In+ersec+ion for Spatial People

Here's the recent geonews in batch mode. Yes, on a Saturday! I'll be away for the next three weeks and dare delay my family's departure to feed you with these.

From the open source front:

• Mentioned before, the open source map design tool TileMill reached version 0.4.1   
• Some recent improvements of QGIS: an extraction projection tool for QGIS, a new MapInfo to QGIS style converter and Shield Labels for QGIS
• Not the first time it happened, a briton got arrested during his OpenStreetMap mapping activities, yes, that was before the recent London riots
• O'Reilly offers an entry named Open source maps tell data journalism stories in Afghanistan
• Paul Ramsey of the PostGIS fame shares interesting arguments on the open source vs proprietary debacle
• Here's an entry on generating elevation maps from along-track stereo pairs using the open source Orfeo ToolBox
• We told you ourselves a few times, but here's how James Fee telling us Why You Can’t Afford to Miss FOSS4G 2011

From the Esri front:

• The File GeoDatabase API version 1.1 has been released, in includes a .NET wrapper and bug fixes
• James Fee mentions PgMap and QMap to connect to spatial databases with ArcGIS 10.1 without SDE

From the Google front:

• In their learning series, here's an entry on GIS with Google Earth and Google Maps
• Google shares an entry on famine crisis relief in the Horn of Africa
• Here's the 50th anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall in Google Earth
• Google invites us to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial with Google Maps

On the Microsoft front:

• Microsoft updated their Bing Maps Account Center with three main improvements: Direct Publishing of Data Sources, Map Navigation for Data Editing, and Enhanced POI Data Search
• Here's an entry named KinectFusion Provides Low-Cost and Accessible 3D Interior Mapping

In the miscellaneous category:

• The Spatial Law blog shares a long entry named Geolocation and Privacy: Are We Going the Right Way?: "However, many of bills are so broadly written that if they were to become law they could apply to a broad range of geospatial products and services, including satellite and aerial imagery, GIS and GPS."
• VerySpatial mentions the launch of the augmented reality Layar Vision app to "recognize real-world objects and then trigger digital content based on that object"
• The GEB shares satellite imagery on the Japanese Tsunami that created some massive icebergs
• MacRumors details an Apple patent on schematic maps: "[...] a new maps application that could display a simplified subset of information most relevant to a user seeking specific information or routing."
• In special remote sensing news, Slashdot mentions a camera reaching its target by being thrown by a grenade launcher
• MapQuest tells us how free listing works on their MapQuest Local Business Center

In the maps category:

• O'Reilly discuss maps of the recent London riots
• Mapperz mentions the release of USGS historical maps

We mentioned several times the advent of Esri's File Geodatabase API, it's no longer in beta, version 1.0 has been announced (via Mandown). This is a major step in favor of interoperability since without this API, the File Geodatabase format was locked in Esri's suite of software. If you're a developer, here's where you can download it. There's also an Esri forum on the topic.

From the official blog entry: "And as promised, the API is also now available for Linux 64-bit."

The Esri's documentation: "The File Geodatabase API provides a non-ArcObjects based means by which advanced developers can work with File Geodatabases. A common user scenario is to open File Geodatabase tables in non-ESRI applications to view or modify data. This API provides access to the low-level File Geodatabase file I/O modules.
The C++ API allows developers to:

• Create new geodatabases
• Read the schema of the geodatabase
• Create schema for objects within the simple feature model
• Read and write data in the geodatabase
• Perform attribute and (limited) spatial queries on datasets

This API is targeted for advanced developers who require access to the File Geodatabase without an ArcObjects license for purposes of interoperability. This API does not replace ArcObjects as the recommended approach to interacting with the geodatabase."

Here's the "Friday" geonews in batch mode a bit late.

From the Google front:

• Google offers yet another imagery update, including fresh imagery over Japan, but also high resolution imagery in tens of other countries
• There's also new 45 degrees imagery in about 10 new locations
• The directions provided by Google now offers public transit automatically if it is a good alternative to driving to your destination
• If you're like me and think that Google Earth is great but the globe doesn't look good at small scales, here's an updated Blue Marble to make Google Earth look nice from high above
• Here's an update on TriDef product to use Google Earth in anaglyphic 3D, works even in StreetView
• The GEB discusses using the Google Earth plugin for energy efficiency 3D tours in the context of the Home Greenover Project
• Here's the Battle of Fort Sumter in Google Earth, right from the American civil war in April 1861

From the open source/data front:

• The Marble virtual globe version 1.1 has been released
• Via OGD, I learned about OpenStreetBlock, providing textual description of a city block based on a lat long
• The Geocaching.com website includes OpenStreetMap
• Here's an entry on Polygon Triangulation via Ear-Clipping with Delaunay Refinement and another one on Slope/Aspect/Elevation using JTS
• There was also an announcement of a VMWare-powered GIS Virtual Machine for open source geospatial software
• Kurt reports on geolocation plans at 'Camp KDE'
• The OpenGeo Suite Community Edition 2.4.1 has been released

From the Esri front:

• James Fee mentions words from Esri that the File Geodatabase API will support all 4 platforms and 32/64 bits and be released in mid-May

In the miscellaneous category:

• O'Reilly offers an article named 3 big challenges in location development
• V1 offers a perspective on if it matters to compare GPS to GLONASS to BEIDOU
• V1 also reminds us that the SPOT satellite is now 25 years old
• V1 offers a short entry on routing ships based on waves and weather

In the maps category:

• Via internal mail, I learned about this dispersion modeling animation of the Japan tsunami debris over the Pacific, in 3 years, the patch of debris will be close to California
• Mapperz mentions an interactive site for visualizing official New Zealand 1:50,000/250,000 topographic maps
• O'Reilly offers an article named Maps aren't easy on maps and journalism

Despite being on April Fool's day, this is real recent geospatial open source / open data news.

