Thursday, July 10. 2008

Off Topic: Internet Magically Disappear? Two Patches May be to Blame

I spent much of the morning pinging and checking various cables trying to get my "school" machine (Win XP) online. Nope, it wasn't my hardware or settings in Windows. It was incompatible updates between Zone Alarm (my firewall) and the latest XP patch. I tracked it to the firewall before I read this C|net explanation.

In retrospect, I learned quite a lot working with all those tech support folks at the various software companies for which I worked. It comes in very handy when you are on your own. Note to folks who may want to be consultants: learn lots about troubleshooting your machine(s) while you have tech support!

Nokia's Location-based (beta) Chat

IntoMobile introduces Chat, the mix of status with instant messaging. The idea is that you use the "Twitter"-like part for status and the IM part for the actual (private) conversations. The location bit? You can share your location publicly via the status or IM options. The app will "automagically" update you to a set "landmark" when you get there.

Vietnam City not Happy with State's Land Information System

Le Manh Ha is the Director of the Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City Department of Post and Telecommunications. He's not happy with the software provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MoNRE) for land management and has recommended the City People’s Committee not use it. In particular, he notes, that HCM City Department of Natural Resources and the Environment used the app in seven districts and it doesn’t meet requirements and that the software was "developed based on out-dated technology and is not suitable to the actual procedures of districts in HCM City."

The software, called the Vietnam Land Information System, is the result of a state project to build a provincial land database management model conducted by the MoNRE. The app is built on ArcGIS to facilitate "registering, monitoring changes in land use; managing land planning, land prices, land taxes; procedure management, etc. at high accuracy."

The Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment mandated in 2007 that all provinces and cities use the app.

- VietNamNet Bridge

AT&T 3G US Coverage Map

The 3G iPhone goes on sale tomorrow. I note that since I received at least one e-mail telling it was already available; sure Mr. Pogue has one, but not any regular folks. One of Pogue's (and other's) issues is that the 3G for fast access is not widespread. Before you stand in line, check out the coverage map. The data is as of 5/31/08. I'm surprised the map's not been updated for the launch. (Not sure how Silicon Alley Insider got newer maps.) The app and/or the data seems to be from ESRI.

Note that you need to check a box in the legend (below the map) when in the voice option (default, above the map) to view the 3G coverage.

ESRI Acquires Building in Alpharetta, Ga.

No word on the price, but it's a big place.

The five-story building has 129,400 square feet and is at Brookside Concourse, which is part of the 204-acre mixed-use Brookside business park. The 45-acre Brookside Concourse, at Highway 120 just east of Georgia 400, eventually will have more than 550,000 square feet of single- and multi-story office space.

- Atlanta Business Journal