Of interest, you’ve obviously heard that the Apple iPhone will be officially released this week here in the USA. I’m on the fence as to weather it actually is an amazing device, however, you can’t argue that the hysteria surrounding this unit will lend support to the fact that gorilla marketing and provide an application that’s Simple To Use is indeed part of the equation in developing that killer app! Maybe Nokia should take note… give people what they want, bring the tools front and center, and make it simple… no problem! Finally, having a decent sales channel is CRUCIAL.. this is where the Nokia’s of the world have flopped. Coincidentally Nokia has recently announced a major corporate restructuring – this coincides with a 40% hike in their stock value this year…. imagine what the stock will do if they can correct things?? See also On a side note, you’ve obviously heard that the Apple iPhone will be officially released this week here in the USA. See also http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1134322
Archives for June 2007
Universal Address Enhanced Google Driving Directions
Toronto-based NAC Geographic Products Inc. announced the release of the NAC Enhanced Google Driving Directions – an integration of Natural Area Coding System and Google Driving Directions through Google’s powerful AJAX APIs to provide a truely language-independent global service to connect any locations in the world. The NAC Enhanced Google Driving Directions allows users to use a Natural Area Code (NAC) in addition to latitude/longitude coordinates, street addresses, POIs and ZIP/postcodes to specify start, stop and end locations. Recall… A NAC is an efficiently represention of any area and location in the world. A two-character NAC represents an area about 1000km X 700km (like a province), a four-character NAC represents an area about 33km X 23km (like a city), a six-character NAC roughly represents every square kilometer area, an eight-character NAC represents an area about 35m X 25m (like a building), and a ten-character NAC approximately represents every square meter on the earth surface. See here
AWhere Inc. opens office in Golden CO
Congrats go out to Jim and crew at AWhere on their open house coming up next week. Some details… AWhere Inc. will be holding a launch party and open house next Weds at their new digs in Golden. The Golden Chamber of Commerce will officially cut the ribbon to welcome them (and their VIP friends) to the Old West.
Event: The AWhere Open House Date: Weds, June 27, 2007 Time: 4:00 to 6:00pm Location: 39° 45′ 16″ N 105° 13′ 08″ W (where else?)
…or for the GPS challenged: 720 14th Street at Washington Ave. in Golden CO. See http://www.AWhere.com
Winding down from ESRI UC and hot topics this year
Well, another ESRI UC has come and gone for many of us… I’m still trying to regroup after 5 busy days on the West Coast. There’s still plenty of activity taking place today including the official launch (ceremonial) of the Service At Sea journey… an educational initiative taking GIS to people who need it – see more on this below. I had many people ask me, “so, what’s hot this year”… well, that depends on what you need, however, I can say that just a few of the hot/cool things that I observed at the conference include (but not limited to) Server – ArcGIS Server is huge and the server products are indeed becoming a huge part of ESRI’s offerings… I’m hearing numbers like 30%+ of sales/revenues coming from this space. I also heard much reference to simple mashup creation and use of the REST API as being hot and big in this area – seeing ArcGIS services on top of Google Maps and Virtual Earth basemaps was definitely cool! Image server is a tremendous solution and the offering for mobile solutions keep on coming (so do the licenses!). Cool products like those coming from TopCon and Trimble (like the Juno) are making life much easier for mobile users and field workers.
On the floor there were several touch table solutions being presented, obviously a hot product for the defense users – the DIT-2 from Panoram definitely turned heads! An update to Geographic Imager from Avenza was announced this week… offering users more flexibility and enhancements to help them be more productive working with imagery… the added support for tiling is likely the most noteworthy update users will enjoy. The Definiens extension for ArcGIS is also an amazing app that enables power users of imagery with ArcGIS to conduct feature extraction, change detection, and object recognition… all within a familiar environment.
