Construction & Mining
Big Data Is Reinventing Construction Surveying
The construction sector was not among the early adopters of big data technology. However, many entities within it are getting
October 19, 2020
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Categories
- Blog (2)
- Business & Legal (29)
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- Education & Training (7)
- GNSS & Geodesy (18)
- Hardware & Software (13)
- Land Surveying (57)
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- Mapping & CAD (11)
- Remote Sensing & Aerial (14)
- Tales From The Field (2)
Construction & Mining
New Methods for Invert Measurement
The Old Method Invert data can generally be collected on structures through direct vertical measurements such as using a box
September 8, 2020
19 Comments
GNSS & Geodesy
Visual Positioning Innovation Gives GNSS RTK Surveying a Powerful Efficiency Boost
From Pure Surveying Insights A groundbreaking new GNSS RTK rover has wide-reaching implications for the surveying profession and other applications
August 27, 2020
9 Comments
Construction & Mining
4 Construction Hazards to Avoid This Summer
The construction sector comes with inherent hazards — some of which are more likely to happen during the summer. Here
August 17, 2020
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Construction & Mining
What Construction Technology Is Disrupting the Jobsite?
Historically, the construction industry has tended to lag behind in adopting new tech. Right now, however, the sector seems to be
July 9, 2020
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GNSS & Geodesy
Tersus Introduces BX40C RTK Board, A Compact GNSS Board with Full Constellation Tracking
Press Release Shanghai, June 3, 2020 – Tersus GNSS Inc. (Tersus) announced the release of the BX40C RTK Board to
June 3, 2020
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Business & Legal
How to Market Foundation Surveys
Foundation surveying is critical for homeowners who want to keep track of how their home’s foundation is performing. It’s also
May 28, 2020
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Land Surveying
China Sends Surveyors to Mt. Everest Due to COVID-19 Lockdown
Spring climbing was canceled by China and Nepal on their respective sides of Mount Everest to prevent infections due to
May 1, 2020
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Land Surveying
POB Magazine Moves To New Pay-To-Play Model
Traditional Formats For decades, printed trade magazines focusing on the surveying profession have been free. In exchange for filling out
October 24, 2019
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Business & Legal
The Most Ridiculous Thing Ever
Move It or Lose It An Ohio man says local officials cut a building in half to end a property
October 19, 2019
16 Comments
Education & Training
Programs for Students Should Include Surveying Career Option
Do you have a program in your area that allows high school students to learn more about their future career
October 13, 2019
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Business & Legal
Canadian Supreme Court Deems Government Owns Copyright to Surveys
Registered survey plans — mapped designs filed with government that outline boundaries of property — are copyrighted by the Crown,
September 27, 2019
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Business & Legal
70+ Ways to Advertise Your Surveying Business
One thing that remains relatively constant for surveying business owners, or any other types of business owners, is advertising. In
September 16, 2019
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Business & Legal
How to Leverage Teaching to Improve Your Surveying Business
In order to be able to effectively teach something, you need to make sure you know it well enough to
September 12, 2019
3 Comments
LiDAR & Imaging
How Can Establishing a UAV Fleet Help Your Business Take off?
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or ‘drones’) are increasingly becoming the solution of choice and have indeed proven to be a
September 10, 2019
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Education & Training
70+ Surveying Facebook Pages and Groups You Should Be Following
The following is a list of Facebook Pages and Groups of prominent groups in the surveying industry that have an
September 8, 2019
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Land Surveying
The California-Nevada Border War
After the United States victory in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), both countries signed a treaty giving the U.S. nearly half
September 6, 2019
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Land Surveying
Wisconsin Surveyor Knows His Sh*t
Hundreds of people came out to Sauk Prairie to participate in a Wisconsin tradition and see just how far they
September 5, 2019
18 Comments
GNSS & Geodesy
Lambert meets Limon: An LDP at a CBL with a Quiz at the End
Among the items on the NGS datum revision agenda for 2022 is an offer to develop Low Distortion Projections (LDPs)
May 2, 2019
13 Comments
GNSS & Geodesy
Emlid Launches REACH RS2 Multi-Band RTK GNSS Receiver with Centimeter Precision
Emlid, the creators of Reach, centimeter-accurate RTK GNSS receiver, launched pre-orders for their multi-band GNSS receiver Reach RS2. The new receiver features built-in LoRa radio, 3.5G modem and a survey app for iOS and Android.
