Anything Geospatial

GIS, Maps, Geo and Location Technology by @gletham

Archives for February 2012

Heading To An Open HackDay? Some Tips, Data Resources and Developer Tools

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Hackday events are becoming quite common, many local government agencies embracing the format and opening the doors, and their data vaults, to local developers, hackers, and those simply looking to mashup some data. So, what to do on a hackday and what resources could be valuable? If your next hackday is going to be your first then you will likely spend loads of time searching around for tools and such. There’s a good chance folks at your hackday event (or perhaps you) will be contemplating building a mobile app as your next hackday project. The following are a few mobile dev resources that could come in very handy for you:

  • Facebook developer APIs and tools – a comprehensive resource for developers from facebook – be sure to keep tabs on facebook Places and movement they make in location aware services, POI and related matters.
  • Twitter developer API https://dev.twitter.com/ and Twitter Geo developer guildelines – A useful resource for those lookig to include Twitter functionality into their mobile apps.
  • Application Platform Overview for Windows Phone and the Windows Phone developer blog
    http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/wpdev/ with tips and tricks for the developer and those interested in the Windows Phone OS
  • AppHub – a vast developer resource for those interested in creating apps for Windows Phone – a hint… nokia is really watching this space and there’s huge opportunity for those creating apps for the new Nokia Windows Phone devices!


Image credit www.visionmobile.com

Read on for more Tips, Open Data sources, Developer Tools, Mobile Dev resources and more! Hackday 101 – Tips, Tricks, OpenData sources, and Developer Resources for Mobile Application Developers

Creativity Not Just For Cartographers: Geo Analysts Need It Too

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What do GIS analysis and creativity have in common? Quite a lot, actually. While it may seem that geo analytical work is solely a left-brained affair and thus the opposite of creativity, there are, in fact, many ways in which creativity is fundamental to geo analysis. Cartographer Gretchen Peterson takes a closer look at this topic and offers up some great examples of how you can harness your creativity. In the article she looks closer at:

  • What to do when data is abundant and creativity isn’t
  • Analysis and design
  • Project organization
  • Optimizing your efficiency
  • Analysis and display

See More – Creativity Not Just For Cartographers: Geo Analysts Need It Too

Checkin and Share on Google G+ Via Google Maps Mobile on Android

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Google recently rolled out an update to the Google Maps mobile app for Android.  Here’s how it works. Load up gMaps and locate yourself (make sure GPS is enabled). Then, using the drop-down menu in the top left corner, drop down the options that are available to you. In the middle you’ll notice an option to Checkin. Maps will search a POI database nearby (another example of why a business MUST get listed and verify their listing in Google Places)  and present a number of options, optionally you can search if your place doesn’t appear near the top (handy in congested urban areas). I was interested to notice that when I load the checkin while at home, Google maps geocodes my location and accurately presents my home address as an option, although I don’t think I’ll checkin from my home! Select a place, I’ll pick a nearby cafe as an example, add a comment (the dialog is exactly what you see when you use G+ to make a post from your mobile, and checkin. Note, when checking in you have a number of sharing options that you can set including: share with your G+ circles, share with Latitude friends, or make public… this is cool! And here’s something quite cool, you can optionally enable maps to automatically check you in to this venue in the future when you are nearby or remind you to checkin the next time you come here. Finally, once you checkin you are shown stats of the leaderboard, this is the gaming element to Google Maps checkin, and then you can proceed to the Google Place listing page of the venue. I really like this, particularly as I frequently lookup Google places via this information.

See http://www.google.com/places/
See more about Google Maps in the Android Market

DigitalGlobe online Image Store – Imagery for Press and Special Events

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DigitalGlobe, via their blog, has announced a new e-commerce offering in their DG online store. The store will be their imagery hub for any press outlets  interested in obtaining imagery of breaking news or human interest stories around the globe.  They will also offer access to Analysis Center reports, providing detailed insight into disasters, political events, and other categories.  For the consumer the store is also  a way to purchase poster-sized jpegs of  imagery collected by their sensors.

Found online at http://store.digitalglobe.com the user will be greeted with several options for search including: news/media, cool places, world events, sports, and a featured image hub. From that point images are stored by geography, for example, you could easily locate an image or poster of  the Opera House in Sydney, Australia… very nice as I’m a huge fan of imagery as art… cool stuff from DigitalGlobe! I can just picture one hanging on my office wall right now!

 

Mobile World Congress #MWC Makes Plans For Barcelona Transit Strike During Event!

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Oh my! What do you do when you have one of the largest Mobile technology conferences in the World and a planned Bus Transit strike taking place during the same week? Yep… that’s what’s taking place in Barcelona, Spain next week during the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) hosted by the GSMA. Some details… The metro and bus workers from TMB, the main public transport operator in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, have announced plans to strike during Mobile World Congress which will be held 27th February through 1st March 2012. Negotiations between the government and the unions are ongoing in an effort to resolve the issues.

For event attendees you can take comfort though as GSMA has developed a comprehensive contingency plan and is ready to activate this plan should it become necessary. The contingency plan outlines alternate transport options for getting to and from the venue, and also describes the additional security measures the police are putting in place to ensure the safe passage of our attendees.

