Monday, August 31. 2009

Ordnance Survey Ireland to offer Maps via Software as a Service

The Irish OS gets some, but less money from the government, than it used to but feels it can still charge.

OSI’s innovation team is about to launch a web service aimed at small businesses that may only need mapping data for a specific part of the country, or for a short period of time.

The agency will host the data on its own systems and provide it to business customers in a software-as-a-service model. Ms Ruane said this would allow it to offer lower prices based on usage or number of transactions.

- Irish Times

Friday, August 28. 2009

Apple Patent App: "location-area applications"

The idea: the GPS in your phone will detect your location and "update" your apps to that location. The patent is titled Transitional Data Sets, application 20090215497.

The application was filed in February 2008 but just recently made public.

- Jaunted
- Apple Insider

Nuvifone Likely to run on AT&T in US

If you are still waiting patiently for Garmin's navphone, word is it'll be running on the AT&T network. Running the number suggest Garmin plans to sell between 300,000 and 700,000 units per year to raise $100 - $200 million pushing company revenues up some 6%. One million units is the norm for a "successful" smartphone in these times. Analysts expect Apple to sell 20 million this year.

- Business Insider

Thursday, August 27. 2009

FGDC Executive Committee Endorses Imagery for the Nation

The committee made its decision known via a Record of Decision (pdf) which states its understanding of the imagery program and outlines recommendations for management, contracting, funding and other matters. Once topics are resolved, the plan will go to the FGDC Steering Committee for approval.

A number of organizations endorsed the program earlier this summer. MAPPS issued a press release renewing its endorsement of the concept of IFTN and encouraging a resolution of outstanding issues the day the Record of Decision was made public, August 20, 2009.

The FGDC IFTN page does not have any information about this document as of now.

- via @mappsorg

Dept. of Homeland Security Sole Sources NSGIC for RAMONA

How nice that NSGIC's efforts to provide a single point for state GIS inventories is getting some support. DHS is looking for "access to and enhancement of the RAMONA GIS Inventory, as well as research and development of best practices guidance."

- Fed Biz Online via @JeffHarrison

Sunlight Labs "Apps for America" Finalists Announced; Vote

The Sunlight Foundation sponsored the contest (V2) to encourage developers to take advantage of the newly opened datasets from the federal government including data.gov. Have a look at the three finalists - all with maps - and vote for your favorite.

Finalists include:

GovPulse - a Federal Register browser, it includes maps of places mentioned by an agency.

This we know - "the EveryBlock for federal data"

Datamasher - "allows you to take two different public data sources and mash them up with an operator (+ - * /)."