tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82099029239268396702023-03-21T13:05:30.942-04:00Caribbean GISGeographic Information Systems/ Science (GIS), and its application in and around the Caribbean.Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.comBlogger198125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-503988378657696132016-02-28T16:25:00.000-04:002016-02-28T16:25:37.056-04:00Map Saint Lucia 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvlBPNsYyoM/VtNO-TKsrUI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/pmIrOggF7Co/s1600/MapSaintLucia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvlBPNsYyoM/VtNO-TKsrUI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/pmIrOggF7Co/s1600/MapSaintLucia.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://ict.gov.lc/civicrm/event/info?id=1" target="_blank">Map Saint Lucia 2016</a>, a national Map-A-Thon organised by the Government of Saint Lucia as part of the country's 37th Independence Anniversary celebrations, has (so far) resulted in over <a href="http://resultmaps.neis-one.org/osm-changesets?comment=MapSaintLucia#15/13.8070/-61.0566" target="_blank">37,000 changes to the Open Street Map</a> data of the island (stats credit: <a href="http://neis-one.org/" target="_blank">Pascal Neis</a>).</div>
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One hundred and sixteen persons, including some based outside Saint Lucia contributed their knowledge of roadways, waterways, land-use, landmarks and over 4,250 buildings. The basedata for Saint Lucia just got much richer, and since these data are #opendata the island has just improved its resilience against disaster, upgraded the experience for tourists and business travelers, and added to resources for planning and development analysis by professionals. Perhaps most importantly, Saint Lucia has increased the participation of its citizens in governance. Great! An gwo avansman!</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-61589796463435578692015-12-08T12:19:00.001-04:002015-12-08T12:19:22.853-04:00Mapping Bloodlines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W7lGtEd8_4E/Vmb_0nMD5mI/AAAAAAAAC2E/5OHNKaMvsC8/s1600/Grenada_stamp_Dufour.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W7lGtEd8_4E/Vmb_0nMD5mI/AAAAAAAAC2E/5OHNKaMvsC8/s1600/Grenada_stamp_Dufour.JPG" /></a></div>
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Today, the IFRC (International Federation of the Red Cross & Red Crescent) holds its 32nd International Conference in Geneva. Today as well, CARPHA (Caribbean Public Health Agency) accompanied by the WHO and PAHO/WHO, begins its Workshop on Network Surveillance of Diseases, in Port-of-Spain. These two organisations, both affiliated with highly-placed international organisations (the former to the United Nations and the latter to CARICOM) have mapping in their DNA.<br /><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume-Henri_Dufour" target="_blank">One of the five founders of the Red Cross was Guillaume-Henri Dufour</a>, a Swiss mapper, after whom Switzerland's highest peak Dufourspitze, is named. Version 2 of the popular open source GIS software <a href="http://qgis.org/" target="_blank">QGIS</a> was also codenamed Dufour. His face has appeared on postage stamps, including one from Grenada.<br /><br />The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Snow_%28physician%29" target="_blank">father of epidemiology, Dr. John Snow</a>, is remembered for stopping the 1854 London Soho District cholera epidemic. He did so by collecting field data as soon as the epidemic started and creating a map showing the <a href="https://www.udel.edu/johnmack/frec682/cholera/" target="_blank">location of cholera case</a>s, leading him to correctly diagnose that the source was a contaminated water well(pump). The prevalent medical explanation for cholera at the time was 'miasma', so his work was a triumph of information management and mapping, and an advancement for society. As we know, today this combination of information management and mapping is called 'GIS'.<br /><br />Whilst GIS has seen great progress in recent years, riding on the advancements in computing, telecommunications, satellite imagery, drones, etc., does the <a href="http://www.ifrc.org/" target="_blank">IFRC</a> or <a href="http://carpha.org/" target="_blank">CARPHA</a> continue to use and improve on the seminal work of their founder and the founder of their field, respectively? If they could, what would the IFRC/ ICRC/ Red Cross Societies, or CARPHA/ PAHO, tell General Dufour and Dr. Snow, respectively, regarding their present use of real information management and mapping?<br /><br />What would Dufour and Snow have done with GIS if they were alive today?</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-80551793377548797952015-07-01T13:10:00.000-04:002015-07-01T13:20:52.523-04:00Lost At Sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lDF-3nRTRIw/VZQWn6YM6_I/AAAAAAAAC1s/lBLijX980kA/s1600/Four_EEZs_affected_by_Venezuela_Decree_1787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lDF-3nRTRIw/VZQWn6YM6_I/AAAAAAAAC1s/lBLijX980kA/s1600/Four_EEZs_affected_by_Venezuela_Decree_1787.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://hoyvenezuela.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Gaceta-Oficial-n%C3%BAmero-40.677.pdf" target="_blank">Venezuela's Presidential Decree 1787</a> of 26 May 2015 apparently extends a new zone of military operations into the Exclusive Economic Zones (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_economic_zone" target="_blank">EEZ</a>) of four other countries. The areas of each <a href="https://caribbeangis.cartodb.com/viz/aff8520a-2003-11e5-9c34-0e49835281d6/embed_map" target="_blank">EEZ affected by Venezuela</a> are as follows:</div>
