Category Archives: Spatial IT/GIS
Open Source
The door to open source geospatial software has been unlocked. It’s time to take a peek inside. The open source geospatial movement is not purely about “free” (as in no cost). There truly are other aspects of “free,” as in “free to develop without constraints,” and free access to public geodata without necessarily having...
What is xyHt?
Stand in the place where you live Now face North Think about direction Wonder why you haven’t before “Stand” – R.E.M. Why an obscure geodetic expression? It’s not all that obscure—it represents a foundational element requisite to nearly all human endeavor. It touches your life explicitly and in the abstract. All of the ways that...
GeoArt: Velocity Made Good
All of her artworks, says Perri Howard, “involve the relationship between human perception and sense of place.” Sculpture, painting, drawing, writing, and sound are some of the mediums with which Perri Howard expresses her spatially inspired art. The name of her studio is a nautical term: “Velocity Made Good,” which means the element of a...
Mobile System Alerts Dubai Drivers of Approaching Sandstorms
Periodically, large sandstorms and low-visibility conditions wreak havoc in the Middle East, with potentially deadly consequences for drivers. In 2007, a sandstorm in Saudi Arabia caused a pileup involving about 80 cars. In 2008, low-visibility conditions caused a 200-car pileup on the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, killing about 25 people. In April 2012, a...
An Intro to Internet of Things
Internet of Things and Internet of Where-Things-Are Your field measurement instrument is connected to the internet as is your data collector; plus your phone and perhaps your watch; your home’s thermostat, security system, and lighting; your television, game consoles, entertainment system; your car, your kids, maybe even your dog’s collar; and soon, too, things like...
New Markets for Satellite Imagery
In June, the U.S. Department of Commerce, granting a request by DigitalGlobe, gave the company permission to sell its imagery at the best resolutions available from its current constellation. Additionally, six months after its new WorldView-3 satellite is operational, DigitalGlobe will be permitted to sell imagery at a resolution of up to 0.25 meters panchromatic and...