The Harlow Report-GIS
2024 Edition
ISSN 0742-468XSince 1978
On-line Since 2000
GIS News Snippets
For the week of
April 1, 2024
Remember When?
A “Harlow Report” From April 3, 2023
Digital Twins Help Infrastructure Become Smarter
by Matt Piper
A digital twin for major infrastructure is only as good as the data that informs it
Jamaica station in Queens is one of New York City's most vital transit hubs, a stop for most Long Island Railroad routes with connections to several subway lines and the AirTrain to John F. Kennedy International Airport. …
Architects and engineers have always taken a long view when designing critical infrastructure, such as Jamaica station, mindful that their creations will need to remain robust well into the future.
Read full story at ENR…
Now back to 2024
Swift Navigation and Telit Cinterion Partner to Enable Precise Positioning in Ultra-Low Power Applications
by Press Release
The integration of Swift's Skylark Precise Positioning Service and Telit Cinterion's GNSS modules will unlock location-based mobile apps that improve safety and efficiency for workers and consumers around the world.
With the introduction of their joint solution, Telit Cinterion and Swift are tackling this challenge head on. Together with Telit Cinterion's suite of best-in-class GNSS receivers, Swift's Skylark® Precise Positioning Service offers uniform precision across entire countries while minimizing power consumption, processing loads, and data transmissions, all at an unbeatable price-to-performance ratio. In even the most challenging environments, such as dense urban areas and canyons, the joint solution dramatically improves location accuracy within seconds.
Read full story at Swift Navigation…
Why Is GIS Such an Important Part of the Asset Lifecycle?
by Nate Binder
Integrating spatial data into asset management systems helps organizations to gain better insights into the geographic context of their assets.
GIS (Geographic Information System) plays a crucial role in asset lifecycle management for a variety of reasons. GIS allows organizations to manage the spatial data associated with assets. Integrating spatial data into asset management systems helps organizations to gain better insights into the geographic context of their assets. GIS also enables real-time tracking and monitoring of assets across their lifecycle. This includes visualizing asset locations, status, and performance metrics. This supports more efficient asset management, maintenance scheduling, and resource allocation.
For all of these reasons and many more, one of the most important aspects of GIS supporting the Asset Lifecycle is simply better decision making.
Read full story at infotech…
Bentley Systems Announces CEO Transition Plan
by Press Release
COO Nicholas Cumins To Be Promoted To CEO July 1, 2024, As Greg Bentley Will Transition To Executive Chair
Bentley Systems, Incorporated … announced that effective July 1, 2024, Greg Bentley will transition from Bentley Systems' CEO to Executive Chair of its Board of Directors. Nicholas Cumins, currently COO, will then be promoted to CEO, and be proposed to join the Board of Directors.
Nicholas Cumins, CEO Designate has served as Bentley Systems' COO since January 2022. He joined Bentley Systems as Chief Product Officer in September 2020 prior to the company's IPO.
Read full story at Bentley…
Intelligent Optimization of Highway Alignments: A Novel Approach Integrating Geographic Information System and Genetic Algorithms
by Botan M. Ahmad AL-Hadad, Wrya H. Nadir. Glpa Ali M. Jukil
A problem oriented GIS model was integrated with a Genetic Algorithm Model into a single one to address the development of an optimum highway alignment solution in real time.
This paper presents a novel and intelligent approach for highway alignment optimization, focusing on the development of the alignment using station points within a reduced domain. The approach involves utilizing a pre-generated Least Cost Path from a Geographic Information System (GIS) model, serving two purposes: first, determining the reduced search domain, and second, using it as input for genetic algorithms (GAs) until a near-optimal alignment is achieved. This approach simplifies the design process, reduces costs, and yields alignments that better harmonize with various relevant factors.
Read full story at ScienceDirect…
Python or R for Spatial Data: Navigating the Best Fit
by Shiva Ganesh
In this article, we'll explore the strengths and weaknesses of Python and R for spatial data analysis to help you make an informed decision.
Spatial data analysis has become increasingly important in various fields, including urban planning, environmental science, agriculture, and epidemiology. With the rise of geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analytics, professionals often find themselves choosing between two popular programming languages for spatial data analysis: Python and R. Both Python and R offer powerful tools and libraries for working with spatial data, but which one is the best fit for your needs?
Read full story at Analytics Insight…
Industry News
In Government
The Biggest Hurdle for Chief Privacy Officers? A Lack of Authority
by Staff
Survey data released by NASCIO reveals many state chief privacy officers feel confined by a lack of enforcement influence and dedicated funding. Additionally, fewer CPOs report having an established privacy program than two years ago.
A new report from the National Association of State CIOs offers a glimpse into the evolving landscape of state chief privacy officers, highlighting the challenges state governments face in implementing foundational privacy practices.
NASCIO surveyed 17 state chief privacy officers in the first quarter of 2024, comparing the results to previous surveys conducted in 2019 and 2022. The report revealed that while 25 states now have a CPO position, the role and its challenges are constantly changing.