March 27, 2019
35 Comments
GNSS & Geodesy
Are You Ready For The GPS Week Rollover?
From the U. S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity: On April 6, 2019, there will be an event affecting
February 15, 2019
76 Comments
Construction & Mining
“Autonomous Land Surveyor” Drone Finalist In $3M Genius NY Competition
The five finalists in round three of the Genius NY Business Competition were announced in December 2018 and one of
February 1, 2019
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Land Surveying
Land Surveyors Were Boots On The Ground And Eyes In The Sky During Kilauea Eruption
Last May, as lava erupted from Kilauea, land surveyors from Stantec put personnel on the ground to stay ahead of
January 31, 2019
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Business & Legal
OSBEELS Board Administrator Mari Lopez Placed On Administrative Leave
Mari Lopez, Board Administrator for the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS) was placed on
January 28, 2019
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GNSS & Geodesy
30th Anniversary of First Block II GPS Satellite Launched Into Orbit
On February 14, 1989, the first Global Positioning System (GPS) “Block II” satellite was launched into Earth’s orbit. To ensure
January 21, 2019
16 Comments
Land Surveying
Home Depot Surveyor Establishes Peace In Juneau, Alaska In 2008
Back in 2008, a Land Surveyor carved a large peace symbol in a hillside while working on a Home Depot
January 15, 2019
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Business & Legal
Federal Judge Rules Oregon Law Defining ‘Engineer’ Violates Free Speech
On Friday, December 28, 2018, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman declared that certain parts of Oregon’s state law and
December 31, 2018
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Education & Training
Northwestern Michigan College Adds Surveying Program
Appropriately-named Traverse City, Michigan’s Northwestern Michigan College now offers a Surveying Engineering program. The new degree was approved unanimously by the
December 26, 2018
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Education & Training
NCEES Exam Prep Tips and Time-Saving Techniques
School of PE, an exam review course provider, is popularly known for assisting engineers in preparing for NCEES examinations. School
May 23, 2018
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Business & Legal
UK’s TSA Members Welcome SmartWater’s Coordinated Response to Equipment Theft
A new alliance between The Survey Association (TSA) and SmartWater is leading to detailed analysis and police follow-up on every
April 10, 2018
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LiDAR & Imaging
LiDAR Technology Aids in Discovery of Guatemalan “Megalopolis”
National Geographic has just published an exclusive article about the discovery of a “Megalopolis” in the jungles of Guatemala. According
February 2, 2018
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Business & Legal
The Next Big Thing
The next big thing will be a geospatial renaissance. You may prefer to call it a geospatial awakening, or revolution,
November 27, 2017
21 Comments
Education & Training
Graduation Day honours for Survey School’s 2017 top achievers
A record number of graduates of the TSA Surveying Course were commended for their commitment and hard work at The Survey School’s annual ceremony and presentation, held at Worcester Racecourse.
August 27, 2017
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Education & Training
The Survey Association Bursary builds bright future for Geomatics students
The Survey Association’s £2000 bursary award is set to boost the career prospects of two exceptional Geomatics students at Newcastle University.
May 18, 2017
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LiDAR & Imaging
2017 MAPPS Winter Conference
MAPPS (An Association of Photogrammetry, Mapping and Geospatial Firms) has announced their 2017 Winter Conference, which will be held January 13 through 17, 2017 at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida.
