Tuesday, July 1. 2008

The New Gas Conscious, Distance Conscious Marketing

This headline from Ripley Entertainment (yes, the Believe it or Not folks) PR:

53% of U.S. Population Lives Within a Half Tank of Gas of a Ripley Attraction

Too bad there's no mention in the PR of the destination map on the website! Marketing hint: the call to action should be: Visit our interactive map to find an attraction near you!

U.S. BASIC satellite system announcement expected this week

The Broad Area Surveillance Intelligence Capability (BASIC) satellite system is aimed at filling gaps in the government's surveillance. The plan calls for government owned and managed satellites. The program has been delayed as agencies argued about who'll run the program (the National Reconnaissance Office, NRO, won) and who'd have say over what pictures are taken (senior military leaders won that one).

- AP

Web Hits Locate Earthquake

New Scientist reports that visits to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre's (EMSC) website spike when an earthquake hits. Those hits when geocoded can help pinpoint the earthquake, in one case, very accurately within 15 minutes. The technique also highlights where Internet access is not available, identifying potential damage from the event.

We are human sensors!

EveryBlock Adds Philly, Charlotte

Adrian Holovaty's hyperlocal news/local events site EveryBlock adds Philadelphia, PA and Charlotte, NC to the previous list of Chicago, New York and San Francisco. Among the data sources are "geocoded" minutes/agendas of local meetings and for Charlotte, new additions to the library.

- EveryBlock blog

Quote of the Week

"INN: How has GIS technology evolved in recent years?

BR: It hasn’t. The underlying math, map making and coordinates have not changed much at all. The most beneficial advancements are coming from better data, and the flight to quality in GIS data has accelerated."

- Bill Raichle, VP risk decision information for Jersey City, N.J.-based ISO Inc. in an interview on GIS and insurance at InsuranceNetworking.com Another great Rachie quote: "Out of the box, a GIS is about as exciting as a blank spreadsheet."

Attention Shoppers! Where You Walk May Influence the Price you Pay

Mapping the floor of a retail store has been discussed for many years. I've discussed this before in an article as have others. Now comes word about Path Intelligence, a company that tracks the movement of consumers without having them wear any special device or equipment. The company's FootPath technology consists of installing a small number of monitoring devices within stores that detects cell phone signals from shoppers and locate them to within 1-2 meters. The technology is being used to help retailers to determine staffing levels within stores or by mall developers to help them determine rental rates.