In+ersec+ion for Spatial People

Via the OSGeo-Discuss list I learned about the release of the open source library MapQuery 0.1. Here's the official mapquery.org website.

What is MapQuery? "MapQuery is a pure javascript based library which builds upon OpenLayers, jQuery and jQuery UI to provide an easy to use webmapping library. It is meant for jQuery application developers who want to build Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) with maps. Currently it provides a few basic widgets to create functionality around a map and an easy API to write your own widgets."

Here's more on its goals: "MapQuery formally extends OpenLayers, it is similar in concept as GeoExt, but uses jQuery instead of Ext. The idea is to create a jQuery-style webmapping library which wraps around OpenLayers and extends it with functionality like layer managers, datagrids (NYI), legends etc. We try to make it easy to create a webmap-application with OpenLayers, without having to know all that OpenLayers has to offer.

We aim at jQuery developers more than on people who are already well-versed in OpenLayers. As such we will provide a few simple functions which (we think) will be enough for 90% of the use-cases. The other 10% is not actively pursued, though one could directly access OpenLayers and do some of the advanced stuff we're not providing."

Here's the recent geonews in batch mode covering the last two weeks. It's a bit longer than usual.

On the open source front:

• Almost two weeks ago, the OSGeo released their 2 minutes video promoting the FOSS4G 2011 conference, Slashgeo is proud to be a media partner
• The FGT blog offers a long entry on the portable version of gvSIG, an open source GIS - portable meaning running from a USB key with a host computer with no intallation required
• Several sources mentioned that Canada's British Columbia opened their province-wide open data portal, with plenty of geospatial data in it
• While we mentioned the its preview in May, here's more documentation on the upcoming GeoRepository, an advanced authorization manager for GeoServer
• ImageI/O-Ext 1.1.1 has been released
• uDig 1.2.2 has been released too
• There's a PostGIS Drupal module in the works

On the Google front (well, new since yesterday):

• Public transport directions of London is now available in Google Maps
• Google details the new Google Maps version 5.8 for Android, adding photo uploads and My Places
• Mapperz tells us how to load OpenStreetMap data in Google Earth via FME with BBOX.ME

On the Microsoft front:

• Most visible changes for users are updates to the Bing Maps road map style, they even offer a 9-pages guide to detail what 's new
• APB reports that Microsoft will use Gigwalk to enhance Bing Maps search results
• Microsoft announced Bing Maps updates to Account Center, REST Services, and Documentation
• Another entry enumerate what's new in the Bing AJAX Map Control

In the miscellaneous category:

• O'Reilly links to a free shapefile of the TZ timezones of the world
• SS mentions the GeoTime software that "displays movement over time in an intuitive manner"
• Here's an article on the technical, scientific, historic and political background to the GPS system
• On the topic of the future of GPS, V1 shares an entry named the Significance of LightSquared Debate to Europeans and APB shares ESA's reaction to LightSquared potential interference with Galileo
• MacRumors have an entry named Apple Pays $946 in Korean Lawsuit Over Location Data Collection, New Class Action Suit Coming
• In the funny category, APB mentions (video included) ToyToyota's Backseat Driver GPS iOS game for kids that uses the real-time itinerary of the car

Discussed over Slashdot:

• 3D Hurts Your Eyes
• Chief NSA Lawyer Hints That NSA May Be Tracking US Citizens
• Google Grabbed Locations of Phones, PCs
• Undersea Cable Map Shows Where The Data Pipes Are

In the maps category:

• SS shares an entry named eLEAF Maps the World’s Water for Food Security
• Ready for the hurricane season, the UK Met Office launched their Storm Tracker (beta), with free and paid versions, and on the same topic, the GEB offers an entry on tracking hurricanes in Google Earth
• V1 mentions Africover WebMap from the UN, offering geodata for Africa
• O'Reilly have an entry on cellphone connections in the U.S.

Last week was announced GeoKettle 2.0, an open source spatial ETL (extract transform and load) tool. 

