GIS in Education

ESRI (UK) and the Geographical Association has launched GIS for A-level Geography, the first A-level GIS (Geographical Information Systems) teaching resource created for the UK market.

GIS became part of the national A-level curriculum in September last year and GIS for A-level Geography has been designed specifically to support this syllabus development. Consisting of a text book, exercises and ESRI’s industry-standard GIS software, teachers and students now have access to a comprehensive GIS teaching aid. Previously, GIS text books in English were only published in North America.

Produced by the GA (Geographical Association) in collaboration with ESRI (UK), the UK’s leading GIS provider, the book is a complete guide to the theory and applications of GIS, with five practical exercises described step-by-step. It includes ESRI ArcView 9.2 software with a 12-month license, plus a DVD of digital map data for England. The new teaching resource costs £29.35 (GA members) £39.14 (non-members). Normally, the ESRI software alone would cost £100 if bought separately.

Written by Dr Peter O’Connor, Head of Geography at Bishop’s Stortford College and a member of the Geographical Association ICT Working Group, GIS for A-level Geography is available now from the Geographical Association via www.geographyshop.org.uk

David Lambert, Professor of Geography Education and Chief Executive of the Geographical Association, explains: "GIS are the most powerful set of software tools in existence for the analysis and visualisation of spatial information and are central to the application of geography to real-world problem solving. The growing importance of GIS is reflected in the new A-level specifications, all of which include modules that revolve around teaching and understanding of methods of geographical investigation. GIS for A-level geography is a great addition to our catalogue and offers A-level geography students an accessible introduction to industry standard GIS."

The book describes how governments, organisations and individuals are using GIS to grapple with increasingly complex social, economic and environmental problems. It then develops students’ GIS skills through the use of ESRI (UK)’s GIS software. An understanding of GIS plays a crucial role in introducing students to modern methods of spatial data capture, processing, analysis and presentation. Many chapters in the book can be used as case study material to reinforce students’ learning about the different stages of a geographical investigation.

Author Dr Peter O’Connor said: "GIS is helping students become better geographers because it cuts to the heart of what geography is about; the visualisation and analysis of spatial information. It is my hope that this book will provide new opportunities for students to develop their skills of geographical analysis to a level not previously achievable in schools. In this way, GIS in the classroom can enhance the sophistication of geographical learning by allowing pupils to access real data to tackle real problems. This helps Geography to remain relevant and gives students opportunities to use the subject in a way that stretches and challenges them."

"New technologies like GIS give a boost to the subject of geography, helping to arm young people with a new set of skills – not just ICT-related – but the mental skills needed for data analysis and problem solving, highly relevant to a whole host of educational paths and occupations," commented Angela Baker, Community Programmes Manager, ESRI (UK). "GIS for A-level Geography represents good value as it includes the software and exercises plus all map data required to run them. I encourage teachers to take advantage of this wonderful resource that is set to raise standards of GIS learning in schools."

Sample pages: www.geography.org.uk/post16he/

Availability:
GIS for A-level Geography can be purchased by:
Telephone: 0114 296 0088
Email: sales@geography.org.uk
Web: www.geography.org.uk/shop/

Notes to editors:
Author: Dr Peter O’Connor
Level: AS and A level
224-page book plus two CDs
Price inc VAT: £29.35 (GA members) £39.14 (non-members)
ISBN 978-1-84377-210-1
Note: This resource is available in the UK only due to software licensing

Press enquiries to:
Lucre Communications
Sian Fletcher Tel: 0113 243 1117 / Mob: 07904 634554
Ian Pearson Tel: 020 8974 5967 / Mob: 07799 412572

About the Geographical Association
The GA is a lively subject association with a proud history of innovation and an unrivalled understanding of geography teaching. Geography tackles the big issues: environmental responsibility; global interdependence; cultural understanding and tolerance; commerce, trade and industry. It helps us make sense of our complex world.

The GA promotes, supports and develops geography teaching at all levels, from new teachers in their initial training to geography subject leaders in primary schools and heads of department in secondary schools. Most members join the GA for the advice and resources they need every day in the classroom. We support them via termly journals, in print and online; local and national curriculum development projects; an Annual Conference; and a wide range of published resources, with much reduced prices for members.

For more info please visit www.geography.org.uk or www.geographyshop.org.uk

About ESRI
ESRI develops GIS software which helps organisations make better decisions through the management and analysis of any type of geographic or location-based information. The company’s software is running on more than one million desktop computers and thousands of web and enterprise servers, providing the backbone for the world’s digital mapping and spatial analysis needs.

The world’s fourth largest privately-owned software company, ESRI was founded in 1969 and is the world’s largest company dedicated to creating GIS (geographic information systems) software. Operating in 150 countries with over 4,000 staff, ESRI has more than 350,000 customers and revenues of $660m (2006 fig).

ESRI (UK) represents the country’s single largest pool of GIS expertise. UK customers include the Environment Agency, Ministry of Defence, Ordnance Survey, RSA Group, Manchester Airport, Scottish Power, the Met Police and numerous schools/universities.

For more information please visit www.esriuk.com

ESRI in Education
Within the Education arena, GIS allows students and teachers to engage in studies that promote critical thinking, integrated learning, and multiple intelligences, at any age group. In classrooms across the country and around the world, educators are using GIS in the study of topics across the curriculum from Geography and Environmental Studies through to Economics and History. ESRI (UK) understands the importance of this use of GIS in Education and is committed to promoting GIS throughout the arena. ESRI (UK) has developed specially tailored software packages for schools and colleges and these are available through various channels to all educational establishments.

Poor Bambi the deer! Bambi lies helpless on the street when a Google Street View car hit the poor deer while the Street View car was taking pictures of streets. Those who have seen the [it looks to me] "dead" deer on Street View reacted on why Google allowed the posting of the pictures online. After several complaints, Google removed the images. But of course, copies are already circulating everywhere.

The images were taken on Five Points Road in Rush, New York.

Google's statement:

Gathering the imagery for Street View requires quite a bit of driving; as such, we take safety very seriously. Unfortunately, accidents do happen -- as some people have noticed, one of our Street View cars hit a deer while driving on a rural road in upstate New York. Due to several user requests using the "Report a concern" tool, these images are no longer available in Street View.

The driver was understandably upset, and promptly stopped to alert the local police and the Street View team at Google. The deer was able to move and had left the area by the time the police arrived. The police explained to our driver that, sadly, this was not an uncommon occurrence in the region -- the New York State Department of Transportation estimates that 60,000-70,000 deer collisions happen per year in New York alone -- and no police report needed to be filed.

Photos of the deer hit by Google Street View Car

Join the free ERDAS webinar! ERDAS announces ERDAS IMAGINE 9.3 "IMAGINE the Possibilities", a free webinar on February 3, 2009 at 11 AM and 8 PM (EST).

Each month, ERDAS is offering at least two different webinar topics. In addition to a live presentation and demonstration, each webinar also includes the opportunity for customers to interact directly with the presenters. Scheduled to last forty-five minutes, each webinar will include approximately thirty minutes of presented material and fifteen minutes for Q&A.

To register for:

Tuesday, February 3, 2009 8:00 pm, EST -- here.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009 11:00 am, EST -- here.

For more info of the ERDAS IMAGINE 9.3 "IMAGINE the Possibilities", please visit the ERDAS site.

The members of the Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) have submitted a Request for Comments (RFC) on version 0.2.2 of the Earth Observation (EO) Products Extension Package for ebRIM (ISO/TS 15000-3) Profile of CSW 2.0 (OGC document 06-131).

ebRIM is the electronic business Registry Information Model from the OASIS standards organization. CSW ("Catalog Services - Web") is an OGC standard that specifies a catalogue application profile based on ISO19115:2003/ISO19119:2005 metadata with support for XML encoding per ISO/CD TS 19139 and HTTP protocol binding.)

The EO Products Extension Package for ebRIM Profile of CSW 2.0 draft standard is an OGC Best Practice. It specifies an Application Profile of CSW 2.0 that is based on the OpenGIS Geography Markup Language (GML) Encoding Standard Application Schema for EO Products.

The 30 day public comment period begins January 28, and ends February 27. After the OGC's EO Extension Package Standards Working Group has addressed comments received in response to the RFC, the draft standard will be submitted to the OGC Technical Committee and Planning Committee for their review and possible approval as an adopted OGC Standard.

