The Harlow Report-GIS
2025 Edition
ISSN 0742-468XSince 1978
On-line Since 2000
GIS News Snippets
For the week of
September 29, 2025
Remember When?
A “Harlow Report” From September 30 2024
How Much Data Does Google Maps Collect? Here's the Answer
How Much Data Does Google Maps Collect? Here's the Answer
by Matt Collins
With each passing year, there are more and more industries taking advantage of UAV technology to streamline workflows and open up new potential offerings for their customers.
With each passing year, there are more and more industries taking advantage of UAV technology to streamline workflows and open up new potential offerings for their customers. Even though it’s still a relatively new sector, the drone industry is rapidly expanding in adopters for a number of different reasons. For one thing, hobby drones are becoming more accessible, making it easier for people to imagine how the technology can be used in their businesses. Regulations are also starting to clear up and allow for more innovation. The hardware is also becoming easier to use and move around to different sites, making drones much more practical than even five years ago
Perhaps even more important than all of these advancements has been the improvements in payload sensors. Drones alone, of course, are not going to provide value for most use cases; it’s the payloads that are able to be attached and collect crucial data that lead to the ROI for all of these industries. Today, many data collecting sensors have been improved to the point where their size can be significantly reduced without sacrificing power. As a result, these sensors can now easily be carried by drones for long enough flight times to complete crucial missions, and in some cases UAVs can carry multiple sensors to produce an even more complete dataset.
Today, there are so many options for sensors that it can be overwhelming for newcomers to the industry to know what they should be utilizing for their work. Below, you can find a quick outline of the most popular sensors featured on drones today.
Read full story at Commercial UAV News…
Now back to 2025
ArcGIS Hosted Data Services: Management Tools Differences
by Raúl Jiménez Ortega
This blog series focuses on hosted data services in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Location Platform
Summary
Struggling with ArcGIS hosted data services? This article addresses common challenges like time-consuming tasks, tool trade-offs, and automation. It compares tools and workflows for efficient management, covering tile package creation (TPK, TPKX, VTPK), service creation approaches, and content management.
Key tools include ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Portal, and scripting APIs like ArcGIS API for Python and ArcGIS REST JS. The guide details creating and managing hosted feature, vector tile, and map tile services, including service definition and style management. It emphasizes automation, trade-offs, and best practices, with resources for further learning.
Ideal for developers, data engineers, and DevOps specialists, it offers practical insights to streamline workflows.
Read full story at Esri…
Evolving GIS-Centric Asset Management Solutions
by Roads & Bridges Staff
DOTs are modernizing strategies to cut costs, improve transparency and extend lifecycles
Summary
Transportation leaders from New York and Minnesota are leveraging digital solutions to enhance asset management despite challenges in keeping inventories updated. Their strategies include integrating multiple data sources into single geospatial systems for a comprehensive view of asset health, and using mobile applications to streamline field–to–office communications and work reporting. They are also implementing innovations like automated condition ratings for infrastructure components.
While they acknowledge the potential of AI for data analysis, both agencies are taking a cautious, “go slow” approach, preferring to first ensure data quality and maintain a “human in the loop.” These innovations allow them to make more informed project decisions, improve maintenance efficiency, and reduce costly overruns, moving toward a more proactive, data–driven approach to infrastructure management.
Read full story at Roads & Bridges…
New in Google Earth: Advanced Data Layers to Power Your Professional Projects #onEarth
by Alaina Adams and Jenica Rawtani, Google Earth Product Managers
Whether you're improving transportation in your community or deciding where to enhance greenspace, great decisions start with great data
Summary
Google Earth has introduced new professional tools, including advanced data layers and data table functionality, tailored for industries like architecture, urban planning, and renewable energy. These tools, available in the U.S., enable professionals to analyze and visualize geospatial data within Google Earth's intuitive interface.
For real estate developers, advanced data layers allow evaluation of housing distribution, terrain contours, and zoning regulations to identify optimal project sites. Data table filtering helps pinpoint residential parcels, with sorting capabilities soon to be added.
Urban planners can use these tools to address climate resilience, combining data layers like land surface temperature, tree canopy, and population density to identify heat-vulnerable neighborhoods and plan interventions like greenspaces. These features are free during the Experimental phase, with general availability starting October 1. Explore now at Google Earth.
Read full story at Medium…
Revolutionizing How We Navigate the Future of Transportation
by Danielle Trigg
The quest for efficiency within the transportation sector is an ever-evolving journey. As we look towards a future that must be sustainable as well as effective
Summary
Data is revolutionizing transportation efficiency, driving sustainable and effective systems. Real-time traffic data enables fleet managers to optimize routes, reduce fuel use, and minimize delays. Weather data integration enhances safety by anticipating hazards like ice or rain, ensuring reliable schedules.
