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Maptech adds Hi-tech GPS Sleeve for Pocket Navigator

Maptech releases an elegant all-in-one solution to its Pocket Navigator software by adding a GPS sleeve by NAVMAN for the Compaq iPAQ. The Pocket Navigator/GPS Solution gives you access to detailed USGS topographic maps, NOAA nautical charts and FAA aeronautical charts (sold separately) with a direct GPS hardware integration. Whether you rely on maps and charts for work or recreation the new Pocket Navigator/GPS Solution offers real-time moving map display in your hand showing the highest quality, detailed cartography available. Pocket Navigator software works with Terrain Navigator (complete US coverage of topographic maps), Digital ChartKit (official NOAA charts of US waters) and IFR/VFR AeroChartpacks (FAA official nationwide aeronautical charts). Quickly transfer them to your handheld Pocket PC. Pocket Navigator works with any Pocket PC. The GPS sleeve is only available for the iPAQ Pocket PC at this time. www.maptech.com

Nebraska conservation organization selects ERDAS for prairie restoration project

ERDAS IMAGINEŽ has been selected by Prairie Plains Resource Institute (PPRI), a conservation organization based in Aurora, Nebraska, to further on-going prairie restoration, conservation, education and community development projects across the state. PPRI, created in 1980 to maintain and restore Nebraska's ecosystems for education, research, stewardship and community development, will use ERDAS IMAGINE to analyze spatial information over large areas and create informative, easy-to-interpret and visually appealing graphics. PPRI is using ERDAS' software in its current landscape-scale conservation project along the Central Platte River Corridor. This new project, the Platte River Corridor Initiative (PRCI), is a pro-active attempt at guiding and coordinating resource use within the Central Platte River Basin between the cities of Grand Island and Columbus. In essence, it is an effort to create a healthy balance of economic development, environmental protection and cultural stability while avoiding the loss of those things that make this part of the river unique (e.g., native prairies and woodlands, open river channels, scenic vistas, archeological and historical landmarks, etc.).

Visit: www.erdas.com & www.prairieplains.org

Z/I Imaging announces plans to develop TerraShare Enterprise DTM

Z/I Imaging Corporation has announced at the MAPPS/ASPRS 2001 Fall DEM Specialty Conference that it plans to extend its TerraShare enterprise system into the area of high-volume elevation data production and management. The new system, TerraShare Enterprise DTM, will integrate all elements of elevation processing and management into a tightly integrated enterprise environment that will add significant tools and productivity enhancements to this often-difficult workflow. The solution will support the production and management of elevation data from a variety of sensors and techniques, including interactive stereo collection, automatic image correlation techniques and LIDAR. Acting as the nexus of the system, TerraShare will manage, in a distributed environment, many common varieties of elevation data in their native formats. A DTM services layer will be added to TerraShare that will provide a robust set of "server-side" functions such as contouring, TIN generation, format conversion, data probing, LIDAR filtering, automatic elevation extraction from stereo models and other advanced tools. A feature-rich and open programmer's interface will be provided to the services layer that will allow users to directly interface to the service module. The Z/I Imaging-provided client applications will include visualization, stereo editing and production generation tools.

Visit: www.ziimaging.com

KOREM releases Push'n'See 4.0- the management Console for MapXtreme 4.0

KOREM announces a main release of Push'n'See on November 12, 2001: version 4.0. Push'n'See 4.0 is the second generation of Push'n'See GEObroadcasting Web software for MapInfo Professional users. In line with KOREM development strategy of web-mapping JAVA software, Push'n'See is portable on any platform, independent from any Operating System and fully supports the current version of MapXtreme JAVA Edition. This version 4.0 brings further the concept of web-mapping by offering MapInfo users a powerful tool to manage and deploy on-line multiple mapping applications and allowing their end-users to create live thematic maps and to publish their own descriptive data through their browser. One of the very significant improvements of Push'n'See is its management console. With three distinctive modules, this new management console offers the software administrator full control over all cartographic projects published on-line.

Visit: www.korem.com & www.pushnsee.com

State of California selects MapInfo as part of $3-5 million GIS contract

MapInfo Corporation has announced that it has been selected by the State of California as a preferred vendor in a multiple award contract designed to provide geographic information software, maintenance and services to state and local agencies. This contract provides California government agencies with a pre-qualified selection of experienced technology providers, saving them from the time-consuming searching and bidding process. With MapInfo's software and services, government agencies will be able to carry out traditional GIS functions, as well as perform powerful location analysis and deliver reliable public services. MapInfo's technology is currently in place at many government organizations for projects such as land management, job and housing assistance, crime pattern analysis, redistricting, traffic management, new business development and population growth management. With MapInfo technology, state and local governments can better understand geographic data, create programs that are cost-effective and demonstrate wise funding decisions to budget committees. MapInfo helps government agencies share persuasive information to emphasize the value of specific programs to those who make funding decisions. MapInfo worked with long-time partner Terranova to secure this bid and the company is listed as a subcontractor on the multiple award contracts.

Visit: www.mapinfo.com.