The RFC can be downloaded from the website.

Comments are due by February 27, 2009.

Luciad, software provider for distribution and visualisation of geospatial information, will be presenting and demonstrating at the SurTech 2009 Conference (Feb 3-4, London) on how the seamless integration of the next generation environmental and aeronautical surveillance data results in improved situational awareness and operational performance.

At the conference, Luciad will highlight how the latest advances in surveillance visualisation technology enable the smooth integration of terrain and obstacle data with the aeronautical surveillance data into one coherent picture. The EUROCONTROL CAPT project, in which Luciad has been involved from the start, will be used to illustrate the practical use and improved situational awareness resulting from this technology. The Coverage Analysis and Planning Tool (CAPT) has been developed to aid users in the positioning and specification of ADS-B and TIS-B ground stations for optimal range and reception. Also phase 2 - due later this year - will be covered, offering support for Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) technology and an improved user experience.

The SurTech 2009 Conference – in collaboration with the Royal Aeronautical Society – aims to provide Air Traffic Professionals (ANSPs, airports, industry) with an insight towards key strategy developments, user experiences and technical innovations on the pre-eminent issues in surface and airborne surveillance.

From press release: Like all streams, the Bitterroot River and its tributaries are constantly shifting, their beds and banks altered by runoff, land use and other factors. But like most communities across the nation, Ravalli County hasn’t kept up to date with its floodplain maps, which were created more than a decade ago.

Now, the county is going digital and airborne to update its 100-year floodplain paper maps in an effort to minimize property damage and protect the riverine ecosystem in the Bitterroot Valley.The National Flood Insurance Program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are working with states and local communities across the nation on a map modernization programme to develop more accurate floodplain mapping data.

Flooding is the most destructive natural force in the United States, but most floodplain maps nationwide are more than 10 years old and are outdated because of changes in the landscape caused by land use, development, erosion and natural forces, according to FEMA. As part of the map modernization project, Ravalli County is using LIDAR, to create highly detailed topographic maps of private land in the Bitterroot Valley. Nationwide, Ravalli County is one of the few small communities to use LIDAR, a remote sensing system that uses aircraft-mounted lasers.The new digital maps will use LIDAR data, ground surveys and hydrology models to determine the 100-year floodplain.

The county currently uses antiquated U.S. Geological Survey topographical maps that have 20 foot to 40 foot contour levels, but LIDAR can detect surface variations down to two foot contours - or enough to detect things as small as a typical backyard burn pile, Hendrix said.

FEMA’s goal is to update paper maps and data, known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps, and convert that information into geographic information systems (GIS) maps and files. The project will upgrade the flood map inventory into a national database that is publicly available in GIS format.

Trimble has introduced Trimble Access software, a new field and office solution for surveyors that is claimed to expedite data collection, processing, analysis, and project information delivery through improved workflows, collaboration and control.

The complete solution speeds both typical and specialized surveying tasks, and enables easy, fast and secure two-way information sharing between the field survey crew and the office. Surveys can be completed faster with less time spent traveling back and forth to the office. Management and field crews can closely collaborate by viewing the same information in near real-time.

Minimizing rework and improving productivity is the basis for Trimble's ongoing focus on Connected Site solutions. The principles of connectivity and total workflow integration provide surveyors with the day-to-day flexibility to adapt to a variety of situations in the field and office—in near real time. The ability to seamlessly share survey information between the field and office while streamlining survey operations in the field, make Trimble Access the ideal tool to take organizations to the next level of productivity and help keep project costs on target and under budget.

The four components of the Trimble Access solution include: Trimble Access services, base software for typical survey applications, specialised application modules, and the Trimble Connected Community.

Trimble Access software, including a variety of modules and subscription services, is expected to be available in March of 2009.

Now, designers can get any Map Resources digital map file in the format they prefer to use. For the first time, Map Resources' collection of Adobe Illustrator maps is available to all graphics users. Users can order PDF maps, EPS maps, JPEG maps, TIF maps or Photoshop maps.

Alternative format maps will offer the identical appearance as the original Illustrator map. Depending on the format they choose, users will have varied ability to customise their maps. Vector map formats, such as PDF and EPS, will allow resizing and font quality text. Photoshop format maps will include editable map layers. Users can choose from digital World maps, Country maps, USA maps, City maps, County maps. Custom maps can also be delivered in alternate formats.

The royalty free maps from Map Resources can be used for print, web and broadcast applications.

The entire map collection can be accessed online.

There is a special poster that you can keep to remember the historic inauguration of Pres. Obama. It is the "Presidential Inauguration from Space" from GeoEye.

GeoEye, Inc., announced that it is offering for sale a commemorative poster featuring a GeoEye-1 satellite image of the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. The company had more than 100 times the normal traffic on its Web site after the satellite image was published by the media.

On Jan. 20, 2009, at 11:19 a.m. (EST), GeoEye-1, the world's highest resolution commercial Earth-imaging satellite, took a colour image over Washington D.C. The image shows the monuments along the National Mall and masses of people gathered between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. The "Presidential Inauguration from Space" poster is 23 by 35 inches and sells for $29.99. It may be purchased by clicking on the link from the Company's home page.

My friend and I happened to land on the South Dakota Government Information website, the Open SD. It is the official State Government website that publishes public records including salaries of State employees in South Dakota, U.S.

The fact that everyone has access to the records, curiosity began to creep in me. I asked "How much does a GIS or Remote Sensing professor or teacher of a State university in South Dakota gets monthly or annually?" So, I searched for professors' names from the South Dakota State University (SDSU) - GIS Center of Excellence.

Here's what I found, listed from the highest-earning professor to the least.

Dr. David Roy - Senior Scientist, Professor - $123,186.00 annually ($10265.5 monthly salary)

Dr. Matthew Hansen - Senior Scientist, Co-Director - $119,949.00 annually ($9995.75 monthly salary)

Dr. Geoffrey Henebry - Senior Scientist, Professor - $110,455.00 annually ($9204.58 monthly salary)

Dr. Cochrane - Senior Scientist, Professor - $110,258.00 annually ($9188.16 monthly salary)

Dr. Michael Wimberly - Senior Scientist, Associate Professor - $97,694.00 annually ($8141.16 monthly salary)

Dr. Zhang - Senior Scientist, Associate Professor - $97,522.00 annually ($8126.83 monthly salary)

A regular staff, like a research Staff or a Geospatial Analyst is paid $39,779.00 annually ($3314.92 monthly salary).

Wanna be part of the rooster?

ESRI (UK) is hosting the 2009 roadshows in London, Edinburgh and Manchester during March 2009.

ESRI (UK) has announced dates for its 'ArcGIS is Evolving...9.3 Roadshows'. This series of free seminars is open to anyone interested in understanding more about the latest trends in GIS and gaining a deeper insight into the range of tools and strategies available to visualize, understand, interpret and share geographic data.

UK GIS roadshows -- Seminar dates and venues:

London – Tuesday 3 March 2009, The Commonwealth Club WC2N 5AP

Edinburgh – Thursday 5 March 2009, Our Dynamic Earth EH8 8AS

Manchester – Tuesday 10 March 2009, Digital World Centre, Salford Quays M50 3UB

Geokosmos has successfully completed a new LiDAR project on the Kamchatka Peninsular, the Russian Far East, aimed at surveying a gas pipeline right of way. The customer of the project is Gazprom, the world’s largest gas company which possesses the world’s largest natural gas reserves.

Using airborne laser scanning and digital aerial photography, Geokosmos specialists performed an aerial survey of 400 linear km, processed the data and provided the customer with the required output products within the period of four months. A wide range of output products including topographic maps (1:2000 – 1:5000), orthophotos and DTMs were delivered to the customer as part of the project.

Iran's Space Agency (ISA) announced that the first domestically-built satellite of Iran called "Omid" (Hope) would be sent to the space by March 20.

In November, Iran successfully launched a space rocket "Kavosh 2" (Explorer 2), which after completing its mission, has returned to the earth. Iran launched a home-made satellite-carrier rocket named Safir (Messenger) in August last year, arousing Western governments' concerns over its purpose that Iran is developing long-range ballistic missile technology which can be used to launch nuclear weapons.

Safir was Iran's first domestically made satellite carrier, which was capable of putting lightweight satellites into low earth orbit. The launch of Safir rocket is aimed to test remote sensing, satellite telemetry, and GIS technology as well as remote and ground station data processing.

