Technical Overview: Mapstraction

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Kortabstraktion ...
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Mapstract thinking ...
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Mapstraction is a JavaScript toolkit that provides an common API to eleven different mapping providers. This allows a developer to create an application that can be easily switched between different base map providers. This could be at development time (eg. if a provider introduces better data) or at runtime (eg. according to region or the whim of the end user).

Mapstraction introduces a layer of abstraction between the developer and the various map provider APIs. This allows the developer to write the application only once (for the abstration layer) and support all of the APIs simultaneously. It also allows the map provider to be chosen at runtime - eg. by region according to data coverage, or the end user's personal choice.

The Mapstraction project is under continuous development, with progress recorded in a roadmap and a feature matrix. Despite the appearance of being partially developed, Mapstraction already supports eleven "providers":

• FreeEarth
• Google
• Map24
• MapQuest
• Microsoft Bing Maps (nee Virtual Earth)
• MultiMap - both the commercial and OpenAPI interfaces
• OpenLayers
• OpenSpace (British Ordnance Survey)
• OpenStreetMap
• ViaMichelin
• Yahoo

Note that not all of these are data providers as such. For example, OpenLayers is a popular JavaScript toolkit. Similarly, OpenStreetMap is a data source and not a JavaScript API.

Supported features currently include: map size/zoom/pan, add/remove controls, add/remove/declutter markers, add/remove polylines, image overlays, JSON, tile layers, and various marker & polyline attributes (icons, text, color, etc).

Mapstraction has an interactive API "sandbox". This is similar to the increasingly popular "interactive SDKs" that are often included in online documentation, but it also allows the reader to edit the code. The interactive API "sandbox" can be found athttp://mapstraction.appspot.com/ .

So how easy is it switch between different map providers 'on the fly'? Very easy as it turns out. The following example (from the interactive API sandbox) implements a set of radio buttons allowing the user to change map providers: [...]

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Read more: http://www.geowebguru.com/articles/211-technical-overview-mapstraction

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An Open Mashup Alliance for Enterprise Mashups

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Skyhøj mos til folket ...
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Potato heads unite ...
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Several enterprise mashup proponents, including ProgrammableWeb, have come together to form the new Open Mashup Alliance (OMA). The OMA has been founded with the goal of supporting the implementation of enterprise mashups along with an open language that promotes enterprise mashup interoperability and portability.

The OMA’s founding members companies include: Adobe, Bank of America, Capgemini,Hinchcliffe & Co., HP, Intel, JackBe, Kapow Technologies, Programmable Web, Synteractive, and Xignite.

This is very promising development in the enterprise mashup space, a market we have regularly covered here on ProgrammableWeb. As you can see in the list of founding companies, many of them are companies that we have identified as leading the charge in the implementation of enterprise mashups.

In order to put some substance behind the goals of the OMA, one of the major proponents of enterprise mashups, JackBe, have contributed its Enterprise Mashup Markup Language (EMML) and runtime engine to the OMA as an open source resource (licensed under Creative Commons). The idea behind EMML is that it will break down the barriers for implementation of enterprise mashups by providing a common language for development of the mashups and a corresponding engine that processes mashup scripts written in EMML. You can see a snippet below: [...]

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Read more: http://blog.programmableweb.com/2009/09/29/an-open-mashup-alliance-for-enterprise-mashups/

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40+ Desert Island Web Development Tools

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En uundværlig pakkeliste over værktøjer som skal med på din næste Robinsonade ...
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Great list of tools to bring to any LOST island in the pacific ...
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What would you do if you were suddenly stranded on a desert island in the middle of nowhere, with only a USB drive, a dial-up internet connection, and a barebones computer with no software outside the operating system installed? Of course, you’d use the internet connection to call for help first, but what about after that? How would you keep your design business going?

Okay, maybe a scenario that’s a bit more likely would work better. What if your computer crashed, wiping out all of your data and programs, and you have a deadline in two days? Or maybe you want to be able to pick up and leave at a moment’s notice without taking anything more than a change of clothes and a USB drive. If you have the apps below, neither of those scenarios would be much of a problem.

