GIS in Education

The Ordnance Survey's (OS) small- and midscale OS OpenData products have been included in Esri's World Topographic Map, the crowdsourced map at the foundation of Esri's Community Maps program. The map service can be accessed from the basemap gallery in ArcGIS Online.

The OS OpenData products incorporated into the World Topographic Map include information on roads, rivers, woodlands, administrative regions, built-up areas, and buildings representing a high level of detail. The added detail from OS OpenData significantly enhances the value and utility of geographic information for anyone working on mapping projects with British geography within the World Topographic Map.

Typically, when geospatial data holders release free data products, the information is only available in vector format that requires setup and processing before it can be used. By processing that raw information and integrating it into a map service in ArcGIS Online, Esri makes the data more accessible and convenient to include in applications and maps.

"I am very pleased Esri has incorporated OS OpenData into its World Topographic Map," commented Peter ter Haar, products director of Ordnance Survey. "OS OpenData allows users to download a wide range of mapping and geographic information for free reuse, and its inclusion will provide new opportunities for people to develop innovative applications and services."

The United Kingdom is the latest European country to contribute data to the World Topographic Map, joining the governments of the Czech Republic, Spain, and the Netherlands.

For more information on how to contribute data to the World Topographic Map, visit esri.com/communitymaps.

USIALE 2012 Newport, RI: Now Accepting Abstracts for the US Chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (US-IALE) Annual Meeting

In the last 25 years the annual meeting of US-IALE has been held all over the country, but never in New England. That is changing! We are pleased to announce that the 2012 annual meeting of US-IALE will be held the week of April 8, 2012 in Newport, RI at the Newport Marriott Hotel. The Newport and southern New England landscapes have a long history of intensive human use, are intimately tied with coastal and marine systems, have a rich maritime history, and are in the middle of one of the most densely populated urban corridors (DC to Boston) in North America. This unique setting provides the opportunity to showcase the role that landscape ecology has in informing environmental decisions across a diversity of ecosystems (land and sea) and across scales of governance (i.e. local to federal). Our conference program will emphasize how the science and practice of landscape ecology benefits environmental protection and management.

Additionally, Newport, RI will serve as an excellent starting point for visiting many exciting ecological and human settings, all within 100 miles of the conference venue. Some of these include exploring Block Island, touring historical Newport, and learning about the rich human and ecological history of southern New England. The core planning committee has been hard at work already on putting together a great program. We are excited to spend time with you and look forward to welcoming all of you in 2012 to New England.

The Abstract Submission Deadline is December 16, 2011.

Please submit an abstract only if you intend to attend the meeting. The Registration Deadline for all presenters is February 15, 2012.

Submit your abstract here.

The organisers of the 2nd European LiDAR Mapping Forum (ELMF) to be held in Salzburg, Austria from November 29-30, have sold out of exhibit stands just 3 months after the launch of the event! Due to demand the organisers have negotiated further exhibit space at the venue to house more exhibitors all keen to get a slice of the action.

Event Manager Caroline Hobden reports, ‘It is astounding. This event really has taken the industry by storm and we get enquiries on a daily basis about the exhibition, the newly launched conference programme and all the other opportunities to be had at ELMF.’

The recent launch of the 2011 Conference Programme has sparked increased interest in the event. The stir has been generated by a truly international theme where speakers in the international LIDAR community represent nearly 20 countries from all over the world. And with papers entitled ‘Terrestrial Laserscanning & 3D visualisation of the largest ice cave on Earth’, ‘LIDAR Scanning the Equatorial jungle of Central Africa’, ‘Monitoring the outmost islands of Indonesia using Airborne LIDAR Bathymetry’ and ‘Mobile Laser Scanning – railway data collection and automated feature extraction’ you can see why registrations to attend the event are flooding in.

The conference is supported by a Showcase of more than 50 of the world’s leading companies in the LIDAR industry market. Exhibitors include the LIDAR and complimentary sensor manufacturers, survey and mapping companies, data processing, GIS and management specialists and the latest mobile mapping vehicles.

Uniquely, this event is not all about the LIDAR experts, it also for novice operators, their managers and potential purchasers of equipment. There is a full series of learning workshops and demonstrations aimed at providing an understanding of the basic principles and fundamental benefits of LIDAR.

For as little as EUR 1,895 you could snap up one of the newly created stands at ELMF and reap the benefits from the extensive marketing the organisers do in the lead up to the event. And for just EUR 65, you can visit, making it worthwhile to take time out of the office, even for just a day.

For further information please contact info@lidarmap.net or go to www.lidarmap.org

The organisers of ELMF also run the International LiDAR Mapping Forum, an annual event in the US. The next ILMF will take place in Denver in January 23 - 25, 2012 www.lidarmap.org

Apple has picked Russia's Glonass navigation system to run alongside GPS in its iPhone 4S models that hit stores this month, according to GPS Daily.

The news was not exactly hidden by the California-based firm. A scan through the iPhone "specs" page on the Apple website shows Glonass sitting conspicuously next to GPS in the global positioning column.

The Glonass system has struggled through many delays and cost overruns that was additionally hurt last year by the loss of three satellites in a botched launch.

Glonass is less precise than its rival but relies on a different set of satellites that could work in some cities where the US system is less effective.

