What a score this resource is for Texas Data… here’s just a sampling of what you can access:
Texas DRGs – 24k, 100k and 250k
1m digital orthos
SSURGO soils data
Contours
Seamless DEMs
TIGER data
and much more! This resource is a total score! Bookmark http://www.fri.sfasu.edu/pages/archives/gis_data/html/gis_data.html
Archives for September 2006
Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center (Texas)
The Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center (CRGSC) is a fine source for Texas GIS datasets including orthophotos, vector data products, GPS base station locations, Landsat and SPOT imagery, and more. Thanks to Justing for this fine tip! See http://www.crgsc.org/ – See http://www.crgsc.org/
Event of interest – AJAX World
Some info about a little event you may not be familiar with… AJAXWorld Conference & Expo 2006 is being held October 2-4 in the Santa Clara Convention Center. There will be keynotes by the Father of the term “AJAX,” Jesse James Garrett and by one of the leading exponents of “Web 2.0”-style business, Patrick Grady — Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Rearden Commerce. Hear signature “Power Panels” discussing the disruptive potential of AJAX. More info can be found at http://www.ajaxworldconference.com
Canada to close national map office – Support Access to Maps for Canadians
A tip on this one comes to me via the GIS Coordinator from Carleton University Library. As of January 2007, Natural Resources Canada will discontinue the
printing of paper topographic maps and will close the Canada Map Office. Simply put, the government wants to get out of the business of producing maps. “This is not a minor policy amendment but a major change that has implications not just for map librarians but for the ordinary Canadian who is looking for a map for their cottage or who wants to go snowmobiling or hiking”. How you can help: An independent website has been set up to lobby and inform Canadians. Support Access to Maps for Canadians www.mapsforcanadians.ca
printing of paper topographic maps and will close the Canada Map Office. Simply put, the government wants to get out of the business of producing maps. “This is not a minor policy amendment but a major change that has implications not just for map librarians but for the ordinary Canadian who is looking for a map for their cottage or who wants to go snowmobiling or hiking”. How you can help: An independent website has been set up to lobby and inform Canadians. Support Access to Maps for Canadians www.mapsforcanadians.ca
topless sunbathers in Google Earth… come on, gimme a break!
Now the Sydney Morning Herald has reached rock bottom by trying to capture headlines and traffic by borrowing the keyword “google earth” in their latest ploy. In a rediculous article the paper is now “reporting” that google Earth users are now invading people’s privacy and that nude sun bathers are now fearful of having their privacy intruded upon… come on man.. gimme a break and report some real news. Until Google Eath starts serving up sub centimeter imagery I’ll likeley hold off trying to see my neighbor bathing by her pool. Add do that, Joe average still seems to thinnk that google Earth streams real-time or near real time images that are constantly updated by the “google Satellite”… amazing the ignorance that is out there surrounding this service. I’m not sure about you, but when I look at the images in question I can hardly even recognize that there’s a human on that roof top let alone a nude person… LOL – the Sydney Herald should check out some local governments capturing high-res, low-altitude aerial imagery using the like of the Intergraph ZI Imaging DMC etc… now there’s high-res imagery!
Autodesk launches Labs
this new developer focused portal from Autodesk offers users a site that provides free, early access to prototypes, experimental and beta applications and technologies. Several beta applications are available immediately: a public beta trial of Google Earth Extension for AutoCAD-based applications; a translator for sharing AutoCAD DWG and Bentley MicroStation 2D V8 DGN files; a Web client for viewing DWF files without downloading any software; a utility for storing a copy of vaulted data: and a technology preview that allows users to convert non-native 3D parts into fully featured Inventor parts. Best of all, users do not have to be Autodesk customers to try the technology at Autodesk Labs. See http://labs.autodesk.com/ or the PR here
Nokia launches next generation of Symbian S60 smartphones
Today in New York Nokia launched the next generation of S60 (series 60) smartphones including the way cool Nokia N95 – an all-in-one multimedia computer with a pioneering 2-way slide concept, integrated GPS functionality, a 5 megapixel camera and support for high-speed mobile networks. Truly a converged device, this unit will definitely make people wonder why they are lugging around MP3 players, cameras, and even notebooks along with their cell phone. No doubt a big price tag will come with the unit but the functionality will offset any heart ache associated with the price. Notto be forgotte, Nokia also introduced a symbian OS device focused on the US-based user, the Nokia N75. This smartphone will be ready to buy this Christmas and has been optimized for the North American user and hopes to be Nokia’s solution to bring S60 to the masses in North America.. stay tuned on that one. Finally, Nokia also revealed a linup of Music-focused smartphones (Nokia N7o, n73, n91) , designed to provide fast and simple access to the functionality that people need to enjoy music from their mobile device – synch, one button play, music management, and loads of storage (ie. 8 GB) – the N91 is even USB 2 enabled.. nice!
AnyGeo RSS feed back up!
WEll, this Beta testing of the new blogger functionality has some pittfalls… the joy of being a guinnea pig! Anyway, I think i have the RSS functionality back in order and feedburner is also working again. During the migration to Blooger Beta things got a bit mangled and the old RSS feed broke. the “old” link to blogger RSS feeds at http://gisuser.blogspot.com/atom.xml no longer works, however, the new feed can be found at Feedburner – see http://feeds.feedburner.com/Anygeo-AnythingGeospatial – anyone else having problems with this, i suggest you go login to Feedburner and recreate your RSS feed burn… this seems to be the only fix and there’s nothing within your Blogger control panel that will help.
Utah Automated Geographic Reference Center (AGRC)
The Utah Automated Geographic Reference Center (AGRC) provides a wide range of Geographic Information System (GIS) support to the State of Utah. AGRC strives to facilitate coordination among Utah GIS users and effective, efficient use of GIS resources. Available data products for download include DRG, DEM, DOQ, NED, FEMA data and much more. See
http://agrc.its.state.ut.us/
Jason’s Random Notes from the FME user conference – day 2
More random notes from last week’s FME user conference are now available from Jason’s weblog… nice job again Jason! No need to apologize for anyone about the delay in posting… in my opinion “real-time” blog postings from any event are highly over-rated! There’s this mentality out there that everyone wants to be first in posting about anything.. sure it may get you some traffic but unless you have something to say then what’s the big hurry? Also, unless you have amazing resources at your disposal then I’ve always found that your time at any event is best spent listening, learning, and schmoozing! You pay allot of $$ to attend events so you need to focus on the task at hand. If you happen to have a notebook and reliable WI-FI then blog away – to date I’ve found that O’reilly events are about the only ones where I can really do this well and efficiently (mostly since everyone else is doing it too!)… otherwise, summarizing events when you have some time is typically the safest solution. If you have to decide between having a couple of drinks with some new friends at an event or running away to go post to your blog, shmoozing with colleagues is definitely the choice you should make. Keep up the great work Jason and enjoy the celeb status ;0) See http://www.jasonbirch.com/nodes/2006/09/25/36/fme-uc-day-two-or-two-days-late-and-several-dollars-short/