Vehicle health metrics support predictive maintenance, reducing repair costs and downtime. Driver behavior analytics promote efficient driving habits, lowering fuel costs and accident rates. Geographic Information System (GIS) data enriches route planning and network expansion, boosting operational efficiency. These data-driven insights are steering the transportation industry toward a connected, optimized future, with limitless potential for sustainable and seamless operations.
Read full story at Financial News…
Why GIS matters: Importance of GIS in mapping, data and Smart Cities
by Information
Geographic Information Science (GIS) has transformed how people analyze, interpret, and use data related to specific locations. In city planning, environmental management, or improving business operations, GIS is the base for better decision-making.
Summary
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are vital in today's digital world, enhancing mapping, data analysis, and smart city development. Unlike traditional maps, GIS offers dynamic, real-time digital environments, revealing environmental changes, population trends, and future development patterns. Industries like construction, environmental monitoring, and public safety rely on GIS for insights, such as assessing soil stability or tracking deforestation.
In Austin, Texas, GIS services from firms like Pape-Dawson Engineers support urban growth through spatial analysis and custom applications, improving infrastructure and sustainability. GIS integrates large datasets, enabling public health and utility sectors to derive actionable insights. In smart cities, GIS optimizes traffic, public safety, and environmental monitoring, making connected, efficient urban systems a reality.
Read full story at Euroreporter…
Industry News
In Government
Meta Offers Agencies Access to Its Open Source AI Models Through OneGov Deal
by Edward Graham
The agreement will allow government customers to use Meta's Llama models, which are already publicly available, with the assurance that they meet federal requirements.
Summary
By mid-September, the General Services Administration (GSA) secured over a dozen OneGov deals with tech firms, offering discounted digital services, cloud computing, and AI tools for federal agencies. Temporary agreements with companies like OpenAI and Anthropic provide cost savings for taxpayers.
Senior GSA officials, including Lawrence Hale and Kyra Stewart, speaking at the Federal Networks 2025 conference, emphasized OneGov's evolution beyond software providers to foster lasting industry partnerships. Hale highlighted direct contracts with cloud and software OEMs, while Stewart encouraged broader industry involvement for catalog-wide discounts meeting agency needs.
Hale described OneGov as a sustainable strategy, not just one-time purchases, enabling companies investing in government-specific solutions to expand across agencies, delivering measurable value like cost savings and efficiency gains.
Read full story at NextGov.FCW…
On-Demand Storage Is a Game Changer for State and Local Government
by Brian Koch & Laurie Harden
Storage as a Service offers newfound flexibility, visibility and efficiency for government entities.
Summary
Data storage has become a major challenge for public sector agencies, which are “drowning in information” from sources like body cameras and digital records. The old model of buying storage in bulk is unsustainable and inefficient.
On-demand storage, or Storage as a Service, offers a flexible and predictable solution. Governments can pay for exactly what they use, aligning with tight budgets and avoiding upfront costs for future capacity. This model also frees up IT staff from the burden of maintaining infrastructure, allowing them to focus on mission-critical projects.
This service-based approach integrates well into hybrid IT environments, providing visibility and flexibility while helping agencies meet compliance needs. Transitioning to this model requires a mindset shift, but it ultimately allows governments to stretch dollars further and deliver services more effectively.
Read full story at StateTech…
Pentagon Bans Tech Vendors From Using China-Based Personnel Following a ProPublica Investigation
by Renee Dudley
The Defense Department has tightened cybersecurity requirements for its cloud services providers. The changes come after ProPublica revealed how Microsoft's use of China-based engineers left sensitive government
Summary
The Defense Department has strengthened cybersecurity rules for cloud service providers, banning China-based personnel from working on Pentagon systems and requiring detailed audit logs of foreign engineers' activities, following a ProPublica investigation.
The investigation revealed Microsoft's decade-long use of China-based engineers to maintain sensitive government systems, overseen by underqualified U.S.-based “digital escorts,” exposing data to hacking risks from China.
New rules mandate that only personnel from non-adversarial countries work on cloud systems, with technically qualified escorts. Audit logs must track actions and origins. Experts and Congress criticized Microsoft's practices as a security risk, prompting calls for stricter regulations.
Read full story at Washington Techonology…
In Technology
5 Time-Saving Outlook Features You're Probably Overlooking
by Doug Aamoth
Once you know these gems, you can't go back to not using them.
Summary
Outlook has several time-saving features that are often overlooked
These include Quick Steps for automating repetitive actions, Focused Inbox for prioritizing important emails, Ignore Conversation for unsubscribing from long email threads, Sweep for mass deleting emails from specific senders, and drag-and-drop meeting scheduling for quickly setting up meetings.
