In+ersec+ion for Spatial People

Here's the recent geonews in batch mode, covering almost two weeks worth of geonews. I'm voluntarily leaving Esri-related geonews out for an upcoming entry specifically on their user conference.

On the open source front:

• Geomajas 1.9.0 has been released, along with 10 plugins (2 of them new) - here's what is Geomajas
• Here's instructions to load OpenStreetMap data in QGIS
• Here's a comparison of browser windows of QGIS and MapInfo 11
• We mentioned quite a few times the OpenLayers 2.10 Beginner's Guide, and here's another review of it

On the Google front:

• Google mentions Historypin now being available worldwide, in which historical photographs are overlayed on Google's StreetView or directly pinned in Google Maps
• Google shared an entry on using Street View to digitally archive Japan’s disaster zones
• Here's tutorial and documentation on the Google Places API
• Here's an entry on Google Map Maker in Pakistan
• Here's the world's longest bridge over water, now open and in Google Earth
• In the trivia category, Slashdot discussed Tilting Bike Uses Google Maps To Simulate Routes

On the Microsoft front:

• Bing Maps got a new user interface (screenshots included)

In the miscellaneous category:

• The FGT blog offers a long and informative update on LightSquared jeopardizing GPS signals in the U.S.
• The FGT blog also mentions the 'Earth Survey Plugin' showing National Geodetic Survey control points near a specific area and much more
• Two weeks ago VerySpatial shared an interesting entry named Cloud Computing Speeds Up And Simplifies the Adoption of Spatial Technology
• The Map Room recommends an old 2009 article named Global Impositioning Systems: Is GPS technology actually harming our sense of direction?
• APB mentions Locata, a company offering high-accuracy radio-location technology for where GPS isn't available
• MapTogether links to a The Economist article on gerrymandering and election boundaries in the U.S.
• Ogle Earth informs us that India eased its remote sensing data policy to allow resolutions of up to 1 meter
• Slashdot discussed the story named Geocaching Shuts Down British Town, because of a bomb scare
• The venerable ERS-2 launched in 1995 is getting retired

In the maps category:

• Ogle Earth has an entry on the recently-born South Sudan and its maps and geography
• Slashdot discussed a story named Construction of ESA Galaxy Mapping Satellite Completed
• Here's an entry on mapping the world's sea turtles

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