Integrating GIS with SAP Brings Improved Processes to Marin Water District - Articles: "The benefits of integrating its SAP and ESRI systems extend throughout Marin Municipal Water District and to its customers. It has resulted in decreased service times, reduced error frequency, lower operation costs and increased overall efficiency. It helps to lower the cost of asset maintenance and service, and provides better asset inventory management."

Google Tests Local Ads On Maps - 03/27/2006: "Here come the ads on Google.........it was only time..... GOOGLE IS TESTING A NEW feature on its mapping service, Maps.Google.com, that allows advertisers to display locations with an icon and also embed an image in the store information bubble. 'As part of our continuing effort to provide a positive advertising experience for users and advertisers, we are always exploring ways to improve the way we display ads,' Google stated, adding: 'We are currently conducting a limited test of ads on Google Local.' The company declined to offer more specific details. Kelsey Group analyst Greg Sterling said these types of ads have potential far beyond simple display images. 'The possibilities are great,' he said. 'You could plug e-commerce into this, you could plug video into this, chat, pay-per-call--you could do any number of things that would be really interesting on these modules on a map.'"

ESRI and STC Collaborate to Address Pandemic Influenza: "ESRI, the world's leading provider of geographic information system (GIS) software, announces it is working with Scientific Technologies Corporation (STC), an international public health information systems firm. STC will offer private businesses and public organizations an exercise program to assess readiness and help prepare and develop an action plan in the event of an influenza pandemic in the United States. The program enhances STC's Preparedness Training, Exercises, Simulations, and Testing (Pre-TEST) services. Pre-TEST is designed to evaluate the operational readiness of many different groups such as public health agencies, schools, jails, public facilities, transportation services, and commercial businesses. In a pandemic, the work of these organizations is likely to be severely disrupted. Pre-TEST will provide a practical assessment of how ready organizations and public health systems are for such an event and what measures might be implemented in the short term to speed response and recovery. The enhanced Pre-TEST services will integrate ESRI GIS features and capabilities into both the preparedness planning activities and actual hands-on exercises. "STC has recently developed an exercise program for schools and other large public institutions to assess and stress institutional response and resilience," said STC president Mike Popovich. "We are delighted to be working with ESRI to enhance these services. The GIS tools and public health and health care expertise of ESRI will add to our exercise program and increase participants' ability to describe their decision-making processes, identify capabilities and gaps, and increase awareness of peers and partnering agencies"

Biosecurity for the Birds: "Practice Backyard Biosecurity. Keep your birds free from disease. Restrict traffic on your property, and disinfect shoes, clothes and hands to prevent the possible spread of disease. Report Sick Birds. Don’t wait! Early detection can make a difference. If your birds are sick or dying, call USDA's Veterinary Services toll free at 1-866-536-7593"

PandemicFlu.gov: "One stop access to U.S. Government avian and pandemic flu information. Managed by the Department of Health and Human Services."

County of San Diego - Land Use & Environment Group: "Office of the (San Diego) County Veterinarian Phone Number: 858-694-2838 Animal Disease and Diagnostic Laboratory hours: 8 AM - 5 PM Monday through Friday. Avian Influenza Fact Sheet (PDF)"

USGS National Wildlife Health Center - Avian Influenza Wildlife Chart: "List of Species Affected by H5N1 (Avian Influenza) - Referenced reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in wildlife and domestic animals"

USGS National Wildlife Health Center - Avian Influenza: "USDA, DOI and HHS expand screening for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in migratory birds USDA, DOI and HHS Spotlight Interagency Readiness Plans. Update: March 20, 2006 H5N1 has been confirmed in five new countries in the past week, including Myanmar, Sweden, Afghanistan, Denmark and Israel, creating a total of 41 countries that have reported H5N1 outbreaks since 2004."

ESRI International User Conference: "Exhibit Your Work in the Map Gallery Submission Deadline June 16 Each year, hundreds of users showcase their work in the Map Gallery. Participants may choose to enter their submissions in one of several categories and compete for an award. Many of the maps will be published in the annual ESRI Map Book. All other maps become part of ESRI's permanent collection. Use the Map Gallery Submission System to register."

GIS Matters: ArcGIS Explorer at AAG: "From David Maguire: Yesterday I participated in a paper session and panel discussion at the Association of American Geographers annual conference in Chicago. I spoke about the concepts, history and attributes of Geographic Exploration Systems (GES) and also described ArcGIS Explorer as a case study. GES are a new breed of GIS that focus on the exploitation of geographic information and utilize a services-oriented architecture. They are user-centric, fun and easy to use. ArcGIS Explorer (AGX) is an example of a GES. It aims to be a 'GIS for everyone'. With AGX anyone with a modern PC and connection to the web can explore geographic information. AGX has the capability to call many types of web services and integrate them together as ‘geomashups’. This is where things start to get interesting."

All Points Blog: "Quote from Roberto Solimene, Google Enterprise director for Europe: "Some 70 to 80 percent of investment is put into making the search experience better. That means we can spend 30 per cent on other things such as Google Earth, but they are not core to our business." That's a key differentiator between the Googles and Microsofts of the world and the ESRIs and MapInfos."

