Successor to “Degree Confluence Project” to Photograph 4,554,000 Geographic Intersection Points in the U.S., Creating Unique Picture of America.
San Francisco, CA — June 29, 2005— Zoto, an online photo site, announced today at the Where 2.0 conference that it will sponsor and host Geo Project USA, the first initiative to index and photograph each of the more than 4,554,000 “minute confluence points” in the United States.
“Confluence points” are where whole-numbered lines of latitude intersect with whole-numbered line of longitude (e.g., 43°00’00”N, 109°00’00”W). A “minute” in geographic terms is 1/60 of a “degree,” or one mile. “Minute confluence points” form a one-mile by one-mile grid across the United States.
Participants will visit and photograph “minute confluence points,” then post their pictures and notes on a dedicated section of the Zoto website, at http://www.GeoProjectUSA.com. Once posted, photos will be plotted on a display map, allowing visitors to zoom in on any state, region, city or neighborhood. “This project will create a view of America unlike anything before it,” said Kord Campbell, Zoto’s founder and CEO. “There’s satellite mapping technology today that lets you zoom in and see your house from space. However, Geo Project USA will give us ground level photos from millions of locations just one mile apart. For the first time, you’ll be able to see literally every square mile of America.”
Geo Project USA is inspired by the successful “Degree Confluence Project” (www.Confluence.org). More than 7,000 participants have visited, photographed and written about 5,000 degree confluence points in 166 countries, including 872 of the 1265 degree confluence points in the U.S. “People have been asking me for something like this for a long time,” said Alex Jarrett who founded the Degree Confluence Project in 1996. “Geo Project USA takes our original vision to an extreme level.”
Zoto is a natural home for Geo Project USA. Kord Campbell owned the Oklahoma internet service provider (ISP) where the Degree Confluence Project was originally housed and has been involved in the project ever since, personally contributing several degree confluence visits in Oklahoma and Texas.
HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE? Since minute confluence points are one mile apart vs. 60 miles apart for degree confluences, Campbell believes enthusiasts will be able to cover a much larger number in a shorter period of time: “Geo Project USA is an ambitious, long-term project,” he said. “However we’re optimistic that in two-to-three years, we’ll have enough photos that a fascinating tapestry of America will begin to emerge.”
HOW TO GET INVOLVED To participate in Geo Project USA, all you need is a standard GPS device (available from Garmin, Magellan and other manufacturers and sold through sporting goods stores and online retailers including Amazon.com), a compass and a digital camera. To learn how to locate minute confluence points, or for any other information on the project, visit www.GeoProjectUSA.com.
ABOUT ZOTO Zoto is a Web-based photo hosting, organizing, sharing and publishing site. Zoto was founded in 2004 by Kord Campbell, Rick Dunning and Trey Stout and is privately funded. Zoto is based in Oklahoma City, OK, with a business development office in Berkeley, CA. For more information, visit www.Zoto.com.
GISuser Feature Articles
Top iPhone related GIS and Geo Tech news stories from 2009 - At the end of the year its always interesting for us to look at some of the stats and results to identify trends and more important, to see what our readers think is hot! In the "news" category it seems that iPhone related geo tech items were extremely popular.
10 Awesome GIS and Mapping apps for the iPhone - I recall last year at the ESRI UC when an iPhone was on stage showing a prototype app (think ArcPad on iPhone). It was then that I realized the iPhone platform is going to be BIG in mapping and there's a ton of opportunity for developers.
Nokia Booklet 3G, unboxing video and image gallery... Those of you in the USA who pop in to BestBuy occasionally, you may have seen a stand showing off the Nokia Booklet 3G. A sleek, 3G enabled, SIM slot (AT&T) sporting netbook.
Interesting Tweeple - 10 Geo Technology & Geo-Social Women of Twitter - given the growing love for geospatial and location-aware technologies, I’ve decided to hype 10 women that I feel make a significant contribution to the Geo-Twittersphere. If you’d like to add 10 knowledgeable and useful Twitter contacts to your Geo following list I highly suggest the following: (in no particular order)
10 Geo Social Location-Aware Apps Making Waves... With Twitter's opening of their location API to developers there's going to be a ton of third party apps that will enable Twitter users to share location-aware information via their Twitter accounts.
Signs that indicate you may be a GeoGeek (aka. GeoNerd) and some suggested Geo blogs - Chances are good that if you are a Geo Geek then you already know it and likely refer to yourself as one. However, there’s many of you out there that may be on the fence and wondering… “am I a Geo Geek?" Read on for a comprehensive list of signs you might be a GeoGeek followed up by some suggested Geoblog reading.
Real-time GPS Mapping and GIS Solution Aids Efficient Disaster Management - Saturday, February 7, 2009 will forever be known as Black Saturday in the State of Victoria, Australia. In the midst of a 10-year drought, a record breaking heat wave descended upon the state, with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees C (110-120 deg F), breaking all-time record highs in some cities - Victoria Police Use Trimble Juno SC Handhelds to Speed Assessment of Damage Caused by Bush Fires.
10 Ways Your Tech Business Can Take Advantage of Twitter - Many companies and individuals are still asking themselves how can I use Twitter in my business? The following is a small sampling of some of the ways that your technology business can use Twitter to your advantage.
2010 ESRI Federal User Conference February 17-19, 2010, Washington D.C. Walter E. Washington Convention Center - The FedUC is the largest geospatial conference for federal agencies. Connect with other leaders, decision makers, and GIS professionals.
The International LiDAR Mapping Forum 2010 - Tenth Anniversary Event! ILMF 2010 will be held from March 3 - 5, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in Denver at Colorado Convention Center.
The NAVTEQ 2010 Global LBS Challenge Awards Ceremony will be held during Ignite at O'Reilly Where 2.0. Be among the first to hear as NAVTEQ announces the winners for the North America region. Participants will be competing for a global prize pool of $10 million and growing by showcasing pre-commercial location-enabled apps using NAVTEQ map data & products. March 30, 2010, during Ignite Where, 7:30pm - 9:00pm, at the Marriott San Jose, CA
WHERE2.0 2010 - Now in its sixth year, the Where 2.0 Conference is where the grassroots and leading edge developers building location-aware technology intersect with the businesses and entrepreneurs seeking out location apps, platforms, and hardware to gain a competitive edge. For 15% use Discount Code: whr10lbs
See more 
