GEO World articles from September 2001

GEO World archives from September 2001

FROM THE EDITOR.
September 1, 2001... J. Michael Fay Provides Inspiration for Conservation Whether you've followed the reports of J. Michael Fay's "Megatransect" across central Africa in National Geographic or not, this month's GEOWorld interview is sure to intrigue you. It's...

RAPID Program Offers Public Access to Satellite Data.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... In Arkansas, farmers now can monitor their fields for daily changes in moisture levels, and forestry workers can examine forests for pest outbreaks with the click of a few buttons. University of Arkansas (U of A) researchers--working in...

Wearable PCs to Make Mass-Market Debut.(personal computers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... "Wearable" computing technology has existed, in one form or another, for several years. But true "hands-free" computing devices largely are found only in the research-and-development phase or as "high-end" options for industry segments that...

Oracle9i Ships with Enhanced Location Capabilities.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... To underscore its commitment to the location-based services (LBS) market, Redwood Shores, Calif.-based Oracle Corp. has introduced spatial functionality to its current release of Oracle9i via the Oracle Locator, a free feature of Oracle9i...

National Water Information System.(United States Geological Survey Web site)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... In July 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) launched the National Water Information System World Wide Web site (NWISWeb), which allows access to millions of archival and "real-time" data. "Our users now can access more than 100 years of...

EarthScan Network Inc., Albuquerque, N.M.
September 1, 2001... http://www.earthscan.com EarthScan Network now offers via its World Wide Web site i-cubed LLC's ImageMap USA product, a Landsat 7-based 15-meter-resolution color mosaic of the lower 48 United States.

Laser-Scan, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
September 1, 2001... http://wwwgisexpo.com Laser-Scan launched "GIS in Action," an interactive Web service for attendees of the GIS 2001 conference to be held Sept. 17-20,2001, in London. Accessible via the GIS 2001 Web site, GIS in Action provides users with...

The National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.
September 1, 2001... http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine The National Geographic Society redesigned the user interface of its online, interactive map and geographic data server, MapMachine, to offer users improved functionality. The interface allows...

SRC LLC, Orange, Calif.
September 1, 2001... http://www.extendthereach.com SRC made the first installment of block-level Census 2000 data available to the media industry via its online demographic data retrieval service (http://www.DemographicsNow.com). Users can choose from more...

Trimble Navigation Ltd., Sunnyvale, Calif.
September 1, 2001... http://wwwtrimble.com Trimble Navigation expanded its online store's product offerings to include the Global Positioning System (GPS) Pathfinder Pocket, a ruggedized, "pocket-sized" receiver for mapping and GIS applications...

Institute of Navigation Elects New President.(includes multiple articles)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... In July 2001, Alexandria, Va.-based Institute of Navigation (ION) elected Ronald R. Hatch as president. Hatch, principal and co-founder of Redondo Beach, Calif-based NavCom Technology Inc., a Deere & Co. subsidiary, currently serves as director...

Groat to Continue as USGS Director.(Charles Groat, United States. Geological Survey)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... In August 2001, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announced that Charles "Chip" Groat will continue to serve as director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). "The president has accepted my recommendation that Groat continue to...

NOAA Launches Environmental Satellite.(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on July 23, 2001, the satellite is the last in a current series of five advanced weather satellites that are operated by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and designed...

Census 2000 Atlas Details U.S. Diversity.(Mapping Census 2000: The Geography of U.S. Diversity )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... In August 2001, the U.S. Census Bureau released an atlas featuring 72 color maps that illustrate demographic patterns and changes in population between 1990 and 2000. Using data from Census 2000 redistricting (Public Law 94-171) summary files...

Census Bureau Releases State, Local Government Employment Figures.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... More than 15.1 million full-time-equivalent workers were employed in state and local governments in 2000, a 2.2 percent increase compared with 1999, according to U.S. Census Bureau tabulations for the 50 states and District of Columbia. Of this...

Library of Congress Acquires "America's Birth Certificate".(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The Library of Congress purchased from Prince Johannes Waldburg-Wolfegg the only known copy of the map that has been called "America's birth certificate," which was compiled by cartographer Martin Waldseemuller in 1507. For more than 350...

OpenLS Day Participation Fuels OGC Initiative.(Open GIS Consortium Inc. )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Wayland, Mass.-based Open GIS Consortium Inc. (OGC) hosted 41 representatives from 35 companies and organizations at the Open Location Services (OpenLS) Information Day, which was held July 31, 2001, in Reston, Va., to address OGC's upcoming...

"Empire State" GIS Users Prepare for Annual Meeting.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The New York State GIS Conference began 17 years ago with a small gathering of early GIS users. The event has since become a professional development opportunity for hundreds of GIS users in and around the state to discover how New Yorkers are...

Saskatchewan to Host Three-Day Geomatics Event.(GeoSASK 2001)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada-based Information Services Corp. of Saskatchewan (ISC), along with the assistance of volunteers from a variety of provincial, federal and private industry organizations, will host GeoSASK 2001 Oct. 15-17, 2001, in...

NEARC Users Group Conference Slated for September.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... More than 500 users of ESRI Inc.'s GIS software are expected to attend the 16th Annual Northeast Arc Users Group Conference (NEARC 2001) to be held Sept. 23-26, 2001, in Worcester, Mass. Attendees will include urban and regional planners,...

NASA to Host 2001 International Space Symposium.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... More than 1,500 registrants, speakers, exhibitors, news media and special guests, representing more than 300 companies, agencies and organizations from more than 25 countries worldwide, are expected to attend the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based...

Use Polar Variograms to Assess Distance and Direction Dependencies.(map design)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Several previous "Beyond Mapping" columns investigated spatial dependency-the assumption that "nearby things are more related than distant things." This "autocorrelation" forms the basic concept behind spatial interpolation and the ability to...

ORNL Created a Powerful Legacy for Geographic Research.(Oak Ridge National Laboratory )
September 1, 2001... In fall 2001, I join the faculty of the University of Kansas (KU) with high hopes and great expectations. My wife Gwen and I look forward to our new life in Lawrence, Kan., although it's painful to leave the mountains of East Tennessee and our...

Combine GPS with Media and Add Value to Pictures.(Global Positioning System)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Earlier this year, I bundled my family into our car to take in the breathtaking scenery of Colorado and Utah. Because my parents live in New Zealand, I wanted to share my experience with them and provide them with some perspective on where we...

Web Mapping POWERS Diverse Applications.
September 1, 2001... The February 2001 issue of GEOWorld featured a special section, the "2001 Guide to Web Mapping," which provided a comprehensive look at today's World Wide Web mapping trends and profiled a variety of Web mapping products. This month, GEOWorld...

Photogrammetry Flourishes at the Center of Geotechnology Convergence.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The advent of high-resolution satellite imagery created the notion that aerial photography's role has changed. Indeed, its role has evolved, but not for the reasons one would suspect. Aerial photographs will have a more important role in...

Can't Print That Map?
September 1, 2001... Try These Tips and Tricks for Large-Format Printing The increasing sophistication of GIS software and the advent of reasonably priced large-format printers has created a problem for geotechnical users: it's become complicated. The ability...

Just Out of Africa.(Michael J. Fay's Megatransect)
September 1, 2001... J. Michael Fay discusses his "Megatransect" trek and the future of African wilderness. In September 1999, American scientist J. Michael Pay began exploring an uninhabited, remote forest corridor in Africa that spanned two countries: Congo...

Space Imaging.(Geo Ortho Kit)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... Space Imaging, Thornton, Colo., introduced the Geo Ortho Kit, which allows customers to orthorectify the company's IKONOS satellite imagery for applications that require high degrees of positional accuracy. Available in one-meter...

Spatial Insights Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Spatial Insights Inc., Vienna, Va., completed and released two attributed databases of geocoded school locations: K-12, which is comprised of elementary and secondary schools, and Higher Ed, which includes college and university locations. The...

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).(map of Colorado National Monument area)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Reston, Va., along with the National Park Service and the Colorado National Monument Association, published the Geologic Map of Colorado National Monument and Adjacent Areas, Mesa County, Colo., a poster-style map...

Airbiquity Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Airbiquity Inc., Bainbridge Island, Wash., and Xmarc Inc. released the Airbiquity-Xmarc Location Environment (AXLE), a vertical location-based application environment designed to accelerate the deployment of advanced Global Positioning...

Autodesk Inc.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, Calif., released Autodesk OnSite version 2.0, a design and mapping product for mobile workers (e.g., utility crews, architects, engineers, construction managers, etc.) that can be used by enterprises in a...

CIVICTechnologies inc.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... CIVICTechnologies inc., Los Angeles, an ESRI Inc-authorized business partner, introduced customized GIS-based applications for public-sector clients and partners to plan and manage agency-and community-based initiatives. The applications can be...

CompassCom inc.(vehicle location system)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... CompassCom inc., Englewood, Cob., introduced two CompassCom Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system products to track public-safety fleets: CompassTrac, a client system of fleet-tracking software that displays vehicle location and status on a...

DeLorme.(map software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... DeLorme, Yarmouth, Maine, released XMap version 3.0 with Export and Image Registration modules, providing engineers, surveyors and other land-use professionals with drawing, measuring and annotation tools. The optional Export module allows...

EarthSoft Inc.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... EarthSoft Inc., Pensacola, Fla., released for ESRI Inc.'s ArcGIS extension the Environmental Quality Information System [EquIS), which adds hydrogeologic analysis and visualization capabilities to ESRI's GIS platform. ESRI's ArcView version...

ESRI Inc.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... ESRI Inc., Redlands, Calif., announced its ArcSDE (Spatial Database Engine] version 8.1 product now supports Microsoft Corp.'s SQL Server 2000, and, as a result, ESRI's client applications, including its ArcGIS products, will be able to access...

IDEAL Scanners & Systems Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... IDEAL Scanners & Systems Inc., Rockville, Md., released WiseImage, a hybrid drawing editor and raster-to-vector converter for scanned color, monochrome or grayscale images. WiseImage is compatible with IDEAL's IntraNETIX product, which provides...

Intergraph Corp.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... Intergraph Corp., Huntsville, Ala., announced its Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions Division and Hansen Information Technologies introduced the GeoMedia-Hansen Interface, an asset management and permitting product for public-works and...

MapInfo Corp.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... MapInfo Corp., Tiny, N.Y., and Marconi plc released deciBel Planner version 2.5 for MapInfo Professional, a wireless network design product that interfaces with spatially enabled databases to provide users with an enterprise approach to sharing...

Safe Software Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Safe Software Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, announced its Feature Manipulation Engine data translation products read and write Intergraph Corp.'s Modular GIS Environment and GeoMedia products and write Intergraph's FRAMME Standard...

308 Systems Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... 308 Systems Inc., Hermosa Beach, Calif., added QUALCOMM's Globalstar 1600 phone to the 308 Systems TAC-PAK, a battery-powered, portable communication system for industries such as communications, construction and public safety, allowing users...

Garmin International Inc.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... Garmin International Inc., Olathe, Kan., introduced via its Personal Navigator product line the Global Positioning System (GPS) V, a hand-held GPS device that incorporates the same "user-friendly" design, functionality, portability and two-way...

IDEAL Scanners & Systems Inc.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2001... IDEAL Scanners & Systems Inc., Rockville, Md., introduced its IDEAL/Contex SuperWIDE 40-inch scanner, a production-oriented scanner for service bureaus and reprographic departments that scans black-and-white images at 600dpi (or up to 800dpi...

The Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Secretariat, Reston, Va., released the Cookbook version 1.1, a 150-page manual on spatial data infrastructure implementation that's designed to guide local, regional, national and multinational...

Autodesk Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, Calif., released financial results for its first quarter ended April 30, 2001, including $246 million in net revenues and $22 million in net income, which represents a 6 percent increase in revenues compared with the...

CompassCom Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... CompassCom Inc., Englewood, Colo., announced a coalition of Utah public-safety agencies that includes the Utah Highway Patrol and the Valley Emergency Communications Center selected its CompassTrac fleet-tracking system and CompassFDE (Fleet...

EarthWatch Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... EarthWatch Inc, Longmont, Colo., and Northrop Grumman PRB Systems partnered to support an "open systems" approach in the satellite imagery industry. Under the agreement, EarthWatch will license its QuickBird sensor model for incorporation into...

GeoConcept SA.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... GeoConcept SA, Paris, agreed with Earth Resource Mapping and Digitech International (Earth Resource Mapping's distributor in France, Belgium, Switzerland and North Africa) to integrate Earth Resource Mapping's Enhanced Compressed Wavelet...

Geographic Data Technology Inc. (GDT).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Geographic Data Technology Inc. (GDT), Lebanon, N.H., incorporated its Dynamap/Transportation database into TeleType Inc.'s TeleType Global Positioning System (GPS) product to provide "real-time" personal navigation services for mobile devices...

GE Smallworld.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... GE Smallworld, Englewood, Colo., announced NSTAR Electric and Gas selected GE Smallworld GIS technology as its corporate standard and will use the company's software applications and technology to replace several legacy GISs used throughout the...

GlobeXplorer Inc.(and AOl sign pact)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... GlobeXplorer Inc., Walnut Creek, Calif., will offer its worldwide aerial and satellite photography library via several America Online Time Warner Inc. (AOL) brands, including MapQuest and the AOL Travel Channel. AOL customers will have access...

Hewlett-Packard Co.(partners with GlobalSight Corp. in Web Wide World venture)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP), Palo Alto, Calif., and GlobalSight Corp. partnered to help make World Wide Web and digital technologies more accessible to non-English-speaking customers. Under the agreement, HP integrated its infrastructure and...

HJW CeoSpatial Inc. (HJW).(wins Palmdale, California contract)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... HJW CeoSpatial Inc. (HJW), Oakland, Calif., won a contract from the city of Palmdale, Calif., to produce a color digital orthophoto base map of the city. The project, slated to cover almost 80 miles, will involve color aerial photography...

IBM Corp.(announces cooperation agreement with GlobeXplorer Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... IBM Corp., White Plains, N.Y., announced its newly acquired Informix Software database business (currently known as IBM Data Management Solutions for Informix Branded Products) and GlobeXplorer Inc. agreed that Informix's spatially enabled...

Intergraph Corp.
September 1, 2001... Intergraph Corp., Huntsville, Ala., announced the Local Government Computer Services Board in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, selected Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions' GeoMedia WebMap product for its National Internet GIS initiative which...

Intermap Technologies.(wins Massachusetts contract)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Intermap Technologies, Denver, won a contract from MassGIS, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to provide digital orthophotography products. The project will provide MassGIS with 1:5,000-scale digital...

International Land Systems Inc. (ILS).(and partners win State Department contract)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... International Land Systems Inc. (ILS), Silver Spring, Md., in conjunction with Chemonics International and the Rural Development Institute, won a contract from the U.S. State Department to issue land titles in the Ukraine to provide individuals...

Laser-Scan.(product used by)(Edinburgh Data and Information Access data center)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Laser-Scan, Sterling, Va., announced the Edinburgh Data and Information Access (EDINA) data center used Laser-Scan's Gothic World Wide Web Mapper product to launch version 2 of EDINA's Digimap online service, which provides students and...

LizardTech Inc.(image file compatible with Skyline Software Systems Inc. product)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... LizardTech Inc., Seattle, announced Skyline Software Systems Inc.'s Terrabuilder product includes native support for LizardTech's MrSID image file format. Terrabuilder allows users to build and create 3-D backdrops for photo-realistic and...

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA).(wins New York Office of Technology contract)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA), Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, won a contract from the New York Office for Technology to provide a digital database of land information to the Vargis consortium, which includes MDA's...

MapInfo Corp.(and tower-Street Inc. integrate products)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... MapInfo Corp., Troy, N.Y., announced Tower-Street Inc. integrated MapInfo technology into its online point-of-sale products, allowing Tower-Street to automatically assign International Organization for Standardization and carrier-specific...

Maporama SA.(to provide exclusive online mapping)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Maporama SA, Paris, will provide exclusive online mapping and "geocentric" services via Connextra's Sidewize tool, which users can add to their computer screens to access information relating to Web pages. When United Kingdom or French postal...

Marconi plc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Marconi plc, London, announced its Wireless Division acquired Northwood Technologies Inc., a Canadian wireless telecom software company that develops, markets and supports deciBel Planner, a Wintel-based software product that allows users to...

The National Geographic Society.(awards grants to enocourage teaching of geography)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C., announced its Education Foundation awarded $4.1 million in grants to teachers and universities in every U.S. state to help promote geography in U.S. schools. The grants will be used for...

ObjectFX Corp.(wins UPSIDE Magazine award)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... ObjectFX Corp., St. Paul, Minn., won one of UPSIDE Magazine's sixth annual "UPSIDE Hot 100 Awards," which seek to recognize the 100 "hottest" privately held technology companies.

Open GIS Consortium Inc. (OGC).(to collaborate with German agencies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Open GIS Consortium Inc. (OGC), Wayland, Mass., announced its European subsidiary, Open GIS Consortium (Europe) Ltd. (OGCE), and the Surveying and Mapping Agency of the German State of North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) agreed to collaborate on a...

Orbital Sciences Corp.(wins NASA contract)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va., won a contract to participate in NASA's Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology program by designing, building, testing and launching a space-maneuvering vehicle derived from the company's Pegasus...

PlanGraphics Inc.(selects ValueCAD as subcontractor for Sacramento, California work)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... PlanGraphics Inc., Frankfort, Ky., selected ValueCAD as a subcontractor to provide property map conversion services for Sacramento, Calif. The assignment will involve data conversion of County Assessor maps to deliver digital map and database...

QC Data.(moves corporate headquarters)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... QC Data, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, moved its corporate headquarters to 2500 Dome Tower, 333 Seventh Ave. SW, Calgary, AB T2P 2Z1, Canada. Also, QC Data won a six-year contract from BellSouth to provide ongoing data maintenance and management of...

RADARSAT International (RSI).(starts work in Kazakhstan)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... RADARSAT International (RSI), Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, began working with the Space Research Institute of Kazakhstan and its partners to implement a locust management and monitoring system that will allow the Kazakhstan Ministry of...

SPOT Image Corp.(donates image of California to kids program)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... SPOT Image Corp., Reston, Va., donated a statewide image map of California to GeoCyberCamp, a geography/education program for kids (developed by Geo InSight International Inc.) that combines "space-age" technology with "real-world"...

UCLID Software LLC.(wins Wisconsin award)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... UCLID Software LLC, Madison, Wis., won the "2001 Governor's New Product Award" from the Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers or its IcoMap version 3.0 product. The award recognizes engineers and scientists who contribute to economic...

VIDAR Systems Corp.(wins award)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... VIDAR Systems Corp., Herndon, Va., received the "Vendor of the Year" award from Tekgraf Inc., a VIDAR Systems distributor.

Walker Associates Inc.(wins McHenry County, Illinois contract)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Walker Associates Inc., St. Louis, won a contract from McHenry County, Ill., to provide countywide color aerial photography and digital rectified images, which will be used to enhance the county's GIS.

Webraska, Poissy, France, formed an alliance with Pacific.(Access)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Webraska, Poissy, France, formed an alliance with Pacific Access, the producer of Yellow Pages OnLine, White Pages OnLine and location and navigation brand Whereis, to provide "real-time" location and navigation services via the Internet....

Xmarc Inc.(to commit more resources to growing international business)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Xmarc Inc., San Jose, Calif., announced it will focus greater resources on its growing international business, especially wireless and location-based services in Europe and the Asia Pacific region.

GE Smallworld Internet Map Server.
September 1, 2001... By W. Fredrick Limp, director, Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies, 12 Ozark Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701; e-mail: fred@cast.uark.edu. Price: Contact vendor. Requirements: Smallworld core product license;...

Try to Look Beyond the Next Big Thing.(Column)
September 1, 2001... In a world where technology and business collide, people are always looking for the next big thing. But by the time they identify the next big thing, it's already ancient history. So now everyone's trying to find the next next big thing. You...

Analytical Surveys Inc. (ASI).(posts net loss for quarter)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Analytical Surveys Inc. (ASI), Indianapolis, released financial results for the second fiscal quarter and six-month period ending March 31, 2001, including $11.8 million in revenues for the quarter, compared with $18 million for the same period...