Global Geomatics Inc. has introduced MapFusion, the first commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software that permits access to geospatial data from diverse sources and formats - without requiring complex pre-processing or time-consuming translations. MapFusion's "on-the-fly" ability to access, visualize, share, and disseminate geographic information systems (GIS) data across the Internet or IP-based intranets, means that even non-GIS specialists can reap benefits from geospatial data created by other departments or organizations. MapFusion seamlessly and dynamically merges heterogeneous and distributed geospatial data files into a single map -- literally "fusing" maps together. Multiple vector or image files - regardless of their source coordinate systems or formats - can be combined to form a single map. The product uniformly displays tactical overlays atop geospatial data from any source. Designed to meet demanding military and commercial requirements, MapFusion supports interoperability between prevalent geospatial military standards including VPF, RPF, ADRG, and DTED, as well as among popular GIS business packages from ESRI®, Informix® (an IBM® subsidiary), Intergraph®, MapInfo®, ObjectFX(TM), Oracle®, and Virtual Prototypes(TM). It can also retrieve data from proprietary and open GIS file formats. In true "any-to-any" fashion, it operates in a broad variety of computing environments including Microsoft® Windows® 98/NT/2000, Sun(TM) Microsystems Solaris(TM), and Linux®.
Visit:
http://www.globalgeo.com
Top Stories
Security hold lifted on Radar Maps
NASA has begun giving scientists access to portions of extraordinarily accurate 3-D maps of Earth's surface that were placed under a security embargo following the Sept. 11 attacks. The agency allowed scientists to begin downloading data for U.S. sites on Friday, but is withholding maps of foreign territories. Scientists are prohibited from making the information public. The digital maps are being processed from data gathered during the February 2000 Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, which made 1 trillion measurements. Scientists had planned to present the first large maps Tuesday at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting here. Instead, scientists displayed only one map - a digital mosaic of California. NASA officials said they were not yet allowed to publicly release the other maps because of security concerns, but that they could be made public soon. In August, NASA made one small release of data - a swath of Colorado. The terrorist attacks the following month led the National Imagery and Mapping Agency to clamp down on the release of any further data, citing security concerns. NIMA underwrote most of the $142 million mapping mission. Last week, NIMA gave NASA permission to release maps of the United States, but not foreign countries. In addition, when the foreign maps are eventually made available to the public, the vertical accuracy will be deliberately decreased, apparently for security reasons. The global map set will be 100 times more accurate than any other atlas, according to NASA.
Read complete article at:
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20011211/us/attacks_maps_2.html
CSI Wireless Unveils Outback(R) 360 - and its Bird's Eye View
CSI Wireless, Inc., a provider of advanced wireless and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) technologies, has unveiled the new Outback(R) 360, an accessory product to CSI Wireless' successful Outback(R) S field guidance system. Both products are available exclusively from RHS Inc., which predicts it will purchase at least $15 million of them from CSI in 2002. The new Outback 360 is a computerized visual aid system. It features a high-resolution color display screen that offers farmers a 360-degree bird's eye view of their fields. Using the Outback 360 in conjunction with the Outback S, farmers can effectively look down from the sky - monitoring the progress of their tractors, sprayers, cultivators and other farming equipment as they move across fields. The Outback 360 operates in real-time, so farmers can identify overlaps and missed spots as they happen, rather than afterward. Similarly, farmers can accurately anticipate headlands - or field perimeters - so they know precisely when their equipment should be turned on/off and or raised/lowered. The Outback 360 features a standard memory card to record up to 180 hours of operating data, so farmers can keep track of a variety of strategic information including field coverage, chemical rates, hybrids, seeding rates and planting depths. Farmers can create and store maps of their fields, with the perimeters already drawn and the acreage already calculated, using the system's exclusive Field Notes(R) software. Field Notes files can be stored in SHAPE format, enabling other major mapping software to view and compare Outback files and data.