From the announcement: "GeoKettle, as its name suggests, is based on the widely used and robust generic ETL tool Kettle (aka Pentaho Data Integration or PDI) made « geo-capable » by integrating and leveraging the power of geospatial libraries such as of JTS, GeoTools, OGR, deegree and of course, brand new Spatialytics code." Here's the details of what's new for version 2.0. We mentioned quite a few times GeoKettle the past three years.

There's another open source spatial ETL tool out there that we haven't mentioned for a while, it's Talend's Spatial Data Integrator, with its version 4.2.0 released earlier this month. 

From their main page: "Spatial module for Talend Open Studio (aka. Spatial Data Integrator or SDI) is an ETL with geospatial capabilities. Likewise regular TOS components, there are basically three sorts of Geo components: input, output and transform components. Input and output components read features from and write feature to datastores, respectively. Transform components read features from their input flows, possibly transform those features, and write features to their output flows. The term transform is to be taken loosely here as it represents any sort of operation."

We are pleased to announce the release 0.2.0 of Jaspa (JAva SPAtial). Jaspa potentially brings around 200 spatial functions to any relational database system that supports Java stored procedures. In this 0.2.0 version Jaspa supports PostgreSQL and H2. The biggest change from the previous release is a new topology rules system with around 70 topology rules.

New features:

• A new web page dedicated to Jaspa. It has a blog and links to the documentation and download section. http://jaspa.upv.es
• A new driver for gvSIG 1.11 (Jaspa for PostgreSQL).
• A new driver for Kosmo 2.0.1 (Jaspa for PostgreSQL).
• A new topology rules system with around 70 topology rules. http://jaspa.upv.es/jaspa/v0.2.0/manual/html/topology.html
• A new workshop material of more than 100 pages (in English and Spanish) which can be very useful to a new user who wants to get started into spatial databases and Jaspa. It covers the installation, spatial analysis exercises, topology rule exercises and even a guide about developing new stored procedures in Jaspa using Java. http://jaspa.upv.es/blog/documentation/

Best regards,

The Jaspa team
Jose Martinez-Llario
Marta Gonzalez-Alcaide
Universidad Politecnica de Valencia

[Editor's note: Jaspa is open source software]

Via OSGeo-Discuss, I learned about a few recent news from 52° North. A reminder, what it is: "The open source software initiative 52°North is an international network of partners from research, industry and public administration."

• The open source smartEditor Online metadata tool has been updated to version 1.1. Since we only mentioned smartEditor in a press release before, "smartEditor is a web based editor to easily create and update ISO19115/19119 metadata documents on geospatial data sets, services, series and applications and many more resources. This tool provides templates, validation with error highlighting and comprehensive user support through comprehensive help texts and integrated code lists."
• The Sensor Observation Service (SOS) tool, SOS being an OGC standard, has been updated to 3.2.0, including new features and bug fixes. In short, "the Sensor Observation Service aggregates readings from live, in-situ and remote sensors." We mentioned it several times in the past.

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

This story was discussed yesterday over Slashdot: Microsoft Releases Mobile Data Collection Source Code.

Their summary: "To avoid the problems that Google and Apple have had with collecting WiFi data and privacy issues Microsoft has just released [some of] the source code used in its mobile data collection system. The code shows how the phones that it drives around don't collect any personal data — just WiFi and cell tower identification so that they can be used in geolocation. The source code is a great educational resouce but as to proving that Microsoft is doing the right thing it just doesn't work. First off, it isn't complete. Second, who is to say that it is the code used in the phones? That's the point of software — it's easy to change. Now if only we can provoke them to release large chunks of Windows or Windows Phone 7...."

Having two daughters at home does require a lot of energy! That's why this edition of the 'pertinent geonews in batch mode' covers the last two weeks.

