Our friends at Esri have shared with us that this coming August 31 will be International Overdose Awareness Day. If this topic is of interest to you, or perhaps near to your heart, you know by now that Esri and others have been actively sharing data and map resources that address this epidemic and offer insights and understanding of the urgency that exists in many cities and towns. [Read more…] about Overdose Awareness Day is August 31st – Tips for Communities to Build Awareness Maps
environment
The Worldwide Trash Mapping Challenge – Map the Trash!
The Worldwide Trash Mapping Challenge is on! It’s not too late to take part. Simply download the app, find trash, map it and win prizes! [Read more…] about The Worldwide Trash Mapping Challenge – Map the Trash!
GIS Response to the August 2016 California Wildfires
In late August the Clayton arson fire added yet another chapter to the long-running saga of devastating California blazes. The conflagration destroyed at least 299 structures, including 189 single-family homes, 40 businesses and a range of other structures such as sheds and smaller outbuildings. More than 4,000 people were evacuated in the course of the fire, which raged for several days. It’s no surprise to GIS pros that GIS plays a huge role in the response and aftermath of these devastating fires. FireWhat of Bend, Ore. was called in by CalFire to help in the aftermath and asses the damage . Read on about the role that GIS and geotech helped crunch the data.

GIS professionals help the damage assessment (Source: emergencymgmt.com)
La Niña is Coming – Here’s 5 Weather Patterns to Expect in 2016
Summer is near and with it comes a season of El Nina weather. So what does this mean? According to a feature in Slate, there’s a number of patterns that we can expect. First we need to understand what it all means… in a nutshell, the trade winds will return with a vengeance, and will promote cooler, upwelling ocean water (which we call La Niña) that will shift weather patterns worldwide. According to experts we can expect the following weather patterns:
What is La Niña? The main feature of La Niña is cooler-than-average surface waters in the tropical central and eastern Pacific: the opposite of El Niño. The cooler waters lead to an intensification of the Walker Circulation. (Source: NOAA)
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Stay Safe During Hurricane Season With these Mobile Usage Tips
With summer just around the corner (officially) also comes hurricane season and the need for emergency preparedness. This from AT&T… No one knows when the next tropical storm or hurricane will hit the coastline. But, AT&T is prepared with one of the nation’s largest and most advanced disaster programs. It invested more than $600 million in the Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) program, this includes planning for pre-storm network preparations and the preparation of Response equipment.
AT&T offers up a number mobile safety tips for customers this hurricane season [Read more…] about Stay Safe During Hurricane Season With these Mobile Usage Tips
This new, 5 inch, waterproof 4G LTE Android smartphone is just $99!
Yes indeed, just $99 for this waterproof, Android smartphone from Kyocera – enter the REACH. The Hydro REACH, is now available from Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA nationwide. Building on the legacy of success of Kyocera’s Hydro Series, the Hydro REACH sports a large 5-inch display and with a textured back cover and rounded edges for a comfortable feel in the hand. The phone goes on sale today for just $99.99.
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Algalita Research – How much plastic is entering the ocean?
I’ve been a huge fan of the Algalita Research Foundation ever since I had the pleasure of listening to their execs at a special presentation here in the PacNW discussing the HUGE issue of plastics in the Oceans and the efforts that the group is going to address this Global problem.
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Digitalglobe helps facebook connecting the 4.2 billion people that still remain offline
Some interesting todbits from MWC today out of Digitalglobe… At the Mobile World Congress today, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg announced the Telecom Infra Project, an initiative to develop new technologies and approaches for connecting the 4.2 billion people that still remain offline.
Drive for free with WaiveCar
Are you one of the many who want to get rid of your monthly car payments, insurance, maintenance fees and more? Enter this clever car sharing service announced this year at CES – WaiveCar – the first car-sharing program that runs on advertising dollars, and gives drivers a break.
Here’s how it works:
WaiveCar’s fleet of compact, four-door cars are 100% electric and 100% emission-free. And they are zippy: going from 0-60 mph in 7.9 seconds, with 141 horsepower. Each car is outfitted with Bluetooth and has an 80-mile range per charge.
Los Angeles Mayor and Esri’s Jack Dangermond to Lanch #GeoHub via Livestream
Today at 10:30 AM (PST) #GeoHub is a city- and countywide collaboration and data portal, with Location-as-a-Service and DIY mapping tools. It’s an innovation ecosystem. Open data made actionable. Today’s live stream will have Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Esri’s Jack Dangermond.

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