Nordic Geospatial Blog –


June 21, 2010

News – Economist Tech Quarterly & ‘air’ power, retro & gumby robots, & typing cyber faux pas

All stories…

http://www.economist.com/science-technology/technology-quarterly/

…. those with overt applicability to the LE, FOUO, HLS, and DoD domains….

Power from the air? – Re-incarnating Tesla (and no I am not referencing the stellar 80′s band) to change the game for urban C4ISR sensor deployment & obviate the need for plugs, cords, and car chargers for consumers…
http://www.economist.com/node/16295708?story_id=16295708

Old school steam power and autonomous, self fueling biomass robots – military might through mulch?
http://www.economist.com/node/16295752?story_id=16295752

Squishy robots that can meld into tight spots with compeling USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) and public health applications
http://www.economist.com/node/16295646?story_id=16295646

Self healing metal – Beyond the Tin Man from that fateful journey to Oz or simply commuting on the 405, great DoD applicability
http://www.economist.com/node/16295654?story_id=16295654

Loose clicks sink ships (solution, loud music at work is a good thing) – cybersecurity and the use of acoustic typing signatures to remotely hack computers (this could be as disasterously revealing as the un-encripted drone feeds in AfPak, i.e. with line of sight, intruders with a cheap laptop and laser / parabolic microphone could leap firewalls and air-gap systems like Parisienne parcour punks)
http://www.economist.com/node/16295574?story_id=16295574

June 18, 2010

News & Technology – USC Institute for Creative Technology

Category: AfPak,Africa,California,Counterterrorism,DoD,GIS Tools,IED,Intelligence,News,S&T – Tags: , , – Administrator 11:08 pm

Mobile Counter-IED Interactive Trainer (MCIT) Behind the Scenes

http://ict.usc.edu/projects/mobile_counter_ied_interactive_trainer_mcit/

News & Technology – Earthmine (Berkeley CA) is a game changer

http://www.earthmine.com

With great applicability to a myriad of sectors (critical infrastructure, urban planning, facilities, special events, crisis mapping, immersive gaming, special effects, etc.), this technology is truly the ‘missing link’ between our various satellite/aerial ortho (top down) sensors, obliques (Pictometry), flat and contentious Google Streetview and the highly accurate, but slower HDS & BIM (Building Information Models) realms. Make sure to see their booth and team at the 2010 ESRI UC in San Diego. Bravo and well done, Earthmine…

http://www.youtube.com/user/earthmine

February 24, 2010

News – Afghanistan at the Crossroads by Alex Alexiev in National Review

With an unparalleled depth of domain knowledge, Alexiev positions Marjah and the Flynn expose in a realpolitik understanding of the Afghan human and political terrain…

http://article.nationalreview.com/425761/afghanistan-at-the-crossroads/alex-alexiev

More satellites will also help…

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/world/asia/24satellites.html

As would more oversight of contractors vis a vis hearts and minds…
http://armed-services.senate.gov/Webcasts/2010/02%20February/02-24-10%20Webcast.htm

January 14, 2010

Tools – Haiti Earthquake response and recovery

UPDATE 20100712

Doctors Without Borders / MSF Report – Haiti Six Months Later
http://maps.msf.at/Haiti-Six-Months-Later/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/haiti_six_months_EN_LOW.pdf

& Map (note: Spanish & French versions)
http://maps.msf.at/Haiti-Six-Months-Later/?lang=en

UPDATE 20100423
New World Bank Reconstruction Guide
http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/publications/v.php?id=12229

UPDATE 20100302
02.19.10 – USAID-DCHA Haiti Earthquake Mapbook38

International Organization of Migration (IOM) KML and JPEG links
http://groups.google.com/group/cccmhaiti/web/mapping-and-gis?_done=%2Fgroup%2Fcccmhaiti%3F

