Kort for hovedet - The GIScovery Channel: april 2009

torsdag den 30. april 2009

Rich Internet Application Frameworks for Mapping: An Introduction for Non-programmers

Jeg savner at kunne mashe RIA elementer i browseren og ikke være låst fast på én RIA platform og én RIA applikation ...
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I miss being able to mash RIS elements in the browser and not being tied to ONE RIA platform and ONE RIA application ...
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By Adena Schutzberg

[...]

What's a Rich Internet Application, Anyway?
Rich Internet Application (RIA) is a phrase that distinguishes the more elegant Web apps from the less elegant ones. Different publications list different "properties" for RIAs. This list is from Java Today.

The app:

is launched from (or even contained within) a Web page
provides immediate feedback to users, with no refresh required
supports tree controls, tabbed panels, drag and drop, and keyboard navigation usually found in desktop packages
used platform independent coding

RIA Frameworks
RIAs are enabled by RIA frameworks, software installed on the client computer. The frameworks manage downloads and updates, and run the RIAs. In the best case scenario, the frameworks are invisible to the user.

There are many RIA frameworks (and some arguments about which technologies are, or are not, RIA frameworks), but the most widely known in the geospatial arena are probably AJAX, Adobe Flash/Flex and Microsoft Silverlight. Soon, we are likely to hear more about Google Gears. [...]

A bit of an app built with the ESRI Silverlight API. Note that the user can set some Silverlight preferences.

Read more: http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=3141

Adding search power to public data

Tænk hvis det samme skete for danske 'offentlige' data?
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Google made information searchable - the trend over the last few years has been to make data quatifyable and analyzable ... Making them even better suited for GIS ...
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Earthquakes are not the only thing that can shake Silicon Valley. After the dot-com bubble burst back in 2000 the unemployment rate of Santa Clara county went up to 9.1%. During the last couple of months, it has gone up again:

We just launched a new search feature that makes it easy to find and compare public data. So for example, when comparing Santa Clara county data to the national unemployment rate, it becomes clear not only that Santa Clara's peak during 2002-2003 was really dramatic, but also that the recent increase is a bit more drastic than the national rate:

If you go to Google.com and type in [unemployment rate] or [population] followed by a U.S. state or county, you will see the most recent estimates:

Once you click the link, you'll go to an interactive chart that lets you add and remove data for different geographical areas.

[...]

The data we're including in this first launch represents just a small fraction of all the interesting public data available on the web. There are statistics for prices of cookies, CO2 emissions, asthma frequency, high school graduation rates, bakers' salaries, number of wildfires, and the list goes on. Reliable information about these kinds of things exists thanks to the hard work of data collectors gathering countless survey forms, and of careful statisticians estimating meaningful indicators that make hidden patterns of the world visible to the eye. All the data we've used in this first launch are produced and published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Division. They did the hard work! We just made the data a bit easier to find and use.

Since Google's acquisition of Trendalyzer two years ago, we have been working on creating a new service that make lots of data instantly available for intuitive, visual exploration. Today's launch is a first step in that direction. We hope people will find this search feature helpful, whether it's used in the classroom, the boardroom or around the kitchen table. We also hope that this will pave the way for public data to take a more central role in informed public conversations.

This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more.

Posted by Ola Rosling, Product Manager

Read more: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/adding-search-power-to-public-data.html

