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EarthViewer wins Golden Lasso award in Web3D RoundUP at SIGGRAPH 2001

Keyhole Corporation, an industry leading provider of rich mapping software and services, has announced that its groundbreaking EarthViewer 3D technology has won a Golden Lasso in the Web3D RoundUP, a competition of the latest 3D technologies and applications. The competition, held August 15 in Los Angeles as part of SIGGRAPH 2001, the international conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques, is one of the most popular events at this show. The sixth annual Web3D RoundUP showcased the best 3D Web technology to an audience of industry experts and graphics enthusiasts. Thirty of the leading 3D tool and content developers were chosen to demonstrate their technologies to over 2000 attendees at this prestigious event. Armed with beach balls, noisemakers and ping-pong launchers, the merciless audience voted on the best technology demonstrations. Keyhole's win of the "Golden Lasso Award" for Best Educational Application showcased the broad potential of a global 3D model streamed over the Internet.

Visit:- http://www.earthviewer.com.

Leica introduces laser rangefinder products for GIS applications

At the 2001 ESRI Users Conference, Leica Geosystems showcased its family of laser rangefinding products for the GIS market. The products include the Laser Locator for long-range applications, and the handheld DISTO pro4 for shorter-range measurements. They are both designed to interface directly with Leica's GS50 GPS/GIS data acquisition system via an RS232 serial data connection. The Laser Locator is a unique instrument designed for long-range distance measurements from 10 to 4,000 meters. The high-precision 7x42 binocular with built-in laser rangefinder, digital compass and inclinometer permits the collection of data such as distances, heights and elevation angles remotely. The DISTO pro4 is a lightweight handheld laser meter that measures distances, areas and volumes, as well as remote Pythagorean calculations. The unit includes a built-in alphanumeric keyboard, menu-driven multi-line LCD display, calculator functions, memory for up to 800 values and a multifunction end cover with adapter plate and alignment aid.

Visit:- www.leica-geosystems.com

OGC Object Domain Modeling Support Initiative Request For Quotation Available

The Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (OGC) announces that a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for the Object Domain Modeling Support (ODMS) Initiative is available at http://ip.opengis.org/odms. The ODMS Initiative aims to develop domain models for utilities as a vehicle to achieve semantic interoperability within and across information communities. The model would allow users within the utilities arena and those in related disciplines such as engineering, public safety and others, to more easily share geographic data, even if they chose to name features differently. The OGC is issuing this RFQ in collaboration with the CADD/GIS Center for Facilities, Infrastructure, and Environment (CADD/GIS Center). As the Initiative Sponsor, the CADD/GIS Center is particularly interested in working with participants with significant experience and familiarity with the utilities sector including gas, electric, and water. Participants should also have some knowledge of Unified Modeling Language (UML), a general-purpose notational language for specifying and visualizing software and structures.

Visit:- http://ip.opengis.org/odms

Scoot France and Maporama launch a new geo-localisation service

SCOOT France, premier intelligent directory service, implements into its online directory a new geo-localisation solution provided by Maporama, the European leader in online cartography and geocentric information. In a single click on a link on the http://www.scoot.fr/ result page, Internet users obtain a detailed situation map of the found address. This interactive street map is provided by Maporama and contains a precise indication of the sought address with a possibility to change the map's scale.

Visit:- www.maporama.com & www.scoot.fr

Asia News

Singapore Ground Station Begins Direct Tasking of Space Imaging's IKONOS Satellite

Space Imaging, the world's leader in providing Earth imagery and related services to commercial and government markets, has announced that the Center for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP) at the National University of Singapore has begun direct tasking and data collection of high-resolution imagery from the IKONOS satellite. As IKONOS passes through a 4,600 km diameter communications circle around Singapore, CRISP is now able to task, collect, download and process the imagery, all in a short amount of time. CRISP will use the high-resolution imagery for: project planning and monitoring, seaport and airport management, insurance and risk management, disaster assessment, forestry management and environmental monitoring, coastal zone mapping, urban planning, and tropical vegetation studies.

Visit:- http://crisp.nus.edu.sg & www.spaceimaging.com

ISRO sees more role for industry

NEW DELHI, Aug. 31 - The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would, as part of its broader vision for future, develop a system for regular census of nation's natural resources and generation of reports on `State of the country's environment', Dr K. Kasturirangan, Chairman, ISRO, has said.

Delivering the 4th JRD Tata Memorial Lecture, instituted by Assocham, Dr Kasturirangan said that such census can identify natural resource `hotspots' that are a cause for concern. ``This in turn can lead to identification of environmentally sensitive areas requiring urgent conservation/ management action''.

He said that the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, being evolved through a partnership approach among various agencies, would be the ``mainstay to support the National Resources Census activity''. Dr Kasturirangan also said that the scope of participation for Indian industries in the Indian space programme will increase in the coming years. ``In the next five years, the demand on space infrastructure is likely to double and scope of participation for Indian industries will also correspondingly increase.''

He hoped that Indian Industry would, in near future, succeed in producing a total space system that would not only meet national needs but also for export to other countries.

Technologies for digital video broadcasting and advances in satellite technologies which offer greater flexibility in allocation of space resources in tune with the demands will be exploited in future. The national demand for transponders is expected to grow from the present level of 80-100 numbers to about 250 in various frequency bands in the next five years.

On space based meteorology, the ISRO Chairman said that, in future, Indian weather satellites will continue to play a significant role in improving accuracy and horizon of weather forecasts which are important for agricultural operations such as sowing,irrigation and pest control and several other sectors of the economy.

He maintained that space will continue to be a valuable tool to face the challenges of current times and of future in the field of agriculture, which accounts for nearly 65 per cent of nation's employment and 26 per cent of GDP.

``A vision for an innovative route of development in agriculture with the backdrop of WTO regime and ecological crises that threaten to bring down productivity could truly be derived from the convergence of biotechnology with space and informatics'', Dr Kasturirangan said.

Source:- The Business Line

Guangzhou Strives to be Pivot of Information Highway

GUANGZHOU, August 30 (Xinhuanet) -- The government of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, pledged to become the pivot-point of the information highway in south China by 2005, the city's senior information industry official Tang Wangsheng announced here.

The city will build a high-speed, wide-band and interactive information system available to all enterprises and households in the city up to 2010, said Tang Wangsheng, deputy director of the leading group in charge of Guangzhou's information development, at an on-going international information forum held here this week.

By then, all the large enterprises and 30 percent of small firms in Guangzhou will be able to do online business with domestic and overseas counterparts, he added.

To make sure this happens, the government of Guangzhou has built 24 projects including a wide-bank network, an efficient mobile system and the e-government.

The government also will give energetic support to the development of high-definition digital audio-visual technology and large-scale integrated circuits and build production bases of software, computer and related products.

It will continue to provide overseas investors with preferential treatment in terms of investment-gathering, taxation and land use.

Source: Xinhua News Agency