Monday, January 19. 2009

Live Traffic Feeds for DC During Inauguration

One of the things on the minds of traveler's entering the capital on inauguration day is "traffic." Visitors will find the TrafficLand.com website that displays a map of the closed circuit video cameras helpful. (source: Google Earth Blog). The camera feeds are courtesy of the District DOT. (Traffic.com has the same information but TrafficLand has much better user interface.)

Podcast: Location and its Relevance to Mapping and Social Networks

This podcast features Chris Butler, Independent LBS Evangelist. Butler discusses "Location, Awareness" and the context in which it applies to mapping and social networks. It is a high level, compelling, but inherently intuitive lecture on how context – who, when, where, why, what, and how – is valuable to your application, product or service. We usually try to answer one, maybe two of this variables when designing our next hot widget; Butler challenges us to include not one or two but all variables. However he gives us a few rules to conceptualize and effectively implement the process. For all persons interested in taking their application to the next level, this is an excellent presentation.

[Produced by: Clay Burton Productions and Endpoint Environmental LLC, Producers of the Web 2.0 Mapping and Social Networks Meetup Group in conjunction with Directions Media. The presentation was recorded at Google headquarters on November 18, 2008, and lasts for approximately 18 minutes.]

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U Maryland's "4D Imaging" Helps Manage Traffic for Inauguration

The 4D refers to the inclusion of time - but I'm not sure I'd call the Regional Integrated Transportation Information System (RITIS) "4D imaging," as NPR does, since the images don't move through time.

The app which is based off of static imagery (both aerial and satellite I was pleased to hear) includes visualizations of accidents and weather. The NPR report makes clear: "The model doesn't uncover any new information."

A report on the technology from the University paper talks about it polling for new information.

Exactly how the visualization will be used to manage traffic, that is, impact the current situation, is unclear. The app will be used for the first time on Tuesday.

Dept. of Labor Hands out Millions in Grants for Training, including Geospatial

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded nearly $123 million to 68 community colleges and community-based institutions under the President's Community-Based Job Training Grants Initiative. Winners were selected form 274 applicants.

For geospatial the big winner was Atlantic Cape Community College of Mays Landing, N.J. which received $1,250,909.

I'm still waiting to see the results of the one Dept of Labor funded geospatial initiative on which I worked (several years ago). The website for the project is now held by squatters. The organization behind the project, Kidz Online, seems to have disappeared.

- press release

More on the Patton Boggs/FortiusOne App's Origins

I guess I didn't connect the dots on Patton Boggs' mapping app for the inauguration. Apparently the company is a lobbying organization that traditionally hosts a party. Per BusinessWeek:

One lobbying powerhouse, Patton Boggs, is foregoing sponsoring a party this year in favor of providing its clients with GPS-assisted mapping software that allows them to track real-time locations of events and available tables at restaurants, parking spots, schedules, and other information that is particularly useful to avid inauguration-goers. The application also distributes real-time reports from users on useful tips, sentiments, and, no doubt, Obama sightings.

Quote of the Week

"The problem with the devices [for tracking children/Alzheimer's patients] out there now is they rely on GPS tracking, which is not good. If the missing person can’t see the sun, you can’t track them.'

- Lindy Privett, Plano, TX police detective promoting cell phone based devices from EmFinders. Quoted in the Examiner.