In the next few days look for an updated “ArcGIS” app for Apple’s iPhone 4. If you don’t have it on your iPhone yet, go get it. It’s a portable window into the online esri service to share maps across multiple platforms.
Among the current features are finding maps of national and international interest and currency. For example, you can view maps of “Active Wildfires in the USA” or “Gulf Oil Spill Impact” or even check out the current duck migration in South Dakota (“SD GFP Duck Migration”). The built-in tools in the app include identifying locations and features in a map, measuring distances between points and areas of polygons.
With the update which is expected to appear soon, a new tool will appear and your iPhone becomes a GPS data collection instrument. You’ll be able to enter waypoints and export those to GIS maps. Potential uses include being able to plot perimeters of wildfires, tracking hiking trails, and so on. And, of course, being able to upload that data and share that information with others. If used to its full potential in public safety, the app can save lives and property in incidents of everyday emergencies and large scale, less frequent disasters.
