geo2web.com

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Canadian web site, Push, just rolled out their Virtual Earth integration to help skaters and snowboarders (ok, skiers too) find their local skate parks ski resorts (coming soon), respectively. Users can search and view extreme sports locations on a Microsoft Virtual Earth map, aerial photo and in some spots Bird’s Eye Photos. The Bird’s Eye photos make for some nice visualizations if you want to really check out the different sites. Additionally, you can submit information for letting them know where there’s a specific skate park or ski resort by completing the form and sending it into them.

Yes, I used to skateboard; and, yes I’m now retired as I would kill myself trying just a simple ollie. L.

CP

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Do you love Virtual Earth? Do you want to participate in generating revenue from Virtual Earth? Do you run a development shop that is building some crazy, sexy applications that push the limits of geospatial and Virtual Earth? Then, you need to be a Microsoft Virtual Earth Partner! I’m out there sweating blood and tears to get people to use and license Virtual Earth, but we seem to have a shortage of local Virtual Earth Certified Partners in which to refer our customers to for help - this is where you come in. We’re looking for some qualified partners to handle local development in their respective markets. We need partners all over the world, so if you’re interested there are a few steps to get you there:

1. If you aren’t already, you must become a Microsoft Partner. Open new windows of opportunity for your organization. Enroll in the Data Visualization Specialization now.
2. Get trained in Data Visualization with Virtual Earth.
   • Check out the DVS learning path.
   • Get started by reviewing the exam preparation guide.
   • Prepare by taking the Virtual Earth DVS training, “Developing Map-based Solutions Using Microsoft Virtual Earth,” an in-depth online training and self-assessment tool located in the Partner Learning Center. From https://partner.microsoft.com, navigate to the Partner Learning Center Home Page:
     1. Click on “Sign In” and log in with your Windows Live ID.
     2. Select the course “Developing Map-based Solutions Using Microsoft Virtual Earth.”
     3. Click the Registration button to register for the course.
     4. Launch the course by holding down the CTRL key when clicking the “Take It Now” button (to enable pop-ups).
3. Take the DVS Exam - Exam 70-544: Microsoft Virtual Earth, Application Development.
4. Get DVS Certified - To qualify, your company must:
   • Employ two individuals who have passed the DVS exam.
   • Submit three client references meeting the DVS criteria:
     • Each reference must feature the development, implementation, and customization of data-visualization solutions based on the Microsoft Virtual Earth platform (Virtual Earth and MapPoint® Web Services).
     • Each reference must feature a project that you have completed for a client within the last 12 months.
   • Information Worker Solutions Competency - Attaining the DVS Certification makes your business eligible for achieving the Information Worker Solutions
     Competency. Enrolling in the Information Worker Solutions Competency offers a range of benefits and provides access to a unique set of resources that align to your business focus and support all stages of your business cycle. Learn more about the benefits of the Information Worker Solutions Competency.

Why Should You Partner with Virtual Earth?
The market opportunity for qualified Microsoft Partners who create and deploy data visualization solutions is estimated at U.S. $2 billion1. As a Microsoft Partner who gets Data Visualization Specialization (DVS) certified, you can offer your clients an effective way to help them visualize their business information for better decision making.

Extend the platform to bring innovative solutions to market - Develop innovative, location-based solutions that help transform location-specific business data into business intelligence your clients can use to make important decisions. Help your clients manage their resources more efficiently by enabling them to visualize the relationships between their various categories of business information in the context of location.

Benefit from a comprehensive platform - Build your business with confidence, backed by deep investments Microsoft has made in the Virtual Earth platform:

• High-quality precision imagery
• Professionally managed APIs
• Open standards-based tools
• Professional support
• Community-based resources
• Flexible licensing plans
• Competitive service levels featuring 99.9% availability

Why Should You Get Data Visualization Specialization Certified?
DVS, a new specialty in the Information Worker Competency program, can help increase our business opportunities—and boost your revenue. With DVS certification, your company will be qualified to build location-based data visualization solutions for your clients using the Virtual Earth platform.