Barbados 294 sq. km<br />
Trinidad & Tobago 4,531 sq. km<br />
Guyana 118,156 sq. km<br />
Suriname 34,419 sq. km<br />
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See <a href="https://caribbeangis.cartodb.com/viz/aff8520a-2003-11e5-9c34-0e49835281d6/embed_map" target="_blank">Interactive Map and Open Data</a>. Though Barbados has the smallest area claimed by Venezuela, it stands to loose an area equivalent to nearly 70% of its land mass. Trinidad & Tobago stands to loose an area equivalent to nearly 90% of its land mass, along with access to the Atlantic Ocean. <br />
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Guyana stands to loose 85% of its EEZ including Territorial Sea areas, as well as access to the Atlantic. Suriname stands to loose 34,419 sq. km (26%) of its EEZ and be left with a 26km wide "gateway" to the Atlantic.<br />
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Venezuela's claimed EEZ also goes beyond the 200 nautical mile convention followed by other nations and instead extends out to 350 nautical miles from land, thereby also claiming 59,982 sq. km of the Continental Shelf/ High Seas. Effectively too the Venezuelan military is instructed to operate within 26km of the EEZ of France (French Guiana).</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-7151440465445874142015-03-27T08:00:00.000-04:002015-03-27T08:00:07.678-04:00Rise of the Nodes<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HuBLaDb6NtU/VRTINiomDDI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/0GABqUKoF20/s1600/Geonode_Dominica_Estates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HuBLaDb6NtU/VRTINiomDDI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/0GABqUKoF20/s1600/Geonode_Dominica_Estates.jpg" /></a></div>
Caribbean open spatial data portals now exist and may be growing. Almost all seem to be based on open source <a href="http://geonode.org/" target="_blank">Geonode</a> software, backed by the <a href="https://www.gfdrr.org/opendri" target="_blank">World Bank OpenDRI</a>, <a href="http://suite.opengeo.org/dashboard/" target="_blank">BoundlessGeo/ OpenGeo</a> and others - an initiative that may have started at the <a href="http://www.ecapra.org/es/node/394" target="_blank">CAPRA</a> project in Central America. In the Caribbean, open data nodes can be found in <a href="http://maps.tt/" target="_blank">Trinidad & Tobago</a>, <a href="http://haitidata.org/" target="_blank">Haiti</a>, <a href="http://www.dominode.net/" target="_blank">Dominica</a>, <a href="http://sling.gosl.gov.lc/" target="_blank">Saint Lucia</a>, <a href="http://www.geoserver.ggmc.gov.gy/" target="_blank">Guyana</a>, <a href="http://geonode.data.gov.ag/" target="_blank">Antigua</a> and <a href="http://cariska.mona.uwi.edu/" target="_blank">Jamaica</a>. (also holds few data for other islands) and a World Bank project - <a href="http://charim-geonode.net/" target="_blank">CHaRIM</a> (holds data for Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines). There's also a small experiment (mine) in <a href="http://health.caribbeangis.com/chikungunya/chikv-in-carpha-countries" target="_blank">open public health data</a> using Google Fusion Tables for mapping. Would like to hear of the other open data outposts out there - spatial or not.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-74731938793275116202015-03-04T07:30:00.000-04:002015-03-04T07:30:00.091-04:00Open By Default<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H32qsghvx8M/VOa0LUgClFI/AAAAAAAAC0g/txpsoCTQeDI/s1600/WorldBank_OpenData.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H32qsghvx8M/VOa0LUgClFI/AAAAAAAAC0g/txpsoCTQeDI/s1600/WorldBank_OpenData.jpg" /></a></div>
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It's very encouraging that global development banks continue to find value in making public spending data, open data, in pursuit of improved transparency, combating corruption and better communication with the public. Many have begun their effort with GIS/ maps, e.g. the <a href="http://maps.worldbank.org/p2e/mcmap/map.html?code=GY&level=country&indicatorcode=0553&title=Guyana&org=ibrd" target="_blank">World Bank (WB)</a> and the <a href="http://opendataforafrica.org/" target="_blank">African Development Bank (AfDB)</a> - maps tell stories well. Over and above the medium(s) has arisen a principle: 'Open by Default'. The <a href="http://www.opengovpartnership.org/" target="_blank">Open Government Partnership</a> (OGP) which works to get governments to commit to openness has the support of the WB, ADB, OECD, IDB and UNDP, and has expressed such a principle. As this <a href="http://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/world-bank-group-s-full-project-portfolio-now-map" target="_blank">excellent summary</a> by the World Bank states: 'Showing where the money goes is becoming the new normal.'</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-21370241723393972472015-01-21T23:18:00.000-04:002015-01-21T23:18:12.936-04:00A Big Map<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UuTuDhtbZJc/VMBqSeFKY6I/AAAAAAAAC0M/mNeCqf4IHgM/s1600/Mapazonia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UuTuDhtbZJc/VMBqSeFKY6I/AAAAAAAAC0M/mNeCqf4IHgM/s1600/Mapazonia.jpg" /></a></div>
