Monday, August 3. 2009

Optimal Geomatics Joins Aeroquest International

Aeroquest International provides geophysical surveying platforms for the mineral and petroleum exploration, and environmental services industries. Optimal Geomatics specializes in the science and technology of gathering, analyzing, interpreting,
distributing, and using geographic information.

- press release (note: PR can't be distributed in the U.S.; interesting)

Teradata 13: Spatial queries can be 20x faster

The company's Teradata 13 data warehousing system is now shipping and one of the most touting feature of nearly 100 improvements relates to in-system geoprocessing. Teradata first introduced geospatial support in version 12, last September. (APB coverage)

I understand the 20x faster to be 20x faster than in another non-parallel system, not 20x faster than v12.

- Press release

- ITWire

Impact of Yahoo/Microsoft Deal on Local Search?

This is not an area I follow, but Matt McGee at Search Engine Land dug into the possibilities. Among the questions: will/should Yahoo drop its own maps for Bing Maps?

Mapping Maine's Cancer Situation

Brewer-based Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health and James W. Sewall Co. in Old Town are tackling the question of why the state's cancer rates are higher than the U.S. average and if the causes are more environmental or genetic. The “BioGeoBank of Maine" project includes a tissue bank (sample's of human tissue from around the state) and mapping of many toxins. Once built the project will offer a "limited-access computer gateway, researchers will be able to explore correlation between disease and the environment at a given moment in time and over a span of years, adding and subtracting layers of information to refine and expand the associations."

- Bangor Daily News

USACE Contract Means $420K Stimulus Money to GIS Firm

This is one of the first, if not the first, GIS contract I've heard of resulting from the stimulus. Applied Data Consultants of Eau Claire WI will perform two projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: creating a GIS for parcels owned by the Omaha District COE near Glasgow, Montana and building a Web portal for the district's Natural Resource Division.

- Leader-Telegram

Education Tidbits

The Hawaii Geographic Information Coordinating Council (HIGICC) awarded $1,000 scholarships to Mele Chillingworth from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, who worked with the National Park Service to develop GIS maps of Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, and with the Hawaii Agricultural Water Use Study on an irrigation database and mapping project. Scholarships were also given to Jessica Nalani Leonard from Windward Community College (WCC), who worked with the WCC Marine Option Program to create a GIS of the Waikalua Loko fishpond system.

- Honolulu Advertiser

Northwest Kansas Technical College's Diesel Technology program in Goodland, Kan., received a $40,000 grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in order to purchase "GPS management systems." The GPS courses will sit alongside an electronic component curriculum and serve students moving into diesel tech jobs in agriculture, transportation, and the construction.

- High Plains Journal

A new doctoral program in criminal justice at Texas State has been approved, with enrollment now open and classes beginning in fall 2009. The program draws upon Professor Kim Rossmo’s Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Investigation. Graduate students in the doctoral program will be able to work on research project in the Center.

- NewStreamz San Marcos