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Blog: Chris Harlow on ITSearch The Harlow Report Archives
Is data the new oil? Is it air?
On a recent Canadian "Space Data" trade mission to the U.K., I found the use of oil and gas nomenclatures for data services striking. On reflection, however, I've found the market segmentation part of that analogy useful.
Upstream companies create data products. Downstream companies distribute data products. Vertically integrated companies do everything for one market.
This breakdown is straightforward. Even better, it makes sense as a division of labor. It also helps to visualize the different activities necessary to extract a resource and refine that resource into a marketable product. Unfortunately, most data creation companies I have come across are only interested in being "vertically integrated," except they want to sell to everybody — meaning they try to sell complicated data products to customers who do not understand them.
This is a problem for the entire geospatial community because we can end up missing opportunities to inject deeper geographic thinking into broader commercial communities. This pattern can also result in those broader communities not accessing better data products about human activities and our changing landscapes.
Read full story at Forbes…
first published week of: 07/20/2020
When I was studying cartography at university, I really liked web mapping and map design but I wasn’t sure who would hire me with these skills. Back then, I didn’t even know that the job I have today existed! I’ve been working in the field for about 6 years now and have come across many job types. With this blog post I’d like to give an overview of the possible jobs in GIS and cartography and I hope it will be useful for students and graduates.
When considering a job in GIS, depending on your skills and what you enjoy most, there are three different areas you could work in:
Read full story at Medium…
first published week of: 04/27/2020
A damning new WSJ report says a small U.S. government contractor embedded software in over 500 apps, tracking millions of people worldwide.
A small U.S. company with ties to the U.S. defense and intelligence communities has embedded its software in numerous mobile apps, allowing it to track the movements of hundreds of millions of mobile phones world-wide, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Anomaly Six says it embeds its own SDK in some apps, and in other cases gets location data from other partners.
The report says Anomaly Six is a federal contractor that provides global location data "to branches of the U.S. government and private-sector clients". It told WSJ that it restricts the sale of U.S. mobile phone movement data only to the private sector, however.
Read full story at iMore… [Editor's note: The iMore article is an abstract based on a WallStreet Journal report, which is behind a paywall. You can access the full report if you are a WSJ subscriber, or sign up for a 7-day trial here]
first published week of: 10/05/2020
JALBTCX team acquires data critical to communities
The U.S. has more than 95,000 miles of coastline1, and its effective management is vital to the economy, environment and safety of the nation. The coastline defines our maritime boundaries, is home to 40% of the nation’s population, and accounts for $8.3 trillion in goods and services annually. And—because of natural, constant and sometimes extreme change—it is a moving target.
In Alaska, which comprises more than twice the coastline of any other state2, the need for coastal data is amplified. In addition to large-scale environmental hazards like storm surge, earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis, the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) reports that 87% of all Alaska Native communities experience flooding damage and coastal erosion3. These natural processes destroy infrastructure, threaten personal safety and livelihoods, and increase the financial burden on state and local economies.
Read full story at LIDAR Magazine…
first published week of: 04/06/2020
Lauren McArtney, Eagle Technology GIS product owner
There's nothing new about farmers using spatial mapping to manage a farm. They have done it for centuries.
Now farmers use digital technologies to make their maps.
Eagle Technology GIS product owner Lauren McArtney says it means they can do more with them.
"Farming is inherently spatial. You need to know where your assets are, what condition they are in and what you need to do in the future," says McArtney. "The benefit of a geographic information system is that it is a way of managing where things are.
"It allows you find assets, track their current state and make plans. It won't be your only digital system. There might be others that track what those assets are doing or deal with sensors."
There are huge differences when maps move from paper to a digital form. McArtney says typical pre-digital farm maps might only show the geography and layout. Farmers would update these maps every six months or less often.
Read full story at New Zealand Herald…
first published week of: 07/06/2020
Martin Dam, one of the many historical markers the map flags for Tallapoosa County.
( Kenneth S. Boone )
After years of intensive planning and behind-the-scenes work, the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) is proud to announce a new digital public resource — Historic Preservation Map Initiative.
The AHC has been diligently working to convert the agency’s paper files associated with Alabama’s historic architectural resources into a web-based system utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) technology to increase the information’s accessibility to the public and to ensure their long-term preservation.
This GIS database will be the first time any researcher will be able to review the files of the AHC without making an appointment to search through the hard copy files of the Historic Preservation Division. This map will also enable the general public to review information about historic structures and places in their own community. To date, more than 129,000 documents have been scanned including survey forms, photographs, booklets and maps.
Read full story at The Outlook…
first published week of: 10/26/2020