Envitia, provider of GIS solutions, has released MapRite Capture Tool version 1.1. Envitia’s MapRite Capture Tool 1.1 enhances its automated facility for the generation of BLPU (Basic Land and Property Unit) boundaries, with a built-in feature to maintain the dataset as additional Change Only Update map data is applied, providing critical impact analysis.

MapRite Capture Tool automatically generates the polygon extents with associated TOIDs (Topographic Identifiers) and associated confidence levels. This latest version contains several additional components as,

• Continuous BLPU maintenance and update process
• Automated update of historic BLPU datasets
• Sophisticated property allocation
• Enhanced metadata for export in preparation for INSPIRE
• Direct comparison with the latest imagery layers
• Adoption of the parent/child rules of BS7666

A major development claimed is the incorporation of an automated maintenance utility. The software will highlight to the user only the new and changed property boundaries, whilst updating the TOID cross references from the base map.

Many organizations have already captured the property boundary dataset; the new version of the software incorporates a function that allows the user to import their legacy polygons, cross reference the polygons with the associated TOIDs, then utilize the automated maintenance facility.

ThinkGeo has released the final versions of its Map Suite Web Edition 3.1, Map Suite Services Edition 3.1 and Map Suite World Map Kit extension products. Formerly in beta testing, these three GIS software products are claimed to make mapping applications developed on Microsoft's .NET platform easier, faster and more powerful.

The final edition of Map Suite Web Edition 3.1 empowers developers of Web-based .NET mapping applications with faster and simpler coding, broad support for data and image formats, and a host of powerful rendering styles, spatial querying and geometric manipulation features. Services Edition 3.1 lets developers create their own Windows services, Web services and console applications in .NET. Last but not least, the World Map Kit can be added to either Web Edition or Services Edition as a high-performance extension, and offers a complete set of map data covering the entire world.

Each product's final release includes numerous bug fixes and feature enhancements that were identified not only by Map Suite's development team, but also through feedback from the large community of Map Suite users.

A free download of the 60-day evaluation of Web Edition 3.1 or Services Edition 3.1 can be done from ThinkGeo's website. Customers who purchased the beta version of Web Edition, Services Edition or the World Map Kit are entitled to a free upgrade to the final release. Licensees of Web Edition and Services Edition can download the final release from the ThinkGeo Customer Portal.

MapMart has unveiled a new interface on its MapMart online mapping portal. It has now added a portal where satellite imagery customers can search, preview and order high-resolution satellite image data from DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, SPOT and KOMPSAT.

MapMart portal allows customers to browse imagery from a variety of sources, task new acquisitions, request custom processing, and acquire imagery from a single source. The new interface allows users to define an area of interest by entering coordinates or drawing a polygon on a Virtual Earth map screen. The user can also sort the search results by specific satellite, acquisition date and cloud cover. Available archived scenes can be previewed instantly in thumbnail formats onscreen.

The MapMart satellite imagery interface currently includes the following high-resolution satellite data sets:

• DigitalGlobe QuickBird and WorldView-1
• GeoEye IKONOS and GeoEye-1
• SPOT-1—5
• Korean KOMPSAT
• Harris Corp. CONUS 10-meter and Globe15 15-meter from Landsat 7
• Landsat GeoCover 15-meter
• Planetary Visions 1-KM imagery
• Numerous high resolution aerial imagery

Online orders for DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, SPOT and KOMPSAT imagery are orthorectified, colour-balanced and quality checked by IntraSearch photogrammetrists. Other custom processing options are available, including format conversion and selection of map projection. Orders are typically delivered within five business days via FTP or external drive depending on file size. Most archived medium-resolution products derived from Landsat imagery are available for immediate purchase and download from the site.

You can download for free RapidEye images -- demo products. RapidEye system has made the demonstration products available for the public for the very first time.

The sample datasets are available for download as a RapidEye Ortho Product (level 3A) and RapidEye Basic Product (level 1B). The RapidEye Ortho Product (level 3A) images have not only been radiometrically corrected, but also have been orthorectified using Ground Control Points and a DTED level 1 SRTM DEM (digital elevation model) or better.

The RapidEye Basic Product (level 1B) has radiometric and sensor corrections applied to the data. The sample datasets include a metadata file, giving the user information about the image such as the acquisition date and time, file format, product level and locational coordinates. The datasets can be downloaded for free instantly as a zip-file from the RapidEye website.

2009 ESRI Federal User Conference (FedUC) is the geographic approach for the nation.

Explore what geographic information system (GIS) technology can do for your agency at the largest geospatial conference dedicated to federal government. Whatever your GIS experience, the FedUC will give you the knowledge and resources you need to apply geography to problem solving, decision making, and accomplishing your missions.

Join other leaders, decision makers, and GIS professionals February 18–20, 2009, in Washington, D.C.

The Discover GPS Speaker Microphone from EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. transmits location, text messages, and tracking information over the award-winning EFJohnson 5100 ES series P25 portable radios.

“Military users and search-and-rescue teams need a reliable tool for accurate real time locating and tracking information,” said Michael Jalbert, president and chief executive officer of EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. “Our new Discover GPS Speaker Microphone is an excellent tool for coordinating field operations and seeing the location of group members in real time.” A large, backlit LCD screen provides an easy to use icon-based operation and allows for graphic representation of relative distance and direction to other team members. Text messages and waypoints can be transmitted to groups, individuals or dispatch. Highly accurate location data can be transmitted over analog or digital channels, clear or encrypted, with every push-to-talk or at pre-determined time or distance intervals. The Discover GPS Speaker Microphone is compatible with a number of commercially available graphic and mapping applications for complete real time situational awareness and group coordination.

“Our new GPS offering is more than just an accessory – it is a complete GPS location solution. The real time location of personnel can be transmitted to other group members or back to a central location. This data can be used in conjunction with compatible mapping and tracking software to provide new information beneficial for maximum efficiency and safety of personnel,” Jalbert said.

Field Technologies has announced a new entry level version of its FieldLogix GPS Tracking System, called FieldLogix Lite. "The lite version provides potential customers a way to get started with the benefits of GPS tracking at a significantly lower price." says the company’s CEO Yukon Palmer.

Some of the features of the new GPS tracking system FieldLogix Lite include:

- Real-time GPS vehicle tracking updates
- Real-time vehicle location on satellite maps
- Full vehicle location history
- Stop detail and daily work hours reports

FieldLogix Lite can also be upgraded to the full version at a later date.

GeoTemporal, a software solution designed by SeaZone, to simplify the management of marine geographic information, is scheduled to be launched at forthcoming Ocean Business 2009 conference. The event will take place on 31 March – 02 April 2009 at National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK. The software manages tide, current and wave datasets captured from Acoustic Doppler Profilers, together with other oceanographic, hydrographic and meteorological information such as water quality and wind speed data. It allows the import of custom datasets and links to GIS and external databases, bringing a variety of data together for further analysis and improved reporting and decision making.

GeoTemporal is claimed to be useful to marine surveyors, engineers, data managers and consultants. Through an interface, users can import, quality control, analyse and present data from multiple sources. Additional capabilities allow the export of data in open formats for further use in GIS and other applications such as environmental modelling.

What is the NASA Electric Lunar Rover doing in Obama's Inaugural Parade? Watch the video below.

What: Free Webinar "Building Rich Internet Applications with ArcGIS API for Flex"

When: January 29, 2009; 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 3:00 p.m.

Where: ESRI online: www.esri.com/lts

ArcGIS API for Flex enables developers to create interactive applications by taking advantage of the GIS capabilities of ArcGIS Server services, such as mapping, geocoding, and geoprocessing, along with the capabilities of the Adobe Flex framework.

Find out how to use the new ArcGIS API for Adobe Flex framework. Join the free ESRI webinar.

3-GIS, a GIS software development and services firm based in North Alabama has introduced its new product, Network Express, which is a browser-based engineering solution that provides fully operational editing and viewing features. Built on the ESRI ArcGIS Server technology, Network Express allows users to plan, design and manage their asset data within a work order environment utilising the internet. It runs in Adobe FlashPlayer and is built with Adobe Flex giving a modern user experience that declutters the working environment and provides a function-driven work flow for faster documentation and design.

