Custom Google MyMaps - how about police trap zones and the Windsor, CO speed zone mashup map

Yesterday I wish I would have had access to some known police hangouts via Google maps.. heck, there likely is a mashup out there that does this (there's one for everything else). After 25 years of clean driving I managed to get pulled over doing 40 in a 30 zone (I know, big freaking deal!) To help in my rehabilitation I've added a Police Speed Trap zone to MyMaps and maybe it will save some other unlucky sucker from falling into the same "trap" that I did. FYI, have you checked out the icons that are now at your fingertips in Google maps lately? Its a breeze to share a map like this with others, taking about one minute to create. Now if all of Windsor can pitch in and help map the rest of the traps we'll have a really useful resource ;0)

Loads of cool icons are now available for placing on your MyMap

Get $200 for your old GPS unit when you trade up with Trimble

Have you seen this promo from Trimble... dust off that old unit and trade up! Details as follows... For a limited time only, you can trade in any recreational GPS device and receive $250/€200 toward the purchase of a Juno™ ST handheld with TerraSync™ Professional software.  The program ends September 14, 2007.  Full details are available from a local Trimble Reseller - www.trimble.com

poll - Which Social Networking application are you hooked on?

More on social networking... "Cliff" had som great comments in an earlier post and I have to agree with him. For me LinkedIn is becoming a must have for maintaining business relationships, while facebook and in my case, Flickr, are must haves for more casual and family ties/networking. As mentioned previously there's a host of others that I also use but I'm hardly as dependant on those apps. So, how about a poll... sorry I don't have a "none of the above" option, I'll simply assume that everyone is using atleast one of the services mentioned below.

event - Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) Project Showcase (Calgary)

This heads-up comes from the CGDI (Canada) - GeoConnections invites you to attend the first of a series of Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) Project Showcases. The event is targeted at past, current, and future CGDI end-users from all levels of government, non-government organizations, the private sector, Aboriginal groups, and academia. The showcase will be held on September 27, 2007 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm and on September 28, 2007 from 8:30 am to 12:15 pm. 
 
Coast Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre
1316 - 33 Street NE
Calgary, Alberta
T2A 6B6
(800) 661-1464
www.calgaryplaza.com

The social networking dilemma.. which way to go?

Are you having the same issues as I am with deciding on which social networking apps to use? Now granted, I test loads of them out once or twice so I can write about them, however, there's still a number of them that I've tried to use regularly... that is proving to be a real challenge lately though. What's apparent is that unless you use a service regularly and keep it fresh, it will get stale, boring, and eventually fall to the wayside. Just today I was introduced to MOSH via way of forum.nokia - they sent their members details of this cool new media sharing service. From first look its been developed to enable mobile device users (of symbian S60 devices) the ability to share their digital media with friends and colleagues. It's more than simply social networking though because they've provided the capabilities for power mobile users to share all digital content.. photos, video, wall paper, ring tones, video tones, etc... quite cool. The problem.. its one more thing to learn how to use, load on my PC and mobile, and start adding content to make it semi-useful. At the same time I just got 2 requests to connect on Facebook.. another app that I admit I haven't done a good job at maintaining. I must admit, I like the way it can search out "friends" from my yahoo, gmail, and msn email accounts (WOW!) and the share places you've visited on a map widget is very cool and simple to use. Then add my blog(s) and naturally my flickr photos which I admit I am totally hooked on using. But which site to a commit to?? Flickr, YouTube, platial, Google MyMap, twitter, lifeblog, twibble, mosh, linkedIn, facebook, mySpace... ohmygod. I guess for now I'll continue to attempt to maintain 12 of them until one of them provided everything I need! FYI, I just tried conencting my facebook to my mobile for uploads etc.. and low-and-behold... it doesn't support T-freaking-Mobile!!

