Category Archives: GIS
Hottest tech launches of 2009
In 2009, IT sector faced downturn in consumer spending; however the year saw new releases from various top technology giants, from Microsoft to Apple to Google, Nokia to Samsung rolled out a number of feature-rich products.The year saw new mobile phones, media players, software, netbooks and many more. Here, the feature discusses some of the biggest technology launches of the year 2009.Apple iPhone 3G SLast year, Apple had introduced the hottest smartphone of the year. The company upgraded its handset in June, which offers faster speed and better features. It is reported that the new device can perform tasks upto 3.6 times faster than earlier version. It has 3 megapixel camera that supports video capturing, auto-focus mechanism and editing capabilities.The device includes much required ‘cut-copy-paste’ feature, MMS capability and multimedia messaging. The hype of this device can be accessed that over 1 million devices were sold in the first week of release.Microsoft’s Windows 7The world’s largest software maker had updated its operating system offering by launching its Windows 7 in October. The new offering will certainly compete with the new operating systems coming to the market like Google’s Chrome OS.The new OS features Aero, Shake, Peek, Snap, Jump Lists and a redesigned Windows Taskbar which makes day-to-day work a fun. The new software requires less hardware compared to Vista and promises to be faster, less cluttered and has touchscreen features, is available in six editions.There is also a starter edition especially for netbooks. Google Chrome OS Google Inc, the search giant had unveiled its Chrome OS, which is an open source, lightweight OS and said it will target lower-end PCs called Netbooks. In December, the company also released its source-code for developers.It is reported that the new PCs based on Chrome OS will support cloud computing and will be… Continue reading
Practical Applications Of Geographic Information Systems
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system used to gather data and incorporate it in order to store, scrutinize, distribute, and show geographic information. GIS data displays actual world features such as elevations, terrain, and transportation networks, in a digital format. Images that are displayed come from the area where the information was retrieved. Users can take the information for such purposes as analyzing the digitally displayed data, mapping the data, and editing the data. A GIS will include application software for aerial photography, surveying land, extensive geographical mapping, remote sensing, and much more. It is often used to study global problems in an effort to find solutions much more quickly.Recently, Geographic Information Systems have been developed to be used by the public. For instance, Bing Maps and Google Maps are GIS applications now used by millions of people around the world. Through interactive web mapping, the public now has access to large volumes of geographical information. Another important use of GIS is its use when studying climate change. It is now used in the tracking and analyzing of data regarding the impact of climate change. For example, GIS is used to study the ice melting in the Arctic.Earthquake mapping is another way one can use GIS. One can map tectonic shifts in high risk earthquake areas for public safety planning and business development such as determining insurance rates. In regards to business marketing techniques, a business can use GIS to analyze demographic data to find regions where they will likely sell their products or services. Governments can utilize GIS to analyze census information such as health and education statistics. This is helpful for creating or modifying public policies and government spending. It can also provide health research assistance such as analyzing heart disease research data. As well… Continue reading
Mining Industry Of India
Minerals are the life-line of any nation and thankfully India has been tremendously blessed with this gift of nature. The first recorded history of mining in India dates back to 1774, when East Indian Company granted permission to English Company for mining coal in Raniganj. In 1880 M/s John Taylor & Sons Ltd. said to have started gold mining in Kolar Gold Files. The first oil well was drilled in Digboi in 1866, close on the heels of first ever oil well drilled anywhere in the world viz. in Pennsylvania State, USA in 1859. Before the start of this century, mining in India was quite prehistoric in nature and humble in scale. However, with rapid industrialization the demand and the production of various minerals have consistently climbed up. Post-independence the growth of mining under the impact of successive Five Year Plan has been on the rise. There are aggressive plans in coal, metalliferous and oil sectors to enhance production of minerals during the 8th Five Plan and thereafter. Coal: Discovery and Deposits India’s major coal exploration happens to be at two distinct locations -Permian and the Tertiary. Around 99 percent of the country’s coal resources are found around leading present day river valleys viz, Pranhita-Godavari, Pench-Kanhan, Damodar, Koel, Sone-Mahanadi. Almost 50 coalfields, ranging from km2 to as much as 1500 km2 are in operation today, apart from the small and lenticular occurrences of coal alongside the Himalayan foothills. Coal of all sorts can be found in India except peat and anthracite. However, sub-bituminous and bituminous coal is found in larger amounts as opposed to lignite. Indian bituminous coals could be segregated into two categories, cooking and non-cooking. Coal exploration in India is largely based on traditional methods like systematic geological mapping followed by drilling, core drilling playing a prominent… Continue reading
Ram Setu or Sethusamudram ? the Buzz
Ram Setu or Sethusamudram, this is the latest buzz which going on the Indian minds.