3-GIS focuses its products on the utility (electric distribution and transmission, gas, water and wastewater), telecommunications and Homeland Security markets. This new addition to the 3-GIS product line will allow each of these markets the ability to design, build, document, and maintain entire networked enterprise models. In conjunction with the 3-GIS mobile product, Field Express Chameleon, the customer will now be able to design a work order in the office, take the design to the field and make as-built adjustments. The user can then post the changes back to the work order for final approval and commitment to the central data repository in a seamlessly integrated GIS environment. Network Express also provides robust functionality for tracing, plotting, reporting and embedded Schematic Generation for accurate analysis and design; as well as quality assurance.

The Chinese government will grant Indonesia a remote sensing satellite to help monitor and provide early detections on events taking place in the sea.

Indonesia welcomed the Chinese grant because Indonesia had a vast sea while its sensing capability was still limited. Many government agencies are conducting activities at sea such as the Customs and Excise office, the Maritime and Fisheries Ministry, and the Navy.

So far, government agencies which carried out sea patrols were lacking many important equipment and facilities while Indonesia has a vast territorial sea. But with a remote sensing device, which China will provide, the agencies would be able to monitor happenings at sea in the interest of security and prosperity of the people.

NASA is preparing to launch NOAA'S latest polar-orbiting operational environmental satellite, called NOAA-N Prime, providing an essential resource for NOAA's weather forecasts and improving the U.S. search and rescue operations.

NOAA-N Prime is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Calif., on February 4, at 5:22 a.m. EST (2:22 a.m. PST).

As it orbits the Earth, NOAA-N Prime will collect data about the Earth's surface and atmosphere that are vital inputs to NOAA's weather forecasts. NOAA-N Prime has imaging and sounding capabilities that are broadcast around the world and recorded on board for playback over the NOAA and European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellite ground stations. Space weather instruments provide data useful for warnings of solar winds that may impair communications, damage satellites and power systems, and affect astronaut safety.

NOAA-N Prime has instruments that support the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System (SARSAT), part of the international satellite system that includes the Russian provided satellites (COSPAS). Since SARSAT was established in 1982, NOAA polar-orbiting satellites have been detecting emergency distress beacons set by aviators, mariners and individuals in remote locations and relaying them to ground stations so that rescue teams may be dispatched. More than 24,500 lives have been saved through the satellite based Search and Rescue system to date.

NOAA-N Prime will replace NOAA-18 in a 2:00 p.m. local solar time orbit as the primary afternoon spacecraft. NOAA-N Prime will carry the same primary instruments as NOAA-18 plus an Advanced Data Collection System and an improved Search and Rescue Processor provided by France. NOAA-N Prime will be renamed NOAA-19 after achieving proper orbit.

NOAA manages the polar-orbiting operational environmental satellite program and establishes requirements, provides all funding and distributes environmental satellite data for the United States. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., procures and manages the development and launch of the satellites for NOAA on a cost reimbursable basis.

Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) has recently posted the application materials for its prestigious Exemplary Systems in Government (ESIG) Awards. The awards recognize exceptional achievements in the application of geospatial information technology that have improved the delivery and quality of government services. Applications may be submitted in two categories, Single Process and Enterprise Systems.

SINGLE PROCESS SYSTEMS - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of applying information system technology to automate a specific SINGLE process or operation involving one department or sub-unit of an agency. The system application results in extended and/or improved government services that are more efficient and/or save money.

ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of using information systems technology in a multi-department environment as part of an integrated process. These systems exemplify effective use of technology yielding widespread improvements in the process(es) and/or service(s) involved and/or cost savings to the organization.

For more information, visit the site.

I was visiting the gisdevelopment.net website when I was confronted with a black screen that says:

Hacked by h4v0c-

amiliondollarsmile@hotmail.com

Greetz : ZombiE_KsA ; Sp0ofer ; x00mx00m ; Mr.C0d3r ; Cyber-Criminal & all memberz of PAKbugs.org

Fuck India
Fuck Israel
Fuck USA

Here the screen shot of the hacked index page!

GIS Development website has been hacked!

I wrote about the GeoEye-1 satellite capturing President Obama's inauguration in my previous post. The satellite images are now available for free download (including the high-resolution versions). I posted a couple below. [GeoEye gallery is here]

This half-meter resolution image of the United States Capitol, Washington D.C. was collected by the GeoEye-1 satellite on Jan. 20, 2009 to commemorate the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. The image, taken through high, whispy white clouds, shows the masses of people attending the Inaugural Celebration.

This shows portions of the monuments along the National Mall and the masses of people between the Capitol and the Washington Monument.

Another localized version of Live Search Maps is now live in the Netherlands. According to Microsoft [via], the website has at its heart almost exclusively the Virtual Earth platform, and in this sense is capable of offering visitors the same experience as its English-speaking brother.

What's new with Live Search Maps - Netherlands? Features include:

- Straat (Road Maps)
- Lucht (Aerial Maps)
- Vogelvlucht-weergave (Bird’s Eye View)
- 3D capabilities, Bedrijven (Search Yellow Pages)
- Verzamelingen (Explore Collections)
- Delen (Share)
- Route-advies (Directions)
- Afdrukken (Print)

Live Search Maps Netherlands features a consistent amount of content, including low resolution satellite imagery designed to offer users an ample view of the country to high resolution aerial photography, which will detail locations in specific sites. At the same time, Microsoft informed that the road coverage would be able to guide travelers throughout the country.

You need to download Virtual Earth 3D (Free) to be able to appreciate the maps.

Remote Sensing in the most generally accepted meaning refers to instrument-based techniques employed in the acquisition and measurement of spatially organized (most commonly, geographically distributed) data/information on some property(ies) (spectral; spatial; physical) of an array of target points (pixels) within the sensed scene that correspond to features, objects, and materials, doing this by applying one or more recording devices not in physical, intimate contact with the item(s) under surveillance (thus at a finite distance from the observed target, in which the spatial arrangement is preserved); techniques involve amassing knowledge pertinent to the sensed scene (target) by utilizing electromagnetic radiation, force fields, or acoustic energy sensed by recording cameras, radiometers and scanners, lasers, radio frequency receivers, radar systems, sonar, thermal devices, sound detectors, seismographs, magnetometers, gravimeters, scintillometers, and other instruments.

Remote Sensing Explained

Time to learn the IDL codes. Download IDL free tutorials or attend a live webcast on IDL 7.0's Modern Interface-the IDL Workbench!

Discover how IDL 7.0 and its new interface fully integrated with the open-source Eclipse development platform will meet your data visualization and analysis needs.

The most advanced version of IDL is remarkably easy to use and offers the advantages of a full-featured, cross-platform development environment, including modern code management, development, and debugging tools.

The IDL Tutorials let you in on everything from working with projects and using the IDL Editor, to displaying images and creating widget interfaces.

Interested in a guided tour? Join us Friday, January 23rd at 11:00 a.m. MST for a live webcast. Dr. Mark Piper offers a broad look at all of the visualization capabilities offered by IDL, including how to use it for visualizing 1, 2, and 3D data sets.

Download the IDL Tutorials or register for the free  live IDL webcast.

ScanEx RDC specialists have recently completed a programme of satellite radar monitoring for the Russian EMERCOM (Ministry of Emergencies), aimed at ship navigation assessment and detection of oil spills on the surface of the five Russian seas (Barents, Okhotsk, Japan, Caspian and Black seas). The programme was named Five Russian Seas Monitoring Project.

During the programme two ScanEx’s ground receiving stations in Moscow and Magadan captured radar data from Radarsat-1 (Canada) and Envisat-1 (ESA) satellites in different imaging modes, both high and middle resolution with the scene size from 50х50 to 500х500 km2. Processed satellite data was supplied to the end user throughout Russian Regions in near real-time via “Kosmosnimki – Seas of Russia” geoportal (http://new.test.kosmosnimki.ru/) in free and restricted access modes.

Within the two-week satellite monitoring period 37 images were acquired, processed and analysed.

It was the first time that such large scale operational services of satellite imagery were delivered to the user in the country. According to a release by ScanEx, as a result of the implementation of the programme a technology of all-weather satellite-based ecological and shipping situation monitoring was created and tested with near real-time data delivery to end-users within 1-2 hours after imaging. “It is important to work out a system of information integration into the control and decision-making systems of Emercom and other agencies”, - said ScanEx Vice-President Olga Gershenzon.

