Uni work, Yahoo Pipes and some Apps

It's all gone a little bit quiet on the blog front, which is just as well as I'm having trouble finding the time to stay updated!

At uni, we're delving into a wide range of things, and with teaching now complete it means I'm finishing a whole bunch of projects. These include extending a java Lotka-Volterra model integrated with a Cellular Automate for my environmental modelling project. Finishing a database project that requires us to use HTML to SVG interaction, and running perl scripts to generate SVG directly from a Oracle Spatial Database. Yes, sometimes it feels like it is as complex as it sounds. Then I have an ontology project to finish, whereby we as a group are trying to model a geographic process with an ontology and be able to reasoning with and upon it. I've been playing with some of the stuff at Mindswap.org including their Pellet reasoner, but it's all very complex stuff with barely an example to take inspiration from.

Then I have a project on KML to finish, whereby I'm going to extend one of it's capabilities or address a problem. Not too sure where I am on that yet. Then finally, I need to try and explore the use of virtual worlds to aid teaching. Hmm. And all this on a GIS course. Haven't used an ESRI product for months!

Anyways, the big news I suppose is the launch of the Yahoo Pipes service. I haven't had time to use it myself, but the GE blog discusses it's implications for Google Earth/Map. In many ways this is kind of related to some of the OWL ontology work we are doing now, but on a lower level. Pipes allows you to take the output of other websites, combine/analyse relative to other data or parameters and displays it in some way. It's simple drag and drop editor interface, will appeal to those who aren't complete techies.The Guardian however isn't convinced.

Why pipes? Well, it's probably named after the Unix | character that lets you use/pipe the output of one thing in another. It's certainly an interesting idea, and allows potential novices to do things with data feeds that in the past have been the domain of the programmer only. KML support is also coming.

New Version of World Wind due this Wednesday, according to earth is square Yes Valentines day. Looking forward to it :)

The Chinese are getting in on the virtual globe act too, reports Ogle Earth. Looks like it will be proprietary though.

Finally, James Fee does a great example of how to combine a range of services to do some interesting practical applications - finding a new home!

hi-tech cattle branding

Via slashgeo is the story of hi-tec cattle branding. While traditionally we have microchipped pets, and some animals, it has proved to expensive to embed these in cattle, instead them being tagged in the ear - which has some negative sides. This is promising a RFID tattoo by which cattle could be identified.

The All Points Blog runs an article on the semantic web and possible implementations for Google new patent. As the blog states.. it looks like the development of real semantic networks could be more of a money/business issue than for academic good.

The Google Earth Blog reports on KLM releasing a GE network link as a means of promoting it's products. As initially reported in Emerce.nl. It also reveals the real world google earth development business behind this KLM release.

Finally, some of the things we're doing in GEOVIS.. Ogle Earth has a great video about Perceptive Pixel.