Google announced a Public Alerts page on Jan 25. The idea is to keep you informed of emergency alerts for floods, tornadoes, winter storms, and other dangers that may be headed your way. But, it's completely query driven, not location-based in this first attempt. Google is seeking feedback. Mano Marks noted on Twitter he'd worked on this project in the past.
- Google Blog
MapQuest launched an HTML5 client.
- press release
Adam Sadilek of the University of Rochester has developed a tool to predict one's location based on friend's locations known through Twitter. How well? It can locate you to within 100 meters with up to 85% accuracy.
"You can actually infer a lot of things about people, even though they are pretty careful about how they manage their online behaviour," he reports.
- New Scientist
by Adena Schutzberg on 01/26 at 05:30 AM |
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The US Army has put out feelers for companies that may want (and be able) to build a data center for the Department of Defense’s agency that provides geospatial intelligence support to the military.
The Army has issued a “sources sought” notice for a potentially US$10m-plus project to convert a 30,000 sq ft room in the National Geospacial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) campus in Springfield, Virginia, into a Tier 2 data center, according to official government documents.
- Data Center Dynamics
by Adena Schutzberg on 01/26 at 05:28 AM |
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URISA reports that 25 GISCorps volunteers have recently been deployed to 9 new missions in 7 countries including Libya, Indonesia and Samoa.
- URISA News (not sure why it's not a press release)
The Cultural Heritage Administration [Korea] said Thursday it will launch a new information service in March that will pinpoint the location of historic sites and give users information on regulations in places where construction is scheduled.
The service is a revamped and expanded version of the existing Cultural Heritage GIS Service (http://gis-heritage.go.kr). GIS stands for geographic information service. The CHA will finish a pilot run of the new service by next month and officially launch it on March 1.
- Chosun Ilbo
Twitter activity in Africa is tops in South Africa, followed by Kenya, per a study by Portland Communications .
South Africa is the continent’s most active country by volume of geo-located Tweets, with over twice as many Tweets (5,030,226 during the fourth quarter of 2011 followed by Kenya at 2,476,800.
Nigeria 1,646,212), Egypt (1,214,062) and Morocco (745,620) make up the remainder of the top five most active countries on twitter. African Twitter users are active across a range of social media, including Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn.
- Business Daily Africa
by Adena Schutzberg on 01/26 at 04:53 AM |
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I found the reference to one third of US counites using oblique imagery in a local news story on a new user in Minnesota:
The aerial oblique imagery services were purchased at a cost of $127,719 from Rochester, New York headquartered, Pictometry, using non-tax levy recorder fee and 911-funds budgeted prior to the new year. According to information from the company, one-third of U.S. counties now utilize the oblique imagery.
The company website puts it this way:
As a result, nearly one third of counties in the United States now rely on Pictometry solutions to ensure fair and equitable assessments and improve their internal work processes for claims communications with residents and more.
- Granite Falls Advocate Tribune (MN)
by Adena Schutzberg on 01/26 at 04:38 AM |
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The number one request for the Cape Cod Canal Chamber of Commerce? Printed maps. So, instead of a guidebook the Chamber will print free maps, with ads on the back.
- Wareham Week
The Canadian Institute of Planners reminds you:
With less than a week to go before nominations close, there are a few cities that have not yet fielded a candidate for the Great Places in Canada contest.
- press release
Abbotford, BC has had downloadable GIS data for several years, but it's IE only. HTML source code reads: "Webmapping Utility For A City Map For Abbotsford British Columbia Canada By Intergraph" and includes a reference to CGM.
I'm not sure why the paper noted it this week; maybe because now it's free. A shoutout to Ralph G. who lives up there!
- AP
- Abby News
by Adena Schutzberg on 01/26 at 04:28 AM |
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