The FME World Challenge - snap photos of your Safe / FME shwag

I was just hanging out at the FME ETL blog - http://spatial-etl.blogspot.com - reading the latest post from Dale Lutz who's currently down-under. Then I see details of the Safe Around the World contest.. quite cool! For you FME-ers, snap a photo of yourself and your favorite Safe Software Shwag (hey, I don't have any FME shwag yet if you can believe that!) in an interesting place, somewhere on the planet (reminds me of the cool ESRI photos of users in the funky t-shirts). Send them the photo and you could get world-wide recognition and even more shwag! See http://www.fmepedia.com/index.php/SafeAroundTheWorldChallenge

 

N95 networking from forum nokia - mobilize and share with MOSH

Something news and very cool out of forum nokia today is MOSH. Think flickr + twitter + blogger and you'll see what I mean. MOSH just went into BETA today after being in a closed Alpha for some time. The app has the requisite PC client but is also ideally optimized for mobile users (like the N95) to share their thoughts, images and other mobile media with others.
http://mosh.nokia.mobi from your device

- Create and upload applications, games, images and more
- Collect your favorites and download to your mobile
- Share your content with the MOSH mobile community

See http://mosh.nokia.mobi from your mobile device or register at http://mosh.nokia.com/

Now the tough part of this is deciding which social app do I post to now when I want to update something... let's see, there's flickr, facebook, myspace, blogger, twitter, twibble, plazes, platial etc... eventually I'll need to commit to one of them rather than all of them! Atleast the Profilactic will help me keep tabs on some of the services!

Look Mom.. no GPS! Garmin helps runners and walkers track their workouts with the Forerunner 50

Billed as the Only Sports Watch With Automatic Wireless Sync - no GPS! The system includes a wireless USB ANT™ Stick that plugs into the user’s PC and automatically downloads workout data stored on the watch to a personal computer. No cables are necessary as the Forerunner 50 synchronizes with the computer once it is in close proximity. Depending on the model purchased, the Forerunner 50 accurately monitors and records heart rate or speed and distance or all of the above. The device is priced at under $100 - Learn more about the Forerunner 50, ANT+Sport and Garmin Connect by visiting the Forerunner 50 mini site at www.garmin.com/buzz/fr50/

Career Boosting Tip: Career and Corporate Cool... a new book

This one's a bit odd but since Nokia NY is promoting the book it has to be pretty cool. Nokia execs are all about image, business etiquette, style, fashion, and being cool, therefore, this book has to be worth checking out (IMHO). Career and Corporate Cool (by Rachel Weingarten) promises to teach the reader to to look, dress, and act the part to succeed in business and life... see http://www.careerandcorporatecool.com/

Mobile Developer competition - Tele Atlas Maps In Apps 2007

The mobile space, in particular, the LBS marketplace, has always had some great developer opportunities in the form of contests. Typically, the contests offer up developers a chance to access free tools, SDKs, and data. Add to the the opportunity to get some great recognition, your app on a deck, and maybe even some cash... lots of cash! Tele Atlas is now promoting a cool opportunity for mobile (LBS) developers - enter Maps In Apps 2007

From Tele Atlas... Location information enhances all kinds of applications - Tele Atlas wants to see your apps This contest is for consumer and business applications that are not LBS focused, but include mapping or location as a functionality enhancement.

- Registration opens July 23rd and closes September 23rd, 2007
- Participation is open to all mobile applications developers using Tele Atlas data
- Up to 3 finalist applications will be showcased on websites and in the Tele Atlas booth at CTIA IT 2007, visitors and attendees will vote for their favorite application
- One grand prize: $25,000 cash, $50,000 in Tele Atlas map data.
Two runners up prizes: $10,000 cash and $20,000 in Tele Atlas map data.
Click here to read the official rules. or jump to http://www.teleatlas.com/LBSSeries/index.htm

The new iMac All New Line Features Sleek Aluminum 20- and 24-inch Designs

Just announced today... The entire new iMac line features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and a new, ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard, built-in iSight(R) video camera for video conferencing and iLife(R) '08, making it the ultimate digital lifestyle desktop computer for both consumers and professionals. The 20-inch iMac now starts at just $1,199, $300 less than the previous 20-inch model, and the 24-inch iMac starts at just $1,799, $200 less than the previous 24-inch model. Sweet.. just thinking about no more blue screen of death, constant IE errors etc.. makes me drool after one of these bad boys!

USGIF Launches Geospatial Intelligence Certificate Program

An interesting announcement from the USGIF today... The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) today announced the launch of its Geospatial Intelligence Certificate Program to support the professional education needs of the geospatial intelligence tradecraft. Colleges and universities are encouraged to apply to accredit their geospatial intelligence certificate program based on the criteria developed by USGIF. Applications can be found online at http://www.usgif.org/About_Committees_Academic.aspx. Applications must be submitted by Oct. 31 for evaluation starting in November or by February 2008 for evaluation in May 2008.

