The PR is here. The details here and here.

Bottom line: $500 brings access to print (I guess they use those?) and electronic docs, no voting, no cost sharing, can work on Interoperability Initiatives, working groups and TC subcommittees.

Raj Singh noted this was coming at FOSS4G in Victoria.

A few weeks back we asked: What's the most valuable thing you bring home from a geo-conference? 36 people voted.

A pile of business cards of prospects - 25%
Pens, t-shirts and other swag - 23%
Something else - 17%
A pile of business cards of potential partners - 12%
The proceedings - 9%
A new job - 6%
A pile of business cards of tech people to tap for support - 6%
Company literature - 6%

One comment worth noting:

I wish geo conferences had more "updates on the field" talks. Something like one hour of an excellent speaker giving us bits about various applications of the technology that we ought to know about as well as run-downs of new players in the industry, and new capabilities of GIS. Most of us are very focused on our narrow field (either a particular application, development, statistics, web, etc.) so a quick summary of all the other things GISy that go on outside of our normal day-to-day activities would be very helpful.

And this week: How much do you know about agile product/software management? Vote on the lower right corner of our homepage.

Iridium Satellite announced (press release) that Lee Demitry, former vice president of engineering for GeoEye, will serve as the executive vice president for Iridium NEXT, the company's next-generation satellite constellation program.

Not familiar with Iridium? It was to make piles of money providing satellite phone communications. It was not all that successful in its early years. That was used as ammo by one writer to suggest commercial remote sensing would have limited success as well in a 2004 EOM editorial.

MathCounts, "the national math enrichment program for middle school students," lists ten "of the most exciting and enthralling contributions math has made to our lives over the last 25 years."

In the number 2 spot is GPS:

A GPS system, such as a handset or one inside your car, takes readings from three or more satellites over 12,000 miles high. Calculating the distance to each satellite, a process known as triangulation, allows the device to figure out where you are in three dimensions. GPS mapping software can then overlay this information on a map to show your location, including elevation. Its uses are far-reaching, including safety, security and convenience.

(I'll let you argue the "A GPS system" and triangulation/trilateration issues among yourselves.)

Number 1? MP3 encoding. Nice how these tie into the holiday shoppping season, huh?

- press release

The Guardian offers up "How to do... Geography."

Thanks to Stephen

Slashdot (yeah, I started reading it again...) has two interesting posts that may be pertinent to geo education.

First up, a query from a high school teacher about whether to teach an older version of a commercial graphics package or use an open source one. Both sides are represented in the replies, as is my favorite suggestion: teach more than one package to encourage literacy. I'm hearing more about GIS courses/programs using a mix of software. A recent podcast interview with Rodney Jackson of Central Piedmont Community College from Very Spatial highlighted a program that uses ESRI and Manifold and teaches open source programming.

Second up, an eval of use virtual worlds and multiplayer games in education. This comes from a fellow who got a grant to explore economic theories in virtual world gaming. He put togther a game called Arden, the World of Shakespeare. (That's an odd combo, but who am I to question the MacArthur people's grants?) "It's no fun," says Edward Castronova, a professor at Indiana. He's working on new version.