Friday, March 19. 2010

GPS Tidbits

The GPS devices required in New York City cabs since 2007 have done their job. Investigators from the Taxi and Limousine Commission found that 3000 drivers routinely charge patrons the out of borough rate, one twice as high as rides in the five boroughs. That adds up to $8.3 million in overages. The commission wants to require drivers to let passengers know what rate they are charging perhaps via video screens in the backseat.

- NY Times

The Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors will kick off National Surveyors Week, March 21 to 27, with a project to survey the state in a day on March 20. Members and non-members will simultaneously locate points to within 1 cm. The goal? Be in the Guinness Book of World Records for "The Largest Single Day Land Survey."

- details
- Wausau Daily Herald

The Army Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Natick, Mass., has per Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, developed the Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS), a paragrlider with GPS for guidance to deliver cargo deliver cargo to troops working in rough terrain in Afghanistan. It delivered more than 3 million pounds of cargo in 2009.

JPADS uses an onboard GPS system to help guide a parafoil -- a steerable canopy parachute -- to deliver supplies that can weigh as much as 30,000 pounds, according to a briefing that Maj. Erin Staine-Pyne presented in 2009. The system has improved the accuracy of airdrops by 60 percent.

- NextGov

Illinois Grant Tracker Uses ESRI for Data Management and Google Maps for Visualization

It's Sunshine Week and the State of Illinois has rolled out it Grant Tracker, an app that shows where grant money goes.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) app Grant Tracker "uses innovative mapping technology developed by ESRI to provide the Grant Locator, a mapping representation of the grants awarded, and Google Maps to provide a visual of individual project locations. Search results can be sorted by column headings within Grant Tracker and can be downloaded to a personal computer for further review. All data is updated daily."

- press release

Poizner Setting the Stage for his run for CA Governor

Steve Poizner (who we in geospatial know from his work at SnapTrack and Strategic Mapping Inc.,) is up against former eBay CEO Meg Whitman for the Republican nomination. On Thursday he laid out his credentials at a speech in Lafayette: "Poizner is 1) a black belt in karate, 2) the guy who helped invent the GPS that's in their cell phones and 3) a politician with millions in his campaign warchest."

- SF Gate Politics Blog

Apple's Social Network Patent: iGroups

The patent application, 20100070758, Group Formation Using Anonymous Broadcast Information, describes "iGroups, which will allow iPhone users to create social groups during a conference, gathering or any other social event" and will include information on where members of the group are located. If location is not readily available, apparently a tool from within MobileMe will provide one, per Patently Apple, which provides detailed analysis. The application was submitted in Sept 2008.

- IT Portal

Local GIS Tidbits

There are concerns about finances and record-keeping in the cemeteries in and around Frontenac, Ontario, Canada. But it sounds like, from this documented conversation, local leaders have a good sense of how to proceed.

MacMunn said it would cost $5,000 to have "somebody come in and computerize it for us."

Purdon acknowledged the state of the cemetery records but cautioned computer maps might not in themselves be a solution.

"I wouldn't want to computerize something that isn't accurate in the first place," he said. "I know there have been a couple of mistakes in Mountain Grove."

"I know people in the old Piccadilly Cemetery who don't know where they are," said Coun. Bill Snyder.

"We need some of the old folks in the community to meet you there and straighten it out," said Coun. Frances Smith.

"It could also be the fault of the families and/or the funeral home," MacMunn said. "We had a disinterment we had to pay for."

"I think GIS is the future and we're way behind," said Mayor Janet Gutowski.

Coun. Phillip Smith said he was in favour of revamping cemetery records and maps.

"It's not that expensive," he said. "Let's try a small cemetery first to see how it goes."

"I have lists on spreadsheet of all the sales," said MacMunn.

- Frontenac Local Community News

Al Jaeger, North Dakota's Secretary of State since 1992, announced Wednesday that he will seek his party's endorsement to run for a sixth term. And, the former owner of a real estate brokerage in Fargo seems to be hot on geo.

Jaeger added that the office will deploy a new software program this year that will provide secure online submission and payment for a variety of documents. The new system will eventually contain a GIS component to allow the display of data on a map showing the location of any registered and licensed business.

For the 2010 elections, the Secretary of State's office will use a Web tool called ND VOICES (Voting Information & Central Election System) to administer elections, inform voters of voting options, polling places, polling hours and sample ballots and to report election results. The tool is an enhancement of the "Where Do I Vote" feature used in the last election cycle. Jaeger said new features will facilitate absentee voting for uniformed and overseas citizens, expedite absentee and voting-by-mail process that also allow voters to track their ballot and increase efficiencies for county election officials in ballot preparation.

On election night, ND Voices will report the results of every race in the state that is on the ballot and will show the results by map displays, totals and percentages.

- Minot Daily News

New Delhi is updating its maps for tourists. Delhi Tourism is creating a map of toilets as part of a series noting monuments, parks and other features of interest. Apparently, there have been many complaints about the lack of facilities and the challenge of finding those that are available. The map will appear in print and online. No word of a mobile app, however.

- Indian Express

Slightly Off Topic: Link Bait Hitting Geo: Why?

Earlier this week I got an odd e-mail (via Joe Francica):

Hi,

We would love to share with you an article that we just posted on our own blog! “Google Earth for Educators: 50 Exciting Ideas for the Classroom” (http://www.associatesdegree.com/2010/03/14/google-earth-for-educators-50-exciting-ideas-for-the-classroom/ ) would be an interesting story for your readers to check out and discuss on your blog, so we hope you will consider sharing it!

Thanks for your time!

Kitty Holman

Why was it odd? The e-mail was from a Gmail account, which is not that weird, but most folks who are pitching something for the blog have addresses related to their product or site. Their "own blog!" is a site for finding an institution to get an associates degree. I posted it (with some questions about its strange source) in an education tidbits post. I noticed Glenn Letham posted it, as did GIS Pathway. They are among some 3500 links to the article I saw on a Google search. While I was a bit suspicious of the source, the listed ideas were legit and I had no reason to believe the article was not original. It joined a number of articles of the same form in the "Learning Tools" section of the blog including "100 Essential Tips & Tools for Writers of the Future" and "50 Useful Mind-Mapping Tools for College Students."

A few days later we got another e-mail touting "The 10 Most Devastating Earthquakes of all Time" on a very similar website - but this one focussed on online degrees. I found Kitty's name on a nursing edu website, too.

Interesting marketing approach! I just thought I'd note it to see if any other bloggers have run into these types of link offers. And, I have to give Kitty kudos - she selected bloggers to contact (at least these three) that covered the topic in question. We get far more pitches for APB and Directions Magazine that fall way outside our purview.