We mentioned a few times efforts related to OpenStreetMap in 3D, now the OpenGeoData blog shares news about the new major version of OSM.globe and OSM-3D: "The "osm.globe" combines the free geodata from OpenStreetMap with digital elevation models offering a global interactive 3D experience made completely from free or crowdsourced geodata. [...] It is now also possible to drape different OSM maps or satellite imagery onto the elevation model. Further the 3D globe now can be integrated into a web-site as Java applet (featuring a JavaScript API), as well as Java Webstart application or users can download and install it as Java Desktop application."

If you're like me, you'll want to take a look at the OSM-3D screenshots and maybe the videos too.

In other news:

• APB mentions the possibility that ESRI open sources the File Geodatabase API
• Here's an entry on converting a GeoTIFF color palette to the Symbology Encoding standard
• Here's an entry on OpenStreetMap and transportation
• The City of Montreal is getting ready to open its data [in French], including geospatial datasets
• The FGT blog discusses the geo-related services in the open source Data Science Toolkit
• Here's a FAQ on the integration of MapGuide Open Source and Google Maps and part 2 of the Maestro 3.0 walkthrough
• Via mapperz, if you're looking for some April Fool's fun, take a look at OpenWhateverMap.org

Here's recent geonews in batch mode. I will be away the reminder of the week, so expect less stories, but we'll take care of your submitted content.

From the Google front:

• Here's Google Maps JavaScript API: A Year in Retrospect
• A third official entry, this time on how to Monetize your Maps API v3 application with AdSense for Maps
• The GEB mentions a collection of hearts in Google Earth
• There was new imagery published to Google Earth last Friday
• The GEB explains the 6 markers in Building Maker
• Here's an entry on planning new roads with Google Earth

From the ESRI front:

• Two entries on the File Geodatabase API: Esri releases the File Geodatabase API Beta 2 and the File Geodatabase API is now available on Linux
• The ArcGIS API for Android Public Beta is now available
• Here's a review of a new Estri book named GIS Tutorial for Humanitarian Assistance, by Firoz Verjee

From the open source / open data front:

• There's new 3D OpenGL-based OpenStreetMap rendering, for more on 3D OSM, head to the wiki
• Here's an entry on Harvard's WorldMap, an open source tool to support academic collaboration. Expect more news once the tool become Beta next month
• Here's an entry on cross layer filtering directly in GeoServer
• An entry on web based printing with QGIS server and a nice comparison of MapInfo to QGIS Styling

From the Microsoft front:

• Certainly major news in the smartphone arena, Nokia and Microsoft signed an important alliance, APB summarizes the tidbits related to their location and mapping business
• Microsoft also shared an entry named Next Gen Spatial Search Comes to the Bing API

In the miscellaneous category:

• MapQuest Introduces Walking and Transit Directions
• Here's O'Reilly on IssueMap.org, a U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tool to convert "open data into information that people can distill into knowledge and insight."
• TMR provide links related to Canon and Pentax cameras with GPS and another entry on the Casio Exilim EX-H20G Geotagging Camera
• SS shares a short entry named The Cloud Gains Favor as GIS Storage Solution
• Wikileaks informs us that the U.S. and Australia signed a secret geospatial intelligence deal in 2008

In the maps category:

• Via the OSGeo mailing list, here's a map of U.S. copyright treaties
• Here's a new approach to mapping the digital divide
• Here's a new map of global obesity
• The U.S. Census Bureau launched an interactive map

Here's recent ESRI-related geonews.

Most anticipated is certainly the release of the File Geodatabase API announced last month.

• From the official page: "The File Geodatabase API provides a non-ArcObjects based means by which advanced developers can work with File Geodatabases. A common user scenario is to open File Geodatabase tables in non-ESRI applications to view or modify data. This API provides access to the low-level File Geodatabase file I/O modules." 
• James Fee notes: "First off there is no raster support. Second you are totally on your own here. You have total control over screwing up your geodatabases here."

Other news:

• Mentioned last month, mandown informs us that the new ESRI Technical Certification is now open, in short: "The Esri Technical Certification Program recognizes qualified individuals who are proficient in best practices for using Esri software. Esri Technical Certifications are awarded in different areas of expertise at both an Associate and Professional level. The program is open to Esri users worldwide."
• APB mentions that the NOAA Coastal Service Center offers free LiDAR Data Handler for ArcGIS

I first learned about it from internal mail, but due to the (relative, of course) importance of the announcement, we already find several reactions on the geoblogs. So there you go, details of the File Geodatabase API shared by ESRI, to be released in beta the coming month. This matters because this proprietary file format couldn't be used outside of ESRI products.

From the announcement: "The File Geodatabase API provides a non-ArcObjects based means by which advanced developers can work with File Geodatabases. The File Geodatabase API will be C++ based and will provide the ability to perform the following tasks: [...] This API is targeted for advanced developers who require access to the File Geodatabase without an ArcObjects license for purposes of interoperability. A commonly requested user scenario is to open File Geodatabase tables outside of an ArcObjects based application to view or modify data. This API does not replace ArcObjects as the recommended approach to interacting with the geodatabase."

Amongst the limitations of this upcoming first version, noted by geogeek: "Rasters (Raster Dataset, Raster Catalog, Mosaic Datasets and Raster Attributes) are not supported with the initial release of the File Geodatabase API.", and noted by James Fee: "More good news is that the API is a C++ library and not some weird Java or .NET thing.  Oh, but a huge caveat…  This release is Windows only.  Thus those of us working with Fedora, Ubuntu or Mac OS X need no bother to look."