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An open data project, <a href="http://mapazonia.org/" target="_blank">Mapazonia</a>, is using crowdsourcing to go where no map has gone before. This initiative of the Latin American OSM community specifically plans to update data for 5.5 million sq. kilometres of the Amazon on <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/" target="_blank">Open Street Map (OSM)</a> using the <a href="http://tasks.hotosm.org/project/827" target="_blank">Humanitarian OSM Tasking Manager tool</a>. Un formidavel trabalho.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-64850314986872676502014-10-31T14:22:00.000-04:002014-10-31T14:22:10.710-04:00Code Wars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i8CJ-wpjDyA/VFPLvmXcqjI/AAAAAAAACz4/J0sS3oa6ytE/s1600/OpenLocationCode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i8CJ-wpjDyA/VFPLvmXcqjI/AAAAAAAACz4/J0sS3oa6ytE/s1600/OpenLocationCode.jpg" /></a></div>
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In pursuit of a faster, shorter, surer way of getting around (in addition to trusty Lat Long, for reasons explained by the various promoters), there's now <a href="https://github.com/google/open-location-code" target="_blank">Open Location Code</a> (with a <a href="http://plus.codes/" target="_blank">demonstration site</a>). The inventors, two Google engineers, seem to have examined the shortcomings of <a href="http://www.caribbeangis.org/2014/07/wots-that-word.html" target="_blank">What3Words</a> and <a href="http://www.caribbeangis.org/2014/07/the-map-code.html" target="_blank">MapCode</a> and <a href="https://github.com/google/open-location-code/blob/master/docs/comparison.adoc" target="_blank">other systems</a>, and have released a solution - an algorithm, as open source. The output is similar to that generated by MapCode, but as an algorithmic solution, it removes the need for a lookup in a data file (that would need to be maintained). It remains to be seen if this latest entrant (only four days ago) will gain traction, like say, MapCode which claims usage by 50 million, but it does have 'open' and being implementable by anyone going for it.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-51606437037522134502014-10-21T12:18:00.000-04:002014-10-21T12:18:39.928-04:00Open World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6Ko9XU5YyA/VEZ7Pr9dEoI/AAAAAAAACzo/XnjzHGoNNzA/s1600/WB_Open_Data.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6Ko9XU5YyA/VEZ7Pr9dEoI/AAAAAAAACzo/XnjzHGoNNzA/s1600/WB_Open_Data.jpg" /></a></div>
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The World Bank's data on a number of <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/topic/environment?cid=EXT_TWBN_D_EXT&hootPostID=e0468f2b6ae962788a8e2bbbccaccc9e" target="_blank">development indicators</a> for all countries is now open data. The USA has an <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/09/executive-order-making-open-and-machine-readable-new-default-government-" target="_blank">Executive Order ( May 2014)</a> to make 'open and machine readable the new default for
government information'; and one example is the new <a href="http://www.fedtechmagazine.com/article/2014/10/usaid-releases-first-open-data-policy" target="_blank">open data policy by USAID</a>. The <a href="https://open-data.europa.eu/en/data/" target="_blank">EU has an open data portal</a> and at least five <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/open-data-portals" target="_blank">EU countries have portals</a> of their own to help find their open data. <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/06/05/new-open-data-project-to-support-business-innovation-and-transparency-in-the-caibbean" target="_blank">Saint Lucia</a> has decided to make government data open data. </div>
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Open data has become the new standard. It's different from public information in that the data can both be found and easily accessed. A report published on the web as a PDF file is public information. A published spreadsheet or text file that can be imported relatively easily for analysis would be open data. Governments are the biggest producers and consumers of data - so the operations of government offices should be early beneficiaries of an open data approach.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-32810714577778975362014-09-30T23:34:00.000-04:002014-09-30T23:34:21.937-04:00UnderCHIKV Syndrome<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UYE7WfR2OPM/VAVCx6jeZ4I/AAAAAAAACzU/Z9Ozg0Fgxd8/s1600/CHIKV_Map_Americas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UYE7WfR2OPM/VAVCx6jeZ4I/AAAAAAAACzU/Z9Ozg0Fgxd8/s1600/CHIKV_Map_Americas.jpg" /></a></div>
