The Harlow Report-GIS
2026 Edition
ISSN 0742-468XSince 1978
On-line Since 2000
GIS News Snippets
For the week of
February 2, 2026
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A "Harlow Report" From February 03, 2025
A New Way of Interpreting Data — the GIS Accelerator Program
by Tyrand Fuller, Director of Strategic by Emily Khym
The GIS Accelerator program is a five-day intensive course that introduces basic GIS skills to participants. The next cohort of the program started Jan. 6. [2025]
The Yale GIS Accelerator program — which aims to teach University affiliates how to utilize geographic information systems, or GIS, in projects — began on Jan. 6, 2025. It is a five-day intensive GIS instruction program led by Jill Kelly, a lecturer at the School of Public Health.
The program consists of lectures, demos, lab exercises and mentorship from GIS consultants to help participants properly visualize and analyze their spatial data. It does not require any prerequisites. Held biannually in January and June, the program offers a hybrid format for participants.
“Participants leave the program with basic GIS skills, at least one completed map of their project data, an understanding of the kinds of spatial analysis they could pursue next, and — we hope — an enthusiasm for further geospatial work,” Kelly told the News.
Read full story at Yale Daily News…
Now back to 2026
8 Critical Uses of Image Annotation in Geospatial Ai
by Snehal Joshi
Image annotation provides geospatial AI the power to interpret satellite, aerial and drone imagery with the required accuracy.
Summary
Accurately annotated geographic imagery is essential for training geospatial AI models in applications like precision agriculture, urban planning, disaster management, and infrastructure monitoring. Image annotation labels satellite, drone, LiDAR, and street-level scans using techniques such as bounding boxes, polygons, polylines, landmarks, and 3D cuboids to identify features and enable precise spatial analysis.
This process transforms unstructured pixels into actionable data, providing context that helps models distinguish similar elements and align outputs with real-world geometry.
Key applications include:
- Land use/land cover classification via polygon annotation for mapping vegetation, urban areas, and environmental changes.
- Infrastructure mapping with bounding boxes and polylines for asset inventory and urban growth tracking.
- Road network analysis and disaster response through object detection of damage or hazards.
- Precision agriculture for crop health and yield estimation.
- Change detection over time and autonomous drone navigation with 3D annotations.
High-quality annotation, combined with human-in-the-loop validation, ensures model reliability despite automation risks, powering scalable spatial intelligence.
Read full story at nasscom…
GIS File Format FAQ
by Emily Hunt
When working with geospatial data, understanding file formats is essential to managing, sharing, and visualizing information effectively.
Summary
Global Mapper® handles a wide range of geospatial file formats in GIS workflows, including raster (pixel grids like imagery/elevation), vector (points/lines/polygons for features), 3D models, and point clouds.
It supports over 350 import formats, such as Shapefile, CAD, and Geodatabase. Proprietary files (e.g., raw DJI LiDAR) often require conversion to standards like LAS..
CRS info may be embedded (e.g., GeoTIFF), in sidecar files (.prj), or manually assigned/georeferenced..
Single-layer formats like Shapefile contrast with multi-layer options like GeoPackage or Global Mapper Package (.gmp), which preserve all data and settings for sharing.
Read full story at Blue Marble Geographics…
HERE Technologies Supports Lucid's Advanced EV Navigation and Driver Assistance Features
by Here Press Release
Lucid leverages the HERE Navigation SDK to build seamless, differentiated, and connected in-vehicle navigation and mobile/web trip planning for the Lucid Air and Lucid Gravity.
Summary
Lucid leverages the HERE Navigation SDK for in-vehicle navigation, mobile, and web trip planning in its Air and Gravity models.
The SDK supports Lucid's custom EV routing features, real-time charge point data, and Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). Lucid and HERE will continue to innovate together, expanding location-based services across current and future Lucid models.
Read full story at Here…
How One Spanish Region Revolutionized Mapping with AI
by Mark Cygan
Cantabria, Spain's mapping team uses AI to reveal patterns, guiding visitors away from crowded spots to protect the landscape.