November 30, 2016
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Hardware & Software
Six National Mapping Agencies Adopt what3words
what3words, the multi-award winning location reference system, has today announced that six national mapping agencies have adopted 3-word addresses.
November 27, 2016
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Business & Legal
Unlicensed Group Deceives California Property Owners
BPELSG, with the help of several licensees, has investigated and monitored the activities associated with a small group of unlicensed individuals who have deceived multiple Southern California property owners by representing themselves as legitimately authorized to perform land surveying services and providing those services in a manner that directly fails to meet the standards which the public can rely upon.
September 19, 2016
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LiDAR & Imaging
New Kespry Drone Features 2x Coverage and Full Automation
Kespry, which designs automated drone systems for commercial use, today announced the new Kespry Drone 2.0. The new lighter-weight drone flies 2X as long, covers 2X the ground area, and has 2X the wind resilience, due to the new airframe, battery, and flight system improvements.
August 30, 2016
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GNSS & Geodesy
Honolulu, North Carolina?
Here? a question for Lambert state plane coordinate system users. Over how big an area can a Lambert state plane coordinate system give usable results? Before you answer, consider the following…
August 18, 2016
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Land Surveying
Surley, Gunner, Dr. DeCracker and the MisStake
Surley Surveyor and Gunner George were out staking on a property survey one Monday. Gunner was fairly new to the profession and was still breaking in the new total station. Both were under stress, because their boss back in the office was cranky and wasn? sure that the new equipment investment was a good thing.
August 17, 2016
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Business & Legal
An Open Letter to the President of the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors
Thanks to the efforts of the state cartographer? office, an informative forum was held in March 2015 at UW Stevens Point. You were in attendance. The major announcement heard at that event concerned the misalignment of county boundaries.
August 15, 2016
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Business & Legal
Seattle Company Says New System Redefines Surveying
Terrane, previously known as GeoDimensions, is a surveying company in Bellevue, Washington, claiming that they are redefining land surveying processes.
August 5, 2016
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Business & Legal
Gambling With The Deregulation of Land Surveying
The editor of POB just wrote about the deregulation of land surveying. Everyone is buying it. Everyone seems to be missing the point that we have already been deregulated as land surveyors, long ago. How did this happen?
August 1, 2016
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Land Surveying
A Primer In Vertical Datums
A vertical datum is technically, a surface of zero elevation to which heights of various points are referred in order that those heights be in a consistent system.
July 27, 2016
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Business & Legal
Winners of the 2016 NCEES Surveying Education Award
NCEES has announced the recipients of the inaugural NCEES Surveying Education Award. This annual award recognizes surveying programs that best reflect the organization? mission to advance licensure for engineers and surveyors in order to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
July 26, 2016
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Land Surveying
Praise for The Survey School? prize-winning 2016 graduates
The highest achievers on the TSA Surveying Course were commended for their diligence and professionalism by tutors and industry professionals at The Survey School? (UK) annual graduation day ceremony.
July 25, 2016
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Mapping & CAD
St. Augustine To Be Mapped Using UAS
Atlantic Geomatics will be utilizing their Burial Ground Management System to combine drone images with headstone photographs and scanned documents dating back hundreds of years to help visitors easily find the graves of their predecessors.
July 19, 2016
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GNSS & Geodesy
Hands-On Surveying with UAS (Drones)
Once again, the Oregon GNSS Users Group shines with their latest educational opportunity in Salem, Oregon on Tuesday, August 23, 2016. The workshop, Hands-On Surveying With USA (Drones), is an all-day workshop.
July 12, 2016
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GNSS & Geodesy
Raising A State Plane Projection
Back in January, 2016, Loyal Olson described a consulting project that required raising a state plane so that ground distances were very close to grid distances and state plane grid azimuths were preserved. The purpose of this post is to share the results of the research that Loyal? post prompted me to do. Let? explore the relationships and mathematics that make it possible to raise a Lambert state plane projection to provide ground distances and grid azimuths over a limited area.