With the DVS certification, you can include your company profile in the Solution Finder, where partner solution profiles will be listed on nearly 70 customer-facing sites worldwide. More than 70,000 potential customers search these sites monthly for companies to build solutions that meet their specific business needs.

When you are DVS certified, you can:

• Promote your solution in the Virtual Earth Solutions Showcase
• Become a Certified or Gold Microsoft Partner
• Attain the Information Worker Competency
• Display your solution in the Information Worker Solution Showcase
• Include your company profile in the Microsoft Resources Directory

Questions? For more information about the Microsoft Virtual Earth Partner Program, send mail to the Microsoft Virtual Earth Partner Alias, visit Microsoft Virtual Earth’s Partner web site or, as always, just shoot me a mail.

CP

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I don’t speak German to get the scoop from the data provider (readme is here), but I believe you can download shapefile versions of much of the European OpenStreetMap data from GEOFABRIK. It carries the same CC Share Alike License.

via Geospatial Reddit

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Last May I published a video demonstration of a cool iPhone application I saw at Where 2.0 which looked like Google Earth. The video demo was such a huge hit, Earthscape - the company who made it - quickly made it into a product you can now buy at the Apple store (available for $10). I purchased the app a couple of days ago and have just now had time to make a new video demo:

A couple of things to note: Earthscape has a 3D terrain model for the Earth, and they have high resolution satellite or aerial photos for some areas - especially in the US. But, you won’t find as much high res data as Google Earth. They have included a “Wikipedia” layer which includes placemarks to places from Wikipedia which when clicked on provide a summary of the related site. In the earlier demo I saw last May, they had the ability to use the iPhone accelerometer to tilt and rotate. But, the released app doesn’t include that feature. Tom Churchill, CEO of Earthscape, told me they found the UI was confusing to some people. But, they hope to put the feature in an update to the app in the future. Given the limited utility at this time (no KML support yet, no search capability, and no accelerometer support), I’m not sure how many people will buy it for $10. But, it is a cool app to see on the iPhone. I hope it inspires Google to port a version of Google Earth to the iPhone (if they haven’t already been working on it for months).

Here is Earthscape’s video demo of the new application.

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Spatial Information Solutions Inc. (SIS) is based in Starkville, Mississippi; it received the first New Venture Development investment, $100,000 from the Mississippi Seed Fund. Recipients must have a cash match from accredited investors to obtain funding.

The company is working on commercializing “map accuracy enhancement software technologies.” Note that this is not from the looks of it a Web 2.0 nor negeo company. Still, I think the company needs a website; I could not find one.

- Starkville Daily News

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The National Science Foundation is giving the Missouri University of Science and Technology a $500,000 grant “to make Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software available to students in laboratory environments.”

Part of the grant has faculty members “designing a comprehensive learning system to introduce civil engineering students to the software.”

The news story from the school include the obligatory Google Earth quote:

“It’s like Google Earth only you can customize and analyze spatial data,” says Dr. Ronaldo Luna, associate professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at Missouri S&T.

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The Original Sat-Nav

This wristwatch was invented in 1920 and allowed drivers to navigate around the UK. The watch used paper maps wound around wooden rollers. However because there were so few cars around the watch failed to take off. If you are in London you can check out the watch at the Weird and Wonderful Inventions exhibition at the British Library (until November).

Take the Road Through the Lake

When you ask Google for driving directions from Gam?t?/Rae Lakes Airport to Rae/Edzo Airport you are told to drive through the middle of a number lakes. The walking directions state you should “Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths”, which is a slight understatement when its -40 and and 197 km of only ice ahead. When do we get sledge directions?

The reason that the roads go across a number of lakes is because these are ice roads that are built every year across the ice. Check out the Ice Road Truckers website for more information.

Via: Mapperz

The Last Guy

The Last Guy is a game from Sony that is built on top of satellite imagery that looks very similar to Google Maps / Earth imagery (but presumably isn’t). The game itself seems to be a 2D shooter.

Via: Very Spatial

The Street View Boat?

View Larger Map
In Australia an expanse of water was not enough to stop the street view car.

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