VDatum is a free software tool being developed jointly by NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS), and Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS). VDatum is designed to vertically transform geospatial data among a variety of tidal, orthometric and ellipsoidal vertical datums - allowing users to convert their data from different horizontal / vertical references into a common system and enabling the fusion of diverse geospatial data in desired reference levels.

VDatum converts the following:

1. Horizontal datums: from NAD 27 or NAD 83(1986) to NAD 83(HARN) and other ellisoidal datums such as WGS 84 and ITRF

2. Vertical datums: among three vertical groups: tidal datums, orthometric datums and ellipsoidal datums (i.e. three-dimension or 3-D datums), in which:

- Tidal datums are available along the coastlines from Rhode Islands to Texas and from Washington to California. (Why doesn't VDatum provide tidal conversions inland?)
- Transforms among ellipsoidal and orthometric datums are available throughout the United States;
- Conversions between the NAD 83 ellipsoidal datum and the NAVD 88 orthometric datum are calculated base on the current GEOID model of 2009. Previous NGS's GEOID models are also supported, including GEOID 99, GEOID 03, GEOID 06 ;
- Conversions between the NGVD 29 datum and the NAVD 88 datum are done by the NGS's VERTCON model;
- Conversions between IGLD 85 datum and the NAVD 88 datum in the Great Lakes are done by the NGS's IGLD85 model;

3. Input elevation data in geographic (latitude, longitude), UTM (northing, easting) and geocentric XYZ coordinates.

VDatum was first introduced to support a seamless bathymetric - topographic digital elevation model (DEM) for Florida's Tampa Bay region by merging the "best available" NOAA bathymetric data and USGS topography data. The best available bathymetric data were selected from the NOAA / NOS Hydrographic Survey database. For the Tampa bay region, approximately half of the sounding data collected were referenced to a mean low water (MLW) vertical datum, and the other half to a mean lower low water (MLLW) vertical datum. The best available topographic data were selected from the USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED). The NED dataset is horizontally referenced to NAD 83 and vertically referenced to NAVD 88. Prior to merging, both dataset were transformed to a common reference coordinate system, both horizontally and vertically, using VDatum.

The seamless bathy-topo DEM resulting from the VDatum Demonstration Project in Tampa Bay has not only proved to solve the problem of inconsistency among diverse dataset of bathymetry, topography and shorelines data that causes difficulty in mapping coastal regions, but also provides standard geospatial data for multiple applications. Applications benefiting from VDatum include:

- Inundation modeling: storm surge, tsunami, sea level rise impacts
- Ecosystem modeling and coastal managements
- Hydrographic survey depths using Kinematic GPS for vertical referencing
- Shoreline extraction from LiDAR data

Download the free VDatum software here.

Convert between Geodetic Positions and State Plane Coordinates using the National Geodetic Survey Geodetic Toolkit.

The State Plane Coordinate system provides coordinates on a flat grid for easy computation while maintaining a difference between geodetic and grid distance of
one part in 10,000 or better.

The State Plane Coordinate system divides the U.S. into a hundred or more distinct grid surfaces (Zones).

Do not mix coordinates from one Zone with that in another. In you need to cross Zone boundaries, use Geodetic Positions.

Check the links here.

THE Office of Civil Defense and the National Mapping and Resource Information Agency presented to the Senate Tuesday an P8-billion proposal for a high resolution satellite imaging of the country’s terrain to boost the government’s risk and disaster management plan.

Mapping agency chief Peter Tiangco said proactive approach in disaster management cannot be achieved without a geographic information system to simulate earthquake, typhoon, flood, landslide and other risk factors.

“We need to simulate risk factors particular to specific areas to come out with disaster mitigation and preventive measures,” Tiangco told the Senate committee on natural resources hearing.

Civil Defense Undersecretary Benito Ramos said the government uses dated topographic and geologic data as basis for critical studies to implement a nationwide mitigation plan.

“(The only geologic) studies are only available in Surigao provinces and these were obtained from mining companies operating there,” Ramos said.

Tiangco said maps currently available were based on cartography surveys done 50 years ago when so many natural and man made alterations have happened to accurately depict the topography and geologic state of cities and municipalities.

Ramos said that topographic features in the national cartography have been updated using satellites (Global positioning system) but such an update was inadequate to predict geologic behaviors that may occur during natural disasters.

“As simple as the rising seal levels, we are guessing now in our identification of low-lying areas because those that were high and dry last year becomes under water, with devastating effect, the next year,” he said.

GPS can ascertain where exactly rivers and mountains and other features are situated but elevations, depths and other intrinsic features of the country’s terrain have to be surveyed and computed manually.

“It’s a tedious process and with the rate of climate change and natural disasters hitting the country every year, surveys get to be over taken by events and instantly get outdated,” he said.

Tiangco said river siltation alone would be crucial in estimating amount of flooding that can occur that accurate data were critical.

“We’re not talking about natural siltation, we have to factor in millions of tons of garbage finding its way into water systems. Liquefaction is also an important phenomenon we need to watch out for to guess where the next landslide will come. All of that, multiplied by forest denudation and how fast these things happen are very important for us to know.” Tiangco said.

Both OCD and NAMRIA urged Congress to fund a geographic information system of 3-dimensional satellite image of the country and a spatial data infrastructure that disaster simulations can be made for a more reliable preparedness program.