Summary
Mark Cygan describes how a small team in Spain is revolutionizing mapping with AI.
The team uses computer vision to analyze aerial imagery, enabling them to count beachgoers, identify invasive species, and create detailed digital twins of the region. This innovative approach allows the team to make data-driven decisions and share their findings with the public.
Read full story at Esri Blog…
Next-Gen Leica CityMapper-3 Increases Efficiency for Airborne Urban and Regional Mapping
by Hexagon Press Release
The new system combines latest imaging and LiDAR with a configurable design to improve acquisition efficiency by 30% across multiple applications.
Summary
Leica Geosystems (Hexagon) announced the Leica CityMapper-3, a new airborne hybrid system that boosts efficiency by combining advanced imaging and LiDAR in one configurable platform. It simplifies data collection for urban and regional mapping.
The Leica MFC250 camera, powered by Sony’s IMX811 sensor, delivers up to 30% higher acquisition efficiency than previous models. Flexible configurations adjust swath width and resolution for specific altitudes and projects, with enhanced nadir and oblique capture for precise details—ideal for digital twins, 2D ortho imagery, and more.
The integrated Leica Hyperion3+ LiDAR module offers optimized scan patterns for diverse terrains and missions. Tight alignment of imaging and LiDAR ensures consistent, application-ready data in fewer flights.
“We’ve elevated the CityMapper to a new level,” said Werner Kirchhofer, VP Product Development at Hexagon. “It provides complete flexibility in configuring imaging and LiDAR per mission, covering all use cases with uncompromising Leica Geosystems quality.”
Read full story at Hexagon…
Industry News
In Government
2026 Tech Trends in State and Local Government
by Mickey McCarter
In the year ahead, governments will operationalize artificial intelligence, automate cybersecurity, redesign digital workplaces and rightsize hybrid clouds to improve citizen services.
Listen (04:38)
Summary
In 2026, state and local governments are shifting from experimental tech adoption to operational maturity across key areas: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, workplace modernization, and cloud infrastructure.
Artificial intelligence has moved beyond pilots to enterprise-wide integration, with AI agents and copilots embedded in workflows for productivity, automation, and decision support. Agencies prioritize outcomes, governance, transparency, and measurable value in citizen services and internal processes. As Peggy Alexander, head of strategy for CDW’s Digital Velocity Office of the CTO, notes, “In 2026, cloud is no longer just infrastructure. It’s really the foundation for AI automation and business agility.”
Cybersecurity emphasizes AI-driven automation, resilience, and governance to counter evolving threats, moving awa y from headcount reliance toward scalable autonomous defenses.
Workplace modernization focuses on frictionless hybrid workflows, unified collaboration, and AI-supported efficiency to enhance employee productivity and constituent service.
Cloud strategies center on hybrid environments that ensure data sovereignty, compliance, cost control, and a secure foundation for AI, with deliberate data placement and protection.
Read full story at StateTech…
Treasury Cancels All Booz Allen Contracts
by Ross Wilkers
The cancellations are tied to a former Booz Allen employee, who admitted two years ago to leaking President Trump's tax information and tax data on other wealthy individuals.
Summary
The Treasury Department decided to cancel all contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, two years after a former employee pleaded guilty to leaking President Trump’s confidential tax information without authorization.
Treasury currently holds 31 contracts with the firm, averaging roughly $4.8 million in annual spending and totaling $21 million in obligations.
In a statement issued Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cited inadequate data protection safeguards—specifically the disclosure of sensitive taxpayer information accessed through IRS contracts—as the driving factor in the decision
Between 2018 and 2020, then-Booz Allen employee Charles Edward Littlejohn improperly obtained and leaked confidential tax returns and related information for approximately 406,000 individuals and businesses, including Trump’s. In October 2023, Littlejohn pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized disclosure of income tax returns. As part of his plea agreement, he admitted leaking Trump’s tax records to The New York Times and records about wealthy individuals to ProPublica. He was later sentenced to the maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Read full story at WashingtonTechnology…
Trump Admin Reportedly Plans to Use AI to Write Federal Regulations
by Lawrence Bonk
The DOT's top lawyer said they “don't need the perfect rule” and that they just “want good enough.”
