This World Map Is So Accurate It Folds Into a Globe (Map projections)

Dealing with map projections can be frustrating, this new map uses a more accurate projection and actually represents the continents as accurately as possible.  Read below for more and click the link to jump to the article in Popular Mechanics.  A lot of work went into this new map.

By Jay Bennett

It’s a problem that has plagued cartographers for centuries: How do you accurately represent a round world on a flat map?

The most common world map used today, designed almost 450 years ago, is highly distorted—it’s that classroom wall map that shows Greenland as absolutely colossal. But a new map called AuthaGraph, created by Tokyo-based artist and architect Hajime Narukawa, just won Japan’s distinguished Good Design Award for accurately representing the relative sizes of landmasses and bodies of water on Earth. The map is so proportionally accurate that you can fold it up into a three-dimensional globe.

The rest of the article can be found here:  This World Map Is So Accurate It Folds Into a Globe

Mapping Every Disputed Territory in the World (by Max Galka)

One of a maps first set of purposes was to show troop movement and or territorial boundaries during ancient times.   The would show the land owned by a King or nobleman and sometimes those very same maps would cause a dispute which resulted in war.  Check out this article on how Google Maps and other map applications change the boundaries based upon a person IP address or geographical location.  Talk about political correctness.

Here is a portion of the article:

Some of the biggest geopolitical events in the world are centered around disputed territories, land whose sovereignty is claimed by more than one nation / occupying power.

At the other extreme, some territorial disputes involve land that would seem entirely worthless. The U.K., Iceland, and Denmark all assert ownership of Rockall Island, an 8,000 square foot rock in the middle of the North Atlantic, hundreds of miles from the nearest inhabited location.

From one extreme to the other, at least 124 countries (or “would-be” countries) are involved in a territorial dispute of some kind, involving, by my count, 105 separate territories.

Bike share mapping creates beautiful portraits of London, NYC and Berlin (this is very cool)

Bike sharing isn’t very popular around the Northwest Florida area but it is in larger cities across the globe.  There is a very neat project that shows the real-time bike sharing use across major cities in North America and Europe.  Now, I love riding my bike but for me to be able to get to the office from my home would mean that I would leave the house at 3 in the morning.  But, if I were located in a larger city with an adequate cycling lanes, I would probably be one who commutes by bike.

Follow the link in the quote and see how this project started and what the visuals reveal about the programs.

Thanks to http://metrocosm.com/ for the post on facebook about the article.

Bike sharing programmes have grown from just 24 cities worldwide a decade ago to more than 800 cities today, but how has a 200-year-old device suddenly become the next big thing in urban transport? The key is digital information, the real-time GPS technology that allows the bikes to be tracked and secured, and lets cities monitor how and where they are being used.

What is GIS?

GIS is more than just creating a map and it is more than just data.  GIS is used in many industries and fields of work.  I started out learning GIS and using it when I worked in the oil and gas industry.  I used it with clients to track their assets and oil and gas leases.  I am currently applying GIS in archaeology and history.  There is a myriad of ways to use GIS but just what is GIS.  Follow the link in the below paragraph to peek your curiosity and learn more about this relatively young technology and its application.

 

This is probably the most asked question posed to those in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) field and is probably the hardest to answer in a succinct and clear manner. GIS is a technological field that incorporates geographical features with tabular data in order to map, analyze, and assess real-world problems.  The key word to this technology is Geography – this means that some portion of the data is spatial.  In other words, data that is in some way referenced to locations on the earth. Coupled with this data is usually tabular data known as attribute data.  Attribute data can be generally defined as additional information about each of the spatial features.  An example of this would be schools. The actual location of the schools is the spatial data.  Additional data such as the school name, level of education taught, student capacity would make up the attribute data.  It is the partnership of these two data types that enables GIS to be such an effective problem solving tool through spatial analysis.

GIS operates on many levels.  On the most basic level, geographic information systems technology is used as computer cartography, that is for straight forward mapping. The real power of GIS is through using spatial and statistical methods to analyze attribute and geographic information.  The end result of the analysis can be derivative information, interpolated information or prioritized information.