July 6, 2016
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GNSS & Geodesy
Topcon introduces Elite Survey Suite
Topcon Positioning Group announces a new suite featuring four integrated solutions ?three hardware products ?used?by a single software solution ?designed to provide professionals with a powerful and complete survey system.
July 1, 2016
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Land Surveying
Milrem and Leica Geosystems Announce Pegasus:Multiscope
Milrem and Leica Geosystems today announced Pegasus:Multiscope, the first unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) for off-road use, opening new applications in surveying, security, and monitoring.
June 30, 2016
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Tales From The Field
The Rabbit Had Game
It was late in October, the weather had turned cold, at least late in the night and early in morning. Compared to the temperatures of the past summer, with the hot wind blowing in from the east… whereby lies Death Valley. Climbing up to 3600 feet with the frost still on the road is a welcome change. It beats the thermometer pushing 116 degrees Fahrenheit, at 11 in the morning.
June 29, 2016
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Business & Legal
The State of the Cadastre
The state of the cadastre in this country is still at an all time high at D+. Surveyors see the world of GIS as the next isolated individual parcel that will need to be surveyed, or resurveyed. That decision on which parcel and why that parcel needs surveying is always made by anyone but the surveyor.
June 27, 2016
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LiDAR & Imaging
Demystifying Mobile Mapping
How could measurements taken from a moving vehicle possibly yield surety in high precision and accuracy? These are questions we hear from surveyors in particular as masters of professional determinations of boundary and other spatial elements that require assurance.
June 23, 2016
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Remote Sensing & Aerial
DOT and FAA Finalize Rules for Small UAS
Today, June 21, 2016, The Federal Aviation Administration has finally released operational rules for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
June 21, 2016
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Business & Legal
NSPS Future of Surveying Forum
If you haven’t already participated in the questionnaire from the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) regarding the Forum on the Future of Surveying, please check it out now.
May 12, 2016
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Land Surveying
History You Should Know
On June 4, 1851, John B. Preston set a ?ed Cedar Stake?to indicate the starting point of all public land surveys in what was then called the Oregon Territory.
May 11, 2016
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Tales From The Field
The Game With No Name
About the time I was studying for my California surveyors?license, I was working in a small civil engineering ?surveying company in this foothill town.
May 2, 2016
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Business & Legal
U. S. Senate Passes Digital Coast Act of 2015
Today, April 27, 2016, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved the Digital Coast Act of 2015. The Act, known as S. 2325 and backed by the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), was approved without opposition.
April 27, 2016
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Land Surveying
In the Footsteps of the Original Surveyor
When I first started working in the survey profession there were many new things I quickly learned. The two I heard the most were: dig the hole wider and deeper, and hold the dumb end of the chain.
April 19, 2016
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Land Surveying
The Jefferson Stone
April 13 was President Jefferson? birthday, which is a great time to remind you of the Jefferson Stone, which resides near the Washington Monument.
April 15, 2016
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Land Surveying
University of Hong Kong Finds 172-Year-Old Boundary Monument
Students and teachers from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have found a boundary monument originally depicted on Hong Kong’s oldest scientifically surveyed map, the Ordnance Map of Hong Kong of 1845 by Lt. Thomas Bernard Collinson Royal Engineers.
April 11, 2016
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Remote Sensing & Aerial
FAA Doubles Blanket Altitude for Commercial UAV
The FAA announced on March 29, 2016 that the blanket Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) altitude for Section 333 exemption holders has been raised from 200 to 400 feet.
April 6, 2016
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Business & Legal
Is GPS Really A Gift to Surveying?
Today, with survey grade GPS, measurements can be made to the nearest centimeters. Are today? advancements in technology improvements that we really need? Were the skills and accuracies of yesterday good enough for land measurements? Is GPS surveying just another way of challenging yesterdays’ skills?
