A presentation solution from Netpresenter 5

Does your company present at conferences? If so perhaps your interested in this solution from Netpresenter - Netpresenter Player 5.0, is a next generation digital signage player software. Key new feature is support for Adobe Flash content and YouTube videos, enabling delivery and playback of these content types on PC desktops, large (digital signage) screens and even mobile devices. More about Netpresenter - users can include a broad range of dynamic content to their presentations, including Flash animations, live news feeds, live streaming video, TV channels, and even YouTube videos. It also allows the addition of smooth running, CNN like, ticker tapes to the screens, and transparent GIF images, often used for weather and traffic maps. http://www.netpresenter.com

NASA Earth Views in HD in honor of Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, April 22, NASA will make amazing Earth views available with an event highlighting imagery taken by astronauts and the science behind it. From NASA... For the first time ever, NASA Television will air a special hour-long broadcast of views of Earth taken in High Definition, or HD, by astronauts on past space shuttle and International Space Station missions.
The special HD broadcast will air between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 18, and replay at the same time on Monday, April 21. It will air every hour from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22. See http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Tip - National Geographic DataDoors portal

A data tip from NGS - Not exactly free, however, this is a fine resource for viewing data and imagery... National Geographic DataDoors portal (www.natgeodatadoors.com), customers can select the exact area of coverage they want and order National Geographic’s TOPO! maps and i-cubed’s USA Nationwide Prime Imagery on CD-ROM or removable hard drives, or as a download. National Geographic Maps has scanned over 58,000 United States Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangles, color corrected them to create a consistent look and created a seamless map that spans all 50 U.S. states. The TOPO! map data is available at 1:24,000 scale in the continental United States and Hawaii, 1:63,360 scale in Alaska, and 1:100,000 scale in the continental United States. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data is also available to help visualize vertical terrain and conduct spatial analysis and modeling. DataDoors delivers TOPO! maps and i-cubed imagery in many open formats, including TIF, JPEG, SID and ECW, and supports the selection of projection and data.

Canadian and US topos from Touratel

Fugawi Touratel (aimed at hikers and outdoor enthusiasts) allows users to view and print Canadian and US topographic maps from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The site contains NRCan maps in 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 scales for all Canadian Provinces, and USGS topographic maps for the USA, including Hawaii and Alaska, at all available scales, including 1:24,000, 1:100,000 and 1:250,000. Also served up are aerials and google maps. Finally, Touratel also offers up a mobile version and is available from Alltel wireless and Sprint. More on this app available in their latest PR

The H1B lottery and UCIS online case tracking

Recall that this past April 1 was once again "H1B lottery day" in the US. If you or your company petitioned for an H1B employee you should receive a letter stating your application has been received. Then you'll be entered into the lottery and have a slightly better than 1/3 chance of getting the visa - if all is well with your app! Once again the quote of 65,000 visa apps was easily reached in the first week with more than 160,000 applications. Of interest, UCIS provides an online mechanism for tracking the status of your case - see HERE. You'll need to provide your 13-digit case application number.

Spatial Networking releases Whereyougonnabe

Just released... After several months of work, Petter Batty has announced the release of the Whereyougonnabe application for facebook users. In a nutshell... The key idea of the system is that you and your friends tell us where and when you will be doing things in the future, and we look at this information to tell you when you will be close by to your friends. The app can also be integrated with Google Earth. USers register on facebook and add the app, then you jump to the apps settings and start adding posts about "where you will be", friends and colleagues can then track your movement and see your calendar... nice! Looks like Peter, James, Jason, and me are on there testing it out right now. See more on Peter's Blog
See also on facebook at http://apps.facebook.com/whereyougonnabe/





Introduction to whereyougonnabe from Peter Batty on Vimeo.

Webcast What’s New in ERDAS IMAGINE 9.2

Users and would-be users of the ERDAS remote sensing solution can now get the low-down via free webcast. Each month, ERDAS will offer two different webinar topics. Each webinar will be hosted at 12 p.m. and 9 p.m. EDT on the scheduled day and will feature an ERDAS solution, addressing user needs while also showcasing key features. The webinars are slated to run for 45 minutes, followed by a 15 min. Q&A

Below is a schedule outlining the next three ERDAS webinars:
April 24 – What’s New in ERDAS IMAGINE
May 8 – Rapidly Connect and Share Your World
May 22 – Fast! Catalog and Deliver Terabytes of Imagery

To register for this ERDAS webinar see www.erdas.com

DotHomes Real Estate Mashup + Google Street View and more

DotHomes is yet another real estate mashup, however, this app (which I wasn't familiar with) has really harnessed the potential of the Google Maps API. It also answers the question, "What is Google going to do with all that street view imagery gathered from residential areas"? The app is simple but VERY effective for those searching for real estate. Simply search an area of interest, then when a hit comes up you toggle and view detailed info on individual listings bu clicking the familiar Google map bubble icons - I think a custom icon (like a little house) would make the app look much more professional. But here's what gets cool, users can click the "street" view option and get a view of the property as if they were standing outside, heck, you can even "walk" down the street! USers can also upload video of a property directly to the service! What a fine job on this one. Finally, the search service enables users to search using a slightly different criteria than most real estate portals as users can enter a simple string like "Denver, Co 4 bedroom under $350K". With yet another great tool for the house hunter I have to ask myself yet again... What the hell do we need realtors for??? Better yet, why are we still paying these guys 6% in commissions... whatajoke! - See http://www.dothomes.com

When do Map services get Credit? Microsoft shunned by HGTV

I was watching a show on HGTV recently and noticed that the show was displaying location information by displaying screen captures from a Microsoft Map Service, likely Windows Live or MapPoint. It helped to put the show in context but I was suprised to notice that there was no citation or recognition at all being displayed along with the map... I'm pretty sure that would be part of the requirements of using the map service wouldn't you think? Microsft, perhaps you should get in touch with HGTV.