Vertically Thinking

Calvary Chapel's Pastor Chuck Smith Has Lung Cancer

2012-01-02T20:32:00.001-08:00

Senior Pastor Chuck Smith of the Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, Calif., announced to his congregation Sunday that he is suffering from lung cancer...Read the story here. Link. Pastor Chuck is one of my personal heroes and although he has appeared to be aging over the last couple of years I am surprised to hear the announcement. I'll be praying for you Pastor Chuck.

Got WMS?

2011-12-30T06:28:00.000-08:00

I discovered a great resource last night as I was looking for a catalog of Web Mapping Services (WMS) to consume while standing up an Open Source GeoServer Stack. Back in 1994 the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) established a number of standards for geospatial data formats and services. The Web Map Service has become essential for the exchange of geospatial data through the web. Worldwide there exist thousands of WMS services offering data with hematic content.

Mapmatters.org is a service that catalogs and tests WMS feeds.

Mapmatters has cataloged more than 1000 WMS services. Through text or geographical extent searches users can find layers of interest. Each layer can be previewed on a map or with pre-compiled thumbnails.
In addition to the catalogue mapmatters also assesses performance and reliability of WMS services. For many layers information is available, for instance, how long it takes to download maps from the service and how many times a request failed.

Mapmatters is both a tool for the end-user to find a WMS service that fits the needs of a specific application with respect to the thematic contents and the required technical quality and a tool that tracks how well the service performs and to quickly be notified in case of failure.

Mapmatters is currently in a beta stage and will be extended continously. Mapmatters.org is a project by GeOps

We Love Science

2011-12-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

Answers in Genesis' Ken Ham in his Around the World with Ken Ham Blog today. I totally agree with him. Many times those who subscribe to the "Science of Evolution" do so without even thinking through the process.

We Love Science

from Around the World with AiG's Ken Ham by Ken Ham

One of the tactics used by those people who vehemently disagree with AiG’s position on God’s Word in Genesis is to try to undermine our integrity by doing things like the following:

Talking about creationists and terrorists in the same sentence or paragraph
Using the term “child abusers” to describe biblical creationists (and theologically conservative Christians in general)

There are many other such associations these enemies of God’s Word will use to try to brainwash people in an attempt to get others to reject what biblical creationists believe—without even carefully considering what they teach seriously.

Another way they try to indoctrinate people against the creation position is to label biblical creationists as “anti-science” or that we believe the Bible against “established science.” Thus many people think that creationists are anti-science, which is simply not true.

A couple of days ago, I was interviewed by a secular journalist who happened to use the phrase “religion versus science” a couple of times in his questions to me. So the first thing I did was ask him, “what do you mean by the word science when you use it?” The writer fumbled around and really couldn’t answer me. You see it is just one of those accusations our opponents use against biblical creationists, but I find most of those who use it don’t even know what they are actually asking. I then went on to explain to this journalist that I was not against science. I was a science teacher. And we have a number of PhD scientists at AiG, and we work with many PhD scientists who are employed in the secular world. We love science.
You see, the problem is that most people tend to think of our technology—based on empirical science—when they use the word ”science.” But evolutionists also use the word “science” for their belief of evolution and millions of years. And there are those leading secularists who know when they use “science” in this way and then say AiG is anti-science that the average person thinks of the word “science” as meaning that which has given us the great technology we use today. But those same people have been indoctrinated to believe that evolution and millions of years are also “science”; therefore if we don’t believe in evolution and millions of years, we are said to be anti-science. What a mess of misunderstanding and misrepresentation because the terms aren’t defined correctly.

That’s why we teach people that the definition of the word “science” is basically knowledge. Now, knowledge gained by direction observation that builds our technology is called observational or operational science. Creationists and evolutionists both accept this same operational science. But “knowledge” about the past (beliefs concerning history not based on direct observation) is called “historical science.” Creationists and evolutionists disagree over historical science but not operational science.

This past week, an agenda-driven journalist wrote an article about our Ark Encounter project. Now, this article is full of misinformation, false statements, misrepresentations, etc. Even the subtitle is totally misleading (and I’m sure it was meant to be). But without going into all the details of all these problems with the piece, we read, “Espousing an unabashedly conservative reading of the Bible that pits religious thought against reason and established science is regarded by its detractors as a beacon for the return to the Dark Ages” (http://www.jewsonfirst.org/11a/Ark1.aspx).

There it is again: to believe in creation as opposed to evolution is to accept the idea that the Bible is against “established” science. This poorly researched, emotional, and anti-creationist article is trying to imply those who believe as AiG does are against science.

I thought it would be a good time here to remind everyone of the list of highly qualified scientists who are creationists (this is by no means an exhaustive list)—see http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/bios/.

Yes, creationists love science!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Seamless Topographic USGS Maps on Google Earth

2011-12-13T10:24:00.000-08:00

On November 30 the Google Earth Blog released the following post:

Seamless Topographic USGS maps

A few months ago we showed you Matt Fox's excellent topographic maps of New Zealand, which were quite impressive. Over the years he's had many requests to create similar maps with seamless USGS topographic data, and now he's starting to roll them out on his site.

As you can see from the image above, the maps are remarkably sharp. The are distributed through a rather unique system; rather than just downloading a KMZ file, you download an installation program that adds the maps to your PC as Super Overlays. To try it for yourself, Matt is offering a free download of the San Francisco area, available here.

For comparison, you can check out our "best topo map interface" post from 2006 (a free service of USGS topo maps for the US). While they were impressive five years ago, the new maps are significantly higher quality.

For more, be sure to visit Google Earth Library and read Matt's full blog entry.

Looks like a very interesting addition to the Google Earth Library, and one that will be very useful going forward.

Use ArcGIS Online to Manage Your Own Custom Map Gallery

2011-12-01T05:40:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to a super post by ESRI's Keith Mann in the Fall 2011 edition of ArcUser magazine that provides a tutorial on how to customize your Map Gallery on ArcGIS Online. This should help organizations bring their own look and feel to what is an otherwise bland map gallery provided by ESRI at ArcGIS Online. The ability to customize should help us who use ArcGIS Online eavery day to bring our own flavor to our ESRI hosted maps. Kudos to ESRI for providing the capability to customize our ArcGIS Online galleries.

A New Frontier for Google Maps: Mapping the Indoors

2011-11-30T04:47:00.001-08:00

The Google LatLong Blog today had this great post about the most current technology adoption for Google Maps:

“Where am I?” and “What’s around me?” are two questions that cartographers, and Google Maps, strive to answer. With Google Maps’ “My Location” feature, which shows your location as a blue dot, you can see where you are on the map to avoid walking the wrong direction on city streets, or to get your bearings if you’re hiking an unfamiliar trail. Google Maps also displays additional details, such as places, landmarks and geographical features, to give you context about what’s nearby. And now, Google Maps for Android enables you to figure out where you are and see where you might want to go when you’re indoors.

