Short news: RoboGeo v4.0, Google Ocean, Astun Tech geocodes

  • Some highly lickable SketchUp models of hypothetical MIDI controllers, posted to Make:.
  • Photo georeferencing tool for Windows RoboGeo makes it up to version 4.0, with an enhanced user interface, automatic support for camera directions (!), and better image stamping. There is a free demo version.
  • Google Ocean is a collection of Google Earth files with a maritime theme: Buoy data, sea surface temperatures, weather, bathymetry data, tidal predictions, shipwrecks… There is also a set of high resolution overlays for the French coast line. The pièce de resistance? Submarine cables have negative height numbers in anticipation of Google Earth getting real 3D seafloors (!).
  • Astun Technology has come out with a very slick, free, javascript-based batch geocoder. It claims to be able to geocode addresses globally (specializing in the UK), and you can get the output as KML. If you need industrial strength solutions (or integration with your website), you can subscribe to a commercial solution.