All Points Blog

Anti-Defamation League Uses Map Posters to Send Message

(Adena Schutzberg) — Thu, 8 Jan 2009 06:00:00 -0600

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has announced a viral media campaign to explain Israel's actions against Hamas in Gaza. Geography, "near" in particular are at the heart of campaign.

A centerpiece of the campaign is downloadable and customizable posters with the message, "What If Hamas Was In Your Neighborhood?" The posters use a visual of a map rendering the Gaza Strip near major urban areas in the United States to help reinforce the threat facing Israeli towns and cities within range of Hamas rockets. "No country would allow such danger on its border, and neither will Israel," read the posters.

You can see the customizable posters here.

- Press Release

Off Topic: Why We Need Libraries

(Adena Schutzberg) — Wed, 7 Jan 2009 06:00:00 -0600

I wrote the following over vacation (on Jan 2), but seeing this headline convinced me it was time to run it today: "Philadelphia Libraries Remain Open, But Staff Cuts Mean Fewer Days" (Library Journal)

---

I love libraries. I'm in one now (Somerville Public, Main Branch). It's got free wireless, not just for the library, but the neighbors, too.

Continue reading "Off Topic: Why We Need Libraries"

Old Poll, New Poll

(Adena Schutzberg) — Wed, 7 Jan 2009 06:00:00 -0600

Back in November (yes it's been a while!) we asked how important is it that a job candidate be familiar with more than one GIS product/platform. I'm please to report 82% of the 28 respondents put it in the required/valuable category. (Note that students! And, to be clear, this need not mean you pay someone to teach you a package. There are some great tutorials and free and open source software to explore!)

58% - Valuable; it's nice to have.

25% - Required; I won't hire the person.

18% - Not important; I don't even ask about it.

Next up: Which is your biggest challenge in doing your geo-related job? Vote in the lower right hand corner of the main page.

Health GIS Blog

(Adena Schutzberg) — Wed, 7 Jan 2009 06:00:00 -0600

I ran across this the other day: The GIS Use in Public Health and Health Care blog. It's written by - Wansoo Im, Ph.D. at VERTICES (who run into now and again) and Evens Salomon, a student intern from Rutgers University.

NAVTEQ VP: "Indian Map data quality is not up to the mark"

(Adena Schutzberg) — Wed, 7 Jan 2009 05:29:42 -0600

Silicon India's headline included the term "sucks" but Vice President, Partner and Developer Program Marc Naddel, who gave the keynote, didn't apparently say that. The statement above was made at during a panel discussions on LBS at COMSNETS-09, an international conference on communication systems and networks, being held in Bangalore.

Microsoft chose NAVTEQ for its Live Search, just last month. So, I guess Microsoft finds NAVTEQ's data works for that company. NAVTEQ owner Nokia got into a PR "situation" last month when outdated maps caused protests because of mobile map's depictions of Kashmir.

Naddel went on to say that there is great opportunity, but if he did talk about how NAVTEQ/Nokia will be capturing better data, Silicon India didn't report it.

Update: Google Earth Enterprise Hits the Road

(Adena Schutzberg) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 16:07:00 -0600

Update 1/6/09 5:10 pm EST

Google's folks got right back to me with answers (Thanks!), so here you go:

As I understand it, you are not just putting some data on the mobile deployment, you are putting the whole server and all the data on it?

That's correct. The mobile drive would have a Google Earth server plus the customer's data. One thing to point out - what differentiates Google Earth Enterprise from the publicly available Google Earth is that, in the Enterprise version, the customer utilizes only their own data (which is the case with this portable technology).

Continue reading "Update: Google Earth Enterprise Hits the Road"

Patent Watch: Has Apple Patented Touchscreen Mapping?

(Adena Schutzberg) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 07:21:57 -0600

The patent filed with the World International Property Organization (WIPO) is titled: "Touch Screen Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Providing Maps, Directions, and Location-Based Information."

Unwired argues that "most of the features used in its [sic, Google] mobile navigation app" are owned by Apple, not Google.

MacNN also chimes in.

All 43 Police Forces in England and Wales offer Online Crime Maps

(Adena Schutzberg) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 06:40:15 -0600

They've all been published online as of today per the Home Office. The plan to put the maps online was the result of the publication of a Cabinet Office report noting citizens felt 'cut off' from the justice department. The effort to put the maps online began last summer.

It seems they all use different technology (that's fine by me) but I can't find an index of them. I think that'd be a valuable addition. You can see a comparison of offenses by local authority with the Instant Atlas.

- Guardian

SanFran Solar Map Patterns

joe.francica@directionsmag.com (Joe Francica) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 06:01:00 -0600

I just had a chance to look at San Francisco's new Solar Map created by CH2M Hill. The Google Maps-based website shows the location of installed solar panels and the power company that provided the installation. And Time Magazine had a fairly comprehensive story about the plans by CH2M HILL to map 25 cities for their solar potential as well as an audio interview with SF Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Since this was relatively old news, I was looking to see if I could discern any patters to the existing solar installations. I noticed an interesting grouping of solar panels in a neighborhood south of I280 and east of James Lick Freeway which has been designated as "environmental justice program" installations. I created a average income thematic map of the area that showed it to be a low-income area which Newsom cited were "under-served neighborhoods."

