GIS

OS VectorMap by Europa Technologies

Europa Technologies has announced an innovative new way to license OS VectorMap Local map data for Great Britain. This new offering consists of three off-the-shelf urban packages speci cally designed to meet the needs of organisations that focus on the nation’s population. The entry level Urban package includes cities and large towns, covering approximately 62% of the population.

The big data rush

The research, conducted by Marketforce, UK, the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters in conjunction with Ordnance Survey, found that 82% of those questioned believed that insurers that do not capture the potential of Big Data will become uncompetitive. The survey of members of the CII’s Underwriting Faculty also revealed that 9 out of 10 underwriters think that access to real-time claims data would help price risk more accurately, with motor (88%), household (76%) and health (60%) being cited as the insurance lines, where pricing accuracy could be ‘transformed’ by Big Data-enabled pricing models. www.seethedetail.co.uk

3D mapping system to protect cultural heritage sites

Australian researchers developed a mobile laser 3D mapping system called Zebedee to preserve some of the country’s oldest and most culturally signi cant heritage sites, according to CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. This new joint research is an initiative between CSIRO and The University of Queensland aims to collect detailed 3D maps of historic sites of Moreton Bay. At the core of the technology, developed by CSIRO’s Autonomous Systems Lab in Brisbane, is a laser scanner that swings back and forth on a spring to capture millions of detailed measurements. http://news.xinhuanet.com

Iran plans ‘Islamic Google Earth’

The Iranian authorities have long accused Google Earth of being a tool for western spy agencies, but now they have taken their attacks on the 3D mapping service one step further – by planning the launch of an “Islamic” competitor. Iran’s minister for information and communications technology, Mohammad Hassan Nami, announced this week that his country was developing what he described as an “Islamic Google Earth” to be called Basir (spectator in Farsi) which will be ready for use “within the next four months”. www.guardian.co.uk

Spain might limit online mapping

In order to protect the country from possible terrorist attacks, the Constitutional Commission of the Spanish Congress is contemplating a non-legislative proposal made by the Popular Party regarding access to online mapping in the country. The political group highlights that satellite mapping on the Internet can provide information of sensitive settlements, such as military facilities, that could put at risk national security and international stability. www.neurope.eu

SuperGIS Desktop 3.1a new interfaces

SuperGIS Desktop 3.1a now supports Indonesian and Turkish user interfaces. It provides users with a professional GIS platform to ef cient accomplish diverse GIS tasks such as spatial data analysis, display, editing, management, query, etc. www.supergeotek.com

GIS to improve emergency response in Taipei

In a bid to improve the city’s emergency response capability, the Taipei City Fire Department developed a GISbased Incident Command System which will provide first responders with critical information needed to ef ciently carry out rescue operations. The system provides a user-friendly interface which integrates spatial information crucial for the city’s Emergency Dispatch Centre to manage and mobilise rescue operations. This includes information derived from digital maps, building and block maps, aerial photographs and water resource maps among others. It also allows policy makers to make well-informed decisions on how to improve the city’s emergency response plan to minimise both economic and social losses brought about by disasters. futuregov

Violators of national map to be fined up to $2,400 in Vietnam Society

Under the draft law document, the act of providing maps of Vietnam’s sea territories without showing the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in the East Sea and other islands will be given a fine of VND20-50 million (US$2,400). The act of providing maps that show incorrect national borders, sovereignty, land and sea territories of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will be fined the same rate. In addition, a warning or a fine of VND1-3 million is proposed to impose on acts of using maps without indicating their legal origin. http://tuoitrenews.vn