When you’re inside an airport, shopping mall or retail store, a common way to figure out where you are is to look for a freestanding map directory or ask an employee for help. Starting today, with the release of Google Maps 6.0 for Android, that directory is brought to the palm of your hands, helping you determine where you are, what floor you're on, and where to go indoors.

Detailed floor plans automatically appear when you’re viewing the map and zoomed in on a building where indoor map data is available. The familiar “blue dot” icon indicates your location within several meters, and when you move up or down a level in a building with multiple floors, the interface will automatically update to display which floor you’re on. All this is achieved by using an approach similar to that of ‘My Location’ for outdoor spaces, but fine tuned for indoors.

Mall of America in Minneapolis before and after, with a floor selector
San Francisco International Airport before and after, with 3D tilt
We’ve initially partnered with some of the largest retailers, airports and transit stations in the U.S. and Japan, including:

Mall of America, IKEA, The Home Depot, select Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, Daimaru, Takashimaya and Mitsukoshi locations and more. Watch an IKEA demo here.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Narita International (NRT), among others.
JR and Tokyu Corporation

For a detailed list of participating locations, please visit our help center. And this is just the start--we’ll continually add new indoor maps to public buildings across the world. If you’re a business owner interested in getting your location’s floor plan included in Google Maps, visitmaps.google.com/floorplans.

We’re thrilled Google Maps continues to provide you with new and helpful perspectives—whether you’re rushing through the airport or finding your way around a mall. To visit our website and learn more about indoor Google Maps and other features, start here.

Posted by Brian McClendon, VP of Engineering, Google Earth and Maps

Update to the Route 66 Community Map

2011-11-14T14:37:00.001-08:00

Made an update to the Route 66 Community Map located here: Link. This new map includes links to photos for the Illinois Route 66 Places. I will be working on the Missouri Route 66 Places next. Please send me your favorite places if you want to see them included on the Route 66 Community Map.

Color Management Fundamentals

2011-11-04T20:24:00.001-07:00

Here's a great post by my friend Leo Geis on his Forensically Fit website regarding Color Management Fundamentals with Photoshop. Leo does a wonderful job explaining very complex issues on his webpage:

Color Management Fundamentals

Devices reproduce color inconsistently. Inaccuracies in color are a forensic liability.

"Color Management" refers to the procedures and tools used to control color so that it displays as accurately as possible on each device or output artifact (print). It's important to note that consistency without accuracy is of little value in most forensic applications, and that it is necessary to quantify accuracy to prove it. It is also important to remember that the human visual process of images is uncertain/unstable on its own-Color Management does not directly attempt to compensate for variables in human visual acuity.

A common example of the problem that Color Management is meant to resolve is the inaccurate and inconsistent display of images on monitors. If you view the same image on two different monitors they will probably be noticeably different, much as in the following graphic:

The image on the left offers more contrast (the difference between the lights and darks) and a red bias (producing the purple sky) as compared to the image on the right, while the image on the right shows a drastic lack of saturation. These are very common distinctions in the output of monitors.

Prints can produce even more inaccuracy and variance: prints rely upon a particular media (paper), dyes or pigments, and the vehicle that those dyes or pigments are suspended in for their color.

Printers are also inherently inconsistent-even printers of the same manufacturer and model may differ significantly in their performance, particularly when temperature and humidity are fluctuating.

There's another critical element of viewing (aside from varied human visual acuities) images, and that is the nature of the ambient light. Different light sources produce distinct lighting characteristics, and while monitors produce their own light prints rely upon ambient light (reflecting some and absorbing some) for their function. If prints are viewed under different lighting sources they will most certainly appear dissimilar. Please refer to this previous post on Forensically Fit™ for a brief explanation of the Color Temperature of Light.

In order to produce accurate color during each step of the image production process it is necessary to account for the inaccuracies explained above, and to control the output of the various devices used in the process. In short, Color Management involves esoteric Color Science and Color Theory, strange devices with intriguing names such as "Colorimeter" and "Spectrophotometer," as well as an understanding of the context in which Color Management is employed: it is used in textiles, automotive finishes, textbook publishing, leather dyes, paint, photography and videography, flooring, corporate logos, medical imaging...virtually anywhere that color itself is important.

Because Color Management involves very complicated aspects of Color Science and equipment, it is important in the forensic context to acquire bona fide expertise to either establish or impeach visual artifacts in investigations, mediation/arbitration, or trial.

The fundamental tool in Color Management is called a (Device) Profile: that will be the topic of our next posting.

Esri's Community Maps Program

2011-10-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

Esri has started a Community Maps Program where individuals or organizations can contribute geographic content to become part of a community map that Esri publishes and hosts online. Your data is integrated with data from other providers and then published through ArcGIS Online as a map service.

This program is available to any Esri user organization and other geographic data providers interested in making their data content broadly available.

Benefits

Users inside and outside of your organization, including the local business community and the general public will be able to use the online maps with ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS Explorer, ArcGIS for Server Web mapping applications, or a standard Internet Web browser.
Eliminates the costs associated with making the data widely available, such as setting up and maintaining the infrastructure.
Map data is hosted and maintained by Esri at one or more data centers in the U.S. to ensure high availability and performance.
Your organization retains all ownership of its data.
Access to your map data through an online map.
Esri can provide the data in ArcGIS for Server map cache format that your organization can publish for internal use with ArcGIS for Server.

Watch a video to learn more about the benefits of participating in the Community Maps Program.

Introduction Of Usage Limits To The Google Maps API

2011-10-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

Strange turn of events in my last two blog posts. In this post Google announces the introduction of usage limits on their Google Maps API. This post comes just after the ESRI Insider post highlighting ESRI's effort to offer free web-based GIS For Everyone by Anyone. Google has made their pile of money through advertizing while offering free services to their many users, and ESRI has made their pile of money through very high priced, but incredibly good, mapping software. These two posts are opposite of what I would expect. Kudos to ESRI on making crowd sourcing and community mapping a new part of their corporate direction. They have talked about it for years and now they have done something about it. Congrats to Bern Szukalski and the ArcGIS Online Team.

Google has made some changes to their Google Maps API Terms of Service. Google has added usage limits to the free API and will begin charging for usage that exceeds the limits. I hope they will reverse this policy now that ESRI's ArcGIS Online offers capabilities similar to those of Google Maps. Competition is a good thing, something that Google excels at. Who would have thought with the history of both companies that Google would be charging for a service similar to one that ESRI offers for free.

Here is the entire GeoDeveloper Blog post as written by Thor Mitchell:

When the Maps API Terms of Service were updated in April of this year we announced that usage limits would be introduced to the Maps API starting on October 1st. With October upon us, I’d like to provide an update on how these limits are being introduced, and the impact it will have on your Maps API sites.

