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!
by Adena Schutzberg on 12/31 at 06:00 AM |
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Titled, Where to Locate Your Business, it starts with the story of a small company (URMC) that started in Doylestown, PA (I lived there once!) and moved the sprawling metropolis of Stowe, Vt. and some great tax breaks. The owner is looking to hire 26 people before the end of February. (It’s GIS-y stuff, so maybe it’s a spot for a reader?)
Anyway, the rest of the article talks about how to find the right spot and talks about ZoomProspector. One commenter asks why GIS is not mentioned. I guess they are not familiar with GIS Planning’s app.
by Adena Schutzberg on 12/31 at 06:00 AM |
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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
by Adena Schutzberg on 12/30 at 09:41 AM |
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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
by Adena Schutzberg on 12/30 at 06:57 AM |
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“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.
by Adena Schutzberg on 12/30 at 06:48 AM |
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