What's New in ArcGIS 9.3.1

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ArcGIS 9.3.1 improves the performance of dynamic map publishing and increases the sharing of geographic information.
High-Performance Dynamic Map Publishing
New faster drawing map service
Outperforms ArcGIS 9.3.
Produces significantly better-looking maps.
Shortens map caching time.
New Map Service Publishing toolbar in ArcMap helps you tune-up your map documents before publishing to ArcGIS Server.
Review and respond to errors, unsupported content, and warnings about items that will slow down your dynamic map services.
Preview your map document and estimated rendering time.
Save your map document to a map service definition (msd) format, which is optimized for performance in ArcGIS Server.
Better Sharing of Geographic Information
Better sharing of layers
Layers referencing feature or raster data can be packaged into a single layer package comprised of both the layer file and data.
These layer packages can be shared with other users via files, e-mail, or the new ArcGIS Online sharing capability.
With ArcGIS Online users can
Search for maps published by ESRI and other users.
Upload maps and register online map services.
Organize and control access to the maps they share.
Save Web maps as items for others to share, discover, and use.
Fast Access to Microsoft Virtual Earth Maps and Imagery
Quickly start GIS projects with ready-to-use content.
Up-to-date multi-scale mapping content from Microsoft Virtual Earth includes aerial imagery, roads, and hybrid (aerial with labels) imagery.
Content (imagery, roads, and hybrid) appears as another data layer in GIS providing excellent background maps on which users can overlay their operational data.
ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Server users directly connect to Microsoft Virtual Earth content via ArcGIS Online.
Clients can access Virtual Earth content from any Web applications built with ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Server Web SDKs (including JavaScript, Flex, and Microsoft Silverlight APIs).
Enhanced Support for Java Developers
Ability to extend the ArcGIS/ArcObjects Framework. Java developers can now create the following extensions in their native language:
Custom geoprocessing tools
Server object extensions (SOEs) and utility objects for ArcGIS Server
Class extensions for customized data behavior in a geodatabase
Custom renderers for customized rendering of data in ArcMap and ArcGIS Engine applications
Plug-in data sources
Tools for debugging, registering and deploying Java extensions for ArcGIS
Support for Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE)
Wizards to generate boilerplate code based on the developer's specification
Autodeploy feature
Easy to Install
Upgrading to ArcGIS 9.3.1 does not require uninstalling ArcGIS 9.3.
Easy to migrate or work in mixed environments of ArcGIS 9.3 and ArcGIS 9.3.1 within the same organization since geodatabases, map documents, and APIs did not change.
Licensing Changes for ArcGIS Server
With the release of ArcGIS 9.3.1, the following changes in ArcGIS Server licensing will take effect:
ArcGIS Server Standard (Workgroup or Enterprise) users will be able to use the editing capabilities of ArcGIS Server.
ArcGIS Server Advanced (Workgroup or Enterprise) will include the following extensions for no additional fee:
Spatial
3D
Network
Geostatistical
ArcGIS Server Enterprise users will be able to deploy the following components without incurring an additional deployment license fee:
Web ADF – SDK or Runtime
Web Service Handlers
Server Object Manager
Availability
ArcGIS 9.3.1 is now available. ESRI will automatically ship ArcGIS 9.3.1 to users current on maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Show/Hide All Answers
Do I need to uninstall ArcGIS 9.3 before I install ArcGIS 9.3.1?
I am still using ArcGIS 9.2. Do I need to install ArcGIS 9.3 before I install ArcGIS 9.3.1?
Is the Microsoft Virtual Earth content free to ArcGIS users?
What makes dynamic map services faster in ArcGIS 9.3.1?
Can I accelerate caching times with 9.3.1?
Can I create a map service definition file from any ArcMap document?
Can I access ArcGIS 9.3.1 Map Services from 9.3 Web applications?
For additional details, download the What's New in ArcGIS 9.3.1 document [PDF].
Questions?
Still have questions about ArcGIS 9.3.1? Please ask.

Read more: http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/whats-new/index.html

Dataset of the Day: Obama’s First 100 days

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[...] Now that his first 100 days are up, we have updated the dashboard with the latest data on unemployment, home foreclosures, and other indicators of economic health. For foreclosures and unemployment we’ve created maps showing what locations have improved and which have gotten worse during the last 100 days (roughly). There has been improvement in foreclosures in some regions, but unemployment has gotten worse across the board. We’ve also included a new selection called “100 days” that tracks jobs that have been created by Obama policies to date. We’ll continue to track all the indicators and make the data publicly available.
Click Here to Visit our Obamameter!

