The Harlow Report-GIS
2026 Edition
ISSN 0742-468XSince 1978
On-line Since 2000
GIS News Snippets
For the week of
July 27, 2026
Remember When?
A "Harlow Report" From July 28, 2025
Investing in Mobile Mapping: Why, What, How, When? Hexagon Explains Everything You Need to Know
by Hexagon Blog
Discover why you should invest in a mobile mapping solution, how this technology is already helping customers around the world, and which system to choose.
Businesses around the world are starting to take advantage of new and improved mobile mapping systems. These advanced systems provide exceptional efficiency and accuracy, and they enhance the safety of projects, all while offering versatility and innovation to project delivery.
The business of surveying has changed for the better, making it more inclusive and accessible to non-surveyors. In the past, this kind of advanced technology was only available to big businesses and those teams with extensive technical knowledge. But companies such as Hexagon have changed this by providing comprehensive, time-saving, cost-efficient solutions for all; from the surveyor who is just starting out to the multi-national managing projects worth billions. Everyone can make better, more informed decisions.
In this blog, we'll explain why you should invest in a mobile mapping solution, how this technology is already helping customers around the world, which system to choose, and how Hexagon is supporting individuals and businesses at all levels.
Read full story at Hexagon Geosystems…
Now back to 2026
Data Formats and Validation: The Third Challenge in Geospatial Integration
by Joana Simoes
Learn how geospatial data formats such as JSON-FG, GeoJSON, GPKG, and Shapefile improve interoperability, validation, and geospatial data integration workflows
Summary
In the final installment of a series on geospatial integration challenges, the focus turns to structured, standards-based data formats. Unstructured formats like PDFs, videos, or images require pre-processing before vector data can be integrated, complicating the Extract-Transform-Load process. Artificial intelligence, including convolutional neural networks for image segmentation, can help extract structured elements when no alternative format is available.
Among structured formats, interoperability varies significantly. CSV, despite being a standard, lacks a fixed schema and struggles with geometry validation. Shapefile is widely supported but not formally standardized. GeoJSON and JSON-FG rank highest for interoperability due to semantic validation support, though JSON-FG remains newly adopted and GeoJSON assumes a default coordinate reference system.
Tools like GDAL can convert between structured formats, and practical guidelines are available for implementation.
Read full story at OGC
GPS Tracking for Electricians: Closing the Gap Between Paid and Billed Hours
by Spytec GPS Blog
For a small electrical shop, payroll is your biggest cost — and the gap between paid hours and billable on-site hours is where margin leaks.
Summary
For small electrical shops, labor — not fuel or trucks — represents the largest controllable cost, with hidden time gaps between paid hours and billable work quietly eroding profit margins. GPS tracking addresses this by recording real arrival times, route history, and time spent on site for every van.
Spytec GPS offers a self-serve fleet tracking platform designed for small shops, with free hardware, no contracts, and pricing starting at $8.95 per vehicle monthly. Features include geofenced time-on-site logging, after-hours movement alerts, driver-behavior monitoring, and shareable live ETA links for customers.
The platform also provides documentation for billing disputes and overtime verification. An eight-van fleet costs roughly $816 annually, with volume discounts applying automatically as fleets grow beyond five vehicles.
Read full story at Spytec GPS
GPS Tracking for Electricians: Closing the Gap Between Paid and Billed Hours
by Spytec GPS Blog
For a small electrical shop, payroll is your biggest cost — and the gap between paid hours and billable on-site hours is where margin leaks.
Summary
For small electrical shops, labor — not fuel or trucks — represents the largest controllable cost, with hidden time gaps between paid hours and billable work quietly eroding profit margins. GPS tracking addresses this by recording real arrival times, route history, and time spent on site for every van.
Spytec GPS offers a self-serve fleet tracking platform designed for small shops, with free hardware, no contracts, and pricing starting at $8.95 per vehicle monthly. Features include geofenced time-on-site logging, after-hours movement alerts, driver-behavior monitoring, and shareable live ETA links for customers.
The platform also provides documentation for billing disputes and overtime verification. An eight-van fleet costs roughly $816 annually, with volume discounts applying automatically as fleets grow beyond five vehicles.
Read full story at Spytec GPS
Mystery GPS Jammer in Iran Becomes Test for NASA Satellites' Capabilities
by Jeremy Hsu
NASA science satellites show dual use in locating sources of GPS interference.
Summary
NASA satellites designed to observe cyclones and ice sheets have also proven capable of identifying the approximate locations of GPS jammers.
This capability could help monitor high-risk areas for aircraft and ships navigating the growing prevalence of GPS interference worldwide. The experiment showed that the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) located the jammer within 4.33 kilometers of the ground truth, outperforming the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR).