On the open source front:

• A new GeoServer 2.1 workshop is freely available
• From the OSGeo-discuss list, I learned about Open Indicators Consortium's Weave (in beta), an open source visualization environment supporting geography
• The MapFish Framework version 2.2 has been released
• ImageI/O-Ext 1.1.0 has been released
• uDig gets its plugin Image Georeferencing View at version 1.0
• The Orfeo ToolBox 3.10 and Monteverdi 1.8 have been released
• GeoTools 2.7.2 has been released

On the Google front:

• Google their biggest ever update of Street View imagery, available for 13 countries: Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Romania, South Africa, Taiwan, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
• Google added lots of oblique 45 degrees imagery to Google Maps
• If you visited Google Maps, you probably noticed the new interface

On the Microsoft front:

• Microsoft announced that Bing Maps unveiled exclusive high res imagery with Global Ortho Project
• They also offer a new Microsoft Local Impact Map
• Their dev tip is Uploading Excel Data to the Bing Spatial Data Services

In the miscellaneous category:

• Via AGISRS, I learned about the charter edition of LiDAR Magazine is available free online
• Via email, I learned about the new online SDI Magazine, SDI meaning spatial data infrastructure in this context
• Regarding MapQuest, you can save maps and directions to your mobile and you can now add your business to MapQuest
• APB mentions TimeClock for iPhone, an app that logs your time spent at a specific location, such as work 
• MacRumors details the diverses mapping companies for iOS 5 in an entry named Evidence in iOS 5 that Apple is Building Its Own Mapping Solution
• Via a Twitter friend, I tried Rome's '3 Dreams of Black' interactive 3D music "video" in WebGL, reminiscent of Arcade Fire's interactive Google Maps / StreetView video

Slashdot ran a couple of geo-related discussions:

• Supreme Court To Weigh In On Warrantless GPS Tracking
• Tracking Bracelets for Autistic Kids and Senior Citizens
• Franken Bill Would Protect Consumers Location Data
• Weather satellites are losing funding

In the maps category:

• TMR shows a map of the increase of the new Normal Temperatures, years 1971-2000 vs 1981-2010, for the U.S., scary
• The same site mentions ESA's map of of the Arctic Sea Ice
• MapTogether mentions Mapnificent, allowing you to learn how far you can go from a certain point in a certain time using public transit

The pycsw team announces the release of pycsw 1.0.0. This is the first formal release (previous version 0.1.0), and adds numerous core features since 0.1.0 (see below).

pycsw is an OGC CSW server implementation written in Python. pycsw implements clause 10 (HTTP protocol binding (Catalogue Services for the Web, CSW)) of the OpenGIS Catalogue Service Implementation Specification, version 2.0.2.

pycsw allows for the publishing and discovery of geospatial metadata. Existing repositories of geospatial metadata can be exposed via OGC:CSW 2.0.2. pycsw is Open Source, released under an MIT license, and runs on all major platforms (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X).

Source and binary downloads:

• The source code is available at: http://pycsw.org/download.html

Version 1.0.0 (2011-06-29):

• simplified setup and configuration
• support for INSPIRE Discovery Services
• support for CSW-T
• support for additional databases
• Ubuntu and openSUSE installer
• support GetCapabilities updateSequence parameter
• support for FGDC profile
• support for NASA DIF

Testers and developers are welcome.

The pycsw developer team.

http://pycsw.org/

After the buzz generated by the publication of the first edition of FOSSGIS Brasil magazine, we will treat a very important subject that has everything to do with opensource geospatial technology: education.

It is known that formal education in Brazil is not in it's best shape, nevertheless, many teaching and research institutions have been searching for alternatives to provide quality educational support and improve instruction for students and citizens.

Within this context, many institutions have seen in open source software, an option, since this kind of software is free of licesing fees and helps students to understand better the word "cooperation".

Following this line of thougth, this edition will address the use of open source GIS softwares in schools and universities, showing that it is possible to provide quality teaching with this type of software, as it is done in IFPB Geoprocessamento major.

We had the pleasure to interview in this edition Prof. Jorge Xavier da Silva, emeritus teacher of UFRJ and mentor of the the first 100% brazilian GIS: SAGA-UFRJ.

Still in this edition you will be able to check out articles about WKT Raster, a PostGIS alternative to storing and manipulating rasters, Quantum GIS, Kosmo GIS and the second art of the Mobile GIS article, presentend in the first edition, amongst others.

We all hope that you like this new edition, and leave out your comments on our website. To download the second edition of FOSSGIS-Brasil, just go to the following link:

http://fossgisbrasil.com.br/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/download.php?id=2

Sincerely,
FOSSGIS Brasil Team
http://www.fossgisbrasil.com.br/