Read more: http://blog.fortiusone.com/2009/04/29/dataset-of-the-day-obamas-first-100-days/

onsdag den 29. april 2009

Spreadsheet Mapper 2.0

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We've improved our Spreadsheet Mapper tool! Some of the new features include:
Six ready-made balloon designs to quickly create up to 400 attractive placemarks
A simple HTML templating system to create your own balloon designs.
Works in Google Earth and Maps.
This tutorial shows you how to enter data in an on-line spreadsheet to generate a set of placemarks in Google Earth and Maps. Google Docs' web-based, collaborative editing allows your team members to simultaneously enter data and instantly publish updates.
Using this tool you could: showcase your organization's projects, program sites or partners; map your offices, volunteers, or resources; or visualize your data on local, regional or global scales.
See Edge of Existence Mammal and Amphibian layers that were created using this tool!

Read more: http://earth.google.com/outreach/tutorial_mapper.html

Hundredth Day Accomplishments Map

Tænk at der allerede er gået 100 dage ...
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100 days gone already ...
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The Foundation for Change sent out an e-mail today that commemorates tomorrow as the President’s hundredth day in office. The group created an interactive map that gives a state-by-state progress report regarding jobs saved or created, tax benefits, children’s health care, student aid, and an example Recovery Act project.

The site is supported by the Democratic National Committee and promotes an agenda of affordable health care, clean energy, and education, among other platforms. The hundredth day of a president’s first term in office has been followed closely since Franklin Roosevelt enacted an ambitious New Deal [...]

Read more: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/foundationforchange

Flickr users make accidental maps

Fascinerende ...
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Fascinating ...
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Using geotag data attached to 35 million photos uploaded to Flickr, David Crandalland colleagues at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, created accurate global and city maps and identified popular snapping sites.

Many digital photos are now geotagged– stamped with the latitude and longitude coordinates for the location where they were taken. David Crandalland colleagues at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, have analysed this data, using 35 million photographs uploaded to the Flickr website.

Crandall's team found that the data offered a simple way to organise millions of photos on a global scale. Simply plotting that raw data onto an empty canvas revealed accurate maps, like this one of the 48 lower states of the US.

Each map is constructed from a small subset of images. The team limited the number of photos they analysed from each Flickr user, to be sure a cluster on the map represented many users visiting a location and not "a single user taking thousands of pictures of his or her backyard", says Crandall. [...]

Read more: http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17017-maps-in-flickr-photos/

Politikens interaktive kort over svineinfluenzaen ...

Klik på en dato ...
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Only Danish ...
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Svineinfluenzaen har bredt sig fra Mexico. Følg de bekræftede og mistænkte tilfælde dag for dag.

Read more: http://multimedia.pol.dk/archive/00341/Svineinfluenza20_341213a.swf

Jack Dangermond Interview 1 of 3: Web Mapping

'Geo-awereness' lidt mere mundret end 'Spatial awareness' ...
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'Geo awareness' and bit more understandable for non-gis users ...
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by Brady Forrest
Jack Dangermond is the founder and CEO of ESRI. ESRI's software is used by every level of government around the world. You can see ESRI's influence in online mapping tools from Microsoft,Google, Yahoo! and FortiusOne. I had the opportunity to interview him over the phone on April 20, 2009. In this portion of the interview we discuss the history of GIS and online mapping.
Jack will be speaking at Where 2.0 on May 20th in San Jose.
Brady Forrest: So ESRI is known for creating large enterprise GIS applications. And then a couple of years ago, maps came into the hand of just about anybody through Google Maps. One question -- I asked people for questions for you, and I think my favorite one was: Do you think that the explosion of web-based mapping has just filled the world with ugly and poorly designed maps?
Jack Dangermond: That's an interesting and compelling question. I think what the consumer mapping sort of technologies have done is provided geo-awareness to everybody. And they've done it principally by building a standardized basemap for the planet. And Google has been, obviously, the leader in this. But also, Microsoft is making a lot of contributions in the same space. And that allows me to navigate and understand a kind of electronic map or image so I can sort of see things. And that's pretty powerful actually for just spatial awareness and georeferencing people's minds about what's going on at different locations. In the last couple of years, I've seen a lot of VGI or volunteer geographic information added to it, little dots on maps. And that allows people to participate in these websites and share their knowledge in some kind of a collaborative space. And that's emerging quite nicely. []