Tianco said the proposed data base will also be necessary for national infrastructure planning.

SOURCE: Manila Standard Today

TomTom today announced the release of the TomTom App for iPhone, version 1.9, which has been optimized for the iPad. Now, existing TomTom App customers can download the newest version of the App to their iPads for free.

Optimized for the iPad, the new TomTom App features a higher resolution for a sharper display and an enhanced user interface to fit the larger screen size. The new release of the App is also compatible with Apple's brand new iOS5.

“This new release – now officially called 'TomTom App for iPhone/iPad' – is a logical next step for us”, says Corinne Vigreux, Managing Director Consumer at TomTom. “Our customers asked us for enhanced iPad features, and now they have them. We have enhanced everything the iPad user sees and interacts with on the touch-screen.”

The TomTom App for iPhone/iPad, version 1.9, features a new map release – a benefit to users of both Apple devices – with updated roads and points of interest.

With this new release, TomTom has made use of the extra iPad screen size. The full-screen display shows both driving view and advanced lane guidance at the same time. Drivers can also switch to driving view with one touch from anywhere within the App, and can access guidance options in a tap.

Customers also get HD Traffic as via an added in-App purchase. For existing TomTom HD Traffic subscribers, drivers can switch subscriptions from their iPhones to their iPads, at no cost.

Availability and pricing

TomTom App for iPhone/iPad 1.9 for the US is available now for $49.99. Existing TomTom App for iPhone customers can download the new version of the App to their iPad for free.

Webinar: Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering with MATLAB and SimBiology
10 Nov 2011
10:00 AM EST (Eastern Standard Time)
Duration: 60:00

From bulk chemicals and complex natural products to biologicals – the fields of Synthetic Biology, Metabolic Engineering, and Bioprocess Development are increasingly combined for the engineering of biological systems.

Introduction of new genes and modification of existing genes have complex effects on the behavior of biological reaction networks. Mathematical modeling, simulation. and optimization of these networks aid in the understanding and guiding of genetic modifications and support the rational design for maximal product yield. At later developmental stages, models assist in the design, scheduling, control, and quality assurance of production processes.

In this webinar MathWorks engineers will introduce cellular modeling and optimization with MATLAB and SimBiology using a real life example of engineering yeast cells for the overproduction of succinate. As a potential substitute for petrochemically produced polymer building blocks, biologically-produced succinate has a great potential of becoming one of the fundaments of a bioeconomy.

You will learn how to:
• import metabolic networks and other pathways from KEGG
• use parallelized parameter sweeps to account for parameter uncertainties
• use optimization to identify optimal perturbation/knock-out targets

To learn more about this webinar or to register, click here.

Esri will exhibit its location intelligence solution, at the Information OnDemand 2011 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 23-27. IBM's Information OnDemand conference is a global event that provides access and exposure to the full breadth of IBM Information Management technologies and experts.

Recently, Esri acquired SpotOn Systems, maker of products such as SpotOn Vantage Maps, to provide business intelligence solutions in addition to Esri Business Analyst. SpotOn brings interactive mapping to IBM Cognos business intelligence applications. . By making it easy to unite Esri's spatial analytics, data, and maps with IBM CognosBI, SpotOn's award-winning Vantage product provides the analytic element that has been missing to business users.

SpotOn will be showcased in Esri's EXPO booth. Conference attendees are encouraged to drop by booth # G405 and experience the benefits of uniting spatial analytics with enterprise BI solutions.

Geospatial technology and spatial data types from Esri will soon be integrated into the IBM Netezza analytics appliances. This will give federal agencies and customers in industries such as energy, retail, telecommunications, and health care the capability to query and geospatially analyze enormous datasets at very fast speeds.

The new joint solution, scheduled for release in early 2012, will be demonstrated this week at the GEOINT 2011 Symposium in San Antonio, Texas. Visit IBM Netezza at booth 1007 to learn more and watch a demonstration. The solution will also be shown at IBM Information On Demand 2011, which will be held October 23–27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

IBM Netezza's suite of analytics appliances combine storage, processing, a database, and an analytics engine into a single system. The appliances' high-performance data querying capabilities will be merged with Esri ArcGIS geospatial analysis, visualization, and geoprocessing tools. The IBM Netezza appliances will support spatial queries of massive datasets that previously were impractical or impossible to conduct.

ArcGIS will provide the visualization and deep geospatial analysis of the results. Esri and IBM Netezza customers will have the ability to geospatially analyze and view petabytes of data within minutes instead of days. In its upcoming ArcGIS 10.1 release, Esri will support IBM Netezza appliances through query layers. The two companies also are working closely on deeper product integration via the deployment of Esri's spatial data types within the IBM Netezza appliances.

"IBM Netezza recognizes the importance of location as a vital data element in government operations and nearly all industries," said Esri president Jack Dangermond. "Our GIS customers are building the largest databases in the world. They are working on the most critical problems we face, such as security, public safety, energy, and health care. IBM Netezza's unique analytic appliances enable high-speed querying and spatial analytics on these large data stores. Both IBM Netezza and Esri customers will greatly benefit from our collaboration in this emerging big data space."