Read full story at FastCompany…
Apple Steps Up War of Words With European Regulators
by Lily Jamali
'Unfair' EU rules are delaying features for European users, the tech giant says.
Summary
Apple is publicly pushing back against the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), arguing that the regulations unfairly challenge its closed ecosystem. The company claims that the DMA threatens the “magical, innovative experience” that comes from its integrated software and hardware, and that European regulators are “creating a worse experience” for users. As a result, Apple has delayed rolling out new features like Live Translation on its AirPods Pro 3 in the EU.
The EU counters that Apple’s “walled garden” unfairly shuts out rivals and that the DMA aims to increase consumer choice. The regulations require Apple to ensure its devices work with third–party products, such as allowing other brands' headphones to work with iPhones and letting non–Apple smartwatches receive notifications. This ongoing dispute follows a £500 million EU fine against Apple for anti–competitive behavior on its App Store
Read full story at BBC…
How Nvidia and OpenAI's Staggering $100 Billion Deal Could Fuel a New Age of AI
by Steven Vaughan-Nichols
This promise of deploying 10 gigawatts of NVIDIA-powered to OpenAI in the next decade dwarfs all of NVIDIA's previous AI software investments combined.
Summary
Nvidia is partnering with OpenAI to build what Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, calls the “biggest AI infrastructure project in history.” The collaboration, formalized through a letter of intent, involves a staggering $100 billion investment from Nvidia to deploy at least 10 gigawatts of Nvidia systems. This massive project will use millions of Nvidia GPUs to power OpenAI’s next generation of AI research and development.
The first phase of data center rollouts is slated for the second half of 2026, built on Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform. Both companies believe this alliance will push the boundaries of AI model training and real–time inference. The partnership highlights the increasing competition to build AI data center capacity and solidifies Nvidia’s role as OpenAI’s preferred compute and networking partner, which may concern other AI software companies. This deal is seen as crucial for supporting OpenAI’s surging user base and its pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Read full story at ZDNET…
In Utilities
Sempra Announces Strategic Transactions Advancing Goal of Building Leading U.S. Utility Growth Business
by Semora Press Release
Agreement to Sell 45% of Sempra Infrastructure Partners for $10 billion
Summary
Sempra is making a series of strategic moves to streamline its business and focus on its U.S. regulated utility operations. The company has agreed to sell a 45% equity stake in its Sempra Infrastructure Partners business to a KKR–led consortium for $10 billion. This transaction, expected to close in Q2–Q3 2026, aims to strengthen Sempra’s balance sheet and reduce risk by increasing the portion of its earnings from regulated U.S. utilities to approximately 95%.
In a separate but related action, Sempra Infrastructure Partners announced a final investment decision to advance the $12 billion Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 project. The project is supported by a $7 billion equity investment from a group of investors including Blackstone Credit & Insurance, KKR, and Apollo–managed funds. These actions are expected to improve Sempra’s financial performance and support its future growth.
Read full story at Sempra…
Three Things the Renewable Energy Industry Is Thinking About Right Now
by Paul Gerke
The U.S. renewable energy industry is accustomed to ups and downs – they don’t call it the “ solarcoaster ” for nothing – but the last nine months have been particularly turbulent.
Summary
Despite federal policies creating uncertainty and shortened tax incentive deadlines, the clean energy industry remains optimistic. Experts at a recent conference highlighted that renewables’ growth is unstoppable due to rising electricity demand from data centers and electrification, making them the fastest and most cost–efficient power source. The industry believes market fundamentals will prevail over political headwinds, and that a “tremendous amount of power” is needed.
A major concern is the ambiguous “foreign entity of concern” (FEOC) clauses in the budget bill, with executives urgently seeking clarification to ensure projects qualify for tax credits. In a parallel trend, companies are in a race to procure equipment before deadlines, creating a tight supply chain as they rush to secure projects and capital.
Read full story at FactorThis…
Will Utilities Deploy Next-Generation Meters to Support a Smarter, More Flexible Grid?
by Latitude Studios
A Michigan trade group is pushing regulators and utilities to plan ahead for next-generation smart meters.
Summary
While U.S. utilities widely deployed first–generation “smart meters” primarily for their own benefit, industry experts are calling for an upgrade to next–generation technology. Compared to “flip phones,” existing meters are not advanced enough to provide significant customer benefits, such as supporting energy–saving applications. The new “iPhone” style meters, however, can enable distributed energy resources and help consumers save money by optimizing device usage, like EV charging and water heaters, based on rates and grid demand.
Advocates want utilities to develop a clear roadmap for this transition, ensuring that regulatory oversight pushes for a business case that delivers on the promise of customer benefits, which the initial rollout failed to do.
Read full story at Latitude Media…