Summary
The Trump administration plans to use Google Gemini, an AI language model, to draft federal regulations, starting with the Department of Transportation (DOT).
While the goal is to expedite the rulemaking process, concerns have been raised about the potential for errors and the impact on public safety, given the complexity of transportation regulations. Critics argue that AI should not be solely responsible for drafting such consequential rules.
Read full story at engadget…
In Technology
How to Stop Windows From Changing Your Network Type
by Roland Freist
Stop Windows from switching your private Wi-Fi to public without warning.
Summary
Windows sometimes changes the classification of Wi-Fi networks, switching private networks to public ones and vice versa.
This can be dangerous, as it makes your computer visible to others on the network. To prevent this, you can delete all saved Wi-Fi networks, change the network type in the registry, reinstall the network adapter driver, reset stored network settings, or check the startup type of the Wi-Fi service.
Read full story at PCWorld…
iOS 26 Guide: New Features in the Latest iPhone Update and What's Coming in iOS 26.3
by Karen Haslam
All the features in iOS 26, which iPhones are compatible, problems, what's in iOS 26.2, and what's to come in the next release.
Summary
iOS 26, the latest iPhone operating system, features a major redesign called Liquid Glass, which introduces a translucent interface mimicking glass. The update also enhances call features with Voice Mail Summaries, Hold Assist, and Live Translations, and improves digital security with on-device spam filtering.
iOS 26.3, expected in late January or February, will include easier switching between Android and iPhone, notification forwarding for third-party devices, and a new Weather wallpaper section.
Read full story at MacWorld…
Why Apple Is the Best Investment for Future AI
by Jonny Evans
Note: This is not investment advice; it is the opinion of the author, Johnny Evans
Summary
The AI industry is evolving at breakneck speed, creating a volatile market where today’s software services may not survive tomorrow’s consolidation. Consequently, the most prudent business strategy is to invest in enduring infrastructure. While software remains in flux, the requirement for high-performance hardware is a constant. Apple Silicon has emerged as the premier choice, offering a superior cost-to-performance ratio and lower total cost of ownership compared to traditional PCs.
With 73% of CIOs already utilizing Macs for AI, Apple’s ecosystem — powered by the Neural Engine and efficient unified memory — provides the necessary longevity. As the M5 chip achieves 133 trillion operations per second, Apple hardware represents a stable, private, and powerful foundation for running the next generation of AI services.
Read full story at Computerworld…
In Utilities
America's New Power Barons: Who Will Rule the AI-Grade Megawatt Megasector?
by Emily Easley
The winning model will be hybrid: gas for firmness, renewables for optics and cost, and storage for stability, writes NOVUS Energy Advisors' Emily Easley.
Summary
The U.S. Department of Energy is shifting its focus from renewable energy to a broader approach for powering AI data centers.
While natural gas is currently the most reliable option, a hybrid model combining gas, renewables, and storage is expected to be the most successful long-term solution.
This shift is driven by the increasing electricity demand from AI and data centers, which requires a more inclusive and scalable power supply.
Read full story at UtilityDive…
Duke Energy Turns Former Coal Plant Into $100 Million Battery Storage Space
by Desiree Mathurin
Duke Energy's former Allen Steam Station in Belmont is getting a new life, powered by batteries.
Summary
Duke Energy launched a 50-megawatt battery energy storage system at its former Allen Steam Station in Belmont, costing $100 million.
The utility plans to add 6,550 MW of battery storage by 2035, utilizing tax credits and reusing retired coal plant sites. To achieve this, Duke Energy is proposing a 15% rate increase for customers between 2027 and 2028.
Read full story at The Herald…
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