GeoMarc from GCS Research was demo’d to me and indeed this app is a tremendous offering for those using/publishing imagery… embed sensitive information within your imagery, even store meta-data as well – truly a clever solution! Got loads of output? The Oce TCS500 with map folder setup is one of those “WOW” technologies… imagine letting that plotter crank out plots all night long and your output is automatically folded according your specifications… cool! The gang from Latitude Geographics (Victoria) also filled me in on how their gamble to roll the dice and bet on .Net has paid off – think rapid/real-world ArcGIS Server application development using the .NET version of Web ADF.
I could go on and on but if I had to pick out several hot topics/buzz words I’d definitely have to say Server, Imagery, mobile, ease of use, mashups, and interoperability rank right up there at the top. Ok, I need a nap then I’ll get back to sifty through the notes! See photos from San Diego HERE – I didn’t get to the windup party last night as I was in transit… how was it??
Some Common GPS myths
Spent the lunch hour here listening to a gentleman from Trimble discuss GPS, GPS myths etc… Some Common GPS myths:
WAAS will work everywhere
GPS will work everywhere
All GPS receivers are the same
You can use a rec. GPS for GIS data collection
US coast guard beacons are coastal
Selective Availability is still on or will be on again
You can get an accurate position with less than 4 satellites
Other people can track you if your GPS is on
All basedata is accurate
Aerial or satellite imagery will replace the need for GPS
Datums are not important when collecting GPS
WGS84 datum is the same as NAD83
Vert accuracy is the same as horizontal accuracy
See also http://www.trimble.com/gps/index.shtml
ArcGIS Image Server – Author, Serve, Use…
Random notes about ArcGIS Image Server – Released with ArcGIS 9.2 late last year. Recall, imagery is a natural background for many GIS apps. Useful for direct interpretation, statistics and analysis, used for vectorization (80% of vector data collected using imagery backdrop), data verification after GIS analysis. Diff. apps have diff demands on their imagery – time, quality, sun angle, etc…
Why Image Server??
Use of imagery growing exponentially
Available from many sources (aerial cameras, scanned maps, satellites)
Depth of imagery increasing, more bands of imagery, higher resolution, overlap in imagery (same image from multiple dates or diff. angles)
Imagery is often available but simply not accessible (obviously Google Earth has addressed this)
Fast access to imagery and metadata
Much more! See ArcGIS Image Server – Author, Serve, Use… Random Notes from the ESRI UC for more on this
Developing Web2.0 flash mapping apps with ArcWeb Services
Some random notes from the session on AWX 2 — Recall recently ArcWeb explorer 2 beta 1 released last week – See arcwebservices.com labs
ArcWeb Services AWX2 is built on Adobe Flex 2
2 APIs – javascript and Flex 2 ActrionScript API
Simple authoring where anyone with a notepad should be able to author an ArcMap web service (Source: AWX dev team)
New Features in AWX2
– more map types… tiled streets (ArcGIS online), topo, shaded relief. Streets, aerial and hybrid always been there
– support for 13 diff projections (repro on the fly)
– create your own widgets (think Apple)
– using Flex API the map can be completely customized (via style sheets)
See Developing Web2.0 flash mapping apps with ArcWeb Services – Random Notes from the ESRI UC for more on this topic
Enhancements in ArcGIS at 9.3 and simple mashup creation, and Publish SOAP, REST and OGC services
ArcGIS Server 9.3, the next version of the popular app will be an incremental release… support for integrated security, better cashing, more options in building apps and simple mashup applications, deploy REST services… and more! Some random notes from the session:
Enhancement – map tips
Enhanced printing support – print tool in web app
More access to web developers – expands the ways you can build apps… Javascript API for mashup style apps (new at 9.3). AJAX enabled web App Dev Framework for advanced web services… Publish SOAP, REST and OGC services.
.Net web ADF
– full integration with ASP .Net AJAX
– client side javascript Object Model that works with server side ASP .Net web controls
– enhanced task results, identify and map tips
– IDE integration for Eclipse and NetBeans
At 9.3 ArcGIS Server brings New javascript APIs
– combine your organization’s GIS content hosted in ArcGIS Server with content from Virtual Earth or from Google Maps, or ArcGIS online – powered by backend ArcGIS Server REST services.
