Wednesday, July 8. 2009

Update: The Commercial Data Marketplace after TomTom/Nokia Acquisitions

Update: TWICE reports on a few other players launching US maps: Facet Technology is launching a GPS-ready road-grade map of the continental U.S. this month, with AND and CloudMade aiming for 2010.

Continue reading "Update: The Commercial Data Marketplace after TomTom/Nokia Acquisitions"

Some Geo Listening Offerings from NPR

Talk of the Nation offers a discussion with Colin Ellard based on his new book, Why we Get Lost. I wish I could say it was a fascinating discussion, but perhaps being an "insider" I didn't find it all that interesting.

Terry Gross talks to Wired's Chris Anderson about his new book Free: The Future of a Radical Price.

Tech Tidbits

Sony has added two more GPS-enabled video cameras at the $1300 and $1100 price points. They include GPS and can geotag videos and place them on a map. They, like earlier models, use "GPS services from Navteq [sic]" Expect them in September.

- Washington Post

As I suggested some time ago, Google plans to build an open source operating system around Chrome. Coming this year.

- Google Blog

A low tech tidbit. Crooks used the "ask directions and put the map over the ladies' handbags" to steal their bank cards trick in Scotland.

- BBC

Education Tidbits

It's not a new thing to teach teachers about using GPS and GIS in the classroom. And, that's going on at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, under a National Science Foundation grant. The interesting tidbit? "The grant provided enough money for each teacher in the workshop to not only have a GPS to use but also an I-Phone, which is also used in the mapping process."

- WKBT TV

They are using GPS in UK education, too. Students at a Nottingham secondary school will use "advanced GPS technology" to map habitats for local plants and animals and ideally protect them from climate change. The Year 10 students will map heathland at Sherwood Pines Forest Park as part of a research project run by The University of Nottingham for the national Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network. Just what is "advanced GPS technology?" How does it compare to just regular GPS technology?

- Science Centric

Ex-Kansas Geographer Duane Nellis takes over as president of the University of Idaho this fall. Before he starts the school paper interviewed a few folks about him and the challenges he faces. I know we've had good luck with geography faculty in high level university positions at Penn State (Rob Crane, Greg Knight, Rod Erickson from my day...).

- UI Argonaut

Details: #ESRIUC "Special area...for tweeters"

@ESRIUC tweeted:

Tweet about the Plenary Monday as it happens! Special area set up for tweeters; enter through Hall H. http://tr.im/rhTT #esriuc

At least one Twitter user asked via Twitter what that means. I had the same question. I skipped Twitter and went right to my ESRI press contact who explained:

There will be an area in the plenary session set up with classroom style seating, access to power, and instructions for accessing the wireless network. That way people who are blogging or tweeting can enjoy their lunch break instead of looking for a place to plug in and charge batteries.