March 31, 2016
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Business & Legal
The Role of Land Surveyors in Society
Surveyors and civil engineers, like other experts, may give testimony on questions involving matters of technical skill and experience with which they are peculiarly acquainted. This article focuses on the essential role the Land Surveyor plays when acting as a Boundary Surveyor.
March 29, 2016
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Hardware & Software
Plan Your Mission with Earth Survey for Google Earth
When most of your research is completed and you?e ready to set up the field work, one of your early considerations could be, ?o I already have control in the area I can use??
March 25, 2016
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Land Surveying
The History of Land Surveying: Facts about the Past, Present, and Future Possibilities
Did you know that surveying has been around for centuries now? To be more specific, it has been used for 6,000 years based on historical records. Are you familiar with the monument Stonehenge? Reports suggest that it has used surveyors and employed peg and rope geometry.
March 23, 2016
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Remote Sensing & Aerial
FAA’s Commercial Drone Compliance with Part 107 Expected This Year
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to rollout Commercial Drone Compliance with Part 107 in mid- to late-2016.
March 21, 2016
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Hardware & Software
Topcon Announces New G5-A1 Geodetic Antenna
Topcon Positioning Group announces the release of a new full wave geodetic antenna ?the G5-A1. The portable antenna is designed to provide improved multipath mitigation for use with a mobile base station site or network reference station.
March 18, 2016
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Business & Legal
FARO Technologies Loses CFO and Reboots
FARO Technologies, manufacturer of laser scanners and other 3D imaging products, recently announced that their Chief Financial Officer (CFO) had resigned.
March 15, 2016
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Land Surveying
Here’s The Droid Drone You’ve Been Looking For
3D Robotics has teamed up with Autodesk to bring you a commercialized version of their Solo hobbyist drone. This new drone uses an attached GoPro or Sony UMC-R10C camera to survey a typical construction site in around 20 minutes.
March 10, 2016
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Business & Legal
5 Steps to Get Started in Social Media for Surveyors
When it comes to businesses getting things going for the first time in social media, it? okay to start small. It doesn? matter if you are a large, longstanding company or a fledgling solo operator. There? no good reason for you to jump into the social media frenzy and tackle all of the various networks.
March 7, 2016
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Land Surveying
Are Unlicensed UAVs a Threat to the Surveying Profession?
An article at GPS World claims that the surveying profession is being threatened by the massive amounts of unlicensed UAVs
March 4, 2016
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GNSS & Geodesy
Geodetic Certification Proposal: Your Input Needed
Geodesy is the foundation of modern geospatial practice. In recognition of the importance of geodesy, the American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS) is beginning to explore the idea of a Geodetic Certification Program. This effort is being led by the AAGS Geodetic Education and Certification Committee.
March 1, 2016
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Blog
We Are The Geomagicians. You Will Be Assimilated.
There was a time when I agreed with the movement to include the Land Surveying profession under the overall geospatial envelope, where we would become “geomagicians” (ok, you got me, it’s actually “geomaticians”).
February 25, 2016
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Business & Legal
Arizona HB2613 Proposes to Deregulate Geologists, Landscape Architects, and Other Professions
Arizona House Bill 2613 proposes to deregulate several professional categories. While it doesn’t include surveyors, it does hit pretty close
February 15, 2016
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Land Surveying
Abe Lincoln: Man of Many Hats, Including Land Surveyor
Abraham Lincoln wore many hats. According tosurveyhistory.org: “Abraham Lincoln held many jobs including lawyer, tavern keeper, rail splitter, storekeeper, postmaster
February 12, 2016
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Business & Legal
Bill to Repeal Pipeline Surveying Law in Virginia Fails
Senate Bill 614, which was intended to repeal Virginia’s right-of-entry law for natural gas companies (includingpipeline surveying), has died. There
February 9, 2016
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Land Surveying
Houston Surveyor Finds Stone Fossil Monument
I’ve found a few original stones in my time as a surveyor, but I can’t say I’ve ever found a
February 4, 2016
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Business & Legal
NCEES Hopes to Strengthen the Surveying Profession
On January 22, 2016, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) collaborated with 18 surveying-related organizations to
February 1, 2016
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Business & Legal
Surveyor Helps Mary Jane Find Store Locations in Anchorage
Apparently, it’s difficult to find suitable locations to establish marijuana dispensaries in Anchorage.Local regulations are changing quickly and appropriate inventory
January 30, 2016
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Business & Legal
Surveyor Creates Foundation to Protect Red River Rights
There’s been a big dispute going on in Texas for the last several years (at least) involving the Red River, three counties, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and a bunch of property owners. It’s often referred to as the “Red River Land Grab”.
