Packt has an eBook sale going on. All eBooks are $5 including lost of the spatial books including the new PostGIS Cookbook that comes out next month. Other spatial books of note include:
The sale ends January 3rd so you have some time.
Update: Well here you go…
Sorry to disappoint everyone but contrary to current reports @BroadMap has not been purchased by Apple.
– BroadMap (@BroadMap) December 23, 2013
We had heard months ago that some BroadMap staff had moved on to Apple but today things have “exploded”.
Based on evidence and chatter from sources, Apple seemingly acquired mapping firm BroadMap in the first half of this year…
It’s complicated what has actually happened. Many people are claiming different things, but from what I’ve been told:
BroadMap has tweeted that they’re still around as well.
@markgurman @cageyjames We are working on updating the website.The offices were moved from NH to VA. Website has been unattended for a while
— BroadMap (@BroadMap) December 23, 2013
Given the uncertantity of it all, I’m guessing there isn’t much marketing staff left at BroadMap to deal with all these questions. Thus the ambiguity of it all.
Now what I’m interested in is Apple now has many old GDT1 staff on board. I’m assuming they’re going to be working to replace TomTom with their own mapping data. That’s more interesting that who owns what shell company anymore.
Which was acquired by TeleAtlas and then TomTom ↩
Paul Ramsey on using PostGIS on Amazon RDS:
With Amazon Web Services, I had a backed-up and replication-ready database up and running in under an hour, and OpenGeo Suite tied into it in another hour. With the knowledge I’ve gained, next time will take only a few minutes.
Think about that for a moment, a few minutes and you can deploy an enterprise GIS solution. Life is easier when you don’t have licensing constraints.
So over coffee I read this:
Apple’s “Interactive Map” patent filing details a mapping program that enables users to dynamically adjust and view different “layers” of content pulled from the Internet. Examples include commuting, tourism and weather map layers, among others.
Layers of content, brilliant! Why did we not think of this before? The patent filing is a road map for GIS. But I see huge problems with their method, look at this:
Where is the north arrow? Not only that Apple’s map data for Washington DC is cartoonish. No wonder people hate Apple Maps. I can tell you the maps of Phoenix look much better. Looking over the other supporting images is depressing. Breaking down what I do into flow charts, gawd we suck.
I look forward to licensing Apple’s patent to do my work.
BIM is the new GIS? Can you dumb it down a shade?
Look, I got suckered into thinking BIM was the future. The painful fact is BIM is only useful to talk about, not actual use. But that won’t stop CAD companies from trying to convince you BIM is the future.
Let’s just say that BIM is the new GIS. In speaking with Mike DeLacey, CEO of Microdesk, a long time Autodesk partner and reseller, the terms are interchangeable in an Autodesk environment.
Will all do respect Mike, Neogeography (are we spelling it with our without CamelCase these days) is the new GIS. If BIM is interchangeable with GIS in Autodesk, I fear for Autodesk users. Given DWG is all about 0,0 (seriously though, how about require a projection Autodesk?) and unless we’re mapping null island, 0,0 is about as far from GIS as you can get.
Mapmeter (despite not being CamelCase) is a pretty awesome way to get analytics for your maps. We’ve talked on my hangouts about how it is not free, nor is it open source. But you can get a copy free until the end of the year:
…we’re including a free annual Mapmeter subscription with every OpenGeo Suite purchase made before the end of the year. While a Mapmeter subscription is already included at the Platform level and above, this is the perfect opportunity for prospective Plus and Professional purchasers to save nearly $2400.
