial enhancements to provide Intergraph customers with an improved capacity for interoperability and information sharing. The spatial enhancements to SQL ...
Oce ColorStream 1000 enhanced support.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Oce announced that its ColorStream 10000 printer will now be supported by the new Oce PRISMAcolorworks output management and workflow system enabled by CREO Color Server. For Oce ColorStream 10000 and current CREO Color Server users, this means faster, easier, more efficient and ...
New rear-view mirror navigator.
Jul 01, 2008 ... u-blox partners with paragon and Magna to develop the rear-view mirror navigator. The MirrorPilot [R] Navigator is a fully functional GPS navigation system, including GPS receiver, antenna and speaker built into a self-dimming rear-view mirror. This system replaces the standard rear-view ...
Mobile mapping benchmark; JLT'S tablet PC SETS new standard.
Jul 01, 2008 ... JLT's latest tablet PC--the JLT8404--features a host of benchmarking features, including an extremely strong aircraft grade aluminium chassis and 8.4-inch colour touchscreen viewable in sunlight. Offering integrated wireless communications a[euro]" Bluetooth, WLAN, 3G/GPRS, highly accurate ...
Tracking truant students.
Jul 01, 2008 ... A Dallas school is testing a device in a pilot program to track truant students who are under court order to attend class. The pocket-sized GuardTrax units combine cell phone and GPS tracking technology that major security guard companies use to monitor security personnel in real-time via ...
Boulder's SmartGridcity.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Xcel Energy announced that the design phase is complete, equipment is ordered and construction has started on SmartGridCity. In April, Xcel Energy and its Smart Grid Consortium partners completed their study of Boulder, Colo.'s electricity infrastructure, and developed a scope and design ...
New mapping patents issued.
Jul 01, 2008 ... On 8 April, LandNet Corp. was issued its third patent for online mapping functionality, by the US Patent Office--patent 7,356,406 containing an additional 73 claims to the "Land Software Tool" patent 7,054,741 that was filed in 2002 and issued in 2006. Provisional patents date back seven ...
Getmapping launch Aerial Insight.
Jul 01, 2008 ... UK firm Getmapping launched Aerial Insight, a new online service that delivers Land Registry title plans, aerial photography, plus a composite of the two, within one day of purchase. Aerial Insight provides crucial information about a property and its surroundings that a plan alone cannot ....
Navman Wireless GPS receiver modules.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Navman Wireless OEM Solutions announced two new GPS receiver modules, the Jupiter 31 and the Jupiter 130. Combining SiRFStarlll [TM] performance with advanced functionality and capabilities, the new models expand Navman Wireless' extensive range of GPS solutions to provide customers with ...
Sokkia's GSR NetLink software.
Jul 01, 2008 ... SOKKIA B.V. European head office introduced the latest addition to the SOKKIA family of advanced GNSS/GPS accessories at the end of May. The GSR NetLink software enables you to communicate RTK data between your GNSS receiver and reference networks via Windows Mobile Pocket PC phone ...
3D navigation mouse.
Jul 01, 2008 ... A device that supplements existing desktop equipment makes moving through 3-D environments more intuitive. The SpaceNavigator computer mouse was designed to control a pointer on a 2-D desktop, not to navigate virtual worlds like Second Life or other 3-D environments. 3-D nnexion's new ...
Leica MobileMatrix V3.0; Leica MobileMatrix V3.0 benefits complex mobile GIS projects.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Leica Geosystems' MobileMatriX version 3.0 offers the ability to synchronize survey data with an enterprise geodatabase, transfer digital images taken from a mobile phone via Bluetooth and link it with a feature, in addition to many other improvements. With the survey enhancement of ...
GeoExpress 7 SDK for free.
Jul 01, 2008 ... LizardTech announced the release of its free GeoExpress 7 SDK, a toolkit for decoding and viewing MrSID and JPEG 2000 images in third-party applications. This latest release of the GeoExpress 7 SDK offers support for 64-bit platforms, providing developers better compatibility with GDAL and ...
ArcGIS 9.3 supports Adobe Acrobat 9 and PDF.
Jul 01, 2008 ... ESRI announced support for Adobe Acrobat 9 software and new geospatial capabilities available in PDF with the release of ArcGIS 9.3. ESRI has collaborated with Adobe Systems Incorporated over the past year to ensure a seamless workflow for geographic information system (GIS) professionals ...
Mars weather by lidar.