From the day of its inauguration of project Sethusamudram, Ram Setu or Sethusamudram controversy is haunting the UPA govt. the recent affidavit filed by government in supreme court which said that there are no historical proofs of Lord Rama and Ram Setu has worked as fuel in the fire for the government of India.
First of all before we discuses it more lets give you some briefs about Ram Setu and Sethusamudram.What is Ram Setu or Adam’s Bridge –
Adam’s Bridge, also called Ram’s Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals, between the islands of Mannar, near northwestern Sri Lanka, and Rameswaram, off the southeastern coast of India. The bridge is 30 miles (48 km) long and separates the Gulf of Mannar (southwest) from the Palk Strait (northeast). Some of the sandbanks are dry and the sea in the area is very shallow, being only 3 ft to 30 ft (1 m to 10 m) deep. It was reportedly passable on foot up to the 15th century until storms deepened the channel: temple records seem to say that Ram’s Bridge was complete above sea level until it broke in a cyclone in 1480 AD. What is project Sethusamudram –
A project called Sethusamudram was launched to create an alternative shorter route for ships to cross the Gulf of Mannar. Project first envisaged by Commander A D Taylor of the Indian Marine in 1860, then in 1955 the Government of India set up the Sethusamudram project committee to look into the feasibility of the project. In June 2005 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the project which will cost about Rs 24.27 billion.
The project is about Ship’s originating from the… Continue reading
Global Warming Interrupted But Eat Raw Bugs Anyway
If humans had already colonized Jupiter, Neptune and Mars, it would certainly be all our fault. In fact, the United Nations Planetary Climate Change Council would be receiving the Nobel Peace Prize right about now. Their scientific statement would refer to Jupiter, Neptune and Mars as being in danger of man-made, irreversible, global climate change due to green house gas emissions.It would be said that all scientists in every nation would be in agreement concerning a dubious future for each of these planets with humans as the cause. There would be no skeptics or doubters. Any dissenting opinion would be dismissed and ridiculed. Of course, there would still be time to save these planets from climate change holocaust, if humans would only change their behavior. The problem for the proponents of man-made global warming is that planets, like Jupiter, Mars, and Neptune, do not have any known inhabitants. So, humans cannot be responsible for the global climate change occurring on each of these four planets today. Just think about that for a moment. Global warming and climate change occurring on planets in this solar system that cannot be connected to any man-made cause.Of course, the warming of the Earth during the last century is absolutely man-made if you listen to many of the devoted disciples of global warming. However, isn’t it somewhat presumptuous to assume that humans have the power to control global climate change on Earth? Isn’t it is also presumptuous to assume that global climate change is not part of a long term planetary cycle and that even the sun does not play a major role? No, the true believers of man-made global warming are devoted to a cause. Their cause is to save the planet from a global warming holocaust in the next century brought on… Continue reading
Electricity can be generated by Solar Photo Voltaic Module
Solar Photo Voltaic Modules are best known as a method for generating electric power by using solar cells to convert energy from the sun into electricity. The Solar Photo Voltaic Module effect refers to photons of light knocking electrons into a higher state of energy to create electricity. The term photovoltaic denotes the unbiased operating mode of a photo-diode in which current through the device is entirely due to the transduced light energy. Virtually all photovoltaic devices are some type of photo-diode.Solar cells produce direct current electricity from light, which can be used to power equipment or to recharge a battery. The first practical application of photovoltaic was to power orbiting satellites and other spacecraft, but today the majority of photovoltaic modules are used for grid connected power generation. In this case an inverter is required to convert the DC to AC. There is a smaller market for off-grid power for remote dwellings, boats, recreational vehicles, electric cars, roadside emergency telephones, remote sensing, and cathodic protection of pipelines. Average solar irradiance, watts per square