geo2web.com

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We’ve just rolled out the latest update to the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center (GNOCDC) Repopulation Google Maps application. Thanks to Matt Priour figuring out how to add the Street View imagery to our New Orleans Repopulation Map, you can now not only see where people are coming back to The Crescent City, but the rebuilding efforts from the street level.

Repopulation Indicators for New Orleans

The map is powerful because you can look at the address counts by block between June 2005 and June 2008 and see how many people are returning to New Orleans. Of course you can pan over to the Lower Ninth Ward and see neighborhoods that are struggling to recover, but overall much of the city has recovered substantially. What is unique about this map is the source of the data. Getting accurate counts of the population of New Orleans has been difficult, but as this Wired article mentions, “Junk Mail to the Rescue”. Now the Google Street View imagery has been very good at helping see the reasons why changes have occurred after Katrina. The aerial imagery of New Orleans was taken on March 2006, near the low point of the recovery. If all you ever use to see the recovery of New Orleans is the Google Maps or Google Earth satellite imagery, you are many of the changes that have occurred more than two years since those images were taken. Even the Google Street View imagery is a year old which can distort realities on the ground. The USPS repopulation data is updated monthly so it is actually the most relevant data in this mashup application.

While some areas are still struggling to recover…

…rebuilding in New Orleans continues

What the Valassis data is great at documenting the recovery at a macro level, and the Google Street View data helps you analyze the results on a macro level. Being able to visualize the recovery this way gives you a great appreciation for how much work has been accomplished and how much more there has to be done. Unfortunately there was no “Marshal Plan” for the recovery, but progress has been made and hopefully tools such as this Repopulation Map will help further the rebuilding of New Orleans.

I’ve been lucky enough to work with Denice Warren Ross, deputy co-director of the nonprofit Greater New Orleans Community Data Center and Joy Bonaguro on this project. Their vision of how they wanted this data presented to the community was to make it as simple as possible to use. The ability to take data created in ESRI ArcGIS Desktop and serve it from Amazon’s S3 and integrate it with Google’s simple visualization tools (Google Maps and Google Street View) created a map that tells quite a story and is so much more useful than the PDF maps that existed before Katrina.

Also, one thing to keep in mind is August 29th is the 3 year anniversary of Katrina’s landfall in New Orleans. The GNOCDC’s Katrina Index is a great way to see where the recovery of New Orleans is, three years later.

Hurricane Gustov continues to head toward the Gulf Coast so everyone please be careful in its path.

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WikiLoc is a free site which lets you upload and share GPS tracks. As mentioned last February, they have particularly good Google Maps and Google Earth support. Well, today, Google has announced that WikiLoc has its own layer under the Google Earth Gallery layer folder! Once you turn it on, you’ll have to zoom in to locations to see if WikiLoc placemark icons appear for user data uploaded for that area. I’m glad to see Google adding another GPS layer with broader user-generated data. Previously Google had shared GPS data for select locations/sites like Tracks4Africa which was focused on southeastern Africa (which was recently “demoted” from the Gallery to the More layer folder in Google Earth). The immediate effect will be that WikiLoc is likely to get a ton of new traffic and more people uploading GPS data. When Panoramio was first added as a Google Earth layer their user generated data skyrocketed many orders of magnitude. They ultimately were acquired by Google due to its popularity. Hopefully Jordi Ramot, WikiLoc’s creator, will be prepared for the onslaught.

There are many other GPS data web sites out there which include Google Earth support. Here are just a few GEB has covered before with different slants on the type of data they support:

• Go Flying
• GPSVisualizer
• GPS-Tour.info
• Magnalox
• Motionbased
• Paragliding Forum
• RoboGEO
• SailBlogs.com

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Every now and then, we mention that you can do a search in Google Maps or Google Earth using latitude and longitude coordinates. But sometimes the coordinates are just what you’re looking for, so here’s a quick tip on how to find them. In Google Earth, browse over to the location for which you’d like to find the coordinates, then click on the “Add Placemark” button in the toolbar. This will automatically put a placemark in the center of the screen and open a dialogue box that shows you the coordinates for that spot, but you can also move the placemark to be able to pinpoint the exact coordinates of a specific location. To do so, click and drag the placemark; you’ll notice that as you drag it, the latitude/longitude coordinates automatically update.

If you prefer showing instead of telling, here’s a brief video tutorial that also explains obtaining coordinates:

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This week, we’ve added another layer to the Gallery in Google Earth. Spain-based Wikiloc aggregates thousands of GPS tracks for various outdoor activities provided by its growing user community. The layer not only lets you display the GPS tracks in Google Earth, but gives you additional information like the distance covered, the elevation maxima, a personal description of the trip as well as pictures taken by the user. This can be interesting to explore, and very helpful for illustrating a trip.

It’s great fun to explore hiking trails in the Pyrenees or in the Andes, especially when you take advantage of the 3D terrain by tilting your view.