Read full story at arsTechnica
New Hybrid Positioning System Promises Reliable Tracking Where GPS Fails
by Queen Mary University of London
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and partners from around the world showcased the new system, called Joint DAS and GNSS (JDG)
Summary
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and international partners have developed a new positioning system called Joint DAS and GNSS (JDG), which combines traditional GPS with Distributed Acoustic Sensing — a technology that repurposes existing buried fibre-optic cables as vibration sensors. Presented at the IEEE International Conference on Communications in Glasgow, the system detects movement patterns through tiny fibre shifts.
In a real-world trial in southern England, researchers combined GPS and vibration data from volunteers using a deep-learning model, which continued predicting location even during GPS outages. The system outperformed GPS-only tracking and remained resilient on lower-powered devices.
The collaborative team, including researchers from China, India, and the United States, says the technology could enhance location services for smart transport, emergency response, and autonomous navigation in GPS-challenged environments like cities and underground spaces.
Read full story at EurekAlert!
We're Falling Behind on GPS and Geodesy.
by Lisa Dyer, Linda Foster & Frank Winters
Despite their importance, the United States is losing the global race to field the best GPS technology and educate the best geodesists in the world.
Summary
America's GPS dominance and geodesy workforce are in severe jeopardy. Mismanagement and unaddressed vulnerabilities like jamming and spoofing leave the U.S. vulnerable, while rivals like China and Russia advance superior systems. Compounding this crisis, domestic geodesy programs graduate fewer than 30 experts annually, severely eroding our capacity to process spatial data.
While commercial satellite alternatives remain years away, private industry cannot replace state-backed oversight. Article 1 of the Constitution mandates federal responsibility over weights and measures, making congressional support for the National Spatial Reference System vital. The decline of GPS and geodesy threatens national security and risks trillions in economic value. Congress must act immediately to fund and fortify these critical foundations.
Read full story at Federal News Network
Industry News
In Government
A New Commerce Dept Policy Pits Privacy and Transparency Against Access to Information
by Terry Gerton
"These data contain within it a lot of information that has policy implications, economic development, transportation infrastructure," said Paul Schroeder.
Summary
A new Department of Commerce order limits federal statistical agencies to coarsening or suppressing data to protect confidential information, raising concerns about transparency and the availability of useful public data.
This approach, which moves away from more advanced privacy protection methods like differential privacy, could result in less usable data, particularly impacting local communities and rural areas. The lack of transparency surrounding the order's development and implementation has further fueled concerns about its potential impact on data quality and accessibility.
Read full story at Federal News Network
Defining the Modern Government Workplace
Defining the modern government workplace
by Logitech
Logitech helps agencies transform offices to support mission readiness
Summary
Government employees increasingly work across distributed teams, systems, and locations, requiring workplace environments that keep pace with hybrid and interagency demands. Federal leaders are rethinking how to equip their workforce to better support mission outcomes.
Logitech offers secure, compliant workspace solutions built specifically for public sector needs, helping agencies create more consistent and intuitive collaboration experiences. These tools aim to streamline workflows and maximize the value of existing technology investments while modernizing daily operations.
New research examines how agencies are addressing technology friction and improving productivity through modern workplace strategies. The findings include survey data, expert guidance, and practical solutions for empowering federal workers, available exclusively through a dedicated microsite resource.
Read full story at Government Executive
Why the Right Infrastructure for Government AI Workloads Might Be Hybrid
by Matt McLaughlin
IT leaders are turning to hybrid environments to meet the demands of a growing variety of artificial intelligence use cases.
Summary
As state and local governments expand artificial intelligence initiatives to enhance operations and constituent services, they increasingly turn to hybrid infrastructure. Organizations balance modernization, security, compliance, and budget constraints by strategically placing workloads across cloud, neocloud, and on-premises environments.
Public cloud resources excel for AI experimentation, model training, and peak compute needs, whereas on-premises setups protect sensitive citizen data and reduce latency. Over time, many agencies repatriate workloads on-premises to optimize costs, manage GPU scarcity, and ensure data sovereignty. Solutions like Microsoft's Azure Local provide centralized hybrid management via Azure Arc, allowing agencies to scale AI efficiently while keeping processing close to critical data.
Read full story at StateTech
In Technology
10 Things Every Kid on the Internet Should Know
by Kim Key
Parenting in the digital age isn't easy. The author spent years reviewing security and privacy tools, and these are the habits every child should learn to stay safe without taking the fun out of being online.