Press Information:
Carla Wheeler, Esri
Tel.: 909-793-2853, extension 1-2448
E-mail (press only): press@esri.com
General Information: info@esri.com

The Topcon Group announces a unique cloud-based enterprise solution and cloud-enabled family of software applications – Magnet – for all precise positioning projects. The new software solution makes it possible for real-time collaboration between project manager, field crews, office personnel, engineers, or consultants.

Magnet was unveiled at Intergeo in Nuremberg, Germany. Intergeo is the world’s largest trade show for the geodesy, geoinformation and land management industries.

Ray O’Connor, president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems, said, “For the first time, there’s a software solution that combines every facet of managing a company’s projects, data, and assets. Management, communication and collaboration across multiple projects and teams have never been easier.”

Jason Hallett, senior product manager for software applications, said, “Magnet considers everything from data collection, to CAD, data manipulation and reporting, to data exchange, and cloud-based project management in an enterprise environment. Our team has created a software system that brings productivity improvements to every part of a surveying or construction organization, and we made it simple and affordable.”

The Magnet family includes four basic products: Field, Tools, Office, and Enterprise. The Field, Tools, and Office products can be purchased outright, or can simply be activated as a subscription by picking from one of the Magnet Solution packages.

O’Connor said, “The heart of Magnet is a cloud-based web environment that connects every user within a company to each other, within the productivity application you use, or by simply logging in using your web browser.”

He said, “We looked at all types of survey and construction firms and listened to end-users about what they wanted from their positioning and project management application and services. We had a singular goal, which was to make our customers more productive across all of the tools we offer, and let them control the environment to fit their needs… and that is the genesis of Magnet. You can visualize all of your company’s projects, job files, equipment assets, and even plot job points, lines, and areas on a familiar map interface.”

Hallett said, “Magnet Enterprise is an individual company cloud. From initial planning stage, throughout every phase of every project, Magnet puts the control in your hands, where it belongs, and where it will maximize time-savings and profits for the company.”

Key features of Magnet include:

-- Enterprise: Magnet makes it easy to store and access all company and project data from a cloud environment. Track assets, manage projects, exchange data, and communicate in real-time.

-- Field: Magnet connects field users to the cloud, and enables real-time communication, cloud storage and data exchange, and includes powerful field software for topo, staking, roads, and calculations.

-- Tools: Magnet can process and exchange data between the enterprise cloud and favorite desktop applications, i.e., Autodesk Civil 3D.

-- Office: Magnet exchanges design files, survey jobs, and surfaces through the enterprise cloud for simple project revisions and real-time survey data from the field.

-- Cloud: Magnet provides cloud storage plans that are secure and safe with enough room to keep all your data in one location.

-- Store: Magnet provides access to the online store, with secure credit card transactions, to take advantage of every application Magnet has to offer.

Hallett said that Magnet will be available by the end of the year.

Cadastre's geodata and satellite images to be released for re-use.

At the Innovation Estafette in Rotterdam on October 4th, the Dutch Government has announced two major data releases that will be forthcoming.

Up to date satellite images
First, the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation announced the creation of a national database for satellite images that will be available to the public and entrepreneurs. The Ministry is allocating 4 million Euros to create this database.

"With these images fantastic things can be done", said Minister Verhagen, "In a key sector such as agro-food you can use the satellite images in ways that computers on modern tractors can exactly indicate where and how much a farmer should spray water or pesticides."

The satellite image database will centrally procure images and then make them public cheaply and quickly.

Topographic data freely available
At the same time the Ministry for Infrastructure and Environment announced they will be contributing to the satellite database. Minister Schultz van Haegen will provide full access for free to the government's 'base registry' of topographic data, maintained by the cadastre, starting January 1st, 2012. At the moment access to the full database costs 50.000 Euro.

Open Data important for economic growth
Minister Verhagen for Economic Affairs stressed the importance of open data for economic growth, and the Ministry is and will be stimulating other public sector bodies to release more data. "We can more often provide data freely. With that data smart entrepreneurs can create new markets and boost the economy."

Source: rijksoverheid.nl [via]

AT&T* today announced an agreement with Amber Alert GPS to provide wireless connectivity for the Amber Alert GPS V3, a child tracking device that keeps parents notified of the current location of their children.

The V3 offers parents the ability to create "Zones" around their home, neighborhood, school, soccer field, etc., and receive an email or text alert whenever their child enters or exits a Zone. The V3 integrates its tracking with the National Sex Offender database, alerting parents when their child is within 500 feet of a registered sex offender's home. The device has an SOS button children can activate to alert their parents if they need help and the parents can see exactly where their child is. Other features of the Amber Alert V3 include speed alerts, "bread-crumbing," which shows where users have been at specified intervals during the day, and one-way voice monitoring.

The V3 device can be controlled through a computer or wireless phone and is integrated with a secure online portal that was created with parents in mind. It is easy to use, set alerts, and receive the information you need most. Amber Alert GPS tracking technology is now available on smartphones.

"Every parent wants to know their child is safe," said Glenn Lurie, president of emerging devices, AT&T. "Embedding wireless connectivity into this tracking device equips parents with the ability to monitor and track the location of their children. This is innovation at its best – providing a solution and peace of mind."

"At Amber Alert GPS, our priority is child safety and security. We strive to provide busy parents with the tools they need to keep track of their family," says Carol Colombo, CEO of Amber Alert GPS. "Kids should have the freedom to be kids, to run and play and ride their bike to their friend's house. The V3 device is designed to give parents the confidence to send their children into the world, knowing they have taken the right steps to keep them safe."