January 27, 2016
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Hardware & Software
ArcGIS Earth is Now Available from ESRI
Recently, we reported that Google Earth was going to lose it’s U.S. Parcel data layers, which further confirms the accuracy
January 20, 2016
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GNSS & Geodesy
Space Congestion FTW
If you’ve been checking the January and February 2016 schedules for satellite launches, you might have noticed how busy it
January 18, 2016
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Land Surveying
Third Time’s The Charm For Arizona Surveyors?
If you live in Arizona, you might already have heard about the United Surveyors of Arizona (USOFAZ), who just recently
January 15, 2016
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Land Surveying
FEMA Elevation Certificates Updated
On January 6, 2016, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a memorandum stating that Elevation Certificates (FEMA Form 086-0-33)
January 13, 2016
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Hardware & Software
Google Earth Pro to Lose U.S. Parcel Data
It has barely been a year since Google announced that Google Earth Pro(GEP) would be available to anyone for free.
January 11, 2016
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Land Surveying
Female Surveyor Character to Appear in High-Profile Movie
Hot off the heels of Creed, a successful Hollywood movie that has grossed over $116 million worldwide so far, rising
January 9, 2016
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Land Surveying
Ford Wants to Develop Drone-to-Vehicle Surveying System for F-150 Trucks
Yes, you read that right. Take my money. Now. Ford has put a $100,000 bounty on the head of thesystem
January 6, 2016
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Business & Legal
Are Criminal Posers Damaging the Surveying Profession?
By now, most of us have probably watched the YouTube video featuring fake surveyors fooling passersby. It’s entertaining and downright
December 21, 2015
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GNSS & Geodesy
LightSquared Is Back
You may remember the interference caused by LightSquared (see what I did there?) a few years ago when they tried
December 17, 2015
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Land Surveying
LifeHacker Features Surveyor in Career Spotlight
It’s always nice to see surveyors getting noticed by folks outside of our own field. While scouring the interwebz for
December 13, 2015
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Land Surveying
To Drone Or Not To Drone
Whether you call them “drones” or “UAV” (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or just consider them toys, they are still a new
December 3, 2015
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Business & Legal
2016 ALTA/NSPS Standards Have Been Approved
The 2016 Minimum Standard Details Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys document has been approved. While we don’t have an
November 23, 2015
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GNSS & Geodesy
Carlson Releases SurveyGNSS 2016
Carlson Software has released the 2016 version of its SurveyGNSS data post-processing software. SurveyGNSS is a high-accuracy post-processing software for
November 16, 2015
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Blog
Are Surveyors Upgrading to Windows 10?
As Microsoft rolls out the Windows 10 Fall Update,I thought it might be nice to share some information with you
November 12, 2015
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Business & Legal
Bibb County Defeats Monroe County in Boundary Dispute
In the latest round of back-and-forth between two counties in Georgia, the State Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bibb
November 4, 2015
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Land Surveying
Oregon County Recovers 143-Year-Old Survey Monuments
The Bulletin, a news provider for Central Oregon, has written an article about the recovery and preservation of survey monuments
November 2, 2015
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GNSS & Geodesy
GPS 2F-11 Scheduled to Launch on Friday
Update: The launch was delayed until that Saturday (October 31), but was successfully launched. It will commence operation upon completion
October 28, 2015
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