In News 
Landsat 4/5 Operations to End
The U.S. Geological Survey has begun decommissioning Landsats 4 and 5 - two Earth observation satellites -- and a highly successful chapter of an ongoing science story is about to close. Landsat 4, launched by NASA in 1982, and Landsat 5, a duplicate satellite launched in 1984, have both performed far beyond their two-year design lifetimes, sending hundreds of thousands of 100-mile by 100-mile land-surface images to U.S. and international ground receiving stations. Although communication hardware for sending images to the ground failed on Landsat 4 several years ago, the satellite continued to be operated as a test bed for software modifications intended for Landsat 5. Engineers recently began the process of retiring Landsat 4. Landsat 5, using its several back-up subsystems, can still provide high-quality image data to ground antennas. However, the costs of operating the aging satellite now exceed available resources.
Visit : http://www.usgs.gov/
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Top Stories
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EarthViewer a mapping technology launched
Keyhole, Inc., an innovative software infrastructure company, has announced the release of EarthSystem(TM), a rich mapping technology. EarthSystem transforms the way people get and use geospatial information by delivering the entire world on demand to desktop PCs and connected devices. Keyhole's supercomputer-based processing tools fuse high-resolution satellite images, aerial photographs, maps, point of interest databases and other location-critical data into a 3D earth model of unprecedented detail. Keyhole's patented data-delivery technology efficiently delivers this rich mapping system to corporate customers and consumers over wired and wireless networks. Capitalizing on converging digital imaging, GPS, 3D and storage technologies, Keyhole has developed an application that delivers new capabilities and cost savings in markets such as real estate, energy and public sector planning where location is key as it delivers 3D interface previously available only to defense and intelligence organizations using high-end graphics workstations.
New features for Theme Locator extension for ArcView
In addition to finding theme source files, Theme Locator now scans each ArcView project (apr) file on your computer and identifies the themes used in each project. Theme Locator can now display a list of all ArcView projects that use each theme source. Theme Locator significantly improves the way theme sources are added to a view in ArcView by eliminating the slow process of manually searching for ArcView theme data. GeoSnap's extension automatically drills down through your computer's directory tree and finds ArcInfo coverages, shape files, CAD drawing files, and ArcView project (apr) files. As each theme source is found, it is saved in a permanent selection list.
Visit: http://www.GeoSnap.com
Etak re-christened as Tele Atlas North America
Etak, the premier provider of digital map data, today announced its plan to strengthen its position in North America for the burgeoning geo referencing marketplace. Effective immediately, Etak's name now becomes Tele Atlas North America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tele Atlas NV, the world leader in digital mapping. The new name reflects the combined strengths of the European and U.S. operations, as well as a renewed commitment to the North American market. Tele Atlas North America has committed significant resources to three core market areas: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Location Based Services (LBS), and Navigation. Within the LBS category, Tele Atlas North America, in alliance with Westwood One, has become the industry leader in providing Real-Time Traffic Information.
Visit: http://www.teleatlas.com/
Leading industry figures to head Laser-Scan user group conference
Leading figures from the geospatial industry Barry Glick (founder of MapQuest) and Vanessa Lawrence (Ordnance Survey Director General), will be delivering their visions for the future of GIS to the Laser-Scan user community at the forthcoming Laser-Scan User Group Conference (25th-27th June). The conference agenda is packed with informative talks by industry experts from around the world and workshops delivered by Laser-Scan's team of specialists. Topics include web mapping, generalisation, interoperability and photogrammetry. Delegates will also hear from Laser-Scan's new managing director Dr Michael Sanderson and Hugh Agnew, Chief Executive of the Yeoman Group of which Laser-Scan is a member. The conference is being held at Robinson College Executive Centre in Bedfordshire, not far from Laser-Scan's Cambridge office.
Visit: http://www.lsl.co.uk/grp_event.htm, http://www.geographic.com/
Tom Wrappe as SnapTrack Senior Vice President Marketing & Product Management
SnapTrack, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of QUALCOMM Incorporated, has announced the promotion of Tom Wrappe to senior vice president of marketing and product management for SnapTrack. Wrappe formerly held the post of vice president of program management for the Company's wireless position location products and solutions. In his new role, Wrappe will define and implement product-based strategies for SnapTrack, including all system, server, and subscriber terminal products supporting SnapTrack's patented Wireless Assisted GPS(TM) location solution for mobile devices.
Visit: http://www.snaptrack.com
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India News
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India working on national water policy
New Delhi, May 22. The Working Group on National Water Resources Council has decided to set up a core Group of Ministers (GoM) to go into certain portions of the draft national water policy and the draft national policy guidelines for water allocation. The decision was taken at the first meeting of the Working Group under the chairmanship of the Union Minister for Water Resources, Mr. Arjun Charan Sethi, which was attended by representatives from 22 States and three Union Territories. Two items on the agenda, the draft national water policy and the draft national policy guidelines for water allocation, came up for discussion along with the proposed amendments.
However some States have reservations on the national policy guidelines on water allocation. The GoM would comprise irrigation or water resources Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Punjab and Raasthan and would submits its recommendations in one month.
Source: The Hindu, May 23, 2001
Interactive Web site for farmers
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Government through its Agriculture Marketing Board would sset up an interactive Web site to benefit the farming community in the country, focusing on the impact of the decisions of the World Trade Organisation.
This site would be hosted both in Hindi and English and be managed by the Economic Research Foundation, a group of professional economists who will answer the queries of farmers on issues relating to WTO. The Kisanwatch is being set up against the background of apprehensions about the micro impact of WTO decisions on the farming community. It will be a public information site to monitor, analyse and disseminate information on global development that affect the production and marketing activities, he said. The site would combine a comprehensive database on qualitative and quantitative information with links to appropriate Web resources.
Source: Business Line, May 23, 2001
Database for education
Noida: The electronic management information system has computerized all the records relating to the primary education centers of the district Gautam Budha Nagar. The database promises to offer all the basic details such as location, addresses, faculty, infrastructure and equipment at the disposal of the education centres besides those of all the registered pupils of various Indian shades in the city at the mere click of the mouse from the premises of the district basic education officer in the city.
Source: The Times of India, 23 May, 2001
Quake-proof jute-coir houses
KOTTAYAM: The new earth quake-proof houses to be built up in Gujarat are made of wood free coirply, a jute-coir composite board, a technology developed by the Coir Board. About 300 such proof houses and 64 toilet blocks will be put up in Bhuj.
The project is being funded by Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) under the Department of Science and Technology and is being implemented by Bangalore-based Natura Fibertech Pvt Ltd. The frame of the house is made of mild steel and is interconnected at the bottom thereby making the whole structure elastic and a single one. The boards are light and made of long fibres thus do not break into pieces.
Source: Business Line, 23 May 2001
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