Total Chikungunya (CHIKV) cases in the Americas have risen to almost 750,000 (Total Cases = Confirmed+Suspected Cases). Since Chikungunya and Dengue have similar symptoms (fever, joint pain), there could be mis-counts of Suspected Cases; however, the severe, often hobbling, joint pain caused by Chikungunya probably makes that a minor possible error.<br />
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A deeper look into the reports being provided to citizens by official regional public health agencies, using <a href="http://health.caribbeangis.com/chikungunya" target="_blank">map, charts and timelines</a>, highlights anomalies such as very old numbers (1, 2 and 3 months old) being published in current status reports - which suggests that the Chikungunya epidemic is presently under-reported in the Caribbean and in The Americas.<br />
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The data compiled to produce the maps, etc. is available as #opendata for download or interactive exploration (no login needed).<br />
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Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-25167035672012092522014-08-25T08:16:00.002-04:002014-08-25T08:16:48.171-04:00Lost In Space<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hObwBBtpgik/U_rVEVzYg7I/AAAAAAAACzE/GT7k4i-4qKM/s1600/ArianeSpace_Galileo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hObwBBtpgik/U_rVEVzYg7I/AAAAAAAACzE/GT7k4i-4qKM/s1600/ArianeSpace_Galileo.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.arianespace.com/news-press-release/2014/8-23-2014.asp" target="_blank">ArianeSpace</a> has reported, in so many words, that the fifth and sixth satellites in the planned <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Navigation/The_future_-_Galileo/What_is_Galileo" target="_blank">Galileo</a> constellation, Europe's next generation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), were placed in a wrong orbit. It's the oddest thing. This delays Galileo from achieving what the <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Navigation/The_future_-_Galileo/What_is_Galileo" target="_blank">European Space Agency (ESA)</a> refers to as Operational Capability, which would bring exciting new applications of GPS including 'guiding cars, running trains and landing aircraft'. <br />
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Galileo is planned to be the first <b>interactive GPS</b> service. It would be 'interoperable with [USA's] GPS and [Russia's] GLONASS'; would 'deliver real-time positioning accuracy down to the metre range'; would 'guarantee availability of the service under all but the most extreme circumstances'; would provide a 'global Search and Rescue function' that would relay distress signals to rescue coordination centres as well as <b>a response</b> informing the user that the signal had been detected and that help was on the way ... and would '<b>inform users within seconds of any satellite failure</b>'. Unfortunately that last feature is probably working in overdrive at this time.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-39186963303029612372014-08-22T23:55:00.000-04:002014-08-22T23:55:28.818-04:00Viral Maps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RsLmiYyzHVU/U_eihGqinqI/AAAAAAAACy0/mNkVQvvrF9A/s1600/PAHO_CHIKV-Data-Caribe-2014-EW-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RsLmiYyzHVU/U_eihGqinqI/AAAAAAAACy0/mNkVQvvrF9A/s1600/PAHO_CHIKV-Data-Caribe-2014-EW-33.jpg" /></a></div>
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Three of the leading public health agencies in the Americas provide data and/ or map the Chikungunya epidemic sweeping across the Caribbean and the continental Americas. The <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/geo/caribbean.html" target="_blank">Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)</a> says that 'chikungunya case counts are publicly released every Wednesday', though these could not be found on its website, and provides a static presence/ absence map showing countries where local transmission has been documented.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_topics&view=rdmore&tt=PAHO%2FWHO+Data%2C+Maps+and+Statistics&id=5927&tp=&Itemid=40931&lang=en" target="_blank">Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)</a> provides a weekly report every Friday (usually late in the afternoon) of Chikungunya counts for most countries of the Americas (including the Caribbean) and a static presence/ absence map showing countries with both local and imported cases (travellers to the country). The PAHO map also highlights 'sub-national areas' with local transmission of the virus, e.g. the Divisions of Guarico, Carabobo, Aragua, Vargas and Miranda in Venezuela and the State of Florida in the USA. However it is not known whether the map is intended to communicate that these areas are Chikungunya <i>hotspots</i> within a country.</div>