If you type in a local address you will receive information on the current energy use and the potential savings by installing solar power. San Francisco is offering incentives to install solar energy solutions.

Suggestions to Online News Map Producers

(Adena Schutzberg) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 06:00:00 -0600

Dear Charlotte Observer,

Today I found, via a search, your map of the homicides in Charlotte in 2008. I applaud the use of interactive map in news coverage.

I was a bit "lost" when contemplating this map because there was:

- no article to which it was linked
- no legend
- no link for information on the map itself (who made it, why, source information, etc.)

With some effort, I did find the article in the Sunday edition that linked to the map. It was sadly about the first homicide of 2009. The article did reference the map, but alas didn't provide any further information.

I did find, quite by accident that clicking the "view larger map" took me to the MyMaps source of this smaller map. There I found a descriptive legend (what the blue and yellow teardrops meant and what pushpins meant) and more about the source information.

My suggestions:

- If a map is on a stand-alone page, consider adding a "stories that link to this map" list. Remember many readers will come to this map from outside the paper thus have "no context."
- Perhaps rename the "view larger map" link to state that more information is available there, too. That link might made more prominent, too.
- Include a legend if at all possible with the embedded map.

Thanks for your time.

Adena

Camden Complaint Map Causes....Complaints

(Adena Schutzberg) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 06:00:00 -0600

It seems the issue with the "interactive map of the city allowing anyone to post anonymous concerns" is that it's not being updated, leaving resident to feel their concerns are not being addressed. Hopeworks 'N Camden designed the map at the direction of the Camden District Council Collaborative Boards.

So far, 1,092 concerns have been filed. As of Friday, the average acknowledgment for an abandoned home was 200.5 days. Graffiti isn't far behind at 184.5 days. The site lists 378 reports -- more than one in three issues -- as outdated.

The issue seems to be interoperability, though the local paper doesn't use that term.

The problem has been software, city officials said. The city uses an internal program to monitor constituent complaints called Contact Camden. As complaints from the Web site are filed, each must be transferred into the system individually. In order to respond to both types of concerns, the city is considering updating the map to integrate it with the other software.

Alas the person working on connecting the systems was let go due to budget issues. I have to agree with Rev. Jeff Putthoff, a DCCB member and executive director of Hopeworks, who points out the map is more than a luxury, but rather shoes transparency of government. Meetings are planned to try to update the process and thus the map.

Early iPhone LBS Ad Company in Deadpool

(Adena Schutzberg) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 06:00:00 -0600

TechCrunch reports that AppLoop has shut down. The company (which I'd not heard of) launched in summer 2008 and took advantage of the iPhone's location determination to send ads. (The company claimed to be "the first ever real-time, location-based mobile ad network.") A later app turned any RSS feed into an iPhone app. Doesn't sound like either one was enough to keep the lights on.

Skidmore GIS Educators Conference Friday

(Adena Schutzberg) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 06:00:00 -0600

Skidmore is not one of the schools we generally think of when speaking about GIS, but this Friday the Skidmore GIS Center for Interdisciplinary Research hosts a regional GIS Conference for Educators.

This year, topics of interest include GIS and statistics, managing and supporting GIS on a college campus, the use of GIS for visualizing potential development, GIS and mercury in the Adirondack Park, Manifold internet mapping, using ESRI Modelbuilder for automating demographic analysis, and web based GIS systems.

If any readers are attending, we'd love a brief conference report!

Obama's Infrastructure Investment Statements Fueling ADSK Stock Surge?

joe.francica@directionsmag.com (Joe Francica) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 06:00:00 -0600

Back on December 6th, President-elect Barack Obama made a statement that to help "jump start" the economy and stem job losses that he would make an investment in infrastructure. Some have called it an "Eisenhower-like" project similar to the development of the interstate highway system in the 1950's under then president Dwight Eisenhower for the construction of new roads, repair of aging bridges and making public buildings more energy efficient. Bloomberg News reported on December 8th that the total stimulus package might be in the range of $500 to $700 billion.

These statements sent shares of construction manufacturers and engineering firms up solidly. The impact has been felt in the geospatial technology sector as well. Since early December, Autodesk's (ADSK) stock as risen from around $16 per share to nearly $21 per share as of yesterday's close or about 30%.

Podcast: Four New Year's Geotechnology Challenges

(Adena Schutzberg) — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 01:00:00 -0600

With the new year five days old and economic challenges expected for every sector we explore four big challenges and opportunities for those in geospatial technology. We explore four of them: (1) how U.S. investment in infrastructure may propel geotechnologies, (2) marketing of geotechnologies in tough times (3) the growth/contraction of location-based services, and (4) the renewed interest in "openness."

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