– Done by writing a javascript enabled webpage hosted on your web server.
A choice of javascript map controls:
ArcGIS Server Javascript Map Control and API – use ArcGIS online or your own content for a base map – Overlay arcGIS content
Use Microsoft Virtual earth Map control and API – use VE as a base map, overlay GIS
Google Maps JS Map control and API – use google maps as base map overlay your data
Demo: quickly create a mashup using your data (ArcGIS) on a Google maps basemap.
Mobile Map connect takes ESRI data to the field
Speaking of ArcPad and mobile GIS, Geoage today has introduced ESRI UC attendees to their Mobile Map Connect application. According to Don fromm Geoage who I just spoke with, Mobile Map Connect enables ESRI users to take their maps and data into the field, with little mobile know-how etc… so newbies can get up and running fast, right out of the box and with little or no training. The solution works on any Windows mobile enabled device. See www.geoage.com for more
Intro to ArcGIS Mobile and ArcPad at 7.1
Just listening to an intro session focused on ESRI’s extension of GIS beyond the office and into a mobile environment. Why mobile GIS?? Need to take GIS into the field to enable timely, relevant, and accurate decisions. Making real-time decisions in the field enables more collaboration between the field and the office.
ESRI’s key Mobile GIS users:
Asset management – signs, hydrants, poles
Logistics – package delivery
Public Safety
Natural resource management – habitat and forestry
One of the main mobile solutions offered by ESRI is obviously ArcPad. Currently at release 7.1, the solution is currently in Beta and will likely be available in a couple of months. What can you do with ArcPad
– deploy data for field use
– use pre-loaded streetmap data, geocode, and create routes
– query data using query builder and customized query forms
– field data capture and editing
– use data capture deviced (GPS, range finder, camera)
– update enterprise database – including related tables
– navigate with your GPS
– customize ArcPad
– streetmap data is included (Canada and US)
– ArcPad 7.1 currently in Beta
Usability improvements in 7.1 – QuickProject
– focus on those new to GIS. Quickly create a new data capture project/template to get up and running fast.
ArcPad application builder is a provided tool for customizing ArcPad.
Developing for ArcPad – About The ArcGIS Mobile SDK
– ships with ArcGIS server, came with 9.2
– a suite of .Net components useful for building your own mobile solution
– Core capabilities – provide a method for synchronizing data to and fromm ArcGIS Server – optimized for wireless networks
– Enables display of rich maps on mobile devices (Pocket PC, smartphones)
– Provides and easy to use and standardized developer environment
Who’s using the SDK? Logistics (stops, deliveries), Utilities (sketching and markup), public safety, emergency response… What Can you do with the sDK? Design, serve, deploy, and Sync – design focused apps targeted at specific mobile workers, serve mobile web services, deploy large number of clients easily, synch field edits to a from a mobile web service.
Mobile platforms supported (mainly MS) running on desktop, tablet, and mobile. Many field-ready mobile devices are designed for all day use and offer enhanced wireless capabilities. These devices are designed to plug into the enterprise. Supported devices include smart phones, pocket PC phones, tablet PCs and laptops. Pocket PCs are ideally suited for all day long field work. Many offer touch screen UI, they can be rugged, and are affordable. I wish I could tell you more about ArcPAd at 7.1 but i guess that’s in another session.
Finally… ESRI’s mobile team provides users with The StreetMap Mobile SDK – for building mobile navigation solutions. Provides components for mapping, geocoding, and much more.Of interest, clinets include the likes of Searc who have deployed a navigation solution to thousands of their vehicles. Enables them to move their vehicles safely and efficiently around the country.
Demo: we saw how a nav solution provided a voice (male or female) to warn driver if they are speeding etc… Directions can be reported in multiple languages. We entered a start and stop location and then an optimal route was returned to us and voice commands were presented to route our driver… pretty cool.