Japan Aerospace Agency will launch a satellite this January that will monitor greenhouse gases and assist in the fight against climate change. The agency has named the satellite as Go-Sat, and says it is able to detect infrared signals absorbed by greenhouse gases.

After blast-off, the satellite will go into orbit around the Earth making rounds in less than two hours, and will collect new climate data every three days. The satellite is equipped with sensors and can observe the distribution of carbon dioxide and methane.

The satellite is scheduled to be in orbit for five years and preliminary data is expected to be ready for scientists by April or May. UN climate officials are hoping to work out a new emission treaty by December 2009, but this satellite should help to monitor gases before and after any treaty is signed.

ERDAS archived webinars is now open for all users who missed the past free scheduled webinars. Interested individuals can now view the useful information at their convenient time.

In 2008, ERDAS launched a series of webinars, featuring at least two different topics each month. These webinars highlight new solutions and enhancements, the interoperability of ERDAS’ offerings with other geospatial products and unique customer implementations. This includes regularly highlighting the enhancements and upcoming developments to ERDAS IMAGINE and its related products. Some of the other topics include, Rapidly Connect and Share Your World, Extract the Frustration from Feature Extraction and Securely Clip, Zip and Ship Massive Amounts of Data.

With ERDAS TV, archived webinars and other product movies and demonstrations, ERDAS customers have access to a broad range of useful, interactive media that illustrate how ERDAS solutions can meet their needs.

GeoEye-1 will capture President Obama's inauguration. I am excited how the images will look!

GeoEye-1 satellite will be focusing its lens on the Inauguration of President Obama (swearing in ceremony), to be held on January 20th, as reported. The company notes that while there will be plenty of cameras covering the event on the ground, and some in the air, GeoEye-1 will be the only one offering a perspective from space.

The satellite will be 423 miles above Washington, D.C. on January 20 at 11:19AM EDT. While it will be moving 17,000 miles per hour, it will still be able to look down at the Earth and see objects about a half meter in size.

Canada’s highways are set to benefit from new 3D laser mapping technology following the announcement that Calgary-based Airborne Imaging has successfully tested a revolutionary Anglo-German vehicle-mounted mobile laser mapper. StreetMapper 360, which is being supplied by UK-based 3D Laser Mapping, has been specifically designed for the rapid 3D mapping of highways, infrastructure and buildings using vehicle mounted lasers. Travelling at normal road speeds, StreetMapper 360 offers a 360-degree field of view with high precision mapping to a range of 300 metres.

Airborne Imaging is a multidisciplinary geospatial data provider and has selected StreetMapper 360 to demonstrate the potential for mobile mapping on Canada’s highways. As part of an evaluation programme to test new technology for the collection of various road geometry information Airborne Imaging completed a rigorous field trial of the StreetMapper 360 system delivering highly accurate 3D models of the highway and related assets to Alberta’s Infrastructure and Transportation (INFTRA) service.

StreetMapper 360 captures every detail along the highway corridor including barriers, gulleys and overhead wires, surveyors can create highly accurate 3D computer models for new scheme planning, maintenance, wide load route assessment and post-incident investigations.

StreetMapper, the result of a joint venture between 3D Laser Mapping, German guidance and navigation specialist IGI mbH and technology company Riegl. The system employs the latest laser scanning technology for improved field performance and accuracy, precision navigation including a solution for reduced GPS coverage in urban areas, combined with a flexible, modular configuration and increased ease of use and deployment.

Download an open source graphical user interface -- OGR2GUI version 0.5.

Inventis today announced the release of OGR2GUI version 0.5, the graphical user interface used to convert and manipulate geospatial data.

What’s new in this version:

* the execution of the program without installer
* now supports batch processing
* support of BNA (Boundary File) file format

OGR2GUI is based upon OGR2OGR, a command line utility from the "Geospatial Data Abstraction Library" (gdal.org). Thanks to its graphic interface, OGR2GUI allows to use all the power of OGR2OGR without worrying about its complex syntax. It brings speed, efficiency and accessibility to its users.

OGR2GUI is an open source project licensed under the GNU General Public License. Everyone in the developer community is invited to join. The source code and the binary executables for Windows and Linux can be downloaded at inventis.ca.

Report: China plans to complete its own satellite navigation system by 2015, making it independent of foreign technology such as the US-developed Global Positioning System (GPS).

The Beidou Navigation System will enable military and civilian users from China to find their way anywhere in the world, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing a senior space technology official.

To this end, China aims to launch 30 more satellites into space by the middle of the next decade, on top of five satellites already in orbit. Ten satellites will be launched in 2009 and 2010.

The five-satellite system in place so far only provides regional navigation services within China's own territory.

The Beidou Navigation System is seen as a rival not just of the GPS, but also the European Union's Galileo Positioning System and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).

Infoterra Ltd and ERDAS will be exhibiting its range of solutions for the management of geospatial data to the defence community on Booth 2 at DGI Europe 2009 in London on 20/21 January.

As the demand for accurate, up-to-date geospatial intelligence grows, so does the demand on the tools to handle this data and to extract the maximum information. Modern security requires dynamic access to GeoINT – ERDAS software provides this access.

New product releases to be shown at DGI’09 will be ERDAS APOLLO and ERDAS TITAN.

ERDAS IMAGINE 9.3 and ERDAS ER Mapper 7.2 will also be demonstrated.

A professor in Quantitative Remote Sensing once gave us an assignment that deals with the fraction of the total power radiated by the sun. I am posting the question plus the answer below. There are related entries on Quantitative Remote Sensing below the post.

Question: What fraction of the total power radiated by the sun falls in the ultra violet spectral region? Assume that the sun is a blackbody. (Hint: You may need a table of the integral values of the Planck function.)

There will be a free webinar from ERDAS on January 20, 2009 at 11 a.m. (EST). The free webinar entitled "How to Fold a Map Properly" will be presented by Ian Anderson, ERDAS Remote Sensing Product Line Director.

Whether you create quick, one-off digital image reports, or full cartographic maps for printing that adhere to local mapping standards, ERDAS IMAGINE Map Composer includes all the tools you need. Data can be created, edited, annotated and symbolized using ERDAS IMAGINE's suite of raster and vector processing capabilities. Data can then be dropped into a map canvas for adding grids and graticules, north arrows, scale bars, legends, titles and more. Plus, with the Map Series tool, you can automate the production of standardized mapping product tile sheets.

Each month, ERDAS is offering at least two different webinar topics. In addition to a live presentation and demonstration, each webinar also includes the opportunity for customers to interact directly with the presenters. Scheduled to last forty-five minutes, each webinar will include approximately thirty minutes of presented material and fifteen minutes for Q and A.

'GIS for Decision Support and Public Policy Making', a new book from ESRI Press, describes how GIS technology can help streamline these operations and deliver smart solutions that save time and money. The book also shows how GIS can be integrated into many other aspects of governing and policy making such as planning for residential development, revitalising neighborhoods, and updating emergency management plans.

Chapters cover topics such as how to use GIS for making budget-related decisions, reaching compromises, allocating resources, supporting policies, making decisions under pressure and on the fly, and involving the public in the decision-making process.

The book provides 27 examples of how government organisations used GIS software to analyse and map data, collect information from the field, and publish geographic information services on the Web. GIS was used, for example, to help find the best locations for fire stations in Denver, Colorado; prioritize waterline repairs and construction in Houston, Texas; track code compliance problems in Pasadena, California; analyze natural disaster risk areas in British Columbia, Canada; and map immunization data in Utah to improve health care for children.

GIS analysts and other professionals representing the government organizations provided the case studies, which Thomas and coauthor Nancy Humenik-Sappington, a writer for ESRI, incorporated into the book. These case studies describe the projects in detail, the GIS software needed, and the return on investment (ROI).

Press release: With its December cohort of Certified GIS Professionals (GISPs), the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) surpassed the 3,000 GIS professional milestone by nearly 200 individuals. As of December 28, 2008, there are 3,231 GISPs. December was additionally significant as GISCI welcomed its largest cohort of GISPs on record. 345 GISPs were certified in December putting it significantly ahead of all previous cohorts.

With the expiration of the five-year Grandfathering Provision at the close of 2008 (during which time applicants were eligible to be “grandfathered” by virtue of experience alone), GISCI expected substantial growth in the number of applications received in 2008, but did not anticipate such a tremendous response. The year started with an estimate of 600 new GISPs in 2008. During the last week of the year alone, GISCI received more than 700 applications for review. Most of these individuals will be certified in January and February 2009.