The usage limits that now apply to Maps API sites are documented in the Maps API FAQ. However no site exceeding these limits will stop working immediately. We understand that developers need time to evaluate their usage, determine if they are affected, and respond if necessary. There are three options available for sites that are exceeding the limits:

Reduce your usage to below the limits
Opt-in to paying for your excess usage at the rates given in the FAQ
Purchase a Maps API Premier license

To assist in evaluating whether your site is exceeding the usage limits we will shortly be adding the Maps API to the Google APIs Console. Once available you will be able to track your usage in the APIs Console by providing an APIs Console key when you load the Maps API. If you find that your site does exceed the usage limits each day you can opt to pay for your excess usage by enabling billing on your APIs Console project. We will then start billing excess usage to your credit card when we begin enforcing the usage limits in early 2012.

For very popular sites Maps API Premier is likely to be a more cost effective option. It also offers a number of additional benefits, including terms that permit for-fee and internal use, enterprise technical support, a Service Level Agreement, fixed and invoiced annual pricing, and increased quotas for the Maps API Web Services. For more information on how Maps API Premier could benefit your application please contact the Sales team using this form.

We will announce the availability of the Maps APIs in the APIs Console on this blog later this quarter, and provide more details on how to set up an APIs Console account and update your Maps API application with an APIs Console key. We will also provide at least 30 days notice on this blog before enforcement of the usage limits and billing for excess usage begins.

We understand that the introduction of these limits may be concerning. However with the continued growth in adoption of the Maps API we need to secure its long term future by ensuring that even when used by the highest volume for-profit sites, the service remains viable. By introducing these limits we are ensuring that Google can continue to offer the Maps API for free to the vast majority of developers for many years to come.

Posted by Thor Mitchell, Product Manager, Google Maps API

Esri Insider : GIS for Everyone, by Anyone

2011-10-27T18:56:00.001-07:00

Great post on the ESRI insider Blog by Bern Szukalski on the benefits and simplicity of using ArcGIS Online to create web-based map templates.

Here is the post in its entirity:

Earlier this week I was meeting with one of the directors of a large state agency. Among other topics we discussed, he told me that his organization was adopting a policy to move away from custom application development. Whenever possible they would serve internal and public needs with off-the-shelf applications, or better yet, with those that can be easily custom-configured without the need for programming.

When asked why, he explained the last custom application they'd deployed had to be abandoned - the programmer had left for another job, had taken knowledge of its internal workings with him, and they were unable to hire (because of budget constraints) the programming expertise needed to make the necessary updates to the application.

What color is your parachute?

This same sentiment was echoed while I was visiting with a user in Florida earlier this year. They'd also been stung when several programmers left, leaving behind a key public application that they could no longer maintain.

But before I incur the wrath of developers everywhere, it's often the case that a totally custom application is the only way to provide a finely tuned user experience, or bring into play additional capabilities and components that are essential to the target user. You can only go so far with a configurable application. Nevertheless, configurable applications are easy to maintain and deploy, can be created more quickly and easily than ever before, and perhaps most importantly can be built by just about anyone.

For example, using ArcGIS Online I can assemble a map and configure how the user interacts with it, including choosing from a variety of basemaps, adding my operational layers, adjusting layer transparency, setting display scales, and also configuring what the user sees and experiences in the pop-up window when they click a map feature.

This easily authored webmap is now a building block that can be used in configurable templates that can be published directly from ArcGIS Online (see this blog post for more details), providing the ability to build a custom-configured application and deploy it literally in a matter of minutes.

In the past, doing all of the above and lifting something by coding from the ground-up would have taken a long time and a lot of skill.

A custom-configured application being authored with an ArcGIS Online map. Simply fill in the blanks and check the boxes to include the tools you want.

For more customized and extensible solutions, ArcGIS Viewer for Flex has been popular among Esri users since its introduction, and there is also a configurable ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight, currently in beta, that leverages the same webmaps and offers the same ease of configuration; both allow you to build custom applications with little or no programming skills.

The ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight application builder even lets you plug-in geoprocessing tools to extend the applicaton's capabilities.

While visiting a local government user a few months ago, I spoke with one of the GIS staff members who had been building a custom application using ArcGIS Viewer for Flex. He said he had chosen it not because he was particularly interested in Flex, but because he found it very easy to create a custom application even though he was not a programmer himself.

"Esri has always built great developer tools for programmers and software for the GIS professional," he told me. "My problem is I want to reach non-GIS users in my organization and post some public-facing apps. Now for the first time I feel empowered. Even I can build custom applications."

It's clear that it's easier than ever for anyone to build simple custom applications, and all you need is a browser or a text editor. "This isn't just GIS for everyone," he went on to say. "It's GISby anyone."

I couldn't agree more.

By: Bern Szukalski

New Route 66 Community Map Added to ArcGIS Online

2011-10-23T12:26:00.001-07:00

We finished digitizing the primary Route 66 highway from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California on ArcGIS Online. You can see the map on ArcGIS Online at: http://bit.ly/ouLaKV or view it from the applet below.

The entire route is digitized along with selected roadside attractions along the route in Illinois. We would like to solicit your favorite content (places, pictures, postcards, etc) from places along the route. If you have content you would like to see added to the map please let us know at rick.marshall@verticalgeo.com

You can follow the progress on the Route 66 Community Map on our Digital Route 66 Blog located at: digitalroute66.blogspot.com/

View Larger Map

Google LatLong Blog: New 45° imagery available for 16 cities

2011-10-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

The Google LatLong Blog had the following post by Bernd Steinert today:

This month’s update to 45° imagery in Google Maps includes U.S. and international imagery.

Let’s just begin with Graz. It’s the second largest city of Austria (behind Vienna), located in Steiermark. It is a typical Austrian town with a vivid university life, a charming historic center mostly of the Gothic period and is significantly influenced by mediterranean climate which manifests being among the sunniest places in Austria due to its location at the southeastern rim of the Alps. Arnold Schwarzenegger - bodybuilding world champion, movie star and former governor of California - was born and raised nearby.

View Larger Map

During September we have launched imagery for some of the major towns in the Midwest of the U.S. like Canton OH, Grand Rapids MI, Kansas City KS/MO, Springfield MO.

Kansas City was founded in 1830 and named after the Native American tribe of the “Kansa” and since then evolved to the largest city in Missouri and the third largest city in Kansas. During the Civil War the city experienced several violent events. In the 1930s, Kansas City was the center of a creative jazz scene and today the American Jazz Museum can be found there. The Irish-American community that numbers around 250,000 includes a large number of bands.

View Larger Map

Canton OH is home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame which opened in 1963 and where the busts of America’s greatest professional football players are enshrined.

View Larger Map

Here is a list of updated cities:

Europe:

Caceres, Spain; Graz, Austria; Montreux, Switzerland; Zurich, Switzerland;

US:

Bakersfield, CA; Boise, ID; Canton, OH; Centennial, CO; Columbia, SC; Davenport, IA; Des Moines, IA; Enumclaw, WA; Grand Rapids, MI; Kansas City, KS/MO; Lawrence, KS; Los Angeles, CA; Merced, CA; New Orleans, LA; Omaha, NE; Payson, UT; Portland, OR; Springfield, MO; St. Louis, MO; The Woodlands, TX;

Posted by Bernd Steinert, Geo Data Specialist

The Rise of The Globe in Web Mapping

2011-10-20T03:35:00.000-07:00

Great post on the georelated.com blog that outlines the rapid rise in use of globes and how WebGL can help provide globe-like mapping solutions on the web. Great summary of why globes are important and why they have become so popular.