meter. Note that this is for a horizontal surface, whereas solar panels are normally mounted at an angle and receive more energy per unit area. The small black dots show the area of solar panels needed to generate all of the world’s energy using 8% efficient photovoltaic.Cells require protection from the environment and are usually packaged tightly behind a glass sheet. When more power is required than a single cell can deliver, cells are electrically connected together to form photovoltaic modules, or solar panels. A single module is enough to power an emergency telephone, but for a house or a power plant the modules must be arranged in multiples as arrays. Although the selling price of modules is still too high to compete with grid… Continue reading
Digital Elevation Model Facts
Digital elevation models (DEMs) are three-dimensional maps of an areaâs topographical features or surface terrain. They differ from other types of digital terrain models (DTMs) in that they offer continuous elevation data of the various locations included in a mapped area. Thus, terrain maps like contour line maps or topographical maps might be referred to as DTMs but not DEMs. Techniques for creating digital terrain models include remote sensing techniques like satellite and plane imaging, as well as the more traditional method of direct land surveying. DEMs today are used in geographic information systems (GIS) and in consumer and industrial electronic devices and products, like GPS maps and digital location based services offered by cellphone providers. Specific MethodsThe most powerful technique for creating digital elevation models is called the interferometric synthetic aperture radar technique. This is where orbiting satellites take radar images over the course of two passes over the terrain that is being mapped. This is sufficient to produce a DEM map of ten kilometers per side and with a resolution of 10-meters. Another common, if not as powerful method, is called digital image correlation, whereby two optical images taken by a plane or earth observation satellite are combined. The two pictures, taken from different angles, produce a more complete data set for each portion of the terrain being mapped. The first set of usable elevation data for a large portion of the earthâs continental surface was procured by the earth observation satellite SPOT 1 in 1986 using this method. The traditional method of direct land survey is not as common when it comes to digital elevation models as the two discussed above. However, land survey is still used for mapping mountainous regions, which are not as accurately mapped using remote sensing methods. Some of the specific fields… Continue reading
Advances in Maintenance For Yokohama Fenders
Pneumatic fenders are essential for preventing damage between ships, or between ships and wharves. Yokohama has been a leader in the field for so long that the term “Yokohama Fender” has become synonymous with pneumatic fenders in general. The company currently dominates the field with a full 80% of all the pneumatic fenders being manufactured today. Though pneumatic fenders are sturdy and adaptable to many situations and circumstances, they are not indestructible and do require periodic maintenance. In the past, this typically involved lifting them completely out of the water for inspection and a check of their inflation pressure. Obviously, this cuts into the efficiency of an entire wharf or dock operation when pneumatic fenders are taken out of commission completely for maintenance. Yokohama recently announced a system that can monitor air pressure by remote sensing (a system adapted from their Air Watch setup for automotive tires). Dubbed the Fender Watch system, it entails a sensor on a metal fitting, set inside a Yokohama fender. Via a wireless signal, the sensor sends inflation data to the handheld terminals of maintenance personnel. With this system, maintenance can get accurate readings on the fender’s inflation at distances up to 30 meters. This remote pressure sensing can also help monitor and regulate the distance between two vessels during ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil or liquefied petroleum gas. Since pneumatic fenders are typically used in batteries of four or more, Yokohama’s Fender Watch system can take readings from up to four fenders simultaneously. The sensors are also equipped to send alarm signals should the inflation pressure move significantly above or below the desired settings set by the users. More information on Yokohama Fenders may be found at http://www.anchormarinehouston.com , the exclusive US dealer for Yokohama fenders and parts.