The V3 is now available for preorder. For more information, visit: www.amberalertgps.com.

Scientists are making advances in the use of satellite data to map changes in Earth’s surface, ESA reports. Subsidence of only millimetres can be detected thanks to advances in technology.

The picturesque town of Assisi nestling in central Italy’s rolling hills has, for centuries, drawn tourists, religious pilgrims and lovers of art. But it has also drawn the attention of scientists who see the real weight of its reputation. By exploiting satellite data, they have found that some areas of the historical town are sinking by 7.5 mm per year.

This is just one of the many areas around the world where satellites have detected surface changes down to the millimetre from their orbits hundreds of kilometres above. The findings were presented at the Fringe Workshop on advances in the science and applications of radar interferometry held at ESRIN, ESA’s centre for Earth observation, in Frascati, Italy.

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar – or InSAR – is a remote sensing technique where two or more images over the same scene are combined to detect slight changes occurring between acquisitions.

Tiny changes on the ground cause changes in the radar signal and lead to rainbow-coloured interference patterns in the combined image, known as ‘a SAR interferogram’.

The Fringe Workshop takes its name from these coloured fringes seen in the interferograms. Precise measurements – down to a scale of a few millimetres – can be detected across wide areas. Tectonic plates grinding past one another, the slow ‘breathing’ of active volcanoes, the slight sagging of a city street due to groundwater extraction, even the thermal expansion of a building on a sunny day.

Just a few years ago, only dedicated areas could be mapped. But advances now allow for subsidence detection over large regions – even whole countries, like Italy – while maintaining a high resolution.

At this year’s Fringe Workshop, findings and advances were presented by some of the 400 scientists – a large number compared to the original four specialists who, in 1991, decided to create the Fringe group while discussing the early InSAR results from the ERS-1 mission.

Tracking surface changes is important for areas like this because it is home to an oil reservoir. While the now-retired ERS satellites played a major role in advancing interferometry, radars aboard satellites such as ESA’s Envisat continue to collect data used to detect surface changes.

The Sentinel-1 satellite due to be launched in 2013 will ensure the continuity of SAR data for years to come, with improved coverage compared to its ERS and Envisat predecessors.

The AOGS-AGU (WPGM) Joint Assembly 2012 in Singapore will be held at Resorts World Sentosa. Situated on the sun-kissed island of Sentosa, it is the premier venue to welcome you for this memorable occasion.

You are invited to convene Sessions in one of the following Sections:

Atmospheric Sciences (AS)
Biogeosciences (BG)
Hydrological Sciences (HS)
Ocean Sciences (OS)
Planetary Sciences (PS)
Solar & Terrestrial Sciences (ST)
Solid Earth Sciences (SE)
Interdisciplinary Working Groups (IWG)

Session Proposals:

Submission: Opens 3 October 2011. Closes 5 December 2011, 23:59 (GMT +8)

Acceptance Notification: 22 December 2011

Abstracts:

Submission: Opens 15 January 2012. Closes 12 March 2012.

Acceptance Notification: 9 April 2012

Registration:

Early Bird Rate Deadline: 4 June 2012

Registration Cancellation Deadline - No refund after this date: 25 June 2012

Online Registration Closes (For Payment by Telegraphic Transfer): 15 July 2012

Online Registration Closes (For Payment by Credit Card Online): 6 August 2012

Conference Period: 13 - 17 August 2012

Information and Assistance – Please contact:
Meeting Matters International
Email: info@asiaoceania.org | Tel: (65) 6472 3108 | Fax: (65) 6472 3208
Address: 1 Commonwealth Lane, #06-23 ONE COMMONWEALTH, Singapore 149544

EuroGeographics has appointed ConsultingWhere to conduct an in-depth market study into the pan-European geospatial information market.

The results will not only provide EuroGeographics’ 56 members with invaluable marketing intelligence but will also help shape the Association’s future strategy.

“There have been few studies focusing directly on the geospatial product market across Europe,” says Sallie White, EuroGeographics’ Business Operations Manager. “We are delighted to be working with the experts from ConsultingWhere, who have extensive experience in maximising the value of location information. By gaining an insight into the market’s future direction and growth, EuroGeographics and its members can continue to serve data users by developing products, services and licensing terms that meet their on-going needs and aspirations.”

ConsultingWhere, an independent IT consultancy specialising in providing strategic information technology and business advice, was selected after a competitive tender and will deliver its final report by the end of February 2012.

Andy Coote, Chief Executive of ConsultingWhere adds: “There is tremendous potential growth in the market for location information but it is also highly competitive. We are looking forward to providing EuroGeographics with high quality analysis of the market opportunities and challenges.”

For further information please contact:
EuroGeographics’ Secretary General and Executive Director, Dave Lovell, on +32 2 888 71 93, +32 848 663 345 (mobile), email: dave.lovell@eurogeographics.org; Patricia Sokacova, EuroGeographics‘ Membership and Communication Manager on +421 903 056 418/+421 948 388 908, email: patricia.sokacova@eurogeographics.org; or Rhian French on +44 1264 338375, +447892 698 350 (mobile), email: press@eurogeographics.org.