GISCI attributes the growth to better recognition of the credential by the industry, GISP-to-colleague networking, and the importance of properly defining GIS as a profession. As GISCI President Al Butler noted upon achievement of the 3,000-GISP milestone, "What has been most remarkable to me over these first five years is the enthusiasm with which members of our profession have chosen to recognize themselves. People become GISPs as a way of declaring their membership in the GIS profession. They are also declaring their obligations to each other, their employers, and society to behave in an ethical manner. Every GISP must be an advocate for the profession."

DigitalGlobe, high resolution satellite data provider, and The AEgis Technologies Group, a provider of expert modeling and simulation services, announced the availability of ImageScape, a rapid 3D imagery solution that will provide governments, enterprises and developers with the capability to create rich simulations of any location in the world. ImageScape can generate 3D virtual terrain models of the world’s land mass by integrating high-precision, accurate satellite and aerial imagery and Digital Elevation Models (DEM) with a flexible, lightweight viewer which creates media-broadcast quality terrain models.

Using 3D wireframe terrain topologies and high-resolution commercial imagery from DigitalGlobe’s ImageLibrary and satellite constellation, ImageScape users will be able to fly through virtual representations of desired locations at a full 1:1 resolution. ImageScape provides a highly interactive and easy-to-use environment for all levels of users, including robust mapping and measurements tools to enhance the 3D experience, celestial models for day/night effects, environment options for snow, smog and rain, together with simple integration and output to broadcast media video and geospatial products.

ImageScape is a superior geospatial 3D solution in terms of the speed at which models are created, performance, file size and cost effectiveness. The models are available within days, and, using the free lightweight viewer, output rendering is four times faster than other 3D modeling and simulation products. The final file size is up to 1/10 of the normal size of geo-tiff delivered imagery and frame outputs at 60 frames per second instead of the normal 20-24 per second. The result is an extremely flexible and lightweight simulation environment with both 3D and 2D views delivering fast modeling and analysis results. Its lightweight feature enables its use on personal navigation and mobile devices for more realistic depictions of major cities and remote rural areas.

According to researchers from the University of Bristol, UK, by carefully selecting which varieties of food crops to cultivate, much of Europe and North America could be cooled by up to 1°C during the summer growing season. This is equivalent to an annual global cooling of over 0.1°C, almost 20% of the total global temperature increase since the Industrial Revolution.

The growing of crops already produces a cooling of the climate because they reflect more sunlight back into space, compared with natural vegetation. Different varieties of the same crop vary significantly in their solar reflectivity (called 'albedo'), so selecting varieties that are more reflective will enhance this cooling effect. Since arable agriculture is a global industry, such cooling could be extensive.

Reporting today [15 January] in Current Biology, Dr Andy Ridgwell and colleagues at the University of Bristol argue that we should select crop varieties in order to exert a control on the climate, in the same way that we currently cultivate specific varieties to maximize and fine-tune food production.

The team emphasised that unlike growing biofuels, such a plan could be achieved without disrupting food production, either in terms of yield or the types of crops grown. "We propose choosing between different varieties of the same crop species in order to maximize solar reflectivity rather than changing crop type, although the latter could also produce climatic benefits," explained Ridgwell.

Over the next hundred years, making these kinds of decisions would be equivalent to averting the carbon footprint of 195 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. Farmers could be encouraged to grow such crops by issuing them with carbon credits. Ridgwell has calculated that if such a mechanism were in place farmers might expect to earn in the region of 23 euros per hectare per year for the warming averted. Biofuels currently earn 45 euros per hectare per year, but take up valuable agricultural land needed for growing crops.

Plants differ in their albedo because of differences in the properties of the leaf's surface and how the leaves are arranged (called 'canopy morphology'). The team therefore propose that the varieties grown should be chosen for their reflective properties alongside other considerations already made when planting crops, such as the food processing characteristics of a grain. ¬

Since society has so far remained unwilling to make the drastic reductions in fossil fuel use needed to cut carbon dioxide emissions, simple alternatives such as growing more reflective crops are a realistic way of helping reduce the severity of heat waves and droughts in these regions. Results could be achieved very quickly and at very little cost.

"There is a clear need for more research into characterising the variability in albedo that currently exists between the different variants and strains of common crop plants," commented Ridgwell. "We are applying for funding that will enable us to better quantify what is possible now, what variability there is for future selective breeding, and whether there is a need for genetic modification in the future".

Provided by University of Bristol

The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) is sponsoring its third annual student paper competition. The objective of the competition is to challenge undergraduate and postgraduate students to demonstrate development and effective use of information systems in both their field of study and the community. The competition is open to all eligible students but particularly those interested in careers using geographic information systems, information technology, geospatial technology, planning and/or community development.

The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2009.

URISA will award students cash prizes for best student authored papers. Winners will be recognised at the URISA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California, September 29-October 2, 2009.

Following are the categories of prizes for the winners:

First Place - $500 cash. Free conference registration and recognition at the URISA Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA. Paper may be published in the URISA Journal.

Second Place - $300 cash. Free conference registration. Paper may be published in the URISA Journal.

Third Place - $150 cash. Free conference registration. Paper may be published in the URISA Journal.

The following types of papers are encouraged:

1. Comprehensive literature review on a spatial technology and its application.
2. Application of spatial statistics.
3. Application of an implemented spatial technology and its demonstrable impact on a public or private sector organization.
4. Treatment and development of spatial technologies and theory.

Application areas of particular interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Economic development
• Safety or homeland security
• Environmental planning and resource management
• Geographic information systems
• Infrastructure management
• Remote sensing
• Urban land use planning and management

The URISA Student Paper Committee reviews all papers. Winners will be notified in July 2009.

The advanced progeSOFT version of IntelliCAD, progeCAD 2009 Professional, is now released by iCADsales in cooperation with progeSOFT North America.

progeSOFT 2009 Professional can open, read, and allow user to edit drawings created with all versions of AutoCAD, including the latest, AutoCAD 2009 DWG. In addition, progeCAD 2009 Professional provides compatibility by providing an “AutoCAD Like” interface, AutoLISP, VBA, and SDS (similar to ADS). It works with the same .shx and truetype fonts, the same hatch pattern format, menus (.mnu), advanced plotting features using STB, CTB, and PGP AutoCAD configuration files, the same script format, and a command list you are used to working with, at 1/10th the price.

The new version includes new features such as an interface for the purge command and Qdim, quick dimensioning. A new Quick Group command lets user to create entity groups with one click. One can edit text with the one click single line text edit utility, and utilise a new popup menu interface improved with toolbar icons on the side for quick command access. progeCAD now offers more than 300 new hatch patterns and the ALE Block Librarian now has over 11,000 industry specific blocks.

Other features of progeCAD 2009 Professional include Express Tools, ACIS solid modeling, photorealistic rendering, PDF, DWF, JPG and o2c printing, PDF to DWG import, Raster Image features, Raster to Vector conversion, Etrack, Polar Tracking, Redlining and Markup. An “AutoCAD like” interface for properties modification (Color, Layer, Text height, Lineweights, Line Type, Geometry, etc.) makes modifying entity properties similar to what you are used to and an eTransmit interface allows you to easily gather, compact and transmit DWG files by email.

progeCAD 2009 Professional can now output designs to Google Earth format, allowing user to import models precisely within the virtual Earth, minus the neighbors rusty Ford parked in their front yard of course. The vertical industry applications made available by iCADsales.com have been updated to work seamlessly with progeCAD 2009 Professional.

progeCAD 2009 Professional will allow engineers, architects, designers and drafters to lower their CAD software and training budgets while still supporting the processes they are currently using. CAD users can open the same drawings, run the same menus and commands, with an almost non-existent learning curve by utilising the compatibility of progeCAD 2009 Professional at 1/10th the price of AutoCAD.

QCoherent Software, provider of Limitless LiDAR software tools, announced the release of its free LiDAR viewer, LP Viewer. LP Viewer is able to load and visualise copious amounts of LiDAR data in the industry standardised LAS 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2 formats.

Requiring a Windows operating system and a minimal hardware configuration, LP Viewer provides fast on-the-fly tinning, contouring, 3D, profile visualisations, and ease of operation. LP Viewer is installed with a Free LP360 Evaluation. The LP360 evaluation (including LP Viewer) can be downloaded from QCoherent Software's web page: www.QCoherent.com.