ESRI TV: What's New in ArcGIS Online

2011-10-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

ESRI just released the latest in their ESRI TV video services. The latest shows us "What's New in ArcGIS Online." I really like the capability ArcGIS Online brings to those who don't have a server to publish their work online. I think as this capability matures it will help ESRI catch up to the head start they have given Google Earth and Google Maps. It is very interesting to see the race to capture the "economy and power of free."

Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program Grant Awards – 2011

2011-10-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

It is good to see several of the roadside icons get matching funding grants for preservation. Here is a link to the announcement for the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program Grant Awards – 2011. They are all worthy recipients! Several places will receive matching awards here locally in Illinois and Missouri.

Route 66: Sign Re-Lighting at the Luna Cafe in Mitchell, Illinois

2011-10-16T10:02:00.001-07:00

We have a Great Route 66 event next weekend in Mitchell, Illinois (about 20 minutes from downtown St Louis, Missouri). It is good to see the old neon signs along Route 66 be re-lit one at at time. I saw the announcement that matching funds had been awarded to help re-light the Luna Cafe sign and I look forward to seeing the sign in all its brilliance.

The Illinois Route 66 Association provided the following announcement on their webiste regarding the re-lighting ceremony for the Luna Cafe sign in Mitchell, Illinois (a suburb of St Louis in the St Louis Metro East):

Please join your fellow roadies on Saturday evening October 22, 2011 for the special relighting event of the classic neon sign at the historic Luna Cafe in Mitchell, Illinois.

Please find attached for your reference and review the official announcement that I sent to various media sources.

For those of you that may not be exactly sure how to reach the Luna, it is located approximately 5 miles east of the Chain of Rocks Bridge on Route 66 in Mitchell, Illinois. Its actual address is 201 East Chain of Rocks Road, Mitchell, IL 62040.

If accessing the location off of Interstate 270, you can take Exit 6 for Illinois Route 111 North - go to first major intersection and turn left (that's west) on E. Chain of Rocks Road (old Route 66). You'll see the old Bel Air Drive-In sign on the northwest corner of that intersection. The Luna will be on your right about 1 mile or so down.

These annual relighting parties on the Missouri side have been really neat events the last three years, and its a special experience to celebrate the restoration and rebirth of these vintage neon Route 66 signs.

So, grab your calendar and mark the date down now --- plan to get down to the Luna around 6:00 PM so you won't miss the actual "flip of the switch"! We anticipate a well-attended event with roadies from Missouri, Illinois, and other locales near and far.

Jim also says, "We want a big showing of Route 66 roadies for this event, as the owner of the Luna (Larry Wofford) is planning for a big party! In fact he's going to have fried chicken and beans and cole slaw ready for 200 people. And special commemorative t-shirts will be available for purchase at a reasonable price also. Should be quite the event!"

Here is a Google Map of the location of the Luna Cafe:

View Larger Map

Looking forward to seeing you at the Luna!

Step Inside the Map With Google MapsGL

2011-10-13T17:58:00.001-07:00

Brian McClendon, VP of Google Maps and Earth posted a great post today on the Google LatLong Blog explaining the Google Maps Graphics Library (GL) capabilities. Pretty neat stuff!

You’re now one step closer to experiencing and interacting with a 3D mirror of the real world within your browser withGoogle MapsGL. Google MapsGL takes Google Maps and harnesses the power of Web Graphics Library (WebGL) to create far richer visuals and animations.

WebGL is a new technology that brings hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the browser without additional installed software. With WebGL your maps experience is much better with 3D buildings, smoother transitions between imagery and the ability to instantly “swoop” into Street View without a plugin.

Starting today, if you’re using supported browsers (such as Chrome 14+ or Firefox Beta) with compatible video cards, you can opt in to the early beta release. Visit maps.google.com and click “Try it now,” or visit maps.google.com/gl to learn more.

We’ve been using WebGL to create experiences like our Chrome experiments “3 Dreams of Black” and “All is Not Lost,” which happen right in the browser. Previously, such sophisticated 3D graphics have only been possible on traditional desktop applications and have required manual installation. WebGL ushers in a whole new generation of graphics on the web, and with that, we can begin to redefine the expectations of an online map.

Check out Chrome Experiments WebGL for more WebGL-powered applications, and opt in to Google MapsGL to begin using the next generation of mapping today.

PostGIS Version 2: A Game Changer?

2011-10-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

There is a great post over on GeoRelated.com about PostGIS Version 2 being a game changer. Good summary of how PostGIS Version 2 relates to PostGRES and the options PostGIS Version 2 provides. Here's the post:

PostGIS Version 2: a game changer?

PostGIS for PostGres

For many years there has been a limited choice of geodatabases when looking for a single solution for all geodata models. Only Oracle and ESRI offered comprehensive coverage of spatial models. OracleSpatial provided database models and algs for vector, network, raster and topology in addition to the usual database refinements and in database geocoding. ESRIoffered ArcGIS Server with comprehensive support for Vector, Network and raster models but left topology to the clients and had no offering for geocoding.Competitors such as PostGIS, MapInfo Spatialware, Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL only offered support for vectors.

It seems the status quo may be about to change. The elephant in the room has started to shuffle its feet towards the finish line. PostGIS version 2.0 not only has big plans but appears to a considerable way into delivering the promise of support for network and raster models. For those of you in the US a tiger geocoder is also available. It looks like the initial support will provide a reasonable coverage of raster and topological models but as always seems to be the problem with open source projects there is very little supporting visual tools.

Raster
Raster support is delivered through dedicated database data types for raster and GDAL based PostGIS drivers to support a wide range of raster formats. There is reasonably rich support for a first edition including:

Range of functions to access raster metadata
Raster band manipulation
Raster processing

Raster value manipulation/calculation (Algebra, reclass, value manipulation)
Reprojection
Vector to raster conversion

Transform to GDAL formats

Topology
Support for topology is also provided using PostGres data types. The implementation looks less mature than the raster model appearing to offer predominantly CRUD and import/export style capability only at this stage. There are also limited support for transforming data into the topological model in the database.

Vector Geometry, Geography and Linear Referencing
PostGIS already has comprehensive support for vector geometries including 2D, 3D and linear referencing. PostGIS also supports geography types often used for global representations in its vector model.

PostGIS v2 will be worth watching in 2012 as it heads strongly into the world of GIS. The open source community makes a strong step forward with this release.