Or is water your preferred element? Then go to a Norwegian fjord and follow a kayak track or explore the Mediterranean Sea with a sailing boat.

You can find information on all sorts of outdoor activities, including ice climbing, ballooning, hang gliding, cave diving, dogsledding or cross-country skiing.

Posted by Carmen Erni, GIS Specialist, Google Zurich

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Yesterday we (Microsoft) launched the second beta for Internet Explorer - you can download the new web browser from the Windows IE8 web site. As you’re browsing the web, you select the text on any page, right click (or just hover) and get a map using the “Map with Live Maps” link which will bring up a small window (formerly called Activities, now dubbed Accelerators) highlighting the map. From there you can get a bird’s eye image or driving directions.

Try it out. You can always go back if you don’t like the beta.

CP

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mapz: a gis librarian has updated his script for exporting ArcMap layers to a standalone Google Map page; in addition to points and lines, it now includes support for choropleth polygon layers: Runs on ArcGIS 9.1 and 9.2, not yet tested on 9.3.
a
Export ArcMap Layers To A Google Map Page

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• Panoramio Contest Winners - Winners of the June Panoramio Photo Contest are announced. Just upload photos to Panoramio to be entered to the monthly contest. Winners get ATP PhotoFinder prizes.

• Lunar Challenges - The Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge has a KML file showing information on the teams and the location of the contest. via Space Prizes blog.

• Fire Detection - Someone called ‘CRPSM’ put together a KML file which dynamically shows current fires (or suspected fires) around the Mediterranean. See the post. See also this global fire data visualization based on data from NASA.

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Sprint’s OHMTM WiMAX mobile broadband is poised to launch in Baltimore in September year. It’s high speed wireless, basically, but, it “will be largely location-centric,” explained Rick Robinson, vice president of XOHM Services. “We’re creating a new dimension to online presence, making points of interest near your current location easy to identify and access. This ‘geobrowsing’ effect provides location context and will give XOHM members a richer personal broadband experience when they’re mobile.”

I read this as: this service is more “LBS-y” than say your iPhone with AT&T service. Perhaps; for now the list of app and platform providers is quite familiar: uLocate, Yelp, Accuweather, OpenWave, Google… One is a surprise to me:

Autodesk Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., will provide a standards-based interface and geospatial services, such as addresses, ZIP code and city/state information, to enhance location within the XOHM network.

I think that means the Autodesk Location Services platform will be available for developers. We’ve not heard much from Autodesk’s LBS corner for a while, so this is good news.

- press release

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Tinsley Viaduct is a two-tier road bridge in Sheffield, England; the first of its kind in the UK. It carries the M1 motorway over a 1033 metre section of the Don Valley, and is one of Sheffield’s most prominent landmarks. Sadly there’s not much to see from our viewpoint.

Fortunately for us however, the Tinsley Viaduct runs right past the Tinsley Towers, a fantastic pair of defunct cooling towers. Due to their extremely close proximity to the viaduct, they were left standing when the power plant they served was demolished in the 70s.

As it happens, “extremely close” is a bit of an understatement - the nearest tower stands only 12 metres from the M1!

Actually, “stood” is the correct term I’m afraid.

Following years of strengthening work to the viaduct (and presumably advances in demolition technology), the towers were finally brought down¹ in the early hours of Sunday the 24th August. You can watch a video of the spectacular destruction of the towers over at the BBC.

Thanks to Radio 2 and the ever informative Jonathan Rawle.

Locations: England / Categories: Bridges, Other Vehicles, Shadows, Towers

View in Google Earth

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I was minding my own business doing some news searches this morning when a sponsored ad appeared next to my Google search.

Navtec? That’s not how you spell it! It’s now NAVTEQ but back in the day was NAVTECH. Must be some scammer playing on the name to get folks to buy their… Ooops. The link takes one to navigation.com, the URL NAVTEQ has for its map update store.

I’m so naive.

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BBC Extreme Weather (in Windsor)

232 degrees in Windsor’s was a slight error on the BBC Weather Map this morning…

Blame the Gremlins

Screenshot and new source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7585641.stm
(non-UK users may not be able to see the video)

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New Orleans Repopulation Map

This map from the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center shows residential addresses actively receiving mail by census block in New Orleans. The mailing list data represents the number of residential addresses per block where the mailman knows someone picks up the mail.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s methods for estimating population can’t keep up with the extraordinary situation post-Katrina so looking at residential addresses actively receiving mail is one way that population can be estimated. The map shows the population density in June 2008, the darker the shade the higher the density.

CapStat Mapping

The District of Columbia’s CapStat Mapping application was designed to allow citizens in the district access to local government data with a geographical focus. It allows citizens to access data on crime, public space permits, building permits, locations of schools and service requests from a Google Map.

The map is a great example of how government can provide innovative portals to public data. It is possible to search the map by address or by a number of different pre-defined areas, such as police district, neighbourhood or ward. It is also possible to search the data by date. For example it is possible to search 16th Street Heights for crime on the 26th August.

