GIS

Google Maps inaccuracies driving tourists away

Tourism operators in Australia’s vast outback say wild inaccuracies in Google Maps are making remote hot spots appear out of reach, deterring people from visiting the region.

A number of businesses promoting their small towns as remote tourist destinations in the northeastern state of Queensland complain of cases where a typical six-hour drive has been estimated by Google Maps to take up to 11 hours. Google, which says it takes its mapping data from a variety of sources, including public information and data from users, said it was investigating the concerns. People unprepared for the extreme conditions have been lost in the Aussie outback, which has prompted calls for greater network coverage in remote areas and for authorities to warn the public to carefully plan for the tough environment. www.channelnewsasia.com

France uses new EU data law to fine Google for GDPR violation

France’s data authority CNIL has announced a fine of €50 million (around $56.8 million USD) for US search giant Google, using the EU’s strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the first time.

CNIL said the amount of the fine was “justified by the severity of the infringements observed regarding the essential principles” of the EU’s General Data Protection Rules, or GDPR. They are “transparency, information, and consent,” it further stated.

Although the €50 million fine seems large, it’s small compared to the maximum limits allowed by GDPR, which allows a company to be fined a maximum of four percent of its annual global turnover for more serious offenses. www.thelocal.fr

NGA awards BAE Systems fiveyear contract of $250 million

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has awarded BAE Systems a five-year, $250 million contract to continue providing Full-Motion Video (FMV) advanced analytic services, training, and intelligence production support.

In addition to providing analytic mission support, BAE Systems will stand up a new Performance Innovation Council to introduce NGA leaders to new FMV services, software, systems, platforms, and sensors developed by BAE Systems and its program team, made up of several industry-leading intelligence and technology companies. www.intelligent-aerospace.com

EU gives nearly $1 million to mapping Jewish cemeteries

The European Union has awarded close to $1 million to a project that aims to map and survey at least 1,500 Jewish cemeteries in the continent’s east.

The European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative, or ESJF, announced that its winning an EU tender affording it 800,000 euros, a sum equivalent to $922,000. Since the group’s establishment in 2015 with a German government grant, it has helped protect over 120 Jewish cemeteries in seven Central and Eastern European countries. The mapping process, to be undertaken using stateof- the-art technology specially designed for the project, involves engineering drones surveying and photographing the sites from the air, following an in-depth historical research process of centuries– old records across many countries and languages, ESJF said. www.jta.org

GeoSLAM providing opportunity to upgrade any SLAM device

With the rapid advancement of SLAM (Simultaneous Location and Mapping) technology recognized particularly across the built environment industry, leading 3D mobile mapping and monitoring specialist, GeoSLAM, is offering the opportunity to upgrade any SLAM device of any make to an industry leading handheld scanner.

GeoSLAM’s ZEB-HORIZON was launched at INTERGEO 2018 and incorporates UAV-ready technology alongside the strongest ever SLAM, capable of collecting 300,000 points per second with a range of up to 100m. https://geoslam.com