Monday, February 16. 2009

Google's U.S. Fed Sales Down

Total Telecom (UK) looked up some Google numbers on USASpending.gov and learned that Google contract dollars were down in 2008 from 2006.

Google's contracts with U.S. federal agencies have declined from $413,960 in 2006 to $81,046 in 2008.

In addition, customers listed for Google in 2006 including the Agriculture and Treasury departments do not appear in the 2008 numbers.

The government's accounting year begins Oct. 1 and ends the following Sep. 30. For the first months of the 2009 accounting year since September, Google has won $4,030 in federal contracts, according to the data.

It's not clear how much of the contracts was for geospatial technology.

Quote of the Week

"A digital map of a country that is revised constantly will be more useful than any printed atlas, even one updated every year."

- Richard Woodward in a New York Times review of the Oxford Atlas of the World (15th edition).

Delta State University Builds National Grid DC Atlas for Inauguration Support

Now that President Obama is safely at work running the country, all the details of what went into protecting him and the attendees are pouring out. One group involved was the Delta State University's Center for Interdisciplinary Geospatial Information Technologies. Talbot Brooks runs the Mississippi center and explained that the task for the Center this time was to solve the "locations with no addresses problem." They did that by building an 754-page atlas of DC using the U.S. National Grid. That way responders and safety officials could locate individuals of concern in the crowds of open space.

Among the other partners in the effort done under Dept of Defense oversight: United States Marine Corps, U.S. Geological Survey, Tele Atlas and TerraGo Technologies.

- Clarion Ledger

Nokia Eats its Own LBS Dogfood with its Ovi Store

The big news out of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today is the official announcement of the rumored Nokia app store, officially called the Ovi Store. The difference between it and others (like Apple's or Google's Android store) is that it's a smart store per Niklas Savander, executive vice president of services and software for Noki:

This is not just a place to find applications. It's a smart store. That is not just for smartphones. It actually suggests things you might like and adds social location dynamics to show you relevant applications. And it shows you what your friends have bought. And it changes the inventory based on where you are.

Nokia is using the same mobile social tools in its salesmanship that it hopes developers and users will appreciate in all Nokia mobile apps.

- C|net

Qualcomm Ventures Invests $9 million in MapMyIndia

MapMyIndia provides digital maps, location-based services and GPS navigation on handhelds and in cars. The investment, along with others from Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, Sherpalo Ventures and Nexus India Capital may lead to expansion outside of India. A telling comment from MapmyIndia MD Rakesh Verma: "After the acquisition of Navteq, the field has been opened. We are examining and have plans for venturing overseas in 2010-11."

- Economic Times

Education Tidbits

Louisiana's Nicholls State University's Geospatial Technology Center is now teaching surveying to some 50 undergrads. But the future may include a grad program and a statewide GIS center. The center received more than $100,000 in donations after its founding in 2003.

- Houma Today

Hawaii's biggest insurance carrier, Island Insurance, matched a $50,000 in state funds to launch EAST in Farrington High School on Oahu. It's one of the first on the island to participate in the program that encourages hands on learning about the environment using technologies including GIS and GPS.

Honolulu Advertiser

Students from Page County High School and Luray High School in Virginia are mapping important local data (crime, hydrants, sex offenders) and receiving some college credit.

- Valley Banner

The bachelor of applied science (cartography and geovisualisation) at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Melbourne is one of only two cartography programs in Australia and turns out students who among other careers work for travel publisher Lonely Planet.

- The Age