Archived GIS Snippets
Published in 2013
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geo.to Announces New GeoSite Services to Mobilize Locations
by otilia otlacan
geo.to® announced a new platform at CTIA to bridge the gap between physical locations and the digital world by Mobilizing Locations™ through geo.to’s patented GeoSite® and GeoLink® services. Co-founded by mobile, local search pioneer Lee Hancock, who launched and successfully sold go2, the world’s first mobile, local search and directory service, geo.to is commercializing go2’s patented technology and insight gained from delivering billions of local search and information page views to mobile phone users.
“geo.to enables anyone to create a special purpose GeoSite website dedicated to sharing and providing a direct link to extremely timely, accurate and complete information about that location.”
“Most mobile users just want to find, visit, call or share a business or other location as easily and quickly as possible,” said Hancock, co-founder and CEO of geo.to. “geo.to enables anyone to create a special purpose GeoSite website dedicated to sharing and providing a direct link to extremely timely, accurate and complete information about that location.” continued…
first published week of: 06/17/2013
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uKnow.com and Esri Partner to Create Next Generation Family Locator Service
uKnow.com, the leading creator of Parental Intelligence systems announced today that it has partnered with Esri, the world leader in geographic information systems (GIS) and provider of the powerful platform for next-generation location-based services, to launch a revolutionary new family locator service – uKnowLocate™.
“uKnow has created an exceptionally useful suite of products for today’s busy parents, and we are proud to enable them with a new set of capabilities for tracking, monitoring and automatic notifications.”
uKnowLocate has been fully integrated into uKnowKids™, the industry leading service for digital parents as well as all of uKnow.com’s private label Parental Intelligence systems in use by leading Internet service providers, identity and reputation service providers, desktop security companies and others.
uKnowLocate is the first family locator service which combines location data from social networks popular with teens and tweens using Wi-Fi positioning systems (WPS), global positioning systems (GPS), and assisted GPS (A-GPS) from iPhones and Android devices into a single offering. In addition to enabling parents to see their child’s last location, uKnowLocate delivers a host of revolutionary features which parents can use to stay better connected to their family, to simplify digital parenting, and to keep their children safer online and on the mobile phone.
One of the most compelling features of the uKnowLocate app is its geofencing capability, powered by the Esri ArcGIS Online platform’s GeotriggerSM service. Parents sign into their uKnowKids account, access a Family Map and draw a virtual fence around a location of interest using their mouse (or finger on supported devices) such as the home, school, mall or a friend's home. They can then configure customized alerts which they will receive when their child arrives in or departs from the geo-fenced location. uKnowLocate also enables scheduled, recurring check-ins, one-time check-ins, on-demand location updates, and visual location histories. continued…
first published week of: 06/17/2013
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Aerial ‘hexacopter’ gives geography research a lift
With funding from the University’s Center for Computing and Life Sciences, the Geography Department purchased a ready-made hexacopter, a vehicle popular with hobbyists. Christian has spent the last year retrofitting the device, including adding a digital camera beneath its six propellers and adding shock absorption to improve the images captured.
This UAV system cost about $4,000 to put together—a fraction of the cost of other research or commercial systems—and is already opening up new lines of inquiry for SF State researchers.
Earlier this year, Professor and Chair of Geography Jerry Davis used the hexacopter to survey the shape of stream channels at a water-logged meadow in the Sierra Nevada. Christian continues to work with Davis at the meadow site and also plans to collaborate with his advisor, Leonhard Blesius, to study a small-scale landslide on the property of the University’s Romberg Tiburon Center in Marin County.