Jul 01, 2008 ... The Phoenix Mars lander made a dramatic landing on the Red Planet on Sunday, 25 May. The first lidar results from Mars arrived late in the evening of 28 May. The weather report from Mars is great, thanks to the Optech lidar technology at the heart of NASA's Phoenix Mars mission. The ...
GyPSii takes the lead.
Jul 01, 2008 ... GyPSii has made a series of significant enhancements to its feature set, including a new and improved Ul for Windows Mobile users, plus speed improvements for the Windows Mobile platform, greatly reducing start-up time for the application. Extended contact invitation methods--members can ...
UPC Broadband selects NAVTEQ map data.
Jul 01, 2008 ... NAVTEQ announced that UPC Broadband, the European cable division of Liberty Global, has chosen to support its geographic market intelligence system with NAVTEQ map data supplied by the map provider's strategic distributor, Geoscape Europe BV. UPC's European database marketing department ...
GEO: connexion international looks at the latest industry news.(GEOMATICS INDUSTRY UPDATE)
Jul 01, 2008 ... COALITION OF GEOSPATIAL ORGANIZATIONS FORMED In the USA, several national geospatial organizations have formed the 'Coalition of Geospatial Organizations'. COGO was developed to provide a forum for organizations concerned with national geospatial issues that will improve ...
TomTom--Tele Atlas acquisition update.(GEOMATICS INDUSTRY UPDATE)
Jul 01, 2008 ... TomTom has received unconditional clearance from the European Commission to acquire Tele Atlas, allowing the new combination to go ahead with full execution of its strategy. Clearance from the US authorities was received in October 2007. The combination will create new technologies for ...
Nokia--NAVTEQ acquisition news.(GEOMATICS INDUSTRY UPDATE)
Jul 01, 2008 ... There is still no new news from the Commission on the proposed acquisition of NAVTEQ by Nokia. A decision is expected not later than 8 August, according to earlier reports. However, it seem strange if the Commission permitted the TomTom/Tele Atlas acquisition to proceed while then blocking ...
Update on wireless acquisitions in USA.(GEOMATICS INDUSTRY UPDATE)
Jul 01, 2008 ... As wireless communication becomes ever more important to the mobile geomatics sector, we keep a watching brief events that have a direct or indirect impact on wireless service provision, around the globe. In the USA, in July 2007, Verizon Wireless announced its plan to acquire Rural ...
ESA and Astrium GmbH signed a [euro]263 million for the EarthCARE satellite, the sixth Earth Explorer mission of ESA's Living Planet Programme.(CONTRACT)
Jul 01, 2008 ... On 27 May, ESA and Astrium GmbH Signed A [euro]263 million for the EarthCARE satellite, the sixth Earth Explorer mission of ESA's Living Planet Programme. Astrium GmbH, prime contractor, is responsible for the satellite's design, development and integration. The contract was signed in ...
GyPSii announced a map licensing agreement with NAV2.(PARTNERSHIP.)
Jul 01, 2008 ... GyPSii announced a map licensing agreement with NAV2, a Shanghai-based provider of world class digital map data, which gives GyPSii users complete access to NAV2's comprehensive China map database. The database will play a crucial part in the roll-out of the GyPSii service across China ....
Augmentra, the Cambridge, UK based mobile digital mapping and information software company, signed a deal putting their DataRanger technology.(CONTRACT.)
Jul 01, 2008 ... Augmentra, the Cambridge, UK based mobile digital mapping and information software company, signed a deal putting their DataRanger technology into the phone handsets of users from Dublin to Dubrovnik. The contract is with Geolives, a joint venture between STAR-APIC Group and Geomatic ...
ESRI as one of IBM's Public Sector Top Star business partners.(AWARD.)
Jul 01, 2008 ... For the second consecutive year, IBM Global Public Sector recognized ESRI as one of IBM's Public Sector Top Star business partners. ESRI was one of only 1 7 partners to receive this honour during the 2008 IBM Business Partner Leadership Conference. IBM's Public Sector channel sales teams ...
TerraGo Technologies announced that Anne Hale Miglarese has been appointed to the company's board of directors.(PEOPLE.)
Jul 01, 2008 ... TerraGo Technologies announced that Anne Hale Miglarese has been appointed to the company's board of directors. One of only 28 individuals selected for the recently formed National Geospatial Advisory Committee, Miglarese previously served as president and managing director of Fugro ...
ScanEx Research and Development Center`.(AWARD.)