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Winner, winner, chicken dinner….

Dear Virtual Earth Customer,

As has been communicated periodically over the last several months, we’d like to provide you another friendly reminder and an update regarding the planned deprecation schedule for older versions of Virtual Earth. Specifically, we’d like to remind you that we will be permanently retiring Virtual Earth version 3 and version 4, and will be automatically upgrading version 5 on September inner22^nd, 2008. Also, we’d like to let you know that the planned automatic upgrade of version 6.0 to version 6.1 that was scheduled for August 28^th, 2008 has been postponed to a later date. The revised date for the automatic upgrade of version 6.0 to version 6.1 is still being determined and we will let you know the revised date as soon as possible.

If you are currently using one of the older versions of Virtual Earth, please read this notification and the end-of-life and automatic upgrade schedule that applies to the version(s) of Virtual Earth that you are using. Please note, this Virtual Earth version end-of-life and automatic upgrade plan only applies to Virtual Earth, it does not affect the MapPoint Web Service. Also, please note that the end-of-life and automatic upgrade dates that were previously communicated have been extended to the revised dates outlined below.

Upgrade information by Virtual Earth version number:

In the table below, find the Virtual Earth version you are currently using and note the end-of-life date or automatic upgrade date indicated and the action you will need to take (if any).

Version 3

http://dev.virtualearth.net/mapcontrol/v3/mapcontrol.js or http://dev.virtualearth.net/mapcontrol/mapcontrol.ashx?v=3

End-of-life on September 22, 2008

Version 3 will no longer work after this date.

Upgrade any applications that are using Virtual Earth version 3 to Virtual Earth version 6.1 by September 22, 2008 to ensure Virtual Earth service availability.

Version 4

http://dev.virtualearth.net/mapcontrol/v4/mapcontrol.js or http://dev.virtualearth.net/mapcontrol/mapcontrol.ashx?v=4

End-of-life on September 22, 2008

Version 4 will no longer work after this date.

Upgrade any applications that are using Virtual Earth version 4 to Virtual Earth version 6.1 by September 22, 2008 to ensure Virtual Earth service availability.

Version 5

http://dev.virtualearth.net/mapcontrol/v5/mapcontrol.js or http://dev.virtualearth.net/mapcontrol/mapcontrol.ashx?v=5

Automatic upgrade on September 22, 2008

Version 5 will be automatically upgraded to Virtual Earth version 6.1.

Since Virtual Earth version 6.1 is backward compatible with version 5, no action should be required by you. However, we strongly encourage you to test your version 5 applications against version 6.1 prior to September 22, 2008 to ensure there are no unforeseen issues with your applications when version 5 is automatically upgraded to version 6.1. Alternatively, you can choose to actively upgrade your version 5 applications to version 6.1 prior to September 22, 2008.

Version 6.0

http://dev.virtualearth.net/mapcontrol/mapcontrol.ashx?v=6

Automatic upgrade was previously scheduled for August 28, 2008, but it has been postponed to a later date (to be announced).

Version 6.0 will be automatically upgraded to Virtual Earth version 6.1.

Since Virtual Earth version 6.1 is backward compatible with version 6.0, no action should be required by you. However, we strongly encourage you to test your version 6.0 applications against version 6.1 prior to the specified automatic upgrade date (to be announced) to ensure there are no unforeseen issues with your applications when version 6.0 is automatically upgraded to version 6.1. Alternatively, you can choose to actively upgrade your version 6.0 applications to version 6.1 prior the specified automatic upgrade date (to be announced)

Important additional information:

Before you begin upgrading to Virtual Earth version 6.1 from version 3, version 4 or version 5, you will want to review the technical documentation on how to migrate from these older versions of Virtual Earth. You can find this important documentation on msdn.microsoft.com here. Also, when upgrading to Virtual Earth version 6.1, be sure to implement the version 6.1 Customer Identification feature as documented on msdn.microsoft.com here. Once you implement this feature, you will be able to take full advantage of the transaction reporting capabilities that are included in Virtual Earth.

You can begin incorporating the latest features of Virtual Earth version 6.1 by using the Virtual Earth SDK. The Virtual Earth SDK provides scenario-based, hands-on demonstrations with associated sample code and references. You can also access other Virtual Earth developer resources such as the Virtual Earth Developer Forum to connect with other Virtual Earth developers.

Also, please remember to always keep your organization’s contact info current so that you receive important Virtual Earth and MapPoint Web Service customer notifications. You can add, remove, or modify e-mail addresses via the ‘Manage Account’ section of the Virtual Earth Platform Customer Services Site for your Virtual Earth & MapPoint Web Service account. Note, you can add multiple e-mail addresses to the list by simply separating each e-mail address with a comma. Making sure that we have your current e-mail addresses on file will ensure that your organization is notified of any important changes that may impact your access to the MapPoint Web Service and Virtual Earth API’s.

Thank you,

The Virtual Earth Platform Team

Microsoft Corporation

CP

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