Pure Michigan redo (Retro Style)

Trying to learn more about cartography and utilizing Illustrator for final touches has been very educational (really).  Last week’s map was a first version and I wanted to improve it because I knew that I had created a decent map but it was too busy with labels.  After I took my professor’s advice and made some minor changes (using ArcGis), I then exported the map as a .AI file for use in Illustrator.  Making changes in Illustrator allowed me to pump up the effects that I wanted to create but could not in ArcGIS.  It was frustrating at first but I finally was able to achieve the look and feel that I was looking for that I couldn’t do on the 1st map.  Allowing my brain to grasp the program as well as being very patient in manipulating the desired labels and symbols.   The rustic look was obtained and it felt as if I had moved a mountain.  The same mountain that is set in ArcGIS that makes the final rendering of a map so hard to be satisfied with.

The flexibility of exporting from ArcGIS and making changes in Illustrator really gives you a more “readable” map.  Glad I pushed through the program and made headway.  I have added both maps, version one and version two for you to see the difference between the two.  If you get to a point of frustration, hold on and push through, it isn’t the easy things that allow us to learn and grow, it is the hard and difficult things that stretch our mind and allow us to learn.  So, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Here is a link to the pdf versions:

Lab5_TonyCross       Lab6_TonyCross2 

Version 1

Version 2

 

Australia to shift 1.8 meters on New Years day

On New Years day Australia will “shift”, what wait?  No, really it will shift digitally because it has been slowly shifting 7 cm per year because of tectonic plate movement.   The last update was in 1994 and can/does create errors with GPS units and data.   Here are a couple of great articles about the shift and why.

Maps of Australia are all five feet off. Would you be brave enough to use a self-driving car there?

Australia Will Suddenly Move 1.8 Meters North On New Year’s Day

 

Today’s Remote Sensing Image of the day: Nishinoshima Volcanic Island Growth

This image was taken by Worldview-2 one of the many remote sensing satellites that DigitalGlobe has in its fleet. The imagery is from December 31, 2013, I love remote imagery, this is a very awesome image.

Read more or go here to see some awesome imagery by DigitalGlobe.

An island rises out of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan in this December 31, 2013 image captured by WorldView-2. Formed by a still-active undersea volcano, scientists claim the new island, Nishinoshima, will offer a rare chance to examine how new life colonizes barren land.

What? The UK’s prime minister is a geographer?

What is geography? It is a simple yet misleading question. Literally, it is derived from the Greek words “Geo” (Earth) and “graphy” (to write). Many people would probably answer that question with something related to maps or state capitals. Those answers do not even scratch the surface in describing the discipline of geography. The question was inspired by recent news reports that the next prime minster of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, is a geographer trained at Oxford University. Wait, but does a geographer have the “gravitas” and perspective to be a world leader?

Read more about Theresa May’s background in this Forbes article here

 

Lab3 Typography & Logo design

Well, another deadline is approaching rather rapidly, this time, I will not be rushed nor flustered.  Working with Illustrator is somewhat like working in ArcGIS so given that fact I was able to get very familiar with the setup and on the 3rd lab know more ins-and-outs of the software.   This time, we were asked to work with typefaces and list the variations and differences in serif versus sans serif.  If you are interested here is a link about the variations (something I am fascinated with since labeling in creating maps is rather frustrating). Design Shack

This work can be seen here:     type

I tried to mimic the “old school” logo of the University of Florida

 

Next, we were tasked with redesigning our own version of a group of well know company logos.  I chose Michigan State University (the university for which I am completing this class through) and ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, GIS design software which I use on a daily basis).   My attempts are amateurish at best but with more hands-on and time I will conquer this beast.  We were asked to create one logo for each company, me in my desire to know all there is to know created and extra set. I choose the “old school” later 50’s through 70’s style.  Kind of like the throwback jersey style we see in football.  I hope you enjoy, remember my 1st attempt at this so be easy on me.

Make today great, read a book, hug your wife and kids and live like today is your last!

tony
salvo semper
Hebrews 12:1-2

M’erica

 

Well, Happy birthday America, may we honor those who gave us this great country built upon unchanging principles.

Here is a cool video map I found about the development of the USA since it’s foundation.

Check it out: Growth of a Nation

 

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.