by Matt Ball on April 29, 2012
A recent paper [PDF] by M. Shoko and Njike, presented at the first Conference on Advances in Geomatics Research, looks at the importance of spatial data infrastructure (SDI) for economic health and recovery for Zimbabwe. SDI provides access to spatial information for decision making, and is said to play a vital role for both government [...]
by Matt Ball on April 19, 2012
UK-based Measurement Devices Ltd. (MDL) has developed a tiny eye-safe micro laser for the mobile phone market that could revolutionize field data collection. The Micro Laser Module can make hundreds of measurement a second for objects within a 120-meter radius. Now that the hardware has been developed it is being marketed to original equipment manufacturers [...]
by Matt Ball on April 18, 2012
There are a few new smartphone applications that allow Yellowstone National Park visitors to share the locations where they have spotted wildlife so that other visitors can also catch a glimpse. Sharing of locations promise to improve visitors chances to see wolves, elk, bison and bears, but the Park Service is concerned that these siting [...]
by Matt Ball on April 9, 2012
Technology Review carries a story today about Broadcom’s innovative chip for smart phones that fuses signal inputs (GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth) with sensors (gyroscope, accelerometer, altimeter) to provide precise indoor and outdoor location. A similar announcement came just last week with the self-learning SiRFusion platform from CSR that also fuses location information from multiple technologies. With [...]
by Matt Ball on March 26, 2012
Google is working with the University of Washington on an open source field data collection tool called the Open Data Kit that enables easy data collection. The system is based on Google’s Android system, with support in many languages. It supports GPS data collection, the integration of images from a phone camera sensor, the capture [...]
by Matt Ball on March 20, 2012
The U.S. Census Bureau is set to release details from the 1940 Census, including details on the impacts of the Great Depression. The data will be released on April 2, with much anticipation from researchers who look to mine this data for the Depression’s impact on daily life, as well as personal genealogy. The 1940 [...]
by Matt Ball on March 9, 2012
A coordinated effort is underway this weekend to walk and record as many transects of London from the outskirts to the city center. The project of urban story walks is an effort of Urban Earth, and many such walks have been completed around the globe from Mexico City to Mumbai. The effort hopes to draw [...]
by Matt Ball on February 29, 2012
Nokia and the Microsoft Bing Maps team are working jointly on on a new map presentation. The new approach involves a simpler information presentation where the maps have fewer ‘intrusive objects, icons and signs’ and fewer colors, along with clearer fonts and graphics. The maps present more detailed information as you zoom in, with a [...]
by Matt Ball on February 28, 2012
Nicholas Felton is a designer that spends a great deal of time and effort quantifying his life, and has done everyone a service by pulling together these interactions into annual reports that compile and analyze this data with detailed graphics and figures. His latest 2010/2011 report is now online and available for purchase, with an [...]
by Matt Ball on February 27, 2012
Earth observation company Aerodata International Surveys has just launched Aero+, with packaged solutions for sensing and analyzing smarter planet applications. The new firm offers solutions that address heat loss from buildings, light pollution, renewable energy siting, and the potential for solar energy. The mission of this new company is to create a greener environment for [...]