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The <a href="http://carpha.org/What-We-Do/Public-Health-Activities/Chikungunya" target="_blank">Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)</a> provides a weekly report like PAHO, of Chikungunya counts for the 20 CARICOM countries and 11 others, but every Monday, and an interactive map. The CARPHA map has a useful timeline feature illustrating the progression of the disease through the Region and mouseover info boxes showing the number of cases in a country. Both PAHO and CARPHA seems to face issues with old data from at least some countries,</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-47137383292054891822014-07-30T10:13:00.001-04:002014-07-30T10:24:24.548-04:00Forecast: Ebola Hurricane 10%<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TId_1Ax5HgM/U9j_6_HvAeI/AAAAAAAACyg/hq-a06wJlus/s1600/Ebola_map_(c)PeterPiot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TId_1Ax5HgM/U9j_6_HvAeI/AAAAAAAACyg/hq-a06wJlus/s1600/Ebola_map_(c)PeterPiot.jpg" /></a></div>
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The <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28262541" target="_blank">Belgian doctors who first described Ebola fever</a> to western medicine in 1976 asked three questions whilst investigating the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Zaire) - one was '<b>Where</b>?'. These doctors diligently made maps from their information to help understand and defeat the epidemic back then. </div>
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2709180/Ebola-victim-sparked-fears-global-outbreak-American-Father-died-incurable-virus-Nigeria-taking-international-flight-going-visit-children-Minnesota.html" target="_blank">Ebola fever can spread fast</a>; contagious and deadly enough to form <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/29/us-health-ebola-africa-idUSKBN0FY1H420140729" target="_blank">a threat to experienced doctors as much as patients</a>. If the current Ebola epidemic leaps into the Caribbean, as Chikungunya did only eight months ago, its spread might seem like a hurricane in comparison.</div>
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Timely and accurate information is a necessity in preventing incurable, deadly diseases from becoming epidemics. Forty years after "Zaire", do public health and immigration authorities in Caribbean nations use modern information management, mapping and spatial analysis tools? </div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-57645968372067098752014-07-29T08:46:00.003-04:002014-07-29T14:53:40.665-04:00The Map Code<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J9Sq5-bj0ow/U9eTDFvVDoI/AAAAAAAACyA/BuKYrWaCyt0/s1600/MapCode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J9Sq5-bj0ow/U9eTDFvVDoI/AAAAAAAACyA/BuKYrWaCyt0/s1600/MapCode.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here's another attempt at a global reference system. <a href="http://www.mapcode.com/" target="_blank">MapCode</a> has assigned short postcode-like codes to all parts of the globe. Though its method is not fully described it does seem to be systematic - for instance, the position with mapcode GUY 9Z.L<u>K</u> is located between GUY 9Z.L<u>J</u> and GUY 9Z.L<u>L</u>, each separated from the other by a few metres. It apparently produces more than one version of a mapcode for a given location. One version includes the country code, as in the examples above, and another is an international code 'independent of territorial borders'. This seems useful, though it's not clear why some locations have four versions of a mapcode. However, using any one mapcode related to a location, consistently gets the same location. With its consistent framework, the shortness of mapcodes seems to be a strength - GUY 9Z.LK is indeed easier to remember than '6.81726 deg N, 58.15884 deg W', and potentially equally useful in the many ways georeferences are used today. The system is apparently in use by a stated 50M car navigation devices.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-24839249932195711972014-07-25T22:05:00.001-04:002014-07-25T22:05:55.980-04:00Wot's That Word?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NEYR8AQ85pE/U9MCQnEWxLI/AAAAAAAACxw/-g_icVi7vNE/s1600/W3W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NEYR8AQ85pE/U9MCQnEWxLI/AAAAAAAACxw/-g_icVi7vNE/s1600/W3W.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here is an interesting take on a better global reference system. <a href="http://what3words.com/" target="_blank">What3Words</a> (W3W) divides the world into 3x3m spaces (57 Trillion of them) and assigns each a specific 3-word address. So giving someone your address apparently becomes easier. Or does it? I can see how telling, emailing or texting someone that my location is '<b>acrobat.explanatory.supper</b>' might sound easier than '6.81726 deg N, 58.15884 deg W'. W3W says 'each square’s address contains totally different words to its nearby squares'. But therein lies a problem. This new global addressing scheme of W3W doesn't do something important that the old fashioned degrees N/S/E/W system provides - context. You can't relate any W3W address to anything else by yourself. You can't tell what a neighbouring location might be (one of mine is 'freehand.construing.uneasy'), etc..</div>