For 30 days LP360 will be enabled for evaluation (and LP Viewer). After the evaluation has timed out, LP Viewer will remain available as a thank you for evaluating the products. However, QCoherent Software asks that you provide them with feedback on your experience.

Landscape Monitoring: Challenges to remote sensing production, distribution and archiving:
Lecture on Quantitative Remote Sensing for Terrestrial Monitoring

Archaeologists call the remote sensing technology the “eyes in the sky” as it sees archaeological sites without actually excavating it. In agricultural research, the same term is used to mean remote sensing (Senft, 1996). Hydrology researchers working with the U.S. Department of Energy are "seeing" through solid ground, using aerial remote sensing techniques, to create three-dimensional images of the flow of groundwater as deep as 1,000 feet below the earth's surface (Anna, 2003).

The so-called “eyes in the sky” has been remarkably useful to a large number of disciplines: geographers, cartographers, foresters, geologists, oceanographers, meteorologists, ecologists, coastal managers, urban planners, military, and professionals in a wide variety of other areas – all rely on remotely sensed data.

As more and more disciplines want remote sensing data; as additional remote sensing capabilities emerge; as the swift progression of online geospatial and location-based services make transmission and sharing of earth knowledge easier, key challenges become obvious as a result. Conventional remote sensing data production, distribution methods and archiving may not be adequate for various end users – novice and advance user communities – to effectively and efficiently use the technology’s products.

Key challenge 1: On Data Production
The potential of remote sensing lies in its ability to provide qualitative and quantitative information (Servilla, 1998). In lieu of this, the first challenge is to produce (that includes the process and integration) the physical data and metadata as individual data sources and as compound datasets for analysis. Obtaining data and imagery and producing an application is long and complex, involving individuals and organizations with diverse requirements and needs (NAS, 2001). For instance, a dataset consisting of both an optical image and a microwave image will require different analysis methods for each subset, to meet parallel goals.

Another constraint under data production is the swift advancements or the evolution of technology that renders equipment and remote sensing software obsolete in a short period of time. Even if equipment still performs the desired functions, it may no longer be supported by the company it was purchased from, whether due to mergers or companies going out of business (Lowenberg-DeBoer, 1999). Thus, the end user may be frustrated at the rate of change in technology, which can keep back the adoption of the technology as a whole. This is not unusual with new, evolving technologies; however, it has been widely recognized as a major drawback in the adoption of remote sensing (Johannsen et al., 2000).

Also, as data sources and data sets become available, maintaining the mounting volumes of data in forms that are, not just easily accessible, but comprehensible and that meet the needs of very varied user communities presents other intellectual challenges that are at least the equal of the challenges of building a hardware into outer space.

Behind the scenes activities of scientists are very crucial to producing and delivering information to professionals who utilize the data to conduct their work. Scientists spend much of their time analyzing the technical details of airborne and spaceborne sensors. They develop methodologies to process collected data. They also develop new techniques for building reconnaissance satellites that can be launched on short notice as needs arise. They continue to work on expanding the use of non-visible fractions of the electromagnetic spectrum (particularly infrared and microwave), and think of ways to increase the number of active sensors such as lidar and radar, and to improve the spatial and temporal sampling. All these and more are challenges that remote sensing specialists face in order to understand and model the earth system as accurately as possible.

Key challenge 2: On Data Distribution
Data and information distribution is as important as data production. According to Qu et all. 2002, remote sensing data distribution has a big challenge and cited the following crucial issues:
1. Huge data volumes;
2. Complex data formats, such as, HDF (Hierarchical Data Format) and HDF-EOS
(Hierarchical Data Format Earth Observing System);
3. Different map projections;
4. Geographic information system (GIS) applications;
5. Communication protocol and capability; and
6. Processing time.

Qu et all. 2002 added that customized real-time remote sensing data with GIS/Web-GIS compatible formats may become very essential for a lot of end users. End users need to acquire Earth observing remote sensing data in more useful forms. A more widely distributed data in different formats through diversified protocols will result in better usage of the observing satellite systems. To address the data distribution issues, data compressing and pre-processing (sub-setting and sub-sampling), data format conversing (easy accessing data format such as, GIS compatible format), GIS and Open GIS applications, and simple real time data processing are necessary.

It is foreseen that remote sensing data will soon be accessible to the ordinary citizen on the street. Someone with a handheld wireless device will be able to access satellite data from the Internet, overlay it with GIS coordinates, and obtain on-the-spot atmospheric information for any location on the planet.

Another challenge is to have users’ homes link up to atmospheric satellite data and monitor their own internal environments appropriately. The answer to the challenge lies on sensor networks that will be smart, upbeat, and able to act in response to environmental changes at lightning speed sans human help. The network will allow the information to be combined so as to support rapid decisions in complex situations. In this fashion, remote sensors will enable computers not only to view their environment, but also to shape their physical surroundings.

Key challenge 3: On Data Management and Archiving
Remotely sensed imagery has evolved a great deal since it was first introduced. The bulk of satellite data generated in a month now, which would have taken ten years to produce a decade ago, leads to the question of how the data are to be managed. Mark Gray, a senior programmer at NASA, says the terabyte of raw data NASA collects from satellites every day -- equal to one trillion bits of information -- is beginning to strain computational capacity. To improve its storage potentials, NASA is taking undue credit on commercially driven improvements by partnering with private-sector companies.

Data management and archiving ensure data preservation (Bewley et al., 1998). The only strategy for long-term preservation of remote sensing data is for them to be systematically collected and archived to preserve information whatever the medium on which the information is stored and in the end they be made accessible to users operating in diverse computing environments.
 
It is hoped that in the future, millions of low-cost devices embedded throughout the environment will add to the data management challenge. At the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute, researchers are working to resolve the problem by crafting systems that convey intelligence to the sensors themselves, a tactic based on a growing technology called "intelligent multitasking."

A computer scientist suggests that embedded intelligence would do away with the necessity for a centralized data processing facility as each sensor would hold a microcomputer and some other communications abilities, providing for collaborative signal processing and the ability to make "group decisions" about which data to send and when.

Finally, to monitor, understand and model the earth system using remote sensing technology is an exciting clash between the vision of what needs to be accomplished and the reality of the resources at hand and the commitment that comes along. The outcome of the confrontation has long-term implications for the remote sensing producers and users, for the society and the earth as a whole.


References
Anna, David. 2003. Remote sensing technology maps flow of groundwater from the air. National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

Bewley, R., Donoghue, D., Gaffney, V., Leusen, M.V., Wise, A. 1998. Archiving Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing Data: A Guide to Good Practice. Section 5 - Archiving Your Dataset.

Johannsen, C. J., P. G. Carter, D. K. Morris, K. Ross, and B. Erickson. 2000. The real applications of remote sensing to agriculture. Pages 1–5 in Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Geospatial Information in Agriculture and Forestry; Lake Buena Vista, FL; January 10–12, 2000. Volume 1.

Lowenberg-DeBoer, J. 1999. Risk management potential of precision farming technologies. J. Agric. Appl. Econ. 31:275–285.

National Academy of Sciences (NAS). 2001. Transforming remote sensing data into information and applications. Steering Committee on Space Applications and Commercialization Space Studies Board Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences and Ocean Studies Board, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council.

Qu, J.J., Kafatos, M. and Yang, R. 2002. New challenge of remote sensing data processing and distribution for future earth observing satellite system. Pecora 15/Land Satellite Information IV/ISPRS Commission I/FIEOS 2002 Conference Proceedings.

LuciadEarth, software targeted for defence applications, is scheduled to be launched at DGI 2009 conference, taking place in London on 19-22 January, 2009. The software has been specifically developed as a high performance, tile-based visualisation engine for virtually unlimited datasets in Command and Control environments. The technology is claimed to improve the Commander’s situational awareness to unprecedented levels by its ability to fuse raster and vector data of the entire Earth to any level of resolution. Combined with the high performance and high precision visualisation in 2D and 3D of the LuciadMap product suite, LuciadEarth is expected to open up a tremendous amount of new possibilities in surveillance, mission execution and real-time targeting.

DGI 2009 is Europe’s major annual gathering dedicated to high-level discussion addressing the major challenges of the defense and government geospatial intelligence community.

