Researchers in the UK are using a Google Android phone to create the first ever satellite powered by a smart phone. The 11.8-inch satellite Surrey Training Research and Nanosatellite Demonstrator (STRAND-1 ) will be launched into lower-earth orbit to take pictures of Earth on a mission later this year. Researchers from the University of Surrey […]

  South Australian police want all mobile phones to provide them with GPS coordinates when someone calls 000 in an emergency. The Australian Communications and Media Authority is currently conducting an inquiry into a proposal to require mobile phone carriers to provide limited location information available "on demand". But superintendant Colin Cornish, head of the […]

  Farmers will learn how a planned network of satellite navigation systems will benefit Tasmania’s cropping industry through a series of public meetings starting this week. The Minister for Primary Industries and Water Bryan Green said the technology would enable farmers to use satellite navigation to control their machinery and manage all farm inputs.   […]

ESRI president Jack Damgermond   Esri has announced that Microsoft had selected ArcGIS as a foundation for viewing geospatial information in Azure DataMarket. DataMarket is a marketplace for delivering high-quality information, allowing developers and information workers to easily find, purchase, and manage premium data subscriptions on the Windows Azure platform. Application developers and end users […]

  The Insurance Council of Australia has called for the nation to be properly flood mapped as a means of encouraging more insurers to offer comprehensive flood coverage. A national database mapping elevations, flood-prone regions and the flow of surface water would "guarantee" the roll-out of more insurance policies covering flood damage, the council said. […]

      The New South Wales Government has admitted it may have accidentally approved logging in old-growth forests for years. A report, commissioned by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water and carried out by Aerial Acquisitions, says the mistake was caused by inaccurate surveying. ''The implementation of old-growth is highly variable and […]

  SuperGeo Technologies has announced that SuperPad 3, its mobile GIS software, now works with SuperGIS Server 3 to support online editing services. SuperGIS Server 3 is an upgraded set of map server software that allows businesses to create, integrate, and publish diversified GIS map data on a central server. Users can now modify this […]

  Google Maps switched from using PSMA Australia (formerly Public Sector Mapping Authority) data to a Sensis database because it wanted more detailed data, according to Sensis. Previously, Google used cadastral data from PSMA Australia processed by MapData Sciences to support its Google Maps service in Australia. But recently the internet giant switched data suppliers, prompting […]

Australian Online vehicle tracking company Ezy2c has completed the acquisition of OmniTRACK from OmniSTAR. OmniTRACK is a web-based system that allows businesses to monitor and track both fixed and mobile assets around the clock. Ezy2C uses GPS technology to track over 4000 vehicles across Australia for clients in the transport, mining, utilities, government, manufacturing, distribution, […]