CFGIS March 2, 2012 Ignite Videos

At this past users group we had two brave presenters and a video ignite ignite. Hope you enjoy them!!!

In addition to the usual Ignite presentation, CFGIS also featured an ignite presentation given at a TED event all about how to give an ignite presentation.





Tim Kitchen presented on Where in the World is the EM Team.



Claudia Paskauskas told us about the importance of not hitting that snooze button

Then and Now: The 2011 Japan tsunami

The devastation caused by the tsunami which struck Japan last year serves as a reminder of the power that nature can release. It has been a year since the disaster and NBC has put together a series of before and after pictures from many of the sites impacted by the tsunami. The images which slide depict the location during the flooding of the tsunami and of what the area looks like today. Despite a large amount of cleanup which is still occurring to remove all of the debris many of the areas are beginning the stages of recovery.

Click here to view images and story. Image from cnn.com

Great turnout at CFGIS Users Group Meeting!!!

We are very happy to see such a great turnout at the 1st CFGIS meeting of 2012. We have more than 70 attendees here today to learn more about GIS and how it is be used thoughout Central Florida. We want to say thank you to everyone for attending the meeting and being involved in CFGIS. Your attendance and participation is what makes CFGIS and the entire Central Florida GIS community strong. Thank you, we hope you enjoy the meeting and look forward to a great 2012!!!

CFGIS Users Group is Almost Here!!!

Be sure to mark your calendars and join CFGIS next Friday March 2nd at FDOT D5 offices. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. and will feature a number of great presentations and outstanding networking opportunities.

For more information click here!!!

We will see you there!!!

GIS Is Everywhere! Online Cemetery Makes Tough Visits Easier

One of Adelaide’s largest cemeteries – famous as the site of Sir Donald Bradman’s funeral – can add another unique story to the pages of its history: becoming the nation’s first cemetery to use world-leading technology to take their graveyard online.

Centennial Park Cemetery has used Esri Australia’s Geographic Information System technology to create a website that maps the location of graves so visitors can easily find information about their loved one’s final resting place.

The website will be joined by a mobile phone application to be released later this year, meaning visitors will be able to navigate their way around 40.5 hectare cemetery from the palm of their hands.

“We’ve made that difficult process a little easier to deal with by providing visitors with everything they need to know at their fingertips.

“People can access records of their ancestors and view detailed maps so that they know exactly where to visit before they leave the house.

“With GIS technology, all the information and maps are there at the click of a button, hopefully making potentially difficult visits a little easier."

Read the full article about this just released use of the GIS technology.

What is OGC?

This is a cute video OGC (Open Geospatial Consorium) by ogcvideo. It talks about what OGC is and what it is trying to do through its consensus standards development process.

Satellite Mapping could save Coral Reefs

This article from earthtimes.org discusses how satellite mapping could be used to prevent damage to coral reefs and increase awareness.

From the article: A marine ecologist says new satellite mapping should be introduced to help identify and halt the rapid decline of coral reefs. Phil Dustan has been investigating coral reefs for almost 40 years, since famous marine ecologist Jacques Cousteau warned him in 1974 that humans were destroying reefs.

Dr Dustan, now a University of Charleston biology professor, in the United States, believes that by using Landsat satellite mapping the declining reefs, hotspots can be identified and conservation measures put in place.

Click here to see full story. Image from EarthTimes.org