Read more: http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/04/jack-dangermond-interview-web-mapping.html

Kort er journalistik

Jeg er blevet forfremmet til key note (Jesper måtte desværre melde fra) ved et arrangement afholdt af Powell. Her skal jeg blandt andet tale om GIS i nyhedsformidlingen - denne bog lyder til at være et must ...
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Only Danish ...
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Af Jesper Ishøj

En reklame. Jeg har fået lov til at bidrage med et kapitel om kort, data og geografisk bevidsthed til en ny bog om fremtidens journalistik. “Nyheder i nutid” udkommer torsdag i forbindelse med en konference som Update holder i Falconercenteret i København, hvor temaet også er udviklingen i mediebranchen. [...]

Read more: http://www.geojournalistik.dk/2009/04/28/kort-er-journalistik/

London Street Atlas - Historical Edition

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London Street Atlas - Historical cover image

London Street Atlas - Historical Edition

Geographers' Map Company was founded in 1936 by Phyllis Pearsall MBE (1906-1996) who, encouraged by her father Alexander Gross, took on the ambitious task of publishing up-to-date street mapping of London.

Mrs. Pearsall had the street map originals hand drawn on tracing paper using pen and ink whilst she compiled much of the information necessary to update the maps. This huge task involved her visiting the thirty one Borough Surveyors' departments concerned to obtain as much of their co-operation as possible. She also trudged the streets of London from dawn to dusk hand plotting the alignments of new streets and compiling ancillary information including house numbers along principle thoroughfares. Not least amongst her many tasks was that of the laborious job of card indexing the street names alphabetically in preparation for typesetting and this inspired the origin of the A to Z logo.

This online map of central London is made up from extracts of this mapping which Mrs. Pearsall published and can also be found in the Historical Edition of the A to Z London Street Atlas which can be purchased through this web site. This mapping, which includes bus, trolleybus and tram routes, shows the streets of London as they were just before the Second World War.

Read more: http://www.a-zmaps.co.uk/?nid=383

mandag den 27. april 2009

How Long Will the World’s Natural Resources Last?

Jeg kan slet ikke fatte hvor meget brændstof vi mennesker bruger og allerede har brugt ...
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I just can't grasp the amount of fuel being used ... how long will it last?
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POSTED BY NATHAN / APR 24, 2009 TO INFOGRAPHICS / 24 COMMENTS
This graphic from New Scientist shows when certain natural resources will run out in the world if we continue at the current consumption rate. However, reader beware, this graphic feels more like eye candy than real data. I'm no ecologist, but something about these numbers doesn't seem quite right. Completely out of gold in the entire world in 45 years? No more indium (for LCDs) in 13 years? I don't quite get the comparison between world consumption rate vs half of the US consumption rate. Why half? Again, I'm no ecologist, so maybe this is totally normal. I dunno. Maybe someone who knows better than me can chime in here.
Data assumptions aside, the design is interesting. A little scattered - but interesting. Can you think of some ways to make this graphic more informative?

Read more: http://flowingdata.com/2009/04/24/how-long-will-the-worlds-natural-resources-last/

AmMap is a tool for creating interactive Flash maps.

Et journalistisk 'must have' værktøj ...
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A journalists must have tool ...
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You can use this tool to show locations of your offices, routes of your journeys, create your distributor map, etc. Photos or illustrations can be used as layers and backgrounds of maps, so you can make different presentations, e-learning tools and more.
With amMap, you can:
customize every detail of your map - sizes, colors, disable features you don't need;
create multi-level structures;
create map charts (heatmaps);
load icons or other custom movies or photos on top of your map;
use your own custom map textures;
draw lines and add text;
set the start-up zoom level and position;
use it as zoomifyer to display big pictures;
control the map with JavaScript (reload data and settings, set and get data and separate parameters, register clicks);
export the map as an image.
Maps included: World with countries, World with continents, Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom – more being added constantly!
Check out the examples to find out how many different views you can achieve with amMap. You can download and use it for free.