Perhaps a savvy mobile developer will hit it big by developing an app to help!

See more details HERE

Free webinar Feb 23 – Learn to Use HTML5 with Esri ArcGIS

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Here’s details of a webinar running 3X today from Esri on the HOT topic of HTML5. The presenters will define HTML5 and the associated technologies, describe some components of HTML5 that can be used today, and demonstrate how components of HTML5 can be used with web applications built using ArcGIS API for JavaScript and ArcGIS Online.

After watching this seminar, you will better understand

  • What technologies are considered part of HTML5
  • How HTML5 and CSS3 can be used with ArcGIS API for JavaScript
  • How ArcGIS Online uses HTML5
  • How to find resources for learning to develop web applications that use HTML5

Register HERE

See Also of interest – Webinar: Getting Rolling in 2012 with HTML5 & Esri Technology

Esri Federal GIS Conference #EsriFedCon opening plenary video

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Wow, Kudos to Esri for getting this week’s Esri Federal GIS Conference opening plenary video up on their website already! If you visit the FedCon website you’ll see the video along with lots of other goodies from D.C. Note, you can follow updates from the event on Twitter via hashtag #EsriFedCon – Note, you can also follow the official Esri Federal Government team on Twitter @EsriFederalGov

From Esri… See how GIS helps federal government better understand our nation. Features US Department of the Interior deputy secretary David J. Hayes, Esri president Jack Dangermond, and ArcGIS demos.

View the Video HERE

 Sorry for not embedding the video here, however, the embed code was not made available!

If you check out Jithen’s GeoGeek.NZ blog you’ll find more info on the high-res videos

See Also – Esri Federal Conference Day 1 – Favorite Tweets and Tips How To Follow the Event

 

62% of You Say You Are Addicted to The Internet – Females More Likely

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Some interesting figures coming from SodaHead as they take a look at the growing issue of Internet addiction. Indeed some interesting findings as figures and findings from recent surveys reveal that some 62% of people feel they are addicted although 39% feel they could quit if they want. Additionally, Internet addiction spans over all age groups but interesting to note that females seem to be slightly more addicted. What’s rather surprising though is that SodaHead has extrapolated their findings to other spaces and even indicate that the addiction can also signal future substance addictions.

From SodaHead: When the numbers are broken down by gender, 64% of women admitted to an Internet addiction, compared to 55% of men. Internet addiction was present in every age group, however the younger voters were more likely to be hooked (73% of those between 13-17 and 71% of those between 18-24). The numbers decreased for older respondents with only 39% of those between 55-65 admitting to the addiction.

Full results of the poll, including detailed demographic information, can be found HERE

 

How to Follow the Esri Federal User Conference #EsriFedCon

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It’s February, Ash Wednesday to be precise, and that means it’s time for the Esri Federal User Conference, taking place in D.C this week from Feb 22-24. This is no shorts, flip flops, and back back Geo gathering, rather, we’re talking suits, ties, shiny shoes, and lots of brass! I woke up this morning to a twitter stream lit up like the 4th of July – I’m on the left coast so the event is well under way by the time I drag myself out of the sack. So, how do you follow the event? Naturally, Twitter is where you can access loads of real-time feeds, tips, and commentary. But take note, as is the case with most events, the event hashtag tends to deviate and people start wandering off on their own discussion, this typically thanks to folks making up their own incarnation of an event hashtag to use. Tweeps catch wind of a post, they reply and re-tweet and the new hashtag takes life… the result, discussions all over the place and loads of confusion. So, let me set it straight… the hashtag is NOT #feduc #esrifeduc etc… RATHER, the official hashtag as specified by the Esri Federal User Conference homepage is #EsriFedCon

Adding this hashtag as a column in your Seesmic web client, Tweetdeck, or Hootsuite web client will ensure that you don’t miss out on anything.

This Table Reserved for @Geo_Rube & @Cageyjames #EsriFedCon

[Read more…] about How to Follow the Esri Federal User Conference #EsriFedCon

Suggested Reading – 10 New GIS User Articles and Features

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Another busy week in GISuser Feature content and Geo Tech Spotlights. The following are 10 recent GISuser feature articles, blog posts and app spotlights that you should be sure to check out… some fine pointers and good reading here! Enjoy the following 10 features:

  1. Landsat 5 Suspension of Operations Extended
  2. Thematic Mapper (TM) data began showing signs of imminent failure. Following an unsuccessful attempt to recover the ESRI Updates – ArcGIS for SilverLight 1.0 and Now ArcGIS Online in 9 More Languages
  3. Announcing The 2012 Esri #DevMeetup Schedule
  4. Checkin to Google Places, Share on Google G+ Via the New Google Maps Mobile on Android
  5. Video – Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone Smartphone
  6. PhoneGap OpenSource Devlopment Framework; Deploy to 7 Major Mobile Platforms
  7. USGIF announced the opening of its 2012 Scholarship Program
  8. Latitude Geographics @geocortex Featured in Canada’s National Newspaper For Hiring Interns
  9. Registration now open – 2012 Washington GIS Conference #WAurisa
  10. Carnival Of The Geospatialists 4

See 10 Must Read, Recent GISuser Geo, Social, and Mobile Features, Blogs and Spotlights to Check out!

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