“The hexacopter is generating a lot of interest from in the Geography Department and among researchers in related fields,” said Blesius, assistant professor of geography. “It provides high spatial resolution—you can measure a site in the order of inches and centimeters, and by taking photos from multiple angles we can create 3D elevation models of the landscape.” continued…
first published week of: 09/09/2013
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AeroMetric Announces GeoApps, a new family of Geospatial Cloud Solutions
At the 2013 Esri User Conference, AeroMetric announced GeoApps, a new family of geospatial cloud solutions that operationalize geospatial data and services from their acquisition in any sensor through its deployment within the enterprise. GeoApps leverage AeroMetric's capabilities in collection, processing, and Enterprise GIS as well as our end-markets' expertise to transform traditional mapping deliverables into actionable decision-making and operational tools that are integrated in the client's work environment.
AeroMetric GeoApps consist of ongoing service agreements that can include software-as-a-service (SaaS), data-as-a-service (DaaS), and support by AeroMetric staff. Currently AeroMetric is conducting pilot programs with select clients in several areas including Emergency Response, Energy Infrastructure, and Environmental Applications.
first published week of: 07/15/2013
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AeroMetric Announces New High Accuracy Mapping Solution
AeroMetric announced the addition of a new High Accuracy Mapping Solution for its clients. The new solution is designed to obtain tight vertical accuracy and highly detailed imagery using a helicopter based sensor system mounted on a drift-control platform. The sensor system includes a Riegl VQ-480i LiDAR sensor, a Phase One iXA 80 MP digital camera and is controlled through Track’Air’s Flight Management System.
AeroMetric’s new system will extend and improve AeroMetric’s High Accuracy Mapping Solutions, which are based on digital image and LiDAR acquisition at very low altitudes — typically 500-1,000 feet AGL. AeroMetric’s High Accuracy Mapping Solutions are particularly well suited for engineering design and similarly detailed applications in transportation corridors, transmission lines, and pipeline routes.
Tim Stagg, AeroMetric Vice President of Transportation Solutions said: “We expect that AeroMetric’s High Accuracy Mapping Solution will become the approach of choice of transportation professionals for projects that call for mapping busy, complex corridors.”
According to Terry Keating, AeroMetric Chief Technology Officer, “The new sensor system’s drift control allows it to remain aligned with the corridor regardless of the direction the aircraft is flying to adjust for wind conditions. This is an important feature that will provide our clients the accuracy and detail they will require for engineering level mapping.”
first published week of: 05/27/2013
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AeroMetric Awarded Texas DBITS Contract
Aero-Metric, Inc. (AeroMetric) was recently awarded a contract with the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) for Deliverables Based IT Services (DBITS) as part of its Cooperative Contracts program to state and local government, public education, and other public entities in Texas, as well as public entities outside the state.
The DIR leads the state of Texas’ efforts to provide quality Information Technology (IT) resources and solutions by pre-qualifying providers of these services to perform best-value contracts through the DBITS purchasing program. Through this program, AeroMetric will be offering qualified US government clients top-quality services and solutions nationwide through a streamlined contracting process.
AeroMetric is one of only three geospatial consulting firms to have been selected for a DBITS contract, giving clients the distinct advantage of having a vetted firm with a specialized knowledge-base to leverage in their geospatial IT projects. Clients can get engage directly with AeroMetric using the DIR-provided Statement of Work (SOW) template, filling out project details, and submitting it directly to AeroMetric. Once the SOW is received, AeroMetric will contact the client to discuss project details and deliverables, and to negotiate a price. Contracting only requires sending a signed Purchase Order (PO) and SOW to AeroMetric.
As an approved Texas DIR Cooperative Contracts DBITS provider, AeroMetric is qualified to provide services in the following categories:
- Technology Upgrade/Migration and Transformation
- Application Maintenance and Support
- Project Management
AeroMetric Vice President Steve Ellis explains, “The DBITS contract really streamlines how we provide services to our clients and gives them the best value for their geospatial IT investment. DBITS enables our clients to start a conversation about project needs and scope with us from day one. Our proven solutions combined with the capabilities and expertise of our staff allows us tackle projects of any size anywhere in the US. All a client needs to do to engage with us is to go to our DBITS site, download the template SOW and submit it to us via the provided web form or email.”
first published week of: 03/25/2013