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In contrast, saying my location is approx. 6N, 58W allows people from many professions or high-school students to swiftly understand that my location is ... tropical ... West of Greenwich ... around South America. And to easily further figure out that say, Castries, Saint Lucia located at 14N, 60W must be to my North, or that Paramaribo, Suriname located at 5.8N, 55W must be to my East. </div>
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It seems that W3W has uses - e.g. word games, poetry competitions. But a global addressing scheme W3W is not.</div>
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So why bother to carefully divide up the globe into 57 Trillion 3x3m squares? Regretfully, I think it has something to do with the following W3W option - 'You can purchase an additional, personalised address for any 3m x 3m square'. Paying US$2 per 3x3m of (cyber)space is a steal. But for whom? Thanks Tony.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-14267653647197410092014-07-11T12:32:00.000-04:002014-07-11T12:32:39.435-04:00Post GIS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SdMCc-4aBbA/U8AQjnfXt9I/AAAAAAAACxc/WGQjEhCZvAU/s1600/Bahamas_70cStamp_BNGIS_2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SdMCc-4aBbA/U8AQjnfXt9I/AAAAAAAACxc/WGQjEhCZvAU/s1600/Bahamas_70cStamp_BNGIS_2014.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Bahamas Postal Services will release <a href="http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/portal/public/gov/government/news/postal%20stamps%20to%20recognise%2010th%20anniversary%20of%20bngis/" target="_blank">a new series of stamps</a> on July 21 in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Bahamas National Geographic Information Systems (BNGIS) Centre (July 26, 2004). The special issue of four stamps features a 15 cent stamp, a 50 cent stamp, a 65 cent stamp and a 70 cent stamp. Text and image copyright Government of The Bahamas. Thanks GSDI.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-28983821773820362912014-06-25T12:43:00.000-04:002014-06-25T12:43:16.379-04:00Open<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1t6umKgKqio/U6r5hkLGdXI/AAAAAAAACxM/gL5VkeHcXcA/s1600/Open_Source_Spatial_Web__PaulRamsey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1t6umKgKqio/U6r5hkLGdXI/AAAAAAAACxM/gL5VkeHcXcA/s1600/Open_Source_Spatial_Web__PaulRamsey.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here's a very listenable talk from a 2014 URISA conference about what is <a href="http://blog.cleverelephant.ca/2014/05/open-source-and-spatial-web.html" target="_blank">Open Source and Open Source Web Mapping</a>, with descriptions of three cases of actual implementation. Here's an alternative link to the 26 min <a href="http://vimeo.com/92522557" target="_blank">video</a> as well. Thanks Alan.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-68505827629577112802014-06-06T13:40:00.000-04:002014-06-06T13:40:26.858-04:00Trinidad & Tobago Data Upgrade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZZR_ymgLpA/TZtCkdhfPpI/AAAAAAAACaU/o020p2C__jg/s1600/flag_Trinidad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZZR_ymgLpA/TZtCkdhfPpI/AAAAAAAACaU/o020p2C__jg/s1600/flag_Trinidad.jpg" /></a></div>
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Trinidad & Tobago (<a href="http://www.agriculture.gov.tt/divisions-and-units/divisions/survey-and-mapping.html" target="_blank">Surveys & Mapping Division</a>) will soon complete high-resolution aerial mapping of the entire country, with imagery and elevation data being produced. <a href="http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Technology-to-control-squatting-261343281.html" target="_blank">Statements by the Hon. Minister of Land & Marine Resources and the Commissioner of State Lands have been reported</a> indicating that "the data will form the fundamental datasets upon which the proposed
National Spatial Data Infrastructure will be established". Further outcomes will include "elevation models, design of settlement layouts, planning of development and infrastructure like roads, development of flood-mitigation plans, disaster-management planning and assessing the quantity and quality of State Lands. The imagery and elevation data will be available to all public agencies
for use in enabling the services they are required to provide." This will be fabulous for the development of Trinidad & Tobago.</div>
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P.S. With T&T's participation in UNISDR's <a href="http://www.caribbeangis.org/2014/05/resilient-cities.html" target="_blank">Resilient Cities</a> initiative, I wonder if this dataset will be made Open Data, as <a href="http://protohub.net/open-data-a-suppliers-perspective-open-data-blom-aerofilms/" target="_blank">Hampshire UK recently did with its own similar dataset</a>. Thanks GSDI.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-19751105268272516822014-05-08T15:34:00.001-04:002014-05-08T15:34:17.049-04:00Resilient Cities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-meaHZnVVRIo/U2vPtZ6oWhI/AAAAAAAACww/eTWzbXYvl6I/s1600/UNISDR_Participating_Local_Governments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-meaHZnVVRIo/U2vPtZ6oWhI/AAAAAAAACww/eTWzbXYvl6I/s1600/UNISDR_Participating_Local_Governments.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