UPDATE 1500 GMT 20100219 -
ERDAS Data Links and Viewer
http://www.erdas.com/HaitianRelief/tabid/327/Default.aspx

http://apollopro.erdas.com/apollo-client/index.jsp?fullscreen=true

Potential Flooding 10 meter DEM (Digital Elevation Model) – warning: large < 2.8 GB
http://maps.geography.uc.edu/~cgn/maps/Haiti/imagery/waspftp.cis.rit.edu/LiDAR_Rasters_DEM_SEM/DEM/contours/accum_8bit.tif

Resulting Raster Images/Maps from Chris Nicholas at UN-SPIDER
http://maps.geography.uc.edu/~cgn/maps/Haiti/imagery/ASTER_accum.png
2m, Jacmel
http://maps.geography.uc.edu/~cgn/maps/Haiti/imagery/Jacmel_accum.png
2m, Leogane
http://maps.geography.uc.edu/~cgn/maps/Haiti/imagery/Leogane_accumulation.png
10m PaP
http://maps.geography.uc.edu/~cgn/maps/Haiti/imagery/PaP_accum.png

IDP Camps as of Jan 18 with Population Estimates
http://maker.geocommons.com/maps/11262

UPDATE 1500 GMT 20100130 -
The Guardian UK – How to build a crisis reporting system – Lessons learned from Haiti
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/jan/29/haiti-crowdsourcing

James Dobbins of RAND testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Haiti
http://www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies/CT339/

InRelief.org portal with live maps, UAV video, consolidated tweets, etc.
http://haiti.inrelief.org

WIRED Magazine’s DangerRoom covers SDSU’s VizLab and UAV aerial imagery
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/01/video-fix-navy-spyplane-tracks-haiti-airdrop/

NY Times Overview of pre- and post-quake imagery at significant sites
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/14/world/20100114-haiti-imagery.html

WIRED Magazine reviews the power of post-quake LIDAR 3D data (via UN SPIDER )
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/haiti-3d-flyover/all/1

CrisisCommons RSS Project for Haiti
http://wiki.crisiscommons.org/wiki/Haiti_RSS_Feed_Challenge

US PKSOI (Peacekeeping & Stability Operations Institute) SOLLIMS (Stability Operations Lessons Learned Information Management System
http://www.pksoi.org/

UPDATE 1900 GMT 20100126 -

Jan 19-21 3D LIDAR Image of IDP Site Evolution

Jan 19-21 3D LIDAR Image of IDP Site Evolution

Wired Magazine’s The Danger Room reports on laptops and GPS clearing the port in PaP
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/01/repairing-port-au-prince-harbor-with-laptops-and-gps/

UN Shelter Cluster (IOM et al)
http://groups.google.com/group/shelterhaiti2010

UNOCHA
http://ochaonline.un.org/

USAID
http://www.usaid.gov/helphaiti/

Haiti Crisis Map – Telescience with all imagery
http://hypercube.telascience.org/haiti/

UPDATE 2100 GMT 20100125 -
Strategic view of rebuilding Haiti from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
http://www.caribbeanconstruction.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=226:haiti-building-mission&catid=5:general-news&Itemid=3

http://www.rics.org/disastermanagement

UPDATE 2100 GMT 20100124 -
Excellent UN portal
http://oneresponse.info/Disasters/Haiti/Pages/default.aspx

UPDATE 1400 GMT 20100121 -
An excellent one stop shop – the Sahana Portal and Geo viewer
http://haiti.sahanafoundation.org/prod/
http://haiti.sahanafoundation.org/prod/gis/map_viewing_client

UN Cartographic Section Data and Maps
http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm
ftp://157.150.195.135/Maps/DamageAssessment/

Pacific Disaster Center (Maui, HI) resources
http://www.pdc.org/atlas/

Thompson Reuters AlertNet
http://www.alertnet.org/

USGS
http://edcftp.cr.usgs.gov/pub/data/disaster/201001_Earthquake_Haiti/docs_misc/

UN OCHA Haiti
http://oneresponse.info/Disasters/Haiti/MapCenter/Pages/GIS.aspx

UPDATE 1300 GMT 20100120 -
US Navy Topo Map & GEOINT products (PDF, JPG, and GeoPDF formats) are available
http://egeoint.nrlssc.navy.mil/smts/HaitiMaps/