Visit:
http://www.outbackguidance.com/
@Road announces homeland security initiative and collaboration activities
@Road(SM), a leading provider of location-enhanced wireless Internet solutions for mobile resource management (MRM), has announced the launch of its homeland security initiative. This initiative seeks to meet a growing need for cost-effective technology solutions to enhance the security activities of businesses and public entities with mobile resources. Since September, @Road has been working with Congressional leaders, including Silicon Valley Congressman Mike Honda and his colleagues, to develop an appropriate response to the attacks of September 11th. These efforts have helped yield provisions in the Aviation Security Act recently signed by President Bush that fund the development and testing of air travel technology solutions. Additionally, @Road worked closely with Congressman Honda in his capacity as a Vice Chair of the Congressional Homeland Security Task Force. By working with leading technology companies such as @Road, the Task Force was able to draft provisions in the Bioterrorism Protection Act (BioPAct) of 2001 that are reflective of the most up-to-date applications, including the deployment of a monitoring system similar to that offered by @Road to help mitigate the risk of a bioterrorist attack.
Visit:
http://www.atroad.com
CANRI, Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure Team Join OGC Web Services Initiative
The Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (OGC) announces that Community Access to Natural Resources
Information (CANRI) has joined the OGC Web Services Initiative (OWS). OWS is part of OGC's Interoperability Program, which aims to build an evolutionary, standards-based framework that will enable seamless integration of a variety of online geoprocessing and location services. CANRI is responsible for providing key environmental information over the Web from government agencies and other organizations in New South Wales, Australia. CANRI works closely with Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC), proponents of the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI). ASDI provides a framework that will allow spatial data of all types to be widely used across all sectors of the Australian community. CANRI and the ASDI Technical Working Group will join 26 other public, private and educational institutions to work on the Web Services Initiative.
Visit:
www.canri.nsw.gov.au/ &
www.opengis.org
FileTek and SeiScan GeoData Sign Agreement
FileTek, Inc., a data storage and access management systems provider today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SeiScan GeoData Ltd., a geoscience contractor serving the oil and gas industry. The agreement provides for the joint sales, marketing and delivery of FileTek's StorHouse® and Cetera(TM) products, integrated with SeiScan GeoData's Magma(TM) and GeoServe(TM) technologies. The combined solutions offer oil and gas companies and/or their contractors a fast vehicle to access and retrieve geotechnical data at the granular level. This targets the actual data required and eliminates the need for processes such as polycut, because data is structured on a common depth point/trace-by-trace basis. In this case, the resulting CDP-enabled archive allows direct access to data, which will enhance retrieval and delivery. With more data being made available via the e-commerce world, the speed and transfer of information becomes ever more critical. These advantages will be seen throughout all data types including navigation, well, topographical and cultural. FileTek has appointed Jeffrey Maskell, Client Services Manager, to spearhead the company's efforts within the oil and gas industry and also to manage the SeiScan GeoData relationship. Mr. Maskell has over 25 years' experience in exploration data management and has served with firms such as D.P.T.S., Petroconsultants, and Petroleum Exploration Computer Consultants (PECC)
Visit:
www.filetek.com &
www.seiscan.com
Dr. Mike Jackson Joins OGC Board
The Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (OGC) announces that Dr. Mike Jackson, Head of Location Platform, at Hutchison3G UK Ltd (H3G), has joined OGC's Board of Directors. Dr. Jackson is responsible for the architecture and design of the location platform for Hutchison Wampoa's worldwide third generation mobile telecommunications companies He is a Special Professor at Nottingham University in the UK. Before joining H3G, Dr. Jackson was, for ten years, the Chief Executive of Laser-Scan Holdings plc, a leading geographic information systems (GIS) company based in the UK and USA. Dr. Jackson's technical and business experience in bridging the worlds of GIS and Location Services will bring significant insight to OGC's strategic planning discussions.
Visit:
www.opengis.org
Asia News
Market-tailored Guideline Unveiled to Boost High-tech in China
BEIJING, December 13 (Xinhuanet) -- The State's highest economic-planning and science authorities yesterday unveiled a new market-tailored national high-tech development guideline to channel resources and investment into certain sectors, thursday's China daily reported.
The instruction was jointly issued by the State Development Planning Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology, and is aimed at increasing the contribution of advanced technology to the State's overall economic growth and export performance.
It is predicted advanced technology will account for about 6 per cent of China's gross domestic product in 2005. Official statistics indicate the proportion was 4 per cent last year.
The plan aims to have high-tech products account for 25 per cent of the State's total industrial export volume in 2005, compared to 14.9 per cent last year.
Commission officials said the State should make it a priority to expand 10 industries in the next few years, including advanced energy systems, genetic engineering, information technology (IT) and modern transportation.
Read Complete Article:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2001-12/13/content_161318.htm
