MidAmerica GIS Consortium

This is my 100th post on the Geoblog!!! It sure doesn't seem like I have posted that many times. I'll keep it up as long as a few people keep reading. I have a meeting today with our economic development coorporation. This is a sector where GIS can really be of benefit. It has taken off in many areas, but it has a long way to go. We are going to talk with them about what data we can provide and possibly some training for them.

"The MidAmerica GIS Consortium, Ltd. (MAGIC) is a nonprofit educational organization established to foster the applications of geographic information systems (GIS) and related spatial technologies in the mid-continent region. The Consortium sponsors a biennial MidAmerica GIS Symposium in even numbered years. MAGIC provides a focus for:
Establishing linkages between GIS users having similar application interests; Facilitating communication and data sharing across levels of government and between government, industry and academia; Promoting spatial data standards and land records modernization;
Promoting collaboration and advancement of geospatial technologies in government. MAGIC states include, but are not limited to: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma & South Dakota." Learn more at http://magicweb.kgs.ku.edu/.

worldkit

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!! I hope you have a wonderful day. For those of you that I don't call sweetheart that is for my girlfriend. I know she reads my blog first thing in the morning so I wanted to get that in early. The garage sale didn't pan out like I had hoped this weekend. We got full on sushi and sake Friday night celebrating her birthday and decided to make a spur of the moment trip to Shreveport to gamble. Therefore the garage sale didn't happen Saturday morning. You only live once!!!

"worldKit is an easy to use and flexible mapping application for the Web. Light weight GIS. It's a SWF based app, configured by XML, data fed by RSS. Stand-alone use or integration in larger projects. Features include ... Ubiquitous use in the Flash Player and with RSS feeds; Highly configurable look and feel; Can use images for marking annotations; Integrates with weblogging tools, and any software producing RSS; Annotations updated in the background, live; Displays photos within the map; Zoom & Pan. Integrates with Zoomify for high resolution images; Accepts input for Collaborative Cartography; Annotations are categorizable; Javascript interface for GIS layer functionality; Connects annotations for GPS track routes." Check it out at http://worldkit.org/index.php. Enjoy!

Mapserver

Hi! The ETUG meeting went well. We had over 30 attendees and the networking was good. Now I need to start thinking about the next meeting. This weekend I will be working on packing and a garage sale. What fun! Ha! Have a good weekend.

"MapServer is an Open Source development environment for building spatially-enabled internet applications. MapServer is not a full-featured GIS system, nor does it aspire to be. Instead, MapServer excels at rendering spatial data (maps, images, and vector data) for the web.
Beyond browsing GIS data, MapServer allows you create "geographic image maps", that is, maps that can direct users to content. For example, the Minnesota DNR Recreation Compass provides users with more than 10,000 web pages, reports and maps via a single application. The same application serves as a "map engine" for other portions of the site, providing spatial context where needed. MapServer was originally developed by the University of Minnesota (UMN) ForNet project in cooperation with NASA and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR). Presently, the MapServer project is hosted by the TerraSIP project, a NASA sponsored project between the UMN and consortium of land management interests. The software is maintained by a growing number of developers (nearing 20) from around the world and is supported by a diverse group of organizations that fund enhancements and maintenance." Check it out at http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/.

Housing Maps

Good day! The ETUG meeting is today and I have much to do. It is a little nerve racking sense it is my first as the president. Cross your fingers that all goes well.

Housing Maps uses both Craigslist and GoogleMaps to create a great mashup. You can search houses that are For Rent, For Sale, Rooms, and Sublets. You can also search based on City, Price, Number of Rooms, Pictures, Dogs or Cats. The creator says that "Safari & Opera support is coming soon and more cities are on their way". Although the site already has a ton of cities to choose from. Check it out at www.housingmaps.com.

Google Earth Hacks

Hola! Another day of meetings and preparation for meetings. Our first meeting of the year for the East Texas GIS & GPS User Group (ETUG) is tomorrow. If you are from the East Texas or Western Louisianna area please join us.

If you already have Google Earth, Google Earth Hacks will give you files to enhance your experience with Google Earth. If you don't have Google Earth you are missing out on the fun. "Some of the files will simply point out fun places to visit, while others can do things like put real-time weather radars on your map, add in more 3D buildings, or any number of other things. The easiest way to use the files is to have Google Earth already open while you're viewing our site. When you find a file you want, just click the "download" link. If your browser gives you the choice, choose to just open the file. Wait a few seconds and your computer should switch over to Google Earth and fly you to the new location! If you choose to save the file to your disk, just locate it and double-click on it to get Google Earth to open it and fly you there. KMZ and KML are the formats that Google Earth uses to store information about locations on the map. If you ever add a placemark to the map (by going to [Add] and then [Placemark]), you can save that file as a KMZ and share it with the world! This site has nothing to do with illegal hacking that you read about in the news. The "hacks" on here simply refer to files that you can download to enhance your use of Google Earth. Hacks often refer to add-on software for a program." Check it out at www.googleearthhacks.com.

Green Map System

Good Morning! Not much news to report here other than the work in flowing in at a rapid rate. Oh well, I guess it means we are needed. Better than the opposite.

"The Green Map System (GMS) is a locally adaptable, globally shared framework for environmental mapmaking. It invites design teams of all ages and backgrounds to illuminate the connections between natural and human environments by mapping their local urban or rural community. Using GMS's shared visual language--a collaboratively designed set of Icons representing the different kinds of green sites and cultural resources--Mapmakers are independently producing unique, regionally flavored images that fulfill local needs, yet are globally connected. The resulting Green Maps identify, promote and link eco and cultural resources. Merging the ancient art of map making with new media tools, each of these maps creates a fresh perspective that helps residents discover and get involved in their community's environment, and helps guide tourists (even virtual ones) to special places and successful green initiatives they can replicate back home." Check it out at www.greenmap.org.

Ask.com

Happy Monday! Latino night on Friday was a good time and I even learned how to salsa (kinda). The rest of my weekend consisted of packing and sleep. We have too much junk. Hopefully with a garage sale this weekend we can get rid of some of it. Anyway, back to the grind!

Ask.com has brought mapping to their website. Some of the features include draggable maps (click and drag the map to move around), multipoint directions (find directions for up to 10 places at once), dynamic locations (add, move, and re-order your locations using your mouse), auto-drive (watch an animation of your entire route before you set out on your trip), and keyboard support (for faster navigation). Check it out at http://www.ask.com/?o=312#subject:map.

Podbop

It's Friday!! Many changes are coming in my life in the next month....we start packing this weekend for a move to Longview, TX to be closer to work. My girlfriend is also preparing to go to Mexico for three months this summer. Other than those not so minor changes things are the same. We are planning on going to "Latino night" at a local club tonight. We just can't get enough of that Latin flavor! Also, check out the pictures of Mexico at the bottom of the page that I added to my Frappr site.

Podbop is let's you search for bands that are coming to a certain city, listen to their MP3's, find a band you like and go see them. The old way consisted of "looking up concerts in your town on an event site, googling 100 different bands, tracking down an MP3 for each band, and then deciding which show you want to go to." So what does this have to do with mapping? They use John Emerson's DIY Map. This allows you to click on recently searched cities and see the bands coming to that area. Check it out at http://podbop.org/.

Windows Live Local "Street-Side" Preview

Good morning! I think I have actually caught up on some sleep. Vacation can really wear you out sometimes. It's back to the grind with meetings and preparation for more meetings.

Windows Live Local has provided a preview into their new "street-side" views. "Technology Preview demonstrates their work-in-progress thinking about a rich immersive experience in mapping that also explores local information. Historically, maps give you a perspective of geographical information about a place. In Windows Live™ Local, powered by Virtual Earth™, you’ve seen road, aerial, and hybrid maps. Then, we introduced bird's eye views to give you a perspective from above. Now, we want you to be there, right in front of the pizza shop you are searching for, in the street-side views offered by Windows Live Local. Even though you haven’t left the comfort of your computer chair, you’ll feel like you’re actually there. Street-side views enables you to view imagery as if you were driving or walking along the street. There are a number of ways to explore street-side views. You can explore street-side views by "driving" (with your mouse or with the arrow keys on your keyboard) our "Sports Car" or "Race Car" along streets in the map or you can also "Walk" along the street. When the car is on a street that has street-side images, the car headlights turn on and you can view the front, right, and left views through the car windows above." So far the preview only includes Seattle and San Francisco. Check it out at http://preview.local.live.com/.

Cyber-Geography Research

I'm back!! The trip to Mexico was incredible. We should all get a chance to spend the weekend in the jungle. I hope to get some photos on my Flickr site soon. I'll tell more soon, but I have much to catch up on.

"CyberGeography is the study of the spatial nature of computer communications networks, particularly the Internet, the World-Wide Web and other electronic "places" that exist behind our computer screens, popularly referred to as cyberspace. Cybergeography encompasses a wide range of geographical phenomena from the study of the physical infrastructure, traffic flows, the demographics of the new cyberspace communities, to the perception and visualisation of these new digital spaces. In addition, the potential geographical impacts of Cyberspace technologies on real-space needs to be examined. There are many geographies of cyberspace and many geographical approaches to study them. The emphasis of Cyber-Geography Research tends to be on the more quantitative aspects of measuring and mapping the geography of cyberspaces." Learn more at http://www.cybergeography.org/.