Los Angeles County Fire Search and Rescue updates
http://www.fire.lacounty.gov/haiti.asp

UPDATE 1200 GMT 20100119 -
Ushahidi, iRevolution on CNN
http://blog.ushahidi.com/index.php/2010/01/18/ushahidi-fletcher-situation-room-update/

UN SITREPS here
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/VVOS-7ZUJKN?OpenDocument&RSS20&RSS20=FS

All NGO et al partners can join the US DoD SOUTHCOM APAN (All Partners Access Network) to collaborate and get the latest GEOINT and logistics updates – an excellent resource.
http://www.southcom.mil/AppsSC/APAN.php

Logistics Map Resources
http://www.logcluster.org/tools/mapcentre/map-resources

WHO PAHO
http://twitter.com/pahoeoc
http://new.paho.org/disasters/?lang=en

Delta State University in Mississippi (POC Talbot Brooks – tbrooks@deltastate.edu ) has created hi-res imagery PDF maps with MRGS grids and is pushing WMS GIS data feeds
http://mississippi.deltastate.edu/data/haiti/Map_Products/

1000m WMS

http://greatriver.deltastate.edu/arcgis/services/Haiti/Haiti_MGRS_1000m_All/MapServer/WMSServer

1000m WFS

http://greatriver.deltastate.edu/arcgis/services/Haiti/Haiti_MGRS_1000m_All/MapServer/WFSServer

MGRS 100m grids – Port Au Prince

WMS Service

http://greatriver.deltastate.edu/arcgis/services/Haiti/Port_au_Prince_MGRS_100m/MapServer/WMSServer

WFS Service

http://greatriver/arcgis/services/Haiti/Port_au_Prince_MGRS_100m/MapServer/WFSServer

UPDATE 1900 GMT 20100114 –
ESRI ArcGIS Online Data
http://www.arcgisonline.com/home/group.html?owner=esri_event&title=Haiti%20Earthquake

Google KML file from DirectAction showing damage levels in central Port-au-Prince
http://www.directrelief.org/uploadedFiles/Google_Earth/Haiti%20Emergency%20Map%20with%20DRI%20Points.kmz

JRC Landslide Risk Map
http://www.gdacs.org/documents/JRC_slopemap_20100114.pdf

ReliefWeb map of damage to Port-au-Prince
http://unosat.web.cern.ch/unosat/asp/prod_free.asp?pid=1407

UPDATE 1800 GMT 20100113 –
New Google KML hi-res (house level), post quake IMAGERY (thank you HIFLD)
CLICK HERE

Geospatial Tools
http://geoss.esri.com/geoviewer/

http://www.esri.com/services/disaster-response/index.html

https://cop.vdem.virginia.gov/viper/

Data & Maps
http://haiti.sahanafoundation.org/prod/gis/map_service_catalogue

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&emid=EQ-2010-000009-HTI&rc=2

http://www.un-spider.org/?q=page/3166/un-spider-update-haiti-earthquake

http://unosat.web.cern.ch/unosat/asp/prod_free.asp?id=52

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/catalogs/

http://www.disasterscharter.org/web/charter/home

Other Tools
http://haiti.ushahidi.com/main

Video
Empivot and sustainable housing & shelter that could help inform the rebuilding of Haiti
WHO (OMS) Health Action for Haiti Earthquake Survivors (in French)

UN SPIDER Space Application Matrix


Find more videos like this on AlertNet Editorial


January 8, 2010

Report – White House – Connecting Dots and Databases could have uncovered the Christmas Plane Bomber

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/summary_of_wh_review_12-25-09.pdf

Maybe we should apply some of the advanced analytics used for the DoD efforts to the homefront…

Analytics for the Afghan front of the GWOT

January 7, 2010

Report – Maj Gen M. T. Flynn et al CNAS – Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan

Category: AfPak,Counterterrorism,DoD,Government,IED,Report – Tags: , – Administrator 11:36 am

UPDATE 20100126 -
OXFAM and other NGOs recommend revised aid efforts
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/conflict_disasters/dangers-of-militarized-aid-afghanistan.html

