Filmmaker Rakesh Sharma has sued New York City for being `detained and harassed’ by its police while making a documentary about ordinary folks in a post-9/11 world. Backing Sharma’s suit, the New York Civil Liberties Union has challenged curbs on people’s right to photograph public places. Police offi cers confronted Sharma in May 2005 for allegedly fi lming a “sensitive building”. They interrogated him for three hours. Despite “cooperating with them, they treated me like a criminal,” the maker of Final Solution, a documentary on the Gujarat riots, said. Mr Sharma was told he needed a permit to fi lm on city streets and then was denied one without explanation when he applied to the Mayor’s Offi ce of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, the lawsuit said. (Hindustan Times, January 12, 2006, New Delhi).

 
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January 2006

First Asia-Pacific Conference for ESRI Users January 12-13, …

Earth Commission: A new initiative in India
The Earth Commission — the first of its kind in any country, will pursue an integrated approach of research to tweak meteorological data for accuracy and reliability. Meteorologists, geo-physicists, oceanographers, atmospheric scientists and space scientists will pool their expertise.
CNR Rao, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Council, told HT, “We have taken a holistic view of earth science. Kapil Sibal (Science and Technology Minister) has endorsed our opinion. The Prime Minister has received our report. It (the new commission) will be placed before the cabinet for approval.” The Earth Commission will be structured along the lines of the space set-up, with three rungs, namely, the Earth Commission, the Department of Earth System Science (DESS) and the Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO). The commission, its department and research organisation will have a single head, just as with the space agency.

Spectra Precision Laser grade control systems
Trimble has introduced a portfolio of laser-based machine display and control systems for grading and excavating applications. The new Spectra Precision Laser machine systems is said to be highly fl exible, extremely rugged and can be used on a wide range of machines, including dozers, backhoes, scrapers, skid steers and excavators. On a dozer, the system can be upgraded for automatic blade control providing even greater productivity gains. The Spectra Precision Laser grade control systems give the operator visual guidance for the cutting edge of the blade or bucket.
www.trimble.com

Conventionally, the potential difference between two points P and Q located on the Earth’s surface are determined by gravimetry and levelling (Heiskanen and Moritz 1967), the drawback of which is that it is almost impossible to connect these two points in the case that they are located on two continents, because it is well known that the potential surface of the mean sea level (MSL) is not an equipotential surface. In another aspect, if given the gravity data on the Earth’s surface, one might determine the potential difference between two points by using the Stokes method or Molodensky method (ibid). In this case the potential field is determined and consequently the potential difference between two arbitrary points could be determined.

 
26th ACRS 2005, 7-11, November, 2005 Hanoi, Vietnam

The 26th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS) and 2nd …

says Prof. YQ Chen, Department of Land Surveying and …

December 2005

Gulf First Urban Planning and Development Conference 12-14 …

India to Use Russian GLONASS Navigation System
Russia and India are planning to cooperate in the sphere of satellite navigation, Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced at a Moscow recently. He said this was a momentous decision for India, but that the specifics of cooperation in the area had yet to be discussed. Russia’s satellite navigation system, called GLONASS, is operated for the government by the its Space Forces. An improved GLONASS-K satellite, with a reduced weight and an increased operational lifetime of 10-12 years, is due to enter service in 2008. Following a joint venture deal with the Indian government, which will launch two GLONASS-M satellites on its PSLV rockets, it is proposed to have the system fully operational again by 2008 with 18 satellites and by 2010 with all 24 satellites.