Jul 01, 2008 ... ScanEx Research and Development Center took part in the IV International Forum "GEO-Siberia" in Novosibirsk in May. The Siberian forum became the first trans-Urals project in its class connecting the International scientific congress and the exhibition in sphere of geodesy, cartography, ...
Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) Program.(AGREEMENTS.)
Jul 01, 2008 ... With the success of ESRI's Small Municipal and County Government Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) Program, announced earlier this year, ESRI business partner Azteca Systems, Inc., recently announced a corresponding local government ELA program for its Cityworks software. Both programs ...
ERDAS.(COMPANY NEWS)
Jul 01, 2008 ... ERDAS announced the opening of a new office in Liege, Belgium, effective 27 May when they moved from its Grace-Hollogne, Belgium office to a new, larger location in Liege. Supporting ERDAS' growth in Europe, the Liege office includes state-of-the art training and meeting facilities, in a ...
GIS opening up local government; Neil McLeod describes how Cadcorp SIS software helps streamline local government business processes.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Charnwood Borough Council's iMAP system uses Cadcorp SIS desktop and web-based digital mapping/GIS software to help streamline the council's business processes and to make information available to citizens on demand. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Charnwood Borough Council ...
GIS assisting UK Local Government; Alison Smith considers how GIS and digital marine mapping can assist Local Government.
Jul 01, 2008 ... Local Government, as early adopters of GIS, are well versed in utilising its powers across many business activities, including town planning, traffic management, engineering and leisure. GIS/WebGIS has assisted in improving customer service, reducing costs, delivering e-government and ...
The "L" word in the information market; James Cutler takes a look at licensing and related IPR issues in the UK.
Jul 01, 2008; ... You may have noticed the recent raft of pronouncements concerning the public sector information (PSI) marketplace. In the UK, this includes a continuing dripfeed under the "Free Our Data" campaign in the UK's Guardian newspaper, the launch of www.bestpracticemakesperfect.co.uk from the ...
The ideal pilot.
Jul 01, 2008; ... This new series of Special Issues is dedicated to the exciting developments in the GIS arena relating to the 2012 London Olympics. We explore among other things the development of geo-technoiogy which will be needed for a major redevelopment in a brown field area with the added issues of ...
All about the site: from the visual information of aerial photography ...(VIEW FROM ABOVE)
Jul 01, 2008 ... As work begins, preparing the Olympic Stadium site and surrounding area for construction Rachel Tidmarsh, Managing Director of aerial survey company Bluesky, takes a bird's eye view of the area over the past four decades. The Olympic Park is located in the Lower Lea Valley in ...
... To the visual power of DTM.(VIEW FROM ABOVE)
Jul 01, 2008 ... The final image is a colour coded Digital Terrain Model (DTM). Simultaneously captured with the aerial survey images of 2006 this image clearly shows the deep water course at the centre of the site in contrast to the ...
Looking back in time ... The first 25 years of the site's evolution.(VIEW FROM ABOVE)
Jul 01, 2008 ... The image above shows the site of the Olympic Stadium as it was in 1962. Captured during the month of June at a scale of 1:10,000 extensive railway infrastructure is evident combined with small pockets of industry and dense terraced housing. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Crossing the millennium ... The year 2000 brings a new look from the sky!(VIEW FROM ABOVE)
Jul 01, 2008 ... The turn of the new century sees not only the introduction of colour in the aerial photograph but also much more detail. Taken on the 27th July 2002 at a scale of 1:7,000 the photograph shows recycling and waste management facilities side by side with urban leisure facilities such as a ...
The bigger picture.(VIEW FROM ABOVE)
Jul 01, 2008 ... Looking at the site in its wider context gives a better picture of the challenges facing both the developers and the local community. The two overview images, extracted from surveys flown in July 2002 and January 2008 show an area which is densely populated with a diverse mix of housing, ...
A slightly different perspective; The oblique photography allows a simple 3D exploration.(VIEW FROM ABOVE)
Jul 01, 2008 ... The three oblique images give us a different perspective on the site. Taken on the 1st July 1988 they compliment the aerial image above that was taken just a few weeks later. The infrastructure of the ...
Modelling built environments; Geoff Zeiss, from Autodesk, talks about the Convergence of construction, engineering, geospatial and 3D simulation as the foundation for eco-planning in the new era of architectural visualisation.(PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT)
Jul 01, 2008; ... London 2012 has committed to a design of the Olympic Park that will minimise its water use and carbon emissions and the impact of climate change. This involves designing buildings to maximise natural light and ventilation and to reduce the need for heating and other energy use. It also ...