About Luciad
Luciad provides software solutions for high performance visualization of geospatial information. Luciad’s software components are the building blocks for mission-critical Command and Control systems.

Luciad’s core product is LuciadMap, a software solution that system integrators and original equipment manufacturers can easily integrate into their existing systems. LuciadMap can handle large numbers of static and moving data on top of geographical information, including maps, satellite imagery, and terrain elevation in many different formats and references to achieve a high situational awareness.

Dedicated to providing its clients with the best possible service, Luciad Professional Services will assess advanced system requirements and assist system integrators with the implementation of fully integrated solutions.

Luciad’s international customer base includes NATO, DGA, DCNS, Thales, EADS, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, SIAC, Harris, Thales Raytheon Systems, DRDC, DSTA, SAGEM, Saab, Terma, Patria and Havelsan.

Trimble introduced the AT&T Inc. -enabled Nomad 800X Series computers, three new models of its popular outdoor rugged handheld computer that offer Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) functionality and integrated quad-band GSM cellular data transmission, digital photography and bar-code scanning in one device.

The Nomad 800X Series models use a built-in high-speed wireless data modem and AT&T's nationwide1 EDGE network to allow users to communicate from the field to a central office or other location. Nomad 800X Series computer users can send and receive real-time data and SMS messages via a cellular network at speeds up to 1 Mb per second wherever cellular connectivity is available.

The Nomad 800XE handheld computer features bar-code scanning capabilities, making it a valuable tool across a broad array of applications in industries where in-the-field bar-code scanning is essential, including asset management, tracking and warehousing. It delivers up to three scans per second, offers easy field-to-office connectivity, and provides all-day usage of eight hours on a single battery charge. Users can choose from a range of compatible battery options, as well as add an ergonomic pistol-grip attachment that improves efficiency for mobile bar-code scanning.

In addition, users can access the Internet and e-mail, and use optional software and built-in GPS capability to transmit their position in the field. The Nomad 800X Series computers work on GSM cellular networks globally, including AT&T in the U.S.

Other models in the series include the Nomad 800XC, which offers a 2.0-megapixel digital camera, and the Nomad 800XE, which features both the camera and a laser bar-code scanner.

The Nomad 800X Series models include a flexible, high-strength antenna as well as signal-strength indicators, and they carry an IP67 rating and meet stringent MIL-STD-810F military standards for drops, vibration and extreme temperatures. They feature the Windows Mobile operating system for easy compatibility with a wide variety of common and specialized software applications.

Pricing and Availability

Nomad 800X Series rugged handheld computers are available now at authorized Trimble dealers. List prices range from $2,449 to $3,049 based on model. There is no upgrade available for current Nomad handheld computer owners, and users will need to purchase a data package from a cellular carrier in order to use a Nomad 800X Series device.

Safe Software, provider of spatial ETL (extract, transform and load) solutions, announced the release of FME 2009 – claimed to be the only complete spatial data conversion and distribution solution available in the market today. This new version, which includes new releases of FME Desktop and FME Server, has been enhanced to make it even easier for the geospatial industry to access the spatial data they need to use.

The new release is claimed to match the recent trends emerging in the geospatial industry that have increased the demand for improved data interoperability. The three trends stated by the company are - a rise in the numbers of popularised and widely used formats, a growing interest in spatial data by non-traditional GIS professionals, and vastly larger data volumes resulting from the growing popularity of geographically-referenced data. More than ever before, data users require a better, more efficient way to access the spatial data they need in the applications they prefer.

The new enhancements to FME 2009 give organisations following benefits as they overcome their data interoperability barriers:

Faster access to spatial data

The FME 2009 platform has been optimised for processing complex conversions on large volumes of spatial data. Based on test results, most conversions now run approximately 20% faster than using previous versions of FME, with some conversions running as much as twenty times faster. Also, FME Server now natively supports 64-bit Windows, Linux and Solaris for greater processing power when converting, loading and distributing large datasets. Each of these changes means that FME can now convert data into the required format and data model faster than ever before, ensuring quick access to spatial data.

Access data in popular and emerging formats

FME 2009 introduces support for more than a dozen emerging formats and has enhanced reading and writing capabilities for several popular formats. With support for over 200 CAD, GIS, raster, database, 3D and BIM formats, Safe Software offers the broadest range of format support to ensure that users of geospatial data can leverage whichever data formats, systems, and applications they want to use. Newly supported formats include Adobe Geospatial PDF, AutoDesk 3ds, CityGML, IBM Informix Spatial, OpenStreetMap (OSM) XML, and more.

Easy conversion of complex data

The latest FME user interface enhancements make it easier to convert spatial data into the required format and data model. Today, more non-geospatial professionals are beginning to transform and integrate their data with spatial data supplied by other teams which use different applications. FME 2009 reduces the learning curve for these new audiences, ensuring that they can quickly gain access to the data they require within whichever applications they prefer to use.

As far as I can remember, AutoCAD has been part of my education. I spent most of my time tinkering with the software when I did my Civil Engineering degree. Even when I accepted my first professional project as a Civil Engineer, surveying and mapping a large mining area, AutoCAD was there to make work faster and accurate.

If you are a first-time user of any AutoCAD software, you have to get yourself acquainted with the software first. Autodesk is giving you a free 30-day trial download of AutoCAD Civil and AutoCAD Civil 3D.

AutoCAD Civil software provides civil engineering technicians, drafters, and surveyors with the tools they need to create coordinated, reliable design information and deliver higher-quality construction documentation for transportation, land development, and environmental projects.

AutoCAD Civil 3D software provides project teams with a more comprehensive surveying, design, analysis, and documentation solution that enables them to complete land development, transportation, and environmental projects faster and with improved accuracy.

Free Download AutoCAD Civil Trial.
Free Download AutoCAD Civil 3D Trial.

What is the current status of the global GPS market? What are the factors that are fueling growth into the global GPS market? What is the industry profile of various countries like U.S., Japan, China, India, etc? What are the current and future trends in the global GPS market? Which areas are creating opportunities for various segments in the global GPS market? Which factors may inhibit the growth in global GPS market? Who are the Key players in global GPS market? These were the questions answered by the World GPS Market Forecast to 2012 report!

The new report provides a comprehensive review on the market trends, drivers, challenges, and opportunities that are vital for the success of GPS industry across the world. Analysis is presented for major geographic markets such as the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, and other Asian countries like India and China. The report gives a detailed analysis on the end-user applications, including In-Vehicle Navigation, Survey/Mapping, Machine Control and others.

Quick summary of the findings
Key Findings

- Currently, Japan has the highest in-vehicle navigation system penetration followed by North American and European countries.

- The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and Shanghai World Expo in 2010 are expected to trigger an explosion in the commercial telematics market in China.

- With the rapid development of GPS market in countries like China and India, majority of navigation systems are anticipated to be shipped in Asia-Pacific by 2012.

- Taiwan has emerged as a manufacturing destination for GPS products on the global map, attracting major players to set up their production facilities in the country.

- With the growing demand for navigational services, the global market for Location Based Services (LBS) is likely to grow at a CAGR of more than 104%.

- As of 2007, PNDs dominated the GPS device market with more than 90% market share. However, this share is expected to get disturbed by the availability of GPS-enabled handsets that will account for an estimated 78% market share by 2012 end.

- Opportunities remain untapped for various vertical segments of GPS market, like in new advanced access devices, chipset availability, and PND market.

To order or buy a "World GPS Market Forecast to 2012" copy, download this PDF file (via researchandmarkets.com) for the info.

The newly released CartoUS 2009 mapping database from Spatial Insights, Inc. now has the recent updates of the US Census Bureau TIGER files. With updates done yearly, CartoUS 2009 is an invaluable asset to users of mapping software.

With a total of 66 layers of mapping data, the seamless CartoUS 2009 data are available by county, state, region, or nationwide, and include Puerto Rico and the US Territories. Ten new layers of data are included with this new release.

Layers provided in CartoUS include roads (primary, secondary, and local), Census boundaries (from block group and larger), metro areas, landmarks, legislative and school district boundaries, railways, water features, American Indian reservations, and ZIP code tabulation areas. New layers include military installations, and five new Economic Census boundaries.

CartoUS 2009 formats include MapInfo ProfessionalTM TAB and ESRITM SHAPE file formats. Expedited delivery is available via ftp download.