The apps on this list can help you with everything from coding to graphics to running your business and managing your projects, all from a single USB drive. And while USB drives are getting bigger all the time (last I checked a 64GB one wasn’t too badly priced, and that’s 4GB more storage than my current MacBook has), you still need special programs in most instances to have true portability. The apps below are just that: truly portable and small enough to fit on a USB drive (often a very small USB drive). [...]

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Read more: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/09/29/40-desert-island-web-development-tools/

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Google Acquisitions and Investments

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På sporet af en succes ...
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Mapping the road to success ...
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Expanding the Reach of GIS through Web Mapping

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Internettet er kommet til kort, men GIS'en lader vente på sig ...
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Bringing GIS to the Internet ... That'll be the day ...
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New York City has had a pioneering web mapping portal since 2001 with the launch of the Open Accessible Space Information System (OASIS). The system got its start with funding from the Forest Service and a partnership of more than 40 organizations with the purpose of providing open space stewardship. The application has steadily evolved and continues to be at the technological forefront of web mapping. The New York City region is also blessed with one of the more detailed regional planning tools around with the Long Island Index interactive map. Both of these sites are the product of the CUNY Mapping Service and their partners. V1 editor Matt Ball spoke with Steven Romalewski, director of the CUNY Mapping Service at the CUNY Graduate Center, about the current state of web mapping, and the latest capabilities of web mapping tools. [...]

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Read more: http://www.vector1media.com/dialogue/interviews/9203-expanding-the-reach-of-gis-through-web-mapping

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Copenhagen 3D Added to Google Earth

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Se også Sørens post ...
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The pandemic 3D cities is spreading ... as far as to Denmark ...
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Google has had a busy week. Not only did they release Google Earth version 5.1 and then release new imagery for many parts of the world, but today they added two more cities in 3D:Copenhagen, Denmark and Marseilles, France.

The addition of Copenhagen is very timely, as Google just recently released some tools in preparation for the COP15 climate change conference in Copenhagen. Oddly, though, the building that will house the conference (the Bella Center) was a bit too far away from downtown to get modeled.

To view these or any other 3D buildings, make sure you turn on the 3D Buildings layer inside of Google Earth. [...]

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Read more: http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2455347059479991970

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ESRI brugerklubbens nye logo

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Man skal lige have Martin Hvidbergs kommentarer med førend klokken ringer ...
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Only Danish ...
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"Logoet forestiller Danmark (Jylland, Fyn, Sjælland og Bornholm) og er samtidigt en eksemplificering af Punkt, Linje, Polygon".

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Read more: http://www.informi.dk/index.php?id=424

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Bionic Eye - iPhone 3GS Application

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Det bliver stort ... når det ikke længere kun er intetsigende emner som augmenteres ...
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It gonna be great ... and it will be the day when it's being serious subjects being augmented ...
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Bionic Eye is a new application specifically developed for the iPhone 3GS that enables you to visualize Points of Interest (POI) located in your nearby environment in the US, thanks to a unique Augmented Reality functionality using the iPhone camera.

POI databases include restaurants, WiFi hotspots, subway stations (New York Subway, Washington Metro, Chicago L Rapid Transit), etc. Over 100.000 POI are already included in this application. Elements located at a distance less than 1km (0,621miles) only will be displayed on the screen.

The Augmented Reality functionality is only available to iPhone 3GS users. Bionic Eye works fine with all other iPhone / iPod Touch models via Google Map system within the application.

- Vertical position: 360-degree view of all POI nearby your location, updated in real time as you walk in the streets.

- Horizontal position: List of all nearest POI. When a POI is selected, a blue arrow (compass) is displayed to show the direction and the distance to that POI.

- The application is fully compatible with Google Map. It is possible to locate the nearest POI from your position on Google Map within the application.

We are already working on a new update of Bionic Eye to reduce loading time. Indeed, the application includes a lot of POI covering all US cities, they are accessible without any network connection, so this may take a few seconds to load. Of course, the new update will be free for Bionic Eye users. Thank you for your comprehension.