What's New in ArcGIS Online (September 2011)

2011-10-10T17:51:00.001-07:00

ESRI's Bern Szukalski posted the "What's New in ArcGIS Online" last month in the ArcGIS Online Blog, Lots of great capability coming in ArcGIS Online. I have worked with ESRI products long enough to know that I am banking on ArcGIS Online becoming the best way to display and share geospatial data online for those of us trying to work without a web server. They have made some great strides in the short amount of time ArcGIS Online has been up and running, and it seems as though they are listening to their customers. ESRI seems interested in trying to build "mapping communities" rather than just map users. I believe ArcGIS Online goes a long way to building this capability.

2011-10-09T14:03:00.001-07:00

Went for a bike ride Saturday through the countryside of Southwestern Illinois. A southern breeze made for some difficult times going up hills on southern legs. All in all, the St Louis Metro East Area is a great place to ride. Lots of roads with wide shoulders and an endless supply of country roads.

This bike ride is a 10 mile ride that starts and ends at the VerticalGeo office in O'Fallon.

View O'Fallon 10 Mile Bike Ride 20111009 in a larger map

Building an Online Mapping Community

2011-10-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

I really like what ESRI has been doing over the last year or so with ArcGIS Online. I believe they underestimated the value and power of an online collaborative mapping community and were surprised by the popularity of the Google Earth Community. The last couple of years at their International User Conferences ESRI has been pushing very hard to catch up and create an online collaborative mapping community platform of their own. I think ArcGIS Online can fill this niche well. It is nice to see ESRI put resources and effort into this capability. I have heard ESRI talk for the last couple of years about how important it is to harness the power of crowd sourcing so that everyone can contribute content and create maps, but the price of their software was prohibiting that from happening. They produce state-of-the-art mapping software, but it is professionally targeted and beyond the ability of the mapping hobbiest to pay for. What ESRI has done with ArcGIS Online is provide significant mapping capability within the reach of all people.

I have been using ArcGIS Online extensively over the last couple of months and I believe ESRI has created a great collaborative mapping platform. We are using ArcGIS Online as the platform to host our first online mapping community, the Route 66 Mappers. I have posted the map of Illinois segment of Route 66 on ArcGIS Online and plan to develop the route from Chicago to Santa Monica via a community format through ArcGIS Online.

Community mapping is a powerful medium to share data in an online environment. But beyond that, Google Earth has shown us the incredible capability and significant amount of information crowd sourcing can provide. What ESRI does through ArcGIS Online does that Google through Google Earth can't do is bring professional mappers (GIS Professionals) and collaborative sourcing together into one mapping community. I think ESRI has hit a homerun with ArcGIS Online.

VerticalGeo plans to develop several online mapping communities and leverage ArcGIS Online as the platform for all of them. No one is more passionate about what they do for a living that GIS Professionals, that is why ESRI's User Conferences continue to grow so quickly. I am eager to see what projects can be done with this platform.

Route 66 Collaborative Map Effort

2011-10-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

VerticalGeo has started a Route 66 Collaborative Map on ArcGIS Online. Please help us by contributing your content to the Route 66 map. So far we have only completed the Illinois portion of Route 66, but we will be adding more segments as we complete them. You can see the contents of the map below or on the Route 66 Project Page in the VerticalGeo website. If you would like to contribute you can use ArcGIS Online to add content. The editable version of this map can be found on ArcGIS Online at: http://bit.ly/r7yW2e

View Larger Map

The Future of Cloud-based GIS Analysis with ArcGIS Online

2011-10-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

Last August the ESRI Insider posted Bern Szukalski's ideas on the future of cloud-based GIS analysis. We heard some of this during this summer's ESRI User Conference, but it is good to see it put in writing. Here is the post:

The cloud is growing in importance for GIS professionals, with cost efficiency, scalability, and flexibility as major drivers. We can see the beginnings of cloud options for many organizations with the ability to run ArcGIS Server in the cloud and also via Esri's managed services in the cloud.

On a similar, but yet somewhat different and exciting frontier, ArcGIS Online is a key part of the Esri vision for ArcGIS in the cloud. However, up until recently the focus for ArcGIS Online has been on the data part of GIS - making and sharing maps, apps, and other resources, and organizing online communities.

At the 2011 Esri International User Conference we introduced new ArcGIS Online capabilities - hosted services from Esri that enable anyone, not just GIS professionals, to be able to publish Web services using CSV files, shapefiles, and other sources. These capabilities also enable GIS users to publish maps via hosted services directly in the cloud from their ArcGIS Desktop, leveraging data in their enterprise and making ArcGIS Desktop the premier dashboard for Web publishing.

Currently in closed beta, these emerging ArcGIS Online capabilities will enable anyone to publish geographic information in an efficient, scalable, and cost-effective manner. And perhaps most importantly, they will make publishing GIS services that can be accessed by anyone easier than ever before.

During the Esri User Conference plenary Jack Dangermond spoke about the evolution of ArcGIS Online, and Jeremy Bartley and I demonstrated new capabilities that included publishing web services directly via ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Desktop:

As significant as these capabilities are, they are focused on publishing maps and layers. But what about the ability to use ready-to-run geoprocessing tools and perform analysis via the cloud?

To answer that question, here's an Esri Insider peek at some very exciting work in progress from the ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Explorer Online development teams. Below is a screen capture showing the current development version of ArcGIS Explorer Online using cloud-based buffer and clip services to find the locations of wells within 200 meters of any stream:

The capabilities will include a long list of what could be described as "classic" ArcGIS capabilities, before only available to GIS professionals but soon offered via cloud-based services to non-GIS professionals alike. These promise to change how ArcGIS can be used, leveraging GIS throughout existing organizations and empowering many new users with GIS capabilities.

These capabilities will also be available in a variety of applications including the built-in ArcGIS.com map viewer, configurable Flex and Silverlight applications, and Web APIs. Stay tuned for more announcements over the next few months.

By Bern Szukalski

The Future Looks Bright for Spatial Thinkers

2011-10-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Great post the other day in the ESRI Insider Blog by ESRI's Jack Dangermond about the future of the geospatial industry. Dangermond said:

Many industries have suffered during the current economic downturn. So why is it that during this same period, demand for geospatial technology professionals has grown significantly?

I think that this trend is due to the growing understanding of the value of spatial information and analysis. There are many reasons to implement GIS, but the benefits that we see driving organizations in lean times are cost savings resulting from greater efficiency. And as we come out of this economic downturn, the efficiencies realized from GIS will become a standard way of doing business, so the need for geospatial professionals will increase even more.

Government has long been at the forefront of this movement, and there will be opportunities here for people with geospatial knowledge, most notably in the area of homeland security and in anything to do with increased transparency and accountability. But we’re now seeing a huge shift in momentum in the commercial arena. Many of the future career opportunities for geospatial professionals will be in the private sector, as businesses increasingly realize the benefits that government has understood for some time.

The current high unemployment rate is sending a lot of experienced workers “back to school” to learn new skills more relevant for the 21st century workplace. This is one factor driving the growth of focused geospatial programs at universities and community colleges, both at the degree level and the certificate level. These programs are doing a great service by training the geospatial workforce of tomorrow. They are also providing many opportunities for seasoned geospatial professionals to take on new roles themselves—passing on their vast knowledge by instructing and teaching the next generation of geospatial professionals.