ConsultingWhere’s Chief Executive Andrew Coote, on +44 1923 291000, email: andrew.coote@consultingwhere.com, and twitter: @acoote

EuroGeographics
EuroGeographics is a not-for-profit organisation and the membership association for the European national mapping, land registry and cadastral agencies. It currently brings together 56 members from 44 countries. EuroGeographics’ members are developing an infrastructure to integrate their national data – including topographic and land information – to deliver the definitive pan-European location framework for a wide range of uses.

By sharing best practice and creating standard data specifications and policies, EuroGeographics aims to ensure that members’ individual geographical databases are compatible and can interact with one another. This will provide Europe with the high quality geographical information it needs to develop policies and legislation for the environment, business competitiveness, public services, legal systems, security and more.

Visit EuroGeographics’ website at: www.eurogeographics.org

ConsultingWhere
ConsultingWhere provides expert advice to organisations to help them maximise the value of information. The organisation has particular expertise in the area of location-based information. It undertakes assignments for Governments, blue chip commercial companies and public sector organisations. Its recent customers include the European Union (INSPIRE programme), Land Information New Zealand, SIBA (Australia), Ordnance Survey and ESRI inc.

For further information, visit: www.consultingwhere.com

Esri released a new global basemap service designed to highlight your data. The Light Gray Canvas map is now available at arcgis.com and ArcGIS Explorer Online.

The Light Gray Canvas map features an overall soft gray color for land and darker gray for oceans and other bodies of water. These shades provide a pleasing neutral background so that data overlays contrast sharply with the rest of the map. With fewer features and labels on the map, you have more freedom to color and label your own data. The map is a perfect alternative to traditional basemaps, which can have an abundance of detail that obscures data overlays. Any existing map backdrop can be changed to the Canvas map for a cleaner, less cluttered presentation of operational or custom data.

To start using the Light Gray Canvas map for your custom maps, visit arcgis.com.

About Esri
Since 1969, Esri has been giving customers around the world the power to think and plan geographically. The market leader in GIS technology, Esri software is used in more than 300,000 organizations worldwide including each of the 200 largest cities in the United States, most national governments, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. Esri applications, running on more than one million desktops and thousands of web and enterprise servers, provide the backbone for the world's mapping and spatial analysis. Esri is the only vendor that provides complete technical solutions for desktop, mobile, server, and Internet platforms. Visit us at esri.com/news.

Bentley Systems Incorporated, the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, today announced the project finalists in the 2011 Be Inspired Awards competition and the four winners of the 2011 Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards. The awards honor the extraordinary work of Bentley users improving and sustaining the world’s infrastructure. Five independent panels of jurors, comprising accomplished Bentley users and distinguished industry experts, selected the 59 finalists and the Special Recognition Awards candidates from nominations submitted by 270 organizations in 42 countries. The winners of the Be Inspired Awards will be announced at the invitation-only Be Inspired: Thought Leadership in Infrastructure event taking place Nov. 8-9, 2011, in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

“Our Be Inspired Awards program, which showcases excellence and innovation in the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure around the world, is celebrating its eighth year,” Bentley Systems COO Malcolm Walter said, “and I’m happy to report that we once again enjoyed record participation from our global community of users.”

He continued, “Our 59 finalists are stellar examples of the project and infrastructure performance improvements that are achievable when architects, engineers, builders, geospatial professionals, and owner-operators work smarter empowered by our portfolio of innovative information modeling software. The results are truly inspiring!”

Candidates for Bentley’s third annual Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards were placed into nomination by the jurors for their uniquely innovative and visionary achievements embracing multiple Be Inspired Awards categories. The nominees were then reviewed by a panel of Bentley executives. The achievements recognized by this year’s four awards are Attaining Return on Innovation, Sustaining Our Society, Sustaining Our Environment, and Sustaining the Professions.

Commenting on the 2011 Special Recognition Awards winners, Bentley Systems CEO Greg Bentley said, “In honoring these distinctive projects, we also highlight the virtuosity of the organizations that successfully delivered them. Each innovatively employed information modeling, collaboration, and best practices to advance Bentley’s mission of Sustaining Infrastructure. On behalf of my colleagues at Bentley, I congratulate this year’s Special Recognition Awards recipients and thank them for their accomplishments.”

The Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards winners for 2011 are as follows:

Attaining Return on Innovation

Cadre Design Group, Inc. – SFOBB East Span Seismic Safety Project – (San Francisco-Oakland, California, USA)

Sustaining Our Society

Secretaria de Finanzas del Distrito Federal – Programme for the Modernization of the Mexico City Cadastre – (Mexico City, Mexico)

Sustaining Our Environment

Shinryo Corporation – Shinryo Eco Renewal Project – (Tokyo, Japan)

Sustaining the Professions

GHD – (Melbourne, Australia)

The Be Inspired Awards finalists for 2011 are as follows:

Connecting Project Teams

AECOM – SH 161 Phase 4 – (Dallas, Texas, USA)
APIA XXI, S.A. – Connecting Project Teams on Two Continents – (Texas, USA, and Santander, Spain)
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power – LADWP ProjectWise Implementation – (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Innovation in Asset Lifecycle Information Management

Bristol Water plc – Enterprise Management of Street Works Noticing – (Bristol, United Kingdom)
Crossrail Ltd – Crossrail - Asset Information Management System – (London and South East England, United Kingdom)
Southern Company – Asset Management - ProjectWise Lifecycle Server – (Birmingham, Alabama, USA)