Read full story at Government Technology…
988 Currently Doesn't Use Geolocation Services. Counties Want to Change That.
by Kery Murakami
Counties are pushing for Congress to pass legislation that will require calls be routed based on location. Wireless carriers are already working with the federal government to start doing that.
… The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, has been working with the Federal Communications Commission and cellphone carriers like Verizon to test routing calls based on where a person in crisis is generally located. To protect their privacy, their exact location is not being given to call centers.
Read full story at Route Fifty…
Pentagon' Outgoing AI Chief Warns Congress of the Safety and Accuracy Risks of the Emerging Tech
by Alexandra Kelley
Craig Martell, the DOD's chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, warned that ensuring the accuracy and value of large language models will be the "biggest charge" for his successor.
The outgoing chief digital and artificial intelligence officer at the Department of Defense warned lawmakers Friday that making generative AI systems safe for use in military operations will require significant work to standardize input data and validate outputs.
“We've been working really hard to figure out where and when generative AI is gonna be useful and where and when it's going to be dangerous,” he testified before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies and Innovation. “The danger is...it takes a very high cognitive load to validate the output of this model.”
Read full story at GovExec…
In Technology
Elon Musk'' Improbable Path to Making X an “App”
by Ashley Belanger
X must do more than tack on new features if it wants WeChat's success.
Turning Twitter into an everything app is arguably the reason that Elon Musk purchased Twitter. He openly craved the success of the Chinese everything app WeChat, telling Twitter staff soon after purchasing the app that “you basically live on WeChat in China because it's so usable and helpful to daily life, and I think if we can achieve that, or even get close to that at Twitter, it would be an immense success,” The Guardian reported.
Read full story at arsTechnica…
The Fundamental Flaw at the Heart of the Internet
by Frank H. Mccourt Jr. & Michael J. Casey
We must reform the internet to put humans first.
Tuesday, March 12 marked the 35th anniversary of the World Wide Web. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the visionary who designed it, now says the web is “perverse,” and doing more harm than good. The way it has evolved, he says, generates dysfunctional incentives that allow a few giant platforms and their all-knowing algorithms to steer human behavior into antisocial, destructive directions.
So how do we fix the internet? Berners-Lee knows as much as anyone that it cannot be achieved with Band-Aid solutions.
Read full story at Time…
What Is Google Gemini?
by Ellen Glover
Here's everything you need to know about Google's latest generative AI model.
Gemini is Google's multimodal foundation model that the company is integrating across several of its products. Gemini is Google's answer to OpenAI's GPT-4, the multimodal large language model (LLM) that powers the paid version of ChatGPT, the success of which kicked off a generative AI arms race, as several tech companies have since scrambled to bring the latest and greatest products to market.
Launched in December of 2023, Gemini is Google's largest and most capable model to date, according to the company. It was developed by Google's AI research labs DeepMind and Google Research, and is the culmination of nearly a decade of work.
The model comes in three different versions, which vary in size and complexity:
Read full story at built in…
In Utilities
FERC, NARUC Establish Federal-State Current Issues Collaborative
by FERC
FERC voted to establish a new Federal-State Current Issues Collaborative to build on nearly three years of successful transmission-related task force discussions with state utility regulators and expand their efforts to energy sector issues where there are relevant jurisdictional connections or potential regulatory gaps.
The new Collaborative, formed in conjunction with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), expands on the last three years of work of the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Transmission. The Collaborative will provide a venue for federal and state regulators to share perspectives, improve understanding and, where appropriate, identify potential solutions regarding challenges and coordination on matters that affect specific state and federal regulatory jurisdictions.
Read full story at FERC.gov…
A Better Read on Smart Meter Myths
by Alexandra Greenberg
I'm sure you've heard a few smart meter myths -- and your customers have, too. Unfortunately, these misconceptions can affect your customers' willingness to switch and their trust in you if the change is mandatory.
The first stage of any smart meter installation effort should be education. Promoting the value and benefits of these advanced meters and answering any questions your customers have should be a top priority.
Here are some of the misconceptions your customers may believe:
- Myth 1: Smart meters don't keep data secure
- Myth 2: Smart meters aren't as accurate as analog meters
- Myth 3: Smart meters are a safety hazard
- Myth 4: Installing smart meters is a waste of time
Read full story and response to the myths at Questline Digital…
Grid Technology Could Save Billions but for a Policy Vacuum
by Neil Chatterjee*
Two studies have found that using grid-enhancing technologies in generator interconnection could reduce wholesale energy costs nationwide by over $5 billion per year.
Since my time at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, leaders have been working on solutions to ensure that the American transmission grid supports a growing and competitive economy, at a fair cost to customers. But these changes aren't coming fast enough, and supply chains for transmission equipment are getting tighter in a global race for the future of energy.
*Neil Chatterjee is a former chairman at FERC and is now a board member at Ampacimon and senior advisor, global regulatory, at Hogan Lovells.
Read full story at UtilityDive…