As the reach of spatial information expands, new opportunities are created for spatial thinkers in many areas.

But the career opportunities here are not just for the people who sit in front of keyboards and “do GIS”. It’s much bigger than that. I think that the real growth opportunity is in the area of spatial thinking. As people in all types of positions become more familiar with the value of geography, they begin to ask more intelligent questions about the world, and they begin to make more informed decisions. The coming opportunities for spatial thinkers will be even greater than those we are seeing for geospatial technology professionals.

By Jack Dangermond

GIS On The Web Is OK, Sometimes....

2011-10-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

Mapbutcher has a great post on Web-Based GIS. He makes some good observations and provides some great examples about how difficult and complicated the mapping tools have been in the past. I appreciate what he has to say, and I have a some comments:

I think part of the frustration we have as GIS Professionals is that we sometimes fail to understand the separation between the data authoring tier of software and the data presentation tier of software in our GIS. With the availability of cloud storage and a larger emphasis the last few years on data sharing through Service Oriented Architecture and OGC Data Standards I believe we have inserted the third tier of data sharing between the data authoring and data presentation tiers. As a GIS Professional I hated it when advocates of Google Earth or Google Maps would talk about their system being a GIS. Both programs are great data presentation tools, but not very good data authoring tools. But, today I can author data using my favorite ESRI software and share it via web services so that the user can display it on their presentation tool of choice. I think the creation of the data sharing tier has helped many users have a more positive experience using geospatial data and at the same time has opened up what we do to an entirely new user base, one that loves using geospatial data, but doesn't want the complicated data presentation tools we have used in the past.

I think we currently have a good assortment of web-based data presentation tools (ArcGIS Server, Google Maps, GeoServer, ArcGIS Online). What I would like to do next is to create a community of GIS Professionals who collaborate together to produce a great set of free open source web-based data authoring tools that we can all benefit from.

I'd love to hear your comments either here or off-line. If any of you would like to discuss off-line you can reach me at rick.marshall@verticalgeo.com

Study: 60% of Drivers Scream at SatNav

2011-10-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the All Points Blog for pointing me to this study. The results make me ask whey th average driver uses a GPS at all:

In a study of 2000 British Drivers age 17-45, Skobbler, a company that uses OpenStreetMap as its SatNav (GPS) BaseMap found:

- One in five frequently become angry with their SatNav
- The average motorist will travel 1,292 miles in the wrong direction during their life because ‘The SatNav told me to’
- 47% said they had a love/hate relationship with their SatNav
- Three in ten hate having to put up with losing the satellite signal
- One quarter struggle with getting the SatNav to stick to the windscreen
- The average Brit takes about 9 journeys in their car per week and uses their SatNav on at least two of the journeys
- Half of the drivers admit to swearing at their GPS systems while suffering “SatNav Rage”

You can read the entire article on the Telegraph.

Cloud GIS Is?

2011-10-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

SlashGeo has an interesting poll going on just what people’s thoughts are on Cloud GIS. The Poll Questions is:

“Cloud GIS Is?”

With 105 votes here are the results:

- Just a buzz word that will pass away: 12%
- Useful to only a few: 12%
- Will eventually rule enterprise GIS: 11%
- The natural evolution of enterprise GIS: 50%
- The cloud will engulf everything: 11%

That is a pretty wide array of answers that goes all the way from people burying their head in the sand and hoping Cloud GIS will go away, to the cloud will engulf everything. I will follow the results and report them as the poll matures.

Geo APIs Summer Learning Series: Map Your Business, Inside and Out

2011-10-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

Google posted this great video and update last week on their GeoDeveloper’s Blog about the Google Maps API:

http://googlegeodevelopers.blogspot.com/2011/09/geo-apis-summer-learning-series-map.html

They sure have some great stuff and smart people at Google.

SlashGeo Poll: Esri ArcGIS Online vs Google Earth Builder?

2011-10-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

SlashGeo conducted a poll to find out which platform people preferred with regard to the ESRI ArcGIS Online vs Google Earth Builder debate. The results are totally split. Here are the results of the poll:

ESRI ArcGIS Online will prevail: 24%

Google Earth Builder will prevail: 24%
Both will be successes in their own way: 42%

Microsoft Bing Maps will rule them both: 2%

VerticalGeo is an avid user of both ESRI and Google Products. This poll should have been a little more explicit in the question it asks. ArcGIS Online and Google Earth both both do a great job with the presentation tier when producing geospatial data. Neither do a very good job with the data authoring tier when producing geospatial data. As far as VerticalGeo is concerned the ESRI suite of software products can’t be beat with it comes to authoring geospatial data. The ESRI suite of software tools though is very expensive. I believe there will soon be a proliferation of open-source geospatial creation and presentation tools that will compete against both ESRI and Google Earth. What we really need if we want to develop a geospatial powerhouse are the robust tools that ESRI provides with the open source pricetag.

VerticalGeo will be venturing more deeply into the open source market to help provide just that. We intend to combine cloud computing, open source tools for geospatial data authoring and maintenance, with a top notch presentation layer, all with a web-based interface, for free, in an attempt to help guild a community of geospatial users that will have a new alternateive to the ESRI vs Google Earth debate.

OpenLayers 2.11 Released

2011-10-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

OpenGeo has announced that Open Layers 2.11 has been released. VerticalGeo has been using Open Layers 2.10 and it has proven to be a powerful open source web-based visualization platform. Open Layers does a great job of combining services and static content into a web-based map. You can read the OpenGeo release article here: Link.

VerticalGeo will be adding a “Maps” tab this week to our website where we will showcase what some of the open source mapping applications can provide. We plan to open our “Maps” tab with an Open Layers Map. These maps will not always be a finished product, but will contain some maps that are works in progress.

Helicopter view of your driving directions on Google Maps

2011-10-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Google's LatLong Blog for posting this on Friday:

Getting directions is one of the most popular features on Google Maps, whether it be for driving, walking, biking or transit. Today, we are launching a new feature that allows you to bring your upcoming trip to life, by allowing you to preview your route in 3D.

Let’s say you’re planning a road trip down the beautiful coast of California’s Highway 1 and want to be able to see what the route really looks like. California’s rugged coastline is not to be missed, but the top-down view really doesn’t give you a good sense of what this majestic terrain is like. Using the 3D preview; however, you can get aerial view of the route, as if you were in a helicopter flying above the road.

To preview your own route, it is as simple as clicking on a button. Start by entering your starting point, destination, and mode of transport like any directions; in this case, driving directions from ‘Carmel CA to Big Sur CA.’ Then, just click on the “3D” play button. The map will switch to Earth view and automatically start flying you along your recommended route.

You can pause the flight at any time by clicking anywhere in the 3D view or on the pause button in the lower left. While the flight is paused, you can explore the surrounding area in 3D by clicking and dragging the map. When you are ready to resume the flight, simply click on the play button in the lower left of the 3D view.