Innovation in Bridges

HDR, Inc. – Hoover Dam Bypass – (Mohave County, Arizona, and Clark County, Nevada, USA)
Hunan Provincial Communications Planning, Survey and Design Institute – Longyong Expressway Bridge Design – (Longshan County, Hunan Province, China)
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development – I-10 Twin Spans Bridges – (Slidell and New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

Innovation in Building

Foster + Partners – Scottish National Arena – (Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom)
UNStudio – EEA & Tax Offices – (Groningen, Netherlands)
Warren and Mahoney – The Rock, Wellington International Airport – (Wellington, New Zealand)

Innovation in Campuses, Airports, and Military Installations

Arup – Midfield Development Design Consultancy Services – (Hong Kong, China)
Hatch Associates Limited – QCLNG Upstream Surface Facilities – (Wandoan and Dalby, Queensland, Australia)
Samsung C&T Corporation/IDM E&C – Jeongok Marine Industrial Park – (Gyeonggi-do, South Korea)

Innovation in Communications Networks

Precision Contracting Services, Inc. – Martin County Community Broadband Network – (Martin County, Florida, USA)
Rainbow Design Services, Inc. – Disaster Assessment and Recovery Using Bentley Communications Products – (Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA)

Innovation in Construction

Grontmij – Norreport Station – (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Jacobs – Automating WorkFace Planning – (Corpus Christi, Texas, USA)
Matec Engenharia – Planning Innovation of a Medical Center – (São Paulo, Brazil)

Innovation in Generative Design

Arup – ArtScience Museum – (Singapore)
HOK and PLP Architecture – The Francis Crick Institute – (London, United Kingdom)
tvsdesign – Music City Center – (Nashville, Tennessee, USA)

Innovation in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering

AECOM – A1 Dishforth to Leeming Improvement Scheme – (Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom)
Jan De Nul NV – Panama Canal Expansion – (Panama City and Colon, Panama)
PT. Tigenco Graha Persada – Geotech Investigation Java South Line – (Cirebon - Prupuk, Purwokerto, Kroya, West, Central Java, Indonesia)

Innovation in Government

H. Ayuntamiento de Metepec – Cadastral and Geographic Information System (SICyG) – (Metepec, Mexico)
Port of Helsinki – Vuosaari Harbour Maintenance System – (Helsinki, Finland)
The City of Newcastle – City Precinct 3D Modeling – (Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia)

Innovation in Metals and Mining

AngloGold Ashanti Limited – Refurbishment of Savuka Shaft – (Carletonville, Gauteng, South Africa)
SEI Engenharia Ltda – Cristalino Project – (Canaã dos Carajás, Pará, Brazil)
T&G Corporation Pty Ltd – Crushing Plant – (North West Australia)

Innovation in Multimedia

i-TEN Associates – Point Cloud Visualizations – (Portland, Oregon, USA)
Larsen & Toubro Limited – Ammonia Synthesis Gas Generation Project – (Bharuch, Gujarat, India)
Washington State Department of Transportation, Visual Engineering Resource Group – SR 20 Sharpes Corner Vicinity - Interchange – (Anacortes, Washington, USA)

Innovation in Power Generation

Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute – Hongyan River Nuclear Power Plant – (Dalian, Liaoning, China)
HydroChina Zhongnan Engineering Corporation – Tuoba Hydro-Power Station – (Diqing, Yunan, China)
L&T-Sargent & Lundy Limited – 3x660 MW Supercritical Thermal Power Plant – (Nagpur, Maharashtra, India)

Innovation in Process Manufacturing

Chemical Construction International (P) Limited – Carotino Fatty Acid Splitting Plant – (Johar Baru, Central Jakarta, Indonesia)
Larsen & Toubro Limited – CO2 Recovery and Injection Project – (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
Qatar Petroleum – Creation of Intelligent As-built Models of Offshore Facilities Using a Combination of Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Verified Existing Engineering Drawings – (Doha, Qatar)

Innovation in Rail and Transit

Hatch Mott MacDonald – Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension – (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Parsons Brinckerhoff – Glenfield Transport Interchange – (Glenfield, New South Wales, Australia)
RITES Ltd. – Mechi-Mahakali and Pokhara-Kathmandu Electric Railway – (Nepal)

Innovation in Roads

Beam, Longest and Neff, L.L.C. – I-69 at State Road 61/56 – (Pike County, Indiana, USA)
Engevix Engenharia S.A. – Santa Catarina 108 Highway – (Angelina and Major Gercino, Santa Catarina, Brazil)
Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd. – Figuring the Disaster Status From Mobile Mapping System (MMS) – (Japan)

Innovation in Structural Engineering

Chuchawal Royal Haskoning Co., Ltd. – Hygenic Flex Factory at Samutsakorn – (Samutsakorn, Thailand)
L&T MHI Boilers Pvt Ltd – 2x700 MW Rajpura Thermal Power Plant – (Rajpura, Punjab, India)
Stopford Projects Ltd – Tata Soda Ash Plant Winnington – (Winnington, Cheshire, United Kingdom)