ESRI is supporting the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (<a href="http://www.unisdr.org/archive/37380" target="_blank">UNISDR</a>) 'Making Cities Resilient' initiative, that will help countries around the world, and their cities in particular, map and visualize their disaster risk. This adds to the splendid support ESRI has already shown for the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/03/19/climate-data-initiative-launches-strong-public-and-private-sector-commitments" target="_blank">Obama Climate Data Initiative</a>. </div>
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Making data available - Open Data - so that it's available to the
combined brain power of all-of-us to better plan a country's
development, as well as simultaneously make more of us better informed citizens, is the
new and inspiring way to go - to build disaster-resilient countries. In the insular Caribbean, <a href="http://www.unisdr.org/campaign/resilientcities/cities" target="_blank">participating cities</a> are from Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cuba. Guatemala and Honduras are noticeably participating in a big way (30+ cities each), along with many other Latin American countries.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-21429297441415728832014-03-26T16:16:00.001-04:002014-03-26T16:16:55.392-04:00Drones & Lasers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U7yyvU1535o/UzMzXM59AHI/AAAAAAAACwg/EPy1t_CPN2U/s1600/LiDAR_Tropical_Forest_DEM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U7yyvU1535o/UzMzXM59AHI/AAAAAAAACwg/EPy1t_CPN2U/s1600/LiDAR_Tropical_Forest_DEM.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
An interesting proof of concept that generated <a href="http://carbomap.wordpress.com/2014/03/25/lidar-drone-system-maps-height-of-rainforest-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank">3D data over tropical forest</a> (DEM and height of trees) using drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to fly LiDAR sensors has been completed in French Guiana. Interestingly though drones have limitations such as range compared to small aircraft and helicopters, their combined lower flying speeds and heights above a forest canopy gains more dense point clouds and better data. There are implications for tropical forest monitoring and carbon sequestration estimates, presumably at a much lower equipment and operational costs than conventional airborne LiDAR surveys. </div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-86199008437336874142014-03-12T13:42:00.001-04:002014-03-12T13:42:53.283-04:00ESRI & Open Source GIS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cJpxRGrHBBI/UyCbyPda8BI/AAAAAAAACwQ/rdtCCb3_DrE/s1600/ESRI_Open_Source_GitHub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cJpxRGrHBBI/UyCbyPda8BI/AAAAAAAACwQ/rdtCCb3_DrE/s1600/ESRI_Open_Source_GitHub.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Open Source GIS is here to stay it seems. The/ one of the leading software providers, ESRI says, '<a href="http://blogs.esri.com/esri/esri-insider/2014/03/05/esri-open-source-growing/" target="_blank">[ESRI] supports more than 200 open source projects</a> in our <a href="https://github.com/esri" target="_blank">GitHub organization</a>, and over 600 Esri developers that directly collaborate on these and numerous other personal open-source projects. We have released projects that cover nearly every level of the technology stack, from web frameworks to mobile apps to big data geoprocessing'. Read the full article by <a href="http://blogs.esri.com/esri/esri-insider/author/ajturner/" target="_blank">Andrew Turner, CTO, ESRI R&D Center</a>.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-35838149963406679132014-03-10T13:37:00.000-04:002014-03-12T13:47:49.120-04:00New in Jamaica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rnu5pcU4lTA/Ux32aF5daZI/AAAAAAAACv8/RemX5aMJEDU/s1600/GNU_Health.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rnu5pcU4lTA/Ux32aF5daZI/AAAAAAAACv8/RemX5aMJEDU/s1600/GNU_Health.jpg" /></a></div>