To help you keep track of which step you are on, the current leg of the trip is highlighted in the left panel. You can also jump to a different part of the trip by clicking on a different step.

You can get back to 2D mode by clicking on the “2D” button in the left panel at any time.

We hope you enjoy your flight.

Paul Yang, Google Maps engineer

O’Fallon, Illinois 10 Mile Bike Route

2011-09-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

VerticalGeo took the opportunity the other day to take to the streets for a 10 mile bike ride through the Illinois countryside using the recently reopened Troy-O'Fallon Road. The City of O'Fallon widened the road from a narrow two lane road to a much wider and more bike friendly path. There is substantial traffic on the new road, but the road is well-built and the wide shoulders help a bicyclist safely transit the area. We also rode on Scott-Troy Rd for a mile or so, and although the traffic was heavy the shoulders are wide there also. Here is the map of our ride as we mapped it with Google's My Tracks on our Android Phone:

View VerticalGeo-Troy O'Fallon Rd-Bike Trail in a larger map

How Bicycle Friendly is the St Louis Metro East?

2011-09-17T09:04:00.001-07:00

The Suburban Journal has an article today on how the St Louis Metro East area is becoming more bicycle friendly with the help of the Madison County and St Clair County Transit Authorities. You can read the article here: Link.

Soldiers, Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial, Washington, DC

2011-01-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know what this monument commemorates because I couldn't find a sign telling me the sculptor's intent. I believe it is a memorial to the contributions African American Soldiers made in the View Nam War. It is a very striking monument.

Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial, Washington, DC Photo 1

2011-01-19T15:51:00.000-08:00

It was a cold, wet, icy, gloomy day in Washington, DC yesterday. Not a great day for photo opportunities. I came across the Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial and thought the mixture of the names etched on the marble wall, the reflection of the landscape, and the Washington Monument in the distance shows proper respect for our Viet Nam Veterans and the sacrifice they made. God bless them.

Denali National Park, Alaska

2010-12-23T05:23:00.000-08:00

This was the magnificent view out of our room at the McKinley Chalet in Denali National Park.

Powell Library, UCLA

2010-12-22T06:16:00.000-08:00

Powell Library is one of the great buildings on the UCLA campus. It looks much older than it is. The campus opened in 1919, so although Powell Library looks very old and historic, architecturally, it is still very young. They did a great job designing it. Believe it or not, Powell Library is more beautiful on the inside than it is on the outside.

Creek Near Wasilla, Alaska

2010-12-21T05:35:00.000-08:00

On the drive back from Wasilla to Anchorage we noticed this little creek. It was so peaceful and beautiful that we had to pull over to take a couple of photos. What a wonderful place to experience the beauty of creation:

Yosemite National Park

2010-12-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

My favorite two places on earth are Yosemite and Yellowstone. We hit Yosemite this summer also. We were there on Memorial Day and it was super busy, but this shot of Half Dome and the Merced River help put things into perspective. Praise God for places like Yosemite. One of my favorite shots:

Sequoia National Park

2010-12-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

We visited Sequoia National Park last summer during our two weeks back home in California. The Sequoia Trees are the largest living things on earth. Here is a picture of the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park. It is a magnificent place to be.

ULCA's Royce Hall

2010-12-20T06:06:00.000-08:00

I took this shot of UCLA's famous Royce Hall last summer when we scheduled a college visit there for our daughter. I am a UCLA graduate and I remember it having a nice campus, but not as photogenic as it appears now. Here is the picture of Royce Hall I took last summer:

Portage Lake, Alaska in HDR

2010-12-16T04:35:00.000-08:00

Alaska has so many great scenes to photograph. This photo was taken on June 1, 2009 on our last visit to Portage Lake between Anchorage and Whittier. The weather was cold, but not quite as cold as you would think from looking at this photo. I think it was around 30 degrees. Portage Lake is a beautiful place with a nice, warm visitor's center!

The Whittier, Alaska, Marina in HDR Photography

2010-12-15T20:49:00.001-08:00

I have been doing some experimenting lately with High Dynamic Range, or HDR, Photography. According to Trey Radcliff on his wonderful Stuck In Customs HDR Photography Blog, HDR "is a post-processing task of taking either one image or a series of images, combining them, and adjusting the contrast ratios to do things that are virtually impossible with a single aperture and shutter speed. Here is my latest HDR photo project, the Marina at Whittier, Alaska. You can see more HDR photos on my Flickr Photostream.

Blogging Again

2010-12-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

I have decided to start blogging again. I have been very busy with VerticalGeo and haven't had much time to chronicle what has been going on. I am making a new commitment to post here a couple of times per week. I want to use this blog as my venue for sharing the direction of VerticalGeo and the many things going on. I have also been busy learning a few photography techniques that I will post occasionally.

VGSI Attending The ESRI Federal Users Conference

2009-02-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

Vertical GeoSolutions, Inc (VGSI) will be attending and blogging from the ESRI Federal User’s Conference (FedUC) February 18-20, 2009 in Washington, DC. Our FedUC blogs will be posted here on our Vertically Thinking Blog. If you will be attending and would like to link up please send Rick an E-Mail at: rick.marshall@verticalgeo.com.

Welcome Back

2008-09-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been nearly 10 months since I have posted here. In that time VGSI has done some great work. Most recently, we have been awarded the contract to manage the US Air Force's Air Mobility Command Expeditionary Installation Geospatial Information and Services (IGI&S) and GeoReach Programs. VGSI has been managing the program since July.

thangs have been going great and we are continuing to expand our business interests.

Goings On at VGSI

2007-11-09T07:19:00.001-08:00

We have been looking at leasing a location to hold GIS training classes in the local area (St Louis Metro East, Illinois). We have also been contacted by a couple of businesses about designing webpages for them. It has been a busy month at VGSI and one hopefully that will help define us in the future.

Are We Headed For Dramatic Global Cooling?

2007-06-20T16:49:00.001-07:00

Here's a great article by R. timothy Patterson, in the Canadian National Post, on the global warming and cooling cycles that have affected the earth over the centuries. Is the debate over Global Warming dead, are we headed for a rapid increase on the size of the icecap? Here's the article. Link.

VGSI Posts Illinois Tallgrass Prairies Google Earth File

2007-04-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

Vertical GeoSolutions (VGSI) has been working on an Illinois Native Tallgrass Prairie Mapping Project to catalog and visualize the state's Tallgrass Prairies. We've been using the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Nature Preserve Directory as a source for Prairie Preserve location information and then visualizing them through Google Earth. Last night we posted the first of many Google Earth files on the VGSI website. Here's a link to VGSI's Illinois Native
Tallgrass Prairie Mapping Project page. Link.

Here's a link to our first Google Earth file. Link.

Here is the Google Maps Link for the same picture. Link.

