In News 
Digital elevation map data for Synthetic Vision Project
Intermap Technologies Corp. and EarthWatch Inc., will supply high-accuracy mapping data for an aviation safety project sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA). Intermap will gather data for 11 mountain passes on heavily traveled air routes in Alaska. The data will be used to create precision three-dimensional electronic images of the terrain and display them in aircraft cockpits to aid pilots in navigating these passes in inclement weather. Technologies involved in the five-year project include synthetic enhanced vision displays in cockpits, worldwide navigation databases, and accurate terrain databases for airports and air routes, combined with Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation information.
The Synthetic Vision Project is being conducted by NASA's Aviation Safety Program (AvSP). Del Croom, of NASA Langley's Aviation Safety Program explained that "With GPS signals, pilots can know exactly where they are, and with the super-accurate terrain databases and graphical three-dimensional moving scenes, pilots will also see exactly what is outside, regardless of the time of day or weather conditions."
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IbDN to facilitate wireless navigation on PDAs
Webraska launches IbDN Lite, the first wireless navigation service covering the US and Europe and compatible with all global communication standards. The service is downloadable to all hand-held or vehicle-mounted PDAs.
The Internet-based Distributed Navigation Lite service (IbDN Lite) provides turn-by-turn navigation for motorists and pedestrians alike, from departure to final destination, supported by voice and graphic directions. Navigation instructions sent to users are based on current traffic conditions. The service also provides points-of-interest information and routing to POIs based upon user preferences.
Autodesk's upbeat on Asia
Autodesk Inc. posted a growth of 6 percent in the first-quarter as revenue to $246 million.
Carol Bartz, Autodesk's chief executive was optimistic about Asia-Pacific performance. That performance helped the company "bring in the bacon" by offsetting softness in the U.S. economy and the beginnings of "buyer hesitancy" in Europe, Bartz said.
Product results were mixed. Year-over-year, AutoCAD and Discreet revenues grew while demand for manufacturing and geographic information systems (GIS) products softened.
Autodesk trimmed its revenue estimate by between 2 and 4 percent to $1 billion to $1.02 billion.
GPS as a stable and easy-to integrate time source
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is using Trimble Global Positioning System (GPS) timing technology for its Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) system. The TDWR uses GPS as a reliable, stable and easy-to integrate time source. Installed at 45 major airports across the U.S. that experience hazardous weather conditions, the TDWR system provides increased safety measures and improved runway/airfield management.
"GPS as a source of precise timing is not as well known as the GPS
location function," said Dennis L. Workman, vice president and general manager of Trimble's Component Technologies Division. "Timing is rapidly becoming a critical element for many industries, including wireless communication, computer networks, weather reporting and many others. As the need for precise timing grows, more and more users are turning to Trimble for GPS." The FAA purchased Trimble synchronization kits.
NovAtel to supply GPS for BEELINE Navigator precision guidance system
Agsystems Pty Ltd. of Brisbane, Australia has chosen NovAtel as the supplier of the GPS engines for their BEELINE Navigator precision guidance system. The US$1,350,000 order consists of NovAtel's OEM4 receivers, featuring its latest PAC technology. Using a combination of NovAtel's GPS technology and INS (Inertial Navigation System), the BEELINE Navigator delivers hands-free steering to a GPS measurement accuracy of less than one inch.
Visit: http://www.novatel.ca
NTS-150 to use GPS signal for Synchronizing Computer Clocks to Improve Network Operations and System Accuracy
The high-performance NTS-150 is a Stratum 1 network timeserver that offers users the ability to accurately synchronize enterprise servers, workstations, routers and other important networked devices to within one to 10 milliseconds. Accurate synchronization is essential for many mission critical network operations and applications, and particularly important for network log file accuracy to improve network fault diagnosis and forensics.
The NTS-150 derives reliable and secure time directly from the atomic clocks aboard the GPS satellite system and distributes it over the network using the Network Time Protocol (NTP). The high-bandwidth capability of the NTS-150 is essential as modern broadband networks grow larger and faster and the need for reliable time becomes critical. The high availability and throughput of the NTS-150, as with all TrueTime network time servers, ensures that it can support thousands of network clients with no degradation in timing accuracy.
Visit: http://www.truetime.com
Trimble GPS and Laser Systems, golfers new friend
The PGA TOUR has a new, enhanced scoring system for which Trimble technology is providing precision measurements.
The PGA TOUR's ShotLink scoring and statistics system, developed in
partnership with IBM, is a revolutionary technology that captures and reports vital real-time information on every shot, by every player, in every tournament. Using Trimble Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to map the majority of the golf courses and Trimble laser technology to measure the length and accuracy of every shot around and on the greens, ShotLink will enable viewers to gain in-depth information on every shot in TOUR action.
The ShotLink System uses known base points, usually permanent features on the course, such as sprinkler heads; the base points' locations are known because the entire golf course has been previously surveyed using Trimble GPS, as well as other technology. By sighting the ball and two other known points, the system automatically provides ShotLink technicians with the precise location and distance to the hole for each ball.
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India News
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Chemical disaster management for New Delhi
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vijay Kapoor on Wednesday said that a chemical disaster management plan for the Capital had been finalised and deputy commissioners of each district had been instructed to ensure its compliance. Speaking at the annual civil military liaison conference, the LG said that the aim of the plan was to discipline people regarding chemical safety. "There are more than 150 industrial units in the capital which pose danger of chemical disasters. The plan will specify the precautions to be taken in event of any such disaster." He said.
Also present at the conference were General officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command Lt Gen Surjit Singh, GOG, Delhi area Major General Vinod Bhanot, Delhi Chief Secretary P. S. Bhatnagar, police chief Ajal Raj Sharma and other senior army and civil officials. Lt. General Surjit Singh said the conference will discuss the co-operation and assistance that the army could provide to the civil administration in the even of a disaster. "The army already ahs set disaster management plans. And now the civil administration has also drawn up their own. What is required is the integration of the two plans." He said. The LG also informed that three disaster management centers had been set up in Lakshmi Nagar, Rohini and Nehru Place to oversee disaster relief in the even of any disaster. He also said that the army should be in formed about these centers and their co-operation be sought.
Source : The Pioneer , 18 May, 2001
MET office predicts normal monsoon for India
Monsoon may be normal this year if the trends mapped by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) are to be believed. The southwest monsoon will hit the Kerala coast by June first week. The data collected by the research team led by Dr Thapliyal of IMD's Pune unit and the data on humidity from the Naval buoys in the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, indicate the monsoon's timely arrival.
The data when matched with the Dr Gaurikar's 16-parameter model shows that most factors favour a normal monsoon, sources in the Delhi weather office said.
Since the estimates are preliminary, the IMD will update the data daily till the final forecast for this year's monsoon is arrived at. The forecast is expected by May 25, a senior met officer researcher said.
The Met officer researcher allayed fears of last year's repeat when a severe drought-like situation hit several parts of the country. In the pre-monsoon period (March-May) this year, many regions have received good showers, he said.
Rajasthan, Punjab,, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttaranchal, west Uttar Pradesh, East MP, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Orissa, Gangetic West Bengal, Telangana, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalseema, coastal Karnataka, south-interior Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have received excess rainfall. East UP, west MP, Marathawada, north-interior Karnataka, Jharkhand, sub-himalyan West Bengal and Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry have received normal rainfall. Gujarat, Konkan, Goa and Bihar, central Maharashtra, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura have, however, received poor rainfall. The situation in these regions could improve with the onset of monsoon, the weather official said.
Source : The Indian Express , 18 May, 2001
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