Download Bionic Eye Application for iPhone and iPod Touch








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Map of Online Communities and Related Points of Interest

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Et gammelt kort vil jeg tro ...
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An old map I presume ...
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Read more: http://www.academiccommons.org/files/map.png

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Microsoft plays the security card in response to Google's Chrome Frame

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Java applets og nu plugins ...
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In space nobody can hear you scream ...
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“With Internet Explorer 8, we made significant advancements and updates to make the browser safer for our customers. Given the security issues with plug-ins in general and Google Chrome in particular, Google Chrome Frame running as a plug-in has doubled the attack area for malware and malicious scripts. This is not a risk we would recommend our friends and families take. For a deeper look at how the browsers stack up in security, take a look at the latest phishing and malware data from NSS Labs." [...]

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Read more: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=4063

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IntelliFinder ID

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I en tidligere post (http://gisdk.blogspot.com/2009/09/iphone-rfid-object-based-media.html) beskrev jeg muligheden for at finde objekter gemt i jorden vha. rfid tags og når den er fundet få hentet yderligere opdateret info ... Dette produkt findes allerede ;-)

Tak til Thomas Fechtenburg for oplysningen ...

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Find objects hidden under ground using rfid tags ...
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Et nyt system baseret på RFID-teknologi (Radio Frequency Identification), gør det muligt at mærke kabler, muffer, samlinger og vejunderføringer mm. i jorden, så de hurtigt og præcist kan findes igen.

Fordele

• Brugervenlig
• Lave driftsomkostninger
• Hurtig og præcis lokalisering
• Mobil løsning
• Holdbarhed på min. 30 år
• Hver brik har sin egen unikke kode

IntelliFinder ID består af en RFID databrik, en PDA, og en søger. Databrikken der er fuldstøbt i et robust plastmateriale, står via radiobølger i forbindelse med søgeren og sender informationer om sin præcise placering.

Når søgeren aktiveres, finder man hurtigt frem til fiberkabler eller skjulte installationer, helt ned til 120 cm. i terræn - uanset om der er belægninger, sne eller is på jordoverfladen.

Der er muligt at tilknytte GPS-positioner til overordnet lokalisering.

Systemet kan suppleres med opbygning af databaser, der rummer oplysninger om installationerne, eksempelvis links til nyeste dokumentation, billeder, samt oplysninger om hvem der har udført en reparation, hvornår og hvorfor. Desuden tilbyder vi at tilpasse systemet til evt. eksisterende drifts- og vedligeholdelsessystemer. [...]

Dato	Emne
05-09-09	IntelliFinder ID nomineret til årets bredbåndsprodukt 2009
23-11-08	IntelliFinder ID omtale på TV2 Fyn

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Read more: http://www.ifid.dk/page1

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Geospatial Information Systems Market to Grow 50% Over Next Five Years

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Markedet for GIS er vokset - områder som tidligere ikke har anvendt GIS på grund kompleksiteten eller den manglende teknologiske modenhed er begyndt at basere sig mere og mere på GIS som platform for udvikling og daglig brug ... Er det ikke bare fantastisk at være en GIS nørd ...
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The market for GIS has expanded - areas in which GIS has previously had no importance due to the complexity and technological inadequacies have now started to use and build platforms based on GIS ... Isn't just great to be a GIS nerd under such circumstances ...
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The worldwide market for Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) is forecast to grow 50% over the next five years, representing a compound annual growth rate of 9.3%, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study. GIS market revenues will be driven in the near future by continued worldwide spending in non-cyclical industries such as electric power, oil and gas distribution, and divisions of federal governments. Growth in the mid to latter years of the forecast period will be driven by increased adoption of GIS in emerging markets such as Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East; and a return to spending in North America and Europe by industries hardest hit by the global economic downturn.