http://www.anchormarinehouston.com
China’s plan emerging to interrupt Tsangpo’s motion
The Brahmaputra is the fourth biggest river in the world in terms of annual discharge rate of about 19,830 cubic meter per second as its mouth and its catchments area is about   5, 80,000 sq.km located in the eastern Himalayan ranges and its neighbors that has occupied the area belonging to the four countries in percentage i.e. Tibetan Plateau of China (50.52%), India (33.62%), Bhutan (7.76%) and Bangladesh (8.10%). High order drainages of about 52 numbers of tributaries feed the Brahmaputra in the downstream side making it constant viable water resources in the region. Of these, the major 19 tributaries lie in the north bank while 12 others significant tributaries are in the south bank of the mighty river. In general, all total 15 numbers of principal tributaries lies in the Indian Territory. It may be worth mentioned that the Dihang (Siang), i.e. Tsangpo in the upper reaches and Subansiri contributes 37.40% and 10.66% surface run off to the Brahmaputra respectively. Moreover, the other two important tributories like Dibang (sikang) and Lohit contibutes around 7.65% and 9.50% surface runoff to the mighty river. Other tributaries such as Manas contributes water annually 6.75% (38,000 million cubic meters), Sonkosh contributes 3.18% (18,000 million cubic meters) and Burhidihing 2.65% (15,000 million cubic meters) annually to the Brahmaputra basin. Moreover, other important rivers are like Kopili, Jiabharali, Dudhnoi, Krishnai, Pagladia, Beki etc. The Northeast had a wonderful landscape with the broad Brahmaputra valley of Assam sandwiched by the Eastern Himalayas and Arakan Yuma ranges of hills. The Brahmaputra valley is the biggest in the region which has played an important role for the growth of the States and the regionâs economy. Mostly, Tsangpo contribution is very significant as concern to the recycling of water potentiality of Brahmaputra basin and its biodiversity apart from… Continue reading
Global Pacemakers Market Forecast To Reach $6.1 billion In 2015
Pacemakers Pipeline, Technology and Market Forecasts to 2015 The industry analysis specialists, have published their latest research, “Pacemakers Pipeline Technology and Market Forecasts to 2015” that is an essential source of information and analysis on the global pacemakers market. The report identifies the key trends shaping and driving the dynamism in the global pacemakers market. The report also provides insights in to the prevalent competitive landscape and the emerging players expected to bring significant shift in the market positioning of the existing market leaders. Most importantly, the report provides valuable insight on the pipeline products within the global pacemakers sector. ( http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Pacemakers-Pipeline-Technology-and-Market-Forecasts-to-2015.html ) Global Pacemakers Market Forecast To Reach $6.1 billion In 2015 It estimates that the global market for pacemakers was valued at $4.2 billion in 2008. The market is expected to reach $6.1 billion in 2015 with an annual growth rate of 5.4%. Increasing incidences of cardiovascular diseases owing to lifestyle changes and rising elderly population will drive the market. Increasing Incidences of Cardiovascular Diseases Along With the Rising Elderly Population Driving Growth in the Pacemakers Market High incidence of cardiovascular diseases is the major driver for pacemakers market. The high prevalence rates of disorders like bradycardia, sick sinus syndrome (SSS), Atrioventricular blocks (AV Block), sudden cardiac attack and atrial fibrillation will boost the growth of the pacemakers market. Each year 600,000 patients seek treatment for bradycardia alone. Bradycardia is mainly caused by SSS and AV block. In the US, three out of 10,000 people are affected by SSS. The prevalence of first degree AV block is 1.13 cases per 1000 patients. Also the incidence of SSS and AV block increases with advancing age, with 5% of men over 65 in the US being affected by AV block. Sudden cardiac death accounts for 300,000 deaths in the… Continue reading