National Geographic defines “geotourism” as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place - its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.”
The Missoulian (Montana)talks up the concept while introducing the new “Crown of the Continent” map which features many local points of interest suggested by locals. The article explains that the Crown, as a geographic region, covers northern Montana, southwest Alberta and southeastern British Columbia. The map is a collaborative effort of National Geographic and the Center for Sustainable Destinations and the National Parks Conservation Association, and 350 locals who nominated 700 items for the map during 64 public forums. There’s an online version of the map here.
by Adena Schutzberg on 03/31 at 06:00 AM |
Comments |
Geographic Business Solutions (GBS) doesn’t want to compete with GPS players like Navman and Armada. The good news: they can offer up flexible, on-off solutions. The company took eight weeks to deliver a tracking system.
[It] allows Urgent Couriers’ dispatchers to pinpoint the location of every courier on a map, zoom in on couriers and view all relevant job information. The allocation of jobs to each of the company’s 85 contractors is also assisted by GPS ensuring that couriers closest to jobs are efficiently assigned to pick-ups, preventing the need for them to double back to jobs, and saving on time and fuel.
...
The new GPS system for Urgent Couriers is based on open source database PostgreSQL (with PostGIS) and an open source mapserver, UMN Mapserver. GBS built the interface and web functionality in Internet Explorer (7) and configured it to fit Urgent Couriers’ dispatch system.
- m-net.com
by Adena Schutzberg on 03/31 at 06:00 AM |
Comments |
The REPUBLICAN & Herald in Pottsville, PA describes how the county shares geographic data. At this point 30% of the 67 municipalities in the county have signed the sharing agreement. It’s an interesting agreement, which includes this passage:
Sharing members may only use shared data to promote clearly definable, publicly supported objectives and functions. These objectives and functions include public planning purposes, public safety purposes and other functions typically performed by governmental agencies, implementation and interpretation of scientific research and tabular information, the generation of new data sets, and the creation of hard copy maps, charts and reports
One municipality recently signed on with a 6-1 council vote. The one vote against was worried about the data might “potentially infringe on people’s individual rights.” Penn State professor Donna Peuquet said that was only a possibility if the data got into the public’s hands.
Businesses can access the data, too, just via a licensing agreement, that I suspect requires a fee. The arrangement has been in place since 2004.
by Adena Schutzberg on 03/31 at 06:00 AM |
Comments |
Last Saturday, on the CNN show "Your $$$$$$" with Ali Velshi, a guest mentioned that you are more likely to be audited if your income doesn’t necessarily jive with your zip code. For example, if you are making well under the "statistical" minimum for your zip code, you have a greater chance of being audited. In general, the IRS audited 7% more returns last year. So, perhaps we are seeing a more "location intelligent" IRS.
by Joe Francica on 03/31 at 01:44 AM |
Comments |
Investments keep pouring in: First $240 million from Microsoft, then $60 million from Hong Kong business mogul Li Ka-Shing and today another $40 million (at least) from Ka-Shing. VentureBeat suggests that Ka-Shing’s company Hutchison Whampoa will ease Facebook into China and perhaps be an entry to LBS.
by Adena Schutzberg on 03/28 at 08:35 AM |
Comments |