Many publicly traded enterprise software suppliers external to the GIS market have already reported substantial reductions in 2009 revenues. “However, GIS software differs from other enterprise software markets due to the extensive sales to businesses in non-cyclical sectors such as utilities and government. Therefore, the economic downturn’s effect on the GIS market is expected to be subdued in comparison to the downturn’s effect on other enterprise software markets,” according to Clint Reiser, Enterprise Software Analyst, and the principal author of ARC’s “Geospatial Information Systems Worldwide Outlook”.

Electric Power Adopts GIS as Smart Grid Platform
The transmission and distribution operations of the electric power industry have adopted GIS solutions as the standard platform technology for the management of their networks. GIS sales to this vital industry are predicted to experience above average growth due to the expansion and ongoing management of electric power infrastructure in emerging economies and increased investment resulting from the Smart Grid initiative in the United States. The Smart Grid initiative will introduce distributed generation and new devices into the electric power grid. This will require substantial network reengineering. GIS is the likely technology to be used for the design, analysis, and ongoing management of the new network configuration. These evolving requirements are expected to increase the level of GIS adoption, upgrade, and modification within the electric power industry.

Emerging Technologies Reshape the GIS Market
The deployment of GIS server solutions, or “Enterprise GIS”, has grown considerably over the last decade. As a result, GIS has become accessible to numerous employees across an organization in sectors such as government and utilities. Over the same period, mobile GIS has become more prevalent and shows promise for increased adoption in network design and maintenance functions. More recently, the use of web services and cloud computing have become emerging trends within the industry. Spatial analysis capabilities in conjunction with customer demographic data and other general data sets are already being delivered to the market through the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. The continuing adoption of mobile GIS, the SaaS delivery model, and other forms of cloud computing have great potential to transform and expand segments of the GIS market in the near future. [...]

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Read more: http://www.arcweb.com/AboutARC/Press/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=111

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GPS Map Viewer with multiple file format support

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FYI
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FYI
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GPSmapview is a free application that uses Google Maps service and allows you to display Waypoints, Routes or Tracks loaded from many file formats in this interactive map. Use it to see where you've been, plan where you're going, or visualize geographic data. In addition GPSmapview can Print or export your maps in JPEG format. Four kind of maps are available to display your geographic data: simple map, streets map, satellite imagery or terrain-shaded relief map. GPSmapview can read many different file formats, see below:

Supported file formats: KMZ files (Keyhole Markup Language)(kmz) KML files (Keyhole Markup Language)(kml)

Information License · License type: FREE, no registration needed · License price: € 0 · License validity period: no time limit · Support period: no support · Updates: for free File · Size: 1.1MB · Updated: Jul/09/2009 · Requirements: Internet connection · Environment: 32bit Windows Vista, XP, etc. · Installation: no installation required · MD5: ba909d726a56b06612fffb15a0bb6dd7 Screenshots and video GPSmapview demonstration video Download link

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Read more: http://mcrenox.com.ar/gpsmapview/

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Augmented Reality Markup Language (ARML)

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Indpakning af den udvidede virkelighed ...
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Making it easy to move augmented reality ... ?
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This is a brief overview of ARML.

The Augmented Reality Markup Language (ARML) is a specification to help establish and shape a long-term, sustainable framework for displaying geographic annotation and location-specific data within Augmented Reality browsers.

The purpose for establishing a open ARML specification is to assure all data that is created for augmentation in the physical world could be universally accessed and viewed on any augmented reality browser. ARML allows individuals and organizations to easily create and style their own AR content (e.g. points of interest) without advanced knowledge of AR, APIs or tools. The ARML specification is analogous to HTML for the Web, which is used for creating web-pages and web-sites.

Features of the proposed ARML specification 1.0 include:
• Founded upon KML with extension name-space for AR specific data;
• Placement of a "View in AR" icon which clearly identifies a mobile website that supports location aware (real time) data in an ARML browser;
• Compliance with basic XML document structure - no proprietary programming API required to create an AR layer.
• ARML adherent data can be viewed on ARML browsers (e.g. Wikitude) and KML browsers (e.g. Google Earth);
• Custom styling of AR data (points of interest) via standard KML styling elements;
• Initial support for UTF-8 encoding;

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Read more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvfEORp-fhU

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