Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications

License plate identification, picture-taking drones and GPS tracking devices are legal in certain cases and their users may have only the best of intentions. So, what could possibly go wrong if these tools are deployed for purposes other than those for which they were intended? Welcome to the new privacy.

Maps before and after Hurricane Sandy predicted flood damage well. What can mappers do better next time to support high density urban areas that are likely to be impacted by catastrophic storms?

Last week Esri announced at its European User Conference that it had acquired LBS firm, Geoloqi. Our editors look at why Esri might be interested in the firm and the new market areas it might open.

Last week Senator Charles Schumer of New York requested an investigation and began pondering legislation to help prevent trucks from causing accidents related to use of GPS and satellite navigation tools. What’s the real issue? Can legislation help?

The editors of Directions Magazine joined 15,000 Esri software users at the opening plenary events of the 2012 User Conference. They discuss the trends, ideas and technology products that will impact users and non-users in the coming year.

This past weekend, the Commercial Mobile Alert System went “live.” FEMA and the FCC are collaborating in this effort based on previously developed systems, such as IPAWS and EAS, and implemented because of The WARN Act. The system supports nationwide as well as local emergencies. But commercial companies are providing both the backbone and the end user apps to either supplement or replace government-issued warnings. Who will win and why? Will the public understand the difference and will multiple apps be necessary or should there be just one?

On Monday's Fresh Air [3/12/12], John Villasenor, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a professor of electrical engineering at UCLA, explains what these drones will be able to see and how they work. He also talks about the privacy and national security concerns raised by using drones for surveillance purposes.

Analytics and big data are becoming areas that are truly leveraging geospatial technology, and new and not-so-new players are entering the geo arena. We'll look at companies like SpaceCurve, Teradata, Rhiza and Tableau and examine what they are bringing to the table.

This week we go looking for geo innovation in recent product announcements. Do we find any? Yes!