Summary
For kids raised with constant internet access, parents need practical strategies to manage risks around privacy, safety, and security. Key advice includes teaching children that online posts are permanent and can affect future reputations, finances, or safety — even years later.
Parents should help kids recognize scams and phishing attempts, keep apps and browsers updated, and understand that free apps and games often collect personal data in exchange for their use. Screen time limits should be reasonable rather than restrictive, since online interaction supports development.
Equally important is teaching kids to evaluate information sources critically, maintaining open communication about their online activities, and respecting children's tech knowledge rather than relying solely on invasive monitoring tools.
Read full story at PCMag
5 Laptop Features Worth Paying Extra for, Plus 3 You Can Ignore
by Cesar Cadenas
From RAM and hardware, here's where you should spend your laptop budget — and where you can save money.
Summary
Shopping for a laptop can be overwhelming given the endless configurations, but paying for the right upgrades ensures a superior, lasting experience. Essential investments include adding extra memory—with 16GB as the baseline and 32GB for power users—and upgrading to a bright, color-accurate 1440p or 3K display. Power-efficient processors, particularly Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chipsets, offer game-changing battery life, while dedicated graphics cards and advanced cooling systems provide crucial performance boosts for creators and gamers.
Conversely, several expensive features are best avoided. Clamshell touchscreens add cost and smudge screens without offering real utility. Overspecified hardware, such as 64GB of RAM or top-tier flagship processors, yields diminishing returns for average workloads. Finally, exercise caution with gimmicky hardware additions like dual displays or capacitive panels unless they directly serve your daily routine.
Read full story at ZDNet
Claude Code Can Now Build and Test iOS Apps in Apple's Simulator
by Juli Clover
Anthropic said Claude Code for desktop has been updated to work with the iOS Simulator, with the integration available in public beta.
Summary
Claude Code now supports opening in-progress apps directly in the iOS Simulator pane when building, running, or checking an app. Claude can watch the simulator live as it runs, interact with it, and iterate until a project is complete, while developers continue using the simulator alongside Claude's work.
The pane drives the simulator directly rather than relying on computer use, so it doesn't require macOS Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions. Screenshots sent to Anthropic follow standard conversation retention settings, and users are advised not to sign into real accounts on a device Claude controls.
The feature is available in Claude Code Desktop on macOS with Xcode and the iOS platform installed, for local sessions only.
Read full story at MacRumors
In Utilities
A New Power Grid for a New Technological Era
by Lynne Kiesling
How digital technology is rewiring the economics of power systems.
Summary
Digital technology is transforming the power grid by enabling the measurement, communication, automation, and control of distributed resources like solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles.
This shift reduces transaction costs, allowing these resources to participate in markets and providing more flexibility in grid operations.
While some functions will remain integrated, the grid is becoming more modular, with utilities potentially evolving into platforms that facilitate innovation and coordination among distributed resources.
Read full story at The Dispatch
DOE Emergency Orders for Fossil Plants Complicate Utility Planning, Experts Say
by Brian Martucci
Lawyers and officials are divided on whether the “stay-open” orders threaten states' ability to regulate their own energy systems.
Summary
Since 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy has ordered at least 10 fossil-fueled power plants to remain operating past scheduled retirement dates, citing emergency authority under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. Critics — including environmental groups, ratepayer advocates, and state officials — argue the orders exceed DOE's intended emergency powers and override state resource planning decisions, adding significant costs to ratepayers.
Michigan's Campbell plant order alone added $135 million in costs across several states. While some utilities have complied without objection, others like Tri-State and Platte River Power Authority have formally opposed specific orders.
Legal experts say courts, which typically defer to declared emergencies, may ultimately determine the boundaries between federal and state authority over electricity resource planning.
Read full story at UtilityDive
State Action Is Accelerating Distributed Energy to Build the Electric Grid of the Future
by Brian Watts& Laura Lightbody
Policies in Colorado, Illinois, and other states advance untapped energy potential
Summary
The U.S. electricity system faces mounting pressure from surging demand, aging infrastructure, and severe weather, driven largely by data centers, manufacturing growth, and electrification. Distributed energy resources — including rooftop solar, batteries, and managed EV charging — offer a faster path forward when aggregated into virtual power plants, though outdated state regulations often limit their potential.
The Pew Charitable Trusts, alongside a bipartisan advisory council, released a policy playbook outlining three goals: integrating DERs into utility planning, easing permitting barriers, and strengthening community resilience.
States including Colorado, Illinois, Georgia, New Jersey, and New Mexico have already advanced VPP programs and interconnection reforms, while utilities plan nearly $1.4 trillion in grid investments through 2029.
Read full story at Pew
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