DeLorme's Aerial Photography Flight Planning Software Now Shipping

DeLorme has announced the immediate availability of XMap PhotoFlight, a software tool for aerial photographers, photogrammetrists, and surveyors, which automatically lays out accurate aerial photography flight plans in minutes including flight lines, trigger points, and altitude. DeLorme's XMap PhotoFlight is the only system on the market that uses a corrected USGS Digital Elevation Model to accurately position flight lines and optimal photo trigger points to ensure the desired photo overlap will be achieved. XMap PhotoFlight creates an aerial photography mission plan over a specified geographic region. Once the planner specifies a geographic polygon, flight line bearing, and photo scale, the XMap PhotoFlight application looks at the digital elevation data to determine the altitude and placement of each flight line to ensure the proper side-to-side overlap and scale. After the flight lines are set, the trigger points for the photos are calculated. The elevation data is again used in the calculation to ensure that the proper overlap along the flight line is achieved. It includes features to help users easily generate block and corridor flight plans, mark project boundaries using advanced draw tools, or import ShapeFiles directly to the map. Each flight plan produces files containing flight line details for CCNS and trigger points for the camera system.

Visit: www.delorme.com/photoflight.

MapServer Pro from Maptech - Over 58,000 USGS topographic maps via a network

Maptech releases MapServer Professional for organizations and offices that require network access to large numbers of USGS topographic maps in an easy to install plug and play server. One of the key benefits to organizations is the quick installation of the network attached storage (NAS) server. Whether its just map printing, adding topographic maps to reports and presentations or for CAD and GIS projects - all the maps are instantly available to the entire staff. Organizations stand to gain increased productivity by having the complete collection of the latest USGS topographic maps for the entire United States ready for any project. No more trying to find missing CD-ROMs, paper maps or download a digital file that takes forever, and once received is not easily useable. For CAD and GIS users MapServer Pro will automatically stitch together adjacent maps to cover projects of any size or shape. Select any datum or projection criteria. Works with ArcInfo, ArcView, AutoCAD, MapInfo, MicroStation or GeoMedia. Maptech digital topos are better than similar maps available from USGS MapSever Pro maps are integrated with elevations and geographic names database so they're immediately useful. MapServer Pro comes with free map updates for three years. Updates consist of newly revised and published USGS topographic maps that typically include new roads, trails, land developments and boundaries.

Visit: www.maptech.com

Asia News

THATTA (Pak) : Revision, update of Deh maps demanded

The Small Growers Association (SGA) in Pakistan, while taking notice of the recent officially notified facts about submerging of over 1.2 million acres of fertile agricultural land by sea water in the Thatta and Badin coastal belt within a few decades, demanded that the Deh maps of the district be revised and updated soon.

Through a signed representation, dispatched to all concerned, the office bearers of the association said Deh was a basic administrative unit of land used for management, ownership delineation, revenue collection, etc.

The revenue department and the British government had printed the Deh maps of Sindh in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and their original prints were still lying in Pune, India. Since then, these maps had not been updated except the alteration of survey numbers.

During the last century, several structures such as canals, roads, bridges, power lines, buildings, communication towers, etc., had been constructed in the province and the Indus river had also changed its course but the maps had not been revised. Besides, many of the reference points mentioned in the maps - such as watercourses, graveyards, police stations, etc. - no more exist. Therefore, survey teams could hardly locate these reference points while trying to demarcate disputed land as a result of which innumerable land dispute cases were pending in the courts concerned.

The SGA pointed out that new information technology like Geographical Information System, Global Positioning System, Management Information Systems, Satellite Imageries, etc. had been developed. By adopting some of the above technologies, the government could easily update important revenue records and Deh maps.

Read complete Article at: http://www.dawn.com/2001/11/07/local28.htm

Fair Features High-tech Achievements in Agriculture in China

The Eighth National Yangling Agricultural High-tech Achievements Fair, an annual promotion for China's agricultural technology development, opened yesterday in Yangling, a county in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The fair, which focuses on the utilization of science and technology to promote agricultural development, is jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology and 16 other ministries and commissions from the central government and the Shaanxi provincial government, with support from UNESCO and the World Bank.

During the five-day fair, more than 600 high-tech projects, of which some 50 are from abroad, will be displayed, including integrated agriculture, bio-technology, new technology and new breeds, green food, agricultural facilities, agricultural information technology and environment and resources, according to Chen Zongxing, deputy governor of Shaanxi and director of the fair.

The fair has attracted 25 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan and France, Chen said.

Read complete article at: http://www.china.org.cn/english/21670.htm

Tokyo, Osaka blaze trail on helping disabled navigate

Tests will begin in central Tokyo and Osaka next spring for voice navigation systems to help people with impaired vision or who use wheelchairs, officials of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said.

The systems use radio transceivers to warn and guide users through barrier-free routes.

After tests by the ministry's National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, officials hope the systems will be ready for practical use in fiscal 2003.

The tests will involve somewhat different systems by five manufacturers.

One of the systems uses small radio transceivers embedded in the sidewalk. Voice-synthesis software in personal digital assistant (PDA) computers or notebook computers carried by disabled users, or mounted on wheelchairs, would receive and relay the obstacle-warning messages through small speakers connected to the computer.

Modified canes could also be the receiving antenna to relay the warning messages. In all the systems, users would receive a voice message describing obstacles or advising where a block ends or where a pedestrian crossing zone begins.

Users could also program their PDAs or computers to store maps with their regular destinations. The navigation systems would then guide the user through the safest or most obstacle-free routes. Information entry could be done either by speech-recognition input or keyed input. Future applications are envisioned that would use spoken input alone.

Another future prospect is for transceivers that use advanced global positioning system (GPS) technology, similar to that used in car navigation systems. The ministry will begin tests later this month at its Tsukuba facilities

Read complete article at: http://www.asahi.com/english/national/K2001110700279.html

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