Google Maps API tutorial

The Blackpool Community Church Javascript Team has published this Google map API tutorial at  http://www.econym.demon.co.uk/googlemaps/. A number of specific functions are covered in detail including how to add a clickable sidebar, creating custome markers, and much more

GIS and geospatial news updates today at GISuser

Today is a huge day for Microsoft... enter Windows Local Live (http://local.live.com/)! By now we are all familiar with Google Maps and the amazing functionality provided via the web service. Now we have another very slick alternative product to help visualize your search, provide directions, maps, imagery, and other "local" information. I'm off to Seattle this week-end for some "fun" so as a testbed I queries Seattle for a Starbucks close to my hotel. As can be expected a number of hits resulted. I was presented with the familiar "MapPointish" map and started panning and zooming about... the server was extremely fast! Once I zoomed-in tight enough I notice an option to view bird's-eye image.. clicking this tab results in the display of high-resolution, oblique aerial images... wow... I could spot pedestrians crossing the street... be sure to check this service out and please share your thoughts with us in the discussion forum.. or simply blast me your thoughts. Finally, congrats to all those recognized by the annual MAPublisher Map Awards... details below. A Christmas tip... how about a fabulous print from our antique map collection? See more at http://www.gisuser.com/newsletter/dec082005.html

Windows Local Live offers amazing oblique aerial imagery and more

Today is a huge day for Microsoft... enter Windows Local Live (http://local.live.com/)! By now we are all familiar with Google Maps and the amazing functionality provided via the web service. Now we have another very slick alternative product to help visualize your search, provide directions, maps, imagery, and other "local" information. I'm off to Seattle this week-end for some "fun" so as a testbed I queries Seattle for a Starbucks close to my hotel. As can be expected a number of hits resulted. I was presented with the familiar "MapPointish" map and started panning and zooming about... the server was extremely fast! Once I zoomed-in tight enough I notice an option to view  bird's-eye image.. http://images.gisuser.com/gut/livelocal1.jpg) clicking this tab results in the display of high-resolution, oblique aerial images... wow... I could spot pedestrians crossing the street... be sure to check this service out and please share your thoughts with us in the discussion forum.. or simply blast me your thoughts. See the PR at  http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/7589/

International LIDAR Mapping Forum update

International LIDAR Mapping Forum - Conference registration for the International LIDAR Mapping Forum 2006 is now available online at www.lidarmap.org. The most important event of the year for the LIDAR mapping industry will take place in Denver, Colorado on February 13 and 14, 2006 at the Grand Hyatt Denver Downtown.

GIS and Geospatial news updates for Dec 7

With the year-end approaching, many of you will be making resolutions for 2006... a suggestion; you might look into the GIS programs being offered by Fleming College in Ontario, Canada. Programs of study include GIS Technician, GIS Cartographic Specialist, and Geomatics Technician. All programs commence January or September 2006. Don't need further education but rather, interested in securing some grants? If so then be sure to keep an eye on the 2006 CAP grant programs.. funding is to be announced any day now so be sure to watch www.grants.gov to access the grant announcements. Finally, if you've been monitoring the recent news regarding the MapServer project, check out the ongoing discussions and comments in our Forum. Jason from Nanaimo and Rick from the U of M have some interesting words on the topic. For more about these topics see http://www.gisuser.com/newsletter/dec072005.html

New Windows Live Local Service Delivers State-of-Art Advances for Web-Based Mapping and Local Search

Scheduled for release tomorrow, Dec 8, Microsoft is touting a new Windows Live Local Service promising to deliver State-of-Art Advances for Web-Based Mapping and Local Search... sounds like a contender for Google Earth.. yes??
 According to this annoucement - http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/7589/ the Service offers unique bird's-eye exploration of U.S. cities. The new service, which will be located at http://local.live.com , contains a range of new capabilities that will be exciting to search and mapping users. The most visible of these features is a new 45-degree bird's-eye view of major U.S. cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle and Las Vegas... Covering about 25 percent of the U.S. by population

2006 CAP grants

The next round of CAP grants are supposed to be announced by tomorrow on http://www.grants.gov/
To access the grant announcement, you should be able to click on the Tab in the upper right corner "Find Grant Opportunities," then click on "Basic Search" and enter "15.809" in the field for CFDA Number.  Think about downloading the grant announcement now, because the site is to undergo revisions from December 16 - 19 and you may experience a delay.  The response date is February 1 which is a shorter time frame for submitting a proposal than past CAP Grant announcements.

Mobile devices users can now get RSS Blog alerts via TXT message

Yahoo! has added yet another feature to the growing support for RSS and RSS search. Mobile device users with select carriers can now subscribe to receive free text message alerts whenever their favorite Blog supporting RSS feeds are updated. The service is simple:
Jump to http://alerts.yahoo.com/main.php?view=blogs
Sign in to your Yahoo! account
Add the URL for your RSS to be notified about
Add a mobile device
Specify your carrier and device type

 

To receive text message alerts of GISuser updates specify the following URL - http://www.gisuser.com/index2.php?option=com_rss&no_html=1

Carrriers supported include Cingular, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, and a few others.

 

See also:
http://mobile.yahoo.com/
http://alerts.yahoo.com/main.php?view=create

Understanding MapServer Enterprise

A closer look at the latest open source web mapping solution - Autodesk Corp. has thrown their hat into Open Source movement via a collaboration with DM Solutions Group (Canadian-based web mapping consultants) and the University of Minnesota. Together they plan to advance open source web mapping technologies, mainly via the contribution of Autodesk’s new map server product, MapServer Enterprise, to the Open Source movement. We look at what this move involves, compare it to the Google maps initiative, and discuss the licensing.  Details and a decent FAQ are now available at http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/7567/28/

Shapefiles for prominent Atlantic hurricanes now available

This summer/fall the southern United States was hit by several strong hurricanes. Using storm tracking data from Unisys Corporation, shapefiles have been created for four prominent Atlantic hurricanes. You can download shapefiles for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ophelia, and Wilma to help students understand and learn about hurricanes using GIS. Download the data from the ESRI Canada website at http://k12.esricanada.com/metadata/hurricanes.html

Orienteering Basemaps Created Using LIDAR

A recent article in the December 2005 issue of Orienteering/North America highlights the use of LIDAR to create basemaps for this recreational, map-based adventure sport. A website including links relevant to LIDAR-generated orienteering basemaps can be found at http://www.lidarbasemaps.org/.

Comparison of 3 Online Mapping APIs

Google Maps, MSN Virtual Earth, and Yahoo Maps - StrataVarious, Inc. announced it has released two new demos of its Boston HyperMap Atlas using APIs for MSN's Virtual Earth and Yahoo Maps. The Google Maps API demo was launched in October. Comparison charts of the three online mapping systems show how to install the APIs, how their GUI systems work, and how each API was adapted to the custom HyperMap client-side software. The patented HyperMap Atlas system uses advanced Javascript and CSS layering in innovative ways to enable a flowing, highly-interactive user experience and smooth access to a depth of geographic information. See http://www.StrataV.com/HyperMapAtlas.html