Palomar Mountain Webcam: "People think it never snows in San Diego County -- The webcam image is taken every 20 minutes (when it works) through a window looking out on the front porch of a house on Fern Meadow Road."

Googling Google ZDNet.com: "What Google is up to" - A blog that keeps an eye on what Google is doing and digs deeper for more info.

San Diego Zoo Weblogs - GIS use GIS!: "GIS use GIS! Wha--?! Let me rephrase: the Girls In Science students were introduced to the Zoo's Geographic Information System mapping project this week by intern Jeannine Carlin. Eventually, the entire San Diego Zoo and everything in it will be mapped. We’ll be able to find water valves and electrical trunk lines and the coffee cart and will even be able to track down where the poop trucks park!"

ArcWeb Services ArcWeb Explorer: It's beta, but it's pretty cool - "ArcWeb Explorer (Beta Release) ArcWeb Explorer is a Web-based map viewing application based on Macromedia Flash 8. The ArcWeb Explorer uses vector mapping technology to render maps quickly in the browser instead of having the server render them. The result is improved speed and performance, greater control over the map appearance, and desktop-like functionality over the Internet. In addition, ArcWeb Explorer provides access to ArcWeb Services so you can easily find locations by street address, telephone number (land line), and IP address. You can also create a route and directions between locations and map locations from Excel spreadsheets."

San Diego Zoo.org: "ZOO LAUNCHES CELL PHONE RECYCLING PROGRAM AIMED TO PROTECT WILD GORILLAS FROM BUSHMEAT TRADE What happens to old out-of-date phones? It's estimated that more than 100 million cell phones are thrown away, or stuffed in a drawer, each year. The San Diego Zoo, along with Eco-Cell, a cellular phone recycling company, has launched a free-of-charge cell phone-recycling program at both the Zoo and San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park to encourage visitors to recycle. By recycling a phone, guests can feel confident they are helping protect local landfills from potentially hazardous chemicals found in cell phones and accessories such as arsenic, antimony, cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead, and zinc. Guests will also be helping to protect gorillas in central Africa from habitat loss and slaughter for the illegal bushmeat trade. Although cell phones and the extinction of gorillas may seem like an uncommon connection, according to wildlife experts, they are closely linked. 'Cell phones contain a rare ore called coltan, which is mined in central Africa. Increased mining operations over the past decade have greatly impacted the habitat and caused increased hunting pressure on gorillas and other wildlife in the area,' explained Karen Killmar, San Diego Zoo associate curator of mammals. 'The cell phone boom induced a flood of more than 10,000 illegal miners into protected parks in central Africa. Many of these miners, lacking food resources and encouraged by the companies that employ them, have hunted gorillas, elephants, and other species of mammals and birds to near extinction in these areas.'"

Suit seeks shutdown of Google Earth until case settled: "Suit seeks shutdown of Google Earth until case settled Susan Decker - Bloomberg News Jan. 6, 2006 12:05 PM Google Inc.'s mapping search service, Google Earth, should be shut down until a lawsuit over its underlying technology is resolved, Skyline Software Systems Inc., owner of the patent at issue in the case, said in court papers. Closely held Skyline filed a patent-infringement suit in May 2004 against Keyhole Corp., a maker of software that allows users to take a virtual tour of landscapes using images and data collected from satellites and airplanes. Google, the world's most-used Internet search engine, was added to the suit after it bought Keyhole in October 2004. In court papers filed Jan. 4 in Boston, Skyline said user access to Google Earth should be suspended while the suit is pending. Google slashed the price of Keyhole's services, added a free version and as a result 'has eclipsed its competitors in this market,' Skyline said."

ESRI Podcast Feeds: "ESRI podcasts are a free and easy way to get the latest news and information from ESRI. On-the-go or at your desk, listen to software tips and tricks, keynote speakers, and more."

Google Tests New Local Ads On Maps: "It was only time............... Google Tests Local Ads on Maps - at ClickZ covers David Galbraith spotting that Google now appears to be inserting paid ads into maps on Google Local. For a search on hotels new york, he's spotted 'blue pins' that correspond to what may be new sponsored links that come above editorial listings to the left of the map. On my end, I (Danny Sullivan) see the textual ads but not the blue pins. Neither does Gary. A search for pizza san francisco shows a text ad but no blue pins. A few other searches I did also showed sponsored ads but no pins. As I (Danny Sullivan) said, the sponsored links seem new. I don't recall seeing them on Google Local before, but it could be they were there but less noticeable before Google Local and Google Maps merged. We're checking on this and tracking down the mystery blue pins! Postscript: Statement from Google, 'As part of our continuing effort to provide a positive advertising experience for users and advertisers, we are always exploring ways to improve the way we display ads. We are currently conducting a limited test of ads on Google Local. We do not have any other specific details to share at this time.' Also, text ads have been on Google Local since 2004. Posted by Danny Sullivan on Jan. 12, 2006"

Business Analyst Online - On-Demand Reports and Maps - In business? This is a great resource: "Business Analyst Online provides on-demand presentation-quality reports and maps to users who need to make decisions about site analysis and site selection, analyze trade areas, and reach target markets. Business Analyst Online is a Web-based solution, hosted by ESRI, and is easily accessible without requiring any training."