Douglas C. Engelbart, the inventor of the computer mouse, died on Tuesday at his home in Atherton, Calif. He was 88. Read more about him here.
Inventor of Computer Mouse Dies at 88
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Author Archives: socalgovgis - Michael Carson
USGS now looking for limited crowd-sourced data in CA and NV
Hello everyone:
USGS is now collecting limited crowd-sourced information that can be provided as both GIS data and included in future topographic maps. USGS began collecting VGI – volunteered geographic information – for structures for a number of states several months ago. The agency recently expanded this pilot effort to cover another 16 states, including California and Nevada.
The USGS news release can be seen here:
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3620
USGS is interested in your input on locations for certain public buildings, as mentioned in the news release. This would be a good exercise to look at from a county or local perspective. There might also be situations in CA where organizing a multi-county effort (e.g. through a Council of Governments or a GIS collaborative) would be beneficial.
We would be very interested in hearing what you think about this and any plans you may have to contribute data. We can help with any questions you may have and can set up a conference call or discussion anytime on the subject.
Thanks,
Carol Ostergren
Drew Decker
GIS Group – Women In GIS
Hello Fellow GIS Colleagues,
We are in the process of developing a new GIS group, Women In GIS. Both men and women are welcome to join. We will be meeting at ESRIUC on Wednesday, July 10th from 12:00 to 1:00 in Room 30A (please bring your own lunch). We hope you can join us in a discussion of where we are going and what is next on the horizon. Please include any friends interested in coming, all are welcome to join!
If you are interested in joining our listserve, see the instructions below. Looking forward to a productive ESRIUC! See you soon!
Subscribe instructions for Women in GIS listserve:
Send an email to: Majordomo@csun.edu
In the body of the email type: Subscribe wigis-g
To unsubscribe:
Send an email to: Majordomo@csun.edu
In the body of the email type: Unsubscribe wigis-g
That’s it. It doesn’t matter what is in the subject line. Send me an email if you have any trouble: shawna.dark@csun.edu.
Right now the listserve is open to everyone, inquiries and responses will go to everyone. If traffic gets heavy I can adjust the settings for summary responses only. Finally, we will also be forwarding to you a new website for our group, keep your eye out for this information soon!
Regards,
Christina, Danielle, Lori, Patricia, Regan, Ruthanne, Shawna, and the rest of the Women doing GIS!!
_______________________________________________________________________
Dr. Shawna Dark
Chair, Department of Geography
Director, Center for Geographical Studies (http://www.csun.edu/~centergs/)
California State University, Northridge
818-677-3532
Changes to ArcGIS Online
Looks like ESRI has made ArcGIS Online a little more interesting. Here are some of the changes in the July release:
- Unlimited bandwidth usage (outbound data transfer) is now included with your ArcGIS Online subscription.
- Uploading tile packages from ArcGIS for Desktop is now also included with your subscription.
- Geocoding costs have been reduced by 50%.
- Routing and GeoEnrichment costs have been reduced by nearly 65%.
- Infographic costs have been reduced by more than 80%.
More information can be found on ESRI’s blog site.
Where to buy and light fireworks in LA County
I could not resist the challenge, but I had to limit it to LA County to save time. Click the image below to open the application:
It took a little time going through all the municipal codes. Interesting how the cities differer on when fireworks can be sold and when you can discharge them. The data and application are all in the cloud on ArcGIS Online.
Where to buy and light fireworks in California
I remember as a kid how fun it was on the 4th of July to light my own fireworks at home. A bunch of families on the block would get together, have a BBQ, and enjoy the fireworks.
Later, the city I lived in banned them … I had a few choice words for them!
It sure does seem that fun past is just a memory now. Not so! There still are areas in California, and for us LA and Orange County, that you can still enjoy buying and lighting your own fireworks. Check out this nifty listing at The California Fireworks Newswire.
Each city/county has their own rules, so you should consult their web sites or give them a call. Most sales start at noon on June 28th.
Hey, someone should make an app for this! Any takers?
Have fun and be safe! And if you work/live at a city that still has fireworks, tell your leadership thanks for keeping the tradition alive! I’ll spend my money in your city! -mike
GeoServer Beginner’s Guide
If you are into open source geospatial mapping and want to learn how to get your map data up quickly, this book is for you. GeoServer Beginner’s Guide comes in eBook and Paperback format.
From the publisher: GeoServer is an open source server-side software written in Java that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. Designed for interoperability, it publishes data from any major spatial data source using open standards. GeoServer allows you to display your spatial information to the world. Implementing the Web Map Service (WMS) standard, GeoServer can create maps in a variety of output formats. OpenLayers, a free mapping library, is integrated into GeoServer, making map generation quick and easy. GeoServer is built on Geotools, an open source Java GIS toolkit.
GeoServer Beginner’s Guide gives you a kick start to build custom maps using your data without the need for costly commercial software licenses and restrictions. Even if you do not have prior GIS knowledge, you will be able to make interactive maps after reading this book.
You will install GeoServer, access your data from a database, style points, lines, polygons, and labels to impress site visitors with real-time maps.
Follow along through a step-by-step guide that installs GeoServer in minutes. Explore the web-based administrative interface to connect to backend data stores such as MySQL, PostGIS, MSSQL, and Oracle. Display your data on web-based interactive maps, style lines, points, polygons, and embed images to visualize this data for your web visitors. Walk away from this book with a working application ready for production.
After reading the GeoServer Beginner’s Guide, you will have beautiful, custom maps on your website built using your geospatial data.
Try the GeoGuessr and Win a Prize!
Ok, had to repost this because I had a link that allowed you to see my location answers, so this is a do over! RESET…
Try out the GeoGuessr and see if you can beat my score of 11780! I challenge you! The closer you guess where you are, the more points you get. Post your score by replying to this post. Send the bit.ly share link you can generate at the end of your guessing game to mcarson@burbankca.gov . Top score by July 1st will get a map or globe themed prize from me! Good luck. -mike
SoCal URISA Networking Social
During the ESRI Conference, SoCal URISA invites you to a Networking Social at:
Bootlegger Bar & Restaurant
Corner of 8th & Market, downtown San Diego
(Seven blocks from the Convention Center)
Wednesday, July 10th, 2012
4:00-7:00pm
Drinks and appetizers will be served. Free for Members! If you are not a member, you can join online or on-site for $30 individual, $10 students.
Please register at: www.socalurisa.org
Weird California
Stumbled upon the Weird California site. Check out the interesting things in and around LA County.
SoCalGIS.org 