Eric Gakstatter

Some years ago, I predicted that the price of GIS data-collection hardware would eventually decline to the point that software would be the most expensive part of a GIS data-collection system. Well, I'm beginning to rethink that statement. Here's why.

On the coattails of last week's Geospatial Solutions newsletter outlining the United Nations' five- to ten-year vision on geospatial information management, and my column on the mobile device operating system war, here are some more thoughts on those subjects.

This is an interesting look at the five and 10 year vision of geospatial information management from the United Nations, a collection and summary of industry expert opinions.

Following up on my" Mobile Devices Galore" column a couple of weeks ago, one predominant question I hear reverberating across all industries with geospatial apps on mobile devices is "what is the mobile device operating system of the future?"

Few, if any, technology products reach a worldwide audience hotter than mobile devices. I'm talking about smartphones, tablets, handhelds, and even notebooks to some extent. When's the last time you bought a desktop computer?

A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece titled, "The Struggles of a City GIS Manager." With government budgets being cut 15+%, one of the activities that always seems to be included in the discussion is GIS. When the GIS is up and running, has the GIS manager worked his/her way out of a job? I...more >>

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain a few weeks ago, a company called Loctronix introduced meter-level indoor positioning technology. "In 50 meters, turn left to find Macy's Department store" is not very far in our future.

At the GIS In Action 2012 conference last week, I asked a Google presenter if he thought the mobile phone is going to be the primary mobile device people will carry. He said, "No, it's going to be the tablet computer."

Even if you aren't a basketball fan, you've likely heard the term "March Madness" over the years. It refers to a time when the best U.S. college basketball teams compete for the championship title. Demonstrating the diversity of GIS, a Harvard University professor has introduced an interesting...more >>

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are making inroads as geospatial data collection devices (aerial photography). The laws governing the use of UAVs varies widely from country to country. In some countries, UAVs are being used, as we speak, for snapping aerial photographs for digital mapping (GIS). In...more >>