Unlocking the potential of 3D geology; Katherine Royse, British geological survey, offers an example from the lower Lea Valley Olympic site, for the needs of the geotechnical community.(PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT)
Jul 01, 2008 ... The Lower Lea Valley, Olympic site will be situated in the East End of London. Most of the major development projects will necessitate construction on ground that would be classed as 'difficult' in engineering terms. Compressible soils, high groundwater levels and contaminated brownfield ...
The complexity of land ownership; Steve Keyworth and Graeme Summers, Environment Systems directors, explain issues and propose solutions to tackle the complexity of land ownership and occupation in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics.(PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT)
Jul 01, 2008 ... Early 2003 saw the beginning of a detailed mapping exercise to identify all land interests in the Lower Lea Valley. The land interest was being sought with a view to local regeneration and the submission of a bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host The 2012 Olympic and ...
Be warned ... we will soon be the target for major attacks. David Hobson, MD of Global Secure Systems (GSS), talks about the forthcoming threats heading our way.
Jul 01, 2008; ... The recent issues and protests surrounding the torch on its journey through the streets of London, Paris and San Francisco have highlighted some very serious security issues we will face in the run up to, and during, 2012. Possible attacks are more than likely to be both physical and ...
Real-time accuracy; Elizabeth Wilkinson from Snowflake software, shares her opinions and suggestions for a smooth running of the 2012 Olympics.(CORE TECHNOLOGY)
Jul 01, 2008; ... The 2012 Olympics for the United Kingdom will be as much about providing safe and reliable facilities as it will about proving our sporting prowess. With the world focussed on the country's network infrastructure, the ability to respond quickly and accurately, even under potential adverse ...
Super Gazetteers to aid the Olympics; Carl Hankock from Aligned Assets explores the role of the Britishg gazeteers behind the wings of the Olympics transport and infrastructure scenes.(LOGISTICS & SECURITY)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Sebastian Coe, was once quoted as saying, "To anyone who has started out on a long campaign believing that the gold medal was destined for him, the feeling when, all of a sudden, the medal has gone somewhere else is quite indescribable." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Real-time operational systems: a look at examples of close integration of spatial technology with real-time operational systems and how this is transforming decision support for major event security and critical infrastructure protection in the context of 2012.(LOGISTICS & SECURITY)
Jul 01, 2008; ... The use of standalone GIS for hotspot analysis, plume modelling and 3D visualisation are well documented for emergency planning, but far less has been written on the more demanding area of real-time operational systems. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Inquiries into major ...
GIS works behind the scenes; Salt Lake Winter Olympics set new safety standard.(LESSON LEARNED)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Each day during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, many athletes competed in different activities at the same time at separate venues, but in the public safety arena the playing field was the same for all the agencies monitoring the Olympic activities. For the people at the ...
Streets ahead; Symology's Scott Hutchinson discusses how the introduction of new legislation and the use of spatially enabled Management systems can be used to help ease congestion and improve travel in the build up and during the Olympic Games.(LOGISTICS & SECURITY)
Jul 01, 2008; ... The 2012 Olympic Games in London will undoubtedly be the biggest sporting event staged in the UK since the European Football Championships in 1996. With the World's media trained closely on the UK (and London in particular) during this period, one of the key factors that will determine ...
GIS takes gold at Turin; while spectators remained firmly focused on the aspirations and performances of the athletes at Torino 2006, the organizing committee worked non-stop behind the scenes to ensure that sporting events and related activities were conducted with clockwork precision.(LESSON LEARNED)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Located near the foothills of the Italian Alps, the picturesque city of Turin was the ideal setting for the twentieth staging of the winter Olympics. For its beauty and its proximity to well-known ski areas, Turin is unsurpassed. However, the need to convey athletes, media, VIP, ...
2012--what can the consumer expect? Shane Lennon, SVP Strategy and Marketing at Gypsii, discusses developments in location-based services and mobile social networking technologies and the effect these will have on the consumer mobile phone experience in four years time.(SATNAV SYSTEMS)
Jul 01, 2008 ... The market for location-based services (LBS) has experienced massive growth in the past five years and is rapidly gaining mass-market consumer acceptance. In the last 18 months, the mobile industry and several major technology players have begun integrating LBS services with their ...