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Jamaica has become the <a href="http://blog.gnusolidario.org/2013/09/jamaican-ministry-of-health-adopts-gnu.html" target="_blank">first country to implement nation-wide the free health and hospital information system</a> - <a href="http://health.gnu.org/" target="_blank">GNU Health</a>™. It does not include a GIS or mapping component as far as I can tell, though it does provide 'epidemiological and other statistical reports'. Though free it is not Open Source. However, this is major news in the non-traditional use of free software at an enterprise level in the Caribbean.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-26687881046921202482014-02-18T18:02:00.000-04:002014-02-18T18:02:17.942-04:00Utilitarian Utility<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PVTnt4c1cMA/UwPTu1TrQQI/AAAAAAAACvc/BX6hnDvzcM0/s1600/Belize_BWS_Interruptions_20140218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PVTnt4c1cMA/UwPTu1TrQQI/AAAAAAAACvc/BX6hnDvzcM0/s1600/Belize_BWS_Interruptions_20140218.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here's a simple but fabulous GIS application developed by the <a href="http://tbsl.maps.arcgis.com/apps/OnePane/basicviewer/index.html?appid=a7abd6e4227e411e965c025011a60f19" target="_blank">Belize Water Service (BWS)</a> and <a href="http://tbslcaribbean.com.bz/" target="_blank">TBSL</a> on <a href="http://www.arcgis.com/" target="_blank">ArcGIS Online</a>, showing how to reliably and more easily inform citizens about mundane but important city administration actions. (Where there's a will, there's a spatial dataset and ...). This is what a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) means to our fellow citizens - really useful information. Thanks Emil. P.S. The situation information is live, and may change tomorrow.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-70845303611902056022014-01-22T16:09:00.000-04:002014-01-22T16:10:07.645-04:00NSDI Developments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-to1ZIznNyXM/UuAlFNV1QoI/AAAAAAAACvE/Zkkd7o2gupA/s1600/Guyana_National_Policy_GI_2001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-to1ZIznNyXM/UuAlFNV1QoI/AAAAAAAACvE/Zkkd7o2gupA/s1600/Guyana_National_Policy_GI_2001.jpg" /></a></div>
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Governments at opposite ends of the Caribbean have put forward new legislation that concerns their respective National Spatial Data Infrastructures (NSDI). The <a href="http://myplp.org/2014/01/08/dorsett-moves-bsdi-bill/" target="_blank">Bahamas Spatial Data Infrastructure Programme (BSDI) Bill</a> was moved on Jan 8, 2014 in the Bahamas House of Assembly, and the National Assembly of Guyana passed a <a href="http://guyanachronicle.com/house-passes-bill-to-regulate-land-surveying-profession/" target="_blank">Land Surveyors (Profession) Bill</a> on Jan 16, 2014. The Government of Guyana has drafted a new version of its National Policy on GI (the existing one was approved in 2001), and the Government of Belize is currently in the early stages of drafting a NSDI Policy for Belize.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-23175388482295875462014-01-13T01:48:00.000-04:002014-01-13T01:48:21.282-04:00007 Likes Linux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTiOVZurLwo/UtN8Dnno3nI/AAAAAAAACu0/AqOnGzhrghw/s1600/Ubuntu_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTiOVZurLwo/UtN8Dnno3nI/AAAAAAAACu0/AqOnGzhrghw/s1600/Ubuntu_logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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Not a GIS topic <i>per se</i>, nor involving the Caribbean but, <a href="http://insights.ubuntu.com/wp-content/uploads/UK-Gov-Report-Summary.pdf" target="_blank">according to Ubuntu<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">™</span>, UK CESG has scored Ubuntu 12.04 LTS as the best</a> when evaluating it, Windows, Apple, Android and other operating systems, in its guidance for <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/end-user-devices-security-guidance--2" target="_blank">End User Devices Security and Configuration in the UK public sector</a>. The obscure sounding <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cesg" target="_blank">CESG</a> was once the Communications-Electronics Security Group, and is now the UK National Technical Authority for Information Assurance, a sub-organisation of <a href="http://www.gchq.gov.uk/Pages/homepage.aspx" target="_blank">GCHQ</a>, and 'advises organisations on how to protect their information and information systems against today's threats'. Whether the spin is correct that Ubuntu is the best, or not, it's clear that this Open Source software is established at the Enterprise level.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209902923926839670.post-63078807323778186752013-12-06T16:01:00.001-04:002013-12-06T16:01:21.800-04:00Data Crime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7x6hmOtsWtY/UqIrmwx7MSI/AAAAAAAACuk/QcRlVc9VLpc/s1600/flag_Nicaragua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7x6hmOtsWtY/UqIrmwx7MSI/AAAAAAAACuk/QcRlVc9VLpc/s1600/flag_Nicaragua.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A <a href="http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/sucesos/303713-condenados-sustraccion-de-informacion-restringida" target="_blank">Nicaraguan company has been convicted of theft of restricted cadastral information</a> (the article is in Spanish, but there's auto-translation available on the page itself). On charges of disclosing confidential information and providing public access to classified information, two employees/ former employees of the Nicaraguan Institute of Land Studies (<a href="http://www.ineter.gob.ni/" target="_blank">INETER</a>), could spend eight years and five years in prison. Thanks GSDI.</div>
Vijayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13819453738466502082noreply@blogger.com0