Friday, September 21, 2012

Follow Something Friday: Flights, Students, Bullets, Zombies, and Noses


It's Friday, and once again I'm headed out for a reckless, careening, fly-through of a collection of weird and seemingly pointless stories that I somehow would like to believe have something to do with the use of geospatial and related technologies in the Emergency Services Sector.......

Flight Following (Personal Safety Category): More than a few folks traveling by air have showed up at home when they weren't expected - and, the other way around.  Now there's a way to alleviate that problem once and for all because "technology" has delivered robust real-time flight following to your computer or hand-held! Use the links below to find out how, or click here to understand how pilots manage the incredibly complex technology of today's aircraft.

A Map of Every Passenger Plane in the Skies at This Instant (Smithsonian Smart News, September 17, 2012)



Student Following (Privacy Category): In follow up to a post I ran earlier this year (RFID Tracking of Students Comes to San Antonio), Wired magazine has provided an update.  For more, click below:



Street View Following (Law Enforcement Category):  Hey, it wouldn't be Friday if I weren't passing along some inane story about Google's Street View - and last time I checked, it's Friday. Click below to learn how a Street View driver is faster than a speeding bullet while driving through Detroit (If the guys and gals driving Street View cars in places like this aren't getting Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay, they should be):



Follow On Zombie Attack (Munching on Your Neighbor Category): FEMA has recently decided to follow the lead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by sponsoring a preparedness campaign based on an anticipated Zombie Attack. Sorry, try as I may, I don't get it. Something tells me there are a couple of very slick advertising "weavers" on Madison Avenue and soon a small boy is going to be shouting out something along the lines of: "The Emperor isn't wearing any clothes."  Decide for yourself, click below: 



Follow That Nose! (Mild Attempt at Subject Matter Redemption Category): London's MailOnline recently ran a piece on "smell maps" that are being developed for various cities around the world. Created by artist Kate McLean, the maps are offered as a way to enhance understanding of a city's environment. As envisioned by Ms. McLean, the concept could be used to promote tourism.  As envisioned by me, the maps could be used to help create a baseline for a sniffer system of sensors that's looking for trouble (toxic release, etc.).  Anyway, for a whiff of this story, click below:  



All for this week.  Have a great weekend!

No comments:

Post a Comment