Wednesday, December 31. 2008

Questions of the Week

California has a new "no texting" law going into effect on Thursday. One fellow at CHP bravely offered to answer a long series of questions from the LA Times about what was and was no legal and when. Among them:

Q: Is it illegal to type directions into a digital map or GPS program on your phone while driving?
A: No. The law does not say you can't type directions into a map or GPS program on your phone.
...
Q: Is it illegal to read directions from your map or GPS program on your phone while driving?
A: No. However, we do not recommend that you do this.

Q: Is it illegal to type directions into a GPS device that is separate from a phone while driving?
A: No. Again, however, we do not encourage or recommend that you do this.

I'm not sure at all who types directions into a phone or GPS, but I guess someone does!

Tuesday, December 30. 2008

Municipal OS GIS Featured at Linux.com

Linux.com features "Municipalities open their GIS systems to citizens" which covers several uses of open source for data sharing and collection. Among the FOSS4G efforts noted: MapServer, PostGIS, OpenLayers and OpenStreetMap.

via toorghezi on Twitter

MEMS-based Sensor for Pedestrian Navigation

Aircraft used for capturing imagery use a combination of GPS and related technologies to keep an accurate record of where the plane was to use in locating the image. That other technology is a series of sensors, accelerometers, inertial measuring units (IMUs) - the stuff Applanix is well-known for making.

So, what is if you could make those sensors teeny and use them say for navigation for pedestrian routing? That's what VTI will be showing off at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) next week. The company will be showing off a Micro Electro-Mechanical System or MEMS-based demo unit that tracks "position, speed and distance of a pedestrian." The technology would be used in combination with another technology because such a tool would need to know where it "started from" to provide useful information.

- Small Times

Quote of the Week

"Geography is the study of patterns—be it that of precipitation, migration, or economics. None of those patterns are evident in a satellite images of the planet. Google Earth has a clear place in the classroom. But it cannot replace maps. It cannot give you an idea of the land relief or climatic patterns of Europe. It does not give you a snapshot view of indigenous nations or internal conflicts throughout Africa. Nor impart the sense that Nevada’s mountaintops sport subalpine forest surrounded by woodland."

- Daniel Rirdan, Director of Product Development at the Exploration Company arguing against Google Earth for classroom in a press release. He favors use of his company's DVD based interactive maps priced at $50-$180 per title.

Headline: "High tech maps prove the wrong direction"

No, this is not a story about bad data. It's a story about how waterproof paper failed to hold ink in the rain during an Australian orienteering event. Still, the winner previous years won again. For the final day organizers planned to ditch the waterproof paper for regular paper. Nice to know data is not always at fault.

Me, I'm low tech. When I cycle or run in the rain the map is stored in a "zippy bag."

- The Courier

Quote of the Week

"Maps are really powerful. Advertising on a map is a good idea because maps aren't just read and thrown away. Maps have a lasting value – this one doesn't."

- Aaron Funk, owner of Kamp Klamath, in Crescent City, California on a new map developed by an advertising company. Those who paid for ads say it's in accurate, among other things in an article in the Daily Triplicate.