More GIS software

Here are a couple of GIS software packages I recently saw - probably not all that useful as there are better and cheaper (i.e. free) commercial and open-source alternatives.

• SuperGIS Desktop 3. This seems to be a desktop-based application along the lines of the (open-source) MapWindow.
• Map2Net (a cloud-based GIS application) - starts at 2,000 Euros per year...

Social Media in K-12

Or in Higher Education...here's an interesting infographic about it. I'll be honest: I have no idea who the source is...the website www.bestmastersineducation.com/ does not indicate anything (which is usually a red flag).

Shape Escape

Shape Escape is a useful little website/app to convert shapefiles to Google Fusion Tables (i.e. KML) or to geoJSON and topoJSON. Of course, ArcGIS can do all that...this 'frees' you from Esri if needed.

www.marinetraffic.com

This may sound boring...but this is a great example of a real-time, global, and interactive web map - in this case showing the location, speed, and direction of all marine traffic (boats, ferries, tankers, etc.). Click on the icon to see information about the vessel and a picture. A great place to explore is the English Channel or the area around busy ports such as Hong Kong.

• www.marinetraffic.com/ais
• More interested in air traffic? Try Plane Finder!

OpenStreetMap Map Editor

This has been missing from OSM: a quick and easy way to contribute and make edits. Well, no more! Now there is a simple to use map editor for everyone - nice!

• OSM Map Editor

The Conversation Prism

The Conversation Prism = a map of the Social Media landscape

DigitalPlanet.org

DigitalPlanet.org is a website dedicated to using Google Earth in Geoscience education - cool! There is also a matching book Google Earth and Virtual Visualizations in Geoscience Education and Research published by the Geological Society of America.

Sigh...yet another source of good and useful course materials...not that that is bad, but how do we possibly keep track of all that is available? At the end this 'excess of non-organized resources' forces you back to your starting point: create your own materials! (which, in the end, is probably the best approach anyways...) There is really no difference between these crowd-sourced activities and the standard, one-size-fits-all approach of traditional textbooks and lab manuals.

GEOLocate

This is interesting - an application that (somehow) is able to georeference qualitative location information = somehow convert location names, distances, compass bearings, etc. into proper geographic coordinates. Not sure how well it works, but worth checking-out: they have a browser-based application as well as a stand-alone desktop application.

• GeoLocate

OpenGeoportal

OpenGeoportal is nothing particularly new - essentially an online clearinghouse for geospatial data. It can get a bit messy when digging around inside the map-based interface, but that's a small price to pay for getting access to all those data.

• OpenGeoportal.org
• GeoData@Tufts

Field Papers

This is a fun and useful little application: make a map, format it to include space for notes and observations, create a PDF, print it, and take your field book into the field! This would be great for field trips, labs, and other activities where you take students outside.

• Field Papers

Health Map of the United States

Here is a great interactive web map of three health indicators (life expectancy, obesity, and physical activity) mapped across the USA at the county level. Read the related article for more information.

• The Health of the United States

The Clear Congress Project

This is very cool: a map/visualization of the U.S. Congress - reminds me a bit of Gapminder. Read the associated blog for additional information and data analysis.

• Clear Congress Project

Immersion - The Geography of Email

This is a fun way to make a 'map' of your Email history and connections.

• Immersion

See also: The Geography of Facebook and The Geography of Twitter

Online Geologic Map of the U.S.

This is pretty cool (if you are into geology...) - the National Geologic Map Database (NGMDB), viewable as an interactive web map. But, you can also 'see' the map as more traditional searchable catalog.

• NGMDB - Map View
• NGMDB - Catalog View

Every Congressional District - Ever!

Every district - ever - in Esri shapefile format!

• U.S. Congressional District Shapefiles

Public Transit Times

Seen on FlowingData: how long does it takes to get to B from A using only public transit and (maybe) walking? Here are examples of a network / service area analysis and as expected you can clearly see the 'speed' effect of major roads.

• NYC Transit Times (no walking)
• Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, and Boulder (with walking)
• Trulia.com commute time