Scathing and timely…

http://www.cnas.org/files/documents/publications/AfghanIntel_Flynn_Jan2010_code507_voices.pdf

January 3, 2010

Armed UAVs – Improved Encription, GEOINT, and HUMINT needed … to Drone or not to Drone

UPDATE 20101216
The Atlantic and Peter Bergen plus excellent 3D AfPak Waziristan map-summary of strikes -
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/12/the-drone-wars/8304/

3D AfPak Drone Map

UPDATE 20100620
US Border drone flights suspended after comms breakdown
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/06/border-drone-breaks-comms-with-pilot-flights-suspended/

UPDATE 20100607
UN Drone Report & NYTimes article
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/world/03drones.html

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/14session/A.HRC.14.24.Add6.pdf

UPDATE 20100413
Robert Wright in NYTimes – The Price of Assassination
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/title-2/

UPDATE 20100405
A stepped up campaign after Khost
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/world/asia/05drones.html

UPDATE 20100303
Interactive maps and stats of the drone campaign in AfPak
http://counterterrorism.newamerica.net/drones

Point…
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MUMA-7ZC99B?OpenDocument

“Of the 44 predator strikes carried out by US drones in the tribal areas of Pakistan over the past 12 months, only five were able to hit their actual targets, killing five key Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders, but at the cost of over 700 innocent civilians.”

Wired Magazine’s Danger Room exposes unencripted UAV signals being used by Insurgents… sobering
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/12/drone-feds-gave-insurgents-early-warning-report/

NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100131283

& Counterpoint…

RAND Corp’s Seth G. Jones – Take the War to Pakistan
http://www.rand.org/commentary/2009/12/04/NYT.html

http://diydrones.com/

January 2, 2010

Event – Nov 16th, 2009 – Columbia Univ. NY – Conference: GIS 3.0: Geospatial Intelligence, Social Data, and the Future of Public Health Preparedness and Response

The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health

http://www.ncdp.mailman.columbia.edu/training.htm

Agenda and Videos

David Abramson, PhD Research Director, NCDP
Irwin Redlener, MD, Director, NCDP
Introductory Remarks
(Video: 10 minutes)

——————————————————————————–

Tony Jebara, PhD, Co-Founder of Sense Networks
Learning Networks of People & Places from Mobile Data
(Video & Slides: 55 minutes)

——————————————————————————–

Eric Rasmussen, MD, CEO of Innovative Support to Emergencies Diseases and Disasters (InSTEDD)
Geospatial Intelligence, Social Data and Public Health
(Video & Slides: 52 minutes)

——————————————————————————–

Charles DiMaggio, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Columbia University
Dr. Snow Meets the Rev. Bayes: Spatial Approaches to Disaster Epidemiology
(Video & Slides: 47 minutes)

——————————————————————————–

Steven Johnson (Keynote Speaker)
Author of The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic – And How it Changed Cities, Science, and the Modern World
(Video: 1 hour, 10 minutes)

——————————————————————————–

Jeb Weisman, PhD, Chief Information Officer, the Children’s Health Fund
Introductory Remarks for Afternoon Speakers
(Video: 2 minutes)

——————————————————————————–

Chris Goranson, GIS Director of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Volunteered Geographic Information – Present and Future(Video & Slides: 35 minutes)

——————————————————————————–

David Abramson, PhD, Research Director, NCDP & Brian Willison, Director of the Parsons Institute for Information Mapping (PIIM)
A Presentation of the American HotSpots Project
(Video & Slides: 27 minutes)

——————————————————————————–

Mark Smith, PhD, Epidemiologist, Guilford County Department of Public Health, North Carolina
Rapid Assessment: Mobile GIS for Public Health Response
(Video & Slides: 23 minutes)

October 9, 2009

News – Disposable Heroes: Contractors in Afghanistan & Iraq

Category: DoD,Federal,Government,IED,News – Tags: , – Administrator 9:29 pm

Map of Contractor Casualty Rates in US

http://www.propublica.org/feature/kbr-contractor-struggles-after-iraq-injuries-1006