Here is a small thumbnail of what we have so far:

VIPeR - Small, Portable Reconnaissance Robot Designed to Support Combat Within Buildings

2007-03-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

I came across an interesting announcement in the ASD Daily Report that talks about VIPeR Robots that the Israeli Defense Force have developed to use in the near future. These robots can help save lives in the war against terrorism. We will see more and more use of robots in the military as we find the force levels dropping and explore alternatives to sesnding our troops into harm's way.

The announcement is located here. Link.

12 Crackpot Tech Ideas That Could Transform The Enterprise

2007-02-21T09:48:00.001-08:00

I ran across a pretty good article on Info World that lists 12 ideas that could be the next big ideas in technology. Here's their list, it looks a little like a wishlist on Amazon.com. I don't want to get into any depth on each item, so to get more information on each item go to the article:

1. Superconducting computing
2. Solid-state drives
3. Autonomic computing
4. DC power
5. Holographic and phase-change storage
6. Artificial intelligence
7. E-books
8. Desktop web applications
9. Project Blackbox
10. Quantum computing and quantum cryptography
11. Semantic Web
12. Total information awareness

ORNL scores hit with National Geospatial Intelligence Agency

2007-02-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the All Points Blog for directing us to an Oak Ridge National Laboratory News Release titled, ORNL scores hit with National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. The news release can be found here. Link. NGA was so enamored with the RFID technology that they plan to implement it at their St Louis facility to maintain 100% accountability of all personnel for emergency response operations and hands off inventory control.

GiS, GIs and gIS

2007-01-31T06:56:00.000-08:00

The All Points Blog has a good article on the changing scene involving GIS interoperability. It is locatd here. Link. It really is all about the enterprise architecture helping make consumption of data as easy as possible.

Google Tailors Earth For DOD Users

2007-01-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article on how Google Earth is creating the ability to fuse geospatial information layers for visualization purposes for the US Department of Defense. Link.

I'll have to admit, even as a die-hard former ESRI employee, that the Google Earth visualization platform is hard to beat. It is simple and easy to use, provides a good viewing tool, and Google seems to be able to responsively make changes to Google Earth rapidly to meet customer's needs. But, it still isn't useful as an analysis tool like ESRI's ArcGIS is. The DOD executive decision makers may be asking for Google Earth to help them visualize the information needed to make the tough decisions, but most of the information creating the layers behind what they see comes from ArcGIS users.

ESRI is marketing a Google Earth-like viewing platform that will work well with ArcGIS 9.2 called ArcGIS Explorer that blends good visualization tools and detailed analysis capabilities, but it still isn't quite there. I played with it extesively last week and it still has some bugs in it. ESRI is trying to compete with Google Earth, and it is sad to say, but I believe as the Google organization gets bigger and more cumbersome it should be easeir for ESRI to compete in the viewer market.

Developing Reasoning Robots for Today and Tomorrow

2007-01-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) Signal Magazine has an article on artificial intelligence efforts in the military setting. It is located here. Link. The article provides some highlights of where the military community is at as far as the research and development effort for artificial intelligence and robotic assistance with decision making. They are instrumental in equipping our military leaders with the information they need to make informed decisions.

Artificial intelligence and robotics do well with reasoning skills, but as the last paragraph of the article states,

Even with all advances in artificial intelligence, humans always will have to make the important judgment calls..... When a robot makes decisions, it is conditioned on the rules of engagement and other factors. No robot will release a weapon without a human taking responsibility for it.

The usefulness of artificial intelligence and robotic assistance is limited when it comes to the decision making to place bombs on target. The risk of collateral damage liability is just too great. The humans will always make the decision, but the information gathering process that gets us to the point of decision making is a task that artificial intelligence and robotic assistance is custom made for.

U.S. Warns About Canadian Spy Coins

2007-01-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

Yahoo has a great article on using RFID bugs in Canadian coins to track US Department of Defense contractors as they travel through Canada. Here's the link. Link.

IEC Awarded DHS Contract for First Responder, Three Dimension Locator Systems

2007-01-11T07:22:00.000-08:00

Here’s a link to good article on the ASD daily about GPS 3-D indoor use in emergency settings. Link. Maybe a new line of business for those of us involved in GIS?

A Tactical View of the Shopping Landscape

2006-12-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the link to this article go to the All Points Blog. According to a PCAdvisor article, Tokyo's Ginza shopping district will be installing around 10,000 Fadio Frequency Identification (RFID) transmitters throughout the shopping area. A study will be performed to see how providing location-based information helps shoppers.

Imagine the possibilities of taking mobile mapping to a new level. RFID and GPS have been used to provide large-scale location information for travelers (mobile mapping, driving directions, etc.) and goods and parcels in transit (it is how FedEx and UPS do such a great job of keeping track of where our packages are) for a long time. But using RFID to provide tactical location information is a new trend that I believe will boom over the next few years. Imagine using a device in Home Depot or WalMart that will tell you where everything you are looking for is located, and then guiding you there verbally. The RFID sensors can also be integrated with scanners in your shopping cart in a way that whatever you pull off the shelves and place in your cart can be automatically scanned for checkout making the shopping experience much more enjoyable and ensuring Home Depot and WalMart that you are charged accurately for your goods.

This is a great article and there is lots of potential in what they are going to do in Ginza. I am very interested in the results.

All Points Blog Quote of the Week

2006-12-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

Maybe this week's quote explains why ESRI's GIS developers are continually being pushed to new areas by Google's Information Engineers. Link. It rings very true.

GIS and Robotic Data Collection

2006-12-19T08:11:00.000-08:00

I am starting to feel that one of the business niches for my company is to venture into the crosshairs of how Robots can automate geospatial information collection to be displayed in a GIS. Geospatial information collection seems to be custom-made for robotic applications.

I attended the Air Force's GeoBase Compass Conference in June and Ben Yetman from Penobscot Bay Media was sharing out booth with us. Ben had a GIS enabled Robot called SARA (Spatially Aware Robotic Assistant) with him and he was demonstrating the interior mapping capability of SARA . He could map the inside of the Exhibit Hall and produce a 3D map of the room in about 20 minutes. It was pretty incredible! I noticed that earlier this month Ben wrote an article for Directions Magazine called "GIS and Robotics: Robotic Platforms as Tools for Spatial Data Collection and Consumption". It is a good article and is located here. Link. He even mentions my good friend Terry Martin of ESRI as a "visionary geospatial icon". I know that had to make Terry feel good! Since that time I have noticed a couple of more articles being written that both comment on Ben's article and continue to convince me that we need to be headed into the GIS Robot field. I believe that Robots can collect information more cheaply and accurately than humans. The field will probably go the way of the automotive industry as data collection is much cheaper and, even more importantly, much more accurately collected by robots.. Might as well climb on board at the beginning.

Here is another article in the Emerging Technology Trends Blog called "Don’t be a robot, use one!". Link. It seems to be a wide open field and I intend to be on the bow wave of it.

Breathing Life Into A New Business

2006-12-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

Vertical GeoSolutions, Inc was born today!