“The Foundation’s vision for this Geospatial Intelligence Certificate Program is to uphold an accredited institution to support the professional education needs of the geospatial intelligence tradecraft,” said USGIF President and Chairman Stu Shea, “thereby assuring a continuance of qualified geospatial intelligence professional to support a critical part of our national security.” See more in the official PR

GISuser Today Aug 8 - Autodesk FreeWheel, Garmin, Google Earth, Maps in Apps

From today's GISuser Today... Have you heard about Tele Atlas Maps In Your Apps 2007? This contest is for consumer and business applications that are not LBS focused, but include mapping or location as a functionality enhancement - You could walk away with $25K... registration closes September 23rd, 2007. Speaking of LBS and mobile apps... Garmin has made a ton of announcements today including details of the launch of the new Triton handheld series of devices - see LBSzone for more on this. Also cool is work of the new GadgetTrak technology that enables mobile device users to track and safeguard the security of valuable devices... ever had a laptop, PDA, or cell phone ripped off along with all your valuable data?? In today's business news, Colorado-based SANZ has sold off their EarthWhere business unit to Delaware-based SPADAC. Google has announced more street view imagery, including data for Orlando, San Diego, L.A. and Houston... now you can show your family all those cool and fun places you visit in San Diego at the annual ESRI UC - hey, I think I saw myself on the patio at Dick's! Finally, under the category of blogging, I've added a number of interesting threads including more on Nanaimo's Google Earth accolades, details of Microsoft Live Labs Photosynth, and a cool new collaboration solution from Autodesk - Project Freewheel 3D/2D ShareNow from Autodesk . There's TONS of new site additions so be sure to take a few minutes and check out all the new stories. For complete details on these and many other Geo tech news items see the newsletter for Aug 8, 2007 - now archived at http://www.gisuser.com/newsletter/aug082007.html

A Nokia N95 posted for sale - nice deal if its so!

Dunno how long this will last but a GISuser (Julian) has just posted a small ad in our forum announcing that he has a brand new Nokia N95 for sale for about $220.. this is a bargain! If you check it out make sure the device is unlocked and not locked to a specific carrier.

The aging infrastructure - New York as an example

Consolidated Edison (Con Ed) New York's recent issues are a fine example of how managing our critical infrastructure is so crucial... and a testament to the state of the aging infrustructure and management of that resource in many cities around the country. From a news report about a recent NY Con Ed pipe burst, "The blast swallowed a truck, severely burned two people, blew out hundreds of windows and sprayed asbestos-tainted mud all over the street. Dozens of people were cut by falling debris, and one woman died of a heart attack while fleeing." And then there's also the topic of bridge construction and the safety of commuters around the country... Speaking of infrastructure, recall that GITA has renamed their annual event (was simply GITA conference) to the Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference - likely a good indication of the direction geospatial technology solution providers are headed. For more on GITA event see http://gita.org/events/annual/31/index.asp - info Con Ed news see here

Protecting your GPS, iPod even your iPhone with GadgetTrak

A cool technology has been developed to help consumers keep tabs on those valuable portable devices... Here's how the GadgetTrak technology works. If your device is missing or stolen, you log into your account and activate tracking for that device. The next time the device is accessed it will attempt to contact the GadgetTrak server and provide data regarding the system it is plugged into including: Register you free account

• Public IP Address
• Location (Country, City, State & Zip)
• Username
• Computer Name
• Host name of ISP
• Internal network IP address

Once logged in you can monitor your device on a amp (of course) powered via google maps API. See http://www.gadgettrak.com/

MAgellan launches Triton series of portable handheld GPS

Magellan announced today the introduction of its new Triton series of portable handheld GPS receivers. Ready to use out of the box with built-in base maps, the Triton 2000 features a newly redesigned user interface with color, 2.7-inch QVGA touch screen that enables the easy selection of routes, waypoints and other features. It also includes a built-in 2MP camera, SD card slot, electronic compass and barometer, speaker/microphone and flashlight. More info here

Google announces Street View for Orlando, San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston API enables 1.1 billion more users!