Innovation in Utility Transmission and Distribution Networks

AES Torino S.p.A. – Large-Scale District Heating Preliminary Development Project – (Torino, Italy)
Central Southern China Electric Power Design Institute – Qingdao Converter Station – (Qingdao, Shandong, China)
ENMAX Power Corporation – A Case Study on Bentley Substation – (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

Innovation in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants

Arup – Sludge Treatment Facility Hong Kong – (Hong Kong, China)
CDM – Galveston Main Wastewater Treatment Plant – (Galveston, Texas, USA)
Gippsland Water – Gippsland Water Factory – (Maryvale, Victoria, Australia)

Innovation in Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Networks

Barwon Region Water Corporation – Instant Access to Fire-Flow Results – (Geelong, Victoria, Australia)
General Directorate of Izmir Water and Wastewater Authority – IZSU Geographic Infrastructure Information System Project – (Izmir, Turkey)
SimTejo – Aquasafe - Smart Management System – (Lisbon, Portugal)

For more information about the 2011 Be Inspired finalists and Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards winners, visit www.bentley.com/BeInspiredAwards.

About Be Inspired: Thought Leadership in Infrastructure

The world’s leading practitioners will gather at Be Inspired, Bentley’s premier thought leadership and networking event, November 8-9, 2011, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. They will share the best practices behind the successful realization of their current projects and explore new ways to respond to the challenges driving today’s business. Also in attendance will be 80 journalists from around the world, who will additionally participate in a special media briefing on November 7.

Be Inspired is an intimate, invitation-only event that will feature presentations by the Be Inspired Awards finalists as well as executive roundtables focusing on critical issues in business, technology, and practice facing infrastructure professionals around the world. It will culminate with an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding achievement and innovation in infrastructure design, construction, and operations by winners selected from 59 project finalists by five independent panels of jurors. In total, nominations from 270 organizations in 42 countries were submitted in this year’s awards program.

This annual event provides a unique forum for senior-level executives to learn about the innovations driving the development and operations of the world’s top infrastructure projects. It also enables them to engage with other industry leaders in interactive discussions on topics of importance to the business of sustaining infrastructure. For additional information about the Be Inspired: Thought Leadership in Infrastructure event, visit www.bentley.com/BeInspired.

Forestry GIS (FGIS) Plug-in to the TatukGIS Desktop Editor. TatukGIS value added partner, TatukGIS Consulting, has redesigned and released the affordable Forestry GIS (FGIS) plugin to the TatukGIS Editor product, which extends the features of the TatukGIS Editor with a simple, easy-to-use, and customizable suite of tools aimed at making forestry and land management professionals' jobs easier.

FGIS can be used to update Acres (or any shape measurement) values for all polygons in a vector layer or display the Acreage (or any shape measurement) for all selected shapes in the view. FGIS has tools
for easily creating polygons that share coincident boundaries. FGIS can be used to generate a random or systematic sample of points (cruise points) within a given polygon area or search for a given Township, Range, and Section. With FGIS you can easily input a traverse description into a point layer. Other features include calculation of the best route between two points in a road network and plotting the current GPS location on a map in real-time.

The FGIS plug-in is totally customizable by the end user and includes a detailed survey data input form that can be used as a template for the creation of other data input forms.

FGIS is created by a forester who is also a GIS developer, who has spent the last decade performing custom GIS development for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources using TatukGIS and ESRI
development tools. This experience provided a great deal of insight about the GIS related needs and preferences of forestry and land management professionals, which is reflected in FGIS. For the price of just $49, any Editor licensed user can take advantage of this value-added suite of tools.

As a plugin, FGIS requires the TatukGIS Editor to function and retains all the Editor’s features. The FGIS plug-in was developed using the Editor’s built-in scripting features.

For more about the FGIS plug-in to the TatukGIS Editor, refer to: http://fgis.tatukgisconsulting.com.

PennWell Corporation, a diversified global media and information company, announced today that it has acquired the assets of eMarket Software, Inc., a Fort Worth, Texas company offering mapping products and services to energy industry. Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.

eMarket Software has created a sophisticated mapping and database platform that will become the web-based mapping platform for PennWell's MAPSearch business which provides GIS data for the petroleum, natural gas, electric power, and renewable energy industries. MAPSearch provides comprehensive date in geospatial form on over 1,000,000 miles of pipelines and 750,000 miles of transmissions lines in North America.

Shawn McCarthy, founder of eMarket Software and its president since 2007, will join PennWell's MAPSearch group as director of product development. McCarthy will report to Edward Metz, vice president and general manager of PennWell MAPSearch based in Houston.

PennWell President & Chief Executive Office Robert F. Biolchini said, "The eMarket products will offer MAPSearch an innovative online and mobile mapping platform that will extend our best-in-class geospatial data for oil and gas, electric power, and renewable energy to new markets and customer groups. Shawn McCarthy has an extensive background in software and product development and we are pleased he will join PennWell to help build innovative products for leveraging and delivering our vast data and content assets."

Someone asked me this question: How to import Arc shapefiles to ENVI format?

Answer:
1) Vector > Open Vector File and then change the file extension droplist to Shapefile(*.shp) and chose your file.

2) You now should have the Import Vector Files Parameters dialog open. Chose a map projection

3) The next dialog is the Available Vectors List. Here you should see Layer: yourfile.shp. Click to chose it and then chose File > Export Layers

Thanks to the ITT forum.