Read more: http://www.ammap.com/

Swine flu on Google Map

Vidste du at sidste års influenza epidemier herhjemme dræbte mere en 1000 mennesker (http://www.berlingske.dk/article/20090420/danmark/90420129/) ?
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Last winter the common flu killed more than 1000 people in Denmark alone ...
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Created by niman, a Biomedical Researcher based in Pittsburgh, the Swine Flu map plots real-time cases of confirmed and suspected cases of H1N1 Swine Flu as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). The map color-codes markers based on the following:
Pink markers are suspected cases of swine flu H1N1
Purple markers are confirmed cases
Yellow markers are negative
Markers that lack a dot indicate a death from the Swine Flu. Click on each marker to get more information about that specific case.

Read more: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&source=embed&ll=26.431228,-78.046875&spn=150.379743,298.828125&z=1

Satellite Remote Sensing for Archaeology and more ...

Books

Satellite Remote Sensing for Archaeology
This handbook is the first comprehensive overview of the field of satellite remote sensing for archaeology and how it can be applied to ongoing archaeological fieldwork projects across the globe. It provides a survey of the history and development of the field, connecting satellite remote sensing in archaeology to broader developments in remote sensing, archaeological method and theory, cultural resource management, and environmental studies. With a focus on practical uses of satellite remote sensing, Sarah H. Parcak evaluates satellite imagery types and remote sensing analysis techniques specific to the discovery, preservation, and management of archaeological sites. Case studies from Asia, Central America, and the Middle East are explored, including Xi’an, China; Angkor Wat, Cambodia and Egypt's floodplains. From Routledge, 2009.

Space Technologies for the Benefit of Human Society and Earth
When discussing the advancement of space science and space technology, most people instinctively think about deep space flights, lunar stations, and thrilling outer space adventures. The fact is that the majority of the human technology in space, which consists of interconnected satellites, points towards Earth, and is used to provide services for and fulfill the goals of people on planet Earth. Over the next decade, there will be an increased need for innovative Earth information systems to support the international space community's efforts to provide a robust infrastructure. This book describes some of the most important applications being developed, along with the space infrastructure upgrades being implemented to support them. From Springer, 2009.

Fundamentals of Crime Mapping: Principles and Practice
Fundamentals of Crime Mapping introduces the topic of crime mapping and the history of GIS in law enforcement. This valuable text includes a workbook for hands-on instruction. Special topics discussed include: an up-to-date discussion of the current crime trends in rural and urban areas, the major ecological theories of crime, the notion of geographic profiling, empirical research using crime mapping tools, basic mapping terminology, and more! From Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2009.

Maryland Unveils MD iMap

Ud over at være informativt er dette kort også et rigtig flot eksempel på hvad man kan med flash ...
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Apart from being quite informative this map is really showing what to get out of flash ...
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The state of Maryland’s new GIS-based performance measurement application, MD iMap, is now online. The brainchild of Governor Martin O’Malley, MD iMap gives the public access to data and a basemap where they can track government performance in areas such as land conservation, fuel consumption by the Maryland State Highway Administration’s fleet, and highway beautification. Using a secure login, government employees can also access Maryland GIS Online, where they can download data and Web services from other agencies in the state. Read this article.

Read more: http://www.mdimap.com/iMap/

Cloud Computing Expo Europe to Present Cloud BootCamp Plus 40 Sessions

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The overall conference theme ofCloud Computing Conference & Expo Europe, which will take place, May 18-19, 2009, in Prague, Czech Republic is "Deploying Cloud Computing in the Enterprise."

More Than 40 Sessions by a Rock Star Faculty
More than 40 cutting-edge Cloud sessions will cover the subject by an all star faculty. The conference offers a rich array of breakout sessions, general sessions, and power panel dicussions at the 2-day information packed event.
Full-Day Cloud Bootcamp
Cloud Computing Conference & Expo Europe will also present a full-day, hands-on Cloud Computing Bootcamp by Alan Williamson. [...]

Read more: http://web2.sys-con.com/node/933109