Google has announced additional Street View imagery for several cities including Orlando, FL.. now you can get up close imagery of Disney, Epcot, Sea World, etc... maybe I'll head over to Pleasure Island later ;0) Google announced just today the imagery is now available for San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston and Orlando. In other updates from Google recently, the Google Maps API team announced that they enabled geocoding in the API for India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Ireland. From the crew... "That means there are potentially 1.1 billion more users that might now be able to locate themselves on your map - that's about 1/5 of the world's population." SWEET! See www.google.com/maps/
Above is a Street Side image from San Diego, CA - cool.. next year at the ESRI UC maybe we'll be captured when they do an image update!

so, you want to work for Google - how about Google Local Business referals

This comes via Google.. see google maps, then click the "Get paid to visit businesses" link - lower-left area. Google is offering "googlers" a chance to take part in growing their information holdings by acting as a local business referal agent. Simply apply (some restrictions apply) and you could get the call. You'll then be charged with providing information like business descriptions, photos, ratings, etc... to help add even more useful information to the google local business directory. Note.. as a comment suggests, this is an opportunity to work for google as a contractor, not as an "employee"- see http://www.google.com/local/referral

Will CraigsList ever slow down? More map mashups will be a great plus for this resource

I can't get over the amazing capabilities of CraigsList... I've been a fan and a user for a long time now (I found my Ft Collins short term rental using it) and lately I've unloaded loads of stuff using this incredible local search / classifieds utililty. Obviousy the "local" component and the immediateness (is that a word??) make CraigsList a very powerful resource. To compare... I had a car advertised in a local paper and received virtually no response to the ad.. what a waste of $50! Contrasting that is the flurry of activiry I received from a CraigsList posting. Being able to target ads to locations that are more relevant (eg. sometimes I advertise on the Boulder or Denver list, depending on the item) which brings amazing reasults when used appropriately. Ideally I'd like to see more mapping in the UI, however, to date it doesn't seem to limit the usefullness... more mobile integration would also be very cool.. ie. post from a mobile or contact me via my mobile etc... although there are simple ways to get around this or provide a hack. The map mashups of CraigsList housing adverts have been huge to say the least - see http://www.housingmaps.com/ or http://www.myapartmentmap.com/ but I'd like to see more or even map driven mashups that incorporate all the CraigsList listings. Do you know of such a mashup? Anyone getting these kind of results fromm Google Base? I found an amazing Apple iPhone map mashup that enables users to locate ebay listsings for Apple iPhones.. way cool. I envision this being much more useful by being able to mash ebay and craigslist into the map and change the search parameter to include any kind of product... imagine... search craigslist for computers neara zipcode 80528... that's what I want to see! Gotta go.. I have a guy coming over to buy a desk that's been sitting in my garage... kaching $$

Project Freewheel 3D/2D ShareNow from Autodesk

Some cool technology out of Autodesk Labs with FreeWheel and the 2D/3D share now utility. IT's officially being unveiled later today (more to come on this) but we got some sneak peeks from the LAB website... About FreeWheel - These utilities publish a design from AutoCAD, Inventor, or Revit to the Project Freewheel server. With one click of the ShareNow icon, your design application will publish a DWF file of your current design, upload it to Project Freewheel, and invoke the browser with a view of your design. You can then leverage all of the benefits that Project Freewheel has to offer - without installing additional software. Collaborate with your team members on Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh OSX, or Linux. They can use Internet Explorer or Firefox. They can use a PC, Mac, PDS, Cell phone -- whatever has a compatible browser with an internet connection. Stay Tuned for more!

see http://freewheel.labs.autodesk.com

Q and A: Where can I obtain VMAP data? Here's a tip

This is a common one.. today I got a common request from a reader.. "where can I obtain VMap data? My response which may help some of you asking the same thing:

See the following:
VMAP1 and other global datasets are available from the NGA Raster Roam -http://geoengine.nga.mil/geospatial/SW_TOOLS/NIMAMUSE/webinter/rast_roam.html
To access VMAP1 data see http://geoengine.nga.mil/geospatial/SW_TOOLS/NIMAMUSE/webinter/vmap1_legend.html

see also these useful help docs:
Free Download of VMAP1 - Vector Smart Map FTP links http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/5535/

The search on GISuser yields some great results and you can try this custom Google GIS Data search DB that I developed


I would urge you to be careful buying this data online as most commercial resellers simply download from these FTP sites, cut to a CD / DVD and send to you.. save your $$. There's many online sources of these data but these tips should get you started and atleast pointed in the right direction.

Microsoft Live Labs Photosynth... capturing the image DNA in 3D

I learned about this amazing research project via a recent press release from Microsoft .. the technology is being used to create
3-D images of the space shuttle Endeavour and surrounding buildings at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida

With Photosynth you can:

- Walk or fly through a scene to see photos from any angle.
- Seamlessly zoom in or out of a photo whether it's megapixels or gigapixels in size.
- See where pictures were taken in relation to one another.
- Find similar photos to the one you're currently viewing.
- Send a collection - or a particular view of one - to a friend.

how it works:

Each photo is processed by computer vision algorithms to extract hundreds of distinctive features, like the corner of a window frame or a door handle. Photos that share features are then linked together in a web. When the same feature is found in multiple images, its 3D position can be calculated.

Imagine storing the image DNA. Photosynth could then show you other photos that have similar features to the one you're currently viewing. Imagine capturing a photo of the Statue of Liberty for example... you can then immediately access information about the feature via WiKipedia etc...

See Microsoft Live Labs - http://labs.live.com/photosynth/

Finally, Birch gets some recognition for putting Nanaimo on the Google Earth stage!

Recall I recently mentioned how Nanaimo, BC was getting all kinds of attention for being a power Google Earth contributor yet the city's GIS programmer, Jason Birch was not getting much (if any) recognition for his efforts. Well, finally an article has appeared in the Globe & Mail that delves much deeper into the story.. nice! Too bad the local "rags" can't spend a bit more time doing some research and coming up with some informative facts before they go to press. I like this bit in the article...

"The project began when a soft-spoken programmer named Jason Birch took a look at a new mapping program called Google Earth in 2005. "I'd never seen anything like it," said Mr. Birch, 38, who has a university degree in geography and a passion for computers... For two years, he's experimented with images, colours and a programming language called KML. He's also worked overtime, spending a few hours with his wife and twin sons, then playing with Google Earth from 8 p.m. until midnight, and even logging voluntary hours on the weekend."

See the latest in an article from the Globe & Mail  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070806.NANAIMO06/TPStory/TPNational/BritishColumbia/

Navigating with the Nokia 6110 Navigator

We all know by now that Nokia is encouraging mobile navigation via the GPS-enabled Nokia N95 (I'm still trying to get used to all the functionality with mine) but did you know that there's another cool GPS-enabled device from the company - enter the 6110 Navigator. This one is a more budget friendly option that doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the N95 delivers, however, those of you looking for navigation and GPS functionality will like this one.. some info on the device from Nokia... The Nokia 6110 Navigator brings together GPS (Global Positioning System) and AGPS (Assisted Global Positioning System) with always-on mobile connectivity in a feature-rich, compact device. The phone features video calling and sharing functionality, a 2 megapixel camera and a large and bright 2,2" QVGA screen, offering up to 16 million colors. The phone has a talk-time of up to 3,5 hours and a standby time of 11 days. For more about the 6610 see:
photos
video
latest news - http://www.lbszone.com/content/view/2156/2/
More on the N95
Suggested N95 / 6110 add ons

Nokia 6110 Navigator

A fine USGS topo layer solution for Google Earth

I spent this morning flying around Northern Colorado looking for a place to swim in the Poudre River near Fort Collins (any ideas??) - I then had a need to add a USGS topo layer to my Google Earth session - enter good old Frank Taylor (aka. Google Earth Blog founder) and a solution! A great add-on for Google Earth from a company called 3D solar was found, enabling you to view USGS topos for your area of interest was located easily seaching his blog. Simply add the layer, wait a few seconds and the topo will appear.. toggle off when you don't need it... I'd love to see the ability to swipe the topo in/out with the google earth scene! Developed by 3D solar and KMZ streamed from the Google earth blog - here's the USGS topo layer KMZ.. enjoy (does anyone have any other solutions for this??) ! http://www.gearthblog.com/kmfiles/topomaps.kmz

flying over Poudre River in NOCO

The same area with the USGS top layer!