GIS

SuperGIS Server for national development

Supergeo Technologies supports Taiwan National Development Council to integrate various geographic data and services collected by different divisions into one single platform, named Spatial Arrangement Supporting System, to provide timely spatial analyses and map data display by GIS. Being the core foundation of the System, SuperGIS Server 3.1a provides the system with various functions including spatial data processing, analyzing, displaying and editing. It is also equipped with SuperGIS Server Network Extension to provide advanced network analysis. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is adopted for database management service. www.supergeotek.com

Zambezi valley mapping in Mozambique

South Korea will fund a cartographic survey of the Zambezi Valley region of Mozambique, costing US$4.5 million and taking an expected two years, the Korean International Cooperation agency (Koica) said.

The project is intended to produce digital topographical maps of the city of Tete, in the Zambezi valley region and covering round 286 square kilometres and the whole of the Zambezi Valley region. The maps will be produced to a scale of 1:2,500 and 1:50,000, respectively. www.macauhub.com.mo

Australian soil carbon map sets a baseline for future gains

A new CSIRO-developed map of Australia’s stored soil carbon provides an important benchmark against which Australia can track future changes in soil carbon storage or carbon sequestration. Providing the most detailed and accurate representation of soil organic carbon stocks, to a depth of 30 cm, at a national scale, the 2010 soil organic carbon map for Australia, draws on soil sampling data and innovative prediction methods. The map includes an estimate of soil carbon stock and an estimate of the uncertainty for approximately two billion football-field-sized blocks (90m by 90m) across Australia. www.csiro.au/en

Abu Dhabi completes the development of i-TINS

In accordance with the Surface Transport Master Plan (STMP), the Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi announced the completion of the Integrated Transport Information and Navigation System (i-TINS) and the launch of the first version of the “Darb Mobile” application for smart phones. i-TINS works through the collection of real-time data from different sources – road side systems such as traffic counting systems and travel time measurement systems and central sub-systems such as Taxi and Buses GPS-based tracking systems. Data is then analysed and processed to ensure its accuracy and made available to the transport system users in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. I-TINS also has the ability to provide public transport users with the exact locations of bus stations and stops, real-time bus schedules, ferry routes and timetables. http://dot.abudhabi.ae

Indoor maps in India by Google

Google has announced the availability of indoor maps in India giving access to the fl oor plans of 75 places in 22 Indian cities. Most of these 75 places are shopping malls but museums and convention halls also find a mention in the list. Similarly, while most of these places are located in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, some buildings from Raipur and Ludhiana too are a part of the project. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Low cost info to help China’s geomatics industry

China plans to offer basic geographic information at low cost or even for free in the future so as to boost development of the geomatics industry. The policy will offer information support for companies and promote their value-added development based on this data, said the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation. The government also plans to invest more to buy services from social sectors, take measures to encourage companies to compete internationally, boost growth in consumption of geographic information, and invigorate private investment in this sector. www.shanghaidaily.com

High-tech mapping at violence in Mexico

Chris Kyle, Ph.D., a University of Alabama at Birmingham associate professor of anthropology has been awarded a $40,000 research grant from The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. The foundation sponsors scholarly research on problems of violence, aggression and dominance. The award will partially fund a yearlong sabbatical during which Kyle will write a book on the spatial analysis of criminal violence in Guerrero, Mexico. Using GIS mapping software, he is able to plot events on a map and to analyze spatial and temporal patterns in the incidence of violent crimes. www.uab.edu/

President’s 2015 Budget Proposes $1.1 Billion for the USGS

The President’s fiscal year (FY) 2015 budget request for the U.S. Geological Survey is $1.1 billion, an increase of $41.3 million above the FY 2014 enacted level.

The FY 2015 Budget refl ects the President’s ongoing commitment to scientific discovery and innovation to support decision making in addressing critical societal needs and to support a robust economy, while protecting the health and environment of the Nation. www.usgs.gov

TERI launches first-ever GIS tool to tap rooftop solar power

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) unveiled the first-ever cloud based open-source Web-GIS Tool for estimating Rooftop Solar Power potential for Indian Solar Cities. The main objective of this initiative is to develop a high performing and fl exible Web-GIS tool to estimate the rooftop solar power potential for Indian cities. Chandigarh will be the first city where the tool will be launched. http://indiaeducationdiary.in