GPS enabled Solar Panels and other GPS News

AllSun Tracker is a Complete Solar Electric System

The AllSun Tracker is a dual-axis active solar tracker which uses a motor and GPS (Global Positioning System) to turn the solar PV panels both from east to west and up and down to ensure the panels always follow the sun’s elevation.

I guess it's cheaper to use GPS than another sensor, like a light detector?

- All Earth Renewables via @gletham

GPS receivers in China are not passing inspection.

Over 70 percent of GPS navigation devices on the Chinese market failed to pass a recent sample inspection carried out by experts, reports Xinhua News Agency.

Out of a total of 18 different GPS devices, produced by 13 major firms, only 5 devices produced by three different factories, have passed the inspection and are deemed fit for use. The pass rate was below 30 percent.

Among the 18 different types of device, 17 failed to locate a particular position, or were unable to find a path to a specified location. Some devices used outdated map data that was first published ten years ago.

There are more issues with the less expensive devices.

- CRI English

In other Chinese GPS news, an Ameican was fined just over $3000 for illegally collecting survey data with a GPS back in 2010.

Illegal surveying and mapping by foreigners in Xinjiang is "a threat to national defense andeconomic security", Liu Geqing, head of the [surveying and mapping bureau, told China Daily on Tuesday.

"As our ancestors say, an atlas is the key to a country, which cannot be shown to others," Liusaid, calling for the public, especially those working in foreign-related companies andorganizations, to realize the significance of surveying and mapping work.

About 10 foreigners have been prosecuted for illegal mapping in Xinjiang in the last 5 years.

- China Daily

Sundosoft Brings GIS to Korea and other International GIS News

The Korea Times has a feature on Yoon Jay-joon (Jay Yoon), CEO of Sundosoft, a large GIS player in the country. One of the graphics is of a box of ArcGIS 9. I guess 10 is not yet out there.

- Korea Times

Panasonic's new GPS enabled cameras may not work quite right in China. How and exactly why is not clear, but apparently geotagging is illegal in that country.

- GPS Tracklog

Mackenzie District Council in New Zealand is fight against bad GIS data.

"During the last revaluation, it was discovered the information we sent to our valuers was incorrect. This was due to multiple users creating different copies of the data, manipulating the information and treating it as correct," Mr Morris said.

"If council chose to do nothing, the GIS information will get progressively worse.

But the local government does not want to put a dedicated outside person in charge of cleaning up the data. Instead, it's looking into a shared position.

- Stuff.co.nz

The Doolin Coast Guard team in Co Clare Ireland will be the only such unit in the country with a GIS. It'll be run on tablets to increase efficiency in response and planning.

The system also contains up to date information on the locations of caves, popular surfing spots and other areas where the team might be requested to respond to an incident.

It will also aid in incident planning as it contains information such as radio reception blackspots, access routes and helicopter landing sites.

- Clare Herald

GPS Receivers Made from Eyeglass Cases and other Education GIS News

Professor Nagarjuna G from the Gnowledge lab of the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education and hist team are mapping nine villages in Raigad district of Maharashtra Statea in India and adding the data to OpenStreetMap The project grew out of a "one laptop per child" effort in the remote villiages, areas G and his colleague regularly visit. But how to gain access to GPS devices?

It was a year ago that a team led by set out to map these villages in Khalapur taluka of the district bordering Mumbai. With some basic engineering, transparent spectacle cases were turned into Global Positioning System (GPS) devices at a cost of Rs 6,000 each; the contraptions are cheaper than GPS trackers available in the market at Rs 25,000 upwards.

Teachers are developing wikipages about their villages and students are recording stories told by parents and grandparents to document their hometowns.

- India Express

The Mapping Montana lecture series will take place in Helena at 6:30 p.m. on four Thursdays in January and February. Topics run from the historical to the current.

Chinese GNSS Beidou Offering Data

With its tenth satellite in orbit, Beidou, the Chinese equivalent to GPS, is "operational." China plans six more satellite launches before the end of 2012 and a total of 35 by 2020. 

If the translation is accurate, Chinese officials are unclear on how the systems works. 

Beidou now offered location, timing and navigation data to China and surrounding areas announced the project's spokesman Ran Cheng.

The interface control document is available in English (pdf).

- BBC

Georgetown Students Map Chinese Nuclear Tunnels and other Education GIS News

Led by their hard-charging professor, a former top Pentagon official, they [Georgetown students] have translated hundreds of documents, combed through satellite imagery, obtained restricted Chinese military documents and waded through hundreds of gigabytes of online data.

The result of their effort? The largest body of public knowledge about thousands of miles of tunnels dug by the Second Artillery Corps, a secretive branch of the Chinese military in charge of protecting and deploying its ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads.

- WaPo

Participants in the crime prevention event “R U Safe?” created a map of the College Avenue [Rutgers University, NJ] campus last night [Dec 1], highlighting areas most prone to crime using a smartphone application called “Mobile Mappler.”

Designed by Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy lecturer Wansoo Im, the app allows users to select areas where they feel vulnerable to crime, said Jerilyn Krakower, coordinator of “R U Safe?”

The app, built on Google tech, includes data such as lighting and crime and invites crowdsourcing information on where users feel unsafe.

- Daily Targum

West Hartford, CT is having its hydrants mapped. And the whole program is led by fifth graders. No mention of GIS thus far, though there is a wiki which will hold latitude and longitude.

"Where in the Blazes R U?" is the manifestation of an idea that Taylor first had on a morning run last winter, and has been made possible by a grant she applied for from the Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools combined with funding from the elementary school PTOs.

The project's goal is being implemented by the town's 5th graders, who are learning to use GPS technology to map the coordinates of all 1,500 fire hydrants in West Hartford. The students will be using a wiki to input the longitude and latitude data for each hydrant. The project will benefit town residents as well as the fire department, and is a great example of service learning, where kids go out into the community to solve a problem.

- West Hardford Patch

Nova Scotia Community College seems to be losing its geomatics program:

The three members of the Applied Geomatics Research Group, established in 2000, were given their notices last week and their jobs terminated Nov. 30.

Affected by the decision are senior research scientist Bob Maher, scientist Chris Hopkinson and project manager Jeff Wentzell. Scientist